Life is like a box of chocolates

For my birthday, way back in February, my work colleagues bought me a voucher for a course with my baking buddy Sarah at The Cupcake Oven. I’ve known Sarah for a number of years since I first joined the local Sugarcraft Guild in order to be able to attend a workshop with my baking hero Paul Bradford. I’ve been on several of her courses and always have a fantastic day and learn new techniques. Sometimes I don’t really learn much but enjoy some therapeutic time making cake and the company.

I decided to do the Chocolate Box course this time. No cake involves unless you count the cupcake Sarah always prepares for her clients, and a slab of oreo cake she had left over from the previous days course. There was only myself an one other student so we had Sarah’s attention and had time for plenty of laughs and chat.

We made a wide variety of milk, dark and white chocolates. Orange ganache truffles, cassis buttons, white chocolate and raspberry truffles, caramel cups, enrobed marzipan, with any left over chocolate turned into solid moulds. All beautifully boxed and bagged.

In my head I can see me recreating these as gifts for people. Reality is, Sarah had prepared a lot of the items having wished things out to save time. If I was doing this from scratch, it would take several days. The trouble being you can’t rush chocolate.

When you melt it, you need to get it to the right temperature, then let it cool down a bit again but not too much. Once you’ve done what you’re going to do with it you need to chill it or wait for it to set a bit before putting it in the fridge. That’s assuming you have plenty of fridge space.

I may invest in some moulds and I made dabble in it at some time but for now I shall enjoy my treats over the coming days. I may share some with C if he’s lucky.

What to do when you can’t do what you intended to?

Those that know me well enough, know what the answer to that is.

We had booked tickets to visit our local RHS garden on Friday afternoon. I had been looking forward to it for a few days. The weather had been lovely all week and although it was due to be slightly cooler that was no bad thing. However, things took a sudden turn.

Watching the weather forecast over the previous couple of days it started to become apparent that Friday’s weather was not going to be conducive to a lovely wander around the rose beds. In fact by Friday morning, the forecast promised thunderstorms and heavy rain all afternoon.

Always the optimists, we decided to leave making a final decision until lunchtime on Friday, who knows, the forecast has been known to be wrong, or it might suddenly brighten up. We didn’t really want to take the risk of being out in the open air should there be a sudden downpour and thunder and lightening (very, very frightening!). It was still quite warm and neither of us really fancied being trussed up in our raincoats getting hot and sweaty. So, lovely afternoon walk cancelled.

What to do instead?

The previous morning, the lovely green baking box from BakedIn had arrived. Seemed like the ideal opportunity to bake instead. This month’s cake of choice was a chocolate ganache covered swiss roll. I’ve only ever made swiss roll from scratch once, maybe twice before. Always considered it a bit fiddly.

Anyway, chocolate sponge baked, house smelling of chocolate (mmmmmmmmmm!!) Sponge rolled. Buttercream whipped, added some coffee to make it mocha flavoured. Unroll sponge, spread buttercream, reroll sponge. Then wait until completely cooled down before coating in chocolate ganache and drizzle with white chocolate.

How we didn’t scoff the whole thing in one sitting, I’ll never know.

When I can’t do what I wanted or intended, I do the next best thing. Bake.

And then there was chocolate cake

As well as everything that has been going on since Friday, I did manage to bake a chocolate cake as well. The smell of the cake batter baking was incredible. There’s something about it that seems magical. The recipe I used produced a soft, light sponge, deep chocolate colour and flavour. Its been said that we eat with our eyes and that food should be aesthetically pleasing to look at to entice out appetite, but I figure smell plays just as important a role.

Our sense of smell comes from the stimulation of special cells in our nasal cavities which transmit a multitude of senses to our olfactory bulb in the brain which identifies a smell https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-human-nose-can-sense-10-basic-smells-1355489504 Apparently there are 10 dimensions to what humans can smell:

Fragrant – florals and perfumes;
Fruity – all non citrus fruits;
Citrus – lemon, lime, orange etc
Woody and resinous – pine or freshly cut grass;
Chemical – bleach or ammonia;
Sweet – chocolate, vanilla, caramel
Minty and peppermint – eucalyptus and camphor;
Toasted and nutty – popcorn, almonds, peanut butter;
Pungent – blue cheese, cigar smoke
Decayed – rotting meat, sour milk

Smells like baked bread and brewing coffee are an amalgamation of dimensions.

Dark chocolate has a particularly strong smell and German scientists claim to have found the fragrance that we love so much by testing 2 different sorts of distinctive whiffing dark chocolate and analysed the chemical compounds. These chemicals are released when the chocolate is at room temperature. In a previous study, it claims that the aroma of cocoa beans, the main ingredient in chocolate, individually smell similar to crisps, human sweat, earth, cooked meat, peaches, raw beef fat, cooked cabbage, cucumber and honey.

Those aromas on their own are enough to put you right off, but apparently, when some alchemy is done, the smell of chocolate is irresistible to many.

Thankfully, my cake did not smell of any of those pungent pongs, but of chocolate cake, with chocolate ganache frosting, with chocolate curls on top. And tasted bloody lovely!

That was the week (or 2) that was

The end of my 2 weeks annual leave has arrived. Monday morning sees the return to the office. Have I had a good holiday? Do I feel relaxed and rejuvenated?

Yes, I’ve had a good couple of weeks off, considering. I don’t particularly feel relaxed or rejuvenated thought. But I suspect that’s to do with the fact that we’re in lockdown and we can’t go anywhere or do anything or see anyone.

If we have been able to do things, I might have felt more energised. As it was, I spent most of the week not venturing far from home.

The first week I took the opportunity to undertake an online Mindfulness course. This was quite interesting and useful, but not something that I’ve suddenly found enlightenment from. It did give me some focus for a few days.

I had 7 virtual #bellringing sessions during the fortnight, some which I ran. I watched a funeral online. I attended 4 meetings and 1 virtual dinner. In between, I did some reading, played some games on my tablet and celebrated my 50^th birthday, lockdown stylee.

I did spend some time, quite purposefully, doing not a lot. C still did all the housework and cooking.

This sort of gave me an insight to what life might be like at a time when I could give up paid work completely. However, if that was the case, things would happen very differently. I would see a fair distribution of household labour. I would also probably do some form of exercise, whether down the gym or online stuff at home, or more walking at least. I would definitely do more baking and cooking. I do miss that a little bit.

I’ve had a good couple of weeks off and enjoyed not having to get up early and go to an office and get grief all day. I’m sure that feeling will be short lived when I open the office door.

Baking fails

I don’t very often fail completely when I’m baking but today’s BakedIn Brookies just didn’t work. There has been much comment on their social media page as to people having problems with the cookie and brownie elements somehow mixing and there not being such a definitive line, as per their picture.

I thought I’d try and be clever so decided I was going to part bake the cookie base before adding the brownie mixture neatly atop. Well, that was a stupid idea.

All that happened was the cookie dough was very soft because it was hot so the brownie mix, instead of spreading nicely on top, just plopped in the middle then sank to the bottom. I couldn’t spread it at all. So mine ended up with mostly cookie at the edges and mostly brownie in the centre and a slightly marbled effect where they met.

They tasted ok though so that’s the main thing, right?

Overindulgence just for one day

Why is it over the Christmas period apparently its ok to eat food, snacks, drink tons of alcohol, and generally put on your own body weight in food again? Essentially, its one day. Essentially its just like having a Sunday roast. So why do we obsess over all the additional stuff?

Don’t get me wrong, I do it too. I love all the special foods that they only seem to bring out at Christmas. I could eat a whole plate of pigs in blankets. I can shovel food in my face until the point of feeling physically sick at the thought of another “wafer thin mint” (see Monty Python sketch in The Meaning of Liff).

I don’t tend to eat breakfast so Christmas morning was just a cup of coffee for me. We had to go ringing so wouldn’t have had time for much else anyway. When we got home, we had more coffee and 2 mince pies (seemingly extra large ones from the bakery stall in town) whilst we were on the family Skype. We had a 3 bird roast, enough to fed 4, and all the trimmings for lunch. We had half the meat for Christmas day and will have the other half for Sunday lunch. That was washed down with a bottle of Moet & Chandon that we’ve had for a while. Then followed by an epic chocolate orange cheesecake that I’d made. The recipe said that it made 12 servings. We’ve cut it into 6!

We have hampers of food that family members have been generous to send, and chocolates etc that people have given as gifts. I couldn’t even look at it. After such a lunch, I couldn’t eat again. I stuck to water for the rest of the day, and only at about 9pm did I have another mince pie (they need to be eaten before they go stale). Couldn’t possibly eat another thing.

I weigh myself every day. I know you’re not supposed to so that, but it helps keep me focused from day to day. On Christmas morning I had already put on 4lb in the week due to additional snacking and the Christmas Eve curry we’d eaten the night before. On Boxing Day the scales of doom said that I’d actually lost 1lb since Christmas morning.

I’m not going to obsess about going on a diet just yet as there’s too much food in the house to consume yet. But once the overindulgence is done it’ll be time to refocus, and be more considerate about those who were unable to have a hot Christmas day meal.

Have your cake and eat it

Today there was much talk of cake, of all different sorts.

A family conversation recently discussed the merits of an After Eight Mint cake that one sibling had seen on social media, and the challenge to bake one was issued. I had actually made After Eight mint cupcakes a few years back, so shared the photo (above).

We were due to socially distance visit some friends this weekend but our area has been placed in Tier 3 so that’s now not happening. Before the deadline arrived, our friends popped round to deliver Christmas cards instead and, from the safety of staying in their car, also delivered some yummy cupcakes.

Then, the anticipation of delivery of the monthly BakedIn box. Mine hadn’t arrived yet, but the video had been released so I had a sneak peek. OMG, sounds delicious. My box did arrive later that same morning, so not really a spoiler. I will save that one up for Christmas week.

Then sibling tagged me in a post for a no bake Terry’s chocolate orange cheesecake. I LOVE cheesecake. I printed the recipe off and C picked it up off the printer and declared that I’m making it for Christmas Day dessert. OK then.

And I’ve been formulating an idea for a cake for a special delivery next week. Got an idea in my mind. 🤫

As Marie Antoinette apparently said “let them eat cake”. I shall do my best.

Yule be amazed at what I just made

Well, probably not. This weeks bake was a caramel yule log courtesy of BakedIn. This is the 2nd recipe I’ve made of theirs which requires the making of caramel. The trouble is, for some reason its something I’ve never been able to get right. The sugar and water never seems to go a brownish colour, then when I add the cream its just a slightly dirty looking yellow colour. If I wait for it to darken, it then sets rock hard. I can never getting at a pouring consistency. However, I have sprinkled said rock hard caramel instead of drizzled it. It’ll add some texture!

We’ve got proper christmassy today. Been into town for some last minute gifts and wrapped them up. Made said yule log. Then went for a wintery, night walk around our local RHS Hyde Hall to look at the Glow lights. It promised to bring the gardens to life after dark with festive food and drink and Christmas shopping. It didn’t disappoint.

The trees and shrubs were lit up in different colours, there was festive food and drink (although we didn’t partake) and everything was well set out and managed. And of course the obligatory stop in the shop.

Have had a thoroughly lovely day.

Being fed and watered (and flowered)

Most of Saturday daytime was taken up by attending the virtual meeting of the Central Council of Church Bellringers Executive and Workgroup leads meeting. Although technically neither of those things, I am generally invited in my role as Public Relations Officer so that I have some idea of what’s going on.

The Exec and I meet once a month (the Exec meet otherwise as Trustees at different times so I’m not party to discussions I shouldn’t be), then once a quarter there’s a larger meeting that includes the Workgroup leads too. Saturday was that day.

On these occasions some element of logistics is required with regard to lunch and other refreshment throughout the day. C and I have it well sorted.

Before the meeting started in the morning I put in my lunch order, as there’s only half an hour break allocated. This time C sourced vegetable samosa, garlic and herb focaccia and a custard doughnut whilst he was in town, from the bread stall in the High Street. The samosa and bread were duly served warmed up at the alloted time.

C had also sourced a poinsettia whilst he was out, which made its way on to the windowsill during the course of the early part of the meeting, before the lunch break.

At lunchtime the afternoon cuppa order was placed and timing agreed. At the alloted time, whilst I was on screen, my mint tea accompanied by a chocolate orange brownie that I’d made yesterday was delivered, in full view of the other participants on the video call.

This prompted 2 participants to message me privately, via the chat function. One simply said “you’re lucky” the other put in their order for “tea with milk and no sugar“.

A little while later the first messager advised that his tea cuppa had now arrived. I replied to say that mine had come with the brownie, which was met with raised eyebrows and mouth gaping, and a tiny spec of jealousy me thinks!

I’m lucky that C helps me facilitate attending these meetings by picking up the domestic slack. Its all in the planning you know.

Brownie baking

No, I don’t mean cooking small Girl Guides!

Been a bit of a busy day and the rest of the weekend doesn’t appear to be much better so in order to assuage the need to bake, it would have to be something quick and simple.

As it happened, the previous day saw something pop up in one of my social media feeds showing chocolate brownies decorated like Christmas trees. They looked quite effective.

The picture above was my attempt at replicating the design with what I’d got to hand. To be honest, they look quite good in the flesh.

I’m not very good at coming up with my own designs for cakes and bakes but I can copy someone else’s design generally. I always state that where that is the case and never claim them as my own.

The other thing I did, to keep in with a theme amongst friends at the moment, was to add some orange flavouring to both the brownie mix and the icing. Chocolate orange flavoured goods are definitely a staple requirement.

I’ll get to test them out whilst in virtual meetings over the weekend and I’m sure there won’t be many left come Monday morning. 😋