Recently in class we took a break from the chocolates and set to work making some confections. The first project, finished last Friday, contained candied zest, orange marzipan squares, divinity, praline, fudge, pate de fruit and marshmallows. The second project we did from start to finish on Tuesday making toffee, nut brittle and honeycomb. I definitely did a lot better with these projects than I did on the chocolate. Bloom is still my biggest enemy with chocolate. Something I need to get sorted with the projects we have coming up.

Yesterday we got to create our own candy bar. I chose to stick with traditional flavours, a layer of honeycomb, caramel ganache and marshmallow fluff. I think in hindsight it would have been better to do normal marshmallows rather than the fluff, but the flavours worked nicely together. DmentD came up with the name – the Honey CaraMallow bar, he even ate one and quite enjoyed it, despite the chocolate!

Today we have our first theory test, on everything chocolate related. We then get to practise for our test tomorrow, making a chocolate box with a bow. I think at some point soon we’ll be deciding on the theme for our chocolate showpieces which we’ll be making next week. It’s certainly going quickly.

I had Monday off this week which was nice, a little odd that they didn’t give it to us over Easter. I made some bread, we’re experimenting with white to wheat flour ratios in the hope we can make all our bread at home rather than buying it. If we buy the big sacks of bread flour I’m fairly certain it works out cheaper. So we now have a loaf we’re working through now, and one in the freezer, already sliced ready and waiting. I posted off the application for the scholarship, the deadline is May 8th, so I’ll hear somepoint after that if I’ve made it to the finals. I spent some of Monday out in the hammock which was very pleasant, DmentD came and joined me when he got home and we had a wonderfully relaxing hour sat talking and reading, swaying gently under the trees.

Saturday we went to see Avenue Q, it was awesome and funny and even better than I was anticipating. We met up with a couple of friends from class and went for pizza afterwards and on to Hey Cupcake, for.. a cupcake! *grins* Now, I thoroughly admire what they’re doing, they’re selling cupcakes, something simple that people can and do make from home. With a menu that contains 4 cakes and 3 frostings in different combinations. They started in an airstream trailer and have done so well this year they opened a store front too. Kudos to them, they’ve done wonderfully, I don’t want to impinge on that.

However I felt, that the cupcakes were.. mediocre. The chocolate cake was good, the vanilla sponge was kinda dry. And the frostings, while not bad, were nothing special. American buttercream is my guess.. I’m only thankful that it was all butter and no shortening as there is nothing that makes frosting worse than the inclusion of shortening *shudders* I really don’t know what cake ever did to you Americans to deserve shortening being slathered on them!