Flour Power: The Weekend of Baking

Wow. This weekend was a whirlwind of flour, spilled cocoa powder, and delicious sweet treats. I baked three different desserts this weekend, each complimenting each other. I certainly enjoying every minute of it (and my friends enjoyed eating the leftovers too). On Friday, I made chocolate macarons. I used the same recipe I had been using for the past few weeks, but added one ingredient- cocoa powder! I sifted the cocoa powder with the confectioners sugar and almond mixture before folding into the whipped egg whites. The result was a successful chocolately bite that was almost too pretty to eat! I made the macarons as a topper for a practice fondant 3 layer cake- Saturday's battle.

On Saturday, I stocked up on all ingredients and baking tools to make a show stopping cake. My grandmother's 90th birthday is next month, and I have been asked to do the cake. This cannot be just any old cake- this must be the greatest cake that she has ever seen (high expectations, I know). To start, I watched multiple thorough YouTube videos to learn how to properly roll and cover a cake in fondant, as well as master the "drip" and painting with edible dust. After hours of hard work, I completed the task- the cake was perfectly level, the top was florally and colorful, and the drips... well... let's just say I need more practice on drip cakes. I will be sure to have it down by April 23 for her big party. Stay tuned for pictures!

On Sunday, I came to the realization that I had all ingredients to create some amazing, gluten free fudge brownies! I used

King Arthur Flour's famous recipe to whip up some simple, moist, and fudgy brownies. Hands down the BEST gluten free brownie I have ever had, and it was incredibly fast and easy! These won't stay around too long in my kitchen.

Well there you have it! My busy weekend was spent almost entirely in the kitchen, trying out new techniques and learning new baking skills. I am certainly a hobbyist baker right now, that enjoys creating delicious desserts for myself or friends, but many people are now asking me to create their birthday and celebration cakes! Time to crack down on some YouTube tutorials and master the art of baking :)

Cheers,

Olivia Shea