Frangipane Tartlets

On Saturday I ground up almonds to make almond flour and prepared frangipane. I sealed it in a storage container and placed it into the fridge.  Afterward, I prepared pate brissee with egg, which is a flaky crust.  It may be used for quiches, pies, and tarts. Yesterday afternoon I rolled out the dough after I let it warm up from being in the fridge.  I tried using the largest cutter I had but was reduced to a creative stance by using the bottom of my little juicer container. Upside down I was able to map out the proper size dough rounds to line the small pans.  It wasn’t perfect but when you are not in a professional kitchen it seldom is. Well … not for baking anyway.  When it comes to deserts I really need room for the ingredients, mixers, pans, tools, etc.  Baking takes so much effort as you have to measure everything with the exception of whole eggs.

I chilled the raw crusts and then added seedless raspberry jam.  Atop that I used two smallish scoops of raw frangipane and then baked @ 350º for 19 minutes.  I made certain the bottom was baked thoroughly and that the frangipane was bubbling prior to it’s setting.  Out of the oven and I allowed them to cool completely before tasting.  It is hard for me not to taste food hot from the oven as I have often done.  By allowing them to cool down, it helps the middle continue baking and when it is time to cut portions they slice neatly.

By the way, I prepared eight portions and wrapped six in cling wrap.  I will bake them off two at a time as they are quite filling and very rich.  The frangipane is fine in the refrigerator for about three days.  Always remember to smell ingredients prior to adding them to your recipe.  Always be safe and serve only the freshest food.

Heated in the microwave a dab of vanilla ice cream or nutmeg creme chantilly tops this sweet pastry and is wonderfully delicious.

My Favorite Things

Raspberry Mousee & Charlotte Royale, originally uploaded by cupcakeamour.

French Pastry and Desserts are my favorite things. I have been toying with the idea of opening up my very own patisserie within a few years.  There is so much planning to go into this concept, including the fact that I should also want to incorporate a mini cooking school into the establishment.  It makes for more work.

To me there is nothing more appealing to my cooks eyes than something which has been beautifully prepared. Most of the time the special ingredient is passion, because loving what one does it what sets it apart from the norm.

Wouldn’t you just love to sink your teeth into one of these lovely and delectable treats? I can almost taste the Charlotte Royal knowing there is a mousse inside and that the tiny roulades were moistened with a liquor to flavor the simple syrup. Not many people understand just how much work goes into the development of this menu finale. The components take time to prepare and the assembly is the creative end to the pastry cook’s delicious ideas.

The Magic Of Our World

While I have always found it exciting to see these transforming occurrences it is comforting to know that even though it is a long while between these solar eclipses, the fact remains that they have happened in the past and that they are predicted to happen again in the future.

You see that while these strange celestial bodies move in accord like a slow dance, the beauty of their movements is fantastic to watch.  I like this dramatic pose of my moon standing between us and the mighty sun.  She is revealing her protectiveness, strength and beauty.  Do you ever wonder at how very beautiful our world is?  There is a lot of ugly behavior but for the most part this is such a perfect place.  We and our world are living and breathing, reproducing and creating.  What a wonderful world.

Happy Birthday Domestic Minx

.Kṛṣṇa., originally uploaded by .krish.Tipirneni..

Wherever you may be, my friend, know that I and so many others bid your warm wishes for an ideal birthday celebration. Whether it is on your side of the earth or in an ethereal space. Please know we remember you with love and friendship.  Dear Claire, I thought you would rather enjoy this beautiful work of art.

A Real Worker Bee

Want Another ?, originally uploaded by Traditional Landscapes.

I know you think the worker bee is one resembling a honey bee, but do I have news for you. I am the real worker bee. See? I do push-ups and exercise here in this beautiful field of daisies. Aren’t I handsome?

40TH Anniversary Of First Man On The Moon

Can you believe it?  Forty years ago July 16, 1969, the first man walked on the moon!  Our weather has not been the same since.  Any coincidence?  I think so.  But I am glad we continue to explore space and the heavenly bodies.  Congratulations to everyone who helped make it so.  Star Trekking Anyone?

The Long Road Home

If I were able to close my eyes and wiggle my nose so I would be allowed to go back in time, I wouldn’t hesitate even for one minute.  The first place I would return to see would be my family around the swimming pool in Miami, Florida.  I would return to the summer when I turned seven and we were staying at the same motel as we had the year before.  SInce my birthday falls during the month of August, and we ended up taking family holidays then it usually was a good time had by all.  The reason I wouldn’t wish to return to the prior year, is due to the fact that as soon as we arrived I went with Daddy to the supermarket where I knocked out both of my front teeth.  OUCH!  So I return to the summer I celebrated number seven.

The motel had a kitchen and dining/sitting room area.  My Father was a marvelous cook and as soon as we had enjoyed another of his tasty meals, we had to wait for a whole hour before we were allowed to jump into the swimming pool.  We all sat around the pool enclosure enjoying being in Florida, basking in the sunshine and sipping juice from freshly squeezed oranges.  Even the air smelt tangy because the ocean was literally two miles to the east.  This was such a different aroma from the ocean and bay of NYC.  We would the beach the next day and then later, we would meet up with White and Ruth, our Grandparents.  They lived year-round in Miami and our Father was excited about seeing his parents again.  We all were because we would get to visit, eat fresh churned ice cream and bite into the loveliest sun kissed peaches.  But for the moment, we all sat on the pool’s edge with our feet and legs dangling into the refreshing blue water.

Because we had driven down from Staten Island, NY we got to visit our cousins, aunts and uncles in Richmond, VA.  We also dropped off my Mother’s Mother, Mama, so she could stay with her sister, my Aunt Myna.  One state down we always stopped at South of the Boarder, where they had such cool and inexpensive trinkets and souvenirs.  We usually got Mexican Jumping Beans and  by the time we reached Miami we couldn’t get them to jump any longer.  I still wonder what made them pop about.  There were the cotton fields where we would stop in Georgia and have photos taken with my sister’s Brownie Camera.  She won that on a game show called Haggas-Baggas.  In fact, she won all the prizes that day as she is very smart.  There were always oblong dark seeds in my cotton ball and we would pull the fibers of the plant off to investigate just how it grew.  We never made any clothes out of this cotton but it was memorable.  We loved looking at the Spanish Moss hanging on the trees.  This was a strong sign we most definitely were in the State of Georgia; and my Father said to never, never drive over the speed limit there because the troopers were known to do bad things to people that broke the law.  I never want to go to Georgia even to this day.

We talked about our trip down, the visit with relatives and I started toying with the idea of placing the bathing cap on my head.  These caps were made of soft rubbery materials and they sometimes pulled your hair, which would hurt a lot.  Sometimes I would become frustrated and shed a few tears.  Mother would get it to behave properly and then snap the chin strap shut.  Glad caps are no longer necessary.  I like the feel of the water against my skull and the streaming flow of my dancing hair.  It was time to jump in and I can almost feel the delight of plunging in and shooting to the surface to grab a fresh breath of air.  The glad expressions on everyone’s face told me we were truly happy to be together and we were ready to have some good clean fun.  Yes, I miss the good old days when everything was simply  yet perfect.

Happy 12th Birthday Bobby!

It it hard to imagine that it has been twelve years since my sweet boy was born to his lovely Mother, the late and great Fiona.  Bobby made his entrance into the world between six and eleven PM July 6, 1997.  He was delivered at Belair Veterinary Hospital in Bowie, MD and we got to see him and his siblings two days later.  They were so incredibly tiny and I recall wondering just how all six of them fit inside Fiona.  Life is a wondrous thing.

We thought all of the kitties were adopted out and we were only to bring Fiona home as a rescue by early October 1997.  Low and behold two of her boys were sent back and I can easily understand the reason.  One of the technicians surprised her Mother with the boys the same day that she had adopted another cat through PetSmart Charities.  They had way too much energy and behaved like wild men freed from their cage at the veterinary hospital.  They climbed everything and the reason I know is that we brought them home so they could be with Fiona.

Well, she was not too happy to see them and we immediately took them upstairs, where they were introduced to the bathtub, water and soap.  They decided to climb us and by the end of it we all were soaked.  They were clean and we dried them with soft towels and a little of the hair dryer.  The sound disturbed them but it made the room warm and we allowed them to air dry the rest of the way.

Delivering them back to the cat condo which was filled with soft beds, new litter pan and toys, Fiona stalked about the cage and hissed at them for a few minutes.  I decided to make a blockade in the non-furnished living room, we had recently had new carpet installed, and they were too little to climb out.  We released them and Fiona at once smacked both of them upside their tiny heads.  Or, as Joe says their big heads.  He referred to them as big head boys because they were always getting into things.

The first night they fell asleep on our chests and a bit underneath our chins all curled up.  Bobby still tries to be held there, but now he is draped across my upper body and legs and tail hang off. Peter later went to live with a young boy and his dog and Bobby sleeps in-between Joe and me almost every night, covered up by a light quilt.  Whenever we peek at him he says,”Whannh ,” and he has the most adorable little expression.  This is how he was nicknamed Little Whannh.  He is equally Joe’s and my little boy and we love him dearly.  Happy Birthday Bobby, Peter and to their siblings who all were adopted into excellent homes.  And to our dear Fiona, I hope you can see we are taking very good care of your baby boy.

Worthy Of Celebration

weekend baking, originally uploaded by cannelle-vanille.

Tonight I was searching photographs of sandwiches. What I really wanted was a picture of half a sandwich with a big bite taken out of it. I had a whole story planed out about how when you get kicked about and you feel as if the world has taken a bite out of you, then it was time to fight back.

In my search for this icon of a sandwich I espied the photographs by this very talented baker. Simply click on the picture and you will be transported to Flickr, where you may see the beautiful little desserts she has concocted. Desserts makes life worth living and are always welcome for any celebrations.

My decision to return post haste to The Pastry Kitchen is the right choice for me. I had been burnt out, so to speak and now … “I’m Back!” Wonders never cease.

Getting Ready To Move Forward

Isn’t it a relief to know that if one does not like the chain of events in ones life that all you have to do to change directions is to concentrate upon that which you truly want?  I have been practicing this very thing as of late and to my delight I have been shown that it really works.  Getting ready to move forward with ones life is challenging enough.  To know you can preordain the outcome is nice to think about.  Feel the freedom.