[ethical question re: teaching recipes]

I'm not sure if this post should be here or a new thread but it's to do with recipes and the law so here goes.

Is there any reason you can't use a recipe found on the internet in your restaurant, or coffee house in my case? On betterbaking.com Marcy has this after every recipe:

© This is a Marcy Goldman/BetterBaking.com original recipe

This recipe is for sole, personal use of visitors of BetterBaking.Com Online Magazine. Marcy Goldman/ BetterBaking.com recipes are for your enjoyment but not to be posted or reprinted without express permission of the author/baker. Thank you kindly for respecting my copyright and happy baking. BetterBaking.Com/Baker Boulanger est. 1997 - 2005

Does this mean it's ok to use, just not to print or post? Just want to double check. Any thoughts?

[Cupcakes: Recipes & Decorating]

Those Barefoot Contessa ones sound wonderful so I went looking for the recipe online. In case anyone else wants to try them but needs the recipe, here's a link Coconut Cupcakes

[Banana Cake]

I didn't know Duncan Hines made a banana bread mix. I thought they just did cake mixes. Is that what you mean or does Duncan Hines sell prepared products as well. Sorry I can't answer your question.

[Banana Cake]

Kew - have you tried Ludja's recipe in a loaf pan? I guess I'm looking for a banana bread recipe but I really like Wendy's cake and am hoping I can get it to have a good rise in a loaf pan, for which it is not intended. If Ludja's recipe works well in a loaf pan, I'll give it a try too.

[Banana Cake]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I will give them a try and report. If I can't make it work I think I'll try the Martha Stewart recipe on the banana bread thread. It's got similar ingredients so hopefully similar flavour. :)

[Apple Pie]

i make a single crusted pie with a crumb topping - dutch apple? from my mother's recipe. her recipe calls for a frozen crust, and while i have, on occasion made my own crust, it never really matters - because the pie is always loaded with liquid...which sogs up the crust and just isn't too appeeling (hah - sorry

Something besides what's been suggested that might help, if you're not already doing this, is to bake your pie on a lower rack in the oven. I have found that has greatly improved my pie-making attempts.

[World's best carrot-cake recipe]

I just made carrot cake for a friend's sons' 1st birthday and the carrots were good just through a normal fine grater (not as fine as the one for lemon rind). Are you worried about a choking factor or is this just a preference?

[Banana Cake]

I LOVE Wendy's Banana Cake!! So does everyone who tries it. Even my 2 year old daughters will eat more of it than any other banana loaf recipe. That said, I'd like to use it in the coffee shop in loaf form but as you mentioned Wendy, it doesn't rise much which is fine for a cake but to sell in individual slices I need some rise. The dough pretty much fills a 9x5 loaf pan so more dough is not the answer. The first time I tried it I used cake & pastry flour which gave it great texture. Last night I tried it with AP flour and 2 tsp baking powder but other than make it a bit rubbery it didn't rise any higher. Does anyone know how I can adjust the recipe to fit my needs?

Wendys Secret Banana Cake:

Cream together:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

then add:

3 way over ripe verging on completely gross bananas, aprox 1 1/2 c. banana

To that creamed mixture add:

1 c. sour cream

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. soda

3/4 tsp salt

Lastly add:

2 c. flour

Nuts are optional......1/2 c.

Bake 350F. I spray my pan with release spray and line with parchement. I multiply this recipe into huge batches with-out needing to change anything. You can bake this in any size or type pan. It's not a huge riser, so fill your pans accordingly. I hope you all enjoy it.

[Noncompete/Recipe Confidentiality]

I don't know specifics but the owners of the coffee shop I will be contracting to are having all employees sign a contract that says they aren't able to share anything they learned at the shop until 2 years after they leave employment. This includes recipes for baking and making specialty coffees.

[Suppliers]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Stovetop - can't wait till you get back.

[Suppliers]

I'm usually in the Pastry & Baking Forum but have a question specific to location so I thought you may be able to help.

I'm going to be the baker for a new coffee shop opening in Abbotsford. I haven't worked in food service before, aside from fast food in highschool, and I'm trying to track down a food supplier (as far away as Vancouver is fine). I have made contact with Neptune and they are sending me a quote but I haven't found the yellow pages very helpful and I'm not comfortable calling a local bakery to find out who they use. Can anyone give me other suggestions? How has service been? Who has the best prices, etc.

I also need to outfit the kitchen with smallwares so I read the cookware thread with interest. It's good to know about Genesis and Dunlevy. The coffee shop owners bought their large appliances at Budget Foods. I have also been in contact with Digi Canada but they both use the same catalogue for smallwares and they don't offer much info on the items. Are Genesis and Dunlevy better? If I go down there do they have a lot in stock or on display that I can look at?

Thanks for all your help!

[Cook's Illustrated Oatmeal Cookie Recipe]

I tried this recipe in my quest for a great Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe. They are very good although I haven't tested enough recipes yet to know if they're "The Best". Marcy Goldman (www.betterbaking.com) suggests using part quick oats and part rolled oats. I tried that with this recipe and it gave a really nice texture.

[Molded Sugar Pop-ons]

They have an online catalogue. Click on the link in Anne's post, then click on "New Products" and then on "Online Catalogue". It looks like they have many wonderful things!!

[World's best carrot-cake recipe]

Middydd - just wanted to let you know I tried the Southern Living Carrot Cake and oh my goodness, is it wonderful!! My husband thought it was a bit gooey so I made it again without the buttermilk glaze. I like it best with but it is still wonderful without. I also made Cooks Illustrated which was way too plain. It has no coconut or pineapple. At my husbands request I also made a recipe from one of his co-workers. He thinks her recipe is best but it had 4 X the salt and way too much pineapple as far as I'm concerned. So, my thanks for the recipe! It's in my permanent file.

[Creating a Perfect Cheesecake]

I have another cheesecake question.

I was at a large market on the weekend and one of the bakeries was selling their cheesecake in about 2-1/2"x4" squares. It looked like it had been cooked in a sheetpan. Any ideas on how to adjust the baking time to do this and also do I still need to come up with a water bath of some sort?

[Creating a Perfect Cheesecake]

Thanks for the tip, nightscotsman! I've always read that the water had to go half way up the side of the pan. I can handle a bit of water on a sheet pan, which would also rid me of the need to find deep pans to set the springforms in. I've never had a problem with leaking. Double sheet of foil has always worked.

[Creating a Perfect Cheesecake]

I've had great success with water baths but I'm going to be working in a very small kitchen with not a lot of counterspace so I don't want to be dealing with a bunch of pans filled with boiling water.

I read recently that those Wilton Bake-even strips serve the same purpose. Has anyone tried them?

[New to commercial baking]

Sweet Caroline - Thanks for asking about that. I guess I only followed the cheesecake one for the first few replies which didn't suggest freezing but only refridgerating. I'm glad I went back to read it now. Looks like freezing is fine.

Andisenji - is there a chart to tell me what the internal temperatures for different items should be? I will have a couple weeks to use the oven before the shop opens so there'll be time to experiment. The oven will have a 2-stage fan so I don't think we'll have a problem with the cheesecakes rippling.

It's good to hear that scones are fine baking from the frozen state. Do I leave the temp the same and just bake a bit longer or should I increase the temp as well?

Thanks so much for all your input. I really appreciate having a forum available to get answers to my questions.

[New to commercial baking]

Hi! I've been lurking for a couple months and really enjoy this site! I'm a 33-year old married mom of 2-year old twin girls with not a whole lot of extra time but I love baking and have been in the kitchen since I was a little girl. I work part-time in sales but will be beginning a new job October 1st as a baker for a new gourmet coffee & tea shop. I will be contracting them my skills and recipes and working out of a small kitchen in their shop. I had hoped to work out of my house but found, as some of you have, that the health inspectors aren't keen on that idea.

Questions I hope you can help me with...

I have never used a convection oven. Any ideas on how to adapt my recipes? I will be mainly baking large cookies, squares, muffins, scones, loaves and cheesecakes. Maybe some yeast breads later.

Can I successfully multiply my 8x8"bar recipes x 4 and bake them in a half-size sheet pan?

I will only be baking 2 days/week so many of the items will be frozen at least for a short while. After reading the cheesecake thread I know not to freeze those. I was wondering if you can make & shape scones, freeze them raw so someone else can bake them fresh on the mornings I'm not there?

That's all I need for now. I'm sure I'll have more though. Thanks so much for all your help.