Confections! What did we make? (2017 – )

[lindag]

Absolutely wonderful!

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, RWood said:

I layered mine with cream cheese ganache, and I tried a similar bottom, using dried multicolored carrots (which I think I’ll omit next time), but added coconut and toasted walnuts since that’s what I use in my cake. I changed up the spices a little and it really tasted like carrot cake. I still need to tweak the spices, but I really liked it. 
 

 

That looks delicious.  I omitted the cardamom (I love the spice but don't think Americans expect it in carrot cake).  I have tried walnuts and pecans, but ended up preferring pecans.  I too include a cream cheese "frosting" layer, with a lemon flavor.  For the cookie layer I tried the carrot layer but didn't get an acceptable carrot taste, so have switched to one based on ground speculoos cookies.  I do have difficulty incorporating the browned butter; even my big Robot Coupe immersion blender takes a long time to emulsify the mixture; as a result, I have reduced the quantity of butter a little.  I'm not sure what the problem is (aside from the obvious too much fat vs. liquid).

[RWood]

12 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

That looks delicious.  I omitted the cardamom (I love the spice but don't think Americans expect it in carrot cake).  I have tried walnuts and pecans, but ended up preferring pecans.  I too include a cream cheese "frosting" layer, with a lemon flavor.  For the cookie layer I tried the carrot layer but didn't get an acceptable carrot taste, so have switched to one based on ground speculoos cookies.  I do have difficulty incorporating the browned butter; even my big Robot Coupe immersion blender takes a long time to emulsify the mixture; as a result, I have reduced the quantity of butter a little.  I'm not sure what the problem is (aside from the obvious too much fat vs. liquid).

Thanks! I like cardamom too, but yeah, people are iffy here with that. 
I didn’t like the carrot bits in the bottom layer, seemed tough when you would find one.  But the coconut and walnut comes through enough in it. I think the caramel has plenty of flavor, so didn’t need to add to it. 

[Jim D.]

14 minutes ago, RWood said:

Thanks! I like cardamom too, but yeah, people are iffy here with that. 
I didn’t like the carrot bits in the bottom layer, seemed tough when you would find one.  But the coconut and walnut comes through enough in it. I think the caramel has plenty of flavor, so didn’t need to add to it. 

 

If you don't mind telling, what do you add to the coconut and walnuts to hold them together?  Perhaps the same chocolate used for the shell, which appears to be a caramelized white or something similar?

[RWood]

38 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

If you don't mind telling, what do you add to the coconut and walnuts to hold them together?  Perhaps the same chocolate used for the shell, which appears to be a caramelized white or something similar?

I kinda followed @Rajala’s crunchy bottom he had with it. I used Callebaut gold chocolate, brown butter, spices and the nuts and coconut.