This is what's been keeping me busy

A few months ago, my friend and I decided we'd finally like to start our own businesses. She would keep her business and I would keep mine, but we'd split the rent on a commercial space and just share the shop. Since then we've been trying to get everything lined up, business plans, finances, buying up equipment as we found it at a good price, etc. We also fell in love with a space for rent that used to be a restaurant, which meant we wouldn't have to renovate it too much. We finally signed the lease a couple of weeks ago so I cleaned it up and took pictures to show off. It's so cute and kind of secluded which normally wouldn't be a good thing for a business but since we'll only be open by appointment only then it's perfect for us. And as an added bonus, we were able to find another girl to share the rent with who wants to open her own cookie business. Now the only thing in our way is all the permits and licenses we need. The first and easiest one that we have to get isn't proving so easy to get. In fact, it's stalled everything since we can't even turn the electricity on until we get it. I've been nicely harrassing them a couple of times a day so hopefully it will pay off soon. At least before I lose it and bust into their office with my big rolling pin. Oh, and here are pictures of my shop.

Doberge Cake

I recently video taped myself making a chocolate doberge cake for my brother's birthday. A couple of friends were asking me how to do it so I figured I would share it with all of you. You start with 2 layers of yellow cake. Then it's filled with chocolate bavarian cream. Homemade is definitely the best. The cake supply stores sell some premade but it's pretty gross. Here's the recipe I used but next time I will use milk chocolate instead of semi sweet because I'm a milk chocolate kind of girl. This was found on grouprecipes.com

Chocolate Bavarian Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/4 oz. unflavored gelatin (one envelope)
5 oz. chocolate, chopped (semi sweet or milk)
1/4 cup water
5 TBS sugar
3 large egg yolks

• Put the 1/4 c of water in small bowl & sprinkle the gelatin over it.
• Put the egg yolks into a large bowl & whisk lightly to mix.
• Add the sugar & whisk until smooth.
• Put the milk into a saucepan & bring just to a boil.
• Gradually whisk the hot milk into the yolks.
• Then return the mixture into the saucepan.
• Cook the custard over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom of the pan constantly with a wooden spoon.
• Cook the custard sauce until it reaches 165 to 170°F on an instant read thermometer
  
• Run your finger down the middle of the custard, & if the trail stays it's ready).
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave.
• Stir the softened gelatin into the custard, whisking until the gelatin is dissolved.
• Whisk the custard into the chocolate.
• Pour the mixture into a bowl & allow this to cool to about room temp.
• Place in refrigerator for 20 mins, stirring every 5 mins.

Be careful when whisking the milk into the yolks. If you put too much hot liquid too quickly into the yolks, you will have scrambled eggs. Just pour in a small amount at first.

Ganache
by: Chef Taz

8 oz. cream
1 TBS butter (optional but makes it stay really shiny even after refrigerating)
1 oz. sugar
12 oz (340 g)chocolate

Footnote
White chocolate use nearly double the chocolate to cream
240 ml cream
455 g white chocolate

• Break chocolate into 1/2 oz pieces and place in stainless steel bowl.
  
• Heat cream, butter and sugar to boiling. Pour over chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Stir from center out until smooth. After refrigerating 1 hour then fill your piping bag
• Or use to ice your cake by pouring or spreading (allow to cool to room temp first)

So there are the recipes I used to make a Doberge cake. You can also make a lemon doberge cake by using lemon filling, white buttercream, and poured fondant icing with a little lemon extract added. Very good. And here's the video demonstrating how I made it.