apronstrings

Ling- Your photos look edible! What kind of camera do you use? Do you use a strobe? Are they enhanced with photo shop?

I want to make Dorie's biscuits to accompany a Butternut Squash and Apple Soup I will be making next month. Will the biscuits be just as delicious if they are PARTLY baked, frozen, and completed on Thanksgiving?

Just got back from our family Rosh Hashonah meal. I prepared Dorie's Devil's Food White Out Cake and her Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake. The chocolate cake was devoured in a flash. It was a spectacular cake, and made a beautiful presentation. Creamy, chocolaty and quite lush. I DID gild the lily by throwing a handful of caramelized cocoa nibs ( I'm caramelizing the nibs for another dessert) into the chocolate batter. They added a gentle crunchiness, which I think, added a nice contrast to smooth fudginess of each slice. The group consensus ( myself included) for the apple pie cake was not as glowing. Without telling anyone I "switched recipes", they all knew this apple cake was different from the one I always bake. Russian Grandma's dough, though made with butter, wasn't as satisfying. My oil based dough recipe was enjoyed more. More hamantascheny, I would say. And the filling I have been using ( for 30 years) is juicier and more flavorful. I've been mixing Macs with Grannies, using more sugar, spices, and some flour. Next week I will be making the Lemon Cream Tart... I am always tempted to lick the computer screen after looking at Patrick's photos. How DOES he do that??

They sound fabulous!! The best "Hostess" recipe I ever made is from Food and Wine... "Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Filling". White squiggles on top and all. You can get the recipe from their website. It is a truly sensual eating experience. My daughter just happened to maket them this Monday for her co-workers. They are all still raving about them. Please try the recipe.

I prepared the World Peace cookies today (serving them next week, along with 2 other of your desserts from the book). I used Slitti bittersweet 73% discs, and added a dash of cinnamon to the dough. I froze the dough for an hour, and they sliced without any problem. I wished SOME dough would have crumbled a bit so that I could taste it. I just HAD to eat one! They were exactly as you said. Just fabulous, and I love the way the salt pointed up the flavor. They will be devoured, I am sure... I have a related question. These were originally called Korova cookies. How do you pronounce that? When I say it it sounds like they were baked by a Jewish Prostitute!!! Thanks!!

I think they have lasted as long as a month around my place, but they do tend to get eaten before we have a chance to test their lifespan. After dipping in tempered chocolate I keep them at room temperature. The texture of the nougat is stiff, but ideally not crumbly. You can see in the picture that this one was a bit crumbly. The texture is quite different from fudge, but the change in stiffness as you stir fudge and it becomes ready to pour out would be somewhat similar. (I don't know if that explains it well). ← Yes. I understand. Thanks.

Yowza! I just read your SNICKERS thread. It is definitely on my TO- DO list for Thanksgiving. I'll wrap them in that sticky twisty wrapping paper I received today. I don't recall if you noted how long they keep. Must they be refrigerated? I have a question about the nougat recipe-- can you give me an idea of the texture of the peanut butter nougat when it is placed in the pan? You say not crumbly. Should it look like home made fudge when THAT is placed in a pan? Thanks so much!

Yes, substitute one for one. That's OK, when I first came across the recipe I didn't know what custard powder was!!

When I make Nanaimo bars I use Jell-o brand vanilla pudding, but not the instant kind. I use chopped walnuts, but I toast them first. Cocoa powder in the base, and a good quality chocolate for the icing. They are OUTRAGEOUS. Not bad for a Yankee.

Thanks! I DID use a 9x13 pan. I already prepared the Apple-pie cake because I just couldn't wait 2 weeks. I froze it unbaked. The dough was very easy to work with, and had a velvety texture. Can't wait 'til the 22!!!!

Tell me more about these self sticking cello squares. That would make life so simple. I assume they are they food grade and if so I would highly recommend them (and would love to get some myself). The fleur de sel is usually sprinkled on after you pour the caramel into the frame, or you can sprinkle a pinch on the top of each finished caramel. Some people add extra salt in the recipe, I don't find it is any better that way. Try with some smoked salt too. ← "Confectionery Twisting Paper and Cellophane Sheets". The website is CANDYLANDCRAFTS.COM Please let me know what you think.

I just RAN ( ok, I had hubby drive me) to Price Club in Westbury and purchased this glorious book. I got the same warm and fuzzy feeling when I read my first Maida Heatter cookbook many years ago. Beautifully written, with sumptuous looking photos, just perusing this book flooded me with childhood memories. Ms. Greenspan delighted me with her Apple-Pie cake story. Funny and tender (no pun intended). I will be making this as one of my desserts on Rosh Hashonah. Like Dorie's grandmother, I have always made my Russian Apple Cake with oil. Keeping that glorious light green box in mind, I will also be making the Devil's Food White Out Cake. YUM!!!

I do have an air conditioner that has a dehumidifier setting. The only problem is, as with many Japanese appliances made for the Japanese market, it doesn't work very well. It's also typhoon season here. But I'm going to purchase a humidty gauge and as soon as it hits below 60, I'm making the good stuff!! Soft buttery caramels...mmmmmmmm ← Kerry, Thanks so much! I have 2 questions: I have found a website that makes self sticking cellophane squares for enclosing candy. Would you recommend them? Secondly, if I make fleur de sel caramels, at what point would I add the salt topping? Is there extra salt in the basic recipe? (OK that was 3 questions!). Can't wait for nougat.

Thanks so much!

I've just checked out their website. Do you have to put the squares together yourself, or is the pan assembled already? The raw batter won't leak out? I'm not too clear on this.

nonono!

FAN-TAS-TIC!!! I bought all the ingredients for your nougat last month, and somehow got sidetracked from making it. This will be a real treat for me!!

I'm with JFL in LA!! Arthur Schwartz, the maven on all things New York , has a terrific recipe in his book,NEW YORK CITY FOOD. I've used Tish Boyle's recipe for Black and Whies. It's from her book,THE GOOD COOKIE. One thing though, if you use vanila extract, try to get your hands on the clear kind. It makes the WHITE prettier. You will be very happy with either of these recipes and they are as close to authentic as you can get.

One of my favorite cookbooks! Daley's tome has too many outstanding recipes to mention here. Have you ever tried her Butter Toffee Crunch Shortbread? If not, run, do not walk, to your cookbook shelf and get ready for an orgy on your tongue!

I made nutella cream tartlets topped with chocolate covered espresso beans, alfajores rolled in chopped coconut, and little mango lime tarts sprinkled with crunchy green chopped pistachio nuts.

Which Maglieri book?

Pontormo-- Thanks for the info. I didn't know there were budini al riso, just chocolate and bread puddingy ones. Silly me! And from Brooklyn, too! I enjoyed reading the sources you sent. Gotta try some next week. Hmm... breakfast budini, huh? Patrick-- I will take your advice and thicken up your coconut rice pudding recipe. I just made Martha Stewart's High Hat Cupcakes, in miniature. Such fun to make!!And pretty too!

I made double dark chocolate brownies with a shortbread base and a baked on ganache topping. Came out more like a cheesecake than a brownie, but WOW!

Yum! A friend wants me to make miniature coconut rice puding tarts-- how would these hold up?

I just made the double chocolate layer cake. Used two 9 inch round pans. I made a chocolate caramel ganache, and whipped part of it for the filling. I iced it with the plain chocolate caramel ganache, and used the runaway cake crumbs for embellishment around the sides of the cake. It reminded me of Ebinger's Blackout! Can't wait to serve it cold at the BBQ tomorrow. I think, tough, that next time I might use three 8 inch round pans instead of the two 9 inch ones.