kthull

O.M.G. Ling!!!

L'Epicerie has 8 oz for $6.25 and they have a nice selection of Boiron fruit purees, good Vahlrona prices and some high quality pastes.

That trio of raspberry squares, lemon squares and brownies was so good that I made them again to bring to a party tonight. After lunch, I snacked on scraps...

Cooking Illustrated's Best Brownie recipe, along with their best Lemon Square recipe and our own eG's "melmck" Raspberry Square recipe as written in Food & Wine magazine. All as a goodie basket for our accountant as both a thank-you for muddling through our 2004 tax mess and in hopes of snagging some business on the side (I'm a newbie personal chef in need of clients).

Went to a barbecue today and brought two Herme desserts, one from the Desserts book (Philadelphia cake) and one from the Chocolate book (Linzer tart). Both were big hits.

I'm so excited...it's been weeks since I've had the time to bake ANYTHING. A few parties are coming up that will remedy that. We made a last minute decision to go to an end-of-summer BBQ tonight at a friend's and I just finished making up a double batch of Pierre Herme's Tarte Grenobloise (discussed here). People can't resist it and a double batch yields 48 slices.

Doc took the words right out of my mouth. A bonus to the Desserts book is there are several chocolate recipes in there.

This might not be an option in a production kitchen, but do you know if a glass container will hold as well as a plastic one?

Thanks so much! I too have been stopping at soft peaks, thinking what you've shown us as stiff was going too far with the cream. And, I've always stored my whipped cream in stainless bowls...never again. Great demo.

Hey, where did we all go??? I finally made the Black Forest cake for Father's Day. I made the adjustment to the sugar as noted and also tripled the kirsch in the cream, as suggested. Everyone loved it. Sadly, no pics. I was in a rush and the kitchen was so hot that I didn't want to risk the cake melting. It was already starting to droop a bit as I put the cream on the sides.

Not all brands list the butterfat. In fact, I use Dean's and it lists the percentage on the quart container, but not the half pint.

I use a store brand that's 36% butterfat (Dean's, don't know if it's available nationally or just the midwest) and it's plain old cream. Then there's the organic cream that I'd like to use (we're big on organic items at home) but they all have carageenan and sodum citrate (or somesuch)...that whips really stiffly, but I don't like that it's got additives. Should I just get over it?

I'll chime in on the need for a demo, but can you really show us how far to whip in a picture? I truly hope so, as I'm a 2-3 hour weeper.

I've baked many regular recipes in a half sheet pan without any problems. How thick you need it (I've done it to yield 1" squares), and the volume of your recipe will determine whether you need to multiply your recipe. As for baking, on larger pans I'll reduce my temp 50 degrees and watch like a hawk. Again, a lot of factors will determine length of cooking. As for getting it out, I make a parchment sling and just lift the thoroughly cooled cheesecake out of the pan.

Can you describe more of your process? I use Herme's recipe and have great results with it, but see many potential areas to deflate the batter if not careful. Also, his recipe uses AP flour.

I use a 14" granton carving knife. I've also heard Alton Brown recommend a salmon slicer...went looking for one, but ended up with the knife I got instead. It's perfect for stuff like this, cheesecakes or cutting bars/squares of stuff. You have to be careful though because the blade is flexible, so on really dense cheesecakes if you get lazy, it'll go crooked on you. I also run it under hot water and wipe the blade down after each slice.

In Pierre Herme's Desserts book, there's a wonderful recipe for Breton Sand cookies that uses 5 yolks. My family is crazy for those cookies so I'll usually whip up a few batches with my leftover yolks.

I think the sticks around the side look cool too. Reminds me of a bamboo fence. Also a great way to aid in portioning the cake.

Definitely ask your butcher for suet...even at a Jewel or Dominick's. My MIL in Elmwood Park, IL used to make Christmas pudding every year with suet and that was the only way she could get it in recent years. She never aged hers though. It was just made the day before and not alcohol-laden. Shame.

Ah you know darn well I posted my photo sometime or another in the p & b forum........(hint, it was in photos from last Easters sweet table). I showed you inside my crazy life and brain and thats far more personal then my mug shot. Did you not see my lovely hand in a couple shots? I'm a real person. I gotta run for a little while today, it's beautiful outside and I haven't been to the book stores yet today. I'm planning on cooking dinner tonight (don't fall off you seats guys). Hubby requested beef and brocoli stirfry..........I'll post the recipe too, it's really very good. ← I know, I know. I had to try, right?

Hey Wendy, where's your picture? (hint, hint)

Wendy, given your talents (and don't argue that fact...with all you've shown here, you not only have the pastry prowess, but the business sense to boot), what are your thoughts on opening up your own shop? There's such a deficit out here (NW 'burbs of Chicago) of quality pastry items, even with some of the new places that have recently opened up. Would that ever be in your future and would you go it solo or attempt another partnership? Would you go retail or wholesale? You seem very happy where you're at, especially given where you've been. Just curious where you see yourself in your next venture. Next question: What new pastry items (tools or formulas) are you currently playing with now (for example, those totally cool tubes) and what are some of the next things you want to experiment with and master? And last, thanks again for an incredible blog. Don't knock yourself for the typing...it's the message you've gotten across and the appreciation for pastry that you've brought to so many here at the gullet. Non-pastry folks usually don't get to appreciate the amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into those dainty little sweets that finish a meal.

Your sweet tables are incredible Wendy! What are those little ghosts made out of? And how about the skulls? I'm always looking for new ideas for Halloween treats. Those are very cool. You need to post more pictures in P&B. This is the best!

Keep the random pictures coming. They're amazing and show an unbelievable depth to your talents. About what percentage of your work goes to your amazing sweet tables and specialty cakes? You say you do boring stuff at work, but I'm having a hard time believing that with the last few rounds of pictures. Are these all relatively recent, meaning at the club you're with now? And I'm still amazed about the whip cream. I saved a note of yours from a while back about how you whip your cream. I must dig that up and practice. I've gotten better, but I still water out fairly quickly.

I have a question about freezing your desserts. Do you wrap everything...only some things...or does it depend on how long you'll store it? The reason I ask is because at school, I always see a bunch of totally unwrapped components or finished desserts (some even with a slice or two out of them) just naked in the freezer, right next to frozen stocks and anything else. I think that's insane, but it must be what they'll be teaching us in class next semester. And on your key lime cake, are you using plain old whipped cream, stabilize or is it something else? Those strawberries are getting held up quite nicely. All your a la cartes look amazing.