Jim D.

@JeanneCake, thanks for those very useful ideas. I have in the past parbaked the shell for this pie, and it was a definite improvement, but the sides did slide down a bit. Since then I have discovered RLB's parchment + beans method for parbaking, so I might try that next Thanksgiving. Foil and beans is a definitely bad idea, since (as RLB warns) the foil makes the crust like cardboard. Some may wonder why I am asking about pumpkin pie in July. For the simple reason that I discovered a can of pumpkin left over from last year's pumpkin bonbons and wanted to use it up soon.. My explanation to the July 4 guests was that I was celebrating the native Americans who reportedly gave us pumpkin.

I am using glass. I have not tried those options. When you mention spraying, I assume you mean with something like Pam. One "technique" I didn't mention is that, to be sure the area where the sides meet the bottom of the crust, I really press the dough to thin it out at that spot and, at the same time, push the dough up the sides to make a rim. I have a lot of trouble getting the dough the same thickness all over.

Thanks for the idea. The crust was chilled, but I will try freezing it next time.

I'm looking for ideas on why my pie crust sometimes sticks to the pie pan in which it is baked. I have searched the usual places with many, many ideas, but the ones I have tried don't work. I use a Julia Child recipe: Pulse very cold butter, a bit of Crisco, flour, salt, and sugar (if it's for a sweet filling) in the food processor. Dump the mixture into a large bowl, mix in the ice water with a fork, turn out onto plastic wrap, form into a round shape, use the heel of my hand to smear it out about four times, chill, then roll out. Pumpkin pie is the usual item where the sticking occurs. I don't pre-bake the shell. The pumpkin pie recipe I use calls for a first bake at 425F, then another bake at 375F until the filling is set. The sticking happens when I cut the pie, and it occurs especially on the sides. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it makes cutting decent slices very difficult. The most sensible-sounding idea has been to butter the pie pan before fitting the crust into it. It's been a while since I tried this idea, but if I recall correctly, the pie does not stick, but the dough acquires an unpleasant fried taste (because, of course, that's what is happening). I would be appreciative of any other suggestions or explanations.

I am certainly not a caramel expert, but I have never had caramel crystallize. Can you provide your recipe for the raspberry?

This is a tall order. From reading your Instagram posts, I know more or less what you mean by "understand things on a high level." I don't have the information you seek, but do have a couple of ideas: I am sure @Chocolot (or someone who is familiar with her work) will point out her classic book, Candymaking. I would consider her an expert in caramel. Second idea is Jean-Marie Auboine in Las Vegas. In one of the eGullet workshops I witnessed his making of an amazing caramel with all sort of ingredients one doesn't usually associate with the making of caramel (isomalt, lecithin, sorbitol, to name a few) And his addition of cocoa butter to caramel was quite surprising--and has proved useful in my otherwise too-fluid caramel recipes. Thinking of caramel as an emulsion akin to the making of a ganache was also a game-changer, this idea from @teonzo. Mark Heim is another expert in all things confectionery. I suspect @Kerry Beal will be, as usual, your best source for who can provide what you seek.

The Amoretti tiramisu is water-based (they do have an oil-based one, but it also has cappuccino flavoring, which is not what I am looking for), so might present problems, depending on how much is used. I have tried an Amoretti custard flavoring for another purpose, and it was not satisfactory. What I am looking for is that wonderful eggy taste of sponge cake, specifically cooked eggs and sugar. When I grind the ladyfingers and make the crispy layer from them, that taste does come through, even when paired with the coffee mascarpone ganache also in the bonbon.

Crisp ladyfingers are what I am looking for (savoiardi). To make a cookie layer for a bonbon, I dry out the ladyfingers in the oven, then grind them in a food processor. The crumbs are then mixed with chocolate (I use caramel white) and extra cocoa butter (plus optionally clarified butter) and piped on top of other fillings in a mold. The mixture firms up, providing a nice crunch to contrast with softer fillings beneath it. I tried what was rated the top ladyfingers on Amazon, and they had no discernible taste except staleness. A liquid flavoring would not work as the crisp cookie layer cannot have any liquid (a tiramisu flavoring does exist). And I do realize that the ladyfingers in a tiramisu are not crisp, but I think the soft ones soaked in liqueur might contribute to the free water content and thus reduce the shelf life of the bonbon.

My contribution to my sister's U.S. Independence Day celebration: a raspberry chocolate tart. Bottom layer is pâte sucrée with ground almonds, middle is almond pastry cream, top is chocolate glaze with eau de framboise and fresh berries (alas, not local as we had a wet spring that turned the raspberries to mush).

Thanks for the useful suggestion. And good to hear from you again on eG.

It is beautiful and looks delicious. How did you compensate for the omission of the olive oil, or did you just ignore it? 75ml is not a negligible amount of liquid. I don't think I would share the recipe author's enthusiasm for "peppery" olive oil in this dessert.

That is truly beautiful nougat. When I made it, the taste was fine, but I did not get the texture right--it was too soft--and when enrobed in chocolate, all of its lumps and saggings showed up. How did you know when to stop mixing it? And what recipe did you use? (I used Greweling's)

In my version of tiramisu bonbons, I include a ladyfinger/savoiardi layer. I create this by making ladyfingers (from scratch), then grinding them and mixing the crumbs with chocolate, cocoa butter, etc., to make a cookie layer that can be piped. I tried bought ladyfingers (including the top-rated one on Amazon), but they had no (acceptable) taste. My customers like the tiramisu bonbon, but making the ladyfingers is a pain I would like to avoid. I think the taste that says "ladyfinger" to the palate is basically cooked eggs, so I have wondered if it is possible to achieve the taste without the hassle of beating egg yolks and whites separately, folding, etc. Do you think I would get the same taste if I just beat whole eggs, then add the other ingredients (sugar, flour, vanilla), then spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and bake. I need to achieve a crisp, cookie texture that will grind easily and will last in storage--really a sugar cookie with eggs. Any ideas would be appreciated.

"Contaminating"? I think of it as providing a contrast for the mouth. The inexplicable but undeniable pleasure of biting something crunchy and another something unresistingly smooth at the same moment must count for something. It's what chocolatiers aim for when they combine a ganache of cream, chocolate, and butter with a layer of crunchy cookies.

I'm not entirely sure about eG's policy on this, but I'll send it to you in a PM. Jim