Wendy DeBord

Well I share similar thoughts to yours Confiseur and have posted them in these two threads. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...7257entry567257 I can't seem to find the second thread which I mentioned in the thread link I did find. Anyone recall it?

Ditto Nightscotman-THANK YOU So MUCH! This is great advertisement for attending.........makes me think about what I missed. Did all the classes hand out recipes to accompany the class? The mirror glazes look spectaular........

Do you have a pastry chef to lead them?

Thank-you, thank-you FWED! It's wonderful to see the inside scoop on these classes.

Cool, good to know. I've noticed that book Steve, but I don't own it. So what's the bourbon chocolate technique consist of?

I just bought some this morning thru www.bakedeco.com . I've purchased from them before and been happy with their pricing and service.

I recently posted this. Heres a recipe from Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook "Cheesecakes". No-Bake Cheesecake: 1 envelop unflavored gelatin 1/4 c. cold water bloom together soften in mixer: 8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 c. sugar then add: 3/4 c. milk 1/4 c. lemon juice Heat gelatin to melt, incorportate into you cheesecake batter. Fold into that: 1 c. whipped cream You can add some lemon zest or orange zest if you like. You could cut back a little more on the sugar if you want, just make sure your cheese is smooth before adding your liquids.

Very interesting Drewman (welcome).........can you elaborate more? How did you support your branches to dry/cool while they were around the cake pans?

Just bumping this topic back up to see if anyone can help Michael M.?

Oh yeah, the humidity can really effect your flour. I worked at a country club positioned feet from lake michigan..........where I discovered there were certain recipes I had that wouldn't bake properly there. It makes you think your nuts or doing something wrong, but your not. I kept everything in sealed plastic bins..........but that doesn't really work in the long run. As you work with your flour during the day humidity sneaks into the flour. You can't seal it as tight in a bin as those air tight packets come....it's a loosing battle. I never kept extra flour on hand, buy it in regularly. You could try running a dehumidifier near your bins (I've never done so) that might help a little.

I make different chocolate mousses for different applications. My quick choc mousse recipe is: 6 oz. melted semi sweet chocolate. Fold in: 3 egg whites whipped with 2 tbsp. sugar Fold in: 1 1/2 c. whipped cream This only takes a minute to whip together and it's not bad. I use pasturized white's that come in a container (1 egg white=1.25 oz) so I don't have to worry about heating my eggs. I whip my whites first, then use the same bowl to whip my cream (saves on dishes). I put the whipped whites ontop of my chocolate but I don't fold them in until my cream is whipped. It's a little soft until you refridgerate it, then it becomes firm enough to use in any application. It holds for days.

I'm guessing that most of the guys have their own teeth and are pretty darn healthy considering. Strudel is a great idea, then I don't have to worry about fork tender issues. Or complaints that something was too heavy etc........ Thanks everyone.

I'm looking for any dessert suggestions for feeding 200 senior male golfers in the end of Sept.. These men travel and golf at every country club in the region........so I'm looking for something that fits this group of people plus something that probably hasn't been served to them a zillion times at other clubs. They're a fussy group. It has to be something easy to eat and rather familar. My first thought was apple cobbler ala mode. But I bet every chef that doesn't have a pastry chef on staff has made that for them. I'm stuck using salad plates-so the plate design will be limited. I'm also limited with equipment and it can't be a last minute plate up situation. What do a bunch of senior men really want for dessert?

Oh well, thanks for responding so quickly.

Auesome, thanks for giving us an update on her bakery! I figured she's been busting butt and couldn't find time to post........we all know how that goes. DuckDuck, any chance you might have a digital camera????????? I'd just love to see a picture to go along with your review.......if you have a chance sometime.??

I always beat my sugar in with my butter to get it light and fluffy. In this recipe and almost all others-regardless of how they are written.........unless there is a scientific reason why I shouldn't do so in that recipe. I understand your confusion and question...........because the way the author wrote the recipe he does put the sugar in with his dry items. There seems to be a little confusion here. I thought we were all on to the Scott Clark Wooley recipe. Katie baked the Margret Braun recipe. I think she didn't go back far enough in the other thread to follow which recipe we were talking about.

Your filling with the condensed milk and cream cheese is basicly equal to a no bake cheesecake type filling. Since you like that flavor I'd seek out a another no-bake cheesecake recipe and then set it in your crust. Heres a recipe from Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook "Cheesecakes" 1 envelop unflavored gelatin 1/4 c. cold water bloom together soften in mixer: 8 oz. cream cheese 1/2 c. sugar then add: 3/4 c. milk 1/4 c. lemon juice Heat gelatin to melt, incorportate into you cheesecake batter. Fold into that: 1 c. whipped cream This should be pretty similar to what you already have done. You can add some lemon zest or orange zest if you like. You could cut back a little more on the sugar if you want, just make sure your cheese is smooth before adding your liquids.

Phaelon, you can make almost any tart and travel with it in an air conditioned car. Technically out of the refidgerator you have a 4 hour window before you need to worry about food posioning. Granted it's only logical to choose something that isn't easy to spoil.........but this still gives you tons of options.........like too many to list. What do you like? What sounds good to you?

I think it's most likely wire under chocolate. There isn't anything completely edible I can think of that would support those buds on the ends. As for everything being edible..........Ron must use wires with his gum paste flowers like everyone else..............these fall into the same catagory:flowers.........so I think wires were used.

Oh my god........... Words can't thank-you enough Neil for taking the time to share these photos! They're priceless, this is the best photo review I've seen of any competition. Anyone know what they've done to acheive their looks with the French frozen entrement and the Swiss teams?

Thats was my first gut reaction too. I think I'd elimate using the marscarpone. 3 dairy bases seems like over kill. I briefly looked thru a couple books for you yesterday and this is what I came up with, where I'd start. I haven't made either of these recipes but I think the source is extremely reliable, they come from Claudia Flemings book The Last Course, the desserts of gramercy tavern. Buttermilk Panna Cotta In a small bowl combine: 1 1/2 tsp. gelatin 1 tbsp. h20 Let soften. In a pot warm: 1 1/4 c. heavy cream 7 tbsp. sugar When the sugar has dissolved add the softened gelatin, stir until it dissolves. Then add: 1 3/4 c. buttermilk Strain and chill to set. This is her creme fraiche panna cotta: 1 tsp. gelatine 1 1/2 tbsp. water to bloom 2 c. heavy cream 1 1/2 c. creme fraiche 1/3 c. sugar I think either recipe should be lovely. The only other thing that worries me is that you pour this on your base, then chill and cut. I'm having a hard time invisioning the panna cotta being stable enough to cut it cleanly.....as least the recipes I've used in the past. I think your probably going to need to increase the gelatin for this to cut well. Do you make this fresh everyday so your brisse doesn't get soggie?

You'll pay more in shipping for hair nets then for the nets if you buy mail order. Just about every drug store carrys them. Look on the isle by the hair brushes and hair tye back items.........thats where they keep them.

Oh I feel bad I can't give you an exact answer. It depends upon how warm your kitchen is as to how fast the dough warms up. If your dough is at room temp. it's too warm. When it's too cold it really takes some pressure to roll it out..............so it's really depends upon your enviroment and how you work. I can roll my enriched crust when it's straight out of the cooler..........but it takes more strengh. As the dough starts to warm up you can press on it, if the dough gives and you can leave marks on it, it's warm enough. Baking from a frozen state: The filling does come up to a boil to thicken. I don't change my thickener at all. It takes almost 1 hour in the oven on 375f before it boils in a pie from the freezer. Where as, a fresh unfrozen fruit pie will come to a boil well before then, probably 1/2 hour into baking.

Huh? Please explain..........

I think you're always bound to have more success if you begin with a solid recipe and experiment out from that. Thats one of the differences in how pastry people think verses cooking people. What are you doing with your coffee beans? How are you introducing them....ground......infused into what, how? Do you have silver or gold gelatin sheets? I don't have a recipe floating in the top of my head.........I'd need to look thru a couple books to offer up one. If you can explain more about what you want that would help me help you. Is this a coffee flavored yogurt panna cotta?