Wendy DeBord

Yes I use chocolate instead of caramel to glue mine together. I found that the vast majority of my clients aren't familar with these and struggle figuring out how and if they should eat this. You have to be very very careful to use only a small amount of caramel as your glue your tree together or it's very hard for people to rip off a puff neatly. Even with a thin layer of caramel...........I'm personally not crazy about eating that, it's too hard and too sharp. So that is why I've turned to using chocolate as my glue. It's also far easier because you don't have to assemble at the last minute. If you want the wow of caramel, I think it's smarter looking to use spun sugar as a drape around the bouche (which you still can do with a chocolate bouche). You can make the size of your puffs as small or large as you want. But 1 tsp. is a small puff! If your puffs are very small they don't allow alot of filling.............so it effects your over all taste. You also can add flavoring to your choux batter, flavored oils, emulsions, peels and chocolate. I typically fill my puffs with mousse or turn them into eclairs.............because I'm not crazy about plain whip cream filled puffs.

I make and use whipped cream constantly at work and I don't find it to be nearly as fragile as most people suggest. I don't find it to be fragile at all. When frosting cakes I can get a perfectly smooth surface using whipped cream quicker and easier then using buttercream. The only place it's "difficult" is piping out small or thin designs-that's not easy. But there are a couple factors that can make all the difference. For example I've gotten some ultra pasturized heavy cream that will not whip, period. Oh you can get it fluffy-but if you attempt to continue beating until it's stiff it turns into a puddle as if broken and no further whipping will revitalize it. This isn't a blanket fact for all ultra-pasturized heavy creams...........just some brands, and I suppose they vary. In my area it's the ultra pasturized by Kemp's that won't whip. There are also brands of heavy cream that do not contain enough butter fat so they don't whip stiffly/correctly either. They just barely cross the line from cream to heavy cream and as you all know regular cream doesn't whip stiff. Another factor is many people stop short of "stiff' and just go until it's fluffy. If you underwhip it to 'fluffy' it will melt-out and not hold shape far quicker then if you had taken it to 'stiff'.. But the vast majority of the time, whipped cream will remain whipped for days when held in the cooler. I place whip cream frosted cakes on room temp. buffets and it lasts for several hours (usually about 4 hours) before bleeding down. I frost cakes with whipped cream and hold them for 2 or 3 days in the cooler with-out problem. I also use it on petite fours stored in the freezer. It does become more fragile after it's been frozen then if left in the cooler, so don't be over zealous in it's use. But it can be frozen very successfully. Some people think it tastes slightly soured after it's been frozen..........I agree that it does slightly change it's taste. I personally haven't found a stablizer for whipped cream that was worth using. I've never seen one extend the shelf life of properly whipped cream!! If you ever experiment with and with-out stablizers I believe you'll agree with my opinion.

That's a hard question. I get stuck on the "bibles" comparision..........are you meaning 'who's pastry book do I worship' or 'who's book do I turn to regularly'? Cause I sort of have different answers depending upon how you meant that. Theres several books by authors I'd be a worse baker if I had never had them and worked from them. Payard, M. Roux and the Roux brothers, P. Herme', Martha Stewart, Pillsbury, The Bakers Dozen, Dorie Greenspans 'Baking with Julia' are some names that imediately come to mind. There's many books I think that are pretty equal to the chocolate book on Herme written by Dorie Greenspan. Books I value from authors that are terrific. Books that I worship/meaning study over and over would be from Herme', Bau, Glisslen, Bellouet, the 3 books from Chocolatier authors Morierty & Boyle, Dorie Greenspans book Paris Sweets. I think if your serious about baking books you should look beyond buying from your local book store. Most of the better professional level books can be found at www.chipsbooks.com/ and several other sites. The bulk of my books have come from book stores over the years, but it took me years of accumilating to achieve a desent home library. Most of the books in my local bookstores baking section aren't books I'd want to own............but theres very few at chips that I wouldn't want.

The latest Pfeil & Holing holiday catalog has a really nice selection of stainless steel rings in a variety of shapes. They all were $2.50 a piece, sizes ranging from 2 3/4" to 3". Their web site is http://www.cakedeco.com

How would you support a turkeys tail feathers for a cake? Here's a photo from Martha Stewarts site http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?ty...1168&site=&rsc= . Any suggestions from all our cake decorators? I'm a bit over-whelmed at this time, busy working on tons of x-mas menus........I've already mentally gotten past Thanksgiving (even completed most of my carry-out items)..........but now I need to circle back and get together a sweets table for this event. Soooooo, what would you want and expect on a sweets table if you were dining at a country club on Thanksgiving day?........besides pumpkin pie and apple pie..............?

I was thrown off a little by the title of this thread. I have an asparugus patch in my garden and I couldn't describe it's growth as leaves/flowers. They (compared to the photo shown) look more sparse and fern-like (I believe theres an indoor plant called an asparagus fern and that's the most similar looking plant I can think of). They don't really flower but they do form seeds- I can't explain that- but the flowers must be so small that I don't notice them until they turn into seeds. Anyway I'm glad to see you've resolved your question.

I have a bourbon pecan pie on right now as one of my monthly specials. We do a tasting every month for the staff and I was running late that day. In my hurry, I accidentally used 2 extra egg yolks per pie and when I served it it was still warm...........everyone thought it was great served warm and the extra eggs seemed to cut the coy sweetness. I'd never had warm pecan pie before but it's now a must. It really made a difference.

Please don't hesitate Dexygus, we all are at different stages of learning, you'll be helping someone. Everyone has to start somewhere.................and there's no one here that hasn't had failures.

Quite frankly I prefer a med/heavy weight aluminum baking sheets that are used in most professional kitchens. It's so rare that I need a lipless pan that for me-that isn't an issue. If I do need a lipless pan I invert my regular baking sheets and use the back side............which works just as well. I drag patterned joconde sheets over lipped pans with-out difficulty. With my professional pans (which are inexpensive and don't warp) I use parchment paper to line them or silpats depending upon my needs. You can buy alot of "toys" to work with in your kitchen. If you listen to the manufactors they'll tell you how you can't live with-out their products. But the simple truth is most professional kitchens and bakeries don't own an assortment of sheet pans. The trend to use chefs in photos to sell cooking equipment is just about advertising and for the most part the money the company pays them to reccomend their product. I think you become acustomed to what ever equipment you have and learn how to adjust your baking on/to them. I don't have the time, don't have the cooling racks, don't have the space to place my baked goods onto a independent cooling rack. Instead I allow for additional time my product continues baking outside of the oven...........much like cooking a piece of meat.

Thank-you so much for taking the time to share your experiences Candy! I've greatly enjoyed reading your opinions and your photos make it so real I feel like I've been there with you.

I already did a christmas themed party this fall. It was really hard to come up with ideas/suggestions in Sept. for x-mas. It was the theme the womens golf league choose for their end of the season party.

Do you mean in general or what cookies do we like to bake? Walkers shortbreads are my favorite. I'd do anything to know their recipe! Thomas Haas' chocolate sparkle cookies are to die for when their fresh out of the oven. My experience selling cookies is that people still buy what their most familar with. I'd guess chocolate chip cookies are the no. 1 seller at bakeries and cookie walks.....I think I recently read oreos are the no.1 selling cookie in the US (like by a huge margin too). I have to add that I'm starting to get excited about making x-mas cookies.......I can't wait!

As a cook/chef my job doesn't entail answering the phone nor educating the entire list of possible staff that might answer the phone and accept a special order how to handle every possible diet request we might recieve. We are not encouraged to call people at their homes to get further clarifacation when the orginial order taker failed to ask the necessary questions. I'm sorry if things seem off topic from the thread title.............we did wonder a bit. Eventually the question came up "why don't chefs/restaurants offer diabetic dessert options" and I was trying to explain why it's not common place. AND in doing so trying to find out more about diabetic needs because I did (thanks to the people here I think I finally understand) find conflicting info. on the topic and never understood what was asked of me when the request came in for a diabetic dessert. It's sure does seem logical that the person placing the order/request would clarify what specific dietary needs this person is following but the FACTS are, they don't ever include that info. when calling in for a special request in my experience. There is a huge difference between making desserts subbing in splenda or a sugar subsitute then making a dessert that's low carb...........and from what everyone here has said-both diets apply to diabetics..........plus add in confusion about which fruits they can or can't eat. It's easier to explain to the group of people that do have special dietary needs that THEY should be very specific when ordering and dealing with dinning partners. Assuming or attempting to educate the entire population of migrant waitstaff, hostesses and cooks they might encounter is not an achievable goal. You can not assume that the rest of the world understands your specific diet........especially when your own spouse can't/doesn't clarify what they are special ordering. In my experience 99% of the time it's not the actual diabetic placing the special order (no they don't make special requests typically)-it's their loved ones or host that make the call.

I sure do and it's fabulous!

I can really relate to that problem! I've never tried the freezing method on that, but now that you brought it up I'll give it a try next time I make one thats difficult. I typically use a blow torch as my heat supply on the frozen pan..........but you could set it over your stove top and use the flame to heat your pan. In the mean time I've found a solution. Instead of using your bundt pan, use a angel food cake pan with a bottom that unattached. I spray the whole pan and insert a parchment paper ring to line the bottom/top of the pan. I can always get my cake out of that. Also for me, it's not my bundt pan thats the problem. I can make 98% of my bundt cakes just fine in it. I have 2 recipes that just won't release out of that bundt pan or any other I've tried. I know that sounds weird but they are good enough cakes that I refuse to stop using them.

Ditto, I stop using them after x-mas. I don't have alot of recipes that involve dried fruits............but if I did, I'd use those year round.

I've throughly enjoyed reading about your trip, thank-you so much for sharing your experience.

I'm always floored when a chef tells me they don't eat vegetables or won't try this or that-EVER! Even if I don't like something, when I'm cooking or baking with it I taste it. What if you grabbed salt in place of sugar? There are nuances you owe your customers to check. I was floored today at the grocery store. They had a sale, buy one get one free on celery. I work so much that two stalks would mold long before I'd get a chance to use them so I offered the second free celery to anyone around me in the check out line. No one wanted the free celery. Then when I found someone who wanted it, they didn't even say thank-you. I'm floored that people no longer say thank-you in any public situation. I'm floored by peoples wearing strong perfumes and colones. I'm allergic to them and for me it's like someone blowing smoke in my face. I don't care if you use them, just don't infringe on someone elses breathing. One time I couldn't use the bathroom at work until someone propped open the door to clear out the perfumes. I was also floored today when in a tightly packed restaurant someone attempted to pull strings with the owner to be seated before all of us that waited so patiently. (Thank goodness the owner didn't act on that request or he'd have lost alot of business. I'm floored when I make an elaborate holiday meal and my relatives show up hours late with-out calling. I'm floored when my relatives show up for a family meal and are so starved that they can't wait until I cook the meal for everyone............or aren't willing to eat an appetizer. I'm floored when my relative throws a scene in my home over where their children sit at a holiday meal. Especially given that I have limited room or valuables I don't want small children eating on or over. Oh boy........I could write a book about bad manors relatives have floored me with.

O.k. you guys, it figures I disagree a little. I've never had ganche crack on a cake.....so it leads me to assume that it's about the cream to chocolate ratio and you might be making a stiffer ganche then I.......? OR are you pouring it over buttercream and that's what's cracking? I always use either cornsyrup or butter in with my chocolate and cream. (Never used half and half in a ganche and I'm curious about it Brian. More details please?) It has to be about ratios, NO?............think of a truffle. My truffles have more butter then my ganches and they are far softer........so adding butter doesn't make it harder and more likely to crack unless your using less cream to chocolate and making a firmer ganche then I. Then to further desend.........mine doesn't do well with moisture so how the item is wrapped and defrosted is critical or I'll get water spots.

Thanks Tim. Unforunately my job has very strick sources they are willing to buy thru...........shipping charges are a "no go" and net 30 is a must. They aren't flexible.

Nice work Annie (as usual). I'm just posting to ditto Annies reccomendation. Piping on spots with black frosting then going back and filling in with a gel would be very simple and highly effective.........and as a freebie-cheap for you to do.

I guess I have to ask, why diabetics aren't more specific when they call ahead and request a special dessert? They or their SO ask for a 'diabetic dessert' and they should know better then to be so vague. If they could specify sugar-free, artifically sweetened or low carb. it would be far easier for the non-diabetic chef or reservationist to understand what they are requesting. "I guess my point is this to the pro's. Your customers who can't eat sugar will really appreciate it if you offer them an alternative." I guess it comes down to better communication........... I wish I could talk to all special diet needs people out there and ask them to be more specific when they make a request. I want them to know that we really do want to please them and it's not rude to be specific-it's helpful. Dessert menus are typically far more limited then entree's. We can't cover every possible special needs diet on a dessert menu. That's why I'm trying to narrow down this discussion and bring some sort of group agreement on what we can make that would satisfy a large enough group of special needs diet people to make it worth while for all restaurants to include something that satisfys this growing group. Just about every restaurant has a vegetarian meal because there are enough people out there buying those entree's to make it profitable to cater to that group. But it's just not clear cut enough for p. chefs to find and make 1 dessert on their menus that will fit all special needs diets. We can't give you as many choices as chefs can with entrees, mainly because of lack of money to put into a product that may not sell. So you have to understand the 'why not'/'why we aren't giving you an alternative' so that you can contol with your pocket books whether or not we do make you an alternative.

In the fall I focus alot on fall fruits-pears, apples, pumpkins. Fall also means to me fruit pies, bread pudding, kolchky, cinnamon, caramel, crisps, crumbles, chai, simple (unfrosted) harvest type cakes, creme brulee'. (forgive my late night spelling, please) Winter begins the day after Thanksgiving to me, I stop all fall items then. Winter I focus again more on the fruits available-like not alot! I lean toward chocolate (all 3), tarts with nuts in them, fancy tortes, cherries (groites in brandy), definately heavy on traditional cakes (European tortes), borrowing 'linzer' features into other desserts, creme brulee's, floating island, cheesecakes, mint (but not fresh mint the herb) small fancy cookies, molton cakes, souffles. I keep cinnamon until xmas but drop it after the first of the year. Spring I start into citrus fruits, using lemon, lime, key lime, orange. Pineapple, coconut.........ah I guess I lean tropical- getting warmed up for the summer fruits to come. I fade away from chocolates big time and start focusing on fruits again. Summer to me is strawberries, peaches, plums, grapes. Sorbets, ice creams, freezer cakes, family cakes like banana and carrot. Summer pudding, trifles, shortcakes, chocolate chip cookies.

I think the phrase 'chiffon pan' is fairly synonmous with a 'angel food cake pan'-which is what the majority of people use to bake those cakes in and identify those pans as. If you were looking to buy one they'd more likely be labeled a tube pan or a ring mold. It's a bit like soda, verses pop, verses carbonated drink, verses cola, etc... OR maybe it's just me........words trip me up plenty..........it's one of those thing-a-ma-jigs. My chiffon cakes are very light and tender and they can break down from the weight and the force of spreading dense frosting on it. Buttercream is too heavy for a chiffon to me. I'd rather have a mousse or whipped cream with chiffon.

That sounds real do-able JFLinLa.........can the rest of you agree to that? Will it be enough if we take out the sugars mentioned in the last post and label what artifical sweetner we used and still continue using any other ingredients we normally would have used?