JeanneCake

What app or device do you )or your employer) use to track employee hours/schedule, etc. We are a small bakeshop (less than 5 employees) and use a clover device on a tablet for retail transactions. I'm looking for recommendations for a means to track employee hours instead of a paper system. I would like employees to be INSIDE the building to clock in (because I know someone would try to clock in from their phone while still in the parking lot) and I'd like to not have buddy punching. Paychex wants $55 per month (no contract) for their device, which I find outrageous considering what it is and what I am already paying them for payroll processing..... so I'm wondering what you use and would you recommend it?

FWIW I think the #18 cookie looks fine; I wouldn't reject it if I were buying. Sometimes I think we too often undercook pastry in this country - golden brown is appealing . I hope the rent you're paying takes into consideration the type and condition of the equipment there. The first kitchen I rented had ovens literally all over the facility - deck ovens, convection stacks and none of them worked right. When I said to the landlord how much I was wasting in figuring out what worked and didn't work, he shrugged and said he wasn't going to calibrate the ovens or do anything to them because they worked for what HE was doing (roasting stuff). If you decide to stay in this rental kitchen you might want to ask if they will consider rent relief if you calibrate the oven - but that might not solve the problem of an old oven... The incubator kitchen in this part of the state is fully equipped with brand new stuff and they are committed to keeping it in excellent working order because they are charging a kings ransom for it.

where are you located? Anywhere near Boston MA?

First: I am not trying to talk you into or out of buying a mixer. Don't spend money if there's no return on the investment! Having said that however ..... When I first started my business, I had the 20 qt hobart and ONE bowl. I'd have to wash it between batches which didn't seem to be such a big deal; I mean, it doesn't take that long, right? I didn't want to spend $200 on buying another bowl. I was cheap (I still am ) Then for some reason one day I DID buy a second bowl and it changed my production schedule OVERNIGHT! I could make two batches of buttercream one after another; I could get another batch of cake into the oven quickly. I still chuckle at how I thought I was saving $200 but spending by wasting my time . When you need it, you'll know. But keep an eye out for a good deal so you'll know it when it presents itself. I know next year I have to buy a bigger mixer; I cannot do 18 weddings in three days without a 60 qt mixer making buttercream.

@pastrygirl, if you have a choice, get the one that has the rocker switch and a timer dial like this one I've had both types and like this one. You can set to a specific time and walk away and it will stop (check the timing with a stop watch before you buy) which can be a big help if you are trying to multitask I hope I did this picture correctly.

I wonder about the size of the bowl; usually when there is an option to use a smaller bowl there's some kind of attachment that goes on the arms of the mixer to accommodate a smaller bowl but I don't see it pictured?

@pastrygirl - I have owed several 6 qt KA, a 7 qt KA, a 7 qt Viking, a 10 qt Thunderbird, and my old standbys at the shop the 20 and 30 qt Hobart. The little ones don't count; I've burned through three of the 6 qt KAs at the shop. I had to move my 7 qt from home to work and so far it's been fine for 2 years. We keep the 20 qt on a work table on wheels so we can move it if we need to; and not have to take up work table space. The 10 qt Thunderbird was the perfect size for cake batters (I could do a 4# butter batch of meringue buttercream in it) when I didn't want to use the 20 so I would say this 10 qt size might be perfect for you. But don't get the Thunderbird. It stopped working just after the warranty ended; my father thinks it's just the electrical switch but no one around here services this brand (they're in TX I think) and it is collecting dust in the basement. As much as I hate saying this; if there's a Restaurant Depot near you, check out what they have for 10 qt mixers.

Don't fall for the sales, discounts, coupons, what-have-you methodology .... do not train your customers to wait for a sale, or the end of the day or week (if you will close for multiple days in a row I mean) before you close for bargains. Don't let people try to tell you they want a discount because they are buying so much - your work multiplies with volume sales and that does not mean a discounted price. well, they will try, but don't go for it. And try to have something inexpensive that people on a fixed income CAN purchase. We use our cake scraps to make cake truffles - we make hundreds at a time in less than two hours but they last quite a long time in the freezer so we have them all the time. They are cheap to make (most of the cost is labor but we make them quickly and efficiently) and they are the least expensive thing we have in the case. Your product offerings are very different from mine, but perhaps you can make chocolate bark or something that can be priced so that you are not out of reach of the majority of your demographic if they are pensioners.

what they said. i have a layered "mousse" recipe (dark/milk/white) that calls for melting chocolate with rum and fluid heavy cream, then adding whipped heavy cream to it; it begins to set quickly and I don't need gelatin (it's the same method for each type of chocolate - the white chocolate is the only layer that needs gelatin and we add it to the warmed chocolate before adding the whipped cream.)

ok, tell us about this cheesecake recipe - I bet we can figure it out. In 30 years I have made SO MUCH cheesecake (and it's evolved over the years from the dense NY style in the early Maida Heatter books, to the lusciously creamy one in RLB's The Cake Bible; to the ones in Mary Crownover's cheesecake book, to the custard-y one in one of the Maida Heatter's book where you bake it at 250 for 8 hours - I kid you not, it is sublime- so describe away!

I think I have mixed feelings about this. I would give any of the recipes in my personal file to someone who asked; but the recipes I use at the shop (for things that I sell, like flourless chocolate cake, cheesecake) not so much. We feed people to make them happy, and sharing recipes, teaching someone a technique; that's all part of being a wonderful and generous cook. And the more good cooks in the world, the better.

I've seen recipes that use whole eggs for buttercream; I want to say it's called French buttercream but not sure. Any time I made RLB's neoclassic buttercream I had to start whipping the yolks almost before I put the sugar on to boil just to get any volume. I think the whole egg bcrm is going to be richer than swiss or italian but not as rich as the neoclassic. So now you have to try it and let us know what happens!

I know, LOL, I corrected myself when I edited the post! I just googled it because I don't know what poutine is, and since you didn't enjoy that one, what's it supposed to be like? Does the sauce change or does it change depending on where you go?

@Anna N why was the scrapple in box, without even a coating or something to protect the food from the box or vice versa? I myself have never had scrapple so I don't know what I'm looking at. Besides gravy, I think.... ETA For crying out loud I can't even read correctly today: poutine! not scrapple. I still have never had either one though....

that's nothing! (at least to me it doesn't seem too difficult. I don't know the area so maybe. The gov't should buy the condo so they have the space for their program.) They should be thrilled that's all you're asking for!

If someone else were to come up and do this job in your place, the docs would have to pay for the accommodation anyway, correct? Or did I misunderstand the arrangement? This is the first time I've followed your adventures (mostly because I am home more, have a better/faster computer and am learning how to relax.....) so sorry if I got it wrong!

We make marshmallows for a client; they are vanilla, we toast them, dip them in chocolate and graham crumbs. I wish we made flavored ones because those are more interesting to me. If you are selling a premium hot chocolate mix, I'd want a really cool marshmallow to go with it. But probably only because I want to make a really cool flavored marshmallow or something mainstream like raspberry or orange, or black cherry, or even experiment with guava to see if it works.

Do you have a floral supply near you? Most of the venues here are forcing the use of flameless candles so a lot of florists are using them in various sizes (from the small votives to the larger pillar candles). At least there you can buy in bulk. I've found them at Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls so other retailers like Kohls or Target might stock them.

I have 1200 square feet of space, a 10x8 walk in cooler, a two door reach in freezer and a single door reach in freezer and a 5 foot pastry case. In the winter, my electricity bill is about 400-500 per month; in the summer when we are running the a/c it is about 900 per month. I shut off the pastry case when we are closed Sun-Mon-Tues. I have an 80 gallon hot water heater, well, I think it's 80 gallons, I'll have to check.

Sold! And Happy BIrthday to me :)! Thank you both, I can't wait to get it and try it out.

@gfweb, what's the clean up like when using the air fryer mode? I looked (online) at this last night and really like it; I wouldn't have given it a look without your suggestion so thank you. I know that if stuff splatters all over the inside, it will get less and less use because the clean up outweighs the cooking effort I will especially appreciate this at the holidays when I'm trying to get so many side dishes done and on the table.......

My birthday is Friday and I think I want to get an air fryer. I would love to make fries/potatoes, chicken wings, chicken cutlets and/or parts, and be adventurous as I get more familiar with this. Which one would you recommend - the Phillips XXL or the Breville? I am an experienced cook if that matters and I have a young adult at home who can snarf down several pounds of chicken if we leave it unattended LOL (in real life I am a pastry chef but that has no bearing on the fact that I can't make a decent pot roast unless it's in the Instant Pot and I am hopeless at pork chops). What say you all?

My husband and child like trying the new Oreo flavors, so I bought the Firecracker ones and the Kettle Corn ones. They didn't care for the firecracker ones At. All. No flavor, no zing, nothing. I myself tried the Kettle Corn ones because I am a popcorn fanatic and yeah, just one was enough. It wasn't bad but if I'm going to have an Oreo, it better be worth the calories.....

Could you try making a sesame brittle with them? I have no idea how it would taste but maybe the caramel offsets some of the bitterness; and if it doesn't, dip it in chocolate

@pastrygirl, pleasePM me that IG account, I wanna follow it just to snoop