Q: We have just ordered frozen egg yolks to speed up production processes. Do these yolks contain added sugar?
S.M., Harrisburg, Pa.

A: Egg yolks are separated from fresh eggs and blended with 10 percent sugar or glucose corn syrup (by weight). The mixture is then pasteurized and blast frozen. One advantage is that the addition of sugar retains the functional properties of egg yolks during frozen storage. No need for messy separation and any associated shell and egg white waste. Buying frozen egg yolks ensures a consistent, convenient product that is easy to use. You may need to make adjustments for the added sugar in the yolks.

Examples:

• 11 ozs. of frozen eggs yolks = 10 ozs. yolks and 1 oz. sugar

• 550 ml of frozen egg yolks = 500 ml egg yolks and 50 g sugar

Q: In our small retail bakery we sell a lot of coffee with the donuts, Danish pastries and other products. We buy the coffee beans in bulk once a month and store them at room temperature, but by the end of the month, the coffee is harsher in flavor and more bitter than it is right after delivery. Any recommendations how we can get good coffee to the last bean?
Patsy, via e-mail

A: Freezing the coffee beans in a zipper-lock bag with the air removed will help prolong the shelf life of your coffee beans. Letting the frozen coffee beans return to room temperature before grinding and brewing seems to allow more of the essential oils to resurface, resulting in a perfect flavorful cup of coffee until the last bean has been used.

Q: How can we remove the wax from the skin of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, oranges and cucumbers? We use all of these items in our bakery and deli.
Oyuki, via e-mail

A: You may use a commercially available fruit/vegetable wash, but it is rather expensive in the long run. Distilled white vinegar washed off with warm running water works just as well and will remove most of the wax from any produce.

Q: Is half-and-half really 50 percent milk and 50 percent heavy cream?
Diane, via e-mail

A: According to the USDA, half-and-half is a homogenized mixture of milk and cream. Under USDA requirements, it must have between 10 and 12 percent milk fat.

Q: When we cut pie dough using a commercial pie press the edge of the crust disintegrates at the point of the cut. The crust was formulated for this machine, and the pie filling is cooked.
Blandina, via e-mail

A: Your problem could have a variety of different sources. Too much fat in the dough can make the crust too weak. Make sure that you use flour with a protein content of about 11.2 percent (bread flour) and that the gluten/dough is properly developed. Pie dough that is too stiff (not enough water/liquid) also produces weakness. Avoid over-baking as this will separate the dough from the filling. Pie presses work best with firm doughs that have been either chilled or partially frozen.

Q: What is the difference between pâte brisée and pâte sucrée?
S.G., San Francisco

A: Both are French terms for either flaky dough or a sweetened short pastry. Pâte brisée is a term for “short pastry,” a rich flaky dough used for sweet and savory crusts for products, such as pies, tarts, quiches or barquettes. Pâte sucrée is a term used for a rich, sweetened short pastry used for desserts, such as pies, tarts and filled cookies.
Source: The Food Lover's Companion, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst; Barron's Educational Series Inc.

Q: Can you provide us with a formula for a “brown” Danish filling?
Alyssa, via e-mail

A: The following “brown” Danish filling has always worked well for me.

“Brown” Danish filling

Ingredients	Lbs.	Ozs.	Metric
Hazelnuts, lightly roasted, ground	2	3.25	1 kg
Granulated sugar	1	12.25	800 g
Glucose		7	200 g
Cinnamon, ground		0.35	10 g
Water	1	1.5	500 ml
Total appr. wt.	5	8.35	2.51 kg
Method: Combine all ingredients until well blended. Use as desired.

Klaus Tenbergen is certified as a Master Baker in Germany, South Africa and the United States. He is currently an assistant professor at California State University in Fresno, teaching classes in Culinology®-the blending of culinary arts and the science of food. For more information, call 559/278-2164 or contact Klaus Tenbergen at ktenbergen@csufresno.edu.