My baking head...
I love baking...I do, however live with a health and fitness fanatic! The two don't always mix. I was doing some research yesterday for recipes for our Summer CRAFTERNOON TEA. Which consists of a craft session to make a beautiful decoupaged bottle and a luxury afternoon tea. It's my first one so I'm very excited.
I asked friends what would they like to see on a luxury afternoon tea. Good grief they set me some challenges! Chocolate eclairs and macarons, were the first two out of the bag. Couldn't be easy stuff like scones or Victoria sandwich cake...no they wanted the technical stuff! Do they think I'm on 'The Great British Bake off' or something?! 😂😂😂
No challenge is too big for my tiny kitchen...sleeves rolled up and gauntlet set...chocolate eclairs first. I have made these in the past, (20years in the past!) so I was reasonably confident. Despite my oven narrowly missing out on being featured in Dantes Inferno as an implement of torture!
More brown than golden, but with my infamous chocolate ganache and vanilla whipped cream...And a cuppa in the panda cup, i was pretty pleased!
Because I'd bought chocolate for the eclairs I thought I'd have a go at chocolate macarons. I don't do enough with a piping bag, I'm way out of practise, so my 3cm macarons ended up being nearer 8cm, but at least they were round.
More giantesque than dainty...and you definitely knew you'd had one when you'd eaten it. But I impressed even myself. Crispy and chewy with a lovely velvety chocolate taste.
And the verdict from him indoors. I can't make them again, he muttered tucking into his second macaron and sneaking a third eclair!
