Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2017 – )

[jmacnaughtan]

1 hour ago, rarerollingobject said:

@Tri2Cook - Well, to my eye it’s because you have something as resolute and brutalist in form as a solid, tall cylinder of cold-looking concrete-like cake, you want to contrast it with something more organic and whimsical in form and colour.

 

Otherwise you have a plain pylon of cake that calls for SOME decoration; flowers would look wrong, ribbons or sprinkles similarly incongruous, spiky chocolate shards too similarly cold. I think the height and drama and organic curves of a sail are just about the perfect decoration to contrast and set off the concrete-yness of the cake beneath it.

 

Might be fun to play around with moss, glass or rust effects.  If, that is, you're up for making another concrete cake

 

[Kasia]

..and another gingerbread before and after decoration

[Tri2Cook]

16 hours ago, rarerollingobject said:

@Tri2Cook - Well, to my eye it’s because you have something as resolute and brutalist in form as a solid, tall cylinder of cold-looking concrete-like cake, you want to contrast it with something more organic and whimsical in form and colour.

 

Otherwise you have a plain pylon of cake that calls for SOME decoration; flowers would look wrong, ribbons or sprinkles similarly incongruous, spiky chocolate shards too similarly cold. I think the height and drama and organic curves of a sail are just about the perfect decoration to contrast and set off the concrete-yness of the cake beneath it.

 

Although, I was going to paint the whole sail in metallic copper lustre dust instead of marbling it, but changed my mind at the last minute. 

 

That makes sense. Thanks! And it really wasn't a criticism, that's a beautiful cake.

[rotuts]

@Kasia 

 

nice GB cake

 

what sort of topping did you use ?

[Kasia]

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

@Kasia 

 

nice GB cake

 

what sort of topping did you use ?

Liquid chocolate - melted in bain-marie @rotuts

[shain]

Hazelnuts, popped rice, dark chocolate, caramel, salt.

[rarerollingobject]

My office had its Christmas Party today, and part of its organisational tradition is a Christmas decoration competition. I participated by constructing an entirely edible fireplace outside my office; everything edible, gingerbread fireplace bricks (detailed into further bricks with a flathead screwdriver of course), edible pulled sugar (isomalt) flames in the fireplace, edible photo frame, edible cookie ornaments, edible snow flakes, edible chocolate baubles and glitter. Was a hit. Am tired.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by rarerollingobject (log)

[Anna N]

20 minutes ago, rarerollingobject said:

I participated by constructing an entirely edible fireplace outside my office

Just amazing. What talent and patience you have.

[Kasia]

Traditional Christmas gingerbreads at our home - always prepared with kids 

[Kasia]

......and  gingerbread Christmas trees 

Edited December 16, 2017 by Kasia (log)

[RobertM]

Kasia -the Gingerbread looks awesome!

[RobertM]

Rarerollingobject......consider me IMPRESSED!  Quite the show stopper!

[ChocoMom]

Nothing quite as exquisite as the above items, but I am a Mom.... And, my youngest (12 yo) has her school Christmas party tomorrow. So...here we go with kid-approved snacks:

[gfron1]

This is a very hurried set of chocolates to sell for the holidays. I was trying to get anything out before it was too late and did pretty well (Thanks EZ Temper!)

From left to right:

Lavender honey
Beet, fennel pollen

Orange, kumquat vanilla

Double shot espresso (espresso caramel, Ethiopian bean ganache)

Passion fruit caramel

[rarerollingobject]

I made a blackberry and lemon vertical stripe cake with crystallised blackberries on top, adapted from the Ottolenghi and Goh ‘Sweet’ book; as you can tell from the video’s audio, my staff REALLY like a baked good..

 

 

 

 

[pjm333]

red velvet crinkle

[heidih]

i was intrigued by the Dorie Greenspann 3 ingredient cookies but only have walnuts, Maybe toast first? Any experience?  https://food52.com/blog/18962-these-genius-3-ingredient-cookies-will-be-ready-before-the-oven-beeps

 

[Anna N]

6 minutes ago, heidih said:

i was intrigued by the Dorie Greenspann 3 ingredient cookies but only have walnuts, Maybe toast first? Any experience?  https://food52.com/blog/18962-these-genius-3-ingredient-cookies-will-be-ready-before-the-oven-beeps

 

 I don’t claim to know much about baking but this quote from the recipe linked to makes me suspect that walnuts would not serve as a replacement for the sliced almonds:

 

”It’s not entirely clear how these three ingredients become a cookie, but between the handy glue of egg and sugar, the architectural advantages of sliced almonds, and the crispability of all of the above, they do.”

 

 My bolding. 

[heidih]

Well I'm stuck here with only walnuts so shall experiment - though maybe just meringues with a touch of toasted nut makes more sense

Edited December 22, 2017 by heidih (log)

[Anna N]

Just now, heidih said:

Well I'm stuck here uth only walnuts so shall experiment - though maybe just meringues with a btouch of toasted nut makes more sense

If you experiment let us know how it works. I have the almonds so I’m very tempted!  

[Anna N]

 If you read the comments someone else attempted it with walnuts which they chopped up in the food processor and apparently it worked!

[heidih]

Well food play is on the agenda tomorrow so will report back. Still thinking of pre toasting though the 325 longish

bake might be enough

[shain]

Feijoa and apple crumble (with coconut and  brown sugar).

[cakewalk]

For the front-desk staff in my building. (With a coating of powdered sugar.) Rich pastry dough (from Carole Walter) with a chocolate and pecan filling.

[gfron1]

Getting ready for NYE dinner.