alanamoana

^ Rob, that looks absolutely awesome!

On google, I found a couple of caselaw definitions of UHT cream. Could you please provide me with a simpler one? Thanks. ← U = ultra H = high T = temperature edited to add: and just to keep this on topic, i ordered the book from the canadian source kerry beal mentioned (the cookbook store). i just found out that credit card companies charge a fee for international charges. i've never noticed that before! american express: 2% which is going up to 2.7% in January for any charge in foreign currency...this totally sucks. visa and mc are 1% i think. had i known, i would have used another card because this totally closed the gap on the good exchange rate. i still saved money, but not enough to make a huge difference!!!

fruit and nut bread tends to be higher fat and different mixing method. as sugarseattle pointed out above (and i implied in my post), the higher fat (creaming method, usually) cakes tend to be denser and hold their shape a bit better than sponge/genoise cakes which are more temperamental. that would be regardless of the container in which the cake is baked. though the method you describe sounds like a great way to use cans! rob, you can also try using a chiffon type cake which is a bit more sturdy than the usual genoise but is also basic enough to be a building block for a lot of things.

depends on what you mean by "store bought". whole foods and other "gourmet" shops sell valrhona feves and other high end chocolates which should be perfectly temperable. if you mean candy bar type chocolate then additives might be the culprit...not enough cocoa butter content to temper correctly, veg oil fillers, etc. and too thick of a viscosity. there are a lot of online sources for chocolate that are reasonable, even with shipping. of course, it is best to buy these in the winter months as shipping is cheaper and you're less likely to receive a melted/damaged product.

no rob, you're not a failure !! i just find that, especially in smaller molds, people tend to overbake. with the carry over cooking, they can still be a tiny bit moist on the inside and they'll dry out/finish baking once out of the oven without pulling away from the pan. if it is a sponge type cake, don't spray or coat the ring molds so that the sponge has something to hold onto as it is climbing up the sides of the form. to remove, use a sharp paring knife pushed against the metal (so as not to tear the cake) all the way around the ring and you should have nice clean edges. ditto what devlin said above.

i think proper baking time is the key. if you don't overbake your sponge, you should be fine rolling whenever you're ready (as JeanneCake mentioned above) cool or warm. wrapping is also a good tip as you would otherwise lose moisture which might cause cracking.

if your cake is pulling away when it cools, it might be an error in method or baking time. i know that you're at a high altitude, but am sure that you've compensated for that before. don't overwhip whites if they're included in the recipe and don't overbake. also, watch quantities of chemical leaveners as that might cause over rising in the oven which will then shrink back when cooling.

according to the Scharffenberger people, they use whole beans and throw them in during the conching process.

I thought you said you had 25% cream? If you do, that should be fine...maybe I misread your post?

i don't know what the fat percentages are in half-and-half, but we always used it to make our vanilla ice cream base and it was great. you might need to increase your yolks (lecithin, fat) to make it perfect, but with your lower fat cream you might be able to do it just fine.

but you're fine baking cheesecakes in a low oven without a water bath. especially individuals that are made in ring molds without bottoms, a water bath is obviously impossible. just be careful not to overcook. even baking in a water bath (which technically can't get hotter than boiling, 212F) can curdle egg proteins as they cook at 175F or thereabouts when protected by sugar and other things. plus the dry heat on the top from the oven isn't protected by the water.

not to be a total downer but CI often attempts to reinvent the wheel. yes, you add the hard boiled egg yolk to get some fat in there without adding moisture which would dissolve the sugar and thus take away the sandy texture. so, it isn't in there for leavening, but for shortening purposes.

Interesting suggestion! Love the idea of not having to use gelatin. Worth a try. ← i'm not totally sure it would work, but it IS worth a try

check out this thread on yellow and white cakes...might be overkill, but you might find something you like! yes, the chocolate makes a difference in the final product. i've always used something around 60% plus or minus and been happy with the results.

you could puree it with some heavy cream and then fold it into some whipped cream for a mousse component in a dessert. the pectin will help stabilize the whipped cream a bit so you won't need to use gelatin?!

also, check out paulraphael's recipe in recipeGullet. i think using different sugars, forms of butters, etc. can give the cookie a depth of flavor not usually found in standard cc cookies.

The Herme version sounds good. I'm gonna try that. Medrich's version, though, is actually very easy. Not troublesome or difficult. The first time I tried it I worried it sounded a little finicky, but once it was done I was surprised by how lovely it was. I'll try Herme's next time. ← i'll check it out. i do love most everything of hers anyway, so i don't know why i assumed it would be difficult. if you try the herme version, do take the time to chill it completely. overnight is best. if i'm in a huge hurry, i'll stir it over an ice bath until it is very cold and then chill in fridge or even in the freezer for a bit before whipping.

just want to throw my congratulations in as well! i think it is amazing how much knowledge there is here on eGullet and i'm going to finally have to make a donation (i keep meaning to) to grease the cogs . i wish you continued success and hope you continue to add your $0.02 to all the great topics on chocolate here on eG.

absolutely. the version you mention sounds a little too difficult. trying to incorporate melted chocolate into already whipped cream makes for all kinds of trouble. this is just chocolate cream that you whip. obviously, like any whipped cream, you can take it to different levels of stiffness. again, you do have to be careful of overwhipping. due to the chocolate content, that can happen quicker than just plain whipped cream. you can pipe it with a star tip and it holds the shape nicely. deliciously rich, it is a quick cheat to chocolate mousse as well.

how frequently are you washing your molds? most places never (or rarely) wash their molds, preferring to leave them with their "seasoning" intact.

the Pierre Herme version is the best and is what creme parisienne really is.

creme parisienne is cream and chocolate...ganache. yes, it is also chocolate whipped cream. semantics.

basically it is a very light ganache. boil cream, pour over chocolate, whisk together and allow to cool (usually overnight is good). then, the next day, whip the cream. be gentle as it is very easy to overwhip and have a grainy texture. other than that, easy-peasy!

I've made a candy out of them, like almond rochers (rocks), and they're great. sort of like high end rice crispy treats (when made with white chocolate). also make them with milk and dark and other inclusions like toasted dessicated coconut, sliced toasted almonds, etc.

maybe if you laminated your puff with sugar so that it caramelized (you'd get something closer, but still far away from the actual product)...otherwise, that's just crumbs. feuilletine is a very specific item.