etalanian

If you stretch the dough as you are fitting it into the pans, the dough will shrink back in baking and lose it's fine shape. Eileen

Did you try running it through a food processor? Eileen

Ancho chile powder has a mellow flavor that pairs well with dark chocolate. Eileen

Welcome to eGullet, armchairchef! If you find it easier to learn something when you see it done, I would stringly suggest taking a course. It's true that your skills will improve with practice, but it's worth the expense to have someone there of whom you can ask questions as you go along. and that person can also watch you work and tell you what you are doing wrong. Good luck! Eileen

I agree with everything Malawry said above. Don't understaff yourself, or you won't be able to do all of it. Eileen

Hi, Cheryl, I think you will need more than one person helping you. How many you need depends on what you are responsible for. Are you simply dropping off the desserts, or are you supposed to serve them? Are you responsible for the entire event? Will you be supplying beverages? Plates? Glasses? Tablecloths? Napkins? Flatware? If so, will you be using china or paper for service? If china, it will need to be collected, scraped, and rinsed (if it's rented) or washed (if it's not). Are you responsible for clean-up after the event? Who is providing the tables? Tablecloths? Table skirts? Will they be set up when you arrive or will you need to do that? Will the desserts all be individual in size, or will you have to cut and plate them? How many servings per person? If you allow, say, three small portions per person, how long will it take you to put 3,000 portions onto platters? (If you can transfer them an average of one every 5 seconds, which is 12 per minute, then you will be able to transfer 720 per hour - so it will take one person over 4 hours to transfer the portions to platters.) Depending on the type of desserts, it might take longer than that. Don't forget that people will be asking you questions, and you will inevitably need to run around to look for something for a complaining customer, or clean up a spill (or spills) and handle any other unpredictable situations that come up. Do yourself a huge, huge favor and don't understaff the event. If you do, the customer will be disappointed, you will feel defeated and totally exhausted, and you will have hurt your reputation. If you have to rent equipment, be sure you cover that in your price. You can advise them there will be a charge for plate and flatware rental, linen rental, tray rental, whatever, and bill it as a separate line item on their invoice. Just be sure to include it in your bid so everything is clear up front and they aren't surprised. Good luck! I hope you are tremendously successful! Eileen

Do you chill the crust before blindbaking it? Eileen

I just can't abide the way shortening coats my tongue. There is no melt-in-your-mouth sensation with shortening the way there is with butter, and I find that, because shortening has no flavor, I fail to see any trade-off based on texture. Then, of course, there's the whole trans-fat thing going on with shortening. Oil, on the other hand, is healthful (depending on the type used) in addition to its ability to lend moistness to baked items. Butter was expensive in the 50's, but my grandmother still used it, along with lard, as a staple in her baking. She was raised on a farm and could never get used to the whole Spry or Crisco thing. I like to use butters with higher fat (and less moisture) especially in pie crusts, where many people use shortening to get a flaky texture. I've had great success using higher fat butters in that way. As for adding butter flavor to a recipe using shortening...what's the point? Use two unnatural products for what purpose? When one bakes with butter it's not so there is a distinct, loud, butter flavor...it's for the overall, balanced flavor of the baked product, which I think is in no way enhanced by tasting like some kind of concentrated "butter" flavor. Eileen

What kind of pastry are you using? Eileen

I agree that it sounds like a baking liner problem. If you can narrow it down definitely to that, it would be nice to email the manufacturer of the faulty liners and let them know what is happening. Eileen

A chocolate Creme Brulee? Chocolate lace cookies? You could spoon a chocolate mousse into the small cup in 2 layers with the nuts and crumbled dacquoise in the middle, then pour ganache over the whole thing. No cutting. Eileen

Don't forget cupcake pans. You're not going to use all of them at once, so you might want to make a list and buy the pans as you need them. My advised SHORTLIST would be: A mercury oven thermometer (always use an oven thermometer when you bake) Three 8-inch or two 9-inch round pans a square baking pan, 8-inches or 9-inches 9 x 12-inch baking pan (pyrex or corning ware) at least 2 cookie sheets with 4 sides (can double as jelly roll pans) measure your oven to be sure they will fit before you buy them. Some are too large for smaller ovens. two 12-cup cupcake pans a 9-inch glass or corning ware pie pan a 10-inch loose bottom tart pan one or two large, stainless cooling racks if you like angel food or pound cakes, a 10-inch angel cake pan 9-inch springform pan for cheesecakes or souffle cakes Don't waste your money on the silicone pans; I have ended up using mine just for molding unbaked items. I think non-stick is fine to use if you are on a budget. Make sure you get heavy weight pans. Eileen

When I had my bakery we refrigerated or froze everything. But at home I take the cue from my grandmother: always use butter, lard or suet, never shortening, and leave the butter for baking out overnight. Leave the butter for table use out all the time; it's better at room temperature. My family always has soft butter to use on toast, baquettes, or whatever. We've never had it mold, even when the butter is around for several days, and no one has ever gotten sick. I leave out cakes with buttercream or ganache frostings, bread puddings, and pumpkin pies. While you can't ignore the health department's warning when you have a business, and I wouldn't want to put anyone's life at risk, I think we in the states go overboard when it comes to sanitation. What other country is as obsessive about these things? When I was in Morocco with my son this year we ate things all the time from the market stalls. We never became ill. Maybe our obsession with keeping bacteria at bay will ultimately reduce our ability to fight off bacteria when they do enter our systems. Just a thought. Eileen

What mrbigjas said. Eileen

Whole Foods sells Frontier natural extracts. If you substitute maple syrup for maple extract, be sure you allow for the extra liquid you'll be adding to the recipe. Try decreasing another liquid in the recipe by 3 or 4 tablespoons for every cup of maple syrup you use. Eileen

What recipe are you using? And how is the PB being added into the souffle? Eileen

Hi, Do you use an oven thermometer? Are you certain your oven was actually at the right temperature? Was it completely pre-heated before you put the cake into the oven? Eileen

I'd go with the ganache, but I would only chill it, stirring gently with a whisk or spoon every 15 minutes while it chills, until it's creamy and spreadable. Don't wait until it's hard. Don't whip it, because that changes the texture significantly and it won't be thick, chocolatey and creamy anymore. Eileen

Any dry, crisp cookies will keep. Quick breads, chewy ginger cookies. Cookies made with honey won't dry out, but must be well wrapped so they don't absorb a lot of moisture along the way. How far are the cookies going? Eileen

I agree with all of the above, and also feel that I've learned a lot about the Phila restaurant scene since I first joined. My biggest complaint is toward myself - I only wish I had bothered to read and join earlier. Rarely have I seen a complaint on this forum that goes beyond the respectable. I find the members to be responsible and considerate. It is a pleasure to read the forum. And any restaurateur who reads of a negative experience and reacts with contempt, anger, or indifference...well...deserves what that will ultimately bring to them, because if that is the case, the complaining eG member is most likely not the only of his customers who has had a bad experience. If I were a restaurant owner or chef, I would be thankful to hear of an issue that needs addressing that would make my restaurant a better place. And, yes, I would have asked for, and expected, without attitude, a total replacement of the scallop dish; the first time I brought the temperature of the meal to the attention of the waiter. Eileen

I like to use The Art of the Cake; Modern French Baking and Decorating by Bruce Healy and Paul Bugat for reference. Great instructions with line drawings, and delicious cakes. I think even a beginning baker could be happy with this. I also love Sherry Yard's The Secrets of Baking which includes recipes for both basic cakes as well as genoise and chiffon, and great technical explanations for why things work the way they do in baking. It's not just a cake book, and includes recipes for many other wonderful desserts. If you're looking for a great BASIC American cake book, I highly recommend Carole Walter's Great Cakes which is a huge book generouslyn packed with all of the popular American cakes, along with 3 pages of excellent trouble-shooting. The book includes cheesecakes, sponge cakes, butter cakes, pound cakes, coffee cakes, party cakes, passover cakes, and a plethora of frostings, fillings, glazes, sauces, and even Swiss Buttercream. Enjoy baking! Eileen

Thanks for the heads up on this. I personally find it can be informative to read these books, even when they're translated. Ideas, techniques, flavor combos, things I may have known but forgotten over the years; I usually find something useful. But I don't get the Wal-Mart thang, either. And thank god it's available through amazon, because my family has a long-standing boycott going on Wal-mart and I would have had to say good-bye to that great price. So, thanks for the heads up on that, too!! Eileen

Geez, after eating Delorenzo's, why would you even have a need to try another? Eileen

Or make a chocolate ganache and/or a white chocolate ganache, dip each of the cupcake tops upside down into your choice of melted ganache, turn them upright quickly, after a few minutes shake some sprinkles over them to make them look festive, and let them sit until they harden. They travel much better that way than a fussily (is that even a word??) frosted cupcake, and can be wrapped with less concern. Eileen

When I was growing up we ate gingerbread cake with lemon sauce all the time. Brings back great memories. I'm on the side of not using extract...I think it's too harsh of a flavor in something as delicate as buttercream. I also like to use a small amount of pure lemon oil in conjunction with the lemon juice and some very finely chopped zest. Eileen