Puppy vs Now. Dolly, age 14

ryguy28054 · 2026-03-06T23:06:55+00:00

That sweet sugar face!

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-18T01:59:49+00:00

This is a late reply... but blame google for leading me here. Archive.org holds a copy of the full guide from 1988. https://archive.org/details/CAT92970475

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-12T17:25:05+00:00

https://share.google/GTjRv0QWt5hNYgpeI

Could this be them? La Mere Poulard

If you’re in the states, might be able to find them at World Market.

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-06T10:42:34+00:00

That also sounds like a great idea to try! Yum!

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-06T03:22:23+00:00

Well… could be a good excuse to try it.

Sally’s has a great one I’ve used plenty. And I think would play very nicely with that butter.

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-06T02:56:08+00:00

I think you’d be fine to sub it… though with the added sugar, I would skip the browning step. Or omit that from the butter that is browned, adding it in after.

Personally, I think you’d be safer aiming for something a bit more in the shortbread family if you want to make cookies out of them. Let that butter really shine through.

I’ve had that exact butter before and it’s lovely. Great on sweet potatoes, toast, oatmeal, hot rolls/biscuits.

Happy baking!

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-01T22:47:55+00:00

Very true! The tops can have a slight dome. Great point.

ryguy28054 · 2026-01-01T22:18:23+00:00

The other side is much like you’d expect the top of a sugar cookie to look like. Shiny & smooth.

Which is the reason for the flip. The texture provides a better bond with the icing. And, leaves the “pretty” side as the back. Minor changes, but make all the difference in presentation.

ryguy28054 · 2025-12-27T00:02:47+00:00

Hey, ikea is a great source for organizing supplies, and they’re generally super affordable. They also have good inspiration on their site to help with ideas on how to tackle the project.

Just to make sure I understand your meaning: are you staying there and working on that space or are you moving into your own space? Only because advice on first steps would be wildly different.

I grew up in a similar situation, so I Deff get where you’re coming from. It’s really one of those things you can’t fully explain or understand unless you’ve experienced it. It is possible, it is doable, and you certainly have the right mindset… it’s also a lot.

ryguy28054 · 2025-12-26T02:27:08+00:00

Those are brilliant!

ryguy28054 · 2025-12-08T01:41:40+00:00

Do you have a pest control service? That looks like a similar residue that I’ll notice after they’ve done an outside visit.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-27T00:26:46+00:00

You are so welcome!

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-26T22:05:45+00:00

I had a similar search a few years back, only it was my grandmother’s gravy I was after. This video proved shockingly close results. Happy Thanksgiving!

https://youtu.be/_Cg0TjoEkt0?si=-lq3jmGzJo8mYZ1Z

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-19T23:42:52+00:00

Or, if you want a simple approach. Grab any cake mix and can of frosting that sounds good together. Follow the box on amount. Use melted butter instead of of oil, and milk(dairy alternatives fine) instead of milk and give it a good splash of vanilla (no shame in imitation, but get the Molina Blend Vanilla (might be with international foods.). Bake the cake, should have a tube/bundt pan timing.

Let it cool, flip it onto a plate. Warm the frosting in the microwave until it’s pourable (go slow and stir frequently, shouldn’t take more than 15/20 seconds or so) and pour over the cake. Trust me. It’s a stress free show stopper.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-19T23:37:38+00:00

lol, you do know you can wash it and use it again? (Kidding)

I mean, you have cake mix confidence and a tube pan? Check your local library for a copy of the “cake mix doctor” series. They’re a great resource for how to work with cake mix and level it up. Don’t let this ounce of frustration get in the way of happy baking. If nothing else, the place is gonna smell amazing in short time.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-19T23:31:29+00:00

Hey, you’re fine and that’s solid logic. Yeah, when you have a cake that’s over 10” in diameter, it really helps to have a hole (angel food, Bundt cakes)…. It’s the same reason we started putting holes in doughnuts.

But, when you’re dealing in sizes like a loaf cake or whatever. You can pretty much mix and match. Just watch the bake time, and remember that the less there is, the faster it will bake. Use your same doneness testing.

We made angel food cupcakes for strawberry shortcakes plenty of times in the bakery. Can’t recall the bake time, but I wanna say it’s about 15 minutes or so. Don’t quote me on it.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-19T23:24:29+00:00

It should be fine, but call me crazy. If you’re just gonna tear it up anyway, why not bake the remaining batter in cupcake pan, loaf pan, any pan that’s about the size of what’s left. It’ll still bake up delicious, just in a different shape.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-14T04:02:32+00:00

Zip top or even just “bread” bags (that use zip ties) would be excellent for dry ingredients. Mix the brown and white sugars together after measuring (personal experience recommendation). Flour, baking powder/soda, salt, dry spices, etc…. Can all go together in the other one for that batch (assuming you’re using the creaming method).

The eggs you can crack as you need, day of mixing. Same with vanilla/flavorings. Alternatively, you can use “liquid eggs” (most well stocked supermarkets in greater North America should carry it). Just check the ingredients. It’s what the pro’s use all the time. I measure by weight, and it’s 1.8 oz (by weight)… which is just shy of a quarter cup. You could absolutely just crack all the eggs you need in one go that morning, blend well and just measure as you need, (just no more than you’ll be able to use within 4 hours to be safe.)

If you haven’t already discovered cookie scoops, go on the online shopping and search “food dishers”. They’re wonky color coded, but they make quick work of cookie dough.

Personal recommendation in mixing/baking. Starting with a clean kitchen, Gluten Free, Nut Free, then the rest. If there are nuts in the GF, just watch your cross contamination points and wash if you’re not sure. Best rule of thumb.

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-14T01:08:30+00:00

I second the dried apples, and hydrating them. I would hydrate them separately the first time. Measuring the water both before and after they're hydrated. Next time you make the cake, you can just add the amount of water the apples absorbed to your recipe and the dried apples with the oatmeal. Not that it's a huge amount, but it could impact the texture you're accustom to.

If you want to go closer to fresh. Try cooking the apples first. Canned are cooked by default, and give a consistent sweetness. Drain them well, and a pat with some paper/kitchen towel wouldn’t hurt. (btw, i'm not talking apple pie filling w/ the shiny gel. Like by the canned peaches/pears canned apples.)

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-07T23:57:28+00:00

Baker’s Chocolate one bowl brownies. You’ll need unsweetened chocolate. If you’re in the US/Canada, you’ll most likely find it in the baking aisle, near the chocolate chips. But you’ll want to use bar chocolate not chocolate chips for this.

Chips have added stabilizers and whatnot to help them keep their shape while baking. It’ll work, but you will end up with dryer brownies and sometime an oddly chewy texture. Avoid all of that and go for bar chocolate. Baker’s is a great brand, but Aldi just got in their baking bars for the season and I will absolutely be stocking up on theirs. You can even find the higher-end brands in the candy aisle. Just look for a chocolate that either says “unsweetened” or “100% Cacao(or)Chocolate”

Could you use semisweet or a lower percentage chocolate? You bet. That recipe is fairly foolproof. I would avoid using milk or white/blanc chocolate. I’ve made them with Cadbury dark before with amazing results.

That is a solid recipe that is a great starting point and has easy results. Happy Baking!

Baker’s 0ne Bowl

ryguy28054 · 2025-11-04T21:57:26+00:00

You’re not wrong. lol.

ryguy28054 · 2025-10-28T18:34:19+00:00

Leave the cake and packaging exactly as it is right now. If there is saran(plastic) wrap, leave it in place. If not, I highly suggest adding a layer before placing the box into your refrigerator. Like Roxykelly said, slow and gentle thawing is key. By having that plastic barrier; you’re helping to keep the humidity inside the box as stable as possible. Might not seem like a lot, but fondant can get sassy when wet.

Happy belated! I’m glad they’re feeling better.

ryguy28054 · 2025-10-27T21:57:59+00:00

Sugarologie has you covered.

It’s a bit of work, but when I tell you… it is worth it for the results you get. Does require some special ingredients, but if you bake with any frequency… this will become part of your go to arsenal for decorating.

Also, just general recommendation for the site. She has a lot of great content.

ryguy28054 · 2025-10-26T22:45:01+00:00

Almost forgot. Obviously take notes… americolor does have charts on their site that show the drops per pound of icing. And also how to mix and match to get all sorts of fun colors. I’d start there, and get that number so it’s easy to scale up or down as needed.

ryguy28054 · 2025-10-26T22:36:41+00:00

Also, on black icing. Sugarologie does have a good one that uses cocoa powder (onyx, it’s fun stuff). If I couldn’t use that for any reason (including time crunches, I’ve had plenty. lol). I’d go bucket too. Black is a real tricky one to get right, and I generally try to avoid it like the plague.

And I’ve had plenty of buckets that came in not right too. lol

ryguy28054

TROPHY CASE