Dobos Torte

by Liz // February 2, 2016 // 8 Comments

A while back, I wrote about how I thought my house might be in haunted in this post. Well, since that incident we’ve had a few other unexplained occurrences. The most recent happened when I was baking this delicious cake–the famous Dobos Torte, or Hungarian Seven Layer Cake. I was taking pictures of caramel I had just made. Afterwards, I set the camera down on the kitchen table and walked away. I suddenly heard a click sound. I turned around quickly to make sure Wesley hadn’t gotten his hands on my camera. When I saw that it was safely out of his reach, I decided to investigate. I noticed that among the photos of buttercream, caramel, and cake layers there was a picture of Wesley with me in the background. Now, I know that there’s probably a very reasonable explanation, especially since we’re talking about an electronic device such as a camera. However, Wesley and I were the only ones home at the time, and I can’t help but feel like we were being watched. Check out the photo below and let me know what you think.

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Opera Cake

by Liz // January 20, 2016 // 4 Comments

We’re leaving for a quick trip to Disney World this afternoon. Just like every other vacation we’ve recently taken, we’re traveling heavy. I’ve packed a big bag of tricks so as to prevent the dreaded “plane meltdowns”, lots of snacks to take my mind off of plane crashes, my book that I won’t ever get to open, and all of the horrible diseases that attach themselves to children in the winter months. Cameron has a nasty cold accompanied by a 102 fever. Wesley has a not-as-nasty cold, but a pretty mean ear infection, and I’m sporting a cute, little sinus infection. Aron is healthy for now, but, you know… tick tock. I am aware, however,that as hard as it will be traveling with the kids, I’ll still look back on this time and weep that it was all so fleeting. I know this, and so I’m going to enjoy every minute. Unless my plane goes down. I won’t enjoy that. Let’s make Opera Cake! Continue reading →

Cannoli

by Liz // January 10, 2016 // No Comments

Before I begin this post, I have a question… is the word cannoli in plural form? If I were to discuss just one of these pastries would I type cannolo? Cannola? It’s a mystery. My first baking mystery of 2016! The filling of this Italian pastry was a bit of a mystery to me as well. I helped cater a New Year’s Day event, and on the menu was cannoli. I thought making cannoli filling would be a piece of cake, so I left it to the very end. It turns out that that wasn’t a good idea. The filling was watery, and would not hold it’s shape when piped into the shells. I strangled as much liquid as I could through a cheese cloth, but the amount that came out wouldn’t even fill a teaspoon. I then turned to my trusty sidekick known as the internet and found some guidance. It turns out that adding more powdered sugar only makes it more watery, as the sugar draws out moisture from the other ingredients. Adding a little mascrapone cheese can firm up the filling nicely. I didn’t have any on hand, but I did have ground almond flour, so out of desperation I mixed in half a cup’s worth. The filling was perfect! Firm, yet light, and there was hardly an almond flavor to be tasted. Huzzah! Oh, and I just solved the great mystery of 2016. Cannoli is the plural, and cannolo is the singular. Continue reading →

Milk Chocolate Tartlets With Pretzel Crusts

by Liz // January 3, 2016 // 19 Comments

Happy New Year! Last year, I posted a list of my resolutions, and I must confess, I didn’t fulfill many of them. As usual, I created a long resolution list, and not a do-able resolution list. This year I’m going to go a little easier on myself and just have one. My resolution for the year of 2016 is… to be brave. I want to to live my life with a little more bravery, and a lot less fear. By the end of this year I’ll hopefully have found the courage to stand up for myself more, to take Project Pastry Love to new heights, to be a more confident mother to my children, and to finally look my arch nemesis in the eye and say, “i’m not your bitch anymore, laundry!” Even though we’er only a few days in, I’ve already been showing some glimmers of bravery. A few days ago I helped cater a New Year’s Day soiree. I was asked to make 10 dozen assorted pastries. I noticed while I baked that a determination swept over me. I was determined to not panic. I was determined to bake with bravery, and I did. Things went wrong here and there, but I held it together, and in the end, when everything was done I felt so proud of myself. If I can carry this feeling for another 362 days then I think it’s going to be a good year. Let’s make some milk chocolate tartlets with pretzel crusts, shall we? Continue reading →

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