LovesGenoise

For me, it works really well on my wusthof bread knife. For serrated knives it only hones (realigns the edge without removing metal). It doesn't sharpen (remove metal from) serrated edges, so might not do the trick if they are too far gone.

k43, that wusthof scalloped knife can be honed - there's a sharpener with a spring-action honing surface that hugs the entire curve of each serration, work in seconds. Works on regular knives, too: http://brodandtaylor.com/knife-sharpener/

In addition to the cocoa butter content, consider the cream listed in the ingredients. Most white chcoolate is made with milk solids, not cream, so yours may have extra butterfat that needs to be compensated for. In white chocolate, the only cocoa mass is cocoa butter, because if it had any chocolate liquor in it it would be darker. So if that's labeled it will give you a jumping off point. Consider adding white chocolate to italian meringue buttercream- I also prefer dark chocolate for eating, and don't have much love for the overly sweet white stuff, but adding it to italian meringue buttercream is completely dreamy, much better than vanilla. If money is no object, consider making the white chocolate custard buttercream in the wedding cake section of Rose's Heavenly Cakes- best buttercream I've ever had anywhere. Not too sweet, not too buttery, and amazingly, not too white chocolate-y, either. All that white chocolate would pair nicely with lemon or raspberry, think your bride will let you sneak some in?

Well, given my egullet name, I guess I'd better throw in my 2 cents Genoise is an advanced skill, so don't feel bad that you haven't mastered it yet. It is not a simple cake. A few thoughts: Cakes generally need precise forumulas, and genoise is no different than any other cake. Get a reliable cookbook from the library or bookstore and follow the directions to a T. I like The Cake Bible's genoise, and the author, RLB, is very good at giving all the details that contribute to success. Genoise requires one to switch gears- first you whip the living daylights out of the eggs and sugar- at least five minutes on high in a powerful stand mixer, double that with a hand mixer. Then, you gently and delicately fold the flour into the mixture, being careful to fold just enough to prevent flour pellets but no more- even one or two extra passes with a whisk will result in lower volume. If you'd like a beginner-friendly genoise, consider replacing one of the whites with a couple of yolks, which contribute stability. And omit the butter. Once you have mastered that version, consider adding back the butter, and then if you like you can finally move to a whole egg version. Be sure to syrup the cake and let it sit for a day, or it will not be flavorful and moist.

I made nougatine with honey once, and it was very, very sticky- not sure if your "fancy" recipe has other ingredients that might offset that tendency. l also frequently choose to do caramel in the microwave. It seems to tempting and easy- and it is easy- but I'd say maybe one time in four I end up going darker with the caramel than I had intended- it happens in a flash. Good luck with that large quantity of brittle! Sending efficient thoughts your way.

The last pie from Thanksgiving, the pumpkin chiffon with sugar glazed pecans. Sublime flavor and very, very light texture.

The Concord Grape pie is one of my all-time favorites from this book. It is a very juicy pie, and sometimes bakes up a bit messy, so I prepare the components separately and then assemble. Love it with lemon whipped cream.

The Lemon Meringue Pie makes a deep layer of filling and is nuanced and well-balanced. I might increase the lemon zest ever so slightly next time I make it, but everyone I served it to raved about it.

Both the protein content and the fineness of the grind can have a big effect on the amount of water a flour can absorb in a bread recipe, but if your MIL is a long-time bread maker she probably knows this and used the flour listed. And if she's Danish, she was probably weighing ingredients, so it does sound like it could be a mistake with the recipe. I agree with Jeanne, all cookbooks have errors, the most responsible authors publish corrections. I think a baker's response to a failed recipe is at least in part an indication of their personality- e.g., some people leap to the conclusion that the recipe is wrong when they, themselves have made the mistake, while others assume the written word is correct and they are the onee at fault. Similar to tipping- some people tip variably according to service, but many people, perhaps most, tip a standard amount for a very wide range of service levels. Some people are generous tippers by nature, and some bakers never think to blame others for less than perfect results.

Brix in Pittsfield- small storefront filled with a mix of local hipsters, families and tourists. Tasting flights of red or white wine, simple French bistro fare, it's a great find for the area.

Awesome work-logue, Scoop! You bring as much enjoyment to your readers as I'm sure you do to your diners. Keep it coming, please!

Tried the biscotti that Nick Malgieri, in his book Cookies Unlimited, calls the "ideal biscotti recipe": Buttery Anisette Biscotti. These contain butter, so although they are dry and crispy, you don't have to dunk if you don't want to. The flavor of these is etheral- vanilla, almond, butter and anisette combine to create a sweet, floral quality that is unusual. I used Sambuca for the anisette, but it stayed in the background, you might not guess it was there if you didn't know. Great with coffee, despite their delicacy. Editing to say, sorry for the poor photo quality!

Thanks for that wild tale- I remember similar scenes from my teenage restaurant days. Except for the completely unhelpful owner, that's truly weird. In our small town, we carefully keep track of "Chef's night off," as local restaurants have the best versions of some dishes on certain nights. I think fresh food delivery schedules play into it as well. For instance, my birthday dinner request last year started like this: I'd like Friday night bhindi from the Indian restaurant... and so on.

Mette, thanks for the recipe. Mjx, yours looks great, too! Now I have a craving for tiramisu as well...

I also make a lemon square based on RLB's ultimate lemon butter bar. Personally, I love the combination of lemon and butter. The only changes I make to her recipe are designed to make them a bit more bullet-proof and long-lasting: I coat the shortbread base with a thin layer of good white chocolate to keep it from turning soggy, and I add a little water and agar-agar to the topping so that the curd will set and cut perfectly regardless of how much yolk or sugar is in the recipe. The egg and sugar then become purely flavoring, and I tweak them to suit my taste.

If you have recipes you like for pate sucree (or almond pate sucree) and lemon curd, you can make a tart with those components. Top with meringue, whipped cream, raspberries, or blueberries. Brushing the pre-baked shell with a little melted white chocolate will help keep the crust crisp if you want to make a day ahead.

Great Tiramisu, one of my favorite desserts! Is it your own recipe or from a book? Love the baby shower cake, too- you must have had fun with the inscriptions on the onesies

Looks fine. You may want to taste it before adding the salt, as the cream cheese has plenty of salt already.

Looks good, FrogPincesse, especially with the creme anglais.

How about a dark, spicy rum? It's a traditional holiday flavor and the alcohol will cut the richness of the milk cake and also keep the ice cream from freezing too hard. Rum was actually my third idea. Coffee was my first, followed by darkly caramelized sugar.

In addition to the classic powdered sugar glazes, you can also use white chocolate that's been melted with a little oil. Stir occaisionally while cooling, and when it looks like it's beginning to thicken, spoon or pour it onto a chilled cake.

I love the Pie/Pastry Bible, and I've baked from it extensively. My favorites so far are the cream cheese flaky crust- the flavor is leaps and bounds better than any of the all-butter crusts. And for fruit fillings my favorites are the concord grape pie (still in season here in the Northeast) and the open-face apple pie. The pecan pie is to die for, but I wouldn't make it unless I had Lyle's, which is yummy. I like to toast my pecans lightly before putting them in the pie. Like Dianabanana, I have also used the technique of macerating sour cherries and then reducing the juices, it creates a very intense pie. I use the microwave to reduce the juices to avoid any caramelizing from the bottom of a pan, which with cherries makes them bitter. Have also used the same technique with frozen wild blueberries. I don't always manage to take pictures, but here's a Flickr link to some of the Pie/Pastry Bible desserts I've made: http://www.flickr.com/photos/julie2357/sets/72157623256021206/

I find the flaky crusts to be more successful in general than the sugar/egg ones, but maybe that's just me, as several of you are recommending the sweet crusts as being easier.

If you want to keep up some feeling of the "no rule" approach, consider perfecting your pie crust first, then trying it with a variety of fillings to suit your taste. But you're totally right, you do need to keep to recipes, baking times, etc. for the best results. In my opinion, there's no better flaky crust than RLB's cream cheese crust: http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2005/10/roses_favorite_flaky_tender_pi.html You can fill it with fruit of your choice, sweetened to taste with sugar and a little lemon. You can experiment with blind baking, or bake it filled for a quicker, easier tart. Fruit curds (like lemon) also make great tart fillings, and you can fold some whipped cream into them (or spoon it on top) for a simple but elegant tart. That crust also works well with savory fillings like roast vegetables or quiche. Pie crusts with a little sugar in them (pate sucre) are traditionally paired with cream fillings, or a layer of cream and then fruit, so they can be a little more complicated. You can also use a tart pan for baking simple cakes topped with fruit. I like RLB's Pie and Pastry Bible, but it is a thick tome and very detailed, so may not be the best fit with your cooking style

It does look as though it may have been overproofed and the gluten wasn't strong enough to handle the ovenspring. You could try a shorter overnight proof, and/or a stronger flour (though a stronger flour will make them harder to roll and shape).