Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[eyensweets]

birthday cake..

white cake with butter cream cheese frosting and singing strawberries..

funny.. i made something like a frasier not to long ago.. and want to make a blueberry cake soon..

Edited July 11, 2009 by eyensweets (log)

[hansjoakim]

birthday cake..

white cake with butter cream cheese frosting and singing strawberries..

funny.. i made something like a frasier not to long ago.. and want to make a blueberry cake soon..

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love the strawberries!!

today, i tried the raspberry cake from friberg's second book. i scaled down the recipe to make one 15 cm cake, so there was no room left on top for raspberry decorations... still tasted good though!

[pastrygirl]

Tasting for an interview today. Bonbons: green = rosemary milk chocolate with a little olive oil & salt, speckled = strawberry apricot white chocolate, both with dark shells.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/3719508160/

Dessert tasting: chocolate mousse with raspberry center, vanilla-star anise creme brulee, cherry almond cake, key lime-lemon verbena gellee & sherbet with shiso, apricot coulis.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/...in/photostream/

The chef and I both liked the rosemary bonbons and the shiso on the key lime sherbet the best. Unfortunately there are a lot of good unemployed pastry types right now, the competition could be tough.

I seem to have forgotten how to use imagegullet, too tired to figure it out right now

Edited July 14, 2009 by pastrygirl (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Tasting for an interview today.  Bonbons:  green = rosemary milk chocolate with a little olive oil & salt, speckled = strawberry apricot white chocolate, both with dark shells.

Dessert tasting:  chocolate mousse with raspberry center, vanilla-star anise creme brulee, cherry almond cake, key lime-lemon verbena gellee & sherbet with shiso, apricot coulis.

The chef and I both liked the rosemary bonbons and the shiso on the key lime sherbet the best.  Unfortunately there are a lot of good unemployed pastry types right now, the competition could be tough.

Beautiful! Good luck with the job.

[Lior]

very interesting flavours! Let us know how it develops! Best wishes!

[DeliciouslyLekker]

Cream Cheese Cake (from a box)

Summer Pudding(not enough juice, I think!)

[judiu]

Cream Cheese Cake (from a box)

Summer Pudding(not enough juice, I think!)

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Beautiful photos and food! Those currants positivly GLOW!

[Tri2Cook]

Tasting for an interview today.  Bonbons:  green = rosemary milk chocolate with a little olive oil & salt, speckled = strawberry apricot white chocolate, both with dark shells.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/3719508160/

Dessert tasting:  chocolate mousse with raspberry center, vanilla-star anise creme brulee, cherry almond cake, key lime-lemon verbena gellee & sherbet with shiso, apricot coulis.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/...in/photostream/

The chef and I both liked the rosemary bonbons and the shiso on the key lime sherbet the best.  Unfortunately there are a lot of good unemployed pastry types right now, the competition could be tough.

I seem to have forgotten how to use imagegullet, too tired to figure it out right now 

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Nice work!

[chocoera]

Tasting for an interview today.  Bonbons:  green = rosemary milk chocolate with a little olive oil & salt, speckled = strawberry apricot white chocolate, both with dark shells.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/3719508160/

Dessert tasting:  chocolate mousse with raspberry center, vanilla-star anise creme brulee, cherry almond cake, key lime-lemon verbena gellee & sherbet with shiso, apricot coulis.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11037087@N02/...in/photostream/

The chef and I both liked the rosemary bonbons and the shiso on the key lime sherbet the best.  Unfortunately there are a lot of good unemployed pastry types right now, the competition could be tough.

I seem to have forgotten how to use imagegullet, too tired to figure it out right now 

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you intrigue me how/where did you put the olive oil in your ganache? is that in replace of a butter in ganache? also, the speckled chocolates...gorgeous. did you use an air brush? absolutely gorgeous though....best of luck!!!

[pastrygirl]

you intrigue me   how/where did you put the olive oil in your ganache?  is that in replace of a butter in ganache?  also, the speckled chocolates...gorgeous.  did you use an air brush?  absolutely gorgeous though....best of luck!!!

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Thanks to you and all for the kind words. I haven't heard from the chef so I think he might be going with someone else. That's OK, maybe it will motivate me to get my business plan together, otherwise I will remain bored but make my brothers happy with experimental chocolates.

The speckles were flicked on with a small paintbrush, let set then I brushed gold luster dust on the back before filling the mold with dark. I was a little surprised at how much the gold showed through the red cocoa butter, I had used that batch of color on some other chocolates and it seemed more intensely red, but I thought they looked cool and was happy in the end.

I've done rosemary-infused ganache before and thought the olive oil would add a nice flavor component. In truth, it didn't really come through over the rosemary, but I think a really fruity green olive oil with some salt could be good with a milk or white chocolate. Oilve oil ice cream/gelato has been a little trend in the past few years, why not with chocolate? It was to replace the butter - the ganache was 60 g cream steeped with a couple of sprigs of rosemary, 10 g honey, 90 g milk chocolate, 10 g olive oil, and a couple of pinches of kosher salt. Came out on the soft side but I like soft ganaches for a nice contrast with the crisp shell, shelf life be damned!

Edited July 15, 2009 by pastrygirl (log)

[Mette]

not so much making and baking, but just eating, eating, eating cherries. They are wonderful this year. Did make a cherry-marcipan tart, which was nice although not much cherry flavour. The recipe would be better with sharper fruit, possibly apple.

Must pick cherries....

[pastrygirl]

not so much making and baking, but just eating, eating, eating cherries. They are wonderful this year. Did make a cherry-marcipan tart, which was nice although not much cherry flavour. The recipe would be better with sharper fruit, possibly apple.

Must pick cherries....

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Can't get enough cherries, at least until the local peaches come in, then peach fever takes over. They should be here by now.

Made cherry cordials today (chocolate shell molded) but have to wait a week for the fondant to liquefy. I couldn't find a commercial brandied cherry so I just took some dried sour cherries (montmorency) and soaked them in some kirsch. Can't wait to try them.

Edited to say: I did get the job from the tasting and chocolates I posted a few days ago. Will start on Friday, hope it works out and I'll have more luscious pics to post!

Edited July 15, 2009 by pastrygirl (log)

[Kerry Beal]

not so much making and baking, but just eating, eating, eating cherries. They are wonderful this year. Did make a cherry-marcipan tart, which was nice although not much cherry flavour. The recipe would be better with sharper fruit, possibly apple.

Must pick cherries....

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Can't get enough cherries, at least until the local peaches come in, then peach fever takes over. They should be here by now.

Made cherry cordials today (chocolate shell molded) but have to wait a week for the fondant to liquefy. I couldn't find a commercial brandied cherry so I just took some dried sour cherries (montmorency) and soaked them in some kirsch. Can't wait to try them.

Edited to say: I did get the job from the tasting and chocolates I posted a few days ago. Will start on Friday, hope it works out and I'll have more luscious pics to post!

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Congrats on the job - can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[Lior]

Oh how wonderful!! I am so excited for you-are you? Good luck for your first day!!

[Patrick S]

Hi folks! I hope everyone is well -- its been a long time since I've logged in, but I still check the threads from time to time. I've been on a macaron kick lately. One I did was a coconut macaron (using half almond-half coconut), with a passion fruit white chocolate ganache filling. I took great pains to make the coconut very fine - grinding and regrinding it, and them seiving it to remove the bits that refused to be broken down. The filling took some adjustment. I started with a passion fruit curd, but it was too thin to stand up to the cookies. So I made a wc ganache and added some of the curd to that, and it worked fine.

I also made a strawberry macaron with vanilla mousseline buttercream. I actually used fine ground dried strawberries in the cookies, and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor -- nice, strong strawberry flavor and aroma. Will try to post some pics at some point.

Edited July 18, 2009 by Patrick S (log)

[Tri2Cook]

Nice macs! Have you tried using spray dried coconut milk? I use it whenever I want coconut flavor in a non-liquid form without the texture of shredded or chopped coconut.

[Patrick S]

Nice macs! Have you tried using spray dried coconut milk? I use it whenever I want coconut flavor in a non-liquid form without the texture of shredded or chopped coconut.

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Great idea! I hadn't heard of this product before, but it sounds killer - I love the flavor of coconut but can be put off of the texture of dried coconut depending on how its prepared.

[CanadianBakin']

Nice macs! Have you tried using spray dried coconut milk? I use it whenever I want coconut flavor in a non-liquid form without the texture of shredded or chopped coconut.

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Great idea! I hadn't heard of this product before, but it sounds killer - I love the flavor of coconut but can be put off of the texture of dried coconut depending on how its prepared.

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Awesome pics as usual! Are you still using the Italian meringue method? I just bought a 5 kg box of ground almonds today with plans to perfect my macarons.

[Patrick S]

Nice macs! Have you tried using spray dried coconut milk? I use it whenever I want coconut flavor in a non-liquid form without the texture of shredded or chopped coconut.

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Great idea! I hadn't heard of this product before, but it sounds killer - I love the flavor of coconut but can be put off of the texture of dried coconut depending on how its prepared.

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Awesome pics as usual! Are you still using the Italian meringue method? I just bought a 5 kg box of ground almonds today with plans to perfect my macarons.

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Thanks CB! I use both the french and italian methods. The coconut and strawberry versions I've made recently were both made using french meringue. I know that most of the pros use the italian meringue method, but in my experience I have had equal success/failure with both.

[Patrick S]

Chocolate with chocolate mousseline buttercream, and strawberry with vanilla mousseline buttercream. The strawberry version was made with powdered strawberries. The strawberry version was almost perfect except: they were still slightly too soft, and collapsed a little on the feet, and the powdered strawberry sprinkled on top started to brown a little, detracting from the appearance. Both were made using French meringue methods.

[chocoera]

Hi folks! I hope everyone is well -- its been a long time since I've logged in, but I still check the threads from time to time. I've been on a macaron kick lately. One I did was a coconut macaron (using half almond-half coconut), with a passion fruit white chocolate ganache filling. I took great pains to make the coconut very fine - grinding and regrinding it, and them seiving it to remove the bits that refused to be broken down. The filling took some adjustment. I started with a passion fruit curd, but it was too thin to stand up to the cookies. So I made a wc ganache and added some of the curd to that, and it worked fine.

I also made a strawberry macaron with vanilla mousseline buttercream. I actually used fine ground dried strawberries in the cookies, and was pleasantly surprised by the flavor -- nice, strong strawberry flavor and aroma. Will try to post some pics at some point.

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those look perfect! do you have a preferred recipe? or do you find that the italian or french method works better for you? i still have problems...with both methods! either they don't puff up, or they do and they're hollow, or i dont get good feet....uggg....any thoughts?

[Pille]

Some of the recent desserts in Nami-Nami kitchen:

Tarte aux Myrtilles aka French Blueberry/Bilberry Tart:

Estonian Strawberry Roulade:

Strawberries with Amaretto cream and crushed meringues:

Strawberries with Elderflower Zabaglione:

Strawberries in Cointreau syrup:

[Patrick S]

those look perfect!  do you have a preferred recipe?  or do you find that the italian or french method works better for you?   i still have problems...with both methods!  either they don't puff up, or they do and they're hollow, or i dont get good feet....uggg....any thoughts?

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If I had to pick one that I really liked, its the French meringue recipe in Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. In terms of appearance, they are not the greatest -- they tend to develop irregularities on the surface -- but, they taste great, have a great texture IMHO (never that chalky, sugar crust overload), a great chocolate flavor, and in my experience are totally reliable. I make them just like the recipe says, except that I use aged whites and let them dry for ~30 mins before baking. This is how they turn out for me:

I have also had a good experience with the Italian meringue recipe Nicole Kaplan posted on the demo thread, scaled down to a home kitchen scale.

Edited July 21, 2009 by Patrick S (log)

[pjm333]

mango rice pudding cake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gluucose/3695164493/

[dystopiandreamgirl]

it's red currant season, and being very tart they offset sweet things quite nicely...

vanilla butter cake with red currants and elderflower creme anglaise

(i found a bottle of elderflower concentrate at Ikea and it makes things delicious)

individual pavlovas w vanilla whipped cream and white chocolate currant leaves

all butter pastry crust, pastry cream flavored with physalis eau de vie