John DePaula

Hey, do you by chance remember the name of those cookies? a recipe, perhaps?

Odd, I tried to like to that one and it said the blog wasn't there. Have I missed something?? I have everything I need to try these, even a refractometer, I am so excited to begin! I'll let you know how they come out. I got some inexpensive but pure fruit purees from Goya in my local grocery store. This will be a practice run while I wait for the local farms to get lovely fresh fruit! ← The Goya frozen fruit purees make excellent pdf. I've used them before. I just got some slow-set "yellow pectin" from L'Epicerie that I'm going to try for making mango pdf using a Goya puree. I've used apple pectin in the past and have had problems with the pdf starting to set as I'm getting it out of the pot. Supposedly, the "yellow pectin" sets a a lower temperature and will help avoid premature setting. I have a silicon pdf mold that I want to use, but using apple pectin I haven't been able to pour the pdf into the molds fast enough before it sets. Apple pectin is okay when I'm pouring a slab, because I can get it out of the pot faster. Wish me luck! ← Good luck! And please let us know how you like the yellow pectin, esp. if you note any textural or flavor differences from regular apple pectin.

Could it possibly be as simple as just being extra careful to keep the sides washed down?

Can't you add small amounts or either lemon juice or tartaric acid, they are supposed to help stop crystallization. ← You can also try more glucose syrup and/or invert sugar. These two, along with acids, will help prevent crystallization. Take a look at Greweling, p. 178.

Lana, have you gotten a chance to play around with your Walcom spray guns yet? I'm sure we'd love to see some pix when you get a chance.

Chef Greweling on NPR today, talking about Sugarplums: Dreaming Of The Sweet Unknown

Would you please post the citation for book you got the fondant formula and method from? ← French Professional Pastry Series: Creams, Confections, and Finished Desserts by Bilheux and Escoffier. This is vol. 2 of the series. ← Many thanks! I've added it to my "must buy" list. ← I think they're well worth the cost, though I didn't buy Vol. 4 which was cake design - most of us thought the cakes looked very dated. However, for the classics of French pastry, this is my "go-to" set.ETA: By the way, these books have a lot of interest to the chocolate maker but most of the books are about pastry making.

Would you please post the citation for book you got the fondant formula and method from? ← French Professional Pastry Series: Creams, Confections, and Finished Desserts by Bilheux and Escoffier. This is vol. 2 of the series.

Actually, I thought the paddle might work better and was surprised that the dough hook worked. I'll try the paddle next time.

Yup, that has been my assumption as well, that the final tempering occurs as the spray leaves the gun. But there are airbrushes they sell with heated heads for working with chocolate as seen here. So I suspect that as long as it doesn't blow air that is too warm it won't be a huge problem. ← Kerry, you're amazing! How do you find this stuff.

Do you have a stick blender? That might pull it back together.

What is the condition of the chocolate before starting? Is it looking bloomed in the bag? If so you might need to take it to a higher temperature before seeding. Humidity can certainly interfere with temper and an unusual room temperature adds a complication. ← If your seed chocolate is not already in temper then I don't think you can even use the seed method - you'll have to table it. And I agree with Kerry, you may have to take the initial batch up to, say, 60C to ensure that you've melted out all the bad crystals. I always have lots of trouble when my workspace is much below 68F, though I know there are some here that often work in a cold kitchen.

Could you tell us what the machine method was? Thanks ← That's pretty much it: cook the syrup as usual, slab it on marble until cooled a bit, then transfer to the mixer and use the hook attachment on low until it's ready.

You used this only because they included a machine method, right? There is no reason to expect any textural difference compared to when using Greweling's (which is a bit of a pain!), is there? I had to pitch my invertase when I moved this summer, but I should order some more one of these days. ← Yes, exactly... I just didn't want to stand there for 20 minutes mashing away with my palette knife. It probably took a little longer using the machine (using the hook attachment on Low setting) but I can do other things while my mixer is slaving away. I stopped it every now and again to give it a stir but otherwise it was fine by itself. Texture seemed perfect to me. About Invertase, I'd not be surprised to find it at a hobby store like Michaels or a cake decorating store; otherwise, oneline or one of the eG crew e.g. choux.

Trying the molded cherry cordials today. I thought the invertase would be a special order item but found it readily enough right here in town. By the way, I counted about 40 drops invertase per 1/2 t. required by the full recipe. The fondant I made using the recipe from French Professional Pastry series. It was almost identical (just a bit more water than Greweling) but they included a Machine method which worked just fine for me. Very smooth texture and fresh taste. Can't wait to checkout my cordials in a week or so.

Good point, but for ease and speed, I don't mind putting my everyday stuff in the micro.

I can't put my china in the microwave as it has a gold rim. Sparks are lovely though. ← Well, true enough. But even my fine china has no gold, so I'm good to go.

I'm coming to the discussion of warming oven late, but my microwave oven warms up plates (china, corelle, etc.) just fine. Even a Pyrex measuring cup.

And so how did this turnout for you, McA?

Voila: Dulce de leche from scratch Submitted by: andiesenji

Yes, I do that one, too. Very impressive and so simple. I love it and yes, even my VEGAN friends enjoy it.

Like you, I'd hate to just throw it out. Would it be suitable as a topping (or as an inclusion) for ice cream?

'Hope so... Is sugar & glucose referenced in any other pate de fruit recipe? Usually, those kind of typos just require you charging thru it. You make pate de fruit all of time, yes? The only thing I've noticed in my light scan was he likes to use pectin NH also.After I look thru some more I'll get back to this. BTW, did you notice any others. I also was wondering if pitipois could throw any theory forth on why they didn't do an English version? ← Yes, in many (all?) he uses glucose and sugar. In some, he has 60/60 and in others he has 60/120. I do make PdF all the time but his recipes are significantly different from the Boiron recettes. I didn't notice any other typos but will be on the lookout for them.

Yes, it's a gorgeous book but I agree about the layout. I have taken to creating my own index for recipes that I want to try so that I'll be able to find them at a glance. Also, I think there may have been a poor job of editing? For example, for many (but not all) of the Pates de fruits recipes, the method says (translating from the French), "Mix the 120g of crystal sugar and the pectin. ... add the sugar-pectin mixture, bring to a boil then incorporate the rest of the sugar and glucose." (e.g. p462) However, the ingredients list two quantities of sugar: 60g crystal sugar, and 600g crystal sugar So, I assume the method should read: "Mix the 60g of crystal sugar" right?

I think that's a great idea! My mom used to make this dish when I was growing up; it was steamed cauliflower added to chicken broth with Angelhair pasta and lots of parmesan cheese. I think she might have also dropped a couple of raw eggs into the simmering soup just before serving (?). Very satisfying. I think it'd be delicious with the roasted cauliflower, too.