gfron1

I ate an extra one but threw salted peanuts on it and OMG was it good in a very decadent way. Larry, try the chickpea meringue - pretty amazing stuff. Short shelf life - maybe 30 minutes but while its alive its really quite good.

This is why we do what we do. Here's what he got: It may not look like much, but there are two layers of cake (using Bobs Red Mill GF mix to avoid the arrowroot in my mix), sandwhiching a vanilla panna cotta (you can see it oozed a bit), topped with hot fudge (ganache using Hershey special dark chips which are still way sweet enough for a kid), torched meringue (chickpea broth - very cool stuff although a bit scary to me), and vanilla eggless ice cream using stabilizer to get the texture right. I asked the boy what he was used to getting and he said he hasn't had a dessert in a restaurant EVER, and at home he only gets fruit, rice pudding and sorbet. I said, "Those aren't really desserts are they?" And he beamed because I understood (in my own personal sugar journey) that those weren't substantive enough to satisfy. He was very happy. Lotta work for $4.95, but very worthwhile to see how happy he is.

Bobs Red Mill mix fits the bill

Just started to make the cake and realized that all of the recipes call for flour which he can't eat, and then went to grab my GF mix and it contains arrowroot. Heading to our co-op to see if they have a GF mix that doesn't have arrowroot

Lisa - this is how I'm leaning. I haven't looked up the wowie or wacky cake, but I'm guessing its similar to my vegan cake. The trouble with that cake is that its crumbly once it cools. Which is fine in an entremet style. So, cake disk (soaked), fruit mousse, cake, and mousse with glaze and if I'm up for it a sorbet like was mentioned early. I'm going to sub out amaranth for the nutmeal I normally would have put in. They're coming back tomorrow so I'll let you all know how it goes very quickly.

I've not heard of this - fascinating.

Larry, you know I'm just being my usual smart ass, but of course I agree, and I think you do to, that Honkman is right. I think what mom was saying is that Hershey is the only brand that she knows of that actually states that their chocolate is not made in the same place as nut confections. Probably true. I know I wasn't up for cleaning my chocolate area for them.

Oh don't play that card with me...its Hersheys. Don't make me go there!

I was confirmed that coconut is okay. Good, that helps. And as far as chocolate, she says Hersheys is okay, but not others...I don't know if I can lower my standards that much

not striving for a vegan cake, but I have a vegan cake that I make all the time which would eliminate the egg and wheat restrictions. It uses nuts which I could replace with seed.

I've been playing with wild grass seed lately. That could be my substitute for nut meal. For that matter, amaranth seed should work then. If that's the case then I could do my vegan cake using seed. Keep the ideas coming gang - I'm brainstorming as my day goes on. I'll go back and read comments more closely. I can tell you that I want to serve him something that he never gets because its ingredient intensive or technique intensive and so no chef would do this for him.

Is a coconut a tree nut?

They aren't vegan but no egg

I know we have a few of these topics floating around, so here's mine. I have a kid who hasn't had a dessert in 3 years other than fruit. I do gluten free and vegan stuff all the time but this is pushing my knowledge limits. I really want some form of cake. I've done vegan cakes with my gluten free mix which fits that...if they're comfortable with chocolate (which most likely will have the warning - processed in a facility...). And nuts, what other nuts are there that don't fit this restriction. Gelatin is fine so maybe a fruit type mousse using a vegan whipped cream (do such things exist?) Ideas?

That's the ethical answer, but according to the lawyer, as I understand his analysis, you actually can copy the steps too.

I say "the answer," but you know how legal stuff goes... ARTICLE Summary

I know this comes up all the time including on this site, so here's a good opportunity to learn how to ethically take someone else's recipe and rework it for publication HERE

You have been busy! I dare you to tell them that you just guessed at the nougat temps. They love that.

This was my point about the NASFT list. Central isn't a chain (or if it is its very small) so it doesn't get included just like AJs and a host of other outstanding regional grocers.

And let's state this more correctly - Aldi owns Trader Joe's. Chicken. Egg.

I prefer the recognition from the NASFT for stores where you get the likes of AJs (Tucson based) and other smaller shops that put out amazing products https://www.specialtyfood.com/awards/retailer/retailer-winners/https://www.specialtyfood.com/awards/retailer/retailer-winners/.

Wrong question to ask Jim! So I was using my 2010 Auboine nougat recipe, and thought I would sneak it in during a down time in lunch, right before I transitioned to dinner prep. I mean really, who comes to lunch at 3:30?! Well, all hell broke loose and we were nearly full with every hard order on the menu flying in on tickets, and I had already started the syrups. Suck it big boy, I said to myself and was flying elk burgers out and rapid pace while watching my honey temp and my sugar syrup temp and my eggs which had already started whipping and my nuts toasting in the oven. Meanwhile I was racing back and forth to my computer because I make this recipe maybe once a year and don't know the temps by memory. Then I see the sugar syrup looking "right," and so I race to my screen and it says 170ºC...what!? That can't be. Quick conversion to see if I meant F, but that of course doesn't make any sense, and during all that my honey boils over - shit! - but I had to keep moving even though I lost a quarter of it, still flying elk burgers out and now a couple of molé sandwiches. I said, Well shit, the sugar looks right, even though the honey had now been off the heat for nearly a minute and was nowhere close to the right temp, but I plowed ahead knowing I could always work it into that Mexican classic ice cream. So I poured the sugar...oh shit the honey was supposed to go first, pour the honey in fast...splatter everywhere because I forgot to turn down the speed, consequently burning my finger to a blister on the hot sugar pan. Just started whipping and hoping for the best. A drop of extract and - oh shit - in all the chaos I hadn't set up my frames! Quick frame set up which led to me breaking my marble slab (it was cheap one), and finally pour and spread. And I'll be damned if it didn't turn out just perfect. To answer your question - ask Kerry or Ruth or one of the gang from the eG workshop last year - they'll have the recipe with the correct temp cuz I have no idea, but you can look at my blog for the recipe I was following.

I have some Sosa lavender extract - just one drop to keep it subtle.

Just a slab of soft nougat: lavender, apricot, pistachio and almond.

I've been primarily a Valhrona and AUI (free shipping) guy, but the Guittard rep has been reaching out to me and I'm trying to get up to speed. I know many of you use Guittard and comments are scattered throughout these forums, but most of the info is dated. What are people using currently from Guittard for shelling chocolates and/or the ganaches?