I'm not actually (see title), because Sherlock's home from school now of course, but I have spent a lot of time alone since Lestrade left for Italy. It's odd. The Army doesn't generally leave you a lot of time to yourself, and before that I always had flatmates. On leave I usually went home or to stay with the current girlfriend. I've been trying to think, but I'm not sure I've ever properly lived alone, except for those few months between getting out of hospital and moving into Baskerville Hall with the boys. That seems like it can't be right, but I can't remember more than a few weeks at a time on my own before that. It's...really quiet.
Anyway, just random thoughts. Time for dinner. I think we're having takeaway of some sort.
Anyway, just random thoughts. Time for dinner. I think we're having takeaway of some sort.
43 comments:
I want this cake for my birthday!
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/09/rainbow-layer-cake-recipe.html
That...is quite a cake. You'll have to talk to Lestrade about that I think.
Except more chocolatey.
Can't wait to be home. You lonely, or enjoying a bit of time to yourself?
Sherlock, I'm sure we can achieve something like that cake, with added chocolate. We'll see if I'm back properly.
Ooooh, Sherlock, that cake looks excellent. What if you put ganache between the layers?
What's ganache?
L - I don't actually know. It's just odd. I wish you were here though.
Sherlock, what about these instead?
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/colorburst-cupcakes/
You can make them in the oversized cupcake molds and end up with personal mini-cakes.
Also ganache is a glaze-style icing made using cream and chocolate. It tends to be quite soft and occasionally runny. I wouldn't use it between layers, personally, but it would go very well on top of your cake.
But anyway, my personal ganache recipe (it's almost as easy as the cupcakes.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, crushed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
Have fun!
Bronwyn
Pardon me while I toot my own horn, but I made a rainbow cake recently, and since the recipe is pretty simple and not liable to go spectacularly wrong, here it is: http://bakebakebake.livejournal.com/3375614.html You could use a chocolate icing instead of the creamcheese icing, it you want it more chocolatey. :)
Ganache is chocolate melted together with heavy cream. Basically, it's sticky, toothsome spreadable chocolate. Great for icing cakes.
Sherlock, ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream, that's melted together and turns into this amazing kind of chocolate glaze.
It turns out differently depending on the ratio of chocolate to cream. You can have end up with a ganache that is solid at room temperature, which is used to cover truffles, among other things, or you can have one that is still somewhat liquid, which is what I'd use between the layers in the cake.
YES GANACHE!
We can easily put a ganache between layers, Sherlock. Or just a simple buttercream.
Bronwyn - I'm sure you can get corn syrup in England, but not readily. But ganache is simple to make with chocolate and cream and optional rum.
Danger - me too. You can't know how much.
John, are you going to be watching the men's final in an hour?
Huh. The things I learn about cooking in foreign locales every day. *shakes head* Can't get corn syrup. How do you make pecan pie?
*laughs*
Bronwyn
I don't think they do. I see occasional posts in my cooking groups where Europeans are perplexed by this strange ingredient some of our desserts seem to require.
(Though I too have always made ganache with just cream and chocolate, no corn syrup required.)
I like the corn syrup because it stays smooth longer. *shrugs* I'm also Southern, where sorghum, molasses and corn syrup are what we pour on waffles.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
Pecan pie isn't a big favourite here. But probably butter, brown sugar, castor sugar mixed up, or something?
My neighbors use something like that to make it, Lestrade. There's another difference for you, Bronwyn: castor sugar vs. granulated sugar. I learned the hard way that they're not interchangable the other day. Also, pre-made pie crusts are just odd.
It is helpful to have grocery stores that are open on Thanksgiving, though. Especially if you drop an entire pan of yams on the floor two hours before dinner time. Hypothetically, of course.
All this talk about baking has made my mouth water. I once made this Leprechaun cake:
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2011/03/16/leprechaun-trap-cake/
:3 It's pretty and tasty. Colouring a cake is always so time consuming! But it can be lots of fun. I hope it turns out delicious. :3
I'm sorry. I know this has been mentioned before (and a link was provided) but when is Sherlock's birthday, exactly? :O
Becca - I'm watching now! Had a hard time getting Sherlock into bed after all this talk of ganache. :)
L - You can't know how much.
Think I've got a fair idea. Is there any news?
Lupe - his birthday is the 21st! It's coming up quite soon. :)
Is corn syrup a bit like golden syrup? I always get confused by American recipes. Especially the ones with cake mix involved...
This is one of our favourite chocolatey cakes (with coconut in it!) - http://www.ladiesaplate.co.nz/recipes/larger-cakes/fijian-chocolate-cake/
No news. I'm somewhere new. Again. Tell you on the phone. I don't know how long the Met will keep this up.
Is this the final I wanted to be home for?
It is a bit like golden syrup, yeah. Enough so that I use them interchangeably.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
Yeah, this is it. Not going well for Nadal unfortunately.
Call me any time.
Won't be interrupting anything? I keep forgetting It's earlier for you. And that people in the UK don't sit down for dinner at ten pm.
Call you in a sec, when I'm back in my room
It wouldn't be interrupting even if I were doing something but I'm not so don't worry. Just watching the tennis. Sherlock's already asleep.
Not going well for Nadal at all, sadly. I want them both playing well!
(I would also like my internet to stop dropping the connection every two minutes, but alas, that doesn't seem likely either.)
I have no idea what's wrong. He's a much better player than this. I hope he's all right.
I'm debating whether or not Djokovic is just that much in his head, but it doesn't seem like that.
And hey! Back on serve!
Sorry, I know I'm being silly.
I just feel so far away and don't want you to feel like you have to drop everything just because I call.
I'll try to get you when Sherlock's still up tomorrow. To talk ganache.
I really don't mind dropping most things to talk to you.
Another to file under "cooking is different around the world". :0)
When I was living in St. Andrews, I was delighted to find a brownie mix at Tesco. I *could* make the brownies from scratch, but it was a lot of work and I didn't feel like making my mom read the recipe over the phone, or making her type it up.
So, I get the mix back to the flat, read the directions on the back, and nearly have a coronary. It said to beat the batter with an electric mixer until it was light and fluffy! (For those not in the know--that makes the brownies like a very leaden cake. Too fluffy to be brownies, too flat to be cake. Also, it takes away from the fudge-y goodness of the brownies.)
So, I otherwise followed the back of the box, but mixed the batter with a wooden spoon: fifty times, or until some of the lumps were gone, which ever came first, just like my mom taught me.
Of course, I shared them, and my flatmates all said that they didn't care for brownies. I looked at them like they were crazy people. Then one tried them and said (and I quote): "These don't taste like brownies! They're *good*!"
And I said "That's because I made *brownies*. Not a cake."
I'm not sure if it was just my flatmates, but based on their reaction and the back of that brownie mix, I decided that I should stick to pastry if I went to the bakery. :0)
So sad that Rafa couldn't pull it off, but glad he gave Djokovich a proper fight at least. And he's the model of a gracious loser, which is one of the best things about him, in my opinion.
John, please do report on any Jamie Lee Curtis impressions you might do. And be prepared to eat lots of ganache.
After the third set I really thought he was going to pull it together. It's really too bad. I didn't think much of Djokovic taking that time out on Nadal's serve either.
I like to think I'm always prepared to eat lots of ganache.
John, glad you're OK, if a bit disconcerted. Any news from Mycroft?
Sherlock - that cake looks fabulous. I'm really quite envious.
John, i would strongly recommend to listen to a song of Bill Callahan. The radio just played it and I think it could describe your situation very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ghP3DD2t6s&feature=player_embedded#!
"Eid Ma Clack Shaw"
LP
JOHN. I just bumped into Toni Nadal! No Rafa, and I didn't want to interrupt what looked like a family outing by speaking to him, but . . . yeah, there he was just as I was getting back to the office after buying my lunch. I did smile at him.
You are the only person I know who might remotely care about this, so you're the one who has to hear it. Sorry about that!
I may make those rainbow cupcakes (or a half batch or so) on Sherlock's birthday in celebration of such! (Anyone else want to join me in the endeavour?) I'm so excited for you Sherlock! You're going to be six! So grown up. How's school going? Settled in now?
Innie - that is amazing and I definitely care! Did he look as grumpy as he usually does watching Nadal play?
Tink - he's in bed at last but I suspect the verdict would be not settled in quite yet...
He looked serious - though that might be because he has very level eyebrows - but not grumpy. I think the presence of three adorable girls helped.
It was the highlight of my day, definitely.
Danger - tell Sherlock i'll call him this evening to talk about truffles, and why they're not chocolate truffles...
Hope you're not too bored without the tennis.
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