Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2015 – 2016)

[Patrick S]

Celebrating my daughter's HS graduation, finally got to actually eat the entremet I've been working on this week. 

[jmacnaughtan]

23 hours ago, kriz6912 said:

- Shortbread, dulce de leche, milk chocolate

 

 

 

I like it.  For the squiggly décor, is that chocolate piped into cold water, then sprayed?

 

And is that a moulded chocolate base, or just a plastic casing?

[DianaB]

Perhaps this question is a little off topic in that I would welcome your advice on what I will bake this weekend rather than show what I have already baked.

 

Earlier in the week, on visiting a client firm, I was advised that a staff member will be leaving at the end of next week.

 

Staff in the firms I work with know I like to bake, they have had macarons, chocolates, éclairs etc when I haven't been able to resist making things the two of us at home would never get through.  I would like to take something in the early part of next week as a gift for the person leaving.  I plan to make a good batch of macarons that can be shared by all those in the office.  In addition I'm trying to think of something a little more special that Jo tmight take home and enjoy with her family.  She has twin boys, I guess they will be around 10 now, and her husband.

 

I won't have masses of time available but enough, I think, to make something reasonable.  You might have seen photos on this forum of bits and pieces that I've made over the years, I am a reasonably competent home cook but with no professional training (save for the very kind advice of eGullet members from time to time).

 

So, that's the scenario, I'm sure you won't be surprised by my question:. What would you bake or create if you were in my place?

 

There are no known allergies, I did check that with another staff member of the same firm.  Jo enjoys cakes and pastries but doesn't get much chance to bake for pleasure herself (job, twins etc).  I am in England, pantry reasonably stocked and can obtain things by mail order with next day delivery in many cases.   The product needs to be transportable, there is a refrigerator at the office but I know from past experience that it is very small.  I plan to visit perhaps Tuesday afternoon, chance of fridge space at the office would be better once staff have eaten their lunches!  

 

I hope olé this is the right place to ask the question, I didn't think it merited starting a new topic when whatever does get made will perhaps be shown here when finished.  

 

Many thanks in anticipation of your ideas....

[JohnT]

@DianaB, how many people are you going to cater for?

[DianaB]

42 minutes ago, JohnT said:

@DianaB, how many people are you going to cater for?

 

I'm planning to take macarons for the office staff to share, 10-20 people depending on who is around, no problem with those.  The item I'm hoping people here might help me come up with will be just for the lady who is leaving and her family,  say 6-8 portions, I know the adults like their food!  

 

Many thanks for for your interest 

Edited May 27, 2016 by DianaB (log)

[kriz6912]

2 hours ago, jmacnaughtan said:

 

I like it.  For the squiggly décor, is that chocolate piped into cold water, then sprayed?

 

And is that a moulded chocolate base, or just a plastic casing?

 

Thanks! :-)

 

The squiggly décor is dark chocolate piped into freezing cold pure alcohol (not water) and then dry brushed with silver metallic powder.

 

The black border you're seeing is a very thin dark chocolade band wrapped around the bottom of the oval cookie. No plastic casing, everything on the picture is edible :-)

[Franci]

Polacche aversane, a brioche from Campania with custard cream filling and sour cherries in syrup. My kids didn't even wanted to try because of the cream...I hope I'm not going to have the same reaction to the party at school where they are going. I tried one and found delicious 

 

[JohnT]

1 hour ago, DianaB said:

 

I'm planning to take macarons for the office staff to share, 10-20 people depending on who is around, no problem with those.  The item I'm hoping people here might help me come up with will be just for the lady who is leaving and her family,  say 6-8 portions, I know the adults like their food!  

 

Many thanks for for your interest 

 

Okay, seeing nobody else is chipping in at the moment, you can keep it simple and quick with something like a great carrot cake with cream cheese icing or something more time consuming such as a layered cake. This is of course if you are thinking along the lines of a cake! Of course, you could go with something really nice such as a batch of the shortbread, dulce de leche and chocolate creations that kriz6912 has posted above. They do not have to have the full decorations on top, but they are darn moreish and reletavly easy to make. Give us a hint of the direction your thoughts are going to let us make some more suggestions. John.

[Smithy]

John's right about our needing some more ideas about which way you're thinking.  I, being a chocolate fiend, would suggest chocolate - either a layer cake (double chocolate, anyone?) or even a single-layer variety, like Death by Chocolate or Reine de Saba.  But that's just me, and I have rich dark chocolate on the brain lately.

 

If you make a smallish dessert for her to take home to her family, is there any danger that the office staff will try cutting into it anyway, despite the macarons?  Would it be advisable to box it securely for her to carry away?

[DianaB]

19 hours ago, JohnT said:

Okay, seeing nobody else is chipping in at the moment, you can keep it simple and quick with something like a great carrot cake with cream cheese icing ...  Give us a hint of the direction your thoughts are going to let us make some more suggestions. John.

 

15 hours ago, Smithy said:

John's right about our needing some more ideas about which way you're thinking.  I, being a chocolate fiend, would suggest chocolate - either a layer cake (double chocolate, anyone?) or even a single-layer variety, like Death by Chocolate or Reine de Saba.  But that's just me, and I have rich dark chocolate on the brain lately.

 

If you make a smallish dessert for her to take home to her family, is there any danger that the office staff will try cutting into it anyway, despite the macarons?  Would it be advisable to box it securely for her to carry away?

 

Thanks both for your responses.  Ideas such as carrot cake would never have occurred, I've tasted this on odd occasions in the past but it isn't something I've ever made.  Chocolate was among my own ideas, I've turned out the Valrhona version of a Sachertorte from time to time and it has always been well received, that's top of my list at the minute.  Otherwise I was thinking perhaps of some form of bavarois on a daquoise base, that would allow for some fresh fruit as decoration, I spotted strawberries on the market the other day but I'm not sure they will be English yet and don't want to use imported fruit.

 

Smithy, you are absolutely right about packing Jo's cake separately,  that will be done.  I've learnt from past experience to pack macarons into individual boxes for occasions like this, I'm certain some colleagues will be out at court whenever I time my visit and this allows some chance of everyone getting a taste.  The firm has two divisions, crime and family.  I only work with the family lot but it's amazing how members of the crime team will wander the corridors if word gets out that there are macarons around... 

 

Anyway,. Still open to suggestions.  Another thought that just occurred is Paris Brest Conticini style, that looks quite impressive but divides easily into individual portions.  

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 5/27/2016 at 6:19 AM, DianaB said:

I plan to make a good batch of macarons that can be shared by all those in the office.  In addition I'm trying to think of something a little more special that Jo tmight take home and enjoy with her family.

 

More special than macarons, which are very intimidating to those of us who have not mastered them? They seem very special to me, at least. 

 

I would suggest a nice traditional cheeescake as a canvas for your fresh fruit.

 

And @Smithy's suggestion about boxing your personal gift is right on. People can kind of be pigs sometimes. I opted out of splitting the bill for pizza at an office I worked at because I can't scarf as fast as some, and wound up still hungry, but subsidizing other's gluttony.

[DianaB]

32 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

More special than macarons, which are very intimidating to those of us who have not mastered them? They seem very special to me, at least. 

 

I would suggest a nice traditional cheeescake as a canvas for your fresh fruit.

 

And @Smithy's suggestion about boxing your personal gift is right on. People can kind of be pigs sometimes. I opted out of splitting the bill for pizza at an office I worked at because I can't scarf as fast as some, and wound up still hungry, but subsidizing other's gluttony.

 

Many thanks for all your ideas.  I'm resisting a response to the last bit of uour message for fear of dragging the discussion too far off topic but I understand!  

 

Macarons from me aren't special simply because people are used to me producing them.  At another firm I am known as the 'macaron fairy'!  (You will not find a picture of me on-line but the description is far from accurate)!!  I went through a long phase where I obsessed to find perfection.  Now I no longer care if the odd macaron isn't perfectly smooth - I've seen worse in some very well known Parisi patisseries.  Once our blog is respectable you will be able to see how I make them, they are to be enjoyed even if sometimes there are imperfections.  I find them a practical thing to make because they demand little time and store well.  If only I could get the same degree of predictability with chocolates and other pastries that continue to challenge me...

[Franci]

I had so many yolks leftover for my cake making that I made these drop cookies, they have  a lot of yolks, butter, 10X, a mix of APflour, potato starch and almond flour, some milk powder and baking powder. Since my daughter doesn't like raisins I made them more child friendly with white chocolate chips and lemon flavor (lemon oil, finely chopped candied lemon peel and a drop of limoncello). Going to become a staple of the house, melt in your mouth not too sweet.

 

[Tri2Cook]

17 minutes ago, Franci said:

I had so many yolks leftover for my cake making that I made these drop cookies, they have  a lot of yolks, butter, 10X, a mix of APflour, potato starch and almond flour, some milk powder and baking powder. Since my daughter doesn't like raisins I made them more child friendly with white chocolate chips and lemon flavor (lemon oil, finely chopped candied lemon peel and a drop of limoncello). Going to become a staple of the house, melt in your mouth not too sweet.

 

Sounds tasty! Is there a recipe or did you create this one on the fly?

[Franci]

1 hour ago, Tri2Cook said:

Sounds tasty! Is there a recipe or did you create this one on the fly?

 

I followed a recipe, this

if google translate is not enough, ask. I whipped the butter, added milk powder, honey, 10x and kept whipping. I added the cold yolks, vanilla paste and a drop of lemon oil and then folded in the shifted mix (flour, potato starch, baking powder, almond flour and a pinch of salt). I reserved a little bit of the flour and added some very finely chopped candied lemon peel and white chocolate chips and folded in at the end with a couple tablespoons of limoncello. I used a very small disher to make 15 g cookies, dusted some coarse Belgian sugar on top and refrigerated for 15 minutes. Baked at 350 for 12 minutes. With these quantities you get about 8 dozen cookies. If you get to make them let me know what you think about them.

[Tri2Cook]

42 minutes ago, Franci said:

If google translate is not enough, ask.

A google translate of the recipe calls for "190 g of turlo"  (checking that same spot on the untranslated page, it calls for "190 g di turlo") and there's no mention of egg yolk anywhere in the translated recipe so I'm making the very short leap that the 190 g of turlo is 190 g of egg yolk. Correct?

[Franci]

Yes! There was a typo, turlo is tuorlo=egg yolk. 190 g of eggs yolks is a lot, 15-17 eggs but perfect for me 

Edited May 28, 2016 by Franci (log)

[Franci]

Since I had still many yolks and going to be left with more, I made another recipe from Giovanni Pina, his savoiardi. I made tons of trials on savoiardi last summer if anybody recalls. These are the best tasting savoiardi I made so far...I'm still  in search of the perfect Sardinian savoiardo but for now, I'm satisfied. I also baked some in a whoopie pie mold cut the base and paired with jam for a savoiardo "peach"

 

 

Edited May 29, 2016 by Franci (log)

[JohnT]

16 minutes ago, Franci said:

Since I had still many yolks and going to be left with more, I made another recipe from Giovanni Pina, his savoiardi. I made tons of trials on savoiardi last summer if anybody recalls. These are the best tasting savoiardi I made so far...I'm still  in search of the perfect Sardinian savoiardo but for now, I'm satisfied. I also baked some in a whoopie pie mold cut the base and paired with jam for a savoiardo "peach"

 

I too tried a number of different recipes and a couple of months ago came across a recipe by "Chef Eddy". I have made them a few times now and they have turned out very well. http://www.chefeddy.com/2009/11/how-to-make-ladyfingers/

 

However, it may not be quite what you are looking for. John.

[Franci]

Thanks John, I'll definitely try the recipe!

 

[Kerry Beal]

Yesterday I spent the day at @Alleguede's shop Goûter. I did some experimenting with some mold decorating techniques, played with a Nutrichef oil extractor to see what it could do to make cocoa butter, pan coated some salt with carnauba wax and made this custard tart inspired by something I saw on either eG or Facebook recently. 

 

 

 

 

 

[pastrygirl]

Chef's choice plated dessert for a small wedding party on Friday.  One guest needed gluten free, so I made flourless cocoa souffle cake with Dulcey & salted caramel cremeaux, chocolate glaze, chocolate curl, candied cocoa nibs, caramel & raspberry sauces.  Word is they loved it.

 

[Jim D.]

Pastrygirl,

That looks like a fantastic dessert, beautiful to look at.  How do you candy cocoa nibs?  Sounds intriguing.

 

Jim

[Kerry Beal]

9 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Pastrygirl,

That looks like a fantastic dessert, beautiful to look at.  How do you candy cocoa nibs?  Sounds intriguing.

 

Jim

Here you go

[Kerry Beal]

 

For several years now I've been in search of a recipe for Portuguese almond tarts that are like the ones I used to be able to buy at a bakery in Hamilton. The didn't have a crust - were more like a dense little muffin with slivered almonds and a glaze on top. 

 

Every Portuguese person I meet would have to bring me their mother or grandmother's recipe for almond tarts in hopes that one day I would find it and be able to duplicate it.

 

Yesterday one of the paramedic students who was doing a rotation in the ER mentioned that she was Portuguese and of course that got me going again! I described what I was looking for and she said perhaps they weren't almond tarts but instead were actually quejadas de laranja (orange tarts). A quick google showed pictures that looked a whole lot more like what I was after!

 

So this morning - my first quejadas de laranja - more testing of more recipes will have to be done to duplicate the one I'm after - but I think I'm finally in the right ballpark.