Regular recipes professionals use in the latest and greatest kitchen are very adaptable to the new state-of-the-art equipment gracing the globe today. We’ve been pushing the boundaries to figure out the best ways to use these fancy pieces of kit.

I have never been the high-tech the latest and greatest kitchen geek one calls upon at work when the program on the oven is misbehaving or when the dishwasher has been pulled to pieces and needs putting back together. So when Robo QBO came to Oz, I was completely daunted by the sheer size to ratio for a 15-litre bowl capacity—I mean, have you seen the size of this thing?!

The past couple of years, I’ve been making presentations on stage at various trade expos/shows targeted at professionals and the like. Let me tell you, those stages are always covered with the latest and greatest machinery and equipment we’ve seen, because that’s what expos are all about. You’ve got to remember that I am one of many from the classical bakeries and kitchens who has been armed with pots, pans, whisks and bowls, if you catch my drift, for so many years. But with time, effort, and training, some of the most confusing pieces of equipment are starting to look a hell of a lot less complicated.

I actually get excited about getting the opportunity to operate new equipment and test new recipes, figuring out the best ways to adapt methods. As the ingredient ratios don’t seem to change, it’s more the method of it coming together using the new toys I have to figure out.

The recipes I have included here are the ones that I demonstrated at the recent BAA Baking Industry Trade Show in Melbourne in June. The measurements for the ingredients haven’t changed a bit—for kicks we actually made the marzipan with a ‘hot’ method, which I never would normally bother with by hand, as it’s a huge amount of boiling hot messy work for little yield. Yet the QBO  whizzed it up in less than 10 minutes from start to finish. Then you just pop on the self-clean mode. Seriously, it’s easy to get used to the results, and I found I didn’t really need the extra icing sugar for rolling like I usually do.

Same goes for the Chocolate World automatic tempering machine with enrobing attachments. Sometimes you just need to upgrade production and put a hold on the hand dipping—the wear and tear on the labourer gets a bit much at times and we work tirelessly behind the scenes, which feels never-ending.

There are some really easy-to-use items on the market today, helping us to work smarter than harder, which in turn allows us to be more productive with our precious time. It’s all about assisting the professional to be more efficient and get speedy top results without compromise.

There are many brands to choose from for all these different types of the latest and greatest tools, ingredients and equipment. Trade shows and expos allow us to see what’s on offer and help us to do the research we need to find the best choice for us, our place of work, and our brand. Expos and shows happen on a global scale and in a variety of sizes, from rural one-day productions to week-long events with a much bigger range for viewing from suppliers.

JESS’S RASPBERRY ALMOND DIAMONDS

Lubeck Marzipan 50%

Ingredients

1000g ground almonds, skin on or off (you get two very different flavours and can even use 50/50 if you like).

Seeds of 4-5 vanilla beans (depending on size)

1000g pure icing sugar

50g rose water

100g Cointreu

400g glucose

Method

Bring together by blitzing it all in a food processor to a fine, even consistency. Tip onto a work surface dusted with pure icing sugar and bring together by hand, use icing sugar as needed. Wrap with plastic wrap and leave in a cool place in the kitchen overnight. Roll with icing sugar to half fill a standard frame—say 5mm, leaving 5mm for the jelly—on a flat board lined with Silpat.

Raspberry

ingredients

500g Ravifruit raspberry puree

10g yellow pectin

570g sugar

100g glucose

8g citric acid diluted at 50%

Final cooking temperature 105oc

Method

1. Heat Ravifruit puree at 50°C. Incorporate 20% of sugar mixed with pectin.

2. Bring to boil, then pour in left over sugar and glucose.

3. Cook to asked final cooking temperature. Take off heat and add citric acid to make pectin set, pour into frame, mould/s or pan, etc.

4. Allow to set 8-12 hours ideally before cutting and roll in regular white sugar and store in an airtight container OR pour over marzipan frames prepared and allow to set 8-12 before spreading a very thin layer of dark chocolate on both sides.

5. Cut on a confectionery cutter to desired shapes and enrobe with 65% dark chocolate.