gfron1

I'm not sure what minerals and elements makes up coconut water, but I'm leaning toward Tri2Cook's suggestion. Let's assume (possibly incorrectly) that coconut water doesn't have the material make-up to thicken after reducing (I think it will act like water and just evaporate, not thicken). Then, if you bought coconut cream instead, or removed some of the water, you'll have a thicker consistency. But, you want to incorporate flavor. So why not focus on incorporating the flavor into the fat and not the water. You could steep your flavor into the fat, which I think would hold a fresher flavor (just a guess) better than the water. Then re-incorporate the fat into the water.

Good summary. The confounding factor is which type of pan was used. Aluminum, steel, coated, uncoated, etc. The only thing I can't agree with is the instruction to remove right away. I think any cake, genoise, etc., needs to sit for a bit to set up before popping it out of the pan.

Welcome to both of you! We just had a similar discussion in the genoise topic HERE with some great advice that I think is relevant.

andanand: Open up the chemistry set for us...I'm assuming tapioca maltodextrin on the ghee. What did you use in the other components?

What the F%$& is that! OMG Heidi! But, on a positive note...great save! The final product looks really good.

I know people think we're nuts but this isn't over yet. Anything that is ultra sweet can be paired with it. Next up for me is ice cream.

My favorite accessible brie continues to be Demon du Midi, but I'm also enjoying Exploreteur. Its very creamy and last night I had it with fig jam.

I have never made a dessert that was as swooned over as this. I'm not sure what it was, but I had people stuffing extras in purses and arguing over who was going to get them. It was a very good ego day Strawberry macarons (3" across) dammed with grapefruit infused white chocolate ganache, decorated with fresh blueberries, and filled with celery curd - that's right Tri2Cook - celery curd, and it was awesome! And now I understand better how to fill these so I can do a better job next time to get "pretty points."

Cheesecakes are one thing that I never have trouble with. Not quite sure why, but I've made a bunch in my day. And I hate cracks, so here's what I do. First, the water bath. Second, never overmix. I do mine in a blender typically and stop the very second its mixed. Third, I butter my springform and then line it with parchment strips. I think this has more to do with it than anything else because it allows the out walls of the cake to contract without sticking. Fourth, I do the slow cool in the oven thing - you know turn off the oven, crack the door and let it sit til room temp. Not sure if this matters, but fifth, all of my ingredients are always at room temp. I'm not sure which is the magic, or if its the combination, but it always does it for me.

BTW, I never flour - unless a recipe specifically calls for it, and I never use Pam, just butter, because I hand wash and I can't get that residue off.

I almost always use a spring form that is buttered on the side, and buttered on the bottom, covered in parchment and re-buttered. I loosen the form after 10 minutes on the counter and then bring to room temp for full removal.

I double panned, but I always have my 'high altitude' excuse. I've got a second round in the oven right now.

Here is my first attempt at larger macarons. These are 3 inches across. The feet didn't hold up but they're perfectly baked and ready for some fun fillings!

I wanted to add a bit more about this bar. They are fair trade and from Modica. Their website is HERE. I've had a couple of these now and wouldn't necessarily classify them as "fine chocolate," but they are unique in a very good way. My greatest reservation is that they are 45%. What I like most about the cinnamon is the texture:

In case it helps, here's a brief discussion of Lily Flour.

I was actually asking my question obtusely. I have black sesame paste, and I thought that if I had a recipe for a peanut butter macaron, then I could sub the sesame paste. Ii want to a do this filled with grapefruit curd.

Does anyone have a recipe for a peanut butter macaron? I'm not having any luck finding one.

I also let this play out locally, but I wanted to respond to this That's simply not true. Surgeons and pilots make mistakes everyday. It doesn't mean they're crashing planes and killing people, but neither do we typically have a dining experience that is akin to death. Just as I expect my scar to be a bit long, or my landing to jiggle me in my seat, I also am not disappointed just because I waited an extra minute for my check or my water glass had lipstick on it. I'm glad perspective was found on this meal.

Its interesting because I see him every year at the Fancy Food Shows and he has always looked in such poor health. However, the rotund man we all remember from TV is no more. For at least the past three years, he has been relatively thin and confined to his motorized cart. I always assumed it was a tummy staple. I found an article for 1993 that says he weighed 390 and was already on the scooter to save wear and tear on his knees. A 2005 story on CBS said "Now 65, Prudhomme has slimmed down from 560 pounds to just 220." 220 is about what I'm used to seeing him as. So it seems he's doing more than waiting for luck.

Your creations get more beautiful each time - what a wonderful collection!

Without going OT about plain v. dark, and McV digestives v. HobNobs (I like plain and Hobs), thanks to everyone for the ideas. I ended up merging a number of ideas because I was short on time, lazy and cheap. I had an old genoise in the freezer - no idea what kind, but I'm sure it was good since I kept the scraps. I cut discs with my 2" pastry form, then horizontally sliced them into a number of layers. Each layer was brushed with a honey syrup, topped with ganache, and then set in a milk chocolate mousse. The whole thing was then covered in a thick ganache and dusted with McV crumbs. The birthday boy really needed some loving so it was much appreciated. He's totally a Cadbury milk type of guy which is why I went milk on this dessert. Gut shot:

That would be great - thanks May. I had a feeling the rosettes might not work if for no other reason than the depths. Kuih Rose are about 3/4" deep.

Tri2Cook - Isn't it more fun on "this side of crazy"? So are those Ritz crackers actually the shortbread? That's very fun.

If we're talking about a fine mesh chinois, then probably it would. There might be instances when you would want a cloth to "catch" solids in the liquid versus strain.

Why not invest in a chinois or at least a fine strainer instead of all of that cheese cloth? What are you doing with the cloth that a chinois can't do?