You are here:
- Home
- Food/Drink
- French Cuisine
- Desserts
Desserts/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| Issue with homemade caramels | 1/29/2012 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I made chocolate covered homemade caramels the other day and the caramel is way too hard - too chewy ... A: I'm not up on making candies (my waistline couldn't handle it), so I may not have the best answer, ... | ||
| Issue with homemade marshamallows | 1/21/2012 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I've made homemade marshmallows for years with no problems. All of a sudden, it seems I'm making ... A: Joelle, I've never made marshmallows, although I have often wanted to give it a try. My problem is ... | ||
| Powdered sugar for cake | 12/27/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: Does powdering sugar make cakes heavy? I tried making Lemon Chiffon Cake, and I powdered the sugar ... A: I'm not sure if YOU are making the powdered sugar from granulated sugar or if you are purchasing the ... | ||
| apple crisp | 12/22/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: Is it possible to prepare apple crisp ahead of time (many hours ahead) and then bake it off just ... A: Pat, The only part of the dish that I think is ever 'crisp' is the topping. And that can be ... | ||
| Special | 12/16/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: Howz you doin..? well i want to make something really special for my parents n brother. My father ... A: The chances of me picking a recipe from the thousands that I would have that might interest you or ... | ||
| Cupcakes verses 2 loaf pans | 12/15/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: My recipe calls for 2 8x4 loaf pans at 375 for 45-55 minutes. I am trying the new cupcake pan where ... A: You will need to bake them for about 20 minutes. Below is a website that gives more detailed ... | ||
| wedding cake | 11/12/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I was asked to make a wedding cake for my son and daughter-in-law. They want the German chocolate ... A: While this can be a bit of a challenge, Wilton is always available to assist. Go visit this link: ... | ||
| Beating Egg Whites Into Submission | 11/6/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I have a recipe for Meringue Cookies that I found online and have been dying to try...which I did ... A: Candy, Yes, the plastic bowls hold residual grease and that is a guaranteed white-buster! In ... | ||
| weeping meringue | 10/27/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I do a lot of baking for restaurants and have recently had one request pies. I'm having a problem ... A: Vicki, This is such a common problem --- what I read at this website seems to suggest something ... | ||
| agar agar and the pineapple | 10/14/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I saw jelly alike pineapple cream for cake made with agar agar. I've tried to make it using milk, ... A: Most recipes do not call for cornstarch with the agar agar. I do not use agar agar but unflavored ... | ||
| Heavy Cream Substitute | 10/11/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: Deborah, Is there any substitute for heavy cream from the scratch? A: RJ - It depends on what you want to use it for. Here is what I found: ... | ||
| glazed fruit | 10/10/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am making this cheesecake for a cooking contest and need to know if the kiwi that is on top of the ... A: I have cut kiwi many times and let it set out with nothing on it and it never turned dark. I have ... | ||
| cheesecake | 9/27/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: In a no bake cheesecake cream cheese condensed milk etc, can orange juice be used instead of lemon ... A: I don't see why you can't use orange juice. I believe that there is an expectation that there will ... | ||
| texture of cupcakes | 9/17/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: What would cause a homemade white cake mix to give your mouth a dry after feeling. The cake was ... A: Boy, that's a good question. I guess my first avenue of thinking is that your flour may have been ... | ||
| Pate | 9/1/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I know you have an interest in desserts, but this is almost the same thing, it’s a dessert ... A: Emmely, I do not know of any dessert pate that can be kept at room temperature for extended periods ... | ||
| baking temp/time for 12x16 pan | 8/9/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am wanting to make a Red Velvet cake for my sister-in-law's B-day. I decided that a 9x13 wouldn't ... A: I think you will need more batter than 2 recipes if your recipe is like my red velvet cake recipe; ... | ||
| Thanks | 7/29/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Explain the procedure for portioning muffins and preparing them for baking? Compare pour batters ... A: Most recipes will tell you how many muffins a recipe will make for the size that is recommended. If ... | ||
| Help Please | 7/28/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am a Culinary Student like some help How does carryover baking impact a baked product? This is a ... A: Make sure you provide them with a good recipe and good instructions. This rolled in yeast dough has ... | ||
| Apple pie made with olive oil | 7/26/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Yesterday I have tried a recipe Apple -pie with olive oil (author Micki Sannar). Yes, it was a quick ... A: Yes, that is what I would do. Add more as you stir the dough. It should become a dough ball with a ... | ||
| baking cupcakes | 7/20/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am starting a cupcake cafe and would like to know about a used Blodgett convection oven. My ... A: Don, I am sorry but this is out of my league. I would suggest the you consult the Blodgett company ... | ||
| chocolate mixture seizes up | 7/19/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I have a recipe for S'mores bars where the mixture gets stiff (almost like fudge) and doesn't spread ... A: Many recipes like this are suppose to be thick. They are pressed into the pan with your hands after ... | ||
| Apple pie made with olive oil | 7/19/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Yesterday I have tried a recipe Apple -pie with olive oil (author Micki Sannar). Yes, it was a quick ... A: I would suggest trying to use a different oil that is lighter in flavor like grape seed oil. You can ... | ||
| Help | 7/14/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Explain how a pan's surface affects the outcome of the baked product? Contrast bread, cake and ... A: Your question is very general and wide topic. If you have a more specific pan or product I can go ... | ||
| picnic for 200-250 | 7/12/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am working with the church picnic and need to know the amount of watermelon to purchase for 250 ... A: Of course the number of watermelon depends on the size. A watermelon 13" long and about 32" around ... | ||
| pudding using rice milk | 7/10/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I have been searching for ways to make vanilla pudding using rice milk. I tried "candy" recipe ... A: You can probably substitute rice milk in any recipe. In regards to changing a chocolate to vanilla ... | ||
| How to remove 9x13 Cake | 6/13/2011 | Frances |
| Q: My daughter is in 4-H and we would like to make the cake in a 9x13 pan. However, she has to exhibit ... A: At what point do you put the topping on? If you bake the cake first and then you apply topping and ... | ||
| Icing Question | 6/9/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I was searching for a maple icing recipe for donuts that tastes like a bakery's would. I found an ... A: The one ingredient that stands out in my mind is emulsified shortening. Most professional bakers are ... | ||
| Hot Fudge | 6/6/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I want to make hot fudge but with white chocolate. I've made regular chocolate fudge before, but I ... A: I have used white chocolate in marshmallow cream fudge, substituting the chocolate, many times. ... | ||
| How much modeling chocolate? | 6/2/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I'm hoping you can help. I am getting married in a little over two months and am starting planning ... A: I would think for what you want to do you will need 8 1/2 pounds to 10 pounds depending on your ... | ||
| caramel for caramel custard | 5/29/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I follow the recipe exactly using sugar, corn syrup, a small amount of water and a tiny bit of lemon ... A: I am not familar with your recipe but I have made it with sugar and water. I personally prefer the ... | ||
| pie crust | 5/23/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I make a decent pie crust, taste-wise, but I can't keep the crimped edges from shrinking and ... A: The first thing is the recipe; it can not have too much shortening in it and the type of shortening ... | ||
| pastry cream | 5/21/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I followed Martha Stewarts pastry cream recipe, which I watched her make on tv. It looked perfect ... A: This is unusal for it to get thick and then thin. First of all I am assumimg you did not boil the ... | ||
| falling cream cheese pound cake | 5/20/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I have tried baking this particular cream cheese pound cake recipe for years. It is my all-time ... A: The first thing is to look at your ingredients. Different brands of margarines hold different amount ... | ||
| Baking Ingredients | 5/13/2011 | Frances |
| Q: my name is erika, i was wondering what the best ingredients were to use in baking a home made cake ... A: Generally speaking I would pick real butter as the most important ingredient. It gives a cake a rich ... | ||
| Japanese melon cheese cake | 5/6/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Soon it will be my mother's birthday, and I really want to surprise her. She loves honeydew and ... A: This is very nice that you want to do something like this for your mother. I have developed a recipe ... | ||
| baking blunder | 5/6/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I just baked mini pound cakes. The recipe directed to cream the sugar with the butter and then ... A: Of course the cake is safe to eat. One habit to form, unless a recipe specifies otherwise, cream the ... | ||
| Ingredients in vanilla cupcakes | 4/27/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I am searching for clues as to the ingredients used in the Sprinkles Cupcakes vanilla cake recipe. ... A: Mary Sue - Just wanted to clarify that some people call the Madagascar vanilla beans Bourbon. You ... | ||
| Food Colorings | 4/27/2011 | Frances |
| Q: I would like to match colors for desserts from colors I see in digital photographs, but the problem ... A: There is no way to copy those colors. They put different chemicals sprays on them when they take ... | ||
| Food Coloring | 4/21/2011 | Frances |
| Q: Frances ... We run a bake shop - with a major Cupcake selection - our problem is with food coloring ... A: Steve, I would use them for powdered products as well. The thing to remember is to add slowly and ... | ||
| cake recipes for 13x18 size sheet pan | 4/21/2011 | Deborah Robinson |
| Q: I am looking specifically for any cake recipe that will fit a 13x18 size sheet pan. I have found ... A: This is always an issue - and if you are making a recipe that is from scratch or from a box, you ... | ||
Frances
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I started cooking and baking when I was eight years old which gives me over fifty years of experience. My love has always been desserts. Although I am sure there is a question out there that I cannot answer, I have yet to come across it.
Experience
My experience includes both domestic and professional. My husband and I both came from large families and we had four children of our own. I have cooked and baked for all of the holidays, birthdays, graduations and weddings. Professionally, I trained in a French restaurant and worked at various country clubs and at the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World.
Publications
I have several articles and restaurant reviews published on ezine article, buzzle, article biz, selfgrowth.com and several others. I have authored two cookbooks and am currently working on a third.
Education/Credentials
I am certified by master chef Paul Bucose.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.