shaloop

Whenever I make cookies I make extra and scoop the dough into balls, freeze, and then put into plastic freezer bags and keep in the freezer. Whenever we want cookies I just preheat the oven and bake. So convenient and I usually have a variety in the freezer. My husband can make fresh baked cookies for the kids anytime.

These pictures are about a year old, but I just came accross them on my computer and figured I'd post them here. My (then 4yo) daughter loves to help me in the kitchen. and the finished loaf...

OK. Well I guess the worst that could happen is they could say no and you'd be out of a few thousand dollars just to hear them say it. Ouch. That would be painful.

Y'know, I'm facing the same thing. I'd like to put a seperate structure on my property from which I'd do only wholesale baking. I'm specifically looking for small scale. I don't want a store-front. I'd have to have delivery only. The zoning guy said it's a stretch but if I can get my ideas past the health dept, he'd help me give it a shot. The health dept actually sounded promising. I'm now working on the plans to submit to the health dept. My goal is to have them finished and mailed off by next Friday. My ultimate goal is to be up and running by next September 1st. (when my youngest starts school.) I have no idea how I'll fund this venture but I figured that if I can't even get a zoning variance, there's no point in continuing any plans. So, I figured that if I don't at least give it a shot, I'll never know what could have been. So, I'll see how far I can go with this. If I were you I'd work out the details on paper and talk to someone in the zoning dept and let them know what to expect (no pick-ups, deliveries only, no posted signs, no increased traffic, etc. ) and at least apply. The worst that could happen is that they say no. But imagine "IF" they said yes.

I really enjoyed reading your story Devlin. I wish you much continued success. I also hope to hear more from you, K8. I didn't know you had something else in the works!!

Aren't Amaretti made with almond paste and egg whites?

I agree with you. I tested cheesecakes with many different recipes and ratios and techniques. Although I could make a crack-less, dense cheesecake in a very low temp oven I preferred the texture of a cheesecake baked in a waterbath. It was creamier and smoother as opposed to drier and more cake-like. Even if I put a pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf of the oven to add moisture, it wasn't the same as baking with the pan in the waterbath.

Well, the first blog recipe you linked too is very similar to my pecan pie recipe. I tested several recipes and ended up with a tart (so it would be less deep) although I've also made it as a pie and it was just as good. 2 cups pecans, lightly toasted and chopped 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup maple syrup 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla pinch salt Mix eggs and sugar till foamy. Add salt, vanilla, butter and maple syrup. Stir in pecans and pour into pie shell. ( I partially blind bake my pie shell so it cooks all the way through.) 350 degrees until pie starts to puff up and turn golden. Cool completely before serving. If you don't like maple syrup (like if you're an alien or something) you could use corn syrup.

I am interested in opening this type of business. I used to provide cakes and cheesecakes for a couple of small coffee shops/cafe's. I did this out of my home and usually only did between 10 and 20 items per week. After Katrina wiped out my clients I decided to work on a business plan and work on eventually opening this sort of business (legally, lol). I have two young children and my family is my priority. My husband is the main breadwinner (ok, only for the past few years.) My youngest will start school next fall and I'd like to have this business established by then. So I want a small business that I can do by myself and don't want to put in the time or investment for a storefront, hiring employees, etc. So, I really just need a commercial kitchen space. I do know that there is a market for this in this area. I would also offer dessert catering. I think it's definitely do-able. If anyone else has any additional thoughts I'd be interested in hearing them too.

This is exactly my roll recipe but doubled. I do knead mine, however, in the stand mixer but it is a soft dough. I would think that you should mix the batter and then cover and refrigerate (for up to a several days if desired.) When ready to bake remove them from the fridge and form into rolls and place on baking sheet and let rise for three hours (during which time they'll come to room temp and then rise) and then bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 mins or until golden brown. My recipe (which is half this amount) makes 12 very large rolls or 24 small ones. I'd say this recipe should make about 3 or 4 dozen dinner rolls.

I had the same problem. I used the same water, salt and flour ratios (measured as in the video) but upped the yeast to 1 tsp so I could bake it the same day. I mixed and rested for two hours, then folded and rested two more hours and then shaped and let rise for one hour. Preheated oven (and pot) to 510 degrees and put it in. Everything up to that point was great and just as the video. I uncovered it after 30 mins but started smelling the bottom burning after about 5 mins. I could only let it go about 10 mins uncovered and took it out. The bottom was somewhat burned. It looked good but was clearly not brown enough on the top. The crumb was fine, no large holes at all. (of course, I didn't follow the direction exactly.) The flavor was fine and the texture was somewhat chewy. Although I'd like to follow the directions exactly someday, I'm not very patient and would like to repeat the way I made it this time (in one day) but just slightly reduce the oven temp so that it can cook longer and see what happens. Here are my pictures, though I forgot to photograph the interior.

Great job!! I absolutely love the tea cavier. The whole dessert looks great. Can't wait to learn how you did it.

Well, I googled several recipes for cream cheese pound cake and although some were slightly different, all said AP flour so I'd stick with all-purpose. I think it's because the ingredients are heavier. It's not a "light" cake and needs stronger flour.

This cake is the one that caused me so many problems with the crown. I thought it was changing flours or the brand of cream cheese or butter but I finally figured out that the problems began when I got the stand mixer. I think the KA incorporates too much air and it doesn't hold once cooled. It's very important with this cake that once the creaming of the butter, sugar and cream cheese are done, turn the mixer to the very lowest (STIR) speed and mix only till each portion of flour and eggs are incorporated. I then turn it off, remove bowl and using a large rubber spatula do a few folds to make sure everything is well mixed. I also start it in a cold oven because I don't really want much oven spring with this cake. Place in cold oven, turn on to 325 F degrees and bake till wooden skewer in the middle comes out clean. Usually about 1 1/2 hrs. Hopefully these tips will help. But I'm glad you liked it otherwise. It is my absolute favorite pound cake!

Similarly, Maida Heatter suggests using crumbs to prepare a cake pan after greasing instead of flour. Also, I've seen recipes for cake crumb cookies. Here are some recipes. cake crumb recipes

I hope I'm not too late, but, I just edited the recipe to say All purpose flour, NOT cake flour. I don't think cake flour has enough strength to support all the butter and cream cheese. I made it with cake flour recently and although very good it was somewhat crumbly.

Being a Southern girl myself (lived in Alabama and Mississippi all my life) I feel I have no choice but to comment on this one. I agree with complimentary flavors being lemon or mint. They are born and bred to go with sweet tea. You rarely see sweet tea without one of these accompaniments. I agree that the tea flavor can easily get lost and it needs to be something to let the clear tea flavor shine through. I think a gelatin or a granita or sorbet would be great. I even think the tea cream puff with a tea filling would be good. Also a tea syrup to flavor something would be nice, like the baklava. And a touch of Southern comfort.... I also love the marshmallow idea. I also think sweet potatoes go well with sweet tea. Sweet potato biscuits with tea glaze or pecan pie but subbing the corn syrup for tea syrup. (I use maple syrup and brown sugar in mine, I don't think tea syrup would be a far stretch.) Anyway, I can't wait to see what you come up with.

I have THIS KA mixer and have had it for over a year and I love it. However, this is my second one. I was looking for a stand mixer a couple of years ago and after researching them I picked out a Kenmore Stand Mixer (can't find it on their website.) It was so loud it hurt my ears to be in the same room with it on. I also didn't feel it reached the entire bowl as well as it should. I returned it and got a KA from a kitchen wares store. I bought a display model, which was refurbished, for about $200.00. I loved it immediately, but about 3 or 4 months after I began using it it stalled one day, just locked up while making a cheesecake with two-pounds of somewhat cold cream cheese in the bowl. I had been using it alot and was making about 10 or more cakes and cheesecakes weekly with it. I called KA, they sent someone to pick it up (they paid postage) and sent me a new (refurbished) one. I've had it over a year now without any complaints. I use it for making bread, (double batches of cinnamon rolls), cakes, cheesecakes, pound cakes, cookies (several batches of batter at once) and with no problems. I found their customer service to be excellent and very prompt. I'd buy KA again in a moment.

All of my oil-based recipes that call for more than 1 cup of oil I've reduced to 1 cup of oil without any disastrous results. My carrot cake and hummingbird cake I've changed to 1/2 c butter (1 stick, melted) and 1/2 c oil so that it retains it's softness/moistness straight out of the fridge but has better flavor. I've also made carrot cake with 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup buttermilk with good results.

I was waiting for pics of your cardinal slice. It looks great (along with everything else.)

Sounds good to me. Although my daughter may be a bit dissapointed, I may hold off on the croissants until I get a few more items under my belt.

Do we want to revive this thread the way it was done before with everyone making the same recipe during a certain time frame or just post any comments, questions, and/or pictures on whatever we're making from it?

Here are Irishgirl's croissants. They were incredible! ← Those look wonderful!! My 4yo daughter asked for croissants Friday when we passed a pastry shop where she's had almond croissants and they now only sell preordered whole cakes/desserts and so we couldn't get any So, I told her that I had a cookbook with a recipe for croissants and we would make them together. So, I guess I know which recipe is up next for me. Sometime this week.

THIS was an excellent recipe that I've used. The only change I made was omitting the ginger. I did use the vanilla bean and everything else exactly as stated in the recipe. It was delicious.

Since you mentioned this book I just have to say, I love this book. A friend let me borrow it about 1 1/2 years ago when he knew I was really into baking and said he'd made some great cookies from it. I was searching for the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie. Suggestions and recipes in your book led me to it. I also love the macaroons. The bit of flour adds the slight chewiness that I love in a macaroon. (Of course, I like the American style.) The book is and older copy, paper back, dog-eared and stained. I've now seen the Big Cookies book and have been eyeing that and it's on my list for my next trip to the bookstore.