chefcyn

Here's one I always make and it comes out fine, but it's not a cookie as such but made in a round cake pan--this stops the spreading and keeps it in shape, you then cut it into wedges while it's warm and leave it in the pan till t's completely cool. Oven set at 325 deg F Cream 1 c unsalted butter in a large bowl. Combine and whisk together: 2 c all purpose flour 1/2 c sifted confectioner's sugar 1/4 tsp salt Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed butter and scoop it together into a ball using a flexible pastry scraper or stiff rubber spatula. Knead it just a bit and shape it quickly into a ball and press it into the bottom of a 9" round cake pan. If you have hot hands, use a spatula to press it so you don't melt the butter overmuch. Prick it all over with a fork (make a nice pattern as it will show when it's baked. Bake for 25-30 min until it just starts to color on the edges. Cut into wedges while it still warm. If you press it out into a larger rectangular baking pan, you can cut it into squares when it's baked, it will be thinner (takes less time to bake as well so watch it carefully--you don't want it to brown. )

Has anyone used actual joint compound for making up a dummy cake? It's consistency is like frosting and it dries exactly as you shape it--I've used it with pastry bag and tubes for art projects but never for a cake. It can be colored with pigment powders, or used white. There is also Liquitex acrylic modeling compound which is more plastic, being made of acrylics. But it's also pretty pricey in quantities for large projects. The joint compound is cheap by the 5 gallon pail, but perhaps it would end up too heavy.

...PS: ...I am by absolutely no means an expert on the scientific reaction that goes on during the process of hydrogenation. If I made a mistake please do correct me... I seem to remember something from chemistry class to the effect that the process was more of the oil being pumped with very high pressure through very tiny holes and this caused some molecular change that incorporated hydrogen molecules into the fatty acid chains, making it "hydrogenated" and therefore "saturated"--which implies more hydrogen atoms in the molecule making up the fat. Or something like that.

Use a dipping fork--it consists of two tines with little balls on the tips, you drop the caramel into the melted chocolate and fish it out with the fork. There is also another dipping tool that has an oblong loop (like a bottomless spoon) that works in a similar way as the fork. With either tool, you can lightly scrape off the excess chocolate from the bottom of the caramel as you remove it from the pan and place it onto a wax paper or parchment covered sheetpan to set up.

Our big super grocery store bakery does photo cakes--you might see if you have a local store that does this, and take a picture of the label you design to them to print onto wafer paper with their printer (edible ink) or, there are places on the web that will make custom wafer paper photos, too. If they do the printing directly onto their cakes with an airbrush system, you could ask if they can do it onto a piece of fondant you bring to them. Good luck!

Here's a link to a Derby Pie article in the NY Times Archive from 10-17-04, but it's only available for a fee--unless you go to a university or college library that can get it for you form the microfiche archives--or their account. I don't know if it has the recipe you're looking for, because I didn't want to fork over the $2.95 at this time--I may check at the library later though. Good luck! http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html...=archive:search

Wow, I never thought of that kind of price range--what do ordinary holiday baked goods--things like Apple Pies and Mince Pies--go for in your neighborhood? Around here, at the high-price bakery they are $11 and $14 respectively. I was thinking of starting small-time into it for the holidays this year offering some things to a local coffee shop/bakery outlet(meaning they don't have an onsite baker, but might buy my stuff or let me finish the baking there). It could make a little pocket money for me, eh?

Here's another "fruitcake" treasure from my Mom's recipe box that we make every year at Christmas--she got this when we lived in Cuba in the 50s, doing recipe exchanges with other Navy wives: Whiskey Lizzies Place 1 1/2 c seedless raisins in a bowl, add 1/4 c bourbon Mix and let sit for 1 hour. Mix and sift: 1 1/2 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cloves Mix: 1/2 c butter 1/2 c light brown sugar Add 2 eggs, beat. Beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the Raisins and... 1/2 lb pecans 1/4 c candied citron 1/2 lb candied cherries Place spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 for about 15 min. Makes about 6 1/2 doz. We've made them with other candied fruit than the cherries, too like pineapple and they were good--like bites of fruitcake.

The 1981 December issue of Gourmet Magazine had a great Stollen recipe that I used for years, but I'm not sure where I put it--I had lost it once during a move, then got a copy from the library--It's somewhere is one of these recipe files...I'll find it and post it. I also have a recipe for Chocolate Rum Balls made with Fruitcake! It's a good one to use up the not-so good cakes that come in the mail and sit around all winter. I'll find it and post it, too--they are probably oth on my computer at home--one of these days, I'd like to have all my eggs in one basket--so to speak, or at least all my recipes on all my machines. Here is the Rum Ball Recipe: Chocolate Walnut Rum Balls 1 lb. fruitcake, sliced and cut into 2-inch pieces (I used one of those they sell in gift shops, that have red ruffled parchment paper under them, and wrapped in plastic. Someone had given it to me.) 2 cups (8 ounces) walnut pieces 3 cups confectioners' sugar, divided 3 oz Dark Chocolate bars, chopped 1 /4 cup rum Place fruitcake and nuts in bowl of food processor fitted with metal chopping blade. Cover and pulse until mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add 2 cups confectioners' sugar and chocolate. Mix well with fork. Add rum and mix until ingredients are uniformly moistened. Add a little more rum, if needed, to hold ingredients together. Line baking sheet with foil, parchment or waxed paper. Shape fruitcake mixture into 1-inch balls by rolling between palms of hands. Repeat to make about 50 balls. Place remaining confectioners’ sugar in shallow bowl. Roll balls in sugar until thoroughly coated. Transfer to waxed paper-lined baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Store rum balls in covered container for up to 3 days. Makes 50 rum balls (though I didn't get 50 balls--more like 30 I guess I made them bigger than 1")