So I was just talking about Boston Cream Pie (mmmm) on another thread and I started wondering how the cake got to be called a pie. Here's what I found:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/BostonCreamPie.htm
(History of Boston Cream Pie with recipe.)
And if you'll notice, the 1879 recipe is for a cream puff! Interesting huh?
So the myth is the name. That Boston Cream Pie is not a pie--it's a cake!
What's your baking/caking myth lore?
Or do you have a question about baking lore we can all dive into?
That to bake scratch, one must first recreate the universe?!?....((sigh))Love your tagline by the way!
( signature)~Doing my part to promote the art of scratch baking, which amazingly does not require the complete restructuring of the universe.~
Love yours too!
Umm, but in fairness to the guy you're quoting (sagan?) he was referencing apple pie wasn't he?--he's probably too smart to get into the cake debate/debacle. 
So here's my next question--do you think German's chocolate cake can be improved upon and still be German's Chocolate Cake?
What is German's chocolate cake?
Can you make GCC with different kinds of chocolate?
I don't know....what is the essence of a German Choco cake...the coconut frosting? Ihaven't made German Choc cake in alooooong time, forgot what it is. I do know that the German in the name isn't referring to Germany, but rather the creator of the original recipe....I think.
The German actually refer's to the man who invented the type of chocolate use (German's chocolate, manufactured by the Baker's Chocolate company, who in turn created the recipe to showcase the new type of chocolate).
For me, it's doesn't necessarily have to be the BRAND name Baker's German's chocolate, but it should be a mild (in the neighborhood of 48% cacao) sweet chocolate. If you make it with dark or semi-sweet (or even milk, really, since German's is NOT a milk chocolate) then it's not really a German Chocolate cake.
DingDingDingDing we have a winner!!!
No that's prety much what I think about German's choc cake, PinkZ. Except I'm a die hard gotta be German's. But your idea is very reasonable.
But I had some folks tweaking it with chichifoofoo million percent choco from the foothills of the mountains in the rain forest of chocolate love peace and groovy--hey guess what? It's potentially a great choco cake but it's not a German's choco one.
Cool huh?
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What other lore is out there? What other myths to bust?
Or how did such and such product begin?
Hey I've always heard that brownies were born from a (French?) baker's choco cake flop. I just always believed it 'cause it sounds so cool and believable. But I don't know for sure.
And y'all know the Neiman Marcus one?? Dynamite chocolate chip cookies though huh?
Hey the myths are heavy with chocolate huh?
edited to do my part in depleting the world's supply of typos.
Oh I have a ton French "pastry lore"--one of my Chef-Instructors from culinary school, well, I liked to call her the female Alton Brown (although for as many years as she has been a chef, I SHOULD say, Alton Brown is the male Toni Dickinson!). Nearly every traditional french recipe we learned had some sort of story behind why it was named what it was named or why it was shaped the way it was... I'll have to see which of them I can remember without screwing up and post some here... lol
Let's start with an easy one: Petit Four
While to most Americans, Petit Four refer to the super-sweet mini (1" or so) square layer cakes covered in poured fondant commonly served at tea parties and such, Petit Four actual refer to any small (1-2 bites, at most) cake, cookie, candy or even savory treat (hors d'oeuvre).
The name Petit Four translates to "little oven," and the name refers to the days when breads and pastries were baked in wood and coal-fired ovens, that were very labor intensive to keep hot. At the end of the baking day, when the ovens were no longer sufficiently hot to bake full size goods--rather than "waste" the heat, bakers started baking miniature treats that with bake quickly with the "little" amount of residual heat that remained in the oven.
There are generally two types of Petit Four: Petit Four sec (dry), which are simple cookies, cakes and candies, and Petit Four glace (of which the familiar square petit four belong to, as well as any other glazed or frosted petit four).
Cool idea for a thread! Keep them coming. Sorry, I don't know any off hand!
Well, all I know is that white chocolate isn't chocolate. That's about it. I figure everyone knows that one though.
This i gotta hear!!!! I worked for Neiman Marcus, whish story are u talking about?
Here is how I first heard of it:
Subject: Fwd: Neiman-Marcus Cookie Recipe - For Free
THIS IS NOT A JOKE ::: PLEASE READ AND FORWARD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW
My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus Café In Dallas and decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us are such cookie lovers, we decided to try the "Neiman-Marcus cookie." It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe and the waitress said with a small frown, "I'm afraid not but, you can buy the recipe."
Well, I asked how much, and she responded, "Only two fifty, it's a great deal!" I agreed with approval, just add it to my tab I told her.
Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement and it was $285.00. I looked again and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said, "Cookie Recipe - $250.00" That was outrageous!
I called Neiman's Accounting Dept. and told them the waitress said It was "two-fifty," which clearly does not mean "two hundred and fifty dollars" by any POSSIBLE* interpretation of the phrase. Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money, because according to them, What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the recipe. We absolutely will not refund you money at this point."
I explained to her the criminal statues which govern fraud in Texas. I threatened To refer them to the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General Office for engaging in fraud. I was basically told, "Do what you want, it doesn't matter, we're not refunding your money." I waited, thinking of how I could get even, or even try and get any of my money back. I just said, "Okay, you folks got my $250, and now I'm going to have $250.00 Worth of fun." I told her that I was going to see to it that every Cookie Lover in the United States with an e-mail account has a $250.00 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus...for free.
She replied, "I wish You wouldn't do this." I said, "Well, you should have thought of that before you ripped me off," and slammed down the phone on her. So here it is!!!
Please, please, please pass it on to everyone you can possibly think of. I paid $250 for this...I don't want Neiman-Marcus to *ever* get another cent for this recipe.
NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIES
(Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal ***
24 oz. chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
* Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
* Cream the butter and both sugars.
* Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.
* Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts.
* Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
*Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.
From that bastion of all knowledge Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neiman_Marcus
(Scroll down to Neiman Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe story.)
The NM legend cookies absolutely rule!! But ain't that a great story???
I mean petit four--a small four --would that be a 2 maybe? a 3.75?
Who knew???
So cool --I love that, PinkZness.
Cool idea for a thread! Keep them coming. Sorry, I don't know any off hand!
Well, all I know is that white chocolate isn't chocolate. That's about it. I figure everyone knows that one though.
Actually this is one that sort of gets my goat: White chocolate IS chocolate, it simply does not contain cocoa solids. It is still a product of the cacao bean (containing a minimum of 20% cocoa butter), and must be tempered and handled in the same way as other chocolates (The working temperature range for white is the same as for milk chocolate).
Now the stuff you buy at the craft store (candy melts, confectioner's coating, almond bark, etc.) is most CERTAINLY NOT chocolate, even though many people call it chocolate.
Sorry. I guess I didn't listen closely enough to Alton. 
And the white chocolate myth bites the dust. <poof>
I'm just happy I got to start a good thread--hey I'm a cheap date.
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