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Another one...Red Hat society..purple & red theme!

Well..hope this works...Done for a tea party

Great job Cory...thanks for posting the picture...sounds like a great combination...I much prefer them to a banana!

Great work everyone....have enjoyed seeing the pictures. I guess I have to figure out how to post some pics. Been meaning to join in earlier... Annie Can really relate..even at some very upscale places and you hear "Oh, the cake lady is here " Ditto, gosh it takes all the fun and creativity out of it. Double ditto!Annie, do you ever make decorated sheet cakes??!! I have had some people ask, I make it a point to never do unless I am using that as part of my overall design. Do you get a lot of requests for miniature decorated cakes for weddings etc Wendy Great setup with the purses. The larger purses are stunning. I totally agree Although we "eat" with our eyes first, the follow up taste must be terrific if not, what a terrible let down for clients and you alike! Like Annie said, some designs are limited by the type of cake you can use but in no way are you compromising on taste and quality.Keith Your work is always a pleasure to look at. Like you and others, I make my own fondant because I can control the texture and taste better and I use a lot of it. Marilyn Great work, I love your miniatures! TP,Celenes and everyone else, great work !

Wendy, so sorry to hear you had that happen! The stress free supports are a great investment but if you are not on site, can be a pain to get back.(I have had some tossed even ) Foamcore is an alternative to the cardboad cake circle & very easy to cut. Like Annie, If I am transporting, ( I like to be in and out of there very quickly)I use dowels straight through everytime with a stacked design and I have never had a problem yet.

Another option would be to assemble completely...if you are more comfortable doing it at your site...then transport it. Since you are only going to be going about 4 miles? away..and drive carefully..it can be done. You can use a large moving box, lined with non-skid material, to transport the completely assembled cake and just have your air conditioning blasting to keep it cold. Drive carefully too. Watch your corners! I suggest you keep it covered/boxed until it has defrosted to help with the condensation that will occur. How large is this cake going to be? Careful planning and construction is the key to this. Make sure you use lots of support. Some ganache recipes behave differently when frozen & defrosted on surfaces. Stacking on site, will depend on how comfortable you are setting up with an audience and the final design.

A Tarte Tatin sounds wonderful...and those plantains are a lot more flavorful than an overripe banana. Texture wise, it is not as mushy and will retain its shape better. Let us know how it works out

You can also make a pignoli tart, which can stay out to be served.

I have made almond paste..using the blanched almonds, I grind them with some of the powdered sugar, which helps to keep it from turning into paste and oily. This has been done both in a Cusinart & Robot Coupe... You get a pretty fine grind however it is not as fine/smooth as the texture of commercial almond paste. If you want to use it in the actual cake, then as long as you do not mind the little extra texture from the nuts( might give some added interest to your cake texture) by all means you can make the homemade almond paste you posted. There are some formulas which use eggs and granulated sugar also. Which you can use if cooking or baking in a product. Also, try pulverising further the almond meal (which is available to you) with some of the powdered sugar, and see if that may give you a finer meal. When making the almond paste, do be careful not to overwork the dough or it will become very oily..let it rest before you work it again. This can be finished using your dough hook in a mixer bowl also or just finish by hand. HTH

Chocartist- glad to have your input on this...I too am a great admirer of your work and I always recommend your book Chocolate Artistry, as a great resource..like Wendy I treasure my copy which you so graciously signed, and refer to it constantly. I am so glad you have mentioned a source to get it from..my other copy I gave to a very grateful apprentice who constanly refers to it also, but I have had others say, they can't find it. So, have got to ask...is there going to be another book in the future?

Always had it in the house as a child, introduced my kids to it and they love it (why not? intense sugar fix!!) use it mixed with selzer & a dash of lime or sometimes bitters!

All of the above and more ...can't let the eggs and unsalted butter go to waste anyway! Besides...what am I supposed to do with that flat of strawberries I bought yesterday...dip them?? yyyyyeeeeeeessssss BUT how about some roasted strawberries instead? now I need something to pair that with..so lets see................ I guess I am off to create! This is fun......

I make my own, because I developed a formula, which I am happy with, have used it for years, it is consistent and I can flavor it with any complementing flavor of the cake, I am covering it with. I make it in 16-20# batches (better texture control). Sometimes I mix it with marzipan for an almond fondant and white chocolate plastique for white chocolate flavor. This you can roll pretty thin. That said, some commercial brands taste better than others..however fondant is a personal taste thing...either you like it or you don't! Great decorating medium though! Very little middle ground here.. Satin Ice is one of the more popular brands, Wiltons - Yuk! but to each its own! Cal Java has a great white Chocolate & white chocolate raspberry one. Pettinice, there has been mixed reviews about this one lately but some people swear by it. Albert Uster carries one that is Masa Tacino so does Patis France, which is similar to the British commercial sugarpaste Regalice. Then there is ChocoPan..a bit pricey but very flavorful and can be rolled very thin too, a bit soft to work with. Rolling it thin really helps with the sagging. Fondant can be very heavy Wendy, have you tried using a fan on it after you have pulled it out of the refrigerator? That helps sometimes Yes..it is great to have some at hand...so I keep some extra in the freezer! HTH

Enjoying this blog, very much Ms. Victoria and Keifel! Brings back a lot of memories.... Coming out of lurkdom now Keifel....I'll send you some..I make it all the time..just made some this week and it is just like back home! ( email me of PM me) Use an iron frying pan if you have one if not a heavy duty saute pan will work, you will just need to make them a bit smaller...works for me if I am visiting and don't want to haul my heavy 100 yr old one, around! Yes, it works for the upset stomach, great with meats as part of a marinade...as Keifel says the flavor is very suble unless you add quite a bit..Great in rum punch too!! Hats off to you guys, this is a great blog...keep it coming

This is a great blog! Can sooooo relate! Wow Mel...you go girl!!