Easter Carbs

What better way to break forty days of fasting for Lent than with carbs?

It's common among my friends and coworkers to give up sweets, potato chips, and/or pop during Lent. I admire their commitment and will power. I know we talked about this sort of thing when I was a kid attending a Catholic school, but I don't actually remember giving anything up myself. Maybe I did and was so traumatized by it that I've blocked it from my memory. Or maybe because it was a "small t" tradition, it wasn't overly emphasized in my family. Whatever the case, I don't normally participate in fasting for Lent.

In more recent years, though, I've picked up alternative practices. For example, for a few years in a row, I collected 40 food items to donate to the food bank. Another year, I selected 40 items to donate to charity (inspired by a 40 bags for 40 days challenge that just seemed to be a bit too much of a commitment). When you shift your perspective in this way, you find that there are many options to make an impact that don't involve food. Donate $40 to a local charity. Volunteer for 40 hours with a non-profit organization. Engage in 40 random acts of kindness. This is my preferred way to observe Lent, but everyone should do what works for them. 

Now, despite the fact that I haven't fasted, I'm still happy to participate in the breaking of the fast. From chocolate Easter bunnies to hot cross buns and everything in between, this is one calendar custom with delicious traditions.

Today, I'm happy to have an invitation to a turkey dinner. Naturally, I felt compelled to make dessert. Inspired by Facebook memories of Easter past, I decided it was time to make cupcakes again. French vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream dyed a pale yellow and topped with rainbow Eggies (and a few with Junior Mints Eggs). The colour is on point and the flavour is top notch. 

But before I get to that, I'll start my day with one of the raspberry Easter eggs that I made earlier in the month. Alongside a cup of coffee, I'm sure it will be heavenly. 

I know I've said more than once that I thought a particular confection was my best work yet, but the response to these raspberry Easter eggs has been incredibly positive. The raspberry ganache centre had a beautiful texture and the addition of the lemon juice really brought out the fresh berry flavour. One day, I'll sell these in a very chic chocolate lounge. 

And of course, I can't forget to mention hot cross buns. Ever since moving to Cape Breton, I've been hunting for the best hot cross buns. Almost every year, I take off Holy Thursday and visit local shops and bakeries, buying all of the delightful things I can find. It's less about Easter and more about the start of Spring (which brings with it balcony coffees, gardening, and Birkenstock season). I've bought hot cross buns in North Sydney, Sydney River, Sydney, and Glace Bay. But there are two key issues. First, it's not uncommon to have to buy hot cross buns in large quantities. One year, the smallest pack I could find was 8. Now, as one person, I can't possibly eat 8 hot cross buns before they go stale and hot cross buns are the sort of thing were you eat one or two to get your fix and then you're over it for another year. The second issue pertains to the icing cross that is common here. I've seen it made with a very loose royal icing and I've also seen it made with buttercream. While it adds a delightful sweetness if consumed immediately after buying, leave it even a few hours and the sugar begins to absorb moisture from the air and the icing begins to weep and melt. It's a sticky mess (and that impedes toasting them when they're a few days old). 

Consequently, for the last few years, I've made my own hot cross buns. I use a small batch recipe that I found online, which makes only 6 small buns and I riff on that to make it my own. (Next year I may try cutting the recipe in half, because really 3 would be the ideal number to make.) This year, I used a bread lame to cut the crosses into the buns, thereby eliminating the need for an icing cross (I realize that traditionally a flour paste is used to bake the cross into the top of the bun, but it seemed like an unnecessary step). And I also glazed them with apricot jam, which gave them a delicious flavour. Next year, I plan to substitute apricots or blueberries for the more common raisins. (I may have to write a note to my future self so that I remember to try one of these variations.)

Until then, I'll enjoy this year's Easter carbs while I can, for Eggies and hot cross buns come but once a year.  

Happy Easter!

I Only Need One Good One to Photograph

For a while now, I've been wanting to try making macarons. They seem to have become trendy, based on all of the YouTube videos that have been posted in the last two years. They also seem to be commonly sold at chocolate shops, so during my Professional Chocolatier program, I kept seeing pictures of them in display cases at chocolateries and even stumbled upon packaging for them while conducting research for one of my assignments. While always in the back of my mind, though, they seemed like too much work whenever I was in the mood to make something. There's something about whipping egg whites that just puts a recipe in another category for me.

Then a few weeks ago, I was at Stokes and saw silicone macaron baking sheets. Impulsively, I bought them. And then they sat on my dining room table taunting me until finally I decided I must use them.

Now, everything I've read says that even professionals have trouble periodically with macarons, so you shouldn't be disappointed if they don't work the first few tries. Persistence is key. Fair enough, I thought. I only need one good one to photograph.

And so I separated eggs and sifted almond flour, I whipped and I folded. (As I wrote that, lyrics flashed through my head: "Now watch me whip. Now watch me nae nae...") And I piped.

And I waited.

And eventually, the skin formed and I was able to pop them into the oven to bake. Everything was going beautifully until I took them out. Some were cracked. Some were lopsided. Some seemed to be hollow. They didn't lift from the mat. I put them back in for a few more minutes. And then for a few more minutes. Finally, I gave up hope and took them out to cool, and then put the second tray in.

The second tray seemed to work a bit better, but it certainly wasn't a home run by any stretch of the imagination. Still, I only needed one good one to photograph, right?

I pulled the meringue cookies from the mat, trying not to break them, which proved more challenging than you might expect (considering the mat was silicone). And I whipped some blueberry buttercream to use as the filling, thinking it would pair nicely with the lemon flavoured meringue. And I piped and sandwiched my cookies, trying not to crack them or put a finger through them, before putting them in the fridge for 24 hours (which many say is the mandatory final step). There were more than a few casualties.

And when it was all done, I had one good one to photograph.

Okay, that's not quite true. I had more than one. But not many more. After all of that effort for so little output, there wouldn't be any sharing. (Sorry, peeps!)

I collected the cracked cookies and put them in tupperware for snacking (they still tasted great) and I rationed the remaining lemon macarons filled with blueberry cream cheese filling.

The following day, I did some research to see what might have gone wrong. As it turns out, silicone baking mats, though popular with their circular piping guides, are not recommended for macarons -- and they increase the baking time. I had overfilled them. I also found that I probably had underwhipped the egg whites (despite carefully following a recipe by Anna Olson). Finally, it's likely that I didn't fold my mixture enough.

Determined to master this, just a week ago, I tried making them again and was much more successful. I whipped to stiff peaks instead of soft, I folded the mixture until I could draw figure eights with the batter, and I adjusted the bake time (though I did still use the silicone baking mats). I used a lighter touch piping. And, I'm happy to say that, though it once again wasn't a home run, my yield was much higher the second time around.

I'm thinking third time's a charm...

Have you ever made macarons? How did your first attempt go?

Beauty and the Beast

This month I was thrilled when a colleague shared a baking opportunity with me on Facebook. I hadn't heard of the All Fool's Night fundraiser held by the Cape Breton Regional Library. As part of it, there would be a silent auction featuring altered book art and books to eat. I immediately contacted the organizer to get the details.

Then I needed to choose a book to inspire my cake. I covered a lot of ground in my deliberations -- from Dexter to Ramona Quimby and Murder on the Orient Express to Shopaholic and The Telling Room to In Too Deep (those last two were a nod to my book club). In the end, I choose something popular now as a result of a new movie -- Beauty and the Beast. After reviewing several videos on YouTube and pins on Pinterest to inspire me, I determined that I would make a 9" contour vanilla cake filled with strawberry buttercream and covered in yellow rosettes to suggest Belle's dress. A few white pearls would be added for interest. The centerpiece would be an edible red rose under an acrylic dome if I could find one. I had less than two weeks to plan, prepare, and execute my design.

Naturally, I started with the red rose. I had read online that it was possible to make a rose out of fondant -- the instructions were on the Wilton site. I was skeptical, though. From my experience, the rose would need to be made out of gum paste. I tried making one with some fondant I had on had and my suspicions were confirmed -- fondant simply wouldn't do. I made a special trip to Michaels to purchase new gum paste, some pearls, and new red colouring. I was much happier with the results and made three gum paste roses, along with about eight leaves. I wanted to have back-ups in case something went wrong on the day of the assembly.

I then searched Dollarama for something that would work as a dome over the rose. Nothing seemed appropriate in terms of shape and size. I was getting ready to scrap that design and find a workaround. Luckily, while strolling through Walmart a few days later, I found an acrylic stemless wine glass in the seasonal section. It would be the perfect dome over the rose.

Then the worst part was ahead of me: I had to wait another six days before I could do anything else related to the cake.

On the afternoon before the fundraiser, thanks to a snow day, I baked my cake and levelled it. Since I expected to have some buttercream left over and I was having a few friends over for dinner on Saturday, I also baked four cupcakes. The next morning, I made a double batch of buttercream. I took out about 1 cup and mixed it with pureed strawberries -- and used that to fill the cake, which I'd cut into two layers. Then I dyed the remaining buttercream the yellow of Belle's dress and covered the cake with rosettes. I had seen online that the best way to add candy pearls is to throw them at the buttercream so that the pattern is random. This was hilarious and resulted in pearls all over the floor of my apartment -- but it did work. Finally, I added the rose and a few petals, and covered the rose with the acrylic dome, held in place by the buttercream.

I was very pleased with how the cake turned out. Hopefully it did well at the auction. I would have liked to go, but I was busy at home eating cupcakes with friends. :)

Getting Back Into Cake Decorating

In October, I had the opportunity to make a birthday cake for a friend's daughter. She was interested in a Descendants cake. When she first asked me about it, I had no idea what that meant, but after some googling and research on Pinterest, I figured it out.

A few weeks in advance, I made a fondant apple and crown. The night before, I baked two French vanilla cakes, one 6" contour and one 9" contour. Then on the day of the party I made buttercream icing and covered the cakes in rosettes before applying the apple and crown. It is my first Disney-inspired cake. And I'm very proud of it! It also helped me realize just how much I enjoy the creative process of cake decorating.

An Anniversary Cake for my Parents

I decided in August that instead of going home for the end of summer, I would go home in October over the long weekend. My parents assumed it was so that I'd be home for Thanksgiving weekend, but in fact it was because I wanted to be home for their 45th wedding anniversary.

Early in September, I began preparing for a special cake. In their retirement, my parents have enjoyed growing veggies in their garden at our cottage. My mother in particular is obsessed with her pumpkins and I receive regular updates on their progress throughout summer. Much of her flower garden is bordered with flat rocks that my father has collected and relocated for her. And one of the ongoing jokes regarding our cottage is that my father seems to always be building sheds (last count there were 3). So, it seemed like a Peter Rabbit cake with a small shed would be the perfect way to celebrate them.

Over several nights in mid-September, I made fondant pumpkins, carrots, beets, and rabbits. I also made a trip to Bulk Barn to purchase chocolate rocks. I got a cake box at Michaels so that I could easily transport the finished product. I assembled everything I'd need to make the cake once I arrived in Newfoundland. I also gave my sister a list of ingredients that she would have to pick up for me (like icing sugar and graham crackers). She made sure everything was ready for my arrival.

I traveled on the ferry on a Wednesday night, arriving on the Thursday morning before the long weekend. On Friday, my parents left for the cottage and did just about everything in their power to get me to go with them (or to get me to let them stay home with me) because my sister had gone to St. John's for the day. I insisted they go without me because I had plans with my sister that night. Little did they know the plan was for their anniversary cake.

As soon as their vehicle disappeared up the road, I leaped into action. I took over my sister's kitchen, baked a cake, and made icing. I also assembled the graham crackers into a shed. About 7 hours later, the cake was finished.

My sister arrived home around 7pm. She was disappointed that she hadn't been able to contribute to the decorating of the cake, but she did pick up a LEGO quad that she assembled. We would place it alongside the cake -- after all, the most recent shed was being built to house a quad.

The next day, when my sister and I arrived at the cottage for an anniversary BBQ that we had planned, my parents were shocked to see the cake. I'm not sure why they didn't put things together and figure out that I, a baker, would make them a special dessert for their anniversary, but it just didn't cross their minds. The loved all of the details and there was no explanation necessary for the rocks or the shed.

The best part of all was when my father looked at me and told me that I could sell cakes for living if I wanted to one day. I felt very proud.