BACK TO THE SUGAR TRENCHES

There was only one day off following what felt like Baker’s Armageddon. On Monday, some of us returned to the sugar trenches to begin anew. It was a difficult re-entry, feeling a touch jet-laggy with everything just the slightest bit out of focus. The butter was Goldilocks-ing, first too frozen, then too melted, unwilling to find its happy medium within the sugar cookie dough. My last attempt involved a small river of molten butter that greeted me as I opened the door of the microwave. Surprised by this new development, I tried to collect it in my outstretched hands. Not only did it prove futile, butter on fresh-from-the-laundry blue jeans is not a subtle stain. Nor is it what one yearns for on the first day of the work week.

By my count, there are fewer than 30 days leading up to Mother’s Day. It just may take that long to clear the coconut out of my head. According to our calculations, the number of macaroons that left the building last week was staggering, dozens of dozens and then some. Adrift in a sea of both sweetened and desiccated flakes, no one awaits the conclusion of Passover week more than I. There have been rumblings about offering macaroons year ‘round because of their widespread appeal. Personally, until my right thumb recovers from scooping 700+ diminutive coconut confections, I’ll take a pass.

There were however, several holiday dessert highlights of note.  On the home front we consumed macaroons, the marble meringue and a bittersweet chocolate raspberry torte with gusto. The smidgen of remaining torte made a perfectly agreeable breakfast the following morning teamed with a fresh orange. This leads me to consider adding a good splash of orange to the raspberries the next go around.

Checking in with the Pacific Northwest contingency, it appears dessert caused a bit of a ruckus at the cool kids holiday table. The news from Sibling Baker in Seattle was, and I quote, “The adults were so distracted eating this pie, that the 4 year old disappeared with her Easter basket and proceeded to do some serious chocolate egg damage before she was discovered.  That is why I call it Distraction Pie…” Upon receiving this information, it was imperative to get the delicious details. Seems the pie begins with a graham cracker crust, the thinnest bit of apricot jam, toasted pecans, butterscotch custard, pecan praline and a generous crown of whipped cream. Having yet to receive the bonafide recipe from Darren of Seattle, check out the version prepared in my humble test kitchen.

Most notable from the sunny west coast dessert world was news from my friend Bud. Armed with my grandmother’s recipe for Kiss Torte, a heavy duty mixer and one cup of egg whites, he baked and decorated a Passover cake to perfection. Therein lies the beauty of recipe sharing- a much loved dessert from an east coast recipe file snagged center stage on a Seder table clear across the country. I’m so proud, thinking about it makes me misty.

A little distraction is just what is needed following a week way-too-long on matzoh and coconut. As Master/Master so eloquently stated post Seder; “Passover. It takes a village.” As for serious chocolate egg damage in my village, this butter-stained baker found just what she needed at the CVS on Monday.

 

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