K8memphis

Here's one but it's a flavoring oil not an extract. http://www.lorannoils.com/Productsdetail.a...HAMPAGNE+FLAVOR

Well perhaps, but apparently I actually have one of the rare 7 1/2 by 3 1/2 loaf pans and the ginger apricot batter did not fit in this size pan hahahahyahnotfunny. I didn't realize I didn't have the requisite size. But I put it in a small bundt pan and all was well. It did not crack as splendiforously as the picture but I baked it at 335 because of the bundt issue and because I did not want dry. I probably should have started at 350 and lowered after a while - but anyway. It came out good. I cut the ginger in smaller pieces due to the never dying horrors of being served the green & red & yellow big bulbous candied chunks of matter (matter that cannot be created or destroyed I might add) found in average fruit cakes. I wanted a more uniform taste too 'cause I've never eaten ginger like that either. It's good though. My husband really likes it. We ate it a little warm so I'm looking forward to having it again after it all mellows out. But it is nice & moist. I also had to pulse it in the food processor to sandy up the almond & sugar. And for the $64,000 question - yes I would make it again - husband agrees - and I want to drizzle it with a confectioner sugar/water glaze. (Sorry no pictures - I'm currently (and usually) camera-impaired) Soon as husband goes to work, I might have to do a scientific taste test in the purest culinary sense

Way cool, Steve!!!

Thank you Neil, Kevin & Patrick. Yah, I made 'em like the recipe - wull, I didn't stray intentionally - gotta watch the temperature next time. I agree, too much orange zest - must be a French thing. I think I just don't care for it - it's screaming for cinnamon. Yes I had the granny smith and I mean I actually have pretty much what y'all describe - it's not indistinct sauce really but too soft I guess - much browner than Patrick's (photography-boy :) oven too hot. What about the weights??? Is that just to squish out a portion of the juice?? And then the plastic is supposed to keep it from squishing all the way down or something?? After the apples melted down the plastic suspended the weights anyway - did nothing in the refrigerator. Did ya's get yours a sixteenth of an inch thin??? Mine were more like an eighth. The good news I can totally rehabilitate with some cinnamon & caramel :) over ice cream sounds good.

Methinks, much adieu about glorified applesauce is not the finished product, aheh. I think that my weight, after the apples sunk down, hit the sides of the apple pan and therefore it did not continue to weight the apples down after a while. But the plastic wrap did not stretch down lower either which also kept the weight off the shrunken apples. And my temperature must've been off too much. I used the warmer drawer - I should have used the lower setting on the warming drawer. But I want to know what they're supposed to be like before I do this again. Bells are not ringing lights are not flashing - it's firm applesauce - I mean, so what?! So what do yours come out like?? Thank you thank you thank you

Wait, did you call Hobart to try & fix it??? They are mighty pricey on the housecalls. But it might be repairable???

Wull, interesting. Jeanne I'm sorry 'bout all that. I bought a commercial oven & a brand new KA mixer, that KA serviced no problem-o - I've only been bit once on ebay & that was for jewelry - but it is gut-wrenching when that happens. Wull, I will keep checking & if I see something good in your area, I will let you know. I love to look for mixers...

Plus in "The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI)" there's a whole big excellent 'lesson' in sourdough bread making - great stuff.

But there have been loads of them on ebay in Washington state and bunches in California & Nevada. I been watching for a long time.

You checking Ebay???

Surely greater minds than mine will reply. However, on the toasting task. I tried relentlessly to toast things in the oven and was wonderfully successful in burning the shit out of a great majority of it. So all that to say, I recommend that you toast everything you ever want toasted in a dry heavy skillet, medium to high heat and keep it stirred up some, especially after it starts to brown. You can control the toasting this way and allow the smoke detector to rest & sing another day.

Twenty-six dollars was the quote over the phone - freaking maniacs - and they are decidedly outside the 10 minute driving radius also - two strikes against 'em - like they needed another one after that price? ! So I'll just sit tight till Chocosphere delivers. (yah, $6.39 was a steal!!) But but but y'know what - He baked his in a straight sided pan too - hmmm - I really want that cathedral domed look - but but but - I bet he's got more batter to pan ratio than this recipe. Hmmm, yah this picture is not from a loaf made from these proportions of ingredients or it's a bit different size pan. More like three inches wide & five inches deep, huh.

Go, Seth! Yes, Wm Sonoma has Valrhona cocoa for TWENTY $IX DOLLARS I ordered the same thing plus shipping and vanilla & I have change back from $26. ---ha ha ha ha! ha!

That is adorable, Deborah!! The feathers are perfect - but better still the wormy little legs & feet steal the show - Great stuff!!!

Of course you can call me K8, please do. Umm - no no no almond paste is easy - even big grocery stores carry almond paste - Odense or Solo. Wull, I just wasn't sure about any other cocoa nothing said Dutch-processed. Hmmm decisons decisions. See if the family doesn't like the first one, then that hampers the idea of making the second one. Wull no this will work I think - because chef-wanna-be-boy will be home for the holidays & I can make a second one for him if it doesn't go over with the family. Hmmm, I don't know. I could handily screw up the apple galette (page 126 in Dessert book) for Thanksgiving in the meantime Btw - no problem on the raspberries they're not $5 - they're $5.50 for the teensy box with two layers of fruit surrounded by the white fuzzzz... I'm gonna call Williams Sonoma when they open up...see if they have Valrhona on site.

I had ya' both covered

Wull, what about an egg white wash & sprinkle the pillars with colored sugar - you could mix any color you want. Also great for covering up any yellowing and discoloration. I always used plain white sugar but no reason you couldn't color it. Makes it sparkley & frosty looking. Or use another type of 'glue' if egg whites won't work. Super thinned gum paste or whatever.

I looked online at WS & din see it. I won't be baking until the end of the month, sniff

I can't believe I found the ginger. (Wull why not you went to SEVEN freaking stores.) It's pretty good too I tasted the syrup - it's gonna' be amazing with the apricots someday when the cocoa gets shipped in aheh.. No where in all of Memphis wull ok no where in all of seven stores do they have valrhona cocoa. sniff

Halvah, halivah, is sesame seed candy isn't it??? When I was in Toronto's Kensington Market I bought it marbled and plain (vanilla?) as I recall - huge chunks of it that you bought by the pound or gram or whatever. Man that stuff was good. They probably do make it in colors but I don't believe I've ever seen it. And I didn't see any of what I recall as halvah in the pictures. It was kina like fudge density but the texture was more crumbly in shards like, not creamy like fudge.

They put in a Fresh Market within the ten minute radius yah yah I need to get out more... OK - I got Le Noir Amer which is 71% it's a 3.5 ounces for four bucks aheh. I originally had that Shaber whatever one - can't remember the exact name (forgot my pen) which was probably a better deal - more for less - but I got excited when I found the Valrhona. So that's only off a half percent I think. So the ginger, wull, this isn't it, but I couldn't find it - I can find a zillion different kinds in the chinese store - of course I found the crystalized no no kind - I wound up getting this sliced stuff but it's not in a heavy syrup, it's not expensive. Hmm it's Kame brand sliced ginger in salt water. Wull now what. I'm not making mine till I get the right stuff. I'm gonna go surfing for my ingredients - start with King Arthur. Wait wait - we got a Penzey's Spices here now too - forgot about that. Not too far outside the 10 minute radius Why didn't I think of that while I was out??? So I still need ginger and cocoa - Hershey's just won't do I suppose??

Good idea. Try ebay too. Mine was new & $14 plus shipping. She had 4 more when I ordered.

I got my book too. Umm I have to figure out where to purchase some of these ingredients. Williams Sonoma maybe??? We also have a Forty Carrots here in Memphis that might carry this stuff. Then we have a Fresh Market across the county. If something is more than a ten minute drive - it's an ordeal who's spoiled??!! Probably between those three I should be able to round them up. Oooh oooh we also have a Tropical Fruit & Nut place. They should be loaded up with Christmas & holiday goodies. So these are like the extra fancy apricots, huh? But the garnishing ones look like regular dried apricots. I could soak 'em too to tenderize 'em. I just mostly always purchased Baker's chocolate, but I'm gonna try out the Valrhona varieties assuming I can find them. Hey how did you guys figure out the percentages on the chocolate in order to substitute??? Is it listed on the package??? So I'm in for the apricot & ginger chocolate loaf cake. This is completely outside of my familiar flavor repertoire. I've never had that candy type ginger and I've never mixed apricot with chocolate. Whooppee chocolate at that Hmmm, yah, I'm cool for the hazelnut sables - I only need to get hazelnuts for that one umm - they come out looking like abstract art piled up like that in the picture. My own brownie recipe has a tad more sugar but is a spitting image of his formula. So far I'm liking the more user friendly layout of the chocolate book much better than the dessert book. The chocolate book puts all the components in one list even the ones on other pages, rather than scattered about like the dessert one. I actually got apples thinking I might try the apple galette with the puff pastry & 24 hour apples in the dessert book. I can always make the obligatory thanksgiving apple pie instead. But wull, ummm on the Inside-Out Puff Pastry pg 21 in the Dessert book what does it mean when it says 'taking care not to rollover the edges' - like I know not to let the butter package ooze out and I need to keep it all level & even and I have to 'roll over' all of it including the edges - no??? Does the word 'rollover' mean something more specific than the obvious??? Doesn't it mean don't scew it up, dummy??!!

Sugarhill, your cake is stunning. The design is so smooth and understated and elegant. I love the interplay of color. Great stuff!!

Wull, another name I was crazy about is Filigree - oooh I love Filigree. But people thought it was too femmy, feminine Check around about Ambrosia. In TN the secretary of state's office runs a search - it's probably been used but may not currently be being used. Ambrosia is a great name. C'mon, food of the gods?? Ya' gotta' be kidding! Go for it!!