RecipeMuncher

First, before you all go and get any ideas: I DID complete this month’s DB challenge of chocolate eclairs. Alas, I did so so early in the month that I didn’t take photos. I figured, “Oh, well, these aren’t great and it’s only August 2nd, so I’ll make these again before the end of the month.”

You know how that goes. Life got in the way, so in the rush of fleeting summer, no more pate choux or pastry cream graced my kitchen.

However, I do have a few reflections on the experience. My one gripe with the recipe was that the pate choux seemed very eggy. I know I’m not the only one who felt this way, as I read of many other DBers with the same sentiment. Luckily for me, the pastry did rise in the oven and a few of them even hollowed out. My pastry cream was good, however the chocolate was overwhelming for me. I would like to try the eclairs, sans one egg and with a vanilla pastry cream.

See you next month (or maybe sooner, if I make anything worthwhile!)

I have to say I loved every minute of May Daring Bakers. I liked April’s challenge, but this challenge pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the best possible way. It was simply a wonderful challenge.

When I first read, I, like many other DBs, was intimidated but excited about the possibilities. An Opera cake. A complicated, almond-based layer cake, traditionally known for a coffee-soaked cake layer and a chocolate glaze. However, in typical DB fashion, we were deviating from the norm - our Opera cakes had to be light, both in color and flavor. Other than that, there were very few restrictions.

I got my thinking cap on and began to play with various flavor combinations in my mind. Ultimately, I decided on a Mojito flavoring - a lime syrup, a mint buttercream and a white rum mousse. Voila!

Making and assembling the cake went off without a hitch, even though the cake was time consuming. The end product lived up to expectations. While this won’t be an everyday dessert due to the sh…