Pastry Sampler's Pastry and Bakery News

Pastry Chef Tshirt in an Etsy Treasury

2012-05-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

My Pastry Chef tshirt was recent listed in an Etsy Treasury. It's always fun to see them in different treasuries, collections of different products on a them. This one is different though, and not food orientated. It is called:

"Searching for Stephen Foster's Song..."Some Folks" ...A Challenge.

I think she did a great job of finding all the pieces and making them work. The compilation was done by localcolorist, a maker of peace crane ornaments. Thanks Nancy!

May Newsletter - May Flowers and Mom's Smiles

2012-05-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Spring time is here and depending on where you live, the farmer's markets are filling with gorgeous fruits. For me, May's the time for making pies even when the best of the crops haven't arrived yet. The easiest fruit desserts for me to make are mini tarte tatins and I make them custom with whatever fruit the kids want - or whatever happens to be either in the fridge or on the counter. My latest rounds are to the right: banana and peach.

Today coincides with Mother's Day as well. So, if you're a parent, an aunt, a grandparent, or other caregiver, Happy Mother's Day and may your day be bright.

The emailed newsletter recipe for May is Mini Tarte Tatins.

Have a great day - Renee.

Catching Up: Cookie Recipes

2012-05-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Latest cookie recipes on Pastry Sampler:

Chocolate Clove Drops with cocoa and clove spice frosting
Cinnamon Stars made with a two-step procedure
Crispy Crispies - simple vanilla sugar cookie made with Rice Krispies or any brand of crisped rice cereal
Financiers - great for tea parties, just bake them in special shaped silicone molds
Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps made with instant espresso powder and rolled in powdered sugar before baking

Orlando Festival of Chocolate

2012-04-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

Coming soon: The Orlando Festival of Chocolate. April 27th to April 29th at the UCF Arena in Orlando. Demonstrations and seminars include the Cocoa Couture Fashion Show, How to Taste Chocolate, The Art of Creating Chocolate Figurines with Nicholl Notter, and all kinds of hands on classes with chocolate. The event will have both adult and kids activities.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $9 for kids.

Orlando Festival of Chocolate

Pastry Sampler Giveaway 3 - All-Girls Molds and Cutters

2012-04-25T14:46:00.001-07:00

This Giveaway is all about the girl - molds and cutters are all themed together. Great for girls' birthday or tea parties. Included are chocolate, fondant, mint, and candy molds, and cookie cutters. A dozen items in all, retail value over $25.00. Lots of ways to enter. Good luck!

Wilton princess pick mold for cupcakes
Wilton princess lollipop mold
Butterfly lollipop and pencil pop mold
Wilton garden flower mold
Autumn Carpenter's flower fun fondant mold
Autumn Carpenter's flower fun mint mold
Fancy purses mold
3-D high heeled shoes mold
Tear drop high temp candy and jewel mold
Metal cutters: butterfly, tea cup, tea pot

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all who participated! A winner was chosen via Random.org and has been notified. Have a great day, and congratulations to the winner. -- Renee.

Upcoming Commercial Bakery Equipment Auctions

2012-04-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a listing of bakery auction and auctions with bakery, pastry, commissary equipment.

Supermarket, Bakery and Commissary

Public auction - double rack oven, proofer, spiral mixers, dough dividers, grinders, ovens, etc.
April 25th - begins 11:03am eastern
1224 NE 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Restaurant, Market and Grill

Public auction - lots of restaurant equipment here - food cart, Blodgett convection oven, ranges, display coolers, ice machine, planetary mixer with bowl/hook/paddle, more.
April 25th - inspection begins 10am eastern
1224 NE 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Restaurant Equipment - Internet Only

Online auction - restaurant & commercial bakery equipment - steam and baker ovens, floor mixers, stainless steel tables, hoods, convection ovens, freezers & coolers, more.
May 2nd - 1:00pm pacific
7500 York St, Denver, CO

Multi-Restaurant & Catering/Bakery Online Auction

Online auction - commercial equipment - mixers (complete), doughnut fryer, sinks, microwave, convection and steamer ovens, more.
April 26th - 7pm central
Online only, items located at 23257 W 255th St, Paola, KS

Peach Cobbler - Variations and Versions

2012-04-13T10:43:00.002-07:00

Today is National Peach Cobbler Day. My go-to recipe for peach cobbler at home comes straight from the pages of Southern Living Magazine. I was a fan of the magazine long before my big move to the South, and have yet to try a recipe I didn't like from it. But what is a cobbler? Ask five different people and you'll probably get five different answers. For some, it is a biscuit-like topping atop sweet and bubbly fruit. To others, the topping is more a rustic pastry crust.

And looking back to old cookbooks, cobblers seem to be put together differently altogether. In 1902, Paul Richards' recipe (Paul Richards' Book of Breads, Cakes, Pastries, Ices and Sweetmeats) is similar to Victor Hirtzler's 1919 version (The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book). Both involve lining a baking pan with pie paste, filling with sweetened fruit, seasoned if desired with spice, then covering the top with a crust, egg washing, and baking. Sort of like a pie, only deep-dish and baked in a casserole.

In any case, cobblers are one of the few desserts that has appeal at any time of the year: spring and summer with the abundance of ripe, fresh fruit, and fall and winter when there is a longing for sweet and warm desserts. And like all good recipes, the simpler the better. The recipe below is adapted from Southern Living. I substitute whatever stone fruit I have on hand if I don't have peaches making it a 'universal' recipe, sweetening the fruit with as much sugar as needed.

Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 cups granulated sugar, divided in half
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
4 cups fresh peaches, sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In heavy, metal casserole, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Remove from the stove. Whisk the flour, 1 cup of sugar, and baking powder together. Add in the milk an stir until just mixed. Pour this over the melted butter.

In a saucepan, stir the peaches, remaining 1 cup of sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a quick boil and pour over the top of the cobbler batter. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes until lightly browned, bubbly, and the cobbler crust has cooked through. Serve warm with fresh vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Image Source: Photo of peach cobbler is from Flickr - User: Arnold Inuyaki through a creative commons license.

National Chinese Almond Cookie Day

2012-04-10T23:20:00.001-07:00

Celebrate National Chinese Almond Cookie Day by making these crisp almond flavored sugar cookies, often baked with a whole blanched almond on top. Brush the tops with a simple yolk glaze to create a shiny surface after baking. Here's one version to get you started. If you don't have whole blanced almonds on hand, try pressing in slivered blanched almonds on the tops.

Chinese Almond Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
Whole blanched almonds (one for each cookie, about two dozen or more)
1 yolk, mixed with 2 teaspoons water for glaze

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Cream the butter and shortening together, then beat in the sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and almond extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place cookie balls onto baking sheets, and slightly flatten with fingertips. Press an almond onto each cookie, and brush the tops with some of the yolk glaze. Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned.

Image of Chinese almond cookies from Flickr by User snowpea&bokchoi through a creative commons license.

Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw

2012-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Kim Laidlaw's Home Baked Comfort has fast become a favorite read. Not only does she provide tips, and lists her favorite kitchen tools, all the recipes are enhanced with gorgeous photography by Eric Wolfinger. The photos alone are worthy of a book all to themselves. Laidlaw's Amazing Baking Facts You Might Not Know include quick and easy tips for baking.

The book contains all the basic recipes needed on any given day or holiday: Breakfast; Breads; Cookies & Bars; Cakes & Cupcakes; Pies & Tarts; and Custards & Souffles. The recipes include both sweet and savory treats. The author's recipes are intermingled with notable contributors: Bakerella's recipe for Mini Banana-Maple Pancake Muffins is included and Pearl Bakery's Blueberry-Huckleberry Grand Marnier Tart makes you want to leave for Portland, OR, to try it first hand.

Besides the fun layout and photos, Home Baked Comfort has something else going for it: the recipes are uncomplicated and sound. Laidlow writes that the Chicken, Leek, and Wild Mushroom Potpies is 'the gold standard for potpies' and I have to agree. My favorite recipe is her Sour Cherry "Toaster" Tarts. I, too, am a child from the '70's, and I remember making a version with my grandmother.

For a reference baking book to have on hand, this would be hard to beat. Sound baking advice combined with really great photography and tasty recipes make this one to flip through, and work from, often.

Book Information:

Home Baked Comfort (Williams-Sonoma): Featuring Mouthwatering Recipes and Tales of the Sweet Life with Favorites from Bakers Across the Country; by Kim Laidlow
Williams-Sonoma, an imprint of Weldon Owen; 2012
ISBN13: 9781616282004

Disclosure: This digital galley copy was provided to the author by the publisher. Any opinions are the author's own.

Latest Read: Fine Cooking Cookies

2012-04-01T09:26:00.003-07:00

Making cookies is a holiday pastime for me and the family, and I have a few tried and true cookbooks I reference back to just about every season. Fine Cooking Cookies: 200 Favorite Recipes for Cookies, Brownies, Bars & More contains great recipes to try for the holidays or any time of year. What makes it stand out for me is the pictures: I'm a visual girl and I love seeing all the studio photos. Tips are sprinkled throughout the book to make cookie making easier.

Some of the cookies are unusual, but resemble ones I've made from another favorite book of mine: Plaisir de Petit Fours, like the Cracao and Pain Turc from Plaisir and the Chocolate-Nut Wafers and Toasted Almond Thins from Cookies. I've made each both about a million times and I'd knew I'd seen them before, and was pleasantly surprised to see them included. The list of ingredients are similar, too. Having said that, this is a great collection of a broad range of cookies. The cookie recipes are presented by different people, so the recipes collected from the different contributors ensure that there is a wide range of styles and types.

Cookies by Fine Cooking magazine and Taunton Press has 200 recipes for just about every cookie variety. Chapters are broken down by type: Classic Cookies & Confections; Bars, Brownies & Bites; Fruit & Nut Cookies; Biscotti & Shortbread; Spirited & Spiced Cookies; and Sweet & Savory Sandwiches, which is all about about sandwich-style cookies and confections, including recipes for the fillings. If you have a hankering for shortbread, there are more than a dozen to choose from.

Overall, a great cookie recipe collection that presents both European and American favorites and new ideas in a way that makes it easy for home cooks to recreate in their kitchens. Like all Fine Cooking recipes, the ones I've tried have all turned out. The list of contributors is a who's-who of notable pastry professionals, too.

Book Information:

Fine Cooking Cookies: 200 Favorite Recipes for Cookies, Brownies, Bars & More; by the Editors and Contributors of Fine Cooking
The Taunton Press; 2011

Disclosure: This digital galley copy was provided to the author by the publisher. Any opinions are the author's own.

Photos from the Salon du Chocolat (Zurich Chocolate Show) in Zurich

2012-03-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a slideshow of the gorgeous models wearing chocolate from the Salon du Chocolat in Zurich, on March 29, 2012. I still don't know how they can look so calm wearing chocolate - without fear of it melting on the runway.

http://photogallery.thestar.com/1153738, courtesy thestar.com, Toronto.

Two Great Cake Pop Books

2012-03-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

Like other people, I'm addicted and attracted to cake pops. I even have a cake pop board on Pinterest with all the cake pops I want to try for my kids when I have the time (yeah, right). Cake pops are everywhere. If you've never heard of them, they are those sweet little treats made of crumbled cake and frosting dipped in candy coating that are decorated in fanciful shapes or fun figures. And if you think they are complex and difficult, think again. Two books out there make them approachable to anyone wanting to tackle a cake pop.

Cake Pops by Bakerella (Chronicle, ISBN 9780811876377) and Crazy for Cake Pops (Molly Bakes, Ulysses Press, ISBN 9781612430447 - Note: it is Cake Pops in the UK) are two great books to turn to if you are new to the sport of cake pops. Bakerella (AKA Angie Dudley) is the original cake pop diva here in the States, and Molly Bakes (AKA Maria Michaelides) is the cake pop guru in the UK.

Bakerella - Picture Perfect Cake Pops

Cake Pops by Bakerella is a good first book to turn to if you are just starting out. Not only does it have cake and frosting recipes to try, but is shows how to do them using boxed mixes and canned frosting. It shows you literally baby-step by baby-step on how to roll or form standard cake balls, basic cake pops, and cupcake pops and balls. The spiral binding makes turning pages and staying on a page easy, and the design team did an awesome job with color pictures and colored accents throughout the book.

Crazy for Cake Pops - Unique Designs

This is another cake pop cookbook filled with color photos, and this one has unique ideas for favorite holidays. The book I bought has perfect binding, and it was smaller making it easier to tote around with me. The one thing this book has over the other one is a better variety of recipes: chocolate, vanilla, red velvet, peanut butter, toffee and lemon cake are the tasty ones included, and the frosting recipes are unique as well (the toffee frosting includes decadent dulce de leche). When baking I prefer the metric system over imperial measurements, and this book had both.

It is a good thing I don't have to choose which I like better or which to get, as they are now both sitting in my home library. If you are looking specifically for UK suppliers and ingredients, then Cake Pops - the UK version of Crazy for Cake Pops would be the one for you. Bakerella's Cake Pops is geared toward the US market.

Cake pops can be made ahead of time and stored until ready to decorate, and make a much more festive sweet than a typical plain cake for any celebration. Since they are individual treats, they can be customized for any event or holiday. There are so many designs between the two books, the hard part is simply choosing which to try first.

For more information about either of these two cake artists:

Bakerella - Website with all her cake pop ideas
Molly Bakes - Website and event calendar (even Lady Gaga enjoys her treats)

Book Information:

Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats; Bakerella
Chronicle Books, 2010
ISBN13: 9780811876377
Hardcover, spiral bound, 160 pages

Crazy for Cake Pops: 50 All-New Delicious and Adorable Creations; Molly Bakes
Ulysses Press (US version); 2011
ISBN13: 9781612430447
Softcover, 162 pages

Disclosure: These books were purchased by the author and any opinions are her own.

Change in Pastry Tip Sets & Groupings: 262 Micro Star

2012-03-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Ateco 262 micro star had been grouped with the open star style pastry tips. For quite awhile now, they have been coming in as the closed star style. To make it easier to find the style of tips you need, I've now grouped them with the standard closed star tip sets.

As a result -

The new open star tip set now has 10 tips (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
The new closed star tip set now has 18 tips (262, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 232, 233, 501, 502, 504)

If you have any questions, just send me an email.

Thanks!
Renee.

Most Unusual S'mores Recipe: S'more Bombs

2012-03-10T09:40:00.000-08:00

If there was an award for the most inventive S'mores recipe, I think it would probably have to go to Pastry Chef Ben Roche (of Moto Restaurant, Chicago) and his S'More Bombs. Complete with a burning wick, liquefied graham cracker center, and dark chocolate coating. So, along with the s'mores theme this month, here is his recipe and video of it in action. The recipe which you could recreate at home calls for a fried cellophane noodle wick. If you wanted that toasty, marshmallow-y flavored wick you'd have to go to the restaurant - the video shows Roche creating a dehydrated meringue version of the wick.

The recipe for Ben Roche's S'more Bombs can be found on Food Arts (step by step), and the video, below, is of him making the meringue wicks and lighting the bombs. If one of you have tried it, tell me how it tastes; I would love to try this one.

4 Ways to Celebrate American Chocolate Week

2012-03-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

The third week in March is American Chocolate Week - where chocolate shops, chocolatiers, chocolate manufacturers, and chocolate lovers all over the nation celebrate chocolate. This year it falls on March 19 and lasts until March 23.

Here are 4 great ways to celebrate American Chocolate Week:

Drink some chocolate wine - If you're old enough, try the many chocolate wines on the market.
Visit a chocolate shop - There is nothing quite like biting into a freshly made truffle or tasting really good chocolate
Create something new in the kitchen - Sweet or savory, try cooking with chocolate
Read a chocolate book - From the history of chocolate to flipping through recipes using chocolate, there are many books on the subject that can be found free at the library.

What's your favorite way to celebrate chocolate?

March Pastry Sampler Newsletter: A 'Lucky' Month and A Little Bit of S'mores

2012-03-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

The March Pastry Sampler newsletter was emailed out today. You can also read the newsletter on the site. Enjoy!

Bakery & Restaurant Auctions

2012-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here are auctions related to the bakery business, or with equipment that can be used in the bakery business:

Detroit, MI: BBQ and Dunkin Donuts Shop, Deb's Ice Cream Shop March 5th, 2012

From Detroit Metro Auctions. Of the many items up for bid, here is a sampling:

Ice Cream Shake Machine (Hamilton)
Cookie Oven
Refrigerators/Ovens
Sinks
Warmers

From Quitman, TX: Catering and Ice Cream: Consignors' Food / Restaurant Equipment Auction March 12th, 2012

Multiple Refrigerators
Tray Racks
Ice Cream Display Case
Freezers
Ice Cream Display Cabinet
Ice Cream Holding Cabinet
Bakery Display Case
Ice Cream Storage
Griddle / Stoves / Salamander

The True History of Chocolate by Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe

2012-02-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

All true chocolate lovers know how chocolate is made. The basic flow begins with cacao beans which are cleaned and roasted. After winnowing, the cacao shells are separated from the nibs which are ground into the liquor. From this, either cocoa powder, cocoa butter, or bar chocolate is separated or made. But do you know the true history of chocolate? In the book The True History of Chocolate goes into the history, and is written by husband and wife team, Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe (Thames & Hudson, 1996, ISBN 0500282293). The second edition was published in 2007 (ISBN13: 9780500286968).

It is important to note that while it contains both authors' names, the work was finished posthumously by Michael after the death of his wife, Sophie, who had written the first three chapters and assembled notes for subsequent chapters. Sophie was a noted food historian with a doctorate in anthropology. Her study of the both the birthplace of cacao and the Aztecs are engrossing to read. The Sophie Coe Memorial Prize is an annual award for food history essays, and the Sophie Coe Memorial Fund is a UK registered charity. Michael Coe is a renowned Mayan scholar, holding a PhD in anthropology and authoring the books The Maya and Breaking the Maya Code. Knowing both the authors' backgrounds sheds a little light on the reasons for the layout.

Second Edition Cover

The True History of Chocolate is very academic in nature rather than informal, and the average person wanting only history with examples will be satisfied. Black and white images, photos, engravings, along with a few color photographs, are dotted throughout the book. How the peoples of the New World and Europe used, traded, and imbibed on chocolate, and how it interacted with the culture, is interesting.

The history is long and spans many centuries. It is threaded throughout the chapters: The Tree of the Food of the Gods; The Birth of Cacao: Olmec-Maya Genesis; The Aztecs: People of the Fifth Sun; Encounter and Transformation; Chocolate Conquers Europe; The Source; Chocolate in the Age of Reason (and Unreason); and Chocolate for the Masses. The Epilogue details the history of "ethically-correct" chocolate products. In case you were wanting to read up on the authors' sources, the Notes section is extensive, and there is a full Bibliography at the back of the book.

All in all, this book will give you much more than just learning about how chocolate is made or where in the world the origins of chocolate came. The plant and its product intrigued many. As in the first chapter, Europe and the New World both have had a history in loving chocolate, as evidenced with the botanical name given by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus: Theobroma cacao. Theobroma, Greek for 'food of the gods', and cacao coming from what the Mesoamerican people called the plant.

Book Information:

The True History of Chocolate; by Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe
Thames & Hudson; 1996
ISBN: 0500282293
Softcover, 280 pages; Black and White, and color photographs

Standard Closed Tip Pack Giveaway

2012-02-20T05:00:00.002-08:00

Standard Sized Closed Star Tip Set

Pastry Tip Giveaway 2! I'm offering up for free these items in the next giveaway. Items retail value over $25.00. Who doesn't like free pastry swag?

1 Closed Star Pastry Tip Set - 17 tips (Tips 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 232, 233, 501, 502, 504)
1 Pack of 4 Ateco Plastic Tube Covers
1 Pack of 5 Standard Plastic Couplers
1 Small Pastry Tip Cleaning Brush
1 Pastry Sampler Bowl Scraper
2 Pastry Tip Picks
2 Plastic Pastry Nails

What does it require? A little pastry love - just 'like' the Pastry Sampler facebook page. Extra entries are earned for joining the blog via GFC at the right, and tweeting about the giveaway. The giveaway begins on the 20th of February and ends on the 27th. It will be conducted through Rafflecopter. Winners will be chosen by random and notified via email.

Good Luck!

*UPDATE* The giveaway has ended and a random winner will be chosen. Thanks to all who entered, and the winner will be announced on the blog once the winner is contacted. Thanks again, and look for another giveaway in the month of March.

Meet the Finalists for Cacao Barry's L'Art du Chocolatier Challenge

2012-02-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

It's coming up soon, and the finalists are preparing for it. Cacao Barry's annual L'Art du Chocolatier Challenge is a competition that requires skill, creativity, and design expertise using the French chocolate. While call-for-entries had 37 submissions nationwide, there are only seven pastry chefs chosen for the chocolate competition. It takes place May 4th through the 6th and will be held at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Chicago, and $15,000 worth of prizes are at stake, divided up between the prizes, and airfare is included for all the finalists.

Okay, so who are the lucky chosen ones? Here are the finalists.


Simon Bregardis, Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Hotel & Resort

Florent Cheveau, Pastry Chef, Jean Phillip

Hichem Lahreche, Executive Pastry Chef, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Wesley Mayton, Complex Pastry Chef, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel

Russ Thayer, Assistant Pastry Chef, PreGel America


Natalie Collins, Assistant Pastry Chef, The Mansion at the MGM Grand

Not Pictured:

Yoshikazu Kizu, Pastry Chef, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grand Lakes

If you think the finalists are distinguished, here are the judges from around the world:

Ramon Morató (Cacao Barry Technical Advisor & Director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Acadamy in Spain)
Christophe Morel (Master Chocolatier and Pastry Chef)
Dimitri Fayard (Pastry Chef Instructor at The French Pastry School in Chicago)
Jonathan Garnier (Chef & Co-owner of La Gilde Culiniare and Mycryo Ambassador)
Dominique Ansel (Executive Pastry Chef and Owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery)
Sarah Kosikowski (Executive Pastry Chef for Trump International Hotel & Tower)
Patrick Fahy (Executive Pastry Chef for The Sofitel)
Jerome Landrieu (Cacao Barry Technical Advisor & Director of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Chicago)

Prizes and Competition Rules

The seven finalists had to successfully complete qualifying preliminary rounds. Everyone in the competition will have six hours to complete their showpiece, chocolate tablet and the chocolate pastries. No items may be prebaked prior for the original chocolate pastry or chocolate tablet and only the Gâteaux de Voyage, spreadable paste, and components of the showpiece are allowed to be prepared before the competition. So, time will be limited and they must work quickly and accurately. Think you can handle it? Here are the final competition requirements - the actual structure of the competition:

Original Gâteaux de Voyage: an original but replicable travel cake brought to the competition completely finished - one for tasting and one for photographing, both presented in final packaging. Must be identical to the one presented in the finalists selection.
Original Spreadable Paste: original spreadable paste brought to the competition completely finished in final packaging - one for tasting and one for photographing. This also must be identical to the one presented in the finalists selection.
Tabletop Showpiece: this will be used to display the photographed gâteaux de voyage and three identical chocolate tablets. No height requirements but the base cannot exceed 30 inches by 30 inches in size. While components can be brought to the competition, it must be assembled on site.
Original Chocolate Pastry: original in nature, three must be produced for photographing and seven for tasting - and all must be identical, weigh between 80 and 100 grams, not exceed one portion, and have a minimum of three different textures. (yikes!)
Chocolate Tablet: three for display, one for photographing, two for tasting. Also, each must weigh between 100 to 180 grams, and have a minimum of two textures in the filling - which does not include the shell or enrobing which is optional.
Recipe Booklet: Each of the seven contestants need to provide eight hard copies (and one digital) recipe booklet with all the recipes and diagrams included - for each component. Of course, these will be judged also on appearance, accurate yields, and organization.

There were 37 who were brave enough to tackle this chocolate competition, and only seven remain for the top three spots (Grand Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize). For those in the industry who would like to see this in action and will be in Chicago during that time - RSVP to CacaoBarryRSVP @ barry-callebaut.com. Freddy Diaz, renowned mixologist, will prepare Boiron puré-based cocktails, and Jonathan Garnier (one of the judges) will prepare hors d'oeuvres using Mycryo - Cacao Barry's powder form cocoa butter.

If you get the chance to go, send me an email or photos and tell me all about it. Would love to hear about it. :)

National Weddings Month

2012-02-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

February is National Weddings Month. Here are some resources for you:

Image is courtesy morguefile.

National Gum Drop Day - Recipes Using Gum Drops

2012-02-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

Celebrate National Gum Drop Day (February 15) with this recipe from Pastry Sampler:

Jewels
These cookies are topped with small gumdrops before being baked.

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Sugar for rolling
Mini gumdrops for decoration, or cut up larger ones into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place flour, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until the mixture forms a dough. With lightly floured dusted hands, roll 1 teaspoon scoops into balls, placing them on a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Next, roll each ball in sugar and place on lightly greased baking sheet; flatten slightly. Press three gumdrops onto each cookie and bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Image courtesy morguefile.

JEM Petal Recipe - Sugar Craft Paste

2012-02-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

JEM - of JEM Cutters and jemcutters.com - is a South African based company that produces pastry cutters specifically designed for sugar paste art. According to their website, the name JEM comes from the owner's name: Jill Elaine Maytham. JEM's petal paste recipe is included in some of their special cutter packs, and if the literature is lost, the recipe is hard to track down.

Here is the basic recipe for JEM sugar petal paste that can be used for both floral displays and other decorations. The JEM petal powder is a binder or thickener for sugar paste recipes, and if that isn't available use Tylose powder (which is readily available in the U.S. in candy and decorating shops). Also, note the recipe contains raw egg whites which should not be eaten so save this recipe for show pieces for decoration only and not for consumption.

ISM - The Future of Sweets

2012-01-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

There's still time to register for the ISM - The Future of Sweets event. It is labeled as the world's leading trade fair for the confectionery industry.

ISM 2012 will be held in Cologne at the Cologne Exhibition Center, which will be a central location for the international sweets and confectionery sector to meet each other, discuss the latest trends, and see new products. Exhibitors will include the following sectors: Cocoa; Chocolate and Chocolate Products; Biscuits; Snack Items; Sugar Confectionery; Ice Cream; and Marzipan Products.

Info:

January 29th to February 1st, 2012
Admission Requirements (reserved for trade only)
Kiosk and events

Pizzelle Cookies

2012-01-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Pizzelles - crisp, flat, and oh so versatile, they are to pastry what biscuits are to baking. They can be stamped in a variety of shapes using whatever iron you have. Some pizzelle irons have designs that are geometric and formal looking while others are more arabesque and romantic.

I make pizzelles for a great number of pastry items (ice cream cones, cookie sandwiches, or even by themselves as cookies) and if they are kept tightly covered can be stored for up to a week to save time during busy holiday events.

Try my basic pizzelle recipe, and learn more about this fun, versatile Italian cookie.