Gingerbread House and Christmas Memories

I remember my first memorable Christmas. Although I can't recall how old I was then, I remember exactly how it happened. There were presents, but only because my birthday falls on Christmas Day. Despite the fact that my parents are Catholic, Christmas to us was less about giving and receiving presents and more about church and getting together as a family. We would always go out to eat on Christmas Day, year after year, until it became a less than memorable routine.

But there was one particular Christmas from my childhood, the one I spent at my aunt's house, that I remember the most. My sister and I spent Christmas Eve night on the sofa-bed in the guest/recreational room, and when Christmas morning came my aunt brought us chocolate cookies and milk to have as breakfast. The TV was on, and I remembered being engrossed in watching this movie with my sister as we ate our chocolatey breakfast. I don't remember what happened afterward, and many of you may think that I am strange for remembering so vividly an occasion that was less than ordinary, but for a few hours that Christmas morning, I truly felt the spirit of Christmas.

The worst thing about that day was that for many years after, Christmas mornings never felt the same way anymore. But quite recently, I was lucky enough to experience the same feeling. It was early December this year, on a Saturday morning. My parents had flown in from Jakarta a few days before, and we were just about to sit down to have breakfast, when I switched on the TV and found a musical show on. It was a remake of Annie, an American classic that I've heard about but have never watched. And we sat down and watched it, as a family, even after breakfast has been cleared away. And it was the perfect Christmas for me, even at a few weeks before the 25th.

Now, to the gingerbread 'structure'. I initially meant to build an American Wild West General Store, complete with two stories, a porch and a signboard. However, things did not turn out as expected. Firstly, I did not have enough dough to make 2 levels, so I had to be content with one. And then, some of the pieces from the main building shrunk quite a bit after being rolled out, creating a structure that is too short for the porch I had cut out. So I decided to turn it into a fenced barn/shed, and hoped for the best. I didn't think it turned out too bad, although J thought it looked more like a Early Settlers-era jail.

Now, I promise to upload more photos of the gingerbread barn/shed over the next couple of days---it's been impossibly cloudy and slightly foggy today, and I just could not get the light I wanted for the photos.

Until next time, dear readers. But I will use this chance to express my gratitude and appreciation for your readership this past year. I know that I don't say it enough, but thank you all, sincerely, especially for being patient when my posts became more than a little bit scarce in the past months. I can't promise you that I will be able blog more next year, especially since I intend to expand my business and hopefully secure some wholesale accounts. But I can promise you that I will be here, no matter how sporadic, how brief, or how late I am with my posts. And I'm hoping that you'll stick around.

Have a Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!


Yours sincerely,

Christy.


P.S: The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes. Thanks Y and Anna, for picking a fabulous challenge! I've always wanted to make another gingerbread house after my first not-so-good attempt.

Cherries at the Farmers' Market

I went to the Farmer's Market today, and look what I found. When the farmer's markets are full of cherries and apricots and peaches and nectarines, I know that summer is truly here. I think I'll go once more before Christmas, to the Slow Food Twilight Farmer's Market, held at this beautiful former convent.

Perhaps I'll see you there?


On a side note, this was what I had planned as the Treehouse Christmas Gift Box. I initially planned it to be a special-order thing which I will then mail out closer to Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn't get it out to the market in time to get orders. Ah, well, at least the idea will last me until next Christmas. And do you like the postcard? I LOVE it! Big thanks to my friend and graphic designer Tiffany who created and printed the design in a matter of 2 days---that on top of her already large workload of being a full-time graphic designer. Isn't she awesome?


And the cherries? Plump, juicy, and so fresh that their firm skins yield just slightly when you bite into them, before exploding into a sweet-tart medley of flavours in your mouth. My parents, whenever they come to Australia in the summer, would always bring a box back home to give to the relatives. Since these ones are the best I've had so far, my only wish was that they had stayed long enough to bring a box home, straight from the farmers who've grown them. They would've liked these ones.

November's Daring Bakers Challenge---Cannoli

So....if you happen to be a Daring Baker who happens to peruse the DB forum quite a bit, you would know that I completed my challenge early this month. Whaa..? Hang on, am I not the incorrigible procrastinator that you knew me to be? I am, actually. But not on Cannoli month.

I actually made, assmbled, and photographed my cannoli a few days before the deadline, and if you have access to the DB forum and take a look at the 'Share Completed Challenges' section for November, you can see my version of Cannoli right there, along with an explanation which states that I will be switching internet providers around the time of the posting date, and will therefore be posting late due to the interruption of internet connectivity.

The above is partly true. I was telling the truth when I said that I was switching providers, but no when I said that there was interruption. Because believe it or not, the transition was smoother than I expected, in spite of a few glitches along the way. Now that my internet speed is brought up to this century, I can hopefully take the time I used to spend twiddling my fingers in front of the computer waiting for the pages to load up, and turn it productive blogging hours. I don't even need to take a magazine with me anymore to the computer---this is great!!
I decided to bake my cannoli this month because baked cannoli = less time cleaning up. And I HATE oil stains. I mean, I can't suffer as little as a drop on anything in the kitchen. I'm sure deep frying them is the way to go, and as much as I love anything battered and deep-fried, I am not yet willing to subject my entire kitchen surface to a thin coating of cooking oil.

But moving on to the business at hand...the cannoli...I wanted something light and easy to eat to combat the November heatwave in Melbourne. As I did not have time to plan this dessert very well, I took a look inside my fridge and found, among other things, a half-tub of sheep's milk yogurt and some tinned peaches. Wait now, what? Ah, the shame. Yes, ladies and gentlemen readers of my blog, I eat tinned peaches. But please do not judge me. What are you to do when you are faced with an incessant and insistent craving for peaches, went to the market and bough a couple, only to find, hopes dashed and love lost, that the peaches are sour and tasteless. Blame it on the early season, or blame it on commercial growers who sacrificed taste for mass production, or even blame my local farmers' markets for not having it in stock yet.

But it was good. A hint of tangy sweetness from the yogurt mousse, the delectable taste of sweet peaches, and the crunch of the thin sheets of cannoli, layered into something resembling, but not quite, a millefeuille.

I enjoyed every last bit of it.

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Prahran Market, and My (Current) Product List

Gingersnaps

I have news.

This Sunday, if you happen to be in Melbourne, come see us between 10am-3pm at the Prahran market. In truth, this is our second week. We started last Sunday, and why did I not announce it on the blog? For the simple reason that I was not willing to let people who know me from my blog see me cower under the table while James does all the selling/interaction with customers. No, really. I was really going to do it.

Pistachio, almond and rosemary biscotti

Banana and peanut butter cookies

I think I have been pretty realistic with my expectations on this little venture; I expected it to be labour intensive and stressful. I know not to expect to make a tidy profit for at least the first few months. But what I didn't expect was how vulnerable I felt, having my ideas, my hard work, my creations displayed and scrutinised by possibly everyone who walks past my stall. It has made me feel a bit guilty for charging above-market prices for a packet of cookies, but I am fortunate to have James----someone who is not too personally involved in the products to help sell them---- and for me to be able to gather together just enough faith in the quality of my products, and the amount of work that I put into recipe development, packaging, labeling etc. to be able to justify the prices. After all, what I charge isn't a secret---the price list is out and open on the blackboard on the stall table, so if people have a problem with it, they can just choose to walk away.

Seville Marmalade Thumbprints

Classic chocolate chip

I love what I do now---but the question is whether or not I will be able to keep that feeling up in the long run---when demands (hopefully) grow, and the repetitive nature of this business finally caught on to me. But I guess this is where I am in the position, as owner of the business, to make things interesting and challenging for myself. I haven't talked much about my ideas for the business in this space, but one of my main focus is to use seasonal ingredients to develop and create artisan-quality products. This would mean that I would not have a set product catalogue for a period of more than six months at the most, which also would mean that I have to perpetually find new ways to successfully incorporate seasonal produce into my recipes. Sounds far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know if this would work, but seeing that I have nothing to lose at this point, I'm ready to give it my all.

I promise that I'll tell you more about the business in the coming weeks, or whenever I can scrape around enough time to blog. In the meantime, I've been working pretty much non-stop since 9am this morning (it's 1215 am now), so I can't wait until my head hits the pillow as soon as I finish this.

I'll see you there?

Finally, Some Results

Yes, it's that time of the month already. Where did my time go? Again??!! I feel as though someone is playing a trick on me, ripping the pages off the daily calendar (does anyone still use those anyway?) way ahead of the current date so that it somehow makes them feel that they are very close to Christmas. Because they are. Hell, we all are. It is already October. Less than 90 days to Christmas. Are you freaking out, because I am.

I know I'm not the only one having trouble adjusting my work life with my blogging life, and borrowing words from my friend Mallory, 'I blog because I want to, not because I have to'.

It's not very often that I'm at a lack for words or stories to embellish my posts with, but I'm going to make this one a short one, and let the photos tell you the rest of the story.



The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

This is what I've been busy with lately. Like it??

Oh, and see that table cloth that's actually a piece of fabric? I'm in love with it, and I intend to use it for the market stall. Coming soon, I promise!! I just need a clear 'yes' for the to-go date from the Council.

In Defense of Nigella Lawson, and a 30-layer Chocolate Cake

I admit to a certain addiction to watching Nigella Lawson on Youtube of late. While we are there, yes, it may well have been one of the reasons why I posted my DB Challenge late again. (The other reason is that it took me two days to make all the layers of matchstick-thin sponge, but I will go into that later. Promise.) Now back to Nigella. I am more than aware of the fact that she is not a chef, nor even a trained cook, and that by admitting to watching her shows religiously, I am opening the can of worms that is the scrutiny of 'serious' chefs/cooks out there who thinks that people who are serious about cooking shouldn't be watching such nonsense on TV. Well, guess what, those people would just have to suck it. Because, for the first time, in years, I am actually inspired to cook savoury food.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a feat this is----see my blog name? That didn't happen by accident, you know. While I use salt quite often in my baking escapades, I never go so far as to touch anything that would not fit seamlessly into my sweets and desserts-based pantry.

This is what I think: with so many cooking shows abound that they had to dedicate an entire channel to it, I tend to get lost in the myriad of choices. Some are good, of course, and some, like Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection, are very capable of eliciting oohs and ahhs and much admiration for the chef and his quest for, well, perfection in the culinary sense. But what really draws me to the Domestic Goddess is her ability to take pleasure in every little morsel or crumb that she puts in her mouth---she made eating for pleasure her business. And women the world over thank her for it.


She is an attractive woman, no doubt. And so many people have taken a fair go at her, both professional chefs and serious home cooks alike, that what she does isn't cooking, that her show is as best food porn. I agree on a couple of things. First, that she is a very charismatic lady in every sense of the word, and second, that she is a sensualist. But I love her precisely because of these things! Watching her made me stop worrying about my expanding waistline (I'm closer than ever to the 50kg mark, and for someone who used to weigh a mere 39kg 6 years ago, believe me, it's a scary thing), because really, she shows everyone that you don't have to be stick thin to be attractive! Also, if a food lover isn't a sensualist, I'd be very, very wary. Food, and cooking, involve all the senses. I remember reading a while ago that food is the closest thing to sex, in the way that it demands and involve sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. If a cook seems frigid in the kitchen, I'd be worried that his/her food will lack the warmth that speaks louder than any amiable words or actions that had preceded the meal. Sure, her recipes are not entirely irreproachable, but I think it's the inspiration that counts. Nigella makes me want to jump up on my feet and start cooking savoury food---and trust me, even accomplished, Michelin-starred chefs couldn't make me do that.


I think it is too easy to get jaded by food that all they have become to us is a few lines on a recipe we are working on. The most extraordinary thing about the Domestic Goddess is her ability to see beauty, and to appreciate and take pleasure in even the most mundane ingredients. It is this facet of her that lead her viewers to believe that food is something truly special, something worth labouring over for. In the words of Mr. Ping the Goose (Panda's father in the hit animation Kung-Fu Panda): In order to make something special, you just have to believe that it is special.


Now, on to the cake. I don't think the Dobos Torte is something that Nigella would have featured as one of her express, no-fuss, minimal effort required recipes. But since this is baking, the sky's the limit for me, and I will go to the ends of the earth to bake a 30 layer chocolate cake. Yes, you heard it: 3-0 layers. And oh boy it was so worth the two days I spent and slaved and cursed it for.

It was the perfect balance of flavours. No component is too overpowering, and that's what I look for in a good cake, or any patisserie product for that matter. In the pastry field, it is much too easy to rely solely on technique alone and forget about the taste part. The result is a creation that's spectacular to look at, but makes you think twice about getting a second helping. Not this cake. Even with all the buttercream that I put on it---I ended up making 2 1/2 times the amount specified in the original recipe, and using every last drop of it--- the intensity of the chocolate flavour is balanced with the coffee that I used to soak the sponge layers with, resulting in an orchestral harmony of taste that well and truly makes your palate sings.

The real challenge this time is the sponge. Ah-ha!! Yes, the humble, unassuming sponge. While a sponge is often depicted as a cake that is as soft and tall as a goose-down pillow, in this instance, what I require are sheets as thin as a matchstick. Long story short, two batches later, I'm in the game with 7 1/2 sheets of usable sponge, which I magically turned into 15 neat layers. See how the tediousness of this is getting on my nerves? Time to get on with the recipe.


Sheet Sponge

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together) pinch of salt

1.Position the racks in the top and center thirds of the oven and heat to 180C.

2.Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes.

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

6. Weigh the sponge batter. Divide the total weight by the number of layers you want it to have. I ended up using about 100g per sheet of 25cm x 25cm square. This is where it can get tricky as you may need to change the dimensions of the square if you do not have enough sponge batter. My advice is to use the instructions as a guide and use your instinct for this step. Try one out, and id you think you do not have enough batter to cover a 25cm x 25cm square, work out a new dimension and start again.

5.Spread the batter amongst the sheet pans, and even out with an offset metal spatula as best as you can. Spray another piece of baking paper with oil spray and dust it with cocoa powder. Carefully place the baking paper over the sheet sponge, carefully eliminating any air bubbles that may develop in the process. I find that it's best to start on the side closest to you and work away. Take a rolling pin (or in my case a cannister of cooking oil spray as my rolling pin proved too heavy for this purpose), and gently roll it over the baking paper-covered sponge batter. Even out any slopes or bumps, and your sponge sheet is good to go.

6. Bake at 180C until lightly golden on top, about 3-5 min. Let the sponge cool.


Chocolate Buttercream
(This is double the the amount on the original recipe. I ended up more than this quantity for the piping I do on top of the cake, so if that's what you are after, add: 2 eggs. 100g caster sugar, 55g chocolate, and 125g unsalted butter to the recipe below)

8 large eggs, at room temperature
400g caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
220g bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
500g unsalted butter, at room temperature


1.Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

2.Fit bowl over a water bath. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

3. Let cool to room temperature, and whisk in soft butter. It is important that the butter is very soft at the stage, but not melted, or you will end up with ganache instead of buttercream. Store buttercream, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight until thickened and firm. Alternatively, you can make the buttercream ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.


Soaking Coffee

1/2 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons instant espresso coffee

Dissolve coffee in hot water. Set aside.


To Assemble the Torte

1. Cut the half sheet pan of sponge in half. Flip over and peel off the parchment from the bottom. Divide the buttercream into the same number of parts your Dobos torte layers will have.

2.Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the first layer of sponge on top of it. Spread one part of the measured buttercream, top with another layer of sponge. Soak the second layer of sponge with coffee, and spread another part of the measured buttercream on the sponge. Repeat the process until you get to the last layer. Chill, or even better, freeze overnight.

3. The next day, heat the blade of a long, serrated knife with a blow torch. Carefully make a cut about half a centimeter on each side, so that your cake finally reveals its beautiful striped layers that you've worked so hard to achieve. Serve to your friends and family and wait for the moans of pleasure that will inevitably escape their lips after the first bite. Then take a bow, because you deserve it.


The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

July Daring Bakers Challenge---and the update

It's been a long time since I wrote anything of significance on this space. Do not fret, I am still here. But between testing recipes, figuring out the next move, and a myriad of other issues that have kept me awake at night, my nervous disposition notwithstanding, I just haven't found the time, or the mood, to post anything here. Although I do not have any good news to share with you yet---I am a firm believer of not counting my chickens before they hatch---what I do have is a few works in progress. I'm getting my logo designed by a friend/graphic designer, and I just can't wait for her to finish up the final drawing, colours and all. She's shown me a few sketches that she made so far, and I simply fell in love with all of them (T, you're amazing!). It's just like how I've always dreamed it, but a lot better.

I'm still in the middle of sending out applications to good markets around Melbourne---a task that was much harder and took way longer than I anticipated, much of it due to the bureaucracy imposed by the local council and market management---but I am working on a promising one which hopefully will not fall through.




I am Nervous. Scared. Excited. But mostly unsure. Unsure of whether or not this would work. Unsure of whether or not we will make enough profit to make this worthwhile. Unsure of whether or not I have what it takes to do this. Just unsure.

But I'm halfway there, and there's no sense in stopping or looking back. I am on a forward moving train that is my will to make this work, and I will not stop until I reach my destination. I have to make this work. I have to. Because it is the only thing I can see myself doing.



The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.