Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

Lilandra.

I’ve now made Marcel Desaulniers‘ Chocolate Heart of Darkness cakes (from Death by Chocolate Cakes) three times.

Only three times.

The first time was really great. It was for Jamie‘s birthday.

Then a few months later I visited Chennette in Edinburgh and for some reason decided I *had* to make it for her kitchen. Searching for the ingredients in Tesco was a prelude to what I’d have to deal with here. I struggled to figure out the right chocolate to get (especially since I didn’t have the recipe with me). Here I struggle to get cream. I don’t think the cream is heavy enough. I haven’t even tried to find chocolate. I have stocks. Stocks that are running out.

And now, 4 years later, I finally made it for sister the elder as I posted before.

Here follows the process.
Continue reading Chocolate Heart of Darkness cakes: Make them with me

Addiction is scary.
The closest thing I’ve ever experienced is books and maybe internet addiction.
I could probably think of something else maybe…

But, let me recount the last week or so.
25th July – Made Truffles for Chocolate Hearts of Darkness
26th July – Made Chocolate Hearts of Darkness
30th July – Made White Velvet Butter Cake
31st July – Started making Basic Flaky Pastry for Great Pumpkin Pie
1st August – Made Great Pumpkin Pie with Chennette

And strangely enough during this I wasn’t over tired.
I was tired after watching things bake and waiting for the hot oven to be done and clean up but I wasn’t so tired that I didn’t do it.

Then mom said take a break (because that’s just a snippet … I will recount the previous weeks later…it might be eye-opening for me). So, I said okay! Sunday I will make hot dog bread or white sandwich loaves.

I woke up late on Saturday, barely slept because I felt like a fever or sickness was coming on and Chennette was returning to Guyana that day so I didn’t bother.

Sunday, I offered.
Mom said no.

I decided Monday.

Actually I get some trouble differentiating between Sunday and Monday.

The whole of Sunday (our supposed rest day according to mom) I didn’t do much.
Mom got annoyed with me for not packing/folding clothes or doing anything else. But considering she announced we weren’t going to do anything I took her at her word.

And I had enough trouble not finding myself in the kitchen to start baking.
My fingers were twitching.
Almost any excuse carried me downstairs to make bread.
And I would have to distract myself.

Monday we went up East (?) side for a bit and then came back down.
Plan, pray, relax and start the bread.

Well, I used the washroom, washed my hands, and realized all that driving and who knows what else had me feeling a bit out of sorts and weak. And I didn’t think I could bake. I told mom (who put up a whole wheat bread in the machine). It was the hardest thing for me. I had already taken out the scale, the bowl, the flour. I couldn’t believe those words came out of my mouth. Regardless, I spent most of the weekend (including Monday) sleeping.

So last night I made white bread.
I was so happy.
It came out nice.
More later.
But I can’t stop planning again.

The cake book is open and I am planning some Sour Cream cake.
And I’ll itch until I get to bake it.
I know.
Argh.

This *must* be addiction.

Mozzarella Cheese Pizza, originally uploaded by Lilandra.

We like Pizza.
I mean seriously like it…home made especially.
Every time we made our own pizza we wonder why do we buy? (1. cleanup 2. hard work 3. time)

But it’s a fun thing we do together.
So, last time we made homemade pizza we did a cross from Peter Reinhart’s (recipe found online before I got the book with the oodles of tips and instructions) and Alton Brown’s.
It was awesome.
I think we didn’t have enough and used the Naps cookbook recipe to supplement…and we could taste the difference.
*sniff*
Nobody wanted those…or at least we left them until last.

The great thing about making pizza is it can be a family affair. I couldn’t knead or roll dough to save my life (still can’t really roll…or TOSS!) but usually mom would make some dough for us in advance and then Chennette at the appointed time would roll it out. Sister the elder would chop everything (it’s never a hardship for her to slice onions and tomatoes or anything else. My brother and I would have burgers and hotdogs with only condiments partly because we don’t see the point of slicing for one person, partly laziness and partly because we also like plain burgers and hotdogs. Seriously!). I’d help out Sister the elder also…but usually my job would be grate cheese. Tonnes of cheese. My brother’s too I guess.

And then the serious production line starts.

As fast as Chennette produces a crust we’d top and shove in the oven.

So, I must admit, having every body in the house is perfect time for pizza. I made the dough balls waaaay in advance and kept trying to figure out the perfect time.

When Chennette flew in overnight on the way to that Canadian wedding, I figured yay!

And I thought everybody was on board with that.
Continue reading Pizza Making Extravaganza + RANT

I think.
My nose is all tingly…and weird.
My head, not quite hurting (or not anymore) is achy and heavy and yes! tingly.
Can’t even lie down without feeling all…weird.

*sigh*

So much pictures to post.

And we did a lot of baking recently. Since Chennette was home for a week, who knows who took what pictures on whose camera. Baking involved bringing down a camera and attaching to tripod and whoever felt like taking pictures…

She’ll tell you the story of how a pumpkin came into our house and how I decided to once again try Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe for Basic Flaky Pastry for the pumpkin pie of which she and mom (and Sister the Elder who left Wednesday) were dreaming.

Yes.
We made pumpkin pie.
I made the crust.
And read the instructions to make the filling (custard! it didn’t click that it was a custard).
She made the pie.
I watched the oven.
And washed up.
She didn’t clean up.
Or sweep up.
And that had nothing to do with my spilling a bottle of water on the floor.
Really.

I took no pictures of the crust making.
I decided that F– on her camera was a sign to not worry.
She took pictures of the pies.
We shall see tomorrow/today how they really came out.
We tasted the crustless versions.
Yes.
We made LOTS and LOTS of filling…more filling than 2 8 3/4″ pie pans could hold.
Oh my oh my oh my.

But happily I think the crust did come out better than it did for the lemon meringue pie!
WOOOHOOO!

I’m off to try to sleep.
Hopefully I’m not really getting sick or anything…and it’s just my head is…well sore?