JeanneCake

I used to use a plumber's torch until a photograph of me torching mini creme brulees with it was published in the local newspaper (we were doing a charity function). after that embarrassing moment, I started using the ChefMaster torches. Here's a link ChefMaster torch from Webstaurant Store I've used this type/brand for 15 years and they're pretty reliable. Edit: to fix the link

RLB says (in the raspberry puree recipe in the Cake BIble) that it's because the microwave doesn't caramelize the juice so you don't get the cooked taste doing it that way. Her original recipe only made about a cup of puree, and when I was doing it (I used to double the recipe), I used the biggest Pyrex glass measure I had which was 8 cups I think? It was kind of fun to watch it bubble, once I realized it wasn't going to bubble over and make a mess! I'm glad it worked for you; I agree it's a great raspberry flavor

Double handled skillet Double handle small roaster

I am going to miss her so very much 😢 Thank you Kerry, for taking care of her, and of us by giving us the rabbit holes that will keep her alive for us. My condolences on the loss of your friend, and to her family on the loss of such an amazing person.

excellent suggestions, everyone! Thank you. Will let you know what they choose

I'm trying to come up with a one line (read: few words to fit on a menu line) to describe a petite dessert selection. We are introducing two new ones (there are 20 other selections on the menu, clients can pick up to 5 different selections for their menu) because there's a lot of demand for gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options. Some of our selections hit all 3 (oat milk panna cotta for example) but we need to add more vegan options because there's not much to choose from. I'm buying the Very Berry Osa from Felchlin. You can melt this stuff and use it as a tart filling, or a glaze; or you can whip it on a mixer and pipe it into shapes and it will hold that shape. Basically it's a vegan confectionary mass that I am going to whip and then pipe it with an open star tip. Normally I would call it a bonbon. I would prefer to use another word but I'm at a loss for one. I worry that if I suggest calling it a "truffle" people will think "chocolate" and it's not. Anyone out there got a better idea? PS: an example of the menu a client would see is: (vegan) Berry BONBON (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), hint of lemon The vegan tart petite pastry is listed as: (vegan) Forest Fruit Tartlet, seasonal berry garnish

I tried to do a google search for her chocolate genoise recipe and came up with this blogger's adaptation. My copies of The Cake Bible are at the bakery otherwise i would just take pictures of the recipe pages. Rose's website is www.realbakingwithrose.com if you want to explore. Blogger Chocolate Genoise recipe

I would be tempted to add the cocoa after the eggs are beaten - following Rose Levy Beranbaum's method, take some of the beaten eggs and fold in the cocoa to them, then add this back to the rest of the eggs. She dissolves the cocoa in some boiling water and uses this mixture instead of just adding dry cocoa. Are you using all purpose flour or cake flour?

@Jim D. no I don't reduce the purchased purees, they are ok for adding to buttercream or using as the base for marshmallows. Some are more fluid than others, the raspberry and strawberry has some substance to it but they are still pretty fluid, compared to Boiron though, they're somewhat thicker. If you're thawing/making your own rasp puree, try RBL's method; thaw the berries in a strainer over a bowl to capture the juices and use the microwave to reduce the juice and see if that makes a difference for you. You can add sugar after reducing if you want to. I've also learned that IQF fruit has a lot more flavor than fresh berries, even when frozen/thawed. So saying "home grown berries" is no advantage here! LOL

For what it's worth, in the Cake Bible, RLB uses the microwave to reduce the juice for her raspberry and strawberry purees because it doesn't caramelize and get a "cooked" taste. She thawed frozen berries in a strainer/basket, and reduced the liquid, then mixed the strained solids with the reduced juice. I would put a huge glass measuring bowl/cup in the microwave with the juice and it seemed to take *forever* for it to reduce (and it would bubble up like it was going to go over the top!) but it worked. I even scored a vintage Cuisinart strainer insert on eBay at her recommendation and it absolutely produced a silky smooth puree, no seeds at all! I go through far too much puree for our cakes/mousse/etc so I'm buying Ponthier or Boiron instead of making my own.

Thanks for sharing a little of your life with us! It's a nice escape for me and I appreciate you bringing us along!

I'm trying to remember if I had cravings; I recall being addicted to a specific sandwich/sub that I lived on pretty much the entire summer - a somewhat soft ciabatta with a dousing of basil infused olive oil, sliced mozzarella and proscuitto. I might have changed it up on occasion by adding ripe tomato slices but essentially this was my diet for three hot summer months (the kid was born in November).

I was so tired my first night in NY, I got Shake Shack for the first time (via Uber Eats) and I was pretty happy with it. It was only a few blocks away but I wasn't up to walking/standing in line. twice in one year (having fast food)

I wonder if the other "methods" are synchronized and this "american" service isn't? Just guessing

I, too, am intrigued by the question so I googled it, and this link came up: Table Service Types Hope it helps, at least it's a start

I think you can "teach yourself" if you have a good foundation. But if you are a novice, or by yourself, the trial and error can be frustrating - why did something work the first time but not the second? If the video goes into detail about why the process/technique works and what can go wrong then that's helpful. Knowing who to trust is the key. Just today, I was looking for recipes for Tres Leches cakes, and one recipe with more than 50 positive reviews that I found online actually wrote to not let the cooling cake get exposed to "outside air" because that would make the cake "too eggy". 🙄

Ok enablers - I went shopping today and bought some very nice tomatoes and some decent (but not all that squishy) bread. All this talk made me remember these heavenly sandwiches that my husband and I made for "picnics" while on vacation in Napa, touring wineries. Nice bread, gorgeous tomatoes, California sunshine, what more could you ask for (don't answer that!). So I am attempting to recapture those memories in the sweltering heat of a Boston summer....

We had a Coffee Connection in town that morphed into a Starbucks; my neighbor and I would go there on a Saturday afternoon and have a great time chatting and catching up (this was in the Dark Ages before cell phones 😉) and the coffee at the time was pretty good and it didn't cost an arm and a leg either. Now they are on Every. Single. Corner. and the coffee isn't all that great (although I do enjoy the iced Burnt Sugar Oatmilk one on a hot summer day). I like some of their drinks, but not the coffee. I too find it bitter. I did have a pumpkin spice latte last fall and I have no clue what the hype is about that. It tasted like cinnamon milk and it was a waste of $. And then they started selling OLIVE OIL in the coffee. 🙄🤦‍♀️

Yes, exactly When you make the syrup for using in the cake, some of the water can be alcohol or vanilla extract. Be careful, too much alcohol can leave a "hot" taste instead of the pleasant taste you want.

We make a gallon every week; equal amounts of water and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil then cover and let cool. I then use equal amounts of the syrup and water to moisten cake layers. You can add vanilla or juice or alcohol for flavoring if you like. Keep the original syrup refrigerated for longer storage.

The cakes look good, but as they say, you don't know until you cut it! I, myself, would have just used the original recipe and made cupcakes with any leftover batter (you were using an 8" pan). There's room for error when calculating from the chart, to be honest. And, as someone who uses these recipes almost daily, I've never had a problem with the baking powder; I just make the batch size I need and be done with it. I'm not making some of the batter and then added the leavening to whatever is left for the next set of pans. I just make the whole thing and scale it out and it has always worked for me. Reasons for a dry cake - oven temp has a role here and your oven could run a little hot. She says the best test for her recipes is to make the downy yellow one and see how long it takes, to get to know your oven and how her recipes will bake in it. At work I have convection ovens so I'm always rotating the pans and allowing for air flow around them; at home I just used to position the pans so I could slide them over halfway through. a few crumbs on the skewer is fine; completely dry could be just a minute too long in the oven. The white cake has only egg whites, not much additional fat so there's the potential for dryness right there. The yellow cake, with the yolks, has less of a dry mouthfeel; regardless, I always use a simple syrup on butter cakes because we are so used to the lighter/chiffon/cake mix style. You used whole milk, correct? I didn't have a scale the first few times I made her recipes and it is easy to add just a little too much flour when you're not weighing. I say this only because your scale is already playing tricks with the parchment paper LOL so maybe an extra few grams of flour found their way into the batter

I use baking strips more for round or square cakes, not so much for loaf pans. Yes, the sides (because they're protected from the heat of the oven) tend to be lighter in color and less "firm" than when baked without the protective strip. I hadn't noticed anything different about the tops of the cakes (I've baked just about everything from TCB. Wait til you get to the cheesecake!!!)

I don't have Wilton brand but some off-name; I love them and don't notice a different texture on the sides. I'm using Magic Line (brand) cake pans, and a convection oven so YMMV but even baking in a home oven I didn't notice a difference.

Have you made anything from the book yet? I haven't had a recipe from this book fail; I'm on my third copy because I wore out the first two. She also demonstrates some recipes on YouTube if you want to see what things are to look like. I like her style and approach, i want to know why things work the way they do. I like weighing things. Not everyone appreciates this style so YMMV. Let us know which cake you make first!

I'm wondering if it has more to do with home-based businesses using almond bark or other coating chocolate (or couveture, I'm not saying people don't temper at home) and dipping who knows what in it, not being mindful of allergens, etc. Some of the things I read online in the hot cocoa bomb craze made me 🤢. Easier for them to just not allow it than to understand the process!