sugarbuzz

I usually use a simple syrup. And depending on what fruit it is I'll add an appropriate flavoring or alcohol. For example..grappa for raisins,simple syrup & cabernet for dried cherries, riesling for lighter fruits such as peaches,nectarines..etc. If I'm using dried fruits for muffins or bread I'll make a spiced simple syrup..cloves,cinnamon sticks,ginger. Like I said ..it depends on the fruit. I f I know I won't use the poaching liquid again I'll reduce it & use it as a sauce.

Actually I've only used the cab for the cherry pie..mostly because of the cherry undertones of a cabernet.

I love a chocolate cherry combo but strangely enough do no like chocolate covered cherries..anyway I made a cake that was for a friend who wanted a black forest cake but whipped cream was out of the question on a humid chicago summer day. So I made a dark choc 4 layered cake. The middle layer was a dark chocolate mousse with tart dried cherries macerated in kirsch folded into it. The other 2 layers were a white chocolate mousse. I finished it in a thin layer of chocolte buttercream & glazed it with chocolate water. As for decoration I simply made some choc. dipped cherries for the top and some white,milk, and dark choc shavings.

Baking At Home with the CIA has a good cherry pie recipe using fresh cherries..however instead of using 1 cup of cherry juice I use a cabernet reduction. I simply take 2c. cabernet & add simple syrup to taste and reduce it to 1 cup. I find it gives the pie a real intense taste to it. I'd be glad to IM the recipe to anyone that wants it.

I knew I recognized that name somewhere..and then I remembered.. I saw it on Marha Stewart's site. Here's her recipe as well as a place in NY that carries vitpris. I should add that I'm not sure if that place in NY is current or not. I saw this recipe awhile ago. Pates de Fruites Makes about 120 1 1/4-inch pieces 4 3/4 cups sugar 9 tablespoons Vitpris 2.2 pounds passion fruit, strawberry or raspberry purée Sanding sugar, for rolling Nonstick vegetable cooking spray 1. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of the sugar and the Vitpris. Mix well; set aside. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper. Spray again; set aside. 2. In a large stockpot, combine the remaining 2 3/4 cups sugar with the fruit purée. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in Vitpris mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Pour onto prepared baking sheet. Tap on work surface to evenly distribute. Let stand until cool and completely set, at least one hour, and up to overnight. 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Using a 1 1/4-inch round cutter or a knife, cut into rounds or squares. Roll in sanding sugar to coat. Place on prepared baking sheet. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature, for at least 2 hours before serving. May be stored at room temperature, uncovered, for up to 2 days. I did a quick check & found that they are now located in NJ Pouring Fondant Almond Paste Vitpris Passion fruit, strawberry or raspberry purée Harry Wils & Co. Inc. 505 Jefferson Avenue Secaucus, NJ 07094 201-770-9111 201-206-1025 (Fax) Attn: Steven Wils (Owner) Steven D'Onofrio x139 - donofrio@optonline.net Rob Levy x116 (Director of Sales)

Congratulations Mel. That's a major accomplishment. I've seen most places around here in Berkeley that don't last more than 6 months. It just goes to show you that hard work,dedication & great product will take you far.

K8 ..I had a similar experience trying to deliver some products to a shelter. It's amazing how "picky" most can be. I had been given some dry milk powder,mac & cheese & some canned fruit from a friend who had gotten them from a church. It was all extras they could not give away because nobody wanted it. She knew that the place I worked at regularly gave leftover breads & breakfast goods to shelters & thought they could use it. They took only the fruit but they didn't want the milk or mac & cheese. They said they would appreciate it if we could give fresh milk and if we had the Kraft brand mac & cheese..you know the one with the cheese in a pouch. I was stunned. How could a shelter refuse food? I doubt that the homeless mom & her 2 kids would refuse milk because it was once in powdered form. So..maybe Big Lou had gotten his mix from his relatives beacuse they just couldn't use it all. It's theirs to do with as they please. Maybe next time they won't take it because they know they won't use it.

My sister was actually talking to me about this place a few weeks ago. She said it was way too expensive and the wait to get in was ridiculous. The doorman was a jerk & the service & desserts were no better. So in a nutshell..it sucked.

I use the mousseline recipe exclusively when I need to do a wedding cake..and it holds up extremely well. It's light & goes on incredibly smooth. There is also a Honey Buttercream in the Cake Bible that I used with her almond cake recipe & some apricot preserves. I left that out at room temp over night & into the next day as I also couldn't fit it in my fridge. It turned out great.

I hate wasting product..even buttermilk..I usually just make a few batches of muffins & freeze them.

Here's a recipe for coconut creme fraiche that works really well.. especially with desserts. It gets really thick..you could stick a spoon in the middle of it & it will stand straight up. 2-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) coconut milk 2 tablespoons buttermilk To make the crème fraîche: In a medium bowl, blend all ingredients together and let sit in a warm place (85 to 90 F) overnight. I usually just let it sit in the oven overnight.

I highly recommend the mousseline buttercream recipe from The Cake Bible. It's light,spreads smooth,extremely stable & can have a variety of flavors added to it..such as lemon curd,chocolate..etc.

no I did not mean oil..sorry. I meant extract.

Ok..I finally found it. This makes a small batch but you can double or triple if you'd like. I would use up to 3# of whites when I made these. Any more and you risk the meringue deflating a bit while you are scooping them out. I would pop the trays in the freezer while I did the others & I've left them in the freezer up to an hour before popping them in the oven & they always turned out fine. 2c. Whites 2c. Granulated Sugar 4c. Powdered Sugar 1Tbl. Vanilla Beat whites,vanilla & sugar until stiff peak & very shiny. Gradually fold in the powdered sugar. Using any size scoop(depends on how big or small you want them), scoop 3 scoops on top of each other. Spike with a fork or you can leave them as is. Leave in oven overnight. Make sure the oven has been on at some point before you bake them. You want some heat retained in the oven but nothing over 150 degrees. For some flavor you can add 1c. toasted & ground almonds or other nut when folding in the sugar. Or some concentrated fruit paste. I can't remember the name of what we used to get but it was from France. Or just add some flavored oil instead of vanilla. I hope they turn out ok. I found leaving them in the oven always worked for me..but feel free to see what happens when you bake them.

Galettes are easy & last a few days. Also why not add some more exotic fruit to your muffins & breads? Mango muffins, passionfuit bread instead of lemon..etc. I used to work at a place with extrememly limited fridge space & would make mini pineapple upside down cakes in muffin tins. Also substitute the pineapple with mango & blackberries or peaches. As for fuit tarts I usually stay away from the pastry cream type because they don't last very long. Try a good stiff lemon curd or passionfruit curd..maybe even some key lime curd topped with tropical fruit. Or a brown butter custard is always trusty. It bakes very dense and you can just replace the fruit and not worry about if the filling is too mushy.

I would run the cream cheese through the robo coupe with a little cream until it got really smooth & then add it to my buttercream. Or..you could try omitting half of the butter & replacing it with cream chz but cream them together before adding it to your meringue.

Those are cute..I think the pastry chef at Mod in Chicago actually started doing fruit sushi a few years ago. I made some for my daughter's party a few years ago but I made a sweet sticky mango rice and a coconut rice instead of the rice krispie.

I have a recipe of what you're looking for..not on me at the moment. But I used to make these giant meringues at Bittersweet in Chicago. The secret is powdered sugar & the meringue is beaten until you get that really nice glossy shine to it & beaten to very stiff peak. I added a bit of vanilla or some flavored fruit paste..mango,passionfruit..etc. You then fold in some sifted powdered sugar. I would then take an ice cream scoop & scoop three on top of each other & then fluff it out with a fork for that spikey effect. They would then get left in the oven overnight. This was always the last thing I did before I went home. They were crispy on the outside & almost cotton candy soft on the inside. I can post the recipe tomorrow if anyone would care for it.

It was the chef that called so I figured he'd be there. But I guess you could be right. I'm so used to chefs doing a 6 day week.

I'm pretty sure Oakville Grocery is the place a friend of mine worked for a few weeks. She quit 2 days ago because she was hired as a manager trainee & was put behind the register most of the time. She really wanted that step up & put in crazy hours but nothing became of it so...she quit. On the topic of ppl not calling back. I recently got a call from a very nice place in Napa about a pastry chef position on Saturday..I got home late Sunday night so I called first thing Monday when I got home from work.voicemail. I leave a msg. no reply. Tuesday i hesitate about leaving a msg again but do & leave the hours I can be reached. nothing. If the position is filled it'd be nice to get a return phone call saying so. Don't dangle that carrot & then just disappear. Am I wrong?

I'm very curious as to how Kimball Jones will fare at Carneros Inn. I worked at Wente for a year and saw him a total of 3 times..and only once in the kitchen to actually make anything ..which was to promote his cookbook.