ChocoMom

Rob, That looks AWESOME! I bet that young man was smiling ear to ear.... I know I would be! As for the Wacky cake...that one is terrific. I made it for a demonstrative speech when I was in college. Pulled a "Martha" and had one all baked, and served it up to the whole class at the end of the speech. The recipe came from an old Quaker lady, and it called for sifting all the dry ingredients together in the pan; then make three ditches. Into one ditch went the oil; the next one went the vanilla, and the third one..the vinegar. Then you'd pour the water all over it- stir gently and watch it fizz. Then bake it. It was fantastic! Works well for GF. Have you experimented with Chia seeds at all? It makes a great pudding- mixed with coconut milk/cream, vanilla, cinnamon. It needs to sit for a couple hours or over night. Comes out kinda like tapioca with black dots. Looks like you got this covered though!

No strawberries here until July. :+( Makes me want to crawl through the computer and sneak a taste of that, Jim. Oh! there we go again. I really must remember to wear a drool bib when I start perusing this forum. :+P Thanks, guys.

A great big THANK YOU to Kim and Shelby for posting those pics! I gotta wipe drool off my keyboard AGAIN!!!!! hahaha! Seriously though, that coconut cake must be to die for! And those cinnamon rolls make me wish I had never heard of Atkins. Damn diet!

No pics today...but I did make 2 lemon meringue pies---shortbread crust with lemon zest to amp the flavor up a bit;and a dark chocolate stout cake for my SIL. I some Oreo-fluff creme left over from the chocolate eggs,so that ended up as the cake filling. Then 72% dark chocolate ganache poured over the cake, and finished with yes...you guessed it! More chocolate! (My SIL is a serious chocoholic.) And Rotuts...I'm with you. I miss the BC frosting mixes,too. I hate that canned stuff. When my Mom passed away,I ended up with her 1963 Sunbeam mixer. There were two bowls...one for cake; one for the frosting mix. I get so bummed when I see the smaller bowl and no frosting mix. Though....a terrific alternative to BC's mix, is the KAF buttercream frosting mix. Its a powder, and tastes pretty doggone good!

Guittard is my workhorse chocolate the majority of the time for molds, dipping, ganache. I prefer the 35% Soie Blanche over the 31% - in the white chocolate catagory. The 35%, I believe makes a better canvas for flavors like key lime, candy apple, fuzzy navel, etc. For milk, I prefer the (38%) E Guittard Soleil d'Or. But, having said that....I am very much in love with the Felchlin Maricaibo Criolait. While it is not the most cost effective choice, it's texture and taste is AMAZING, esp in a ganache. For semi-sweet....Guittard 55%,Bitter sweet...it depends on what molding I am doing- but Etoile Du Nord 64% and Coucher du Soleil 72% are my main choices. I also like Felchlin's Arriba Grand Cru Couverture 72%. I haven't worked with it in awhile, though. (I sort of ate the last half of the bag. it's quite tasty!) For tempering, I've had to tweek the high temps upward on the Chocovision machines, from the default temperature. The 64% and 72% seems to perform best when melted around 117-118F; the milk--around 112-113F. HTH.... Back to making chocolate eggs!!!!

Gfron----those are GORGEOUS!!!! I saw your post about the PdF in another thread, and wondered if you might post a pic here! So happy that you did! They are stunning!

The huge, fantastic book is Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. Chocolate Bar by Matt Lewis and Alison Nelson(2004). Includes more homey-type recipes (I think) than restaurant calibur pieces, and plenty of other items than desserts...like the Chocolate Martini, and the Chocolate Body Scrub. It's more fun than anything else. Having said that, the Chocolate Fantasy Cake is outstanding- and once plated, the slices look amazing. Given to me as gift....1,000 Chocolate Baking and Dessert Recipes. The pictures alone are inspiring. Lots of non-chocolate recipes inside also...which begs the question: why are they included?... I have no idea. Caramel by Peggy Cullen (2003)..., Flan, Souffle, Cakes, Tarts, Ice Cream....and ideas for the garnish- like corkscrews.

You guys lit the fire under me by mentioning the cocktail thing. I've been mulling around the idea of a Fuzzy Navel truffle since November. (It sounds so silly!) Several of the components have been sitting on my counter for about 4 weeks now. Its time to go make it happen. thanks!!!!

Jim, sorry I'm such a big fan of it...I forget that its not all that common anymore Oil pulling sounds kinda strange, but its a pretty old Ayurvedic method for maintaining good dental health. This will sound absolutely disgusting to some, but I promise you...it works. Basically, you put coconut oil (or another healthy oil- like almond or sesame) in your mouth, and use your tongue to push and pull it for anywhere from 5-15 minutes, then spit it out. They question I always get is "How the H*@& does that help your teeth?!" So, if you think of bacteria---they're cells. And like a cell, they have a membrane. The membrane is, simply put, a fatty coat. So, what is fat attracted to? Other fats...or oils. So, whatever bacteria that's lurking around in your mouth, or in and around your teeth, are going to be more attracted to a fat/oil substance, as opposed to a water/alcohol substance. (Remember: "oil and water don't mix"?) I mean, Scope and Listerine are great and all...they do take away the dragon breath in the morning- temporarily. But, the oil pulling is really geared more toward ridding the mouth of bacteria and ick that cause plaque. It whitens teeth quite nicely, and I even get my kids to do it. Our cavity count has dropped tremendously over the last 2 years since we started doing it. Believe it or not - there are entire books devoted to this practice. Now, that was probably TMI. But, it might save you a little greenery ($) in the future, if you have dental issues and wanted to try something new. Never thought I'd be posting this on a pastry/baking forum, but whatever! Cheers!

The virgin coconut oils- like Spectrum- have the more pronounced coconut taste, as it hasn't been processed; the non-virgin, processed coconut oil -like the LuAnn's brand at WalMart has no detectable taste. For cooking/frying I used the LuAnn's- (coconut oil has a pretty high smoke point); but, for oil pulling, I use Spectrum. My family doesn't like the coconut taste, so they get the cheap stuff. I happen to love it, so I get the more expensive stuff. Hope that helps... Andrea

I'd be all over the buttered popcorn one. And, if you're going towards something savory, with sort of fun spin---gosh I hate to even throw it out there as it almost sounds awful...but what about Funions? (I like Doritos and all....but Funions---simply divine with an A&W.) Speaking of....Root Beer Float maybe? I've done a white one with Twinkies before, as well as Oreos. The Oreo were especially popular. Strawberry Shortcake, maybe? Apple Pie could work. I used Shott's recipe, added some cinnamon, and left off the nuts. (If you did a two layer, with the apple pie, the second layer could be a vanilla ice cream flavor.) Just a few ideas.....

Last year, I threw in the towel after trying and trying to get smooth edges. I finally decided to do some very cool half eggs, filled with everything from caramel, to marshmellow and krispies, or fluffernutter ganache. I used Notter's design with the gold flakes and colored cocoa butter to create some gorgeous half-eggs. So, even with some very "childish" fillings, the eggs looked elegant. Before I went that route, I did do some of the whole egg designs - which were a pain in the behind. I cast the half eggs, filling each half to the brim and letting them settle, then "glued" them together with more chocolate. When they were done, I took a hot knife, and melted the seams. Then I chilled the eggs, and proceeded to spray them with colored cocoa butter- which provided that lovely velvety finish, and covered those awful looking, melted seams. It worked, but I won't do it again. I had some of the inexpensive molds that can be clipped together with the big plastic clips, so I used those for the bunnies, lambs and other eggs. Cheap as they are, they at least provide a small hole to pipe in the chocolate! On the more sturdy polycarbonate molds, I used some old C-clamps I found in my Grandpa's tool box. They worked, but I still had to melt those seams. Uh oh. I better quit typing now. It appears that the bedtime glass of wine just hit me like ton of bricks.

OMGOSH!!!! Between the madeleines, the Raspberry-Chocolate cake, the Tin Roof Brownies, the Chocolate/Raspberry Torte, and the Valentine Cookies....Good Lord, I must have gained 10 pounds just looing at them all! It's totally worth the mess I have cleaning up the drool from my keyboard. All I made recently was a Tiramisu, which wasn't terribly gorgeous- so I didn't take a pic. One of my dear friends asked me to make it for a dinner party. In anticipation of the caloric bombardment, she even ran six miles earlier that morning. I gave her another 4 servings of it to take home, so I expect she could have run to another county and still not been able to work it off. LOL! What are friends for? Beautiful work, everyone.

Matthew, Thank you for your kind words! All of your pieces look amazing, but that heart! It is absolutely striking! Did you make a transfer sheet with the design? Everything about it just screams "Wow!" Jim D, The selection you posted is fantastic! I love the dome with the stripes, and the red/orange airbrushed pieces. I think I must ingest a bit too much caffeine, because I never seem to keep my hands steady enough to make those perfect, exacting stripes inside the dome mold. Gorgeous work!!!! Smithy, My kids feel the same way you do about the rejects. My 9 year old will eat any and every piece she sees; my 16 year old will swipe and eat all things milk chocolate; and my 17 year-old is choosy, but he always seems to gravitate towards the one with the least "rejects". Incidentally, Fri/Sat/Sun was Winter Carnival weekend here, so it would have been the perfect excuse to make the trip over! The snow/ice sculptures at MTU make a trip totally worthwhile, but add in some chocolate? THAT's a winner! Whoever ends up on the receiving end of all these confections should count themselves both blessed and loved! Beautiful work, everyone! -Andrea

Okay...going to try to post the latest and greatest ----just in time for V-Day: Flavors "Lips" are Strawberries-n-Cream ganache cast in 72%; used Garnet Red and Pink Quartz cocoa butter for the colors. The white chocolate rectangle with the red transfer sheet design is the same filling. I couldn't decide which one I liked better.... So, I made both. White chocolate heart with the yellow and pink swirls is Mango and Passionfruit; so is the heart with pink transfer sheet; (Another case where I could not decide.) Shell is hazelnut/milk chocolate Square- with red transfer sheet....dark chocolate mint Square with stripes....2 layer: Espresso and Kahlua Dome with red swirls is the Cherry Bomb. Dark Choc, cherries, brandy. Going to go eat the rejects for dinner.

I wonder if this might work... http://www.amazon.com/Beet-Root-Powder-8oz-Natural-Food-Coloring/dp/B009XAABZM I've never used it in a red velvet cake before, but I've used beet powder past for coloring frosting, and seems to be a little more on the magenta side, rather than screaming RED. But, it is natural. Hope that helps! Andrea

Franci, Darienne is absolutely right! Your work is beautiful. I've done cake decorating since high school when I took a class on it. There's so many neat ideas out there now that make great substitutes instead of using frosting for everything, and a bazillion icing tips and tools. (Like chow-mien noodles for a lion's mane....who would've thought?!) The caterpillar cupcakes are fun and can be done in any color combo...like hot pink and lime green (my daughters' favorites)--and you can make them as long as you like- if there's lots of guests. You can use color sanding sugar for a little sparkle.http://www.wilton.com/idea/Caterpillar-Cupcakes The gumdrop- butterfly cake is a great one too....as you can use lots of different color combos: ...http://www.parenting.com/gallery/31-awesome-birthday-cake-designs?page=23 Lady bugs: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/31-awesome-birthday-cake-designs?page=28 The purse: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/31-awesome-birthday-cake-designs?page=33 Flower cakes: http://www.wilton.com/idea/Just-Peachy-Keen-Celebration-Cake This is just a basic idea. The sides look nice, with the simple candy pearls. For the top, if you don't like it, it can be changed. My favorite things to use are pansies or berries, and mint leaves. I brush them with egg white, and coat in sugar. They dry 24 hours (or more), then are used in place of the icing-flowers and leaves. You can always make a ganache-icing, then top with candied flowers, leaves or berries. Fondant is one of my least favorite choices to use, so I avoid it. Can't stand the stuff. Just a few ideas---nothing too too fancy, (even though I'm certain you'd create something far more intricate and beautiful!)

Hi Shelley, I had this happen before. In one instance, I just smashed up all the imperfect chocolates in a bowl; heated up my cream, and repeated the whole process of making a ganache. It was something simple, like chocolate-mint- so I might have added another dash of mint oil or Crème de Menthe. Not a lot, though. Then, I started over. In another instance, I just melted all the messed up ones, let them cool a bit, and used it as a filing between layers of a cake. Made for a decadent dessert. Depending on how thin you re-make it, you can drizzle it over ice cream, too. Or, pull out a spoon and have yourself a delicious breakfast. Using the ganache in a caramel recipe- I don't think I'd go there.... Unless you're layering the cooled caramel with the ganache to create a layered bon-bon of some sort, I'm not sure how else to incorporate the two successfully. I'm no expert, but I don't think the ganache could be mixed into the caramel while its in cooking mode, because the high heat would burn the heck out of the chocolate. Depending on the ganache flavor (and texture) you're considering, you could try making some fancy candy bars. If you can source a good cookie element, layer with caramel, then ganache, then hand- dip or mold it, you may end up with a mighty fine creation! Uh oh. Now, some pecan sandies layered in caramel and espresso ganache are peaking my interest...... Breakfast, anyone? HTH... Andrea

Oh, that's okay! If I can find an excuse to eat chocolate, I will. And, the biscotti was a good breakfast avenue for chocolate to make its way to my mouth. So another thought is Nisu....a Finnish sweet bread. I braid mine, and sprinkle with coarse sugar; others use a glaze or nothing at all. It can be pulled apart easily, and eaten with or without butter. If you'd like, I can find a recipe. My Swedish daughter in law calls it "Cardamom bread", as that is the main flavor/spice used in it. Just a thought, but I'd only use it as a last resort: the bars and cookies you make look so yummy and decadent, I'm not sure that Nisu would suffice. But, it is tasty with a cup of coffee.

Hi Anna, The blondies look wonderful with that bit of tan! I bet it made them taste lovely, too. My coffee was lonely this morning, and it got me to thinking.....I was wondering if, in your search for more baked goods to make, if you've done any biscotti? My neighbor and I used to take turns making different kinds, and we'd "taste test" them over morning coffee after our husbands went to work. Morning coffee would go until about 2pm on those days. (No wonder I'm so chubby!) I'd use the basic recipe out of one of the KAF cookbooks and tinker with it. The Cookie Companion, maybe? Anyways, there's so many different combinations that work well together. Dried cherries and pistashios dipped in dark chocolate was a favorite of mine. Almond was another. White chocolate, dried apricots or dried pineapple, and macadamia nuts was yet another. The list goes on and on. So, maybe if you feel like trying a different sort of thing, that might be something to experiment with. ? I can't wait to see what you make next! Andrea

That fudge looks fantastic! I can't help you with the sugar issue, but the bourbon - maybe. I make a couple different confections using honey bourbon. For one of them, I soak the nut pieces in the bourbon for a few hours- or days - and then slowly dry/roast them in the oven. The honey component gives the nuts a nice shine, once done. And, the nuts retain the bourbon flavor well. Probably doesn't have to be honey bourbon, but I like shiny things- and I go with the honey version. So, maybe on your next go-round with this, try using some drunk nuts in the fudge and crush a few to dust with. If you don't do the fudge again, make the nuts anyway. They're quite tasty once they're salted. Andrea

For what its worth, I'll just share my experience and you can do with it what you like. (I'm self-taught, so my methods and ideas might not be completely in line with textbook standards. ) I had those issues before, and discovered two things. In one case, the ganache was too warm, and caused each piece to get stuck to the mold. In the other case, the shell was too thin. And, its not every shell this happens to. It seemed like the ones with the most intricate edges- like the sea shell designs with all the little ripples- and the very deep cavities- suffered the most from it. The edges were always messy. I ascertained that because those edges were too thin, the ganache was pushing its way right through the thin areas, and sticking to the mold. Hence the residue from the ganache being stuck to the edges. So, after tinkering around, I cast the mold, poured out most of the excess, scraped the top surface, and turned the mold upsidedown on the parchment paper. I let it cool like that for quite some time, then scraped off what little excess there was and let it complete the drying process. Then it was ready to be filled. The formerly thin areas were no longer see-through, and all went perfectly well. As long as I do that, everything works fine now. As for cleaning the molds, I am a hairdryer- cotton pad fanatic. I rarely wash the molds using soap due to concerns over residue and drying the mold out. So, after each use, the molds are blown with the dryer, and polished 3x, and returned to the shelf for use again. I discovered that this is a great job for my teenagers. It's tedious and boring, so for $8/hour, they just pop the ole ear buds in, and sing, blow dry, then polish away. Works like a charm. HTH Andrea

What a great idea, Franci! There's a lot of logistics to work out, but, once it comes to fruition- WOW!! You know, this might sound a bit crazy, but thinking outside the box a bit here...but how do you suppose the school would feel about a Food Truck parked in their lot, dispensing lunches for the kids? (Kind of like an ice-cream truck only with healthy food; or a restaurant on wheels.) Using that kind of set up- you'd have the option of offering hot or cold meals; pre-ordered by the parents, and then delivered to the school's lunchroom. ? Or- if the kids were older, perhaps they could come out and make purchases themselves at lunchtime (?) Pre-ordering would probably make more sense, because then you'd know how much to have on hand. We don't have the food truck fad happening in our town (yet.) But, about 100 miles away in Marquette- they're quite popular. The initial investment is pretty substantial, but over time, it pays itself off and then some. I haven't looked at the regulations for this kind of operation, but I believe the truck's kitchen goes through a certification and licensing process. Its something to ponder anyways. Great idea, though. Love it! Andrea

Mmmmm..... Nothing like Rice Krispie Treats to awaken the child inside me. I love those things! Just for fun and variety, I've made them using Cocoa Krispies and added Reeses PB chips to them. Those were mighty tasty. I've not tried them with spices or savory flavors, though. The addition of cayenne sounds very interesting. I wonder what cheddar and garlic would taste like in there, too... Well, it seems that now is time to add a couple inches to the waistline and go experiment. If it turns out poorly, the chickens and turkeys will devour the remains. Gotta love those little buggers! Thanks for the idea!

Anna, all I can say is YUM!!!! I haven't had breakfast yet, and suddenly, that looks like the perfect mate for my lonely cup of coffee.