Author: ReneeShelton

Behind the Scenes in Arnaud Larher’s Kitchens

Behind the Scenes in Arnaud Larher’s Kitchens

Inside Arnaud Larher’s Kitchen –  Image via YouTube. Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a French pastry shop? This video shows what a typical day is inside the kitchens of Arnaud Larher, a French pastry chef. I wish I could taste one …read more

Auction: Italian Ice Equipment Machine, Coolers, More

Auction: Italian Ice Equipment Machine, Coolers, More

Italian Ice – Equipment up for auction.Photo via Auction757.com. Upcoming auction via Auction 757: Rita’s Italian Ice. Listed is equipment from an Italian ice shop including machine for making Italian ice, refrigerators, ware racks, sinks, freezers, and other equipment. Probably a good start for opening …read more

How to Peel a Lychee Nut

How to Peel a Lychee Nut

Customizing Cake Pops: Commercially Customizable and Shipped Direct to You via Zazzle

Customizing Cake Pops: Commercially Customizable and Shipped Direct to You via Zazzle

I guess it was just a matter of time when the customization giant Zazzle when pastry on us – literally. You now have the ability to create “custom cakepops“, with all your artwork on them, along with choosing the cakepop cake and icing flavor, and …read more

S’mores! Plus All About Campire Safety (1927)

S’mores! Plus All About Campire Safety (1927)

I recently posted on the Old School Pastry blog the original recipe for “Some More” (S’mores) from the 1927 Girl Scout handbook Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts. It also has a wealth of info on starting, maintaining, and extinguishing campfires. Enjoy. 🙂

Crumbs Cupcakes is No More: A Lesson on Trends

Crumbs Cupcakes is No More: A Lesson on Trends

For those that saw the falling trend of gourmet cupcakes, the news of Crumbs Bakery closing down shouldn’t come as a shock. Just looking back on articles from 2013 from the Business Insider and Forbes about the cupcake trend in general and what business insiders thought of it a year ago only shows how fragile food trends can be. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but some thought that the cupcake trend was here to stay forever.

I’m a believer that cupcakes in some form are here to stay, with their portability and bakers touting the cupcake’s ability to be custom designed for clients. But it is never a good idea to build a business model on a trend. Why are other cupcake eateries still going strong? Location is one, not over expanding – or getting bigger than your market can handle – is another, but the main key is to keep adapting for your customers. Just because the ‘cupcake trend’ is out, doesn’t mean the cupcake is out.

Read more about Crumbs Bake Shop closing and the financial implications from the Wall Street Journal:

Crumbs Bake Shop Closing Its Doors: Cupcake Chain Throws in the Towel, a Week After Nasdaq Suspension, Which Triggered Default by Sara Randazzo. 

Crumbs Bake Shop Inc. notified employees Monday that it would be closing all of its stores at the end of the business day, a spokeswoman for the New York-based cupcake maker said.

“Regrettably Crumbs has been forced to cease operations and is immediately attending to the dislocation of its devoted employees while it evaluates its limited remaining options,” the company said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. Those options could include a bankruptcy filing, the spokeswoman said. 

Loosing a big pastry chain like that, nationally, is always a bitter pill to swallow, no matter if insiders saw it coming or not.

Image of Crumbs Bake Shop cupcake courtesy Flickr user: snowpea&bokchoi through a Creative Commons License.

Fresh Fruit Galette – White Nectarine Free-Form Tart

Fresh Fruit Galette – White Nectarine Free-Form Tart

Ripe nectarines and almonds combine for an easy yet gorgeous dessert. Substitute whatever nectarine or plums you have on hand in this recipe if white nectarines are not available.   [yumprint-recipe id=’2′]

KitKat Candy Bars as Transit Passes in Japan

KitKat Candy Bars as Transit Passes in Japan

KitKat Decorated Train Covered in Cherry BlossomsImage Courtesy Neslte Using a KitKat candy bar as transit fare? Nestle came up with the idea after finding out that the bars were being traded in the spirit of encouragement. Beginning this month, riders in Northern Japan can …read more

Glear Glaze Recipe

Glear Glaze Recipe

I get requests for a stable clear glaze recipe for large production kitchens. Especially now with the fruit season, I’m sharing this one for everyone. This one is from a clipping I saved from Modern Baking magazine, the August 2007 edition. Because it is made from powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar, the result is an ultra-smooth, ready-to-use glaze. All purpose, too – add whatever extract you need for flavor, and food coloring for color.

Clear Glaze Recipe

17 lbs. 3 oz. (7.79 kg) confectioner’s sugar
3 lbs. 7 oz. (1.56 L) water
1 lb. 1.25 oz. (490 g) corn syrup
.35 oz. (10 g) salt
5.25 oz. (150 g) gelatin

Hydrate and soften the gelatin in part of the water. Mix the remaining ingredients together to get a smooth paste. The paste should be hot at this point. Add the softened gelatin, and mix at low speed to avoid incorporated air.

Divide in batches if needed to flavor and color. Store in refrigerator.