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Our cookbook of the week is Crust by Tom Moore with Rebecca Wellman.
Jump to the recipes:chocolate, bourbon and pecan butter tarts, ginger chew cookies and sticky toffee date cake.
Since Tom Moore co-founded Victoria’s Crust Bakery with then-wife Crystal Harris in 2013, it’s become an institution of sorts. Eleven years later, Moore is opening up their kitchen, sharing homestyle recipes for the bakery’s sweet and savoury treats in his first cookbook, Crust (with Rebecca Wellman, Appetite by Random House, 2024).
In the spirit of Crust’s philosophy, the Australian chef, baker, restaurateur and culinary teacher pared the recipes back to the essentials. “I wanted to keep it simple and let the flavours talk for themselves. It’s an understated place. It’s not pretentious. We’ve never claimed to be a pretentious bakery. It’s just simple and a little bit rustic. But then, when you eat it, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is really good.’ And that’s the reaction I want with people.”
Moore grew up in Tamworth, a city in northeast New South Wales, on his parents’ herb farm and got an early start in the culinary industry. He left high school halfway through Grade 11 to start training to become a chef and, after apprenticing in Australia’s capital of Canberra and working around the country, moved to Victoria for an executive chef position. He and Harris (who now co-owns Crust with Sherin Fernandes) moved back to Canberra in 2001, where they opened two restaurants, Sage and Grazing. Moore also started an apprentice school, ForChefs, and the bakery Knead before returning to Victoria and opening Crust just over a decade ago.
He had long considered writing a cookbook, but it wasn’t until his job at Crust changed from primarily hands-on to some administration during the pandemic that he had the time to devote to it. Wellman, a cook, stylist, recipe developer and photographer, was the ideal writing partner. Having written First, We Brunch (2017) and co-written Bisous & Brioche (2020), she had the experience creating cookbooks that he lacked.
With his background in teaching, Moore says that paring back everything he wanted to say was challenging. (Though he packs a lot of helpful information in the concluding Troubleshooting section.) “I love teaching people. I cook with my kids all the time, and their friends come over, and we cook together. Our household is based around food, and I love being able to share that with people. I really do. And I just had to tone it down,” says Moore, laughing.
He highlights that baking has many variables: The temperature of your kitchen, how warm your hands are, the kind of flour or butter you use, the type of equipment, and the time of year can all affect the outcome. Throughout the book, he encourages a sense of play and experimentation.
“Cooking is an art, baking is a science,” as the saying goes, but Moore, who has experience in both, disagrees. “(Baking) gets better when you practice more, like anything, really. But it doesn’t have to be scientific. It can be more from the heart. It can be, ‘Go by feel and go by trial and error, and what you like.’”
In the book, he focuses on the pies and tarts, muffins, scones and squares, cakes, cookies, breads (yeasted and sourdough) and baking staples that have earned Crust a devoted following. Moore’s background comes through in some of the tropical flavours, such as passion fruit, and classic Aussie bakes, such as sticky date pudding (dubbed sticky toffee date cake, for Canadians), pavlova and his homemade version of the iconic chocolate cookie Tim Tams.
Moore enjoys fall flavours and often bakes with spices such as cardamom and cloves, as well as late-harvest fruit such as apples and pears. His ginger chew cookies are a favourite for this time of year. He grew up eating Australian gingersnaps — “The same sort of style that almost could break your teeth” — and set out to create his ideal version for the bakery. “I wanted one with a crispy outer shell and chewy in the middle and a beautiful ginger punch to it. And, oh, yeah, that’s them.”
Moore’s chocolate, bourbon and pecan butter tarts merge his native Australia with his Canadian home and would make a decadent finish for Thanksgiving dinner. At his patisserie Knead in Canberra, he made macadamia-chocolate tarts in the same style.
“I wanted to do something that’s a nod to what I was doing back there but also recognizes butter tarts over here. And I wanted to put a nut in it, and pecans have that beautiful, buttery crunch I love. So it came about by putting those two together, and it took off. It’s been one of our most stable and consistent tarts since Day 1. Yum.”
CHOCOLATE, BOURBON AND PECAN BUTTER TARTS
Makes: 8 tarts
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups (300 g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) good-quality bourbon
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 recipe Sweet Pastry ( recipe follows), cold
1 cup (120 g) pecan halves or roughly chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup (90 g) semisweet dark chocolate chips
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Add the salt, bourbon, vanilla and lemon juice and continue whisking gently. You want to dissolve the sugar, but don’t want to add too much air to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week.
Step 2
Lightly brush or spray eight 4-inch (10 cm) fluted tart tins with a neutral oil. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
Step 3
On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.
Step 4
Using a cookie cutter, or a thin glass, cut out eight 4 1/2-inch (11 cm) disks. Tuck a disk into each tart tin, pressing it well into all the curves and making sure there are no cracks or air pockets. Ensure the pastry comes right up to the top of each tin, as it will shrink slightly as it bakes. Set the tins on the prepared sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 5
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
Step 6
Divide the pecans and chocolate chips evenly among the tarts, then fill each tart with the bourbon caramel mixture. Depending on the depth of your tart tins, you may have some filling left over (spoon it over ice cream!).
Step 7
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is cooked through and has puffed a little. Transfer the tins to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, then carefully remove the tarts from the tins. Return the tarts to the rack and let cool completely before serving.
These tarts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes: Use dark brown sugar, good-quality bourbon and good-quality vanilla extract for the best flavour.
These tarts are delicious at room temperature but are also delectably sticky and chewy straight out of the fridge.
SWEET PASTRY
Makes: enough for two 9-inch (23-cm) pie crusts or eight 4-inch (10-cm) tarts
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (100 g) cake or pastry flour (see note)
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Step 1
Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the all-purpose flour and cake flour into a bowl.
Step 2
In a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until well blended, pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another minute, until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the flour is just mixed in. Do not overmix.
Step 3
Divide the mixture in half and squish each half with the heel of your palm to make a 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, before using.
This pastry will keep, well wrapped, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen pastry in the fridge for 1 day before using.
Note: Although pastry flour is preferred for its low gluten content, don’t worry if you don’t have it. All-purpose flour will be fine with the same measurements.
GINGER CHEW COOKIES
Makes: 24 large cookies
Cookies:
3 3/4 cups (560 g) all-purpose flour
3 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125 ml) fancy molasses
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 eggs, cold
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup (50 g) finely chopped candied ginger
Cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Step 1
Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
Make the cookies: Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves into a small bowl.
Step 3
In a stand mixer, combine the sugar, butter, molasses and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium-low speed for about 30 seconds (don’t worry if it curdles; see note). Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.
Step 4
Remove the bowl from the stand and stir in the candied ginger, scraping down the bowl so all is combined.
Step 5
Make the cinnamon sugar: In a large shallow bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
Step 6
Using a soup spoon or a cookie scoop, form the dough into 24 equal-sized balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar until well coated. Place them all on one of the prepared pans (they can be close together). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 7
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
Step 8
Transfer six balls to the second prepared pan, giving them room to spread. Gently press down on the cookies with your fingertips, just enough so they don’t roll away. Keep the remaining dough balls in the fridge until ready to bake.
Step 9
Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan after 6 minutes, until the cookies are slightly cracked on top. Take them out a bit earlier if you like them chewy, or a bit later if you like them crispier. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10
Repeat steps 8 and 9 three more times with the remaining dough balls. These cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes: When you mix in the cold eggs, the mixture will curdle a bit, and that’s exactly what you want! This prevents too much air from getting into the batter, which makes pleasantly flat and chewy cookies rather than big puffy ones.
Before rolling in cinnamon sugar and baking, you can freeze the dough balls on the sheet pan, then transfer them to a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then keep cold in the fridge while each batch bakes.
STICKY TOFFEE DATE CAKE
Serves: 10-12
Cake:
2 cups (300 g) seedless dried dates (see note)
1 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cups (400 mL) boiling water
2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6 tbsp (90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Toffee sauce:
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp flaky sea salt (see note)
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
2 tbsp (30 ml) bourbon (optional)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
To garnish:
Whipped cream or clotted cream
Make the cake
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spray or brush a 10-inch (25 cm) Bundt pan with a neutral oil and place it on a parchment-lined large rimmed sheet pan.
Step 2
Put the dates into a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle with the baking soda and pour the boiling water over top. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
Step 4
Add the butter to the date mixture and give it a quick stir. Transfer about 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the date mixture to a food processor and, using the S-shaped blade, pulse 8-10 times or until the dates are mashed up but still have a little texture. Scrape into a stand mixer bowl. Repeat with the remaining dates, 1/2 cup (125 mL) at a time, until they are all mashed.
Step 5
Add the light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla to the mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the date mixture and continue to mix for another 15 seconds.
Step 6
Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 10 seconds to blend without it going everywhere! Turn the mixer to medium-high and mix for another 10-15 seconds or until it is completely combined and there are no lumps of flour left.
Step 7
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and gently smooth the top with a spatula.
Step 8
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto the rack to cool.
Make the sauce
Step 9
In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the dark brown sugar, salt and whipping cream and stir with a spatula until well blended. Bring to a boil, scraping down the sides occasionally, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3 minutes or it coats the back of a spoon. Toffee sauce thickens as it cools, so don’t overcook it. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon (if using) and vanilla. (If making ahead, pour the sauce into a jar while still hot. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Step 10
Cut the cake while it is still warm and serve with warm toffee sauce poured over each slice. Top with whipped or clotted cream as desired.
This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes: Feel each date for a seed and discard any you find. Even seedless dates sometimes have seeds!
Flaky sea salt is important here, for the flavour and for the measurement. If you only have kosher salt, cut it to 1/2 teaspoon.
To take this recipe to the next chocolatey level, replace 1/3 cup (50 g) of the all-purpose flour with 1/3 cup (35 g) of cocoa powder. Stir 2 tablespoons (22 g) dark chocolate chips into the hot toffee sauce.
If you want to make this cake in advance, let it cool completely and refrigerate the toffee sauce until set, about 2 hours. Using a small pallet knife, smear the cold sauce, which will have the consistency of frosting, all over the cake.
Recipes and images excerpted from Crust by Tom Moore with Rebecca Wellman. Copyright ©2024 Tom Moore and Rebecca Wellman. Photographs by Peter Bagi and Rebecca Wellman. Photo on page xiii by Dominic Hall. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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