The Sweet Life

Working on items for our Small Plates restaurant this season and piped these guys. They were supposed to be eclairs, but they shrank into little peanut shapes (they were supposed to be minis for this platter on Wednesday . . . but, whatever, these are much better!). So, instead of getting discouraged, I got excited, made some peanut butter cream, filled them, put them in a bowl and shared them with coworkers. The best bowl of peanuts, hands down! Best of all, no messy shells to sweep up and toss.

Can you believe that Christmas is this Sunday? Neither can I! I've been a busy little elf, and after the Cookie Swap, I've been inspired to carry on with the cookie and candy making. For my pastry team, I bought oven mitts and stuffed them with little treasures: And for friends and "chosen family" I made coffee caramels, nougat, more Spiced Cookies with Cranberry Jam and Jivara , and Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with ganache and brandied cherries! Chocolate thumbprints filled with ganache and brandied cherries!  Filling the spiced cookies. Cookie and candy tins! Cookie Bags! I hope everyone has a happy holiday! Merry Christmas and I'll see you in the new year!

Let me preface this post by stating that I woke up at 2 am and realized that I didn't post this, nor did I send my link in to be added to the round up. But that's not why I woke up that early. Lately I sleep about 4 hours a night, and wake up at 2-ish and am up the rest of the night. One day I was up for 25 hours straight, but that's another story. On to the cookies! I did something I normally don't do. I participated in something. I joined a cookie swap and baked three dozen cookies, mailed them, and waited for cookies to arrive. Three dozen. I wanted to do something a little different than what I've baked in the previous years.  I also wanted to send something a little special; something festive and fancy for the occasion.  I made Spiced Cookies with Cranberry Jam drizzled with Jivara Milk Chocolate, an adapted a recipe, from Epicurious. You can get the original recipe here .  Instead of sandwiching the cookies with Jivara ganache as usual, I decided that ...

I realize that I haven't posted anything in a long time. It's been difficult because of work, and I haven't been inspired to do anything. And if one waits for inspiration, well, one waits for a while. I am participating in a cookie swap! Yes, me! And I shopped, prepped, made, baked, cooled, assembled, drizzled, and shot some hasty flash-lit (horrendous I know, but it is night, and we've had cloudy days for more than a week!) shots in one day! This week my off days are split, and they have to be shipped tomorrow. So, after work, I'll rush back home to pack and ship. I can't say much more about the cookies, but until I can post about them, here are a few shots from work and other items. Desserts from the Twelve Plates of Christmas at the Art Institute of Chicago's Small Plates in   McKinlock Court .  There are four savory courses, drinks, and a surprise at the end!  Cranberry mousse, pistachio dacquoise, cranberry gastrique (I plan to add a layer ...

The Art Institute of Chicago decided to throw a gala for their docent's 50th year and I was asked to create a golden dessert for their golden anniversary. I mulled it over for a very long time before I came up with this: Valrhona Manjari mousse with passion fruit gelee (inside), olive oil feuilletine layer between the mousse and chocolate cake, "golden" chocolate sauce and "golden" chocolate decor, and "golden" honey. Did I mention that I had to make 340 of these desserts? That it would be featured in the restaurant upstairs? So I met with Chef M and explained my flavor profiles and what direction I was going in. She told me that the passion fruit would not be used, as they only served seasonal items in the restaurant. I was mostly using the passion fruit because it was golden in color, as well as for an acidic balance to the rich dark chocolate. Also, you really don't find a lot of yellow-hued fruits in the fall. So, we decided to use caped go...

I haven't posted in ages. I'm waiting for my grain rice mix to cook. I'm trying to condense these past couple of months into a post without going overboard. I had a birthday.  Ate at Sepia and had a wonderful time. Enjoyed a tasting menu at Aviary .  Had a wonderful time. Worked about 70-80 hours a week for about a month.  Short-staffed.  Frustrated.  Exhausted.  Don't remember much. Got a dessert published on BizBash. Changed the desserts in Small Plates. Wait?  What?  Go back? Which part did you miss? Many things have been happening at work and not having enough people to do the work has been tough, but I've been pretty well-seasoned from working at NoMI and Trump to be able to "make it happen."  We are finally having a slow week, and I have finally had two days off in a week (in a row even!), and am catching up on rest and am getting bored.  Cafe items is up to par stock.  Banquets and Small Plates is just ab...

Today the company executives came for an all-day meeting.  They had the Continental breakfast, lunch, and cookies for afternoon break.  I started creating this dessert on Friday, and finished execution today.  I have to say that this is the first dessert I have been happy with upon completion.  Usually I find fault with my desserts almost immediately after plating and sending it out.  Even my Chef was very pleased.  The execs were impressed and I got great feedback! I am calling it Spring? temporarily because for the most part, it has been grey, rainy, and chilly and it's almost May!  I can't wait for the days to warm up and the farmers markets to be open!  I am excited to get out and buy local produce again and cook fresh veggies and fruits!  The browns are earth tones, and the muted green of the lime "caviar" and the tender leaves of the micro basil are tentative signs of approaching spring weather. Originally I had planned and was fina...