Darienne

It's adding baking soda to the water to make the eggs peel more easily.

The topic of leaking centers has been addressed before: "Leaky chocolate covered peanut butter balls" and "Leaky cherries", but I am dealing with candied ginger pieces in syrup and it's always a problem. (Funny...I googled the problem and found my own posts in eG.) In the PB balls posts, Kerry suggests letting the ginger pieces dry out for a few days. Would that I had a few days. I bought the ginger in syrup today and it has to go out as a gift tomorrow. I have run out of time. In my earlier post, I wondered about precoating the pieces in powdered sugar and cornstarch (and I never tried it). Today I patted the pieces with paper toweling...satisfactory to a point. Next, into a bag of cocoa, shake the cocoa on, shake the cocoa off, and spread on a paper towel. One hour later: most pieces look dry...a few look a tad syrup-ish. Not perfect. Next, repeated above process with some cornstarch. Twenty minutes later: they still all look dry. They still taste just fine. Who has a brilliant tip for me? Or will this latest attempt probably work? I will get back one way or t'other.

Interesting posts. I am married to a man who salts his food without tasting it. Oh well... According to my personal anecdotal and totally unscientific evidence, Americans use more sugar than Canadians, while Canadians. on the other hand, use more salt than Americans do. Certainly Canadian butter is saltier than American, while American grocery-store purchased bakery goods are far sweeter than their Canadian counterparts.

I love the sheep. :wub:

There wasn't anything I could reply to your questions, but I am eager to know what you did in the end and how it turned out?

I've never tried anything like this, but I think I'm going to... Thanks.

I'm really enjoying this.

We are not what you would call social drinkers. I quit drinking for the most part a few years ago and DH drinks one neat vodka before bed. Oh, I sip vodka if I have a coughing fit in the night. Not exciting. Last weekend was the Annual Dog Weekend which meant lots of food and lots of drink. American dog friends brought an assortment of stuff with them, most of which I have never seen before and have no idea of whether I could get them in Canada. Left to right: * Kirkland Tequila – in Ontario we can get liquor only in an LCBO * Patron Silver Tequila – very nice, very expensive in Canada, for sipping * Svedka vodka – love the snazzy red, white and blue bottle. Keeping the empty bottle in the Americana Room, assembled in the beginning to annoy our anti-American friends. Yes, there are anti-American Canadians (idiots) * Patron XO Tequila Café – very tasty for sipping * Pinnacle Chocolate Whipped Vodka. It was served by a friend from DE mixed with cherry juice. I have no idea why. I thought it was awful, but others liked it. From France * Three Olives Vodka – empty bottle; I never got to taste it. * Fireball Red Hot Cinnamon Whisky – ironically made in Canada, exported to the USA, and brought back across the border. I love pretty much anything with a bite. * Vincent Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Flavored Vodka – just opened it and tasted it. I hope that without being rude or hurting our friends, I can dissuade them from bringing either of the chocolate-flavored vodkas again. (No, they don’t belong to eGullet.) There was much drinking of frozen Margaritas made from Goya Peach, Mango, and Pear. Personally, I like the regular lime based best by far.

I seldom eat cottage cheese now, but my childhood memories are wonderful. With my Papa (Mother's Father), a bowl of cottage cheese, sour cream, pumpernickel (I mean REAL pumpernickel) and salt and pepper. :wub:

I look forward to seeing the little critters.

I hope you are being well paid for this extravaganza. Wonderful little figures, PanaCan.

You didn't specify 'commercial'. My late F-i-L made his own wine...mostly terrible...but the worst of all was celery.

Dog Weekend is upon us and tonight's pie is such a winner: Margarita Pie, a combination of two recipes plus my own intervention. With Tequila, Grand Marnier, whipped cream, lime juice, crushed pretzels, etc, how can you lose?

Good one Kim. The DL cookies. Do try the cake balls with 'real' ingredients. Of course, they taste amazing. I have a big batch ready for the Dog folks (who will begin to arrive in just under one hour.)

First laugh of the day. Sounds like something a kid would like. Or the kid in an adult! Could make one out of apples with cheddar cheese and then it would be technically a quesadilla I guess.

So I googled quesadilla and it suggests making desserts also. I must make some of the savory kinds.

So, it's basically a sandwich made with a tortilla, folded over a filling and fried on both sides? I think the quesadilla machine works somewhat like a cheese sandwich grill. You eat it with a fork and knife? I know, I know, I should know...but I have never had one or seen one. And my brain can encompass only so much at once. (Extreme old age )

I've never actually made one. What do you put in them? Do you use flour or corn tortillas? Do you make your own tortillas? Do you use a quesadilla making machine? I've seen them for sale and wondered if they were a useful purchase. Any photos please.

Very beautifully done, Nigelodeon. And welcome to eGullet.

The birthday cake looks lovely and you are a good son's girlfriend -not -in -law?

Oh my! Two wonderful pieces from JustinThyme...and welcome to eGullet...and PanaCan. Wonderful about left-over chocolate and similar goodies.

:laugh: I usually adjust for baking at 4500', but it's surprising how many folks don't. And if I don't, it really doesn't matter all that much. I'm not trying to sell the results.

Do you have a wide spread in humidity as we do in Ontario? Well, from 50% to 100%. Or are you like the Southwest...8% to 56%? (I probably have both sets of figures wrong. ) I know that when I make muffins in Moab and don't adjust for altitude (4,500 '), my muffins runneth over.

I think I need a simply-worded explanation for verniers. Speaking of "doohickeys" and "doodads" this time I made the Mocha Molasses Cake properly...is it good!!!...and then have turned most of it into cake doodads with the addition of much rum, butter, 54% chocolate, icing sugar and they are currently resting gently in the freezer. Half to go for the Dog Weekend and half for a (shudder) Tupperware Party I can't get out of (unless the hostess reads this post). Good luck with your own doohickeys. You'll be stunned at the lustful reaction they provoke.

The Angel Food cake mix is made and the crumb is truly awful for Cake Doodads. Too squishy. I didn't think it would be a suitable cake to make into balls and now that's it's done, it isn't. I'll go back and make the original cake I messed up the first time and use it: Dark Mocha Molasses Snacking Cake Recipe from Smitten Kitchen adapted by Always Order Dessert. http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/2012/08/dark-mocha-molasses-snacking-cake.html. Found a note online that suggested freezing the formed balls before thawing and dipping. That sounds about right for me. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup Kahlua, for which I used Panama Jack, but I still don't feel confident about the storage part with a regular cake dipped in chocolate.