Monday, July 23, 2007

Cooking in the Fog



Sometimes I just know I shouldn't be in the kitchen. I can't seem to focus and can reread the same sentence 3 times without comprehending what it means. It's like a fog has settled over my brain and I just can't seem to process anything. These are the times when I need a lighthouse to warn me of the shoals ahead. To flash a beacon warning me away from certain disaster that looms in the mist.

Recently I came upon a delightful little lemon cake on Alpineberry. I was smitten by its charms and filed it in my mental "make soon" file. My opportunity arose when my husband arrived home with a bag of lemons and a friend was going though sugar withdrawal. What better way to fill that need than with this sweet cake?

Or it would have been, if not for the fog. I looked at the recipe. And moved over to the counter to pull out a bowl. Then went back to recheck the recipe. And went back to the counter. Then back to the recipe. I finally gave myself a mental shake and tried to focus on the task at hand. I measured, sifted, and blended. Oops, it called for cupcake papers. Did I have enough? Yes! Just barely.

I carefully scooped the delicate chiffon batter into the papers and then wiped an errant blob off so it wouldn't burn onto the pan. Of course I couldn't resist popping it back into my mouth.

Euwwww! Why was it so sour? Had I really forgotten the sugar? Yes, I had. And adding it at this point was going to spell disaster for the dainty beaten egg whites. But I had no choice.

As I scraped out the cupcake liners I realized that there was no hope of reusing them. They made a sodden, nasty heap as I worked. Since granulated sugar would be too difficult to incorporate at this point, I used confectioner's sugar, blending as gently as possible. And since I had no more cupcake papers, I used two mini loaf pans and guessed on the baking time. Sigh.

It turned out pretty well, all things considered. And the friend to whom I gave one of the loaves did not complain, so maybe she was sufficiently sugar-deprived that she didn't notice all that was wrong with it.

9 comments:

  1. Those are beautiful cakes!

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  2. Lynn, that cake has been on my mind as well, and now that I've read your post and seen your photos... I can't resist! I know I'll be making it soon.

    Who wouldn't love receiving something this beautiful?

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  3. That is so funny! Imagine if you hadn't tasted it...I wonder if your friend would have said anything?
    Do you know I get these 'fogs' too. Kind of like a impending baking doom fog. The kitchen gremlins are in and somethings going to burn or explode!
    I read this recipe on Alpineberry (I was blurking her blog from yours.)too. I thought it looked delicious.
    Yours looks pretty darn good girlie!

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  4. I can't understand how it happens but it does. It does look like you made a great recovery from near disaster. I'd say well done.

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  5. Despite the near disasters, they look like they turned out pretty darn well :)

    (And at least you just forgot the sugar...instead of doing something worse, like accidently using salt!)

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  6. Dianne - Thanks. You're such a sweetie.

    Patricia - I hope yours turns out much better than mine!

    Melinda - I don't know if she would have said anything, but I'm pretty sure she never would have asked me to make her anything again!

    My Kitchen in Half Cups - Thank you for the kind words.

    Ellie - Oh, yes, salt would have been impossible to recover from. Much worse.

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  7. Aw that sounds like a frustrating baking experience! I would've been happy that it just turned out edible (and that I realized you hadn't put the sugar in!) It sounds like it would be really delicious. Looks pretty too. I love the way you wrapped it up with that ribbon.

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  8. Lovely! It looks really soft. Can I have a piece, please...? And I too love the ribbon you used to wrap it up; adds a beautiful yet subtle touch. :)

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  9. That looks like the most delicious lemon cake I've ever seen.

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