Tuesday 23rd February (Lini’s Journal)
Brindabella's Web Diary
Simon Williams
Mon 8 Mar 2010 13:42
I figured if my biggest dilemma this morning was deciding which
sort of chocolate cake to bake for Simon, then life is pretty chilled
and peachy. I browsed through my recipe memory stick and selected ‘The
Ultimate Chocolate Cake’: This was going to be torture for the stones
and I. This wicked concoction used three packs of 74% cocoa solids
dark chocolate, half a bar of Dairy Milk, two packs of cream and half
a pound of butter, together with the obvious ingredients of course. I
poured the molten mixture into a tin and in an attempt to prevent it
being singed on the bottom, I sat it in a bain-marie. At home this
would have been fine with huge baking tins and a stable kitchen, but
the tin holding the water wasn’t much bigger than the cake tin and
with the wind blowing wildly the cooker was swinging on its gimbles
even though we were tied to the pontoon. Water hissed loudly as it
slopped out of the tin. In one gust the boat jolted and the electric
mixer shot off the side into luckily only shallow water in the sink.
Fortunately this dried out in the fierce midday sun. Anyone with half
an ounce of sense would have realised that working with chocolate in
30ºC would be a waste of time but meanwhile, in Lini’s world I melted
chocolate onto a board, put it to set, then drew my biggest knife over
it. The resulting scrolls must have lasted about two seconds before
melting into a pool. Plan B – back in the fridge in a big lump then
very quickly grate it into a chilled bowl. My flaky heap also
collapsed within seconds. Never mind, the thick coating of chocolate
ganache and candles would have to do. If only I had refrigerated the
cake before filling it the ganache might not have melted in the middle
resulting in a rather lopsided birthday treat. Plan C – give guests
copious amounts of alcohol so it looks straight. Sorted!! And all this
time I had to resist licking my fingers. It smelled divine.
Si’s flight had left on time this morning and I requested an ETA
when he was through customs. Just after 6pm, to my surprise, my Simon
returned…………………………………………….