Birthday Celebration-My Chocolate Ganache Spiced Torte Cake!

I tried something different for my birthday this year....I baked my own cake!  I had really been wanting to try a new recipe that I had reviewed in Gourmet Magazine.  I knew that I did not want to be baking, a 3 layer torte, all day in the kitchen, with three various types of chocolate, on my birthday.  So, I had to start the day before.  I have found that starting to create a cake, a day ahead of time, actually seems to work best in producing an amazing cake; especially with putting the french buttercream, and ganache together.  I feel that this method allows the cake to really saturate the flavors and keep it moist. I learned this trick from a bakery that I used for years; for my daughter's amazing show stopping birthday cakes.  Surely, they would have been featured on Ace of Cakes or Cake Wars today.

But, on the morning of my birthday, I was treated by 6 amazing women (girlfriends of mine), to a birthday breakfast at one of my favorite restaurants.  So, I enjoyed playing and connecting with the girls, instead of baking!

I also, knew right after my massage and movie (an annual tradition that I treat myself to every year--a movie by myself), that tempering three types of chocolates would be a major feat before dinner.  So, I chose not to be a perfectionist, to be relaxed and save the major detailed touches until the next day.  I was glad that I waited, because I had the joy of having my 11 year old daughter help me form the chocolate through the pasta machine.  It really was a two person task!  So, here is the final result....

Working the double white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate ribbons involved much artistic finesse.  I am very glad that I waited to enjoy my birthday cake until the day AFTER my birthday.  Sometimes, doing something different to acknowledge an event is more excting.  So, I  will always remember my Chocolate Ganache Spice Torte Birthday Cake, presented and eaten the day after my birthday.

Spring Cream Pavlova Meringues

I attended a women's church social last week and decided to prepare a dessert that would reflect the theme of spring time:  Nest shaped meringues, delicate enough, yet a large enough portion size  to leave you satisfied.  I knew exactly what I would make........my Blue Ribbon winning Russian Cream Pavlova Meringues! 

According to pastry chef extraordinaire Shuna Fish Lydon, The late Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, for whom the Pavlova dessert was named, was said to have been ethereal, delicate and slightly controversial. "Her namesake, this simple confection, is a straightforward enough list of ingredients, but the end result is all about touch, finesse. It has attracted more than its fair share of controversy. Two distinct neighboring countries take credit for invention and creation. For the sake of staying neutral, we will say both New Zealand and Australia are to blame for the delicious Pavlova; an edible translation of sugar turned into cumulous clouds, it is one of the best low fat vehicles for seasonal fruit, whipped cream, sorbet, and ice cream."

The recipe is fairly simple.  The hardest part of the preparation, is the wait........the anticipation to bite into the delicate, yet soft cream filled center.  The center is filled with creme fraiche and lemon, that just completely, perfectly, works so well together, that at the moment you take the first bite, your mouth feels as if it has arrived in heaven!  The creamy center is topped with a trio of fresh organic berries.

The first photo shows the meringue batter, having been whipped for about 10 minutes, before being put on the baking sheet and parchment for a very low bake @ 200 degrees.  They remain in the oven to puff and lightly crack for @ an hour to an hour and a half.

I made the size of the meringue nests smaller to accomodate enough serving sizes for this social.  The baking duration in the oven duration will be shorter.  I prefer to add a touch of color to my meringues and for this women's event, I added a touch of pink.  If you can obtain a color via natural sources, that is always the preferred method.

Once baked, I  let the meringue nests cool for about 30 minutes.  During their cool time, I began the creme fraiche preparations in the mixer.  After whipping the cream mixture, I added the pink color and then prepared the meringues.



The finishing touch was the trio of berries placed on top, with a scant dusting of gold and pink sanding sugars. I have won First Place with this recipe in numerous venues and Fairs in California.  I knew I was on to something special with this recipe when this dessert was a big hit at my cousin's Bridal Shower.

For the final touch and connection to a Russian-feminine type of theme, I used a trio pastry stand with ornate black crystals, reminiscent of the beauty and grace of Russian dancer, Anna Pavlova.   If only we were all so lucky to have a pastry named in our honor!

Heather's Blue Ribbon Artisan White Bread

I have the upmost respect for the multitude of women who were in my Grandmother's generation of cooks.  My Grandmother passionately made homemade breads without the use of bread machines or "quick" knead results. My Serbian Grandmother did teach me to cook Sarma and stuffed peppers the way her Mother and many generations of Mother's before her did.  But, I didn't have the opportunity to have her hands hold mine and guide them to the perfection of yeasting and the ardous task of kneading dough like a fine craftsman cherishes his/her product.  I wish we had lived closer when I was younger and that I had the insight that I would be a lover of the culinary world as an adult. I am very much like my beautiful, loving Grandmother, in that we love details and bringing joy and pleasure to the ones we care about in life.  My Grandmother and her very traditional, European upbringing, in Serbia, helped pave the way for me to gain a perspective of a long lost art in the bread and culinary world.

My passion for artisan breadmaking has surely evolved over the past 2 years and I find an endless amount of ideas for creating the "perfect" loaf.  The more I read, experiment and learn, the more I discover that no loaf is ever like the one that preceeded it. For this entry, I wanted to share one of my creations.  This is my Blue Ribbon winning White Loaf.

From start to finish, it generally takes about 3 1/2 hours for a "quick" loaf to be created!  I have learned that with the use of particular ingredients and fresh yeast, some loafs of bread actually taste better, different and unbelievablly the most amazing gustatory experience ever, when letting the dough rise, get punched down, rise, be put in the refrigerator overnight and then repeated with the process a few more times the next day. 

For this loaf, however, I let the dough rise three times.  After the second rise, I proofed the dough in my bread form for another 45 minutes in my warm, but turned off oven.  After the loaf cooked for @ 25 minutes, it was ready for it's first photograph.

Photo #1

The first photo shows my white bread loaf in the oven getting ready to come out for inspection.  I show the bread from the top and side view for a better perspective of size.  Overall, the circumference of the loaf is about 12 inches.  On occasion, due to my family's request and a learned trick of my Mother's handy bread making skills, I top of the hot loaf with some fresh creamed melted salted butter.  My third photo shows how the butter not only enhances the flavor of the crust, but it gives it a beautiful sheen.

Photo #2

Photo #3

My daughter couldn't stand the amazing journey of smells in our home any longer.  As I sat in my kitchen with my Mother, talking about my Grandmother's baking skills, my own daughter entered the kitchen for some sensory satisfaction.  What a thrill it was for me on that day, while baking my white artisan bread, that my own Mother, daughter and spirit of my Grandmother were sharing in more than a six generation experience of breadmaking as an art in our family.

 Photo #4

However, I couldn't keep the joy just for myself any longer.  So, I decided to pack up the loaf and share it with a friend.  The photo #5, below, features my bread packaged and ready to bring another person, friend and loving individual the art of our family's love of Old World breadmaking.

 Photo #5

If only my Grandmother were alive today; I would relish in the idea that she could taste some of my bread, as a result of the techniques and skills I've learned and for her to know that her existence made a difference in my life, as well, as brought joy to so many others. 

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