Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[judiu]

Rob – that cake is just amazing looking.  I’d really love to taste it! 

I tried a friend’s browned butter chocolate chip cookies again.  He had given me a couple of tips to improve them and stop them from flattening out and spreading so much.  He suggested that I use 5 oz. cups of flour and to chill the dough balls for a couple of hours before baking.  It really helped that a lot.  And the flavor with the browned butter is fantastic:

See how much higher they are?  Here are my last ones:

But the texture suffered a little.  Look inside:

They were a little dense.  So maybe I play a little with the time in the fridge – I had them in there for 4 hours.  Maybe only 1 hour?  I just love the flavor and that the didn’t end up being Frisbees, but I want a little more tenderness.

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Kim, maybe if you beat the egg whites separately, and folded them in, then flattened to cookies before baking? A little more lightness, but pushed down to avoid the pouf factor/deflate?

[gfron1]

A few of attempts at the perfect peanut butter pie...I'm not there yet.

Alton Brown's recipe:

Amy Eber's recipe:

PB with Grapefruit Mousse:

[Darienne]

A few of attempts at the perfect peanut butter pie...I'm not there yet.

Alton Brown's recipe:

Question: which Alton Brown cookbook is that pie from, please? I am thinking about sending for one Alton Brown cookbook...being very impressed by his Seriously Vanilla Ice Cream...and wonder which one to go for.

Thanks,

BTW, lovely pie.

Edited March 20, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[gfron1]

Its from FoodTv.com not his books.

[Darienne]

Its from FoodTv.com not his books.

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Many thanks.

[Tri2Cook]

Sundae Gathering

basil chocolate ice cream - pine nut brownie - olive oil pudding - olive oil - sea salt

For the ice cream I used Michael Laiskonis' chocolate ice cream and cold-infused the milk overnight with blanched fresh basil.

For the brownie I used Pierre Herme's brownie and subbed in pine nuts for the pecans.

For the olive oil pudding I used Grant Achatz' recipe straight out of the Alinea book.

[Lior]

Had some left over qumquat peels that I crystalized so I stuck them in a dark bar. It smells of qumquats quite strongly!

[gfron1]

The best peanut butter pie ever (at least that I've made):

[cmflick]

Getting ready for Easter.

I'm feeling very lazy this year and not coloring the bunnies at all.

[Darienne]

Getting ready for Easter.

I'm feeling very lazy this year and not coloring the bunnies at all.

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You cannot go wrong with a chocolate bunnie.

[Tri2Cook]

The best peanut butter pie ever (at least that I've made):

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Nice one Rob. Sounds like you found what you were looking for.

[Shelby]

The best peanut butter pie ever (at least that I've made):

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I love that you shaped the garnish like a peanut!!!

[gfron1]

Thanks Shelby. And T2C - don't go quoting U2 on me

[Tri2Cook]

cereal

milk sherbet - caramelized corn flakes - strawberry fluid gel - fresh strawberry

[Kim Shook]

Oh, my goodness what amazing cooks are at eG! Really beautiful and inspiring stuff, y'all!

Rob - I would have loved to have been a PB pie guinea pig - it is my all time favorite thing. If I could only eat ONE THING for the rest of my life, I would have to pick PB! The final recipe looks fantastic!

Ilana - your chocolate bars are gorgeous. I love the idea of adding the candied peels!

cmflick - I love the bunny and I agree with Darienne - you can't go wrong with a chocolate bunny!

Tri2Cook - I love, love, LOVE your cereal!!!! How do you caramelize cornflakes??

I made these last night for a birthday at work today:

Carrot Cake Cupcakes. They are an Ina Garten recipe. Very moist and flavorful without being heavy. I left out the raisins, by request . I cheated on the frosting and used the canned stuff because I was so late getting home tonight. The canned cream cheese frosting is really pretty good, IMO, but the tubes of decorating goo were crap. It blobbed and bubbled and ran all over the place – I will never use that stuff again .

[Flotch]

Red Velvet cupcakes.

Recipe from Magnolia Bakery off Epicurious.

[Amuse Bouche]

Last night carrot cake for my grandmother's 90th birthday.

[Lior]

nice!! How lovely to be able to celebrate your grandmother's 90th and with her-may she live to 120!!

[Tri2Cook]

Nice cupcakes Kim. Thanks for the kind words too.

To caramelize corn flakes (or rice krispies or puffed wheat or whatever sounds good to you) just wet some sugar (120 grams for each 100 grams cereal) with enough water to get a wet sand texture and cook on medium heat until the water evaporates (big, slow bubbles) but hasn't begun to color. Toss in whatever you're coating and stir and toss around continuously but gently (I use a silicon spatula but that's not important) until the sugar crystallizes and everything seems dry. Continue cooking and stirring until the sugar melts again and coats everything evenly. Takes a few minutes (or a lot of minutes with large batches). Stir in a small amount (around 5 grams to each 100 grams cereal) of diced room temp butter. Pour it on a silpat or clean pan (I usually dump large batches on a very well cleaned stainless table) and toss, stir and separate the pieces (I use my fingers, if you don't like the idea of hot sugar and your fingers wear latex gloves or use whatever tool makes you happy). It only takes a couple minutes of moving them around until they cool enough to stop sticking together in clumps. Then just let them cool completely and store them in something airtight.

Edited April 3, 2009 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Kim Shook]

Nice cupcakes Kim. Thanks for the kind words too.

To caramelize corn flakes (or rice krispies or puffed wheat or whatever sounds good to you) just wet some sugar (120 grams for each 100 grams cereal) with enough water to get a wet sand texture and cook on medium heat until the water evaporates (big, slow bubbles) but hasn't begun to color. Toss in whatever you're coating and stir and toss around continuously but gently (I use a silicon spatula but that's not important) until the sugar crystallizes and everything seems dry. Continue cooking and stirring until the sugar melts again and coats everything evenly. Takes a few minutes (or a lot of minutes with large batches). Stir in a small amount (around 5 grams to each 100 grams cereal) of diced room temp butter. Pour it on a silpat or clean pan (I usually dump large batches on a very well cleaned stainless table) and toss, stir and separate the pieces (I use my fingers, if you don't like the idea of hot sugar and your fingers wear latex gloves or use whatever tool makes you happy). It only takes a couple minutes of moving them around until they cool enough to stop sticking together in clumps. Then just let them cool completely and store them in something airtight.

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Tri2Cook - thank you so much! That is a very similar method to some nuts that I do. I can think of lots of things to do with caramelized cereal!

[pastrygirl]

Peppermint bonbons.

I have to admit, I've been skeptical about colored cocoa butter, and have felt that it is sort of trendy and over used. Seriously, does everything need color? But then I got some, and have realized how much fun it is to play with! These were wiped with green, then a smear of white chocolate, then filled with dark. Filling is a light caramel ganache with peppermint liqueur.

[Tri2Cook]

Very nice. Peppermint-caramel ganache sounds interesting. I'll have to check that one out.

[gfron1]

Wow! Damn good lustre!

[emilyr]

Peppermint bonbons. 

I have to admit, I've been skeptical about colored cocoa butter, and have felt that it is sort of trendy and over used.  Seriously, does everything need color?  But then I got some, and have realized how much fun it is to play with!    These were wiped with green, then a smear of white chocolate, then filled with dark.  Filling is a light caramel ganache with peppermint liqueur.

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I scrolled past without reading and thought to myself, "why would someone post pictures of marbles?" !!! Really great!

[pastrygirl]

I scrolled past without reading and thought to myself, "why would someone post pictures of marbles?" !!! Really great!

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I had thought I lost my marbles yesterday, so that's where they went!