Posted on 05/04/2016 3:47:13 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I didn't have time to cook much in recent days, but did have time to peruse the web now and then; and I found a couple of fancy cakes that provide a lot of visual 'bang' but don't look too difficult to make. Either might be very nice for Mother's Day.
I've always been attracted to the fondant- and marzipan-covered cakes, but never attempted one. This one from 'Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking' looks very easy, and the technique for the rose decoration is ingenious (there's a video, and all the recipes are linked in the blog post):
http://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/painted-cake/
Another beautiful, somewhat more complicated cake with rich fillings, is the Swedish Princess Cake:
This cake became popular after it was featured in a 1948 cookbook written by a teacher to the three daughters of a Swedish prince - hence its name. If you do a google image search on 'Swedish Princess Cake', you'll see many different ways of decorating it; and you'll notice that it is almost always a pastel green. This recipe from the 'Baking Obsession' website looks classic and clear:
http://www.bakingobsession.com/2009/02/24/swedish-princess-cake/
-JT
Nice use of celery though, after you pointed it out.
I don’t see them in any stores around here these days.
-JT
I used to slice up star fruit and put it in salads. Back then, people didn’t know what it was, and it was fun to surprise them.
-JT
Milkshake is one of the candy bars listed as ‘discontinued’ at Old Time Candy:
http://www.oldtimecandy.com/discontinued-candy/
The 4th of July cake had this Uncle Sam with flags and sparklers sitting on something similar to the second one that is sort of flag-y. The boot was the hardest thing.
The farm was similar to this. The base and barn was carrot cake. The silo wasn't cake but can't remember what it was (cookies?) and had to prop it against the barn so it wouldn't fall over. All the fondant animals were fun and easier than first thought.
I’ve never had real store bought marzipan but made some from scratch to fill homemade pastries. It turned out really good. It’s basically almonds thrown in the food processor until ground fine and simple syrup and powdered sugar.
It’s a couple hours to the nearest big city grocery store so we have to make do with what’s on hand (it’s hard to find an angel food cake mix here and forget about corn syrup even at Christmas and haven’t seen pork ‘n beans on the shelves for years). It freaks me out a little on the rare occasion I happen to the city (which I avoid like the plague) and stop at a big store. Wow, more cheeses than just Kraft singles and a chunk of cheddar! Wow, more olives than just those with pimentos in a jar and black ones in a can! For the past several few years, the local grocery shelves looked like bankrupt third world empty shelves and this is Texas for goodness sake. It’s getting better the last 6 months but I can go with a list of 60 basic items and come home with maybe 20. Stock up on canned peas and beets when you see them or they won’t be there next time. Guard your cart or someone will be begging for the gallon of milk or loaf of cheap storebrand white sandwich bread. Woohoo, I just bought my first box of frozen pastry sheets!!!! I poured some peach fie filling between two pastry sheets for dessert last night, yum.
Have you seen these two low carb recipe sites? They’ve been my go to for years.
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/recipes.html
Yes, that’s where I’m at. The Atkins bars are too sweet. I weaned myself off all added sugar and soda in 2008. Drink my iced tea and lemonade with no sugar added etc.
All the Atkins bars do at this point is to make me gag from too sweet, and rekindle the desire to eat some real cake or some other high carb dessert.
Thanks for the links. I’ll check them out. I have checked out some others, and printed a few recipes. Found a bunch of “crack slaw” versions. Makes a so - so substitute for hamburger helper. LOL
Thanks! I figured they were discontinued as I have not seen one in years. They were slightly malted milk flavored and were wonderful after swimming on a hot summer day.
PayDay bars, which were made by the same company, are still available.
Another favorite was Boyer Smoothie Cups. Like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup but with butterscotch coating instead of chocolate. I occasionally find them at Cracker Barrel restaurants.
I’d like to live in a very rural place, but I’d miss the big supermarkets. That, the thrift store, and the craft store are about the only brick-and-mortar shopping that I enjoy anymore.
Why do you suppose your local stores have been so poorly stocked?
-JT
Fantastic eatable Art. Thank you for sharing!. I like them all, but especially the farm :-)
When I’ve been following the diet, I’ve strangely found that a craving for sweets can be satisfied by a few salted nuts; I always carry some salted almonds around.
Different nuts have different carb counts; but I’ve never met a nut I didn’t like, so there are lots of choices.
-JT
Yes, I’ve been using nuts quite a bit too. Really like salted almonds and cashews the best, but eating some peanuts too. I like to get a can of Deluxe Salted Nuts, and then add in some whole food type nuts such as brazil nuts, macadamia, pecans, pistachio etc.
Brazil nuts are one of my very favorites, and low in carbs as nuts go.
Supposed to help you sleep too.
Lovely. I’m a sucker for the ‘pretty’ stuff, and presentation :-)
Here are a couple of videos on fruit carving (making me feel stupid, because I haven’t even yet mastered radish roses ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyH2yj7SgUY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Ozl_SRGVE
-JT
I guess it’s sculpture; you take away everything that is NOT what you want, not in your ‘vision’. I’m not talented that way.
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