Darienne

This thread has really come to the foreground with me in the last two days, in conjunction with the silicone mat thread. I realized that my pans are old as the hills, rusty, unreliable...probably unsafe...ready for the garbage after up to 50 years of (mis)use and it is time to buy some new ones! Thanks to you all for the information.

My kopy-kat silpats are used mostly for chocolate and other 'not-hot' confections. And for baked dog cookies. For cookies, I now have those strange 'double air bake' things which the former tenant in our Moab house left behind. I used the silicone mats last week for the first time for meat strips. However, my cookie sheets are old and horrible and I don't feel happy putting anything directly on them. Never thought of cutting the pads up. Might try it now that I have a new bunch.

We are no longer Costco virgins. We joined and did a big shopping there this week. Exhausting to learn a new supermarket in detail and it's still far from a known quantity. Found some good buys: pecans, sliced almonds, half & half, giant trays of fresh fruit pieces and also of crudites...good for big groups like our Annual Dog Weekend in August...whipping cream (if you don't want the best quality), butter (ditto). Also paper goods, soaps and stuff. Of no use to us: canned tomatoes...can do much better on the same brands in a supermarket on sales...and this is probably the same for a lot of canned, packaged goods. They don't carry canned dog food which we use on the road or in emergencies. Questions: stuff we bought but aren't convinced on the price angle: dishwasher detergent in big boxes. Need to look in the pharmacy area. Oh we did do well on a 2-year old Balderson cheese wedge with the daily special coupon. Also there were some 'we take $3 off at the cash register' items. That was good. The jury is still out. We have extra freezer space and lots of dry goods space but limited fridge space and only two of us except for onslaughts of visitors...we are expecting a large onslaughts of Aussies end of April...so we can't use the milk in bags, gigantic OJ containers, and so on. All in all, it was...well...it was an experience.

While trying to find a photo of a bite-sized silicone pan I own to send to Aloha Steve, I came across this Perfect Brownie Pan advert. Strictly in the Slap Chopper mode, the ad itself is mind-assaulting, but the pan looks very useful. A large pan, with a set-in divider which separate the batter into sections before baking...like the old fashioned ice-cube trays (if you are old enough to recall them...I am old enough to recall a time without even an icebox. ) The ad is a tad short on specs and so I am wondering if anyone has purchased one. (I am thinking specifically of make chocolate-dipped toffee, already divided into neat pieces for me, as the makers of Enstrom toffee must do.) ??? OK. Found a review of the Perfect Brownie pan with pros and cons listed. Of special note is the fact that you can purchase one at E Bay, Amazon, or at Bed Bath and Beyond for $20, possibly under the name 'Slice Solutions Brownie Pan'.

Did not remember this ice cream and just looked it up. Did you include the chocolate covered peanuts too? I think we need permanently installed cameras in our kitchens to take those photos which everyone else wants to see.

Wonderful report Paul. I really enjoyed reading it.

Looks excellently tarted up to me.

I would be delighted to get the recipe.

Just what constitutes a New York Style crumb cake? I am looking for a good cake to freeze.

No doubt Ruth made only a few, turned her back for a second, and they multiplied greatly. You need this mold for that to happen. You ARE evil!!!!

No doubt Ruth made only a few, turned her back for a second, and they multiplied greatly.

Dear Jen, Well done. I am still pretty much a novice at all of this and my dipping technique leaves a lot to be desired. So glad that PG at Home helped you understand what went amiss the first time. And you are so correct about the chocolate dipping bringing a center to new heights of deliciousness. You could try Kerry Beal's adaptation of a French caramel recipe sometime. It is truly wondrous. Kerry's recipe As for the chocolate: it took me a long time to stop getting chocolate everywhere...what? on my elbow? in my hair? How on earth did I get it there? Then my spread of chocolate became more contained until one day I didn't get it anywhere and I was so pleased. As for the thickness of your chocolate coating: someone else can help you better than I can, but it is probably the nature of the chocolate you are using...it is by nature too thick for what you are doing. You can either switch to another chocolate couverture or add some cocoa butter to the mix. Look in the archives...you'll no doubt also find a couple of topics devoted to just that. Good luck.

Interesting thread... I have never thought about eating anything with my coffee. I am picky about my coffee and like it very strong and with half and half. That's it. My favorite cup is the one my DH brings to me first thing in the am.

Three cheers for Ruth! They are adorable and yummy. I have had Ruth's chocolates and they are exquisite.

I am looking forward to see your results for certain.

No, of course not. I was using 'silpat' in the Pickwickian sense, as in calling tissues 'kleenex'. mea culpa.

Brilliant as usual!!! I am going to copy your idea. And buy some new ones tomorrow too.

The topic title says it all.

So now I have discolored silpats. They will be earmarked for potential discoloring processes. The good news is that Canadian Tire (Canadian chain) had the red silpats for half price this weekend and I shall scarf some up on behalf of self and confectionery partner, Barbara. New silpats will be for candy making only.

That quantity sounds like enough for two people. Is your M-i-L trying to set you up by any chance? I hope not.

I see your point. What I am searching for is some cake that I CAN freeze...as in make two, freeze one. We had our doggy humans and pups today and I had made my usual lemon curd poppy seed cake for the humans. It was delicious, it didn't rise properly and was a trifle lead-like. I could not serve it. Oh, for something I could have whipped out of the freezer at the last minute. As it was, I quickly made some chocolate molded doggy shapes and all was well. But I really could use that freezable cake!!

This cake looks like one for our family. Do you think it will freeze well, Emmalish?

We travel a lot each year, basically across most of the continent and back at least once. When on the road, we often buy salad stuff and buns and such, but sometimes we just need to STOP and eat. On the freeways, it's a chain or starve, especially when you travel through the less populated states. No problem. I can eat breakfast at a Bob Evans, lunch at a Taco Bell salad or a Subway wrap and not have a problem. Not good food...but that's life. Not usually worth the hassle to find a local restaurant, and as noted above, often the food is wretched. The only chain I truly loathe is Crackerbarrel. I don't like adult cute. Am currently reading Fast Food Nation. It will be hard to be on the road again in the fall and eat at any chain.

I'll try my question here instead of starting a new topic. What is the lifespan of the silpat? Cheaper one? More expensive one? Any difference? I did some chicken strips on three of mine...one expensive, two cheaper...at 350 degrees Fahrenheit today and two of the silpats look sort of burntish. Dark marks which won't come off. Just looking for some answers. Thanks.

Does anyone out there like Royal Family Food Co's Sesame Small Mochi? A friend gave me a small package yesterday. My DH doesn't like it, but I do. Sort of strange candy, not very sweet, but I like it. Any story about this candy?