PastryLady

Had issues with Pastry Art and Design on delivering my magazine. Ended up starting with Chocolatier, but will be getting PA&D next issue. What was on the cover Steve?

Currently re-reading Perfect Pastry by Nick Malgieri. Great book with explanations on just about everything!

I have a couple strictly icecream and gelato books, but was wondering if you had a favorite book of ice cream recipies/combinations that work and taste good. I make icecream in my Cuisinart maker all the time in little batches to try new things (See Leechie and Nutella post). So if you have a book you like or simple combination you would suggest, please post or (sorry) if already done please post a link. Still a newbie to this site and learning more about its features. I heard about the upgrade to this site too and can't wait to see what it can do afterwards.

I have some mold ideas and remember a Notter video where he made his own silicone molds. Just wondering if people knew of any companies that kind of had a how-to guide. I would like to learn to make my own as I was shocked to see that a simple leaf mold at Notter's website goes for about $50. Plus, I think we get more interesting items if you can use your own ideas/objects. Thanks!

I read of Cafe du Monde in the south and found a can of Chickory Coffee from the restaurant at a gormet store. Brought it home and thought a bit. Does anyone have a recipe that uses this? Chickory Ice Cream is obvious off the top of my head and a chickory sauce. Thanks in advance! Chickory Chocolate Mousse...

I meant to say that the US "pastry" or bakeries consistently push off bad product and call it "pastry" only to lessen the importance and significance to this art we all love.

I have been to some good ones, but can't say they are the best. The Furst Pastry Shop in Salzburg was really good! My favorite time was in Zurich they had the Altstad Fest (Old Town Festival), where they set up booths of all the shops in the area. They had phenomenal pastry shops in Zurich! My mouth is still watering and I got back over a month ago. What I loved about visiting Switzerland and Austria, was that all the pastry shops were wonderful! It is amazing how much crap gets pushed off to the consumer. If they only knew there was much better stuff out there!!!!

Here is my description of my favorite: Slightly soft and warm brownie with chopped nuts (a must!). I also put ganache on top for an extra helping of sin.

1st, portion size I think is good. Plus if you have them in pvc, you would end up spending more time (read less money for actual owner) on taking them out. The molds you have are designed well and the extractor thing (lack of a better word) makes taking the dessert out much easier. I would explain your concern with the manager about the portion size if you feel up to it, but personally, people are set in their ways about sizes most of the time. I would change up the garnish and make some things bigger visually (please no skyscraper dessert!). And please he is complaining about $5 for a dessert?!!!! Tell him to go to chili's and get something that some teenager has slapped on a plate for that! Visually I would possibly change up the top appearance. With our molds we have the ladyfingers in a diagonal around the side (we use same mold/size). One thing I would change that we do is for the top. I would like to use a comb and wave it on the top, then take the finest strainer and dust the cocoa on top. Plus the cocoa dusting wouldn't take rocket science to apply and visually look more upscale. You can obviously play around with it. I agree about the recognition as well. If they seriously want the money deserved for the great tasting product, there needs to be some uniformity to the desserts. If you are offering pretty much the same dessert day in and out, they should look identical every time or with the same style at least. If there is no basic quality control, I can kind of understand if a substandard dessert made it to a customer that someone would complain. Atleast you could definately suggest this! BTW, how awful, he can't even spell your name right on the website?!!!

I will tell you what I don't like. I have a Cuisinart hand mixer that I never use. The low setting is too fast. I agree with getting an extra bowl for the 5 qt. The 5qt model has a more cone shaped bowl that will allow you to make smaller batches. Ever since I got my KitchenAid, I really never use the hand mixer anyways.

I usually eyeball it. To me if you call it Blackberry Ice Cream though it better be fully flavored. You may want to add a strained puree into the anglaise. This would make up the sugar content. Watch your anglaise to make sure you are not getting it too thick. Probably 2:1 anglaise to berry.

The key to icecream is to fold in the berries once you have churned it. I would cut back on the sugar just a tad too in your recipe. Maybe add a touch of lemon and some zest to give it a fresh flavor. Creme Anglaise - then - Chill - then Churn - then-fold in berries. You may get some streaks of purple color. I would cut the berries in halves. Maybe quarters if they are huge.

Puree it baby! Savor the goodness all year round from your freezer. I love blackberries since my mom had her own patch in the yard (she has 5 acres, so we had many types of things on the "farm" as I called it.). Mom would make awesome jam, but I am not a seed lover myself. I would make up blackberry syrup on the side for belgain waffles growing up. That combined with pure maple syrup was great. I am also a naturalist. Cobblers aren't really my favorite thing, because it usually distorts the true flavor of the fresh fruit. Tarts or creme chantilly are great simple additions. You could also mix raspberries and blueberries to get the well rounded flavors. How about blackberry/clove ice cream?

Just letting you know Costco sells 1/2 gallons of Heavy Cream real cheap. I think I paid $3.50-$4 for one. Heavy cream is so expensive and lately sold in pint size or less. Not ultra pasturized either.

Question for bruleeing in tart shell. Would you cover the edges somehow so when you are carmelizing the sugar, you wouldn't darken the edges of the shell? If so, what do you use, foil or something else?

Hilda's shortbread recipe I searched and this was the only recipe that came up under shortbread. Maybe you could search for a shortdough and have better luck.

I don't have a recipe, but have you tried using sponge cakes? You can make them moist with the addition of simple syrup and Layer with buttercream, then you have your butter taste/feel with the moist factor.

Finally we have power again!!! Got it this morning and unfortunately, so did my bakery I work at. We had to throw away so much product it killed me! So much hard work, right in the trash.... 90 degree heat and no power for almost two days = bad product everwhere. My feet are killing me today! Worked for 9 hours just filling all the orders, morning stuff and we had two wedding cakes and sheet cakes that they wanted Martha Stewart-ized. Don't get me started on her. Husband works for Kmarche too, so I get double dose of her... Anyways I wanted to thank you all for your advice on the shoes, I definately need to get new ones. My husband looked at me when I got home and said I needed a nap and I said no, it is just the shoes. Feet hurt. Hobbling around like I stopped on my childhood banana bike with no shoes going 40mph or something. My paycheck went in the bank before the power went out, so I will head off to see what they have. BTW, I never use debit card via the Internet, sorry for the mis-typing. I only use credit card, but are we ever totally safe anyways? So glad I have my computer back. Don't like to watch much tv anymore, so this is my release. Bye all!

Ewald has an awesome sugar book, but it is a)very expensive b)all in German. So if you have some bucks buy a Notter book, but otherwise I would spend the money and go to one of his seminars. You would probably get a better worth out of your dollar.

I have a pair of Ecco shoes for my job and school, but these aren't cutting it. Does anyone have a place you can get good chef shoes? I like the clogs, but would rather have something that can't slip off my feet. I am always on the go anyways. Any websites would be neat too, but I have a thing about wanting to try on shoes first before I had over my debit card. Does anyone use inserts too? If so, which kind (specifically)

Found a better one *I think*, but I have a stone from pamperedchef and love that. I would love one of those hearth inserts. Soapstone website Here is the hearth if you really want to spend some bucks! Hearth

Could be a frangipain. This is a very soft dough with pastry cream incorporated and nuts. Ours usually is an almond frangi.

FYI, I got this link in my email this morning for a soapstone made for pizza in your oven from Chef's catalog Soapstone Pizza Baker Hope the link works.

I think it is papaya that doesn't set and is a tenderizer. Kiwi mousse sounds good, but on what?

Personally, I have never had a Martha Stewart recipe turn out. Keep her pictures, but ditch the recipies.