Do your homemade pastries not look as yummy and glossy as the ones you see at the stores and in pictures? A common error of omission is the absence of glaze. In a professional kitchen, the most common product is some variant of apricot glaze. The exact product isn’t commonly available, but a really decent home substitute is easy to make. A cheap apricot jam, (with the smallest amount of fruit chunks possible) thinned down with roughly 25% water, and brought to the boil is perfect to apply to pastries. Be sure to bring it to the boil each time you use it or it will set up and still be very sticky. Apricot jam is used because of its neutral flavour and colour. Be sure to strain any small chunks out once it’s brought to the boil or your finish may be lumpy.
