Hi Guys!!!
Welcome back!!! Gray clouds hovered above us on this chilly and gloomy November day. Supposedly our rainy season should be officially over, but a late bout of rain showers have delighted us with their presence. Happily enough, I have had to remain at home for the morning as a photo shoot of a lovely jumbo cupcake took place. Easily enough, it was the highlight of my day. While I had fun baking and assembling the beautiful Christmas tree cupcake, IT, however, decided it was nice to collapse on me...twice. Yes, it sounds like a laughing matter, and the back of the finished product is, but in the spur of the moment, it caused me great anxiety and panic. Still, it turned out great and it impressed the camera.
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| Voila! Le finished tree!!! |
Last week, I mentioned a pumpkin roll and I hate to admit I got nowhere near making one. But I PROMISE!!! I will be making one in the coming days. I got sidetracked with some interesting baking the following day. If you recall, I've made a Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake several times, for several people. Well, the cake caught a magazine's creative director's eye and guess what?! I was asked to do a Step-by-Step that will be featured in next month's edition!!! So you can imagine my excitement!!! I was a nervous wreck an hour before the people showed up at my door, not knowing what to expect. And honestly, I don't think it could have gone any smoother or better. It was the first time I felt at ease with more than two people in the kitchen watching my every move and recording it. Because everything was photographed, it took much longer than baking any cake. Thank the Lord I had pre-baked chocolate layers.
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| 4 layers of moist, chocolate madness |
I was excited, but mostly relieved, that the process was smooth as frosting and they enjoyed the cake so much, it went home with them. Due to that cake, I was then offered the magazine cover (EEEK!!!) and was petitioned to create an edible Christmas tree: refer to the above picture. So with a happy mind, I made my way to the project, and to my surprise, I finally began to see the pieces start to come together. The paint job was done, the equipment set in place and despite the amount of dust, I could hardly contain my utter happiness. As the days progressed, the place began to take its final shape and today the last piece of the puzzle was set: the terrace door. So tomorrow, we can expect a clean and shiny floor.
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| It's gonna be fabulous!!! |
Friday morning, I decided to try out an adapted recipe for an Italian favorite: florentines. I thought I had made them before in school, but I was wrong. So I dug up a recipe, and changed it for the better...hehehe. Tip: leave the candied zest in the syrup over night.
I tested the cooking times and was extremely happy with myself and the result. The final touch was the dark chocolate gently brushed under each cookie. So please try out the recipe and be sure to leave your comments. It is a flawless recipe.
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| Mmmm!!! |
Now, because my head was a million miles away from this Earth, every little thing was stressing me out and when the evening approached and my duties and daily jobs were completed, my body decided it needed to relax and boom! Sleepiness and drowsiness kicked in. I didn't get to bed until after midnight, and sadly, I woke up early (again). Much had to be done, so no beauty sleep for me. Sunday I got to sleep in (not really) and managed to make a beautiful mess out of the kitchen (to my mother's dismay), getting ready for the Christmas Tree giant cupcake. It was lopsided when I "finished" it and stressing out over being late for a project meeting, my mother and I agreed, it'd be best for both, the cupcake and my sanity, that I return after the meeting to finish it. I did complete the set of fondant and gum paste candy canes before I let, so I crossed that off the list. The meeting was shorter than expected, so I was back home in no time, about to witness a major disaster.
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| Yes...I felt like dying. |
I remolded the "muffin top" to resemble a cone to make do as a Christmas tree, using mini cupcakes for support and height. I whipped up more frosting, covered it in piped roses and placed it in the fridge to set. Sadly, in five minutes, my mother informed me that the cake had collapsed. My heart froze, sank, went back up and sank again as I witnessed, in horror, the terrible green cascade that was once the delicious cream cheese buttercream frosting roses. Out of confectioner's sugar and contemplating a three hour period to remake everything as a terrible suggestion, my mom came up with a simple solution: considering it was only made for photographic purposes, the cascade was to become the unseen back and the beautiful back was to become the pretty picture. Reluctantly, I accepted and it resulted in a glorious, not-so-petite Christmas tree!!! With my mind at ease, I went to bed.
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| My baby...in the corner, where I'll be showcasing my creations |
Groggy and tired, I woke up this morning to a chill in the air. A workout, a shower and coffee "jumpstarted" my day. The photography team came in, was amazed at my work (despite the back fiasco), took the necessary pictures and left. The rest of the day passed in a blur (lunch, weighing cheese for a platter and enjoying a lovely cup of coffee, personalized with my nickname). A burger dinner and supper talk later, here we are. My eyes are closing and soon I'll be drifting off. It has been one long week, and now, we great another one. Be sure to try out the recipe (seriously). And with that, I take my leave.
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| A smiling cup of coffee is enough to make my day |
Happy Monday and a Happy November Week!!!
Until next time.
xx
Florentines
Ingredients:
200 g butter, softened
200 g dark brown sugar
120 g all-purpose flour
120 g almonds, chopped
120 g walnuts, chopped
120 g pecans, chopped
1 oz candied orange zest*
Chocolate (milk or dark, preferably) melted
*Can be purchased. I prefer making my own:
75 ml water
75 g sugar
grated zest
Preparations:
Preheat the oven to 355 F. Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the flour until smooth. Add the chopped nuts and candied zest. Place rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough (roll them up and pat them slightly) on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat, spaced approximately 3 inches apart (they cookies spread). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow them to set for a few minutes. Carefully transfer them to a rack and let cool completely. Using a thin brush, gently apply two thin layers of melted chocolate on the bottom of each cookie. Refrigerate to set the chocolate and ENJOY!!!
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