RWood

Thanks! They loved them.

So, as well as Mother's Day, it was also my step-father's 80th birthday. They each got a cake. His favorite, German chocolate with an airbrushed Greek key (my Greek writing needs practice ). And for my mom, raspberry Pinot noir cake with fresh raspberries.

Thanks, she had really nice flowers to work with. It's iffy sometimes :).

Mickey themed wedding cake. Apparently the bride is diehard Mickey & Minnie :). Cake is red velvet.

I've found what best works for me is to warm the bottle of cocoa butter in a bowl of hot tap water. I shake every so often, and add more hot water as needed. Then just keep the bottles in warm water as I'm working. I tried microwaving, but it was always off and I had a lot of wasted pieces. May not be the most scientific, but I it works.

Really fast little Harry Potter cake for a friend's birthday. I had more details I wanted to add, but I was so behind I threw this together the day before. She loved it though.

Macarons, little monsters . Bourbon pecan, pistachio, raspberry and espresso.

Thanks. Yeah, these are log and slice. This recipe was actually the lemon sable from Dorie's Paris Sweets. I just rolled these in parchment and sliced them chilled. Held the round shape very nicely. I used egg yolk wash on the log then rolled in sugar.

When I lived in Seattle, I was two blocks away from Le Panier in the market, and I love their hazelnut sable. I was just there on New Year's and bought a couple, but unfortunately had help eating them . So I made some myself. These are really good, not as hard and crunchy as their's, but more of a sandy texture.

Is it over yet . I'm so behind this year. But the chocolates are done. I did a lot of painting with a gloved finger, transfer sheets and a paper cone. Couldn't deal with setting up the airbrush. Top going across: Valrhona Dulcey, Passion Fruit, soft Rolo type caramel Absinthe, Coffee, Peanut Butter Peppermint, White Chocolate Coconut, Black Raspberry Honey Caramel with Maldon I think the red transfers are too old. Only a few were decent, the rest seem faded. I really like the silver and copper I got on my last visit to Chef Rubber.

Thanks! I made the dough, cut them out and froze them a couple of weeks ahead. Then baked them 3 days before. It took that much time to ice that many (letting bases dry then adding details). I've found once a base icing is on them, they hold well. I've used the No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe for years, and they always hold their shape and can be flavored many ways. Now, according to my aunt (who hid this type cookie in her car trunk to keep my uncle from eating them), said she forgot and then found them two months later and, "oh they were still fine." I don't know if I believe that or not

Twenty dozen decorated cookies for the tree lighting in Capitola Village. Plus 200 truffles, I have to do these every year. At least while I'm at this job

Well, I'm not a Scotch drinker, but the last time I made Butterscotch Pudding, I think I used Glenlivit. I mainly just picked one in the bar at work . I liked the flavor it had. I have used Jack Daniels too, which isn't Scotch, but I like the flavor it adds. Even those Scotch isn't technically in butterscotch, I find it a little flat without some kind of alcohol added.

Rosemary Hazelnut Biscotti (with black pepper and orange) and Koulourakia (my Greek step-dad's favorite). Baked these off for our road trip to Vegas for Thanksgiving.

As of right now, this is the last wedding cake I have until February. Nice to have a little break with the holidays coming up. I love fall leaves and was excited someone finally asked for them.

I was asked to make chocolates and a six tier display cake (photo later) for the Salvador Dali opening party in Monterey last night. They specifically asked for Absinthe for the Absinthe bar, then the rest was up to me. I also played with some of the new colors I picked up at Chef Rubber on the last trip to Vegas. So, Absinthe, Salted Caramel, Black Rasberry, Vanilla Passion Fruit, Spearmint, Valrhona Dulcey.

Getting into fall desserts. Sweet Potato Tart with pecan shortbread crust, toasted maple vanilla marshmallow and red wine caramel.

Some friends asked me to make the cake for their wedding. It was an outdoor, rustic type deal. The groom picked the cake flavors, the bride didn't care because she had a pie table, she just wanted a naked cake. Top tier-vanilla cake with salted caramel buttercream and toffee bits middle-brown sugar cake with vanilla cream and bananas bottom-chocolate cake with Nutella buttercream and hazelnuts

I've started using it in some cake experiments I've had going lately. I felt it gave some of the best, really chocolate-y flavor that's been lacking. I'm going to also try mixing my own black and Dutched to see what happens. Of all the chocolate cakes I've tried, I've never felt there was enough oomph from either Dutched Cocoa or unsweetened chocolate. But, the last cake was much better using the KA. And, I've used it in a vegan cake and a gluten free cake (both experiments for upcoming weddings) and they were good.

Yeah, I do the gelatin and sometimes white chocolate thing in lemon curd for cake fillings. Makes sure that stuff isn't going anywhere

I fought with lemon bars for a long time before I gave up on recipes and just made up my own. I use a shortbread crust recipe I've had for years and I use my lemon curd recipe. I par bake the crust, make the lemon curd, strain it into the crust and then bake it for about 10 mins in a 300F convection oven. Then chill them. They cut very cleanly and hold their shape very well. So, maybe a pre cooked filling might help them hold their shape better?

These chocolate chip cookies are so good! I used whole Valrhona Satilia Feves, whole pecans and Maldon sea salt sprinkled on top. Took care of the chocolate fit for sure :).

Peanut butter nougat and honey vanilla caramel with peanuts (sorta like a snickers). I made these to send to my dad for Father's Day/Birthday this weekend. I used my usual caramel, and Greweling's peanut butter nougat, minus a lot of the molasses. Both his nougat and PB fudge has way too much, at least to me.

Captain America: Civil War cake for my cosplayer friend. I put lights under the arc reactor :). She kept saying all night, "my cake lights up" :).

My recipe is from an old friend of my step-dad's (all Greek ). Her filling was made with farina (she used cream of wheat), butter, egg yolks, orange zest, grand mariner, whipped egg whites and sugar. The syrup was steeped with more orange, cinnamon and cloves. It's so good. I haven't made it in a while, but may have too :).