Petal Icing Technique

Ever since I saw an ombre petal cake on The Hungry Housewife I've been dying to have a go at this decorating technique.   

Decorating the cake does take some time but I think the end result makes it all worth it.   The perfectionist in me wishes the petals on my cake were more defined but the chocolate frosting I was working with was too soft.  Next time I'll let it stiffen up more or maybe use swiss meringue buttercream instead.

This yellow cake with chocolate frosting is dedicated to one of my dearest besties, Sirine, who is celebrating  her birthday today.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCHOUNA!

French Toast

My normal breakfast routine is pretty simple and purposely low maintenance - a cup of Early Grey accompanied by either warm buttered toast, dry cereal or a bowl of fruit with Greek yogurt and granola.  But every now and then, usually on Sundays, I like to indulge myself and partake in something truly decadent.

Remember the challah I made the other week?  It was the perfect bread to use for french toast.  There's nothing worse than soggy french toast and challah's firmness really stood up to the rich, creamy custard.  A light dusting of confectioner's sugar, a drizzle of warm maple syrup and some mixed berries and you've got yourself a breakfast to remember.

TWD French Strawberry Cake

Here's a fabulous dessert that showcases summer's quintessential fruit.  While this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, French Strawberry Cake, may look and feel decidedly American, the French factor comes from the vanilla genoise cake. 

Unlike most of the genoise I've made or encountered this sponge cake was quite delicious and not dry in the slightest.  The whipped cream is out of this world.  I strayed slightly from the cookbook recipe by adding softened cream cheese.  It's a trick I learned from Cook's Illustrated and provides a slight tang and additional stability to the heavy cream that is truly scrumptious. 

For the cake recipe please make your way over to Sophia's Sweets or Think, Love, Sleep, Dine who are this week's hosts.  I've included the whipped cream recipe below if you'd like to try it for yourself...you won't regret it!

Challah

My quest to become a master bread maker continues in earnest.  The latest endeavor - Challah, a Jewish classic.  What's not to love about this rich, egg-y braided bread?  Can I get a holla for challah?  Sorry, I couldn't help myself...hehehe.

Once again I turned to my friends at Cook Illustrated for a recipe.  The dough was a snap to make and the best part was the actual braiding.  Stay tuned because the challah is going to be a key ingredient in an upcoming post.  Here's a hint...think Sunday brunch staple.