Either way--- I made a chocolate chocolate chip cheesecake as well as a vanilla bean cheesecake today. I thought I could give a key lime sauce the ol' college try. I bought lovely little key limes in a sack and purchased a citrus press (one of those handheld ones).
Ten minutes and a sack of key limes later...
I prefer getting fresh ingredients and juices. I don't enjoy buying that bottled lemon juice. Although more convenient and cheaper, I still boycott it. Why add in preservatives one can't even pronounce? Therefore, I suck it up and juice my own. I used to do it by hand. MAN I would get so upset when one of those little suckers flew out of my hands and into my juicing bowl. I'd have to re-juice it and my hand would hurt!
Do I like squeezing twenty key limes for half a cup of juice? Of course I do. *insert sarcastic smile here*
It's all worth it...or at least I tell myself. I turn towards my kitchen and see that juice still sitting on the counter. I'm afraid to use it! Sure, I only used one of the two bags of key limes I bought...but I don't want my recipe to suck. *sigh* Maybe tomorrow morning I'll actually make the sauce.
Turn your attention to strawberries! You know, a ripe and sweet strawberry is a wonderful thing. I am let down, sadly, when I cut into it and see white in the center. That horrid bitter white center. I usually cut it out when I have to use such strawberries.
Today I made a strawberry sauce to go over my vanilla bean cheesecake. I hate using cornstarch in sauces. Sure, it thickens them up real quick-like, but it also leaves a bad flavor.
I threw a package of fresh strawberries (icky white centers cut out) into a saucepan and added about half a cup of my special organic/vanilla sugar. I covered it and cooked it on low for about ten minutes until it started to bubble up. I stirred it every now and then. After the strawberries broke down and started to create a thick sauce, I added juice from one mandarin orange and a fourth of a cup of peach preserves. Man, that sauce tastes great! It's not too sweet, but has an interesting complexity about it.
I feel like sweets should be sweetened naturally with ingredients within them. I have yet to create a mean sour cherry sauce, but I'm super excited to...that is, when cherries come in season and aren't $7.00 a pound...
Each day, I wish I could bake something amazing. I try to not bake everyday for financial reasons, but I truly enjoy it. I might add, that now that I have a job doing just that (baking every day) I am nervous. I'm nervous that my cakes won't be good enough. That they won't be good enough looking, tasting, or priced. For instance, I made that chocolate chip cheesecake today and the vanilla bean cheesecake. The chocolate chip one came out great but the vanilla bean cracked in the center in two places. Worst part is that both cakes will be heading out my door and right into the office of a corporate meeting luncheon. I felt like I failed...a cheesecake that split. Seriously, Jenna? You've been making cakes for how long now? I debated covering up my mistake with a sweet vanilla mousse. Or...not. I'll learn from this mistake and take better care in prepping and proper cooling (although I did what I usually do and let it sit in the oven after baking to finish cooking). If I can't even make a good looking cheesecake now in my own home with no pressure, what makes me think I can do it in a restaurant where people will buy such cakes?
We will be able to get into the restaurant on Feb. 1st. Soon. We'll take inventory and get procedures in order. As I stated...I'm nervous. My carrot cake that I made a few days ago was overdone on the outer ring and undone in the center. I just can't believe I still make such mistakes. I know even the professionals have a bad day. I suppose I just need to keep on tweaking and paying more attention to my baking...making sure I have fresh ingredients and prep as usual.
Maybe tomorrow I'll make chocolate chip cookies.
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