JeanneCake

I hadn't thought about what to make for NYE. Our Christmas dinner was mostly a hit, but I was looking forward to roast beef and that was a bit of a disappointment - I bought a boneless rib roast but a small one (3.5 pounds) from a local butcher shop. It was cooked perfectly but when I went to cut it, it had a huge swath of silverskin and fat in the middle that was impossible to cut through. I ended up separating the "lobes" to serve. We also had a stuffed pork roast that was excellent, roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. So, inspired by this thread, I'm thinking an appetizer night - we can toast @Maison Rustique from afar! and have a lot of different things to graze on during the evening. Right now I'm thinking chicken wings and lobster dip (I have a recipe from long ago: 1 TBL gelatin, 1 can tomato soup, 1 # cooked lobster meat, 3/4 cup finely chopped celery, 3/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1 cup mayo, 8 oz cream cheese. Soften the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Heat the soup, add the cream cheese and blend it in. Stir in the gelatin; make sure it's completely smooth. Combine the mayo, onion and celery then add the soup. Then add the lobster meat, scale it into a mold or bowl or what have you. It makes a lot and disappears quickly. I like it better when the celery is well minced so it practically disappears.) Maybe some spinach artichoke dip.... baked brie with something on it, maybe a pepper jelly?... I should go to the grocery store tomorrow...

one of the recipes is a Pear and Caramel Moffa - it's a cake, with caramelized pears for garnish. For almond and caramel whipped ganache: soy milk, invert sugar, caramel from cooking pears in it (the pear is used as garnish), white almond butter, cocoa butter, margarine, oat milk. He also has a flan mix (that I'm thinking to use to fill a vegan tart shell that I can get from AUI) and it has light brown sugar, potato starch, agar, (you mix all that together) then add oat milk, soy milk and bring it to a boil then add the, almond butter and deodorized coconut oil then blitz it to smooth out then you fill tart shells and bake for 5 minutes.

I was thinking sunflower seed butter; I just haven't had sunflower seeds in so long I can't remember if they're tasteless or have a flavor at all! I know almond butter is almond-y and I'm sure Herme is using that to the recipe's advantage; I find myself wishing that the next generation of vegan recipes will acknowledge a nutfree possibility

I just got a copy of Pierre Herme's Vegan pastry book and more than a few of the recipes use almond butter.... and since two of my biggest accounts are nut-free facilities I need a substitute for almond butter. I stumbled on this company called Oat Haus and they manufacture an oat-based "butter" and I am wondering how it is. I tried a vegan substitute for Nutella a few months back and it was terrible ; after the holiday I'll look around for this (the website lists Target among the retailers who carry it). So have you tried it? What do you think?

Sometimes I find old(er) milk and white callets don't fully melt and I wind up pressing on the stubborn bits to get it fully smooth; I think the felchlin callets (they call them rondos I think) are thinner to begin with so you hopefully won't encounter that. I'd use them.

You mean the parchment you line the baking pan with, correct? You need to spray the pan, then put the parchment down and then spray the parchment. It might help to dust the towel with confectioners sugar before you flip the cake out onto the towel. I've never tried it but I wonder if a silpat would help, instead of the parchment. Then the cake won't stick once you flip it onto the towel. And once you roll it in the towel leave it loosely rolled until you fill it. I would use Bakers Joy if you can get it. Ive had mixed results with other sprays. A tasteless (e.g. veg oil or safflower) oil works too.

How deep is that cake tin? If you have a shorter tin, try that; I've found over the years when I bake in a 3inch tall cake pan and fill with a (US) standard batter recipe, the cake is short and doesn't bake as well as the same recipe in a 2inch tall pan. I think the cake strip being wet helps to further insulate the sides of the cake so the whole of the batter rises evenly (as opposed to the sides setting first and the center of the batter has no where else to go except rise/split as it bakes). The strips do get manky over time, and we've replaced several cake strips over the years; I've heard anecdotes about people using torn strips of bath towels instead of the purchased strips!

We use "cake strips" which is a long strip of an insulation-type material (about 1.5 wide) long enough to go around the outside of the pan and it pins in place. It helps to bake a more level cake (or, more level than not using it). We mostly use it on the larger square cakes we make. Some people use rags or strips of towel (bath towel, not paper towel). You soak the cake strip in water then you pin it in place and into the oven it goes.....

I'm seeing a lot of ads for Immi (brand) ramen on my social media feed and I'm wondering if anyone has tried it? I'm thinking of getting my husband some ramen packets because there's only so many nights I can make the Gochujang Buttered Noodles (which are not ramen, I know, not even close) or the Vietnamese version. He's in a noodle and dumpling phase (he likes Dumpling Daughter for those so the freezer is well stocked!) and I'm thinking of putting some ramen packets in his Christmas stocking ....

My favorite recipe comes from Rose Levy Beranbaum who got it from Campton Place in San Francisco. It calls for equal amounts of cornmeal and flour, heavy cream, butter, corn kernels (which adds a lot to the recipe but I've made it without and it's still good). Google the recipe and see if it's something you'd want to experiment with.

I was thinking the exact same thing.... where could I put this (mostly because the bread machine Christmas gift will take up the remaining counter space we have). I'm going to leave for work now so I can't be tempted....

Sold! I just told my husband about my (our) gift to the kid, and he's all excited LOL. The book is a great idea, thank you! And yes, I'd love to have your recipe. I'm certain I'm going to get the BDC20.

My son is asking for a bread machine for Christmas and based on this thread, I'm planning to buy a Zo, and will probably get the larger model (because I'm of the opinion: go big or go home). This paddle thing that has plagued @TdeV makes me wonder - is that an isolated issue or something the rest of you with Zo bread machines also experience? I'm hoping the machines will be part of the Black Friday sales frenzy somewhere!

I ordered a turkey from the local farm, so we'll have that and the usual sides. My personal favorite is the brussels sprouts with chestnuts recipe from Epicurious (and I came late to the brussels sprouts fan club) but I don't bother with the chestnuts if I don't have them. I like this recipe with baby brussels if I can find them. It's only going to be the 3 of us and I am looking forward to a day off from work

I'd go with equal weights of grated quince and water, simmer til it's soft then add the sugar and let it boil/reduce...