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Danish Pastry guinea pigs needed
shmokes:
--- Quote from: Dervacumen on March 09, 2012, 01:02:44 pm ---
Will you clarify your thoughts on the relative amounts of each of the three component fillings, dough texture (especially the inside of the ring and the bottom), amount of glazing and almonds? After reheating, please, since going forward that's the only option.
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Unfortunately I have little to add. I just heated and consumed two more pieces so I could address your questions with fresh information (the tough life of a product tester). But I feel like the pastry is pretty well nailed, at least beyond my experience/skill to suggest many improvements. I wouldn't want more or less filling, and the proportions of each filling tasted right to me. I couldn't say that any one should be increased or reduced without trying two different prototypes side-by-side. But I think I could tell if it was wrong . . . like if you used too much almond paste and not enough apricot. So I think your instincts were probably just right.
I'm a toasted almond fiend, so I wouldn't mind more of those, but I'm also the guy who earlier in this thread said that putting on too many almonds was interfering with the presentation.
Icing, too, I thought was perfect. But I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so maybe the average person would prefer more. I'll take a baguette over pain au chocolat any day of the week. I lived for a few months a block away from a bakery that sold demi-baguettes with apricots baked right into them. I bought one every morning (except Thursdays when they were infuriatingly closed) still hot from the oven, on my way to work. But I don't really buy pastries ever. Maybe the occasional custard tart covered in raspberries, but rarely anything like a danish or a croissant.
The bottom of my pastry was fine. It's only a shade darker than the rest of the pastry with a few dark spots peppered about it here and there. It doesn't exhibit any burned qualities. It doesn't stand out as being noticeably different at all in flavor or texture from the rest of the pastry.
Dervacumen:
--- Quote from: Nephasth on March 09, 2012, 01:45:54 pm ---I could answer a few of your questions now, but I will wait until I can answer all of them at once. Those were just our initial reactions to our first tastings. We still have just over half of the pastry left. My wife didn't dislike the pastry, she thinks it's tasty, but she just didn't get that "wow" impression. I will ask my wife and our son to go more in depth with their thoughts on this, the little girl might not be able to explain her reasons for not liking it though (but I will try to get her to try it again).
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I'm in no rush, and I understand not everyone will have that "wow" moment, nor should they. Just getting very appreciated feedback. Sometimes the feedback provides an "AHA!" moment, sometimes it's noise, and both are valuable. Look at it this way: pretend I'm building my own arcade machine (assuming you want one in the first place). How do I make it one just have to play? And why do you come back?
Dervacumen:
--- Quote from: shmokes on March 09, 2012, 02:19:20 pm ---
--- Quote from: Dervacumen on March 09, 2012, 01:02:44 pm ---
Will you clarify your thoughts on the relative amounts of each of the three component fillings, dough texture (especially the inside of the ring and the bottom), amount of glazing and almonds? After reheating, please, since going forward that's the only option.
--- End quote ---
Unfortunately I have little to add. I just heated and consumed two more pieces so I could address your questions with fresh information (the tough life of a product tester). But I feel like the pastry is pretty well nailed, at least beyond my experience/skill to suggest many improvements. I wouldn't want more or less filling, and the proportions of each filling tasted right to me. I couldn't say that any one should be increased or reduced without trying two different prototypes side-by-side. But I think I could tell if it was wrong . . . like if you used too much almond paste and not enough apricot. So I think your instincts were probably just right.
I'm a toasted almond fiend, so I wouldn't mind more of those, but I'm also the guy who earlier in this thread said that putting on too many almonds was interfering with the presentation.
Icing, too, I thought was perfect. But I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so maybe the average person would prefer more. I'll take a baguette over pain au chocolat any day of the week. I lived for a few months a block away from a bakery that sold demi-baguettes with apricots baked right into them. I bought one every morning (except Thursdays when they were infuriatingly closed) still hot from the oven, on my way to work. But I don't really buy pastries ever. Maybe the occasional custard tart covered in raspberries, but rarely anything like a danish or a croissant.
The bottom of my pastry was fine. It's only a shade darker than the rest of the pastry with a few dark spots peppered about it here and there. It doesn't exhibit any burned qualities. It doesn't stand out as being noticeably different at all in flavor or texture from the rest of the pastry.
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This really helps me understand what's going on. I wonder about the few dark spots, however I'm pretty certain about the cause so I'll pay close attention to that. It's kinda funny about the almonds, only because I could really see they didn't translate well in pictures.
Thanks again.
shmokes:
No need to guess at what the bottom looks like. Here's a couple pictures taken in the same light so you can compare the top to the bottom.
Rando:
--- Quote from: Dervacumen on March 08, 2012, 11:50:47 pm ---Next up is group two. It may take a bit to get these out because I want to work on what I've learned and that takes a lot of time, baking, and eating way to much pastry. I promise it won't be much over a couple of weeks if that.
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Nice,
Not as long a wait as group 3, but a better pastry than group 1... Group 2 FTW!!! :D
Seriously, looking forward to this, moreso now that I'm seen and heard some responses. If this arrives right before Palm Sunday, I'll have a houseful of Italian and Polish feedback. If way before (how long could I store it before serving?) or after, I'm thinking about bring it to work, but don't know if I'll be able to heat it which appears to be key. Microwaving would be a bad thing I assume, wonder if we have a toaster oven in the building anywhere??
Thanks Derv,
Take your time enhancing the second batch!! :)