JeanneCake

all I can think of when I see the video and when I looked at the stock photos Kerry posted earlier in the thread - is bread! As if a thin slice of a pullman-like loaf was rolled out a little bit more then wrapped around the filling and the ends left exposed. It's too rough to have been rolled on a silpat (there's no tell-tale signs of the crosshatch pattern of a silpat anyway) but I still think that there's some industrial rollers sheeting a dough, then it gets cut/filled and then rolled to "seal" before being whisked through a bath of something (are these fully cooked when you get them and you're just heating them through (I admit, I just scrolled to the good part of the video and didn't watch all ten minutes of it

I have two favorite cookie books: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies (the first one); and Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The Christmas cookie book has excellent recipes for biscotti (hers is an oil based dough, which is a great keeper), moravian spice thins, gingerbread, lebkuchen, and springerle. I have several favorites from Maida Heatter's book - chocolate gobs, coconut washboards, there's a fig newton style cookie with apricot instead of fig. If you are able to only get one book, get the RLB christmas cookie book though.

gingerbread will definitely work, so will biscotti (even though biscotti aren't usually a festive holiday cookie); you could also do lebkuchen. And Moravian spice thins.

you're comparing something made on a large-scale commercial basis with something you want to make at home? That, in and of itself, is a challenge. Commercial operations have vastly different equipment that gives results you just can't duplicate in a home kitchen.

For what it's worth, the apple cake in Payard's first book is wonderful. It took me a while to figure out how he was trying to explain arranging the apple slices in the loaf pan; but the cake itself is terrific. Now if only I could find my copy of the book, I could make it again....

Yes, get the casters. What KitchenQueen said! I have a bakery, and everything is on wheels so we can move things (tables, shelving, the convection ovens, the display case - the only thing not on wheels is the 30 qt Hobart) around to clean. At least for me, another advantage is the caster raises the lowest shelf to the 6-inch floor clearance required by the BOH. If you are doing your own version of Metro shelving, get the heavy-duty casters. You don't want to have filmsy casters. They'll bend over time.

I've had a two door True reach in (he 49 cubic foot one) in my basement for the last 13ish years. I got it because it was an easy way for me to bring orders home and store them safely and appropriately so I could deliver them first thing in the morning to the gourmet shop less than a mile from my house that were selling my products (the kitchen I was renting was 30 mins away so that hour saved was precious - yes, it's loud. Yes, you can't re-arrange the shelving as easily. If you need service, you have to call a commercial refrigeration company. I particularly loved the Arctic Air freezer I had before it died; it was bigger than any consumer model. I wish I could get another one.

Ugh. It's as if he wants to be known as the historian for a simpler, perhaps long lost, New England way of life. Pick one: write or cook. I don't remember the very early editions of CI as having these essays in the front that were a hallmark of the later years. I do remember, when reading those first few issues, that I felt like I was reading the cooking equivalent of Consumer Reports, where someone researched (too) many ways to cook a dish and reported the results. Those early issues were interesting, and a few friends subscribed and we'd talk about what they did and cook the dishes to compare their taste to our own. I still use one or two of the recipes now (the rice pudding comes to mind) and someone got me one of the year-end books as a holiday gift. But then they started sounding presumptuous, and repeating topics; and then there was a book, and another book, and the TV show, and ... and ugh. Enough already. Just retire!

Hmmm. When I read the topic title, all I thought of was the simplicity of a well made tart crust and a wonderful lemon curd filling. And maybe some blueberries on the plate for color. Then I read Lisa's take on it, and thought, why not put a quenelle of meringue on the plate and torch that. And then my mind wandered (ok, it's a big leap) to Jim Dodge's whole fresh raspberries in creme brulee (at least, I think it was he who did that, while he was at the Stanford Court?) and I thought why not hide a few perfect blueberries or raspberries under the lemon curd....

I went and clicked on the link. Eww was my first reaction, but I should admit that I have never bought a package of the pie crust stuff (and nor have I bought the stuff in the cans that you smash against the counter and it splits open. I don't know what it is (biscuits?) but if it's going to behave like that snake-in-a-can toy, you shouldn't eat it. And that last photo doesn't even show the crust, so what's the point? Lisa's right - I vote make your own spiced crust too.

What she said. ^^^

Or try places that have a kitchen for their own use, such as a church or banquet facility amd approach them about renting their space. Here in the US we have lots of function halls that are run by VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), Knights of Columbus, and other social groups that have kitchens that are idle when there is no function. (Some halls offer lunch service but most have bars and a limited pub menu for their members and a larger space for social gatherings with the kitchen.) I don't know if you have the same licensing issues that we have here in the US, with a Board of Health to inspect and issue permits to operate a food business; and a Planning or Building Inspector that issues permits for businesses... that sort of thing.... but that's also a possible source for places that might be willing to rent out space.

I love his recipe too, it's my favorite. I'd experiment by replacing 1/6th of the flour with cocoa (this is the ratio I use for my chocolate rolled butter cookies so that's where I'd start the experimenting).

When I was choosing ovens, I called a few repair places and asked them what manufacturers and models they received the most calls for. I ended up choosing Blodgett and didn't get swayed into buying the very inexpensive (by comparison) Beverage Air (or something Air). It's also how I found out that the local place, which pretty much has a monopoly on repairs for the surrounding 100 miles or so, won't service Hobart. Hobart will charge $185 *just to show up* (they call it a travel fee!) and $200/hr, 1 hr minimum. If they "can't fix the problem in the first visit, they won't impose a second travel fee." I should have learned how to fix Hobart machines!!!

I don't have any direct experience with them, but when I've needed to buy refrigeration, I've always bit the bullet and bought new. You might want to call your local repair place and ask them what brand they would recommend staying away from (they'll know, because they're working on them all the time . Check out a used equipment place and see what their recommendation would be (aside from them trying to sell you from their inventory, buyer beware).

I'd go with a lemon curd and add toasted/untoasted coconut to it, bake it for 5 minutes to set it and let it firm up overnight. You might also need another egg or two if you want to keep using your original recipe. I've been struggling for years with recipes written from long ago - when eggs were larger - and find that if I add another egg or two, or one or more yolks if it calls for yolks; I have better results. At least, the results are more in line with what I used to get when I first baked whatever the recipe is.

As it happens, I have a coupon that expires today for 20% off at Barnes and Noble. I've just read a little bit of the book at bn.com and I'm hooked! Thank you AnnaN for the recommendation, I cannot wait for this to arrive!!!

happy happy birthday Darienne! Enjoy your lovely gift!

I succumbed. Smores oreos. What were they thinking? They're.... they're.... not worth the hype. Stop with the reinventing the wheel already. Stick with mint, PB, and plain.

Donuts are the new, hot trend at weddings and social events... move over macaron!

After reading the story, the restaurant owner knew what he was doing (swapping out the almond flour for ground nuts) and deserves the sentence. I have to wonder though, had the man eaten there before? agreed, very sad. how heartbreaking for the man's family.

Like the kid at the end of The Incredibles says: This is totally wicked!!! Great job, it looks fantastic. I'm with Shelby, it's perfect!!!

usually about a teaspoon is enough, I'd knead in a teaspoon into a pound of fondant and see how it goes. You can always add more if you need to (that's easier than having to add more fondant because the stuff is firming up faster than you can work it - which admittedly only happens to me when I'm using gum paste and I carelessly leave it uncovered)

Micheal's doesn't always carry useful stuff for pros IMHO, I'll go there when I'm desperate, and usually I am disappointed because they don't have what I need. YMMV, but I don't think they'll have tylose (but look for gum tragacanth, it'll do the same thing). Make the powdered gum paste a day before you want to use it, if you go with that product. For this, personally I think you can get away with fondant. But if you happen to find modeling chocolate, that will work too. Or you could make modeling chocolate..... Other random thoughts: you may find the marshmallow fondant to be stretchy, and it might fight you when you are trying to roll it out and then form the ruffles. It's just going to take a little getting used to, it's not good or bad. The various cake forums (at least on FB) have wonderful things to say about Liz Marek's marshmallow fondant recipe (you can google it); and the recipe works best with specific types of (cheaper brands) marshmallows. People rave about the workability of it, so if I were going to make some, I'd start with that recipe. For the ruffles themselves, I would make a long strip, maybe about 3 inches wide at least, then start folding it like the shirt ruffles. Alternatively, you can cut circles out of the fondant, and then fold them and just layer them so it looks like the shirt. ETA: I forgot to mention that rolling it thinly will help make the edges of the ruffle thin and airy; you just have to work quickly so the fondant doesn't dry out. It's when it's dry that it looks cracked and awful. Don't use too much cornstarch when rolling (confectioners sugar is very drying when you're rolling out fondant.), that will contribute to a terrible look if you roll it a lot. If that happens, spray some pan release on your hands and knead it

For smaller cakes, I use the lid or cap of something (the cap to our pan spray is pretty handy, you just want to be careful when you're using it to say, unmold individual key lime "pies" that have been made in 3" rings with a torch...). Even an overturned small plastic souffle cup would work...