It's a Tube Thang

The company I work for derives most of our revenue from private label drug and cosmetic items.  We fill a lot of soap and mouthwash and hand sanitizer, those kinds of things.  Most of them are fluids filled into plastic bottles, but some go into jars and others go into tubes.  Things like creams or acne scrubs will go into tubes that are sealed at one end with a flip-top cap at the other, ready for the user to squeeze out and use.  Sounds really simple, right?  And if nothing changes, it is pretty simple.  But when things change  - as they are want to do MUCH of the time, it isn't so simple.  LOTS of details go into making the changes successful, and sometimes a little bit of food can help when those details make a body want to run from the building screaming and with their arms flailing.

Not that I know anything about wanting to run from a building screaming and with my arms flailing. But some people some where may feel it from time to time.

So this beautiful lady decided that we needed a tube food day - as in everything that folks brought in should be a tube food.  She has flowers sitting in empty, blank, upside-down tubes.  She has Tootsie Rolls and Little Smarties.  And she is holding a mini Slim Jim.  Get it?

 

 

We had little pigs in a blanket and tube cakes.  And for fellow employees who read this, they will appreciate that this dish was "not compliant" since the tube wall thickness was inconsistent.  It's ok; you either get it or you don't.  It's a tube thang...

 

 

Here is how I got in the theme of things.  This was the end result...

 

...and here's a few of the steps I took to get there.  I will start with the little cigarette tube cookies.  The recipe is from Helen Fletcher's The New Pastry Cookbook  so I won't publish it here, but this is a similar recipe, except that Helen's technique to mix in the butter very much like tempering eggs is the main thing that makes her recipe the clear winner.  (I recommend this cookbook if you have any interest in baking!)  Anyway, it has been so long since I made these, that I began with baking only 2 at first to test the baking time and rolling.  You spread batter on the pan in about 3" x 3" squares and then bake for about 3 - 4 minutes in a 425 oven. Helen recommends a non-stick cookie sheet for these and she's right, but I don't have any non-stick, so I used my regular pans. 

 

After 3 minutes and 45 seconds, here is how they look.  The trick is to loosen then from the pan, flip them over and roll them around the end of a wooden spoon while still hot.







Each time I do these I re-learn some of the tricks like flip the cookies over on the hot pan to keep them hotter longer while you are rolling the others.  Or like have 4 wooden spoons ready with the offset spatula.  Or like wash the offset spatula between each pan, so you get a clean removal. 

 

Once they were all cooled, I dipped one end in white chocolate and sprinkles to make for a fun, tube garnish for my other tube - this pumpkin spice roll.  I probably wouldn't do this again; I like Helen's buttersponge recipe better, so I want to figure out how to add pumpkin to the butter sponge.  But the one I made last night wasn't bad - it just wasn't as good as it could have been.  I'm feeling the gap - the Rule # 1 stuff...making it worth the calories.  Speaking of which, there is a Rule # 4 - Remember that people eat with their eyes first.  I was reminded of this after posting the 3 rules a few days ago.  I was in the company lunch room of all places, eating my minestrone soup when 2 folks that I don't know were chatting about heating up one of those ready-made box pasta type things.  She wasn't sure if it would be any good or not, and he said "They never taste as good as the box make them look."  And I realized there was a Rule # 4 that I'd forgotten.  But I'm sure there isn't a Rule # 5.  At least I am pretty sure there isn't...

 

Anyway here are a few shots from putting this together...dusting the towel ready for the hot cake...

 

The hot cake, ready to roll...

 

And the hot cake all rolled up, ready for bed...or was that me who was ready for bed?

 

The cake may tear a bit, but that doesn't mean ya give up...

 

You fill it anyway, and re-roll...

 

And then cover up imperfections with powdered sugar, icing, caramel, cigarette cookies...you get the idea...

 

And ya put it all together, and ya get a tube thang...and people smile...which is always way better than running from the building screaming and with your arms flailing.  Jus' sayin'...