I thought a little rambling would do very nicely to fill the time between now and the actual commencement of this 'project,' if we can call it that. So that's just what this is -- a little ramble. Sorry for the possible incoherence; it's late, I'm jet-lagged and in that annoying state of mind where I'm exhausted yet can't get to sleep. But anyways, here I go.
I happened to randomly discover one day, on the internet, this little place called The Love Bakery very close by to where I was living last year. I eventually ventured down there, and my everlasting loyalty and fidelity to this place was secured by a delicious rose cupcake. I've always loved rose as a flavour, and enjoy using it as a subtle flavour when baking or making deserts in general -- taste aside, it's got this wonderful cooling feel about it and the nostalgia it evokes (childhood summer holidays with my grandparents) is an added bonus.
So it was finding this place (which I go on about to my friends far too much) the discovery of this brilliant blog and getting my life back after having survived the exam period that led to me buying one of those muffin baking tray things, and the creation of Yoga-Cupcake Thursdays. That went on for three weeks until Yoga went on hiatus and work picked up again, but was good fun whilst it lasted. Definitely much more enjoyable than making normal cakes, and I'll be packing the tin when I move.
The first one I tried was #29, vanilla cupcakes with strawberry jam filling, with strawberry rose icing instead of the milk chocolate one. The sponge was fine, but only had the rather weak, dilute essence of rosewater as opposed to the slightly more concentrated syrup -- hence the former flavour coming through. Next to follow was #6. The actual banana cupcakes turned out sublime, but I ran out of icing sugar halfway through making the icing and took a little gamble as to whether I could get away with using normal granulated sugar instead to finish off instead of running down to the supermarket. If ever you nonexistent readers one day wonder whether you too can get away with that little cheat, don't do it. It tasted, well, okay, but it didn't thicken as it should have and looked a little like something you'd chuck up after a night out (somehow) -- so ended up having to bin it. Very much a rookie error there.
Finally, was #19, the blueberry muffins. Though I opted not to make icing, given that I was still traumatised from my previous attempt at making it. I'm dying to tackle his Lemon meringue ones at some point actually, they look stunning. And oh, I did eventually conquer my icing demons at a later date in case you were wondering.
I happened to randomly discover one day, on the internet, this little place called The Love Bakery very close by to where I was living last year. I eventually ventured down there, and my everlasting loyalty and fidelity to this place was secured by a delicious rose cupcake. I've always loved rose as a flavour, and enjoy using it as a subtle flavour when baking or making deserts in general -- taste aside, it's got this wonderful cooling feel about it and the nostalgia it evokes (childhood summer holidays with my grandparents) is an added bonus.
So it was finding this place (which I go on about to my friends far too much) the discovery of this brilliant blog and getting my life back after having survived the exam period that led to me buying one of those muffin baking tray things, and the creation of Yoga-Cupcake Thursdays. That went on for three weeks until Yoga went on hiatus and work picked up again, but was good fun whilst it lasted. Definitely much more enjoyable than making normal cakes, and I'll be packing the tin when I move.
The first one I tried was #29, vanilla cupcakes with strawberry jam filling, with strawberry rose icing instead of the milk chocolate one. The sponge was fine, but only had the rather weak, dilute essence of rosewater as opposed to the slightly more concentrated syrup -- hence the former flavour coming through. Next to follow was #6. The actual banana cupcakes turned out sublime, but I ran out of icing sugar halfway through making the icing and took a little gamble as to whether I could get away with using normal granulated sugar instead to finish off instead of running down to the supermarket. If ever you nonexistent readers one day wonder whether you too can get away with that little cheat, don't do it. It tasted, well, okay, but it didn't thicken as it should have and looked a little like something you'd chuck up after a night out (somehow) -- so ended up having to bin it. Very much a rookie error there.
Finally, was #19, the blueberry muffins. Though I opted not to make icing, given that I was still traumatised from my previous attempt at making it. I'm dying to tackle his Lemon meringue ones at some point actually, they look stunning. And oh, I did eventually conquer my icing demons at a later date in case you were wondering.
rose water in cakes is MY thing and you very well know it. THIEF >:O
ReplyDeleteDon't be silly -- I always used it in all my desserts. Remember the strawberry crumble I made that night during the Easter holidays? x
ReplyDelete