They aren't the best, and by no means perfect, but it's a slight 'talent' I have picked up from my late grandmother, and each time I make a cake, I try my hardest to make it as good as I can, and to make her proud.
I have a picture of her in my kitchen, on the window sill, so she is always watching over me, and telling me off for picking, another lovely 'trait' I have inherited shall we say!
Anyway, cakes. I haven't done loads, but am building up a nice collection of ones that I have tried.
Here they are, albeit one or two I think.
Monday just gone was my first cake of 2013.
I was going to do bday cakes for my OH's niece and nephew back in January but unfortunately due to the weather conditions was unable to. Gutted to say the least. So then it dawned on me, I never got to do my best mate a bday cake last year due to us going to London for the day, so thought it was high time she got one of my cakes! I don't think THAT highly of them, but she has seen other's having them and I always show her my latest 'creation' so felt it best to do one for her too! I also didn't know what to get her as a bday present so thought this could add to it!
So off I went.
Cake baked. Cooled. Sliced. Buttercream made. Now what.
I hadn't even begun to contemplate the design of the cake. I had thought about maybe getting Belle printed onto some rice paper and making a Beauty & the Beast inspired cake, due to it being her favourite Disney film. Then I thought perhaps not. She is 25 after all. So I dug out all my cake bits that I thought were 'her'. Placed them all on the worktop. I just stood there. Mind blank. What to do.
Time was getting on, I needed to be out the house by 4.30pm. Cake in tow. It was 2.30pm. I had covered the cake board & also covered the cake. Still no inspiration. I started colouring the fondant in different pastel shades; yellow, pink and lime green-ish. I then started punching out flower shapes on the cake board & filling them in with the coloured fondant. I then wrote her name. It then came to me. Just do some sort of flower power explosion.
So I did.
Not my best work by all means. But good enough. Considering I haven't actually gone near a cake since the Minnie Mouse one back in October last year, I thought it was pretty alright. Tasted good too! It went down a treat, she loved it!
As always though, this spurs on a baking 'need' if you will. I was craving to bake something. But what? So yesterday morning in the post, this arrived.
Yes. A Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter / Cake tool. Has Lou written all over it! So of course I have to put it to the test. I think I'll make some cookies. Well shortbread, as thats all the ingredients I had in suitable! Thats ok, I love shortbread (Thanks Granny, another 'trait'!) and so does my OH. Perfect. Ooh, I'll break up some Cadbury's Flake to put into it.
Ready to go in, just need to chill first.
How cute do they look! I think this tool is going to come in extremely handy!! Especially considering already had a request off of a mate who saw the picture on Facebook!
They were probably in the oven for about a minute too long but still tasted good! Of course, I have to taste the goods, make sure they are of a suitable standard!
I thought I would then go abit artsy fartsy, and do some chocolate 'drizzle', but didn't have a big bar to melt so had to find all the leftover bits from Xmas Selection boxes (that had already been opened! Still have 2 unopened ones!) so this consisted of a Twirl, a Thin Dairy Milk & two small bags of Buttons. It didn't melt to the best consistency but did the trick.
Et Voila. Scrummy. Messy by nature, Messy by choice!
Last night I also went and made Pancake Batter ready for the evening due to it being PANCAKE DAY!!! We were going to postpone until this evening due to my Weight Watchers meeting being on a Wednesday night so would of been a nice treat for afters, however I felt guilty for making the OH miss out so I made him a batch up ready, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Ok so 2 of the pancakes decided to audition in the whoopy cushion stakes for some strange reason, but still tasted great!
He has requested more for tonight or tomorrow - albeit Valentines Day but we don't do anything for that, and he is at work until 8pm anyway.
Oh bugger, need to find him a card. whoops!
So quite a productive baking couple of days! Wonder whats next.
More importantly, Grannypants, I hope I'm doing you proud!!!