QbanCrackr
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Posts posted by QbanCrackr
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watching the cocktail episode of TC:Desserts (i know i know i'm behind on that one), got me thinking of a dessert for one of my favorites...ginger ale & crown royale
only thing that came to mind was a ginger crown panna cotta (i'm kind of limited atm with what i can mold/freeze since i've only got 70mm demispheres)...i tried it a couple of times..well a few times with different ratios + flavorings and none came to my liking.
i did a double layered panna, one with fresh ginger infused into it and the other with a bit of the whisky, that one was ok. i did another with a whiskey panna that had ginger infused into it and it was ok. pure ginger ale (and ginger ale reduction) didn't flavor it as strong as i wanted. so i'm thinking some other ways to get a strong ginger ale flavor--top it with a gelee? i'm guessing for any kind of soda/cola gelee you have to let the bubbles subside (let the drink get flat) right?
i made some other cocktail desserts, a bit on the simple side just using mousses and infused genoises since i haven't learned much about other creams & techniques yet--the taste i liked alot more than the panna, much more pronounced since theyre using fresh fruits & whatnot
i've got xanthan, agar & gelatin with me so i can use any of the 3 but i've never made a gelee (nor do i even know which flavored what would give me the best result)
i gooooooooogled like a mad man but came up short with anything regarding soda or alcoholic gelees, and my searches came up short on the site for like a base idea on the gelees
anyone done this sort of thing before that can at least point me in the right direction?
pastry-wise i'm learning on my own, day by day something new (i just learned how to make a genoise a couple of days ago lol), hopefully one day i'll be able to help people in my spot like you guys have helped me out time and time again
thanks
dd
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so i divided it by 3, and for some reason it tasted really really bland...any ideas?
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yummmmmmy thanks! do they have recipes online?
whoa, 18 sheets of gelatin? i saw where to convert that into powdered gelatin on this site lol...time to do some math! =P
Should i convert it into knox 225 bloom or should i just go get some sheets? My local guy only has silver gelatin...worth it?
DD
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i really want to make something similar to the dessert made on TC:Desserts (the margarita bombe), something with a real strong tequila flavor maybe a hint of lime (though that part can be played with, the main thing is to get a real nice tequila flavor ya know?)
i saw she made hers using a tequila creme anglaise + whipped cream stabilized with gelatin. is there a base or like a master recipe for a creme anglaise based mousse? i figure if i get a base recipe down, i can add flavors and whatnot to make it how i want
oh, and i need to get it for a friends party for saturday hehe
thanks!
DD
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update, i cut off the edges to show the rings inside, made some quick holly berries + leaves & some fondant mushrooms...just wish it was bigger but it looks decent for a first attempt no?
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heres a picture of my first buche...ever lol. it was a bit intimidating seeing how i've never made the cake for it, but it actually wasn't that bad! it was pretty fun actually
i threw it in the freezer until i have a chance to make some decorations...i've got alot of fondant laying around here could i just use that? or would you recommend something else to make like little leafs and hollys and whatnot
meringue mushrooms, well thats another story...i'll attempt those some other day hehe...maybe youtube has a video tutorial on how to make 'em
i noticed afterwards in this thread that most everyone cuts off the stump at an angle (i cut mine at a 90, next time i'll make the adjustments)
so anywho, heres the pic...feel free to critique and let me know what i can change and also what i can add next time! i'm hoping to make a few for friends/family for the holidays
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The joconde should be suitable to line in the way you describe - David J's comment makes sense for lining purposes but I am not sure this is conventional wisdom for other applications. The fact the biscuit is tearing at the cigarette lines suggests those lines are too thick so maybe keep them as thin as possible next time you try.
Re cooking time, this depends hugely on your oven and your baking trays. Cooking until it starts to colour should be about right - it shouldn't matter if the non-design side starts to colour? You can protect the design side by doubling your trays.
how thin should the joconde be? any general rule of thumb? the recipe i use for the sponge makes a full 1/2 pan which is definitely way too thick for this
re: lady fingers
I went through the FCI pastry program, and I remember when making these we "sacrificed" some of the meringue into the egg yolks to lighten it, creating similar consistencies so that they fold a bit easier and deflate less (a little less than a cup for a full recipe). Also, double sifted the flour in three batches, adding each batch once the prior one was partially incorporated.
Hope that helps!
i'll most likely be trying this tomorrow
Try Pfeil and Holing (www.cakedeco.com) or JB Prince, or NY Cake and Baking - they have have a web presence so you can browse through the products and then call in an order or do it online. Good luck!
thanks! hopefully i get lucky and can find what i need there, and hopefully i dont go overboard buying more stuff haha
i don't know enough to suggest how to tweak your ladyfinger formula - but if you want to try a different recipe altogether i can attest that the one in the Cake Bible is very dependable - the first time i made it was as successful as the 100th time.
and i ADORE making charlottes...
wow those pictures are gorgeous! i made charlottes once but i used storebought ladyfingers (meh)...unfortunately i don't have this book but i see myself visiting amazon very very soon to buy a copy of it hehe
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thanks richard, well its kind of like an accidental cut. i've got a long meat slicer knife that i'll use and it makes perfectly clean cuts when i use my mold to use for the width of the joconde cut, but when i handle it and try to wrap it inside the mold is when it tears along the cigarette lines--maybe the recipe doesn't yield such a flexible cake?
i'm having some trouble knowing when its done, as its such a thin cake--i've heard bake it until it starts to color (but in my experience i just get a raw cake)...the last time i tried i just went by touch until it sprung back to the touch and it tasted great my only wonder was that the top side of the cake while baking (the non-design side) would brown up.
with the ladyfingers it was my 3rd time actually and i'd get the same results (previous attempts were about a month maybe 2 ago). how about brianes comment on sifting it and incorporating it in 3rds? normally i'd just dump all the flour into the meringue/yolk mixture and fold it all together
i'll conquer these 2 one day!
oh and does anyone have a source online for decently priced cake rings?
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got no pics of that specific thing sorry, best thing i can offer is this little piece of artwork =P
instead of it breaking along a straight line, it will always break along the curve of the design. in this case itll go along the wiggly lines--if its a dot pattern itll just break off leaving half the dot exposed
heres the recipe for the ladyfingers
5 whites
125g confectioners sugar
5 yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
125g cake flour
make a french meringue with the 1st 2 ingredients until stiff peaks.
mix vanilla + yolks, fold in yolk mixture into meringue.
fold in flour to meringue mixture
in my case i added all the flour in at once at the end
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when i roll the sponge inside the mold, itll usually always break off leaving the piped design
thanks richard!
i'll try to post up the recipe for the ladyfingers in a bit, its taken from the fundamentals of classic pastry arts (the FCI one)
what i meant by the sponge breaking, is that it will just tear around the cigarette design leaving that intact. thats what leads me to believe that the piped design was too thick...its just been my 2nd time making this kind of cake so i know its still a work in progress
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so as the topic says, i tried my hand at a joconde and ladyfingers
the joconde came out tasting good, but i'm not sure about how thick/thin to pour it, and i'm also not sure how thin to pipe the cigarette batter. when i bake it off and peel away the parchment/silpat, the design always transfers but i think its too thick seeing how when i roll the sponge inside the mold, itll usually always break off leaving the piped design
with the ladyfingers, well, i'll just let the pictures do the talking--overfolding? overbeating the meringue? when i'd pipe it, i had to hold the tip upright as the batter would just come out of the tip
pictures attached, hopefully some insight can be thrown my way
thanks
dd
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using the calculations i found on this thread + another gelatin one, my recipe calls for 1 sheet of gelatin (and doing the calculations its 2g so i see its a gold sheet). i did the math and came across 1.88g of knox powdered gelatin. my question is this--how much water need i bloom the gelatin in? even if you have a basic ratio in ounces i can drop it down but i've always just followed the recipes and those guide me but when using powdered gelatin i've just got no idea on the basics of blooming it
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what would the conversion be in the case of mousses? 100g puree:100g cream:1 sheet gelatin (i'm assuming its gold)
or should i just buy a box of silver and play with it until i find what works
-d
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So i finally had my first attempt at macarons....after doing some reading, i've got my own...self-diagnosis you could say as to my 2-3 problems that i see right now
First off, i dont think i beat the batter enough, as you see the trails didn't settle from the piping process. On top of that, should I rotate my pans mid-bake to get a uniform finish? as you see in these pics some of them the bottoms didn't cook correctly so they ripped off when i tried to separate them. Some others the bottom is very soft, it'd most likely crack when i sandwiched them together.
I'm putting some pictures, feel free to critique and criticize my work, its the only way for me to get better
this is my recipe
210g powdered sugar
100g almond flour**
100g egg whites
50g granulated sugar
**I used almond flour i bought at whole foods, i sifted it so itd be finer, but i found myself losing quite a bit of material between the fine flour and the larger pieces of almond that weren't ground. are those ok to use? i'm worried they'll affect the smooth look i'm looking to achieve on the macaron
thanks in advance
-d
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However, not soaking gelatine long enough will result on the mousse going on a "diet"--that is, the mousse will start to shrink in the middle after a day or two, giving the item an "hourglass" type figure....
How long is the rule of thumb for soaking sheet gelatin? Also, what kind of gelatin are you using? silver? gold? Are those all the same blooms within manufacturers? (obviously silver and gold aren't, but silver a vs silver b)
By playing with flavour combinations, you can also boost the flavour, ie. adding a bit of raspberry puree to strawbery will boost the strawberry flavour
If you go 100g puree 100g cream, could you go 120g puree 80g cream to maintain the 200g but still having the gelatin keep it with the same stability? My flavors weren't strong enough going with the 100g/100g mix.
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That sounds like a crazy amount of stabilizer ... most stabilizers are used at well under 1% by weight.
I assume it's just some blend of hydrocolloids that prevent weeping (aka synerisis, if you want to get poetic).
i tried that a little while back, but i'm still playing with fruit mousses...i heard 1 sheet of gelatin would stabilize 100g puree + 100g whipped cream...did that a couple of times but flavor wasn't strong...if i do 1% of total weight in gelatin would that stabilize it even if i add more puree?
my main thing is the syneresis...i want to be able to keep mousse refrigerated without it crying itself to death
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i used one called alaska express, it called for something like 150g stabilizer to 750g whipped cream...only thing was i didn't like that they only told me i could use their flavor pastes which weren't super good in my opinion
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i was searching the web yesterday, and came across this product--http://www.pastrychef.com/MOUSSE-STABILIZER_p_781.html--instructions state to use 1000g whipped cream, 200g stabilizer and 350g fruit puree (stabilizer into puree, and fold into cream). has anyone used something like this before? i've had trouble with fruit mousses that i could make pipeable into molds/cakes and i can't get anything that is stable enough to keep its shape while keeping a good fruit flavor.
i'm really interested in trying this product out...any thoughts?
-d
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i've been using an italian meringue to top my tres leches cakes...i'm doing some for an event over 2-3 days. is there any way to stop the meringue from evaporating by the third day? thats when i notice that its starting to get foamy and wispy.
i'd try a gelatin stabilized whipped cream but i'm just not a fan of it over a nice meringue on the tres leches.
egg white powder? meringue powder?
i'm stumped with this one
thanks!
-D
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just a quick question about tres leches--i've eaten it all the time growing up, and now i finally ventured into making it
this is the recipe i use for the cake
5 eggs separated
3/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup
1/3 cup milk (i think its around there)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
beat the yolks and sugar until light/fluffy, add the baking powder + milk + vanilla then whip the whites with 1/4 cup sugar + 1 tsp tartar i think it was until stiff and fold the whites into the yolk mixture
im at a loss for what kind of cake this is--a sponge doesn't use any chemical leavening other than the egg whites right?
in any case, i was just wondering after i bake it (i think 30 mins @ 350) it shrinks quite a bit from the pan...is this a cooling issue? or is that just the natural way the cake does its thing
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do you know where i can get prices for boiron here in the states?
also, i found this online--hows it look to those of you who've made mousses with italian meringue?
http://www.pastrychef.com/Fruit-Mousse_ep_77.html
are all those quantities by weight?
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well my fruit puree is basically just throwing fruit in the blender with some sugar to taste and good to go--it suits me fine in stuff like panna cotta and creme brulee but for the mousse i need something with less water.
i just remembered i've got some samples of perfect puree i think it is but i haven't used them yet (not sure on the quality/effect in mousses either yet)
is there a brand of puree anyone can recommend to use? i figure that'd give me more of a consistent product time after time (less surprises too hehe)
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I've been making a nice chocolate mousse for a while now...well at least i seem to like it (and its easy to flavor it and whatnot, all my family loves it)--but when it comes to fruit mousses...well i'm just slacking there!
What i want to make is something nice and fluffy and flavorful at the same time (i read here that 1% of the total weight in gelatin will stabilize a 1g:1g mix of whipped cream to fruit puree. i tried it at 1:1 and it worked fine, but the flavor wasn't there--when i tried to up the puree (thus adding water content i'd imagine) it wouldn't hold as i wanted.
basically i want something that i can mold and freeze and leave in the fridge ready to go for a party or whatever.
One of my friends got a hold of an Alaska Express mousse base from Qzina (mix that with milk and add to whipped cream and it gives me a real nice texture that i like, but you have to use their fruit pastes and once you switch to puree its a whole 'nother ball game.
Can anyone help me out with at least a basic recipe for something like that which i can just substitute purees with?
Well thanks in advance for anyone that can lead me in the right direction
Edit: somethign like this texture i think would be what im looking for
-D
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i'm a newbie when it comes to cheesecake...i've made it maybe 4 times and i've had a 50% success rate on them. one was a regular size creamy water bath (325 or so) and another was a regular size new york style (400-425 i think). then i tried making another new york and made some mini ones off the recipe for the water bath ones (all recipes came from the joy of cooking)
today i did the mini ones, i think it was 2# of cream cheese, 4 eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, sugar..i think that was all (i don't have the book on me). in any case, they collapsed right after they came out. i had one of my failures collapse real bad and make a big valley in it, and i read that was due to overbeating and incorporating air (it rose alot in the oven). in todays case i felt if anything i may have underbeated them (beating just until everything came together).
is there a cooling technique i'm not getting here?
i just want to be able to make a consistent cheesecake hehe.well in anycase if anyone has a sure fire recipe they might be willing to share or any tips or techniques that can help me out with making a real nice cheesecake id appreciate it (i dont care if its NY or any other style i love them all!)
thanks!
d
ginger & crown royal dessert?
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
You know thats a great point...my only downfall at the moment is lack of knowledge. Im sure if i knew how to make certain things itd be easier ya know? Fluid gels ive never done, though ive read the theory on them. Same as ice cream. I cant wait to learn more so i can make more complex things =p