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idea for a simple pastry product that would require minimum of investment

3K views 47 replies 11 participants last post by  flipflopgirl 
#1 ·
I am new to this career. I am currently working as a cook in bakery department in Whole Foods, and I assume that I could post here. If not, please let me know.

I want to develop a simple pastry item that requires minimum equipment. I want to perfect the procedure through experimentation, and I don't want to act extravagantly in terms of my finances.

I am looking for ideas for pastry items that could be made with minimum equipment investment. I am looking for something small that could be packed in a creative and attractive way to give out. I want to be able to create something that would feed all the sense, the aesthetic aspect being emphasized. It needs to be manageable on my very modest budget.

Thank you.
 
#3 ·
Hi Kbuff,

Not to sound snotty or anything, but if anyone on this site met the criteria for your idea, odds are they would develop it themselves instead of tossing it out for free.

Once again, I apologize for sounding snotty.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
What I simply meant was what kind of products would require least tools. I take that it is a naive question to ask, perhaps, but why not ask it anyway? You have to try, you know. I've gotten some answers from various forums that amazed me in their simplicity.  Sometimes we are more stupid than we think. And, for instance, I have many ideas that I can't put to work because it's not the right time or place, but nevertheless they could be great for someone else that is in that point of his life that he can use it. And BTW, business or not, nothing worthwhile is a piece of cake.

Best, and thank you.
 
#5 ·
Tools for?

Production?
Portioning?
Storage of raw ingredients?
Packaging?
Labeling? (including bar codes. No store will touch you if you don't have bar codes)
Storage of finished products?
Shipping?
Display/merchandising?

If you like, I can steer you in the direction of a few distributers. They can tell you what retail stores want, and can take over all distibution. Most charge between 30%-35%.
 
#8 ·
Just forget about cottage laws, etc.. My question didn't go there. I didn't intend to start an omnibus discussion on how to start a business in NJ. Simply a list of possible products, but I see it is not as simple as I thought, and I speak from somewhat different frame of reference. My apologies. 
 
#9 ·
Ah I see....

May suggest doing some "leg work" first?

Make something at home, take a few pics, and ask friends, family, etc. what they would pay for, say, a 8" ny cheesecake. If 5 or more from 10 people you ask give you a price that covers your ingredients and time, you might make a go of it.
 
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#10 · (Edited)
Samples to shop around with the end game being to take orders and start your own home bakery?
Does NJ have a cottage law in place?

mimi
Actually the CL makes a huge difference.
If there is not one then you will need thousands of dollars to bring a home kitchen up to code before you can legally produce even one morsel .
Even if you give it away.

mimi
 
#11 ·
Everything is simple and easy to make with minimum tools if you know how.  You need to work in a good hotel pastry department.  You need to move your hands fast and be organized.

I worked in an independent pastry shop for one year.  We cranked out 50 baguettes twice a day, a couple cakes, focaccia, strudel, pithiviers, etc.  It took three people five hours to do full production for a store which did $300/day.  This was in the late 90s.

Butter, sugar, flour.  Three basic ingredients.

Rolling pin, scale, oven.  Basic equipment.
 
#12 · (Edited)
If your arm is strong and you have good technique there are many small treats you can make with only a whisk, bowl and baking sheets.

There was a vid posted last week showing the OP cranking out French macs using only a whisk.

Of course for those you will need to add a sifter, a piping (or ziplock ) bag with a large bore tip.... and a large silicone or rubber spatula (I recommend silicone as you can also use it to stir molten sugar during candy making).

My daughter makes a lot of altered cake mix cookies and snack cakes with a whisk so definitely buy one (an assortment would be great but you could start with one if it is large).

If you cannot get to a restaurant supply store Target has kitchen gadgets on sale this week.

mimi
 
#13 ·
Of course for those you will need to add a sifter, a piping (or ziplock ) bag with a large bore tip.... and a large silicone or rubber spatula (I recommend silicone as you can also use it to stir molten sugar during candy making).
You don't even need those really. Sifter? That's just a plain kitchen strainer. Piping bag? That's parchment.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Thank you all,

I though that this thread will produce a list of specific items with a corresponding list of specific tools, and that it will be highly individualistic, even idiosyncratic, and less concerned with being possibly wrong or inappropriate. I though I will get some wild or even whacky ideas:)

Best
 
#16 · (Edited)
Go to search and plug in macaron.

Not being snarky....along with the vid you will turn up a great many threads with lots of FAQ's with answers you can trust.

Don't get off track trying to analyze every recipe in every post or you will end up going in circles...

mimi
Thank you all,

I though that this thread will produce a list of specific items with a corresponding list of specific tools, and that it will be highly individualistic, even idiosyncratic, and less concerned with being possibly wrong or inappropriate. I though I will get some wild or even whacky ideas:)

Best
If you stick with Chef Talk and become a regular contributing member you will find most of the info to be of professional caliber.

Yes we do like to have fun but when it comes down to brass tacks the majority of the community is seriously serious when it comes to food.

m.
 
#18 · (Edited)
So I read this whole thread......and I'm just wondering......I mean, whenever I need inspiration, I just pull out one of my pastry books and browse......

all the recipes, including the equipment you'll need, are all right there........am I missing something here?
 
#20 · (Edited)
@kbuff The human element IS needed to be inspired......so nope.....not missing.

As for this brainstorming sort of plan you have thought of in your mind.......in the food industry there is a heck of a lot more issues one has to work out BEFORE one can just brainstorm or be inspired to create a product.

The first would be that you need to have experience and possible formal training to be able to 'develop a pastry product'. If you would just like to look at some pictures and want to make that particular product then what @chefpeon has to say is bang on. Macarons and fraisier cakes have already been 'developed'. The simple truth is that you do not have the knowledge nor experience to know even a quarter of what we can talk about or suggest so you will have to do some legwork on this.

The second is that one would need to know what you are 'developing' this item for. What sort of application and audience are you trying to appeal to your product.

The third would be Food Safety.......OF COURSE!!

I can go on however, I am sure you are now understanding the scope of issues that can and will arise from such an inquiry. This is NOT your former field of work in the woodwork atmosphere and I am pretty sure that if I walked in and asked a similar question pertaining to millwork or architectural woodworking, I would have to be very specific in scope of job and outcome I wish to achieve before one could 'brainstorm' and give me ideas and estimates toward equipment needed for said project.

If you wish to 'brainstorm' then come to the table with more specific parameters and outcomes you wish to achieve and we can help you from there with our 'wild and crazy' ideas /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

PS: I hope that is serious enough for you.
 
#21 ·
I think I'm confused too.  What's the end game?  Do you want to get the word out about the product or do you want to get the word out about a business?  Marshmallows or cookies can be attractively packaged, and inexpensively made depending on the recipe; but something based on dairy or chocolate might have issues with shelf life and require refrigeration.  So I think having an objective will help narrow suggestions and help with the brainstorming.  A lot of what you might already be doing at work might be possible.if you look at it from a different perspective.
 
#23 ·
Thank you guys.

I apologize for the confusion. My request was kinda of an "open question", and I've realized that it could be difficult to address, especially for the scientifically inclined, as bakers most likely are. I hoped to learn about baked goods with particularly strong visual appeal that I may not come across otherwise.  And I assumed that getting answers from the people in the known could put me on the right track – they would know better than I what would be feasible for a guy on a budget. This might have been a wrong approach, I admit. I just took my chance to fish for ideas and advice, like a fisherman who casts his fishing net in an unknown water, and then waits to see what happens. Fishing for an unknown fish. J

I admit that "to develop a product" wasn't a good word choice, since it presupposes a vast knowledge on my part.

In regard to fraisier cakes – I mentioned them because I felt that they present a great opportunity if one wants to be a little creative. Like making some beautiful design with the fruit that will be visible on the cake surface. I'm sure that this is most likely nothing new, but still may be further explored. But I wasn't sure that the amount of work this might require would pay off.

I hope to eventually create a number of "morsels to give out" that together with other stuff (business card, etc.) would help me to build a professional network. 

I’ve also realized that by not wanting to make this thread too complex, I probably made it too vague. 

To sum up:

1. The "audience" is people that I meet and want to give them something more personal and tangible (and tasty and beautiful) than just a business card, to be more effective in networking, and regardless, just to delight them and to make their day a little more enjoyable. 

2. The baked goods should be fairly small, and feasible to make on a budget.

3. The emphasis in on beauty and presentation.

4. I want to limit myself to a few choices so I can do the required legwork, and with time to perfect those "morsels to give out".

Again, many thanks to you guys.

Thank you guys.
 
#25 ·
I still don't think your explaining this properly. I know you have the thought in your mind but it not getting as to why you want to give something. I understand that you want to hand the people you meet a sample of what you do. It's like here I am the proof of the quality I talk about is in this sample decadent dessert. What is your opening line to the people you meet? Is it "Hi my name is Kbuff I am a Professional Pastry Chef and I would like to talk with you about my Pastry catering business". ..............I found this packaging it's just an idea and can be made to size. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea. I did this with my clients in some cases catering a small lunch in their home for them and a few of their friends. In my case it may cost me my time and cost of food but I would also get all their catering and all of their friends catering.

 
#26 · (Edited)
Honestly, I've done the "edible business card" thing when I was trying to score accounts for the various shops I've worked for and also for my own business. Really,

with the time and effort that goes into it, it really isn't worth any kind of payoff you may get.  For one thing, since that morsel is more or less a "first impression" type deal,

it has to be perfect and very fresh, otherwise, why bother? Then there's the issue of whether the people you are giving this thing to are actually eating it. They may not even like or appreciate what you've made, or may be on one of those crazy diets, like gluten-free or paleo or whatever. To me and from my experience, doing that sort of thing is a wasted effort. 

What HAS worked for me is a more direct approach. If you are cold-calling people looking for business, the best thing is to go into it with the strategy of finding out what they might want. Once you know what they are looking for, make THAT THING and bring it to them, gratis. THAT'S what makes the impression, AND they know you're serious if you would actually do something like that. It's more effective marketing, and believe me it works far better than blanketing a swath of people with something they may never order from you. Time is valuable. Super valuable. Use it wisely and effectively.
 
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