Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[Kim Shook]

Pastrygirl - those bonbons are amazing! They are so shiny that they looked like marbles to me, too! I am impressed!

Dessert for dinner last night was a Figgy Apple-Mascarpone Tart with Green Apple Ice and Apple Cider Caramel that Lisa2K posted here sometime last year, I think. It looked so good that I printed out the recipe and finally made it. I'm so glad that I did! It was gorgeous and tasted so good.

The tart:

Plated:

I have to say that as good as the tart was, the ice was even better! It was like essence of green apple. Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for posting that, Lisa2K!

[Zeemanb]

Eh, it all tasted okay, but the one thing that salvaged the evening was that Kim went to the trouble of having nurses on-hand to administer Calvados IV's..... a nice touch....

[chocoera]

this is a cake i made for my sorority, chi omega. i'm alum now, but we had a make a wish silent auction this last saturday, so i donated this cake. as for the owls, they're our mascot, so that's why i chose them!

the cake is chocolate with kerry's chocolate-caramel ganache as filling, then iced in italian buttercream, covered in marsh fondant. the owls are made out of fondant too, and then we have a milk chocolate wrap hope you like it!!

[Tri2Cook]

hope you like it!!

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I like it. Those owls are cool. Very nice!

[CanadianBakin']

this is a cake i made for my sorority, chi omega.  i'm alum now, but we had a make a wish silent auction this last saturday, so i donated this cake.  as for the owls, they're our mascot, so that's why i chose them!

the cake is chocolate with kerry's chocolate-caramel ganache as filling, then iced in italian buttercream, covered in marsh fondant.  the owls are made out of fondant too, and then we have a milk chocolate wrap   hope you like it!!

So cute! Thanks for sharing!

[Lior]

Kim Shook! That tart looks fantastic! So perfectly done! I want a bite!!!

CHocoera- your cake is fantastic looking and sounding. The choc wrap is lovely!!! What is the white circle it is sitting on? Couldn't decide if it is plate or part of cake!!

Pastry girl!! I too stay away from artificial colors. But your "marbles" are so amazing looking it makes me want to try to. Just so I can say,"been there, done that!!" So I will order some colors. What type do you suggest?

[pastrygirl]

Pastry girl!! I too stay away from artificial colors. But your "marbles" are so amazing looking it makes me want to try to. Just so I can say,"been there, done that!!" So I will order some colors. What type do you suggest?

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Watch out, soon you'll want everything to be pretty shiny colors, it is addictive and brings out your inner abstract expressionist . I picked up a tub of Cacao Barry pure cocoa butter and the colors on vacation in Australia in February. The colors are Roberts Confectionery, www.robertsconfectionery.com.au oil based powder color but I bought them from Savour school in Melbourne, www.savourschool.com.au. I just got little 5 gram vials to play with, they were maybe $7 Australian each. The recommended dosage is 10 grams color per 100 grams cocoa butter but I didn't weigh, just eye-balled it. Now I'm trying to think of flavors to make that match the colors - lemon, blueberry, apricot...it's a slippery slope! Chef Rubber in the US also has oil-soluble powder colors as well as already mixed colored cocoa butter. You'll just have to find the best exchange & shipping rates. At least it is light weight!

[Lior]

I can see myself now getting into artificial expressionism colors swirling moods... Oh dear!! I will have to check a few places. Did you finger swirl? Ikeep going back to look at your marbles! They are so 3D- they go in deep!! Just like a kid looking in his marbles to admire them-"Hey look at this one!"

Thanks!!

[chocoera]

I can see myself now getting into artificial expressionism colors swirling moods... Oh dear!! I will have to check a few places. Did you finger swirl? Ikeep going back to look at your marbles! They are so 3D- they go in deep!! Just like a kid looking in his marbles to admire them-"Hey look at this one!"

Thanks!!

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hi lior

the white thing is a cake board, covered in fondant, so that it completes the cake, and doesn't just look like cardboard. then you can decorate it or label it or whatever...but its white fondant, with gold luster dust painted on with vodka, and then i used edible marker to write "XO 60th" since it was our chapter's 60th bday!

[Lior]

Absolutely cool!! I have never heard of edible marker! Sounds great!! What a finish-wow! I love it that every detail is accounted for! It is some cake! I bet everyone was in awe!! Is marsh from marshmellow? And the blue is so pretty!

[pastrygirl]

I can see myself now getting into artificial expressionism colors swirling moods... Oh dear!! I will have to check a few places. Did you finger swirl? Ikeep going back to look at your marbles! They are so 3D- they go in deep!! Just like a kid looking in his marbles to admire them-"Hey look at this one!"

Thanks!!

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Yes, the finger technique, first the green, let set, then the white, let set, then 55%.

Of course I also have lots and lots of really ugly chocolates I'm not showing you guys. The last two times I've tried to hand dip, my temper has been off, bad bottoms happen too often, and my experiments with pate de fruit using some new pectin of uncertain formulation are not bad exactly but not quite right either.

[pastrygirl]

Lemon butter ganache. Lime, actually, but they call limes lemons here. I made a lemon (lime) jelly with some pectin and sugar then used Greweling's butter ganache formula, adding more lemon (lime) juice at the end instead of liqueur. A little too much on the yellow side for my aesthetic, but good flavor, nice and tart.

Edited April 8, 2009 by pastrygirl (log)

[chocoera]

Lemon butter ganache.  Lime, actually, but they call limes lemons here.  I made a lemon (lime) jelly with some pectin and sugar then used Greweling's butter ganache formula, adding more lemon (lime) juice at the end instead of liqueur.  A little too much on the yellow side for my aesthetic, but good flavor, nice and tart.

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those looks amazing!!!! what do you do with the jelly? do you layer it, or mix it in with the butter ganache formula? i've never tried making a jelly...is it difficult? my husband LOVES lemon, so this would be a surprise treat

[cmflick]

Pastry girl!! I too stay away from artificial colors. But your "marbles" are so amazing looking it makes me want to try to. Just so I can say,"been there, done that!!" So I will order some colors. What type do you suggest?

←

Watch out, soon you'll want everything to be pretty shiny colors, it is addictive and brings out your inner abstract expressionist . I picked up a tub of Cacao Barry pure cocoa butter and the colors on vacation in Australia in February. The colors are Roberts Confectionery, www.robertsconfectionery.com.au oil based powder color but I bought them from Savour school in Melbourne, www.savourschool.com.au. I just got little 5 gram vials to play with, they were maybe $7 Australian each. The recommended dosage is 10 grams color per 100 grams cocoa butter but I didn't weigh, just eye-balled it. Now I'm trying to think of flavors to make that match the colors - lemon, blueberry, apricot...it's a slippery slope! Chef Rubber in the US also has oil-soluble powder colors as well as already mixed colored cocoa butter. You'll just have to find the best exchange & shipping rates. At least it is light weight!

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Have you had any trouble with the powdered colors dissolving in cocoa butter? When I tried to use them, I could never get them completely dissolved. The brand that I used was called Candy 'N Cake. Eventually I gave up and now use Chef Rubber pre-colored cocoa butters.

[judiu]

Lemon butter ganache.  Lime, actually, but they call limes lemons here.  I made a lemon (lime) jelly with some pectin and sugar then used Greweling's butter ganache formula, adding more lemon (lime) juice at the end instead of liqueur.  A little too much on the yellow side for my aesthetic, but good flavor, nice and tart.

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Those are beautiful! They look like a Key Lime Makes my mouth water!

[pastrygirl]

Have you had any trouble with the powdered colors dissolving in cocoa butter?  When I tried to use them, I could never get them completely dissolved.  The brand that I used was called Candy 'N Cake.  Eventually I gave up and now use Chef Rubber pre-colored cocoa butters.

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I do find that the powdered colors don't seem to dissolve completely and was a little concerned about that.

Chocoera, I use the lemon jelly in place of the jam in butter ganache. 80 g lemon jelly, 40 g butter, 120 g tempered white chocolate, 1 TB lemon juice.

[Kerry Beal]

Pastry girl!! I too stay away from artificial colors. But your "marbles" are so amazing looking it makes me want to try to. Just so I can say,"been there, done that!!" So I will order some colors. What type do you suggest?

←

Watch out, soon you'll want everything to be pretty shiny colors, it is addictive and brings out your inner abstract expressionist . I picked up a tub of Cacao Barry pure cocoa butter and the colors on vacation in Australia in February. The colors are Roberts Confectionery, www.robertsconfectionery.com.au oil based powder color but I bought them from Savour school in Melbourne, www.savourschool.com.au. I just got little 5 gram vials to play with, they were maybe $7 Australian each. The recommended dosage is 10 grams color per 100 grams cocoa butter but I didn't weigh, just eye-balled it. Now I'm trying to think of flavors to make that match the colors - lemon, blueberry, apricot...it's a slippery slope! Chef Rubber in the US also has oil-soluble powder colors as well as already mixed colored cocoa butter. You'll just have to find the best exchange & shipping rates. At least it is light weight!

←

Have you had any trouble with the powdered colors dissolving in cocoa butter? When I tried to use them, I could never get them completely dissolved. The brand that I used was called Candy 'N Cake. Eventually I gave up and now use Chef Rubber pre-colored cocoa butters.

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They don't actually dissolve - just disperse. You need to take the melted cocoa butter and the powder and sort of grind them with the back of your offset spatula on your marble slab until they are well dispersed, reheat as necessary. If you are working with sufficient quantities then an immersion blender is a quick and dirty way to get good dispersion.

[cmflick]

Pastry girl!! I too stay away from artificial colors. But your "marbles" are so amazing looking it makes me want to try to. Just so I can say,"been there, done that!!" So I will order some colors. What type do you suggest?

←

Watch out, soon you'll want everything to be pretty shiny colors, it is addictive and brings out your inner abstract expressionist . I picked up a tub of Cacao Barry pure cocoa butter and the colors on vacation in Australia in February. The colors are Roberts Confectionery, www.robertsconfectionery.com.au oil based powder color but I bought them from Savour school in Melbourne, www.savourschool.com.au. I just got little 5 gram vials to play with, they were maybe $7 Australian each. The recommended dosage is 10 grams color per 100 grams cocoa butter but I didn't weigh, just eye-balled it. Now I'm trying to think of flavors to make that match the colors - lemon, blueberry, apricot...it's a slippery slope! Chef Rubber in the US also has oil-soluble powder colors as well as already mixed colored cocoa butter. You'll just have to find the best exchange & shipping rates. At least it is light weight!

←

Have you had any trouble with the powdered colors dissolving in cocoa butter? When I tried to use them, I could never get them completely dissolved. The brand that I used was called Candy 'N Cake. Eventually I gave up and now use Chef Rubber pre-colored cocoa butters.

←

They don't actually dissolve - just disperse. You need to take the melted cocoa butter and the powder and sort of grind them with the back of your offset spatula on your marble slab until they are well dispersed, reheat as necessary. If you are working with sufficient quantities then an immersion blender is a quick and dirty way to get good dispersion.

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That would explain my problems with the powdered colorings. I tried to stir them in and I just didn't seem to be able to ever get the color completely dispersed. I think that I'll stick to the pre-colored cocoa butters. A lot less work.

[pastrygirl]

They don't actually dissolve - just disperse.  You need to take the melted cocoa butter and the powder and sort of grind them with the back of your offset spatula on your marble slab until they are well dispersed, reheat as necessary.  If you are working with sufficient quantities then an immersion blender is a quick and dirty way to get good dispersion.

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Aha! The doctor knows all. Can I substitute 'warped stainless steel table' for 'marble slab'?

[Kerry Beal]

They don't actually dissolve - just disperse.  You need to take the melted cocoa butter and the powder and sort of grind them with the back of your offset spatula on your marble slab until they are well dispersed, reheat as necessary.  If you are working with sufficient quantities then an immersion blender is a quick and dirty way to get good dispersion.

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Aha! The doctor knows all. Can I substitute 'warped stainless steel table' for 'marble slab'?

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Yes you can! An if you are using that warped stainless steel table for tempering, duct tape a couple of cold packs to the underside.

[Amy D.]

the simple things in life, some soft baked double choc & pecan cookies

[chocoera]

Have you had any trouble with the powdered colors dissolving in cocoa butter?  When I tried to use them, I could never get them completely dissolved.  The brand that I used was called Candy 'N Cake.  Eventually I gave up and now use Chef Rubber pre-colored cocoa butters.

←

I do find that the powdered colors don't seem to dissolve completely and was a little concerned about that.

Chocoera, I use the lemon jelly in place of the jam in butter ganache. 80 g lemon jelly, 40 g butter, 120 g tempered white chocolate, 1 TB lemon juice.

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thanks! i'll give it a try

[Ann_T]

the simple things in life, some soft baked double choc & pecan cookies

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Amy, I'll trade you a couple of oatmeal for your double chocolate pecan cookies.

[gfron1]

Raspberry mousse for a recent wedding.

[Darienne]

Raspberry mousse for a recent wedding.

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WOW! and WOW! again. If it's raspberry, it's got to be incredible!