I met her five years ago. We had just finished an introductory meditation session and like always we were chatting over home baked goodies, when I noticed her. She was sitting at the back, the glow of a good meditation apparent on her face. After introducing myself, I asked her, since it was her first time, if she had any questions? She held up the half eaten piece of the Chocolate Crunch Bar and with a twinkle in her eye, said, ” Could you give me the recipe for this bar…it is awesome.” Though I didn’t know it then, our mutual interest in meditation and our shared passion for ‘everything chocolate’ were to be the key ingredients in a delicious friendship; a friendship sweeter than cupcakes…
So, why do I choose to write about it today? That’s because it’s her birthday today, and a very special one too, as she is about to enter a new decade! I had been thinking about her big day, wanting to make something special for her…something that would compliment her love for cupcakes. (Did I mention that she has a real passion for cupcakes, and she loves to concoct new recipes with exotic, sometimes strange ingredients!)
So a few weeks ago, I set before myself, the task of making a “Cup Cake Server”, looking toward my neighbor’s fountain as a source of inspiration.
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| It was to be a five piece project. Three bases like the one in the picture, made in varying sizes… |
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| …and two collars which would attach to the two smaller bases. |
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| Glazed and almost ready…the three stackable pieces of the cup cake server. |
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| Cup Cake Server stacked and ready… |
But wait!! What about the cupcakes? One can’t possibly present a ‘Cup Cake Server’ without cupcakes! I used my favorite, chocolate pound cake recipe to make the basic cupcakes. But these needed to be special…
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| So I cut a section out, and made a little well… |
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| …which I then filled with a dollop of a delicious chocolate mousse. (Courtesy: Joe pastry’s Chocolate Mousse http://www.joepastry.com/category/desserts-and-cookies/chocolate-mousse/) |
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| I used some of the cake that I had cut off previously to seal up the secret filling… |
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| …and then I frosted it with a Dark Chocolate Ganache. |
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| That should satisfy any chocoholic! |
But just cupcakes on a stand? No, it had to be fancier than that! So I also made Dark Chocolate Cake Balls, Dark Chocolate-Almond Biscotti and Madeleines (for a variation in taste and color) and the surprise was finally ready to be delivered!!!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND!!!!!!!