Darienne

Excellent point. I hadn't thought of that. I must try to get some Grand Marnier flavoring. Where do you get yours if I might ask. Found a source within a hundred miles...unfortunately they are out of it and not likely to re-order for a bit. The joys of living in the middle of nowhere, near nothing much.

Popcorn might work. A big bowl freshly made popcorn with a soupçon of olive oil, salted, peppered, Chipotle powder or some B-B-Q-like spices, a packet of Stevia or some other benign no-sugar product or a bit of sugar. Salty, sweet, and hot. What could be better?

Oh wow. :Those lollies are terrific. How much Grand Marnier can you add to a hard tack recipe, please?

A local bulk food store periodically; gives away 1 liter containers of maraschino cherry and confectionery partner, Barbara, gifted me with a container yesterday. It's what is left over when the cherry bin is empty or drained I guess. How should it be stored for a long period? What can I do with it besides thicken it to use on ice cream or mix with soda water? This juice is not as thick as say ginger syrup. (Don't bother with mixed alcoholic drinks please.) Thanks.

It seems that everyone's problem is that their nougat is too soft, too runny. Confectionery partner, Barbara, and I made the Greweling nougat yesterday for the third time. The first two times, going back, were nothing short of stupendous. Not this time. The resulting nougat is hard, almost rock like, impossible to cut unless reheated in the microwave. After heating for about 30-40 seconds, it softened greatly and I managed to cut it into very small pieces to dip into chocolate. As soon as it cooled it was back to crunchy. Not a tooth breaker, but not nougat like at all. So...we followed the recipe and the time periods noted and temperatures exactly. Used my Canadian Tire instant readout thermometer which has been fine so far. (I should check it again.) - it's a new to me stove and I don't know it all that well yet. Oh, it's a second hand stove too...don't know what difference that would make. - we didn't heat up the pot of combined sugar, water, glucose ahead of time and it started on the stove at 28 degrees Celsius to get to 155 C degrees. This I think meant the whipping process went on too long. Next time we'll start the heating ahead of time. - Barbara (yes, I can blame her ) insisted that we put the inclusions straight into the mixture to see what happened. Well, we had to pick a lot of them out of the whip. This would have prolonged the procedure. - it seemed fine on the paper being rolled. - put it into the garage to cool. Ontario garage...quite cold. What thoughts and advice can anyone give me, please. (Oh, I did dip it into chocolate and am giving it all to a "non-foodie" family up the road. The kids will eat it anyway and be thrilled. It tastes delicious...it's just all wrong. )

Talk about learning something new every day! Callus hairs in Fuji apples. Who knew?

Well done, keychris!

I for one look forward to being thus annoyed.

Yes for candy recipes. I make toffees and lollipops in Utah (4000 ft where I am) and if I am using a thermometer test, then I calculate downwards in a simple fashion...no percentages...just subtract a straight number of degrees.

That would be my take on it too. I was going to ask about your humidity level. I know that working with chocolate in the heat in Ontario where the high humidity makes my life unpleasant is so different from working in the heat in Moab UT where the humidity can go down to 5%.

Recently I gave to our local library's book sale 15 cookbooks which I didn't need. Don't be alarmed...none of you would have wanted them either. Still I have slowed W-A-A-Y down in buying cookbooks. There's so much online now that I can't even make the recipes which I download and print.

Wonderful video and thanks for the glove information. I was wondering about them also.

Have to say that most of the chocolate which I 'melt' I do over water using a stainless bowl whose flanges far outreach the edge of the pot. So far, so good. The other melting is putting the chocolate into the heated cream for ganache. Tempering in my Revolation except when away from home and then I use a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave, once I have figured out the particular microwave I am using. Not exciting, but it's what I do.

Cleaning...and then drying...is a nuisance but I use the silicone pads constantly for confection making, roasting vegetables, making dog cookies, flat freezing all sorts of things before bagging them. I have burnt ones, ruined ones, ruined looking ones, nice and clean ones. And no, they are not actual Silpats.

I would love to go to Ecuador after all the interesting things I have read about it on eGullet, including this thread from lironp. I would contract with PanaCan to be my official (and unofficial) guide to the country and we would wander about, seeing this and that. Mostly I would love to eat from the street vendors which seem to be everywhere. Where we live, there are a couple of chip wagons...that's it for street food in east central Ontario. To visit a chocolate plantation would be heaven.

Thank you Annie. I'm thinking dark chocolate and candied ginger...my latest confection obsession.

We are not great burger eaters but eat them at our Annual Dog Weekend. Last year we tried a bun which is available in Costco (Canada). One Bun from Pita Break from Toronto, ON. Don't know if they are available in the US. (They are not pitas.) OK They are made by Ozery Bakery in the States. Right and Costco in the USA carries them. Try them. You'll like them.

Fascinating topic. I have never made a cookie bar and think I should try. And I do own Cookwise. And you all have provided a number of recipes. Can you freeze cookie bar? Will they thaw as good as new? I'm always looking for shortcuts for the Annual Dog Weekend so that I don't have to do too much right at the end.

Good for you. Your table looks gorgeous and that's one nifty sheet. Good luck with your latest obsession. If you like the taste of the food, then never mind what others might say. I've been doing a lot of Mexican now for a couple of years...and I don't know what most of its supposed to taste like either. When we are in the land of Mexican restaurants I always order the one single thing...Chiles Rellenos. I keep thinking I'll force myself to order something different...and then I don't. ps. I still haven't made a flan!!!

Good luck Ilana. I emailed you some information.

Did you start from fruit or from commercial fruit puree? I've never used a fruit puree but have a can of Goya Guava paste in my supply of 'not-used-yet' stuff and thought about making a ganache with it.

Minas, you are amazing. I am overwhelmed by your talent. Along with the rest of us I imagine. :rolleyes: (fainting smile here)

Well done, KS

Well done! Minas. Your work is wonderful.

Now, that's a gorgeous looking souffle, seabream. Yummm...