tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36228584613146885842024-03-13T19:20:56.788-04:00FikaBy AudgeAudric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-16197026575215794922013-12-28T22:08:00.004-05:002013-12-28T22:11:05.027-05:00Ladyfingers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WXlr29iFyzA/Ur-O1sb_ayI/AAAAAAAAAm0/bu6eB9gMzbQ/s1600/2013-12-28+006+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WXlr29iFyzA/Ur-O1sb_ayI/AAAAAAAAAm0/bu6eB9gMzbQ/s400/2013-12-28+006+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't you hate it when a recipe says that it will take 10 minutes, when the list of ingredients itself takes 30-40 minutes to gather together and prepare? These ladyfingers take only about 20-30 minutes to prepare from the beginning, plus another 10 for baking. This includes the search for bowls, whisks, ingredients and all.<br />
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These are served with <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.ca/2013/12/chocolate-ganache-has-to-be-one-of-my.html#more" target="_blank">ganache </a>sandwiched between two ladyfingers, but can also be used for a tiramisu as well, or so the original recipe tells me! (My caveat - the prep time doesn't include the making the ganache or filling the ladyfingers. If the ganache is ready, add about 5-10 minutes for whipping and filling.)<br />
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Speaking of which, the original recipe can be found here, at <a href="http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2010/08/ladyfingers-from-scratch-recipe-perfect.html" target="_blank">the Cupcake Project</a>.<br />
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My own modification was to dust them with cinnamon and icing sugar before baking. They can also be dipped or drizzled in melted chocolate after baked and assembled for some extra indulgence. If these are being gifted or packaged, paper cupcake liners can be flattened and use for presentation (and for clean fingers while eating!)<br />
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I've also tried substituting the flour with ground almonds for a gluten-free version, but the end result was very delicate and didn't keep very well. Perhaps the amount of almonds needed to be increased - I'm still on the search for a perfect flourless almond ladyfinger recipe!Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-76794925403473382472013-12-28T21:49:00.002-05:002013-12-28T21:50:15.006-05:00Whipped Dark Chocolate GanacheChocolate ganache has to be one of my favourite fillings for cakes and desserts. It's simple to make and the proportions can be adjusted to suit the that it's accompanying.<br />
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A lot of ganache that I see for cakes, especially sculpted cakes or ones being covered in fondant, is not meant to be whipped. Those recipes use a higher proportion of chocolate so that, even if unwhipped and at room temperature, the ganache is solid. (In fact, sometimes the ganache needs to be warmed slightly to make it workable).<br />
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This particular recipe is for a whipped ganache, meaning that it is a little liquid even after it has been fully cooled. It uses less chocolate and has a much lighter taste and texture. It has to be whipped lightly to stiffen it, but particular care should be given not to over-whip it! Ganache curdles very easily. I always prefer to whip ganache by hand for this reason. As soon as it starts lightening in colour, I stop after every whip to check if it has started to curdle. The surface should look perfectly smooth.<br />
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If it starts to curdle, you've gone too far! Stop whipping right away. Add some unwhipped ganache into the overwhipped mixture and gently stir until incorporated. Sometimes this can help - sometimes not. Either way, it will generally taste the same, although the mouthfeel may be discernibly less smooth.<br />
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Recipe found after the break:<br />
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<b><u>Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache</u></b><br />
Bring 1 litre heavy (whipping, 35%) cream to a boil. (Or heat until bubbles form at edge). Remove from heat.<br />
Add in 400g-500g* dark chocolate pieces. Stir until all chocolate is melted and fully incorporated.<br />
Allow to cool, and then refrigerate until fully chilled.<br />
When ready to use, lightly whip the ganache until it has just started to stiffen. The colour should noticeably lighten.<br />
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*Why is there a range in weight? Depending on the amount of cocoa solids in the chocolate, more or less chocolate would be needed. More chocolate will be needed if it only has 50% cocoa solids compared to when using one which has 70%.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-62729567045663097782013-12-28T21:17:00.002-05:002013-12-28T21:17:48.070-05:00Chocolate Shards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes a dessert needs a bolder presence, and chocolate shards are a simple and quick garnish that can be used that don't require any special equipment. All that is needed is a heatproof bowl, small saucepan/pot, parchment paper and a knife. (An offset spatula makes things a little easier, but not necessary).<br />
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Full instructions after the break!</div>
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Melt chocolate over a double boiler: Break the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl, and set over a small simmering pot of water. Do not let the water boil. When the chocolate is about 2/3 to 3/4 melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the chocolate is fully melted. (Or <a href="https://www.google.ca/webhp?hl=en&tab=ii&ei=VH-_Ut3cCsTzyAGl8gE&ved=0CBUQ1S4#hl=en&q=tempering+chocolate" target="_blank">temper the chocolate</a> if you know how - this is on my to-do list for the New Year!)</div>
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Pour the chocolate onto a clean piece of parchment paper. Spread evenly to form a thin coat about 1mm thick. It doesn't have to be perfectly even, because the next step is to roll the parchment paper, chocolate and all. This should be done rather quickly and gingerly, without putting any pressure over the paper, so that the melted chocolate doesn't get squished out or thin in any section. One way is to roll the paper from the edges with both hands.</div>
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Pop the roll into a freezer (or the giant walk-in freezer that is the garage in wintertime), and wait until it has hardened completely.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xa5Pn8kFZ5c/Ur96AhtbYPI/AAAAAAAAAmY/vkt7lV_v91c/s1600/2013-12-28+026+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xa5Pn8kFZ5c/Ur96AhtbYPI/AAAAAAAAAmY/vkt7lV_v91c/s400/2013-12-28+026+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When ready to use, take the roll from the freezer and quickly unroll the hardened chocolate. As you pull the paper, it should snap off curved shards of chocolate until the entire roll has been reduced to pieces. Some pieces may be too large; these can be snapped into smaller pieces by hand. Pieces that are too small or left over can be melted down for another time.</div>
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These same chocolate shards were used for the <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.ca/2010/11/chocolate-cranberry.html" target="_blank">Chocolate and Cranberry cake</a>, stuck vertically around the edge of the cake after it was masked with chocolate ganache.</div>
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<br />Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-77413404566081706182013-12-19T21:35:00.003-05:002013-12-29T13:34:30.349-05:00Flourless Chocolate Roulade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chocolate roulade with dark chocolate ganache</i></span></div>
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In the spirit of sharing, here's a link to my (currently) favourite chocolate roulade recipe, which also happens to be flourless for those gluten-free friends of ours!<br />
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Contrary to the commonly-held perception that many people have of flourless dessert recipes, this produces a very light and fluffy sponge that retains its structure. It is quite strong and exceptionally easy to handle, which makes it perfect for using between layers of mousses/ganaches/buttercreams/curds (pick one).<br />
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<a href="http://janetsrecipes.blogspot.ca/2005/06/flourless-chocolate-roulade.html" target="_blank">Janet's Gluten-Free Chocolate Roulade</a><br />
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6 large eggs, separated<br />
300mL icing sugar<br />
115mL cocoa powder.<br />
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In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until they start to thicken. Add in the sugar and continue to whisk until mixture<br />
thickens a little more (do not allow to become too thick). Stir in the cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated.<br />
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Beat egg whites until the hold soft peaks. Fold in a small portion of the whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten, followed by the remainder of the egg whites.<br />
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Pour mixture into a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Spread so that batter is even. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 min., until the cake surface springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool completely, then peel away parchment paper.<br />
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A variation of the same recipe was used for the <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.ca/2012/12/chocolate-yule-log-with-passionfruit.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Yule Log with Passionfruit Wine Jelly</a>. (The recipe used in that version produces a thinner roulade that is not as fluffy. This can be desirable, depending on the situation!). This was decorated with dark chocolate ganache on the outside with little meringue mushrooms.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPmdge8u1E4/UsBnD9p0JGI/AAAAAAAAAnE/cwhs1Hu59o8/s1600/2013-12-28+023+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VPmdge8u1E4/UsBnD9p0JGI/AAAAAAAAAnE/cwhs1Hu59o8/s320/2013-12-28+023+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A log cake after being masked with ganache. The nice thing with log cakes is that the ganache doesn't have to be perfectly smooth on the outside. In fact, the rougher, the better!</i></span></div>
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Another way of decorating a yule log is with <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.ca/2013/12/chocolate-shards.html" target="_blank">chocolate shards</a> for "bark." After masking the outside of the log, simply stick on chocolate pieces parallel to one another.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gIAZSorVRxM/UsBnElBBLaI/AAAAAAAAAnI/eMhLFLJBgo4/s1600/Chocolate+Log+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gIAZSorVRxM/UsBnElBBLaI/AAAAAAAAAnI/eMhLFLJBgo4/s320/Chocolate+Log+Small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Try to make sure that the ends don't line up with one another, like below (a case of don't do as Audric does). Staggering them will generally make it look nicer.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWk0IydY7O8/UsBq6p3dP8I/AAAAAAAAAnY/DkPPo5QN1Ig/s1600/Chocolate+Log+Small+markup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWk0IydY7O8/UsBq6p3dP8I/AAAAAAAAAnY/DkPPo5QN1Ig/s320/Chocolate+Log+Small+markup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-13769945754278811082013-12-19T21:18:00.000-05:002013-12-28T21:25:56.539-05:00Gingerbread Spice Cake RecipeThis is the cake recipe used in the <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.ca/2013/12/individual-gingerbread-cake-houses.html" target="_blank">Individual Gingerbread [Cake] Houses</a>. It's such a simple and easy recipe that doesn't take much time or thinking!<br />
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The recipe calls for a 9" square pan, but I used my 10x15" baking sheet for a single sheet cake. It is also fantastic in cupcake form (which I have also tried).<br />
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<b><u>Gingerbread Spice Cake</u></b><br />
In a large bowl with a mixer at low speed, mix well the following ingredients:<br />
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup molasses<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup shortening<br />
1 egg<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
3/4 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp ground cloves (I used Chinese five-spice powder since I didn't have any ground cloves on hand)<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
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Then beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.<br />
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Pour the batter into a buttered and floured cake pan. It will be liquid, but quite viscous and sticky! If baking a sheet cake, lining the bottom with parchment paper makes handling much easier.<br />
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Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (If it is a sheet cake or cupcakes, it will need less time, maybe 40 or so minutes. Keep an eye one it after 30 minutes!). Let cool, then remove from pan.<br />
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Serve slices topped with lightly-sweetened whipped cream, or frost/split/ice/decorate to your heart's content!Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-28660507323869370162013-12-19T00:02:00.002-05:002013-12-21T21:11:04.995-05:00Individual Gingerbread [Cake] Houses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDT3SSGf0ok/UrJ5RcaoBeI/AAAAAAAAAi0/weVVAmOLv78/s1600/2013-12-18+004+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDT3SSGf0ok/UrJ5RcaoBeI/AAAAAAAAAi0/weVVAmOLv78/s400/2013-12-18+004+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the holidays, you can't beat home sweet home!<br />
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A casual question from a friend ("Are you thinking of having a dinner party again this year?") turned into a month or two of planning, dreaming, and finally, lots of baking which I have admittedly been recently neglecting!<br />
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When thinking of the desserts, I came across a recipe for a gingerbread spice cake which looked rich, dense, and oh-so-aromatic. I knew that I had to serve this, and was thinking of a way to plate it when I had the idea to serve them as individual pseudo-contemporary-architecture gingerbread houses.<br />
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It all starts off with a slab cake, scored and cut to make long strips:<br />
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(You can see that I should have run a knife through the batter before baking to get rid of the larger air bubbles - whoops!) Whole strips are stacked on top of each other with dark chocolate ganache between layers, and a half strip is cut on the diagonal and placed on top to form the roof:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn2VQB8aPVo/UrJ5OXqq4mI/AAAAAAAAAic/Edljr7ixr8Q/s1600/2013-12-08+038+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn2VQB8aPVo/UrJ5OXqq4mI/AAAAAAAAAic/Edljr7ixr8Q/s400/2013-12-08+038+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The whole thing is then masked with more dark chocolate ganache. If you aren't adept at masking and/or are running out of ganache and need to economize, like myself at the time, you can first start off with a crumb-coat layer...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oO9Esw-qXTs/UrJ5OvXe3uI/AAAAAAAAAig/mSI1wLOlWwo/s1600/2013-12-08+043+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oO9Esw-qXTs/UrJ5OvXe3uI/AAAAAAAAAig/mSI1wLOlWwo/s400/2013-12-08+043+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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... followed by a smoother final coat, after the ganache has had a chance to set in the freezer or fridge. After the final coat, the long mega-houses can be put back into the fridge or freezer until serving.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00fwpWQyBKE/UrJ5RHnw7sI/AAAAAAAAAiw/yn2wV7ZWyEM/s1600/2013-12-08+046+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00fwpWQyBKE/UrJ5RHnw7sI/AAAAAAAAAiw/yn2wV7ZWyEM/s320/2013-12-08+046+edited+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To plate, simply slice off sections to form individual servings. Handling and cutting is always the easiest when the cake and ganache is well-frozen. Running the blade under hot water (and then drying it off on a towel quickly) between each cut ensures a nice clean edge without any crumbs or cracked ganache. Allow the cake to fully thaw before serving.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HugxoyZVH-M/UrJ8rFQ-31I/AAAAAAAAAjE/xkZB1486WRI/s1600/2013-12-15+012+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HugxoyZVH-M/UrJ8rFQ-31I/AAAAAAAAAjE/xkZB1486WRI/s400/2013-12-15+012+edited+small.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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For added effect, try adding a drift of lightly-sweetened whipped cream and/or a dusting of icing (confectioner's sugar). Fresh berries or mint leaves could also be added to complete the scene.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V19pUTIFRR8/UrJ5SFaTFkI/AAAAAAAAAi8/_MEHuQpKglw/s1600/2013-12-18+006+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V19pUTIFRR8/UrJ5SFaTFkI/AAAAAAAAAi8/_MEHuQpKglw/s400/2013-12-18+006+edited+small.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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Merry Christmas!</div>
Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-45842877050486266082013-07-14T08:48:00.000-04:002013-12-21T21:11:25.027-05:00Repost: Heather and Martin's Wedding Cake<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-an1Z2qqBQuw/UEadCtFflcI/AAAAAAAAAcA/skBVHNVhgOg/s1600/2012-09-02+119+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-an1Z2qqBQuw/UEadCtFflcI/AAAAAAAAAcA/skBVHNVhgOg/s400/2012-09-02+119+edited+small.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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This last weekend, I had the wonderful privilege to be involved with wedding of two good friends, Heather and Martin. Not only are they a fantastic couple, but they have a great sense of humour, wonderful design taste, and are also amazingly grounded and mellow.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3kJZ5YC71Bc/UEadE9qNu3I/AAAAAAAAAcI/Hv42fpUquR4/s1600/2012-09-02+261+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3kJZ5YC71Bc/UEadE9qNu3I/AAAAAAAAAcI/Hv42fpUquR4/s320/2012-09-02+261+edited+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Heather and Martin</span></i></div>
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The more details I learnt about what they were planning, the more excited I became. The flavour decided upon was Lavender and Lemon cake, with Swiss Meringue Buttercream filling - the idea was for it to be deliciously light for a summer wedding. (Recipe & behind the scenes to follow shortly!)<br />
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Simplicity was key - so instead of going for an ornate design with a lot of piping, the final design was a slim stacked cake with overheight tiers, with the only decoration being a garland of lavender wrapping down the front.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WexCbm7085c/UEaeV3RaCMI/AAAAAAAAAcw/_wHIOgyiKL8/s1600/2012-09-02+117+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WexCbm7085c/UEaeV3RaCMI/AAAAAAAAAcw/_wHIOgyiKL8/s400/2012-09-02+117+edited+small.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In the cold cellar, after assembly.</i></span></div>
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Because of how tall and narrow the cakes were, and the chance that it could tip over in the car, the cakes were stacked on site. I was thankfully able to work in the cold cellar, stacking and attaching the final decoration. The cake was also able to warm up very slowly from being in the fridge, which helped it from sweating.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NKrkLqqx9dw/UEadGnzp4tI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/CgmpOWcSkjA/s1600/2012-09-02+340+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NKrkLqqx9dw/UEadGnzp4tI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/CgmpOWcSkjA/s400/2012-09-02+340+edited+small.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the buffet table, with the other desserts made by family and friends (Super-delicious pies made by the mother of the bride)</span></i></div>
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Dried lavender was the only decoration used, coordinated with the flowers and the overall colour scheme. Sprigs were attached to a ribbon-wrapped wire and then the garland was pinned to the front of the cake. Satin ribbon was used at the base of each tier.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OW7J-HmrKko/UEadIc7NKrI/AAAAAAAAAcY/vKYYjA_gHX4/s1600/2012-09-02+355+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OW7J-HmrKko/UEadIc7NKrI/AAAAAAAAAcY/vKYYjA_gHX4/s400/2012-09-02+355+edited+small.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Right before serving </span></i></div>
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The entire day was filled with personal touches - being out on the farm, having the ceremony in the barn, the gardens overflowing with flowers - it just resonated with the genuine warmth of the now-newlywed couple, their families, and everyone else present. Congratulations to Heather and Martin and everyone for a wonderful day and for a new stage in their life!Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-80493054189214559692012-12-16T14:00:00.004-05:002013-12-21T21:12:05.293-05:00Chocolate Yule Log with Passionfruit Wine Jelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKFuXPcKxXU/UM4SF4i0-7I/AAAAAAAAAew/TLgs5XaI-pw/s1600/2012-12-15+005+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKFuXPcKxXU/UM4SF4i0-7I/AAAAAAAAAew/TLgs5XaI-pw/s320/2012-12-15+005+edited+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What says holiday cheer more than lights, candles, and flowers on the dining table?<br />
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I'll tell you what:<br />
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Mushrooms!<br />
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... mushrooms?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Not the result of leaving food out for too long)</i></span></div>
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Yule logs in the French tradition (Bûche de Noël) are often decorated with little mushrooms made from meringue, rather than being obliterated by <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/home/2009/12/24/yule-wonder.html">a heaping of festive plastic flotsam</a>. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCJdOeV1fS0/UM4SLW8i5oI/AAAAAAAAAfA/Iaa6Ka2PMQk/s1600/2012-12-15+027+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DCJdOeV1fS0/UM4SLW8i5oI/AAAAAAAAAfA/Iaa6Ka2PMQk/s400/2012-12-15+027+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Meringue mushrooms are incredibly easy and fun to make. I used <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/MeringueMushrooms.html">this recipe from Joy of Baking </a>which includes detailed instructions. Put simply, you basically whip egg whites with sugar and a touch of cream of tartar until very still and glossy. Pipe tall mounds for the stems and fat mounds for the caps, and then bake until dry. Use either melted chocolate or more meringue to attach the pieces together, and then just stick them to the cake.</div>
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Either leave them in place when serving, or attach one to each slice.</div>
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The cake inside is a chocolate sponge cake that is an old standby - not just because of the simplicity of the recipe (just eggs, sugar, pinch of salt and cocoa powder), but because it's also gluten free. Unlike many other gluten-free baking recipes, it has a very light and airy texture, so it pairs equally well with light fillings (like mousses) or rich fillings, like the dark chocolate ganache that I used here. The cake was also lined with a thin layer of passionfruit wine jelly before rolling, just for a little added flavour to come through the heaviness of the chocolate.<br />
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Happy holidays!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-25gv43iloGs/UM4ajxo-gKI/AAAAAAAAAfc/NU4R3R4bBTk/s1600/2012-12-15+030+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-25gv43iloGs/UM4ajxo-gKI/AAAAAAAAAfc/NU4R3R4bBTk/s320/2012-12-15+030+edited+small.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-74119193834161009162012-11-05T22:13:00.004-05:002013-12-21T21:12:23.504-05:00Flourless Chocolate Cake<div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4N4R0zDvNU/UJV6dcKmYkI/AAAAAAAAAd0/8kdHBOsPBuA/s1600/2012-11-03+012+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4N4R0zDvNU/UJV6dcKmYkI/AAAAAAAAAd0/8kdHBOsPBuA/s400/2012-11-03+012+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This story has a few parts to it. First off, a bittersweet beginning of a going-away party for a friend moving away for a new job. What more appropriate pairing than extra dark chocolate?</div>
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I decided to make Paula Deen's Flourless Deep Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake, <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/hey-yall/">found via Bakerella</a>.</div>
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This is a very, very rich cake that puffs up as it bakes and then settles back down to become a deliciously rich, heavy cake. I typically don't make cakes that are this decadent, but why hold back when you're saying goodbye? (Goodbye for now - that is!)</div>
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Everything was going splendidly, until the cake was finished baking. Looking at this souffle-like concoction, fresh from the oven, I had the brilliant last-minute idea to turn the cake upside down to cool so that it would maintain its light structure. Unfortunately, the cake had a different idea.</div>
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This is what happens when you take a freshly-baked cake (in a well-buttered pan) and unceremoniously dump it all over your stove:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AI_N_qjfPXo/UJV6e-TDpcI/AAAAAAAAAd8/LRR4VhNPwyE/s1600/2012-11-03+013+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AI_N_qjfPXo/UJV6e-TDpcI/AAAAAAAAAd8/LRR4VhNPwyE/s400/2012-11-03+013+edited+small.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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It wasn't just a minor crack, or a split down the middle. It was complete disintegration. The cake came out of the pan far more eagerly than I could ever imagine, and instead of having a cake to cool and ice, I was staring at what looked like a pile of compost on my stove.</div>
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After taking a few minutes to compose myself, I scraped up the steaming heap of cake into the pan and started from the beginning with a second cake. This time, I left it securely in the pan to cool overnight to start again in the morning.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vymFlMB-lMI/UJV6cIepRpI/AAAAAAAAAds/uDbA2VwNMy0/s1600/2012-11-03+008+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vymFlMB-lMI/UJV6cIepRpI/AAAAAAAAAds/uDbA2VwNMy0/s400/2012-11-03+008+edited+small.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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That's better.<br />
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So what goes well with chocolate? More chocolate!<br />
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(And raspberries).</div>
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The cake was far too delicate to torte and layer, so instead, it was used as a base for dark chocolate ganache and raspberries piled up on top.</div>
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The evening was to be a classy affair, so flourishes and arabesque designs were deemed appropriate for the occasion. Plus, they're quick and easy to pipe and are very forgiving. Paired with a three-headed frosted glass cake stand (found at Value Village, of all places), and it was dressed to impress.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2p8eEltwPM/UJV6kYNCXKI/AAAAAAAAAec/PFSj83j1j0Y/s1600/2012-11-03+078+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2p8eEltwPM/UJV6kYNCXKI/AAAAAAAAAec/PFSj83j1j0Y/s400/2012-11-03+078+edited+small.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Close up of the piping:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeVPlY7AOb8/UJV6jeEZtBI/AAAAAAAAAeU/NWKe95lhCQU/s1600/2012-11-03+050+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jeVPlY7AOb8/UJV6jeEZtBI/AAAAAAAAAeU/NWKe95lhCQU/s400/2012-11-03+050+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the end, it turned out quite well and I am glad that I stuck through with it. In the end, it's always worth the extra effort (Especially when it's for friends!).</div>
Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-60004075263114664132012-09-07T22:47:00.001-04:002012-09-07T22:54:00.584-04:00Lavender and Lemon Cake with Lemon Swiss Meringue ButtercreamI'm trying something new this time - a full recipe card to keep for your own records, and perfect for sharing with friends and family!<br />
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I was hoping to have these made up for the wedding so that guests could take home a hard copy, but that ship has clearly sailed.<br />
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Click on the image to open up the PDF recipe card!<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzFeWaooqtuzRjRILUZleTdpQ0k" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="blank"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-MG3Rv8mwg/UEqwiFtUPZI/AAAAAAAAAdA/jQTIfwt3z_o/s400/Heather+and+Martin+Recipe+Card+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-81568742353593260402012-08-23T21:40:00.000-04:002012-08-23T21:40:06.897-04:00Hazelnut Sponge with Cinnamon ButtercreamWow. It's been a long time since I've last posted, so to make amends I'm finally updating!<br />
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To keep in the spirit of untimeliness, the cake featured was actually made last December. Woops.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AydQ840V7m0/UDbarURChUI/AAAAAAAAAbY/p4PJI-nSXLs/s1600/2012-03-18+083+edited+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AydQ840V7m0/UDbarURChUI/AAAAAAAAAbY/p4PJI-nSXLs/s400/2012-03-18+083+edited+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Hence the Christmas ornaments)</i></span></div>
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As the title indicates, it is a hazelnut sponge cake with cinnamon buttercream between the layers. The outside was masked with ground filberts (also typically known as hazelnuts, to the confusion of anyone looking for them at Bulk Barn).<br />
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<br />Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-83887286112268591882011-11-19T22:03:00.007-05:002013-12-21T21:13:25.840-05:00What happens when a cake just doesn't measure up?The test cake for the Liberty Arts Fabric birthday cake turned out really well - a firm texture that handled well when cut, but was also light and moist. However, it was a lot shorter than anticipated. This worried me as I wanted to make a tall cake, so I needed something to add height to the cake to compensate.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6OIHFWV-p54/Tshs3s461RI/AAAAAAAAAYM/-sRajlQBBj4/s1600/2011-11-14%2B010%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676907034499011858" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6OIHFWV-p54/Tshs3s461RI/AAAAAAAAAYM/-sRajlQBBj4/s400/2011-11-14%2B010%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a>Solution: Rice Krispie squares (or "cereal treats" - hopefully I'm not risking a lawsuit by using a trademarked/copyrighted name) - a solution to short cakes and many of life's other problems. Not only do they function as delicious cake implants (who doesn't like Rice Krispie Squares?), but they also provide a strong base for wood dowels that were inserted into the 8" layers to support the 6" layer on top.<br />
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All you need to do is follow any regular Rice Krispie square recipe, and then pack the mixture into whatever cake pan you used to bake the other cake layers. When you're done, you can just stack the cake layers right on top.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pxzty-K9_ik/TtBM6yqYIuI/AAAAAAAAAbA/MvgZ_XS2cOc/s1600/2011-11-14%2B023%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679123703029834466" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pxzty-K9_ik/TtBM6yqYIuI/AAAAAAAAAbA/MvgZ_XS2cOc/s400/2011-11-14%2B023%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><br />
A few tips:<br />
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1) Cakes tend to shrink away from the sides of the pans when they bake, whereas Rice Krispies don't experience any sort of shrinkage. Ergo, you will experience a discrepancy in size between the cake and the base. Make sure that you fully compensate for this when masking the sides of the cake so that your sides are plumb!<br />
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2) A light greasing or buttering of the pan may assist with unmolding later on. I didn't use any, and my Rice Krispies came out fine (and I wasn't using a springform pan either).<br />
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3) Patience is a virtue - wait until everything has fully cooled before trying to unmold, or you might end up with a warped Rice Krispie base. (I'm not good at waiting when there's a cake to be made, so this is always a challenge).<br />
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4) Level, level, level. Make sure the top of your Rice Krispies are as level as possible since you're building the rest of your cake on top.<br />
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5) If you're covering the cake with fondant, make sure you ice over the Rice Krispies for a smooth surface. I thought I would be able to get away without icing, but I ended up with a stippled texture showing through the fondant. (Easily hidden with a bottom band, but that's not always desirable).<br />
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6) Make sure your Rice Krispies are securely attached to the cake board, either with Royal Icing or softened fondant. You don't want your cake sliding off into the floor at the feet of your [extremely] surprised guests.<br />
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True story - not with a cake - but I definitely had prepared a fantastic apple tart for a friend's Birthday, only to gracefully deposit the tart, freshly warmed from the oven, onto the kitchen floor.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFfj1xHi6rM/TtBKxjweDgI/AAAAAAAAAa0/kr1YcpXDyiM/s1600/2009-10-06%2B398%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679121345386778114" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFfj1xHi6rM/TtBKxjweDgI/AAAAAAAAAa0/kr1YcpXDyiM/s400/2009-10-06%2B398%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A pie with a date - with the floor. Note to self - tart bases are extremely slippery.</span></span></div>
Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-92232247382809161452011-11-19T21:36:00.015-05:002013-12-21T21:13:48.098-05:00Liberty Art Fabrics Birthday Cake<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scqChJQnxAA/Tshoh9qetVI/AAAAAAAAAYA/kB2oyp4_ec8/s1600/2011-11-14%2B065%2BEdited%2Bsmall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676902262998218066" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scqChJQnxAA/Tshoh9qetVI/AAAAAAAAAYA/kB2oyp4_ec8/s400/2011-11-14%2B065%2BEdited%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><br />
I had the fortune and pleasure to be asked to make a birthday cake with two accompanying requests: in some way, incorporate <a href="http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/fabrics_All-Fabrics?resetFilters=true">Liberty Art Fabrics</a> into the design, and avoid heavy flavours.<br />
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I didn't really know much about Liberty Art Fabrics when I started, so I immediately went to their website to look through their fabric patterns online. A folder of inspiration images was started, with a few that were finally picked out to inspire the colour and decoration of the cake.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3jxl3NFa9Us/TshwVwUxixI/AAAAAAAAAYw/EXnylfub9QU/s1600/Liberty%2BArt.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676910849352108818" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3jxl3NFa9Us/TshwVwUxixI/AAAAAAAAAYw/EXnylfub9QU/s400/Liberty%2BArt.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a name='more'></a>The second demand was easily met. Just a little while earlier, my friend and co-worker extraordinaire Joaquin had a craving for a crepe with crushed almonds and cinnamon. With a topping of whipped cream, it was a great combination of light and subtle flavours with a pleasant lingering aftertaste.<br />
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I didn't have an almond cake recipe on hand, so I went searching through my cake bible (<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Professional-Baking-Wayne-Gisslen/dp/0471783498">Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen</a>) for a recipe. Since I wanted to make a tall cake, the cake also had to be structurally quite sound - dense enough to stand some stacking.<br />
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One of the recipes that seemed like a good candidate was the Almond Pound Cake, or <span style="font-style: italic;">Pain des Gênes</span>. Despite the name, it was not a typical pound cake recipe with a high proportion of butter, but more like a sponge with whipped egg yolks and egg whites. I wasn't sure of how it the cake would turn out, so I had to do a test run. I also had some Swiss meringue buttercream on hand, so I was able to do a concurrent test of the cinnamon-almond combination (to the benefit of the tasting staff/everyone in the office, of course).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSm4D_wW7CM/Tshw-36dA5I/AAAAAAAAAZI/X8rR3QzLMGE/s1600/2011-11-14%2B055%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676911555763831698" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSm4D_wW7CM/Tshw-36dA5I/AAAAAAAAAZI/X8rR3QzLMGE/s400/2011-11-14%2B055%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a>I had a rough idea of how I wanted the cake to look in terms of height and massing, but I wasn't sure how I was going to pull of the Liberty Art Fabrics part of it. The design inspiration is deliberately derived from Lori Hutchinson's work as <a href="http://thecaketressblog.com/">The Caketress</a> here in Toronto. Her cakes incorporate a lot of fashion and fabric inspirations, so needless to say I combed through her blog multiple times before settling on a design for this birthday cake.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KB92Aif7yhs/Tshu27iXmjI/AAAAAAAAAYY/OR3cnVsxw6o/s1600/2011-11-14%2B019%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676909220274346546" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KB92Aif7yhs/Tshu27iXmjI/AAAAAAAAAYY/OR3cnVsxw6o/s400/2011-11-14%2B019%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><br />
A total of five cakes were needed for the final cake - three 8" layers and two 6" layers, baked in two batches the night before. Even with that much cake, Rice Krispie treats were needed to provide the height needed for the final design.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bH_vXNhCu4/TshvpnivVfI/AAAAAAAAAYk/gUed-I14HM0/s1600/2011-11-14%2B020%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676910091080521202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--bH_vXNhCu4/TshvpnivVfI/AAAAAAAAAYk/gUed-I14HM0/s400/2011-11-14%2B020%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 253px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Stacking & masking!</span></div>
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Each 8" cake was sliced into layers and iced with the cinnamon Swiss meringue buttercream, and then the entire assembly masked with more of the same. The same was done for the 6" layers, which were then put into the cake to set overnight.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVAx9tJWZwY/TshyoeiIILI/AAAAAAAAAZU/ILkmw8KDZN8/s1600/2011-11-14%2B034%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676913370017046706" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVAx9tJWZwY/TshyoeiIILI/AAAAAAAAAZU/ILkmw8KDZN8/s400/2011-11-14%2B034%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Masked cakes taking up all of the space in my fridge (groceries huddled up in the nosebleed section)</span></span></div>
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When the buttercream had hardened, both cakes were covered with marshmallow fondant. A little ruching was added, but I don't think that the fondant was thick enough to be fully ruched so I held back.<br />
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Gumpaste was chosen for the ruffles and the flowers because of its malleability, quick dry time and hardness when dry. The ruffles were added strip by strip, layer by layer, and stuck to the surface with a little water and dissolved gumpaste. Acanthus leaves were also added for a different texture, although I think that I could have added more for greater effect.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ew894k-fHQg/TshwxslXpXI/AAAAAAAAAY8/c_bAR1-DTr4/s1600/2011-11-14%2B045%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676911329384310130" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ew894k-fHQg/TshwxslXpXI/AAAAAAAAAY8/c_bAR1-DTr4/s400/2011-11-14%2B045%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a>I was surprised by how well the gumpaste stuck, and didn't need any toothpicks or assistance to keep everything in place. Unfortunately, I don't have many progress photos of the gumpaste ruffle process because it dries so quickly.<br />
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Only one flower was added as a test, as the cake had to be stored in the fridge overnight and I had concerns about the gumpaste softening and also the weight of the flowers. Thankfully, my concerns were dispersed the next morning when I found everything exactly in the same place as the previous night. The remaining flowers were added in the office for photos, and then stored in the fridge until the evening.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG5BWJdYc04/Tsh2bXopk3I/AAAAAAAAAZg/C4RDPBR71CE/s1600/2011-11-14%2B063%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676917542873568114" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tG5BWJdYc04/Tsh2bXopk3I/AAAAAAAAAZg/C4RDPBR71CE/s400/2011-11-14%2B063%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETBMWS3k_fA/Tsh3DcUWW9I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/IUGMGt8rGC0/s1600/2011-11-14%2B079%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676918231325367250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ETBMWS3k_fA/Tsh3DcUWW9I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/IUGMGt8rGC0/s400/2011-11-14%2B079%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Section view through the 6" cake</span></span></div>
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I'd also glad that I caught a photo of the sliced cake, as it shows the fondant thickness - about 1/8" of an inch. I haven't have many fondant-covered cakes that have such a thin covering, as it's much much harder to get a smooth even surface (I'm still working on that point).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ugWlLUy5t4I/Tsh269VJH0I/AAAAAAAAAZs/xGhFGLu5zwo/s1600/2011-11-14%2B068%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676918085568241474" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ugWlLUy5t4I/Tsh269VJH0I/AAAAAAAAAZs/xGhFGLu5zwo/s400/2011-11-14%2B068%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;">Close-up of the ranunculus</span></div>
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The cake was delivered in the office, with a small group a friends and myself present to explain the entire process. It was a pleasure to go through the different aspects of the cake to a truly appreciative audience, and was the perfect expression of the whole purpose of making these cakes - a complete, multi-layered experience.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-85354742836082666472011-10-19T22:06:00.014-04:002013-12-21T21:14:11.207-05:00High-Heel Birthday Cake<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-utyUQ11uK3Q/Tp-COhjMlTI/AAAAAAAAAVg/1UwPE6VRaQ8/s1600/2011-10-17%2B024%2Bsmall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665390042291148082" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-utyUQ11uK3Q/Tp-COhjMlTI/AAAAAAAAAVg/1UwPE6VRaQ8/s400/2011-10-17%2B024%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 266px;" /></a><br />
First ever high-heel cake!<br />
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There's a whole load of tutorials already out there on the web on how to make a gumpaste high heel. However, to prove the point that the internet has too much space (and to use said space to its fullest extent), I'll run over how I did the one you see here.<br />
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Step 1: find out how high heels <span style="font-style: italic;">actually</span> look like, since I can't really speak from experience. (Thank you Google Image search). I chose an open-toe design because forming a "toe" would require more bending/molding of gumpaste (i.e. be more difficult).<br />
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Step 2: form a base that will shape the bottom sole of the shoe. For me, I used a pie box, folded, stapled, and gently curved.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3nOccDzgv8/Tp-Ca9Dd1SI/AAAAAAAAAVs/etcX-GhhCIo/s1600/2011-10-16%2B%25282%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665390255832683810" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3nOccDzgv8/Tp-Ca9Dd1SI/AAAAAAAAAVs/etcX-GhhCIo/s400/2011-10-16%2B%25282%2529.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 383px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Step 3: do a paper mock-up. This really helps to make sure it will end up the right size/shape. I did a bit of trimming here and there, and the heel was redesigned to make it more streamlined.<br />
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Step 4: use the paper templates to cut out your gumpaste. I tried using a pizza cutter, but it didn't manoeuver as well as I hoped. I ended up sharpening a paring knife to be extra sharp and then carefully traced around the paper template. (Just be careful - the knife can sometimes pull at the gumpaste and distort things).<br />
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Step 5: add stitching details around the edge of each piece. I don't have a special rolling tool for this, so I just used a fork and gently pressed the tongs into the gumpaste about 2-3mm from the edge, all the way around.<br />
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Step 6: lay out the sole over the template. (Wax or parchment paper helps the sole from sticking and keeps it clean. Just make sure to tape the paper in place so it doesn't slide out). Notice the pack of crackers to keep the curve in the right place.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Nk1ylyM-bM/Tp-E8v1plTI/AAAAAAAAAV4/oNBU0kdCdT4/s1600/2011-10-16%2B%25286%2529.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665393035423880498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Nk1ylyM-bM/Tp-E8v1plTI/AAAAAAAAAV4/oNBU0kdCdT4/s400/2011-10-16%2B%25286%2529.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 351px;" /></a>Step 7: add the toe and the heel to the outer sides of the sole. To make sure they were properly attached, I scored the surface with a knife - like you would with clay. I used gumpaste scraps dissolved in water to make a sort of gel-type glue. (A little goes a long way, so don't get things too wet). A wad of cling-wrap was used as a spacer for the toe. The heel stood up on its own.<br />
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Step 8: Let dry. Let dry. Let dry. (I left this overnight).<br />
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Step 9: decorate! I was originally going to use a flower to accent the toe, but instead decided on a bow. (There are plenty of tutorials on how to make a gumpaste bow online, and I don't have any photos to show, so I'll skip this part). Attach the bow to the toe with some more gumpaste glue.<br />
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Step 10: make the heel. Make a ball of gumpaste, and roll into a sort of egg-shape. Press one side flat against the work surface. I used a sharpened wooden dowel as the core of the actual heel, which I stuck into the round part of the "egg." The dowel was then wrapped in gumpaste, which was then blended into the "egg" to form the entire heel.<br />
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Step 11: Let dry some more (Again, the heel and the shoe were left overnight to dry).<br />
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Step 12: Attach the heel to the shoe. Because the heel was partially dry at this time, and the sole/heel didn't match up perfectly, I used royal icing to attach the two. I left everything upside down to dry... which was a bad idea, since the shoe (predictably) broke in half.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sfe0DMQu5Q/Tp-Gi2QY3gI/AAAAAAAAAWE/MIbZgeFahnM/s1600/2011-10-17%2B004.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665394789493300738" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--sfe0DMQu5Q/Tp-Gi2QY3gI/AAAAAAAAAWE/MIbZgeFahnM/s400/2011-10-17%2B004.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 331px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Step 12B (What I should have done): What people typically use is a styrofoam block (or cake dummy) to hold everything in place as they dry. Since I had none at hand, I used an egg carton. I skewered the heel in place, used some royal icing to join the broken piece, and added a heel pad to cover and reinforce the joint (again, using the gumpaste glue).<br />
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Step 13: Let dry. (Again, overnight)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KIJ0-SDmTg/Tp-JN_PA2qI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/n5HKYePPbg0/s1600/2011-10-17%2B008.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665397729661082274" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KIJ0-SDmTg/Tp-JN_PA2qI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/n5HKYePPbg0/s400/2011-10-17%2B008.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 350px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Step 14: Sometime during all of this, make a cake to put the shoe on! I chose to do a three-layer green tea cake with lemon Swiss-meringue buttercream. I covered the outside with marshmallow fondant. This was also my first time covering a cake without freezing it first, which worked out really well. I could smooth out the bumps in the fondant a lot better. A little bit of royal icing bead piping at the base and an appropriate birthday message, and then I was done.<br />
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Step 15: assemble the cake. All that was left was to stick the heel into the cake.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w56Uco7tdQ0/Tp-KsZnchLI/AAAAAAAAAW0/MAzxXfUB3bI/s1600/2011-10-17%2B026%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665399351650583730" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w56Uco7tdQ0/Tp-KsZnchLI/AAAAAAAAAW0/MAzxXfUB3bI/s400/2011-10-17%2B026%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
Step 16: surprise someone with a high-heel cake!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BeDZqa9EXkc/Tp-KG6XIZ4I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Ld_cQlkSXBE/s1600/2011-10-17%2B012%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665398707605497730" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BeDZqa9EXkc/Tp-KG6XIZ4I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Ld_cQlkSXBE/s400/2011-10-17%2B012%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WqDrgGbsXY/Tp-KhSL6hsI/AAAAAAAAAWo/_5jwXFWa71U/s1600/2011-10-17%2B015%2Bresized.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665399160677500610" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6WqDrgGbsXY/Tp-KhSL6hsI/AAAAAAAAAWo/_5jwXFWa71U/s400/2011-10-17%2B015%2Bresized.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjCyWhA62Ek/Tp-K3Jvx4II/AAAAAAAAAXA/m6HCXnujjQo/s1600/2011-10-17%2B032%2Bsmall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665399536369131650" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mjCyWhA62Ek/Tp-K3Jvx4II/AAAAAAAAAXA/m6HCXnujjQo/s400/2011-10-17%2B032%2Bsmall.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>You can see the layers of the cake in the photo. Unfortunately, I didn't get any better photos of a slice.<br />
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I'd like to point out that the fondant on the cake was actually not that thick as it seems in the photo - the white layer on the outside is both the buttercream and the fondant, the latter of which was only about 1/8" thick. Thin fondant is harder to work with, but I definitely try because 1/4" of fondant is a bit much for anyone to stomach.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-5885179010168039692011-09-05T19:13:00.010-04:002011-09-05T19:35:14.333-04:00Blackberry ClafoutisIt's been a while since I've posted (for which I do apologize). And, it's now blackberry season, with a large, rambling blackberry vine behind our office blessing us with an abundance of fresh, luscious berries.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNC8j-Ze71k/TmVYcv0zGWI/AAAAAAAAAUw/k6iVpwk2Krk/s1600/2011-09-05%2B022%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNC8j-Ze71k/TmVYcv0zGWI/AAAAAAAAAUw/k6iVpwk2Krk/s400/2011-09-05%2B022%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649018558503655778" border="0" /></a><br />I've been through blackberry and feta salad... blackberry cake with cream cheese icing... blackberry liqueur... you get the picture. (Unfortunately, I did not take any).<br /><br />And now, with a bunch of extra blackberries, I decided to try a clafoutis recipe from Williams-Sonoma. A clafoutis has a baked custard-like filling, usually with berries or cherries.<br /><br />Now one thing that I have not figured out is if a crust is typical for a clafoutis. At the bakery I worked at, our clafoutis had a short biscuit-like crust. But a lot of recipes I've seen since are more like casseroles - baked directly in a dish and spooned out for serving.<br /><br />I like having a crust, as a person who has an abnormal preference for crust (pizza, pie, etc). A crust provides a delicious counterpoint to the creamy filling and tart berries. It also makes serving easier, and I'm all about presentation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JbbI3Aslnk/TmVZN9bhPtI/AAAAAAAAAU4/WrXlR36HqmQ/s1600/2011-09-05%2B009%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--JbbI3Aslnk/TmVZN9bhPtI/AAAAAAAAAU4/WrXlR36HqmQ/s400/2011-09-05%2B009%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649019403969314514" border="0" /></a><br />And if you're making one tart, you might as well make a whole bunch of extra tartlets.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zC7wxsor1CM/TmVaGkPioeI/AAAAAAAAAVA/u0IknTmLtPI/s1600/2011-09-05%2B011%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zC7wxsor1CM/TmVaGkPioeI/AAAAAAAAAVA/u0IknTmLtPI/s400/2011-09-05%2B011%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649020376460730850" border="0" /></a><br />A clafoutis is quite simple. Once you have your tart shell (or not, depending), just lay out your berries. Choose your favourite, or any combination thereof. Frozen berries could be used just as well as fresh.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6-s18O8MH3w/TmVa4V5p-pI/AAAAAAAAAVI/7UxH7KnwxS4/s1600/2011-09-05%2B041%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6-s18O8MH3w/TmVa4V5p-pI/AAAAAAAAAVI/7UxH7KnwxS4/s400/2011-09-05%2B041%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649021231604300434" border="0" /></a><br />The filling is simply beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and whipping cream. It's essentially a custard, but not cooked before baking. It's poured around the berries, almost to the top of the crust.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_6DocDQhQg/TmVbs6fR30I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/n4OFIlVMNOM/s1600/2011-09-05%2B043%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P_6DocDQhQg/TmVbs6fR30I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/n4OFIlVMNOM/s400/2011-09-05%2B043%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649022134778978114" border="0" /></a><br />And through the magic of the internet...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XJqbeu38YM/TmVb5gxxFsI/AAAAAAAAAVY/Yqa5HG-crzY/s1600/2011-09-05%2B048%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3XJqbeu38YM/TmVb5gxxFsI/AAAAAAAAAVY/Yqa5HG-crzY/s400/2011-09-05%2B048%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649022351215498946" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoy! And I promise to post soon.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-81357890984114125292011-04-06T21:48:00.002-04:002011-04-06T21:52:38.472-04:00Leaving for a Tea Break...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8zpIrAhLVLk/TZ0YybUS1kI/AAAAAAAAAT0/pIQkulCc4cU/s1600/DSC_0255%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8zpIrAhLVLk/TZ0YybUS1kI/AAAAAAAAAT0/pIQkulCc4cU/s400/DSC_0255%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592653566869427778" border="0" /></a><br />... in Taiwan. Will be back eventually!Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-23561911349068235062011-03-27T20:12:00.003-04:002011-03-27T20:25:19.571-04:00House Cooling<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7Ho1IunlhA/TY_SjqnLltI/AAAAAAAAATs/DlDXmBVRJOI/s1600/2011-03-27%2B003%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 323px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d7Ho1IunlhA/TY_SjqnLltI/AAAAAAAAATs/DlDXmBVRJOI/s400/2011-03-27%2B003%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588917172765955794" border="0" /></a><br />"Don't it always seem to go/ That you don't know what you've got/ 'Til it's gone."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Big Yellow Taxi,</span> by Joni Mitchell<br /></div><br />Thankfully, this isn't always the case. With friends, every time we get together, it's another reminder of the times we've spent together, how loved we make each other feel, and how much we value the impact that we had, and will have, on each others' lives.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-18888717158767559082011-03-20T21:42:00.002-04:002011-03-20T21:56:01.314-04:00Something strange...Something very strange happened today...<br /><br />... I won something on a draw today. This usually never happens to me; it's always the number that's 1 digit off, or the number I had for the last draw. Feelings of unluckiness may be universal human condition. After all, charity lotteries do have to make some money at the end the day.<br /><br />But today, things were different. The wind must have been blowing off Lake Ontario in the opposite direction.<br /><br />Kara Buntin writes a fantastic blog called <a href="http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/">A Cake to Remember VA</a>, which has consistently offered fantastic insight on all aspects of running a cake business. Even more laudable is her consistency. <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.com/2011/03/birthday-cake.html">While some bloggers</a> may slack off <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.com/2011/03/sacher-torte.html">for a month at a time</a> and try to post a<a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.com/2011/03/lopera.html"> series of entries to compensate</a> (none immediately come to mind) , Kara routinely updates every other day or every couple of days with a well thought-out post.<br /><br />Thanks to Kara, I soon will be the owner of my first <a href="http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-giveaway.html">silicon food-grade mold</a>. In anticipation, I've worked out the first cake I want to try it on.<br /><br />Here's a sneak peek of what may be to come. Hopefully it will be up to par with Kara's work!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fQh1DxVUt0/TYawDHxWw4I/AAAAAAAAATk/Of2Hw3znvMw/s1600/2011-03-20%2B002%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 358px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--fQh1DxVUt0/TYawDHxWw4I/AAAAAAAAATk/Of2Hw3znvMw/s400/2011-03-20%2B002%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586345955471836034" border="0" /></a>Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-34916234799565320192011-03-11T23:07:00.007-05:002011-03-11T23:21:03.683-05:00Birthday Cake<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1Apb6o4xw4/TXryOJgXDkI/AAAAAAAAARY/bch-a6BePPE/s1600/2011-03-05%2B018%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1Apb6o4xw4/TXryOJgXDkI/AAAAAAAAARY/bch-a6BePPE/s400/2011-03-05%2B018%2Bedited%2Bsmall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041012962889282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgIph8OXVzo/TXryPsWcQUI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Ihlcq_t2Kj4/s1600/2011-03-05%2B042.jpg"><br /></a>So far, this is my 3rd covered cake, and marks the 1st anniversary since my first attempt (which coincidentally was a cake for the same friend's birthday). For this, I took inspiration from a flower detail she created as a fashion accessory, and then paired it with a pared-down, simple, white marshmallow-fondant covered cake.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38gK7i1v_ao/TXryOqZo-EI/AAAAAAAAARo/oGcoSjl6wsI/s1600/2011-03-05%2B024.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 349px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38gK7i1v_ao/TXryOqZo-EI/AAAAAAAAARo/oGcoSjl6wsI/s400/2011-03-05%2B024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041021793073218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aJpuuCGrB2E/TXryERWxIFI/AAAAAAAAARQ/pBEWjinuhoU/s1600/2011-03-05%2B007.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 343px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aJpuuCGrB2E/TXryERWxIFI/AAAAAAAAARQ/pBEWjinuhoU/s400/2011-03-05%2B007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583040843271446610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A quilted fondant band covers the bottom edge of the cake to add texture to the overall design. A small bead border joins the two together.</span><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1J3DusKX8RU/TXryO4MpduI/AAAAAAAAARw/03ztnHrCgYY/s1600/2011-03-05%2B027.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1J3DusKX8RU/TXryO4MpduI/AAAAAAAAARw/03ztnHrCgYY/s400/2011-03-05%2B027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041025496676066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The flower is rather simple and stylized to reflect the original inspiration for the cake. It is rather thick because MM Fondant was used rather than gumpaste.<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PUeBvg_R6pE/TXryOUvnAxI/AAAAAAAAARg/8nvVd7IrT2I/s1600/2011-03-05%2B023.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PUeBvg_R6pE/TXryOUvnAxI/AAAAAAAAARg/8nvVd7IrT2I/s400/2011-03-05%2B023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041015979639570" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgIph8OXVzo/TXryPsWcQUI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Ihlcq_t2Kj4/s1600/2011-03-05%2B042.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vgIph8OXVzo/TXryPsWcQUI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Ihlcq_t2Kj4/s400/2011-03-05%2B042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041039496397122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div>Two flavours were incorporated into this cake, primarily out of necessity to increase the height of the finished product. The bottom layer is a sacher cake with apricot jam (not a true Sacher Torte, due to the assembly), and the top layer is a white genoise cake with raspberry cream cheese icing. The entire cake was masked with cream cheese icing, before being covered.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bkl202JGaiQ/TXryZhK9XPI/AAAAAAAAASA/2ZMhVEMduaA/s1600/2011-03-05%2B050.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 388px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bkl202JGaiQ/TXryZhK9XPI/AAAAAAAAASA/2ZMhVEMduaA/s400/2011-03-05%2B050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583041208294137074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Something for everyone!</span></span><br /></div>Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-85196606473726534132011-03-11T22:00:00.011-05:002011-03-11T22:51:39.307-05:00Sacher Torte<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwoYvJtRBY/TXrtK0EZW9I/AAAAAAAAARI/TU8Sq_ka48Q/s1600/2011-02-13%2B020.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOwoYvJtRBY/TXrtK0EZW9I/AAAAAAAAARI/TU8Sq_ka48Q/s400/2011-02-13%2B020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583035458110708690" border="0" /></a><br />Not everything goes exactly as you plan.<br /><br />It all started off with a new cake pan from Bulk Barn. I've been hankering for a 6" circular pan for a while. Not only does it make any cake instantly cute by its proportions, but as a single-dweller faced with the prospect of eating everything that he makes, it makes it easy to handle more baking. New recipe? No problem! No longer would I have to fear the issue of finding a herd of willing guinea pigs to consume my latest creation/failure.<br /><br />The other reason why a 6" pan was so appealing was that I thought it could fit it into my toaster over. Adult Easy Bake oven, says you. But I figured that if I didn't have to fire up the big oven just for one cake, that would be a decent reduction in energy consumption. Everyone wins: Audric gets to bake a cake, and the rest of the world doesn't have to pay [as much] for it.<br /><br />Sounds great? It certainly seemed so. The cake pan fits perfectly inside; its rim not even touching the top.<br /><br />Until, that is, I realized that the toaster oven is really quite short. And that the heating element was really quite low. And one more fact I neglected: cakes RISE when baking.<br /><br />Whoops.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byVxJsqGdhk/TXrnQPpgkLI/AAAAAAAAAQg/7YI45IugXY8/s1600/2011-02-13%2B003.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byVxJsqGdhk/TXrnQPpgkLI/AAAAAAAAAQg/7YI45IugXY8/s400/2011-02-13%2B003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583028954343706802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Whoops, indeed.<br /></span></span></div><br />Thankfully, the smell of burning was just a superficial smell of burning. Just. Instead of being a perfect reduction of a regular oven, mine turned into the tanning-bed-from-hell-that-someone-accidentally-fell-asleep-in-at-full-supernova-power. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Disclaimer: I swear that I do not speak from experience.</span>)<br /><br />What initially looked like a pretty serious burn didn't actually penetrate into the cake itself, and was easily removed. What was left over was plenty of cake and a level top to work with.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ay-JqxlOl2k/TXrq7DKTf_I/AAAAAAAAAQo/_u5hydl-Mpg/s1600/2011-02-13%2B006.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ay-JqxlOl2k/TXrq7DKTf_I/AAAAAAAAAQo/_u5hydl-Mpg/s400/2011-02-13%2B006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583032988260859890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cake layers, prepped for assembly!<br /></span></span></div><br />Now that I've recounted the story of how I unceremoniously burnt my cake, let me know tell you affirmatively that the Sacher Torte is a truly dignified, elegant, refined cake. The cake itself is firm, fairly dense, fine-textured, and neither too sweet nor too moist. These layers are then lightly moistened with syrup and spread with nothing else than apricot jam.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OX4HRrShHvQ/TXrrVQsguDI/AAAAAAAAAQw/WYvVoqgYc9M/s1600/2011-02-13%2B010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OX4HRrShHvQ/TXrrVQsguDI/AAAAAAAAAQw/WYvVoqgYc9M/s400/2011-02-13%2B010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583033438570592306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ready for jamming!</span></span><br /><br /></div>The assembled cake is then masked...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuAfaC2v8rE/TXrruwgySjI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/GwPxseA9z4E/s1600/2011-02-13%2B012.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GuAfaC2v8rE/TXrruwgySjI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/GwPxseA9z4E/s400/2011-02-13%2B012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583033876608076338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Just a thin layer to even out the sides<br /></span></span></div><br />... and then it is coated with a smooth, glossy chocolate covering. Sophistication, in a cake. Discounting my piping abilities, that is.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGpJMvAbKLs/TXrsXyBWeGI/AAAAAAAAARA/Dp8iVebzSZI/s1600/2011-02-13%2B027%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGpJMvAbKLs/TXrsXyBWeGI/AAAAAAAAARA/Dp8iVebzSZI/s400/2011-02-13%2B027%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583034581387737186" border="0" /></a><br />The typical Sacher Torte has the word "Sacher" written over the top. Since my writing skills are less than optimal for the task, I decided to use my typical scroll pattern for the sides. It only seemed fitting for such a cake.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-55784591195166098522011-03-11T21:18:00.004-05:002011-03-11T21:59:11.825-05:00L'Opéra<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4PJrUtyIQh8/TXrfNyqpEAI/AAAAAAAAAQY/lsbK7o60M5Y/s1600/2011-02-12%2B069.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 379px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4PJrUtyIQh8/TXrfNyqpEAI/AAAAAAAAAQY/lsbK7o60M5Y/s400/2011-02-12%2B069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583020116111069186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Impromptu change in decorations brought to you by: Audric not realizing he doesn't actually have the piping tip size that he thought he did!<br /></span></span></div><br />There are classics in all genres of human expression: architecture, rock music, cars, movies. Timeless, dependable, universal, these provide a certain stability and structure to the rough-and-tumble course of our daily lives. You can always count on that trustworthy book or that one brand of shampoo to bring you through a rough spot.<br /><br />One such classic in food is the combination of coffee and chocolate. In hot liquid form or in pastry form, it always provides an adjustable balance between sweet and bitter. One cuts through other, while the other mellows of the former.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVn9R-GiLIM/TXrfHb0RLvI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/wzwK0n8bkBU/s1600/2011-02-12%2B042%2BEdited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 357px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVn9R-GiLIM/TXrfHb0RLvI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/wzwK0n8bkBU/s400/2011-02-12%2B042%2BEdited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583020006898216690" border="0" /></a><br />In the case of the Opera cake, chocolate ganache and mocha buttercream are layered between almond joconde (sponge) cake layers soaked in coffee-flavoured syrup. The edges of the cake are left unmasked to show off the layers inside.<br /><br />Less is definitely more, especially with a cake this rich. Go easy on the buttercream and ganache (I think I put a little too much); thinner layers definitely produces a far better experience when eating as all the flavours blend together.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-16129138488319444022011-02-01T19:30:00.003-05:002011-02-01T19:54:00.718-05:00Key Lime Pie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUimAq8pRhI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5jc51zDelEM/s1600/2011-01-30%2B037%2Bedited.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUil6-iNSxI/AAAAAAAAAQA/brV4THHE-Dg/s1600/2011-01-30%2B003%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUil6-iNSxI/AAAAAAAAAQA/brV4THHE-Dg/s400/2011-01-30%2B003%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568883371881089810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's been a while since my last wave of tart making, and I thought that it was time again to tackle pastry crusts again. They're still something I haven't gotten the hang of yet, which further prevents me from trying them. It's time to break the cycle!<br /><br />For this, I tried a pâte sablée recipe from a Cordon Bleu technique book I read year or two ago. It was a recipe that has given me trouble in the past, and it decided to hassle me, yet again. I ended up having to add another egg yolk and some water to finally bring it together.<br /><br />The recipe for the lime curd was derived Williams-Sonoma's recipe for <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/lemon-meringue-pie.html?cm_src=RECIPESEARCH">Lemon Meringue Pie</a>. Egg-thickened custards and curds have also been an personal struggle in the past. They never seemed to thicken enough before the egg overcooks. After the fuss with the tart pastry, I was determined to make this work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUil19_s3-I/AAAAAAAAAP4/7lYL9loFMgo/s1600/2011-01-30%2B015%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUil19_s3-I/AAAAAAAAAP4/7lYL9loFMgo/s400/2011-01-30%2B015%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568883285837012962" border="0" /></a><br />Thankfully, the curd turned out perfectly. What I didn't account for in the past was the latent heat in the mixture, which thickened the curd even after being removed from the double boiler. The result? A silky-smooth curd, free from any graininess. After baking in the oven briefly, it had set perfectly in the tart shells.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUil19_s3-I/AAAAAAAAAP4/7lYL9loFMgo/s1600/2011-01-30%2B015%2Bedited.jpg"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUimAq8pRhI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5jc51zDelEM/s1600/2011-01-30%2B037%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 341px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TUimAq8pRhI/AAAAAAAAAQI/5jc51zDelEM/s400/2011-01-30%2B037%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568883469702481426" border="0" /></a><br />And what better else to top it all off than with a mountain of meringue? I'm no good at swirling meringue, so I decided to try out a new piping tip instead. One lesson learned: when you're piling meringue this high, it pays off to do it in two passes: a small pile in the centre, and then a second outer coat that gives you an uninterrupted swirl straight to the top.Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-38452102929254162632011-01-22T15:32:00.006-05:002011-01-22T15:41:38.482-05:00Orange, Almond, and Chocolate Chip Pancakes<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTtAqRSVnvI/AAAAAAAAAPs/cqDTsUWc724/s1600/2011-01-22%2B016%2BEdited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTtAqRSVnvI/AAAAAAAAAPs/cqDTsUWc724/s400/2011-01-22%2B016%2BEdited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565112859485380338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">There's nothing like pancakes on a Saturday morning!</span><br /><br /></span></div>Ingredients:<br /><br />1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 tbs sugar<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />3/4 tsp salt<br /><br />1 egg<br />3 tbs almond oil<br />1 1/3 cup milk<br />Zest of two medium-sized oranges<br /><br />Chocolate Chips<br /><br />Directions:<br /><ol><li>Stir together all the dried ingredients in a medium bowl.</li><li>In a small bowl, beat egg and oil together. Stir in milk and orange zest.</li><li>Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, but do not overmix. There should be some lumps.</li><li>Pour 1/2 cup of the batter onto a frying pan over medium heat.</li><li>Drop chocolate chips onto the uncooked batter in the pan.<br /></li><li>When bubbles form and burst throughout the pancake, flip to cook the other side.</li><li>Cook until underside is golden brown. Remove from pan; repeat steps 4-7.<br /></li></ol>Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-57505483280491234132011-01-22T15:20:00.004-05:002011-01-22T15:30:45.855-05:00Black Pepper, Sweet Basil and Cheddar Gougères<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs9Y7CrAnI/AAAAAAAAAPc/IZ-mLdAkWPU/s1600/2011-01-18%2B008%2Bedited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs9Y7CrAnI/AAAAAAAAAPc/IZ-mLdAkWPU/s400/2011-01-18%2B008%2Bedited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565109262921433714" border="0" /></a><br />(Adapted from Good Housekeeping's Illustrated Cookbook)<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 cup water<br />1/2 cup butter<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1 cup flour<br />4 eggs<br /><br />1 cup shredded cheddar cheese<br />Freshly-ground black pepper<br />Dried sweet basil<br />Paprika<br /><br /><br />Directions:<br /><ol><li>Heat water, butter, and salt until boiling.</li><li>Add flour at once.</li><li>Stir constantly, over heat, until dough comes away from sides. Remove from heat.</li><li>Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring between each until fully incorporated.</li><li>Mix in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, freshly-ground black pepper, dried sweet basil, and paprika. Stir until combined.</li><li>Spoon or pipe onto baking sheet. Bake @ 375°F for 50 minutes, or until golden.<br /></li></ol>Best enjoyed fresh from the oven. For any leftovers, simply toast lightly before serving.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs-W7qRJHI/AAAAAAAAAPk/dedii1x4Fjg/s1600/2011-01-18%2B017%2BEdited.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs-W7qRJHI/AAAAAAAAAPk/dedii1x4Fjg/s400/2011-01-18%2B017%2BEdited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565110328239400050" border="0" /></a>Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3622858461314688584.post-42490386555240705122011-01-15T15:46:00.022-05:002011-01-22T15:19:58.450-05:00Rumball Cake<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsq4UU2VxI/AAAAAAAAAO8/HFdI2QrfdQg/s1600/2010-12-30%2B068.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsq4UU2VxI/AAAAAAAAAO8/HFdI2QrfdQg/s400/2010-12-30%2B068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565088911563577106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspJ804akI/AAAAAAAAAN8/y2CuPHkdOoY/s1600/2010-12-30%2B020.jpg"><br /></a>Happy Holidays, and here's a toast to 2011!<br /><br />I know this is slightly/very belated, but better late than never! Plus, there are still (checks calendar) 49 weeks left in 2011, so there's still plenty of time left for a little more goodwill.<br /><br />Christmas is usually a much-anticipated holiday for me. I am the self-appointed Festive Decorator for my family, and I usually start sneaking up the cumbersome boxes of decorations from the basement at the end of November. I have established specific routines for the tree, trimming the dining room chandelier, and draping the banister with garlands. It is more the action of decorating, of preparing the house for Christmas, than the actual decorations that always got me into a festive mood.<br /><br />This year was a sharp departure from that, working out-of-town until two days before Christmas. Even in University, the exam schedule was usually very fortunate to me and would sometimes allot close to a full month off for the holidays. The working world is far less kind, and I'll leave it at that. (I know that this also depends on the specific university and program. A hint: if you like vacations - and who doesn't? - the BLA program at Guelph is a good choice).<br /><br />This year, I decided to attempt a Rumball Cake for the holidays. It has been a while since a rumball cake graced our family dining table. When I was younger, rumball cakes were almost exclusively reserved for Christmas or New Year's, and they were always a huge highlight of the night. I was eager to reintroduce it into our holidays.<br /><br />It appears that there are three major categories of rumballs, each constituted of one major element held together with cocoa/chocolate, sugar, and rum. The first is finely-ground nuts, which I tried last year, with moderately-pleasing results. The second is wafers or cookies, ground into crumbs. The third is a brownie- or cake-like baked good, crumbled.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspZ5JUyCI/AAAAAAAAAOM/ED6NKJlwDwY/s1600/2010-12-30%2B032.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspZ5JUyCI/AAAAAAAAAOM/ED6NKJlwDwY/s400/2010-12-30%2B032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565087289359779874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lost in a field of rumballs. (There are worst places to be.)</span><br /></span></div><br />After much search for rumball recipes, I eventually settle on <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rum-balls">this recipe from Martha Stewart</a>, which is the third type of rumball recipe. It yielded a very dense, very smooth-textured rumball that was very easy to handle and shape. The first trial batch were made with Grand Marnier instead of rum, which gave them a sharper taste than those made with rum. Both were just as delicious as the other.<br /><br />The cake itself was chocolate genoise and dark chocolate ganache - <a href="http://fika-aa.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-cranberry.html">two reliable standbys</a>. The chocolate genoise was baked in a cookie sheet to yield a rectangle slab cake, which was then cut into quarter strips, each strip torted into two layers, and then re-stacked to produce two cakes each of four layers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsrKBfdfjI/AAAAAAAAAPM/VnEv1N-wowQ/s1600/2010-12-30%2B107.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsrKBfdfjI/AAAAAAAAAPM/VnEv1N-wowQ/s400/2010-12-30%2B107.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565089215745457714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Steps for ganache: Heat cream. Add chocolate. Stir until melted. Cool. Whip. Done!<br /></span></span></div><br />The reason why I'm continually drawn towards genoise is its simplicity. There are only three major ingredients: eggs, sugar, and flour. The chocolate genoise has some cocoa powder substituted for the flour. There's an elegance to creating something with such a minimal number of ingredients.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsopF4tbyI/AAAAAAAAANk/Lpp15btQoS8/s1600/2010-12-30%2B004.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsopF4tbyI/AAAAAAAAANk/Lpp15btQoS8/s400/2010-12-30%2B004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565086450966163234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Sift the cocoa powder and flour together to mix the two together. This also removes and breaks down and clumps of cocoa powder.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs7Ye7EIjI/AAAAAAAAAPU/DefBLDlAdaE/s1600/2010-12-30%2B017%2Bedit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTs7Ye7EIjI/AAAAAAAAAPU/DefBLDlAdaE/s400/2010-12-30%2B017%2Bedit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565107056350077490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mix the sugar and eggs together, and then heat over a pan of simmering water while beating constantly. When tripled in volume, remove from heat and continue beating until eggs fall in ribbons from the beaters.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspOdzSx8I/AAAAAAAAAOE/ONbXiCOF8tg/s1600/2010-12-30%2B027.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspOdzSx8I/AAAAAAAAAOE/ONbXiCOF8tg/s400/2010-12-30%2B027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565087093041055682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Fold the flour and cocoa into the eggs, 1/3 at a time. Spread the mixture in a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake until firm (springs back when pressed).<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspf1XTzLI/AAAAAAAAAOU/uYUIoY1bmSY/s1600/2010-12-30%2B042.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTspf1XTzLI/AAAAAAAAAOU/uYUIoY1bmSY/s400/2010-12-30%2B042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565087391423909042" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Each section was torted into two layers. The parchment paper facilitates handling!<br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqrh5_UcI/AAAAAAAAAOk/aVqJAU-VwMo/s1600/2010-12-30%2B054.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqrh5_UcI/AAAAAAAAAOk/aVqJAU-VwMo/s400/2010-12-30%2B054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565088691870716354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Each layer is then soaked in rum syrup and layered with chocolate ganache. Given the thick consistency of the whipped ganache, this would have been a lot easier with a piping bag.<br /></span></span></div><br />I decided to go with an acanthus-scroll decoration, running down the centre of the cake, flanked with rumballs on either side. Right before decorating, I had a minor concern that the proportions would cause the cake to end up resembling Lady Gaga's Minnie Mouse glasses, rather than the sophisticated vision I had in my head. Putting aside my doubts, I forged on and this turned out pretty well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqvwh8D-I/AAAAAAAAAOs/WotS2SSyT8k/s1600/2010-12-30%2B058.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqvwh8D-I/AAAAAAAAAOs/WotS2SSyT8k/s400/2010-12-30%2B058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565088764515848162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The masked cake, ready for decorating. A small glass was used to mark out the rough guides for the acanthus-style decorations.</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqzqLNKuI/AAAAAAAAAO0/_FRiO5tc0-o/s1600/2010-12-30%2B059.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A5Z_1uqG9eI/TTsqzqLNKuI/AAAAAAAAAO0/_FRiO5tc0-o/s400/2010-12-30%2B059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565088831529364194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The finished product! The rectangular form is conducive for rich cakes, as it easily allows for smaller individual servings. The only problem is finding an appropriate plate for presentation! (A glass cutting board was used for this, not the cookie sheet shown here).</span></span><br /></div>Audric Montunohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983688431471679309noreply@blogger.com0