Happy Valentine's Day!

I know I might be the only annoying one out there... but Valentine's Day REALLY is my favorite holiday. I know. You hate me now. In fact, it has nothing to do with hugging and kissing and getting all dressed up for a fancy date in my mind. As I said back in college, and still believe, "Valentine's Day is not about love... It's about love-handles."
My love for sharing sugar, butter, and general sweetness in the form of food naturally shines on this glorious holiday! So... Cheers! Hope it was a good one!
I wore three different shades of pink today, made a wedding cake, delivered egg-cartons full of mini-cupcakes to friends, and ate an entirely pink and red dinner (including cocktails) with my honey. I love you, February 14th!

High Maintenance Dough

Talk about High Maintenance... Laminated Dough. I wonder how many people know just how many hours and complicated steps go into making their buttery little croissant or danish breakfast treats. Scale, Mix, Laminate, Fold, Rest, Fold again, Rest, Roll, Shape, Bake. It's a seemingly never-ending cycle of giving the dough tons of attention and muscle, rolling it out and folding it in on itself, and then leaving it alone in the cooler to "rest and relax."
Who knew that croissant dough basically requires spa-like treatment? Apparently the gluten needs just the right amount of handling to develop... but then gets nervous and shrinks when you over-work it, necessitating a little "massage" of sorts to calm it down. And the butter in the dough is so temperamental that it gets all heated up and requires a "cooling, resting period" of about an hour in the refrigerator every time you try to roll it out. Give me a break, laminated dough. You are too much!

My Wedding Cake, All Grown Up

I had trouble sleeping this week. I knew on Monday that Saturday would be the Big Day. Many a young woman around my age might refer to the "Big Day" as the one when she wears an ornate white gown, carries a bouquet of her favorite flowers, and parades down a long aisle to marry the man of her dreams. Oh no. Not for Little Miss Pastry Chef.
The Big Day for me was when we finally made wedding cakes at Pastry School. It was all that I had hoped for and more -- lots of excitement, a little stress, and a tiny dose of "cold feet." But in the end, all three tiers of our giant orange, cardamom genoise cake filled with thick layers of ginger buttercream stood tall and proud at the tasting table.
Happily ever after... until we sliced into it and ate it! Ah, the ephemeral beauty of pastry. A happy, intimate relationship that lasts just the right amount of time. And when it ends, it always leaves the sweetest taste in your mouth.