My Chocolate Fantasy

It’s Saturday morning and I’m craving for macarons. My devotion to this French pastry is so severe (yes, I’m using the word ‘severe’ on macaroons) that I’m starting to find it a little odd.

Colleague JL was sweet to get me Canelé macarons for Christmas last year. I was so thrilled when I retrieved the box from the pantry’s refrigerator, I was fighting to hold in a little girlish squeal. Not that I hardly get to eat these celestial drops from heaven (because trust me, I think I ingest more macarons than rice in my regular diet) but amazingly, this is what a macaron does to me. It turns me into this sugar-crazy sweet-toothed monster.

 

Canelé Pâtisserie macarons, box of 6

 

Just the fact that it looks like a mini hamburger gets me all woozy. And they come in so many different colours; you get what I call  “The Macaron Colour-Therapy Dilemma” when you stand in front of the glass case trying to decide which colour you should have to match the Mood of the Day. Say… a raspberry pink when you’re feeling feminine and romantic, a pistachio green for a little spiritual boost, or maybe a sunny lemon yellow for feeling happy and gay (pun unintended).

And the flavours that come with those colours, oh god. Now I’ve heard many people argue that all macarons seem to taste the same (simply sweet and extremely sugary) and if these confections were all made in one single colour, they can never decipher a raspberry dark chocolate from a lemon lavender.

Let me just take this chance to contest that claim – which, to me, is terribly unfair to the French pastry and its creators. Macarons are definitely not merely sugar.  It is a brilliant invention of fresh ganache cream sandwiched between two moist, airy cookie shells. If you could take a moment to bite into one (just a small delicate bite please) and allow it to rest on your taste buds, a well-made macaron very slowly melts on the tongue and the flavour infuses into the soul. And then, you see words popping up in your head: Ahh, that’s what a ROSE petal must taste like. Ooh, and the cream is PRALINE. Oh, and if you get sugar-high easily, there’s a chance you might start seeing some stars too.

And so, 5 minutes after retrieving that box of 6 macarons from the refrigerator, I looked up guiltily at colleague JL and whispered, Hey, guess what? I finished them  all.

JL whipped her chair around and screamed, What?? You finished 6 macarons in 5 minutes? You are terrible, it’s not even Christmas Day yet!

I just can’t resist those damn macarons.

PS. If you are convinced by my obsession, feel free to visit my favourite macaron store Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie in Singapore. My all-time favourites are Rose and Pistache – the most simple and straight-forward flavours.

PPS. Macarons are notoriously difficult to make. So, as much as I enjoy baking, I don’t even dare to think of trying on Macarons. Maybe I’m just too lazy. Unless of course, someone out there has made them before and wouldn’t mind teaching me a skill or two. PPPS. Macarons are not macaroons. Or rather, Macarons are French macaroons. Confusing? While macarons are pretty to look at, macaroons are… well, not as fancy and do not come in the form of mini burgers. Google / Wiki to find out more about Macarons and Macaroons.

Several bundt cake pan mixtures are available nowadays. This makes cake lovers bake at their own to save time and money.
There are numerous bundt cake mixes worth trying out at the stores. Buying these cake mixes are very good deals. This would really save time and money especially when giving gifts for special occasions. One does not have to buy from bakeshops anymore. They could bake their own cake, and their family and friends will better appreciate it.
So, here are some bundt cake mixes available. They were truly delicious once it was tried for baking.
Caramel Apple Spice Cake
Caramel apple spice cake is a delicious cake. It has pieces of caramel in each bite. This mix can be baked in the Bouquet Bundt Pan and in the Sweetheart Rose Muffin Pan. The Sweetheart Rose Muffin Pan is the little muffins. It makes sumptuous desserts after lunch.
The cake is also filled with chopped apple from a fresh apple and tossed into the middle. It also poured with warm caramel sauce on top through mixing the brown sugar and butter with the packet ingredients. This cake was venerated out of the oven. However, the room temperature is also ok for this, but the hot cinnamon bun magic was lost although it has warm caramel sauce on top.
The delight would also be restored through heating it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Additionally, this recipe can be made in individual sizes. The muffin size is also better for small portions or for coffee time if the visitors want some assortment of sweets.
Chocolate Decadence Cake
Chocolate decadence cake is a moist, textured cake with a bit of cinnamon inside. Sometimes, a slice of chocolate cake is not enough. This type of mix is not as popular as the other flavors, but the sweet tooth loves it. The rich flavors of chocolate are tasted in every bite of the cake. It is easy to do and it tastes just like the decadent cakes you usually buy in restaurants.
This type of cake was produced by using needed butter and sour cream with a Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake compound. As a result, this would fit to the taste of the diners.
Christmas Bundt
A Christmas Bundt is the combination of Chocolate Macaroon Bundt in the celebrated 3-D Christmas tree. It is decorated with icing and candies. It is very popular during the holidays but it is available in the market all year round. It can be Christmas any day in your home.
Chocolate Macaroon Bundt
Chocolate Macaroon bundt is a bunch of coconut edition of the popular bars of Fudge cake. This is the favorite type of mix that is often out of stock in comparison to other native Chocolate Macaroon Cake Mix. This is lined with Pillsbury’s Bundt mixes.
This cake mix can also be the combination of chocolate and coconut which can be prepared for celebration. Vanilla glaze can also be placed on top of the cake. However, this can be made by adding two cups of sifted confectioners’ sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of milk.
It is like the image of a snow on the mountaintops on winter time. Macaroons pertain to three things. First is the almond meringue. The second one is the meringue-ganache cookie sandwich. And the third one is the chewy coconut confection.
Cinnamon Streusel Cake
Cinnamon Streusel Cake is a buttery cake with a cinnamon spread. This is a yummy cake for brunch, breakfast, coffee time or any situation. The smell of cinnamon surrounds the kitchen and heat from the oven or dines at room temperature.
However, streusel is a crumb-like topping made of butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. All of these were used to fruit crisps, top coffeecakes, and other baked products. The crumbs also stayed on top of the cake while the swirl comes inside the cake.

Gourmet cakes are perfect gift ideas for any occasion. After all, there is usually a cake at the center of any important occasions.
Gourmet cakes make great gifts. The flavors, design and theme are all endless. People are always touched to receive presents personally made rather than bought. The time and effort exerted to it are always appreciated.
Baking is not exactly easy because it deals with precise measurements. But it is easy to get the hang of it with constant practice. And when you learn, your friends and family will definitely love receiving your home-made sweet desserts.
Most cakes given as gifts are round, good for 12 to 16 servings. That’s about 5 pounds. But you can also bake cakes in square or rectangular pans.
Chocolate Fantasy Cakes are one of the most popular. Almost everybody loves chocolates. It never fails to delight children. Some adults are also endeared to chocolates. You can put chocolate bits inside. Some prefer lining it with strawberry for a blend of sourness and sweetness.
The Red Velvet Cake is a chocolate variety, classic and smooth as velvet. It has a southern touch. It has a rich, red and mild chocolate flavor topped with cream cheese.
The Chocolate Chip Cake has a thick fudge frosting with chip and sprinkles. Black Forest Cake is a light, moist chocolate cake in two layers. One custard layer is filled with cream, cherries and chocolate shavings.
The Chocolate Raspberry Cake is a moist cake with raspberry filling and topped with fudge. The Chocolate Fudge Rum Cake a three-layered light moist cake filled with walnuts and fudge. Chocolate Truffle Cake is semi-sweet with ganache. And the Rocky Road Cake is made of three chocolate types with chips, nuts and marshmallow.
Next to chocolate fantasy cakes, mousse cakes are also delicious. They are very rich and creamy.
The Chocolate Mousse Supreme is a bestseller with lots of chocolate flavoring. Chante …clair is a chocolate mousse with raspberry on top and jelly rolls on the sides. Strawberry Mousse Supreme has creamy strawberry with white chocolate, cream between two layers of vanilla flavored sponge cake.
The Baileys Espresso Cream Cake is three-layered vanilla flavored cake with Baileys mousse and espresso cream. Banana Chocolate Mousse has bananas and thick coverings of chocolate.
On the other hand, white delight cakes are light and fluffy. The most popular variety is the Strawberry Short Cake. It has whipped cream sweeping over mixtures of strawberry filling in vanilla chiffon.
The Hazelnut Torte is a nutty, two-layered cake with raspberry and praline butter cream on top. Coconut Layer Cake has vanilla chiffon filled with butter cream and flakes of coconut just like a snowball. Mocha Raspberry Walnut Cake is three-layers of vanilla sponge cake filled with raspberry and mocha butter cream, with walnuts and swirls at the sides. The Sunny Lemon Layer Cake is three layers of vanilla sponge cake with lemon toppings.
Cheesecakes are gourmet cakes made from cheese, cream and eggs. The most common are pumpkin cheesecake, carrot spice cheesecake, and New York Style Cream Cheesecake.
Gourmet gift presentations come in designer sets and packages that serve as a lasting remembrance. They can be placed in tin cans, baskets or cases/towers.

I bought a professionally made, three-tier wedding cake for my son’s wedding in August 2008 and this cost me £296.00 [$419.53].  Apart from the fact that it was beautifully iced and decorated, the cake was delicious – or should I say cakes: the top tier was made as a walnut cake as the bride’s request; the middle layer was rich chocolate, requested by the groom; the bottom layer was a delightfully moist and rich fruit cake for the majority of the guests, with enough to send out to those who were unable to attend the ceremony.  There are lots of different icings and fillings which are used with wedding cakes when they are made, such as fondant icing, or ganache, to mention just two.  When fondant icing is made it is kneaded and rolled to make it smooth and then it is draped over the cake in a solid sheet and trimmed to size.  It provides a very smooth surface and can be dyed any number of colours. Buttercream is usually used as a filling, although it can also be used as an icing. I find this particular covering sickly but it does provide a lovely texture.  Basically it is made by adding a large amount of icing sugar to butter and the two mixed together and then beaten so that the butter takes on a creamy appearance.  Ganache is another sickly-sweet flavouring, being made with double cream and melted chocolate.  It is poured over the cake and, when this mixture dries it becomes quite stiff and is very effective as an icing.  Then there is pulled sugar which I know from experience is extremely difficult to make [very difficult!] and gum paste which consists of gelatine powder, cornstarch and sugar and which can be made into very realistic looking flowers.  Summer icing is another form of buttercream but is better to use when the weather is hot.  It contains vegetable shortening which has a much higher melting point than that of buttercream.Colour schemes for wedding cakes are usually designed to fit in with the colours the bridesmaids are wearing, or with the overall theme of the wedding.  As my son’s wedding last August was based on the colours of his regiment, the flowers in the bride’s bouquet also followed through the same theme, as did the flowers on top of the wedding cake.  The only difference between the flowers from the bouquet and those on the cake were the cake flowers were edible icing.The wedding cake is the focal point of the whole reception and is another very old custom based on the representation of fertility.  It represents the coming together of two families, with the cake cutting designed to enable the guests to share in the bride and groom’s joy. The wedding cake is traditionally made from dried fruits as the grains and fruit represent fertility.  Nowadays cakes are often made with pure chocolate, sometimes white chocolate, sometimes dark chocolate, often finished with shaved chocolate curls.

Have a friend who’s under the weather? Looking for get well gifts for someone special but cannot afford to spend a bundle? No problem on either score because Sugarpoke can help with get well gifts and cheap gift ideas that will bring big smiles without big cost.

 

Sugarpoke.com is a delicious online merchant where you can find plenty of delicious cheap gift ideas. You can order some sweet get well gifts for your loved one for the same amount that you’d spend for one of those luxury cards. Select a “sugarpoke” from a tasty array including chocolate Belgian chocolates, brownies, gingerbread, cookies, cakes and even good, old-fashioned sweets but with a new twist!

 

Your edible get well gifts come with a funky greeting card inscribed with your own message written during online checkout. Then it’s nestled in vivid red tissue paper and delivered in a letterbox-friendly container within three to five days – for free. That’s right f-r-e-e. That’s another big plus when you’re looking for cheap gift ideas.

 

Of course, if there’s an urgent need for a little sugar love, you can upgrade to next working day delivery for only £4.99. There’s even delivery on a Saturday for £9.99

 

Why not perk up your sick friend with a simply divine “Truffle Shuffle?” This indulgent mixture of Belgian chocolate truffles includes two Champagne Truffles, two Milk Praline Truffles and two Dark Ganache Truffles in a glossy white ballotin finished with red ribbon. As far as get well gifts go, you couldn’t get anything more delicious!

 

In case your friend can’t decide which chocolate to enjoy first, the “Truffle Shuffle” comes with an “Undecided” dice marked with yes, no and maybe? A throw of the dice can choose for them.

 

If it’s a bit of a nip they need, consider the “Hearty Poke.” That’s six of the finest Belgian chunky milk chocolate hearts made from 100 percent cocoa butter. Half are filled with cream ganache and a hint of alcohol and the other half carry soft hazelnut praline. Should a stronger dosage be required, then choose “Intoxicated,” a full six of the ganache-and-alcohol-filled Belgian milk chocolate hearts.

 

Perhaps one of the best get well gifts for an ailing chocoholic is the classic “Knock Me For Six,” containing six luxury solid chocolate hearts wrapped in red foil, simply waiting to be unwrapped and devoured.

 

Still need cheap gift ideas for get well gifts? How about some “Nice Mice,” six of the finest milk chocolates shaped like funky little squealers, or perhaps “Yummy Love,” six of Belgium’s finest milk chocolate in chunky heart shape and filled with soft hazelnut praline.  One of these cheap gift ideas is bound to set hearts racing.

 

Speaking of racing, here’s gift that goes beyond get well and past, shall we say, less expensive expressions? It’s Naughty But Nice Lip Gloss, something sweet for her lips in little pots designed like cupcakes that smell as yummy as if they were the real lip-smacking deal. Small enough to carry in a handbag or pocket, this wonderful lip balm will keep lips soft and delectably kissable. Flavours include raspberry cream, strawberry cream, wild berry tart, cream tart chocolate cream puff, and chocolate sprinkle.

Nothing puts a smile on a childs face like viewing their birthday cake for the first time. And lets face it, few things out there are as satisfying for us mothers either.

Decorating a special cake for your child can be so much fun. For our girls, whimsical themes and gelati colours are in order, and for our boys, bright, bold and colorful is all it takes to make a little man smile. 

But what icing is best for the type of cake you want to create? 

I categorize icing into 5 main types, and each one has its place in the cool cakes for kids arena. Understanding the types if icing will help you successfully plan your groovy cake design and save you a lot of heartbreak. 

#1: Buttercream 

Buttercream icing is a combination of softened butter, fine sugar and some sort of liquid flavor and coloring. It is essential to use a fine sugar when making buttercream icing as it melts very easily and importantly, contains small amounts of cornstarch which helps to stabalize the icing…This also explains why it doesn’t taste so good in coffee! 

Buttercream icing is so easy to work with as it’s smooth consistency makes it so suitable for use with piping bags. It is the perfect icing for little cupcakes as you can get it through the piping bag tips with only one hand, allowing you to hold and manoeuvre the cupcake with the other. 

#2: Ganache 

Ganache is a fancy French term that simply means chocolate melted with heavy cream. When warm you can pour it over the cake for a gorgeous shiny glaze, just watch your chocolate loving child’s eyes pop from their little faces as they peer over the counter top as you do this, its so cute. Ganache is so versatile, you can use it as a chocolate sauce for a pudding, dip strawberries in it, or just lick it off the spoon. You can make ganache into a frosting if you chill for a bit then beat it till fluffy, perfect for layer cakes. 

Best of all though, make sure that you pop a tiny bit of the ganache into the fridge for later. Once it has chilled you can scoop out little spoonfuls, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate for yummy after party truffles just for you. 

#3: Glaze 

Glaze is the simplest of icings. It is simply some fine sugar, melted over boiling water with a little bit of liquid flavour, usually fruit such as a squeeze of lemon or scoop of passion fruit. It forms a very thin liquid consistency and is simply drizzled over the cake to form a hard crust when it cools.  i love the way it cracks when you bite into it, yum. 

#4: Royal Icing 

Royal icing is one of the most commonly used icings in cake decorating, it contains powdered sugar, egg whites and liquid. Its consistency should be similar to pancake batter and needs to flow easily in order to work it through a piping bag. You need to be quite confidant with your icing skills when using royal icing though as it sets very quickly. 

#5: Fondant Icing 

When it comes to really groovy cake designs fondant icing is my personal favourite due to its amazing versatility. You can make some seriously cool cakes with this as once made it is rolled out like pastry allowing you to cover cakes of all shapes and sizes. You can cut out shapes with cookie cutters, you can dye or even paint it with liquid food coloring, and as such the possibilities are endless. Fondant icing can be tricky though, sometimes having the tendency to sweat, so working at the right temperature is really important. 

Now that you understand these 5 simple icing categories go and plan your groovy cake that will put a smile on your child’s face, and the Best Mum on the Planet award on your forehead. Enjoy!

 

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