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The Ritz Restaurant
A hotel dining room seemed the obvious choice for eating out in the lull between Christmas and New Year - and what hotel is more obvious than The Ritz?
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PLEASE BAKERS OR ANYONE HELP!?

My grandmothers birthday is the 3rd and I am going to make a vanilla cake for her i bought already whipped iccing and the cake stuff now i need help for decorations I want it to look amazing but i don't know how !
how can I make flowers or rose petals or decorations out of iccing whats the recipe and whats the cheapest?

I also want to make cookies and royal icing, is it easy? also is it cheap to make and after making the cake can i put the royal icicng in the fridge? I would like to make the cake a day before

Instead of trying to learn to make flowers, why don't you buy a bar of chocolate and make chocolate curls. Use a vegetable peeler on the edge of the bar to make the curls, then just sprinkle them over the cake.

You could also get some maraschino cherries and make a puff of icing with a star tip and then push a cherry into the puff (be sure all the juice drains from the cherry first). If you did that in maybe 8 places on the top of the cake and then one in the center, it would look really nice.

I like to put marshmallow fondant on cookies. It doesn't get as hard as royal icing and it's also a lot faster...just roll out the fondant and cut it with the cookie cutters, then when the cookies come out of the oven, lay the fondant shapes on them and the heat of the cookie will bond the fondant to it. This is the recipe that I use: http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm It can also be used to make cake decorations like flowers or little figures...but it won't hold up on top of whipped cream icing.

You could also decorate the cake with some fresh flowers. Here's a list of edible flowers: http://www.marketfresh.com.au/flowers/2_flowers_guide/Edible_flowers.asp Of course, most people don't want to eat flowers :D but the ones that are edible would also be safe to put on your cake.

The Art of Making Cappuccino

As you know, a cappuccino is an espresso prepared with steamed and frothed milk. There are many delightful ways to make cappuccino, but you should first learn how to make a perfect espresso. Your knowledge and skill, your beans and your machine all greatly affect the quality of the coffee you make.

Once you know the basics you'll be able to fully appreciate these recipes!

The Basic Cappuccino

The basic cappuccino is a 6-9 ounce beverage. It is composed of about 2-3 ounces of espresso coffee, 2-3 ounces of steamed milk and 2-3 ounces of frothed milk. Powdered cocoa or cinnamon is usually sprinkled on the top to give it that little special touch.

Here are some tips and tricks to take your cappuccino to the next level of deliciousness.

  • In order to properly layer the cappuccino, you should let the frothed milk rest a moment so the foam and milk can separate.
  • Pour the brewed espresso into a stainless steel pitcher as ceramic and glass cups absorb too much of the heat. The temperature of the espresso actually makes a big difference in taste and the best machines even allow you to regulate the temperature of the coffee as it's brewing.
  • To prepare your beverage, use a demitasse cup so you can keep the proportions correct. First pour the steamed milk into the cup until it fills about one third (2-3 ounces of milk). Then slowly pour the espresso into the steamed milk. Finally, spoon the froth in to fill the last few ounces of space. When this is done correctly, the espresso should settle between the milk and the foam.
  • Generally speaking, the frothed milk should be between about 150 and 170 degree Fahrenheit. To make the frothing easier, you should buy an espresso maker that has a frothing adaptor rather than a wand.

To learn more, read our article on how to make a perfect cappuccino in 5 minutes.

The Classic Cappuccino

This type of cappuccino is pretty common in Italy and North America and it's simply a cappuccino that is only topped with frothed milk (no steamed milk poured into the espresso). You simply top your 1-2 ounces of espresso with 1-2 ounces of foam. Delicious!

The Iced Cappuccino

Though the iced cappuccino doesn't differ in ingredients from the basic cappuccino, it is prepared differently. First, you brew your espresso (a single or double shot). Then you put about 5-6 ice cubes into a glass and pour the espresso over them. Stir it up to bring the temperature down. Then pour the cooled espresso into a serving cup and add 2-3 ounces of cold milk. Finally, froth up 2-3 ounces of milk and spoon only the warm froth onto the top.

The Milky Way Cappuccino

Now we're getting into the real yummy stuff. :) If you like chocolate and caramel (and who doesn't?), you'll love this one. In order to make a Milky Way Cappuccino, you simply create a basic (or classic) cappuccino and add one ounce of chocolate and one ounce of caramel before adding the milk (you pour the chocolate and caramel into the espresso and then pour the milk).

Simple but great!

The Almond Cappuccino

If you like almonds, you'll love this recipe. Once again it's very simple. Before mixing the steamed milk with the espresso, pour one ounce of vanilla extract and one ounce of almond extract into the espresso. Then simply finish off the Basic Cappuccino and enjoy!

The Peppermint Cappuccino

For this recipe you'll simply need the standard ingredients of a basic cappuccino plus a peppermint patty. While your coffee is brewing, place the milk and patty in a small pan and heat it up until the patty is melted. Stir the milk when the patty starts to dissolve to ensure it's mixed in nicely. Then finish your basic cappuccino with this scrumptious milk!

The Homemade Frappe Cappuccino

A frappe cappuccino is simply a blended (frappe) cappuccino. To make one, you first brew one large shot of espresso and then let it cool. You can put it in the fridge so it cools quicker. Once it is cool, it's time to get out your blender and pour in the coffee, about 4-5 ounces of milk, 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and about one cup of ice. Blend it up until the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth.

Well, I hope that gets you started with making great espresso.  However, to make outstanding espresso, you should learn a little more!

Patrick Goldman
http://makingespresso.com/

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