Dorie's Black and White Spidey Cake

Happy Birthday Adam!  Love you!!

Despite the fact that you are sitting beside me now, tears streaming down your face, telling me that you are mad at both of us because when asked what colouring book you want to keep for your grab bag, League of Justice or Batman, said Batman but now want the other...it was still a fun party! I don't think this is the first 4 year old birthday party to end in tears, once all the excitement has stopped. 

On to the cake.  Yum!  I think the decorating turned out rather well.  Easy to make a web.  This is Dorie Greenspan's black and white chocolate cake.  It's a white cake filled with layers of chocolate pastry cream.  The cake is frosted with white chocolate whipped cream and has a middle layer of this as well.  I loved the chocolate pastry cream.  The white chocolate whipped cream not so much, but that's my fault.  I whipped the cream too much and I think it started to seperate.  One second it looked gorgeous and the next it looked like scrambled eggs. A quick call to my friend M and she suggested a little reheat and to mix with some newly whipped cream.  It was ok after that but I think it could have been better.  I look forward to trying this cake again!

Yummy chocolate layers.

michel rostang’s double chocolate mousse cake

This was delicious.  Decided to go with the twice baked and then chilled option.  Although I only managed to cool it for an hour before digging into it last night.  It was even better today with whipped cream.  Must go...more cake to eat!

gnocchi à la parisienne

After some very busy days at work and letting L do the cooking it felt good to be back in the kitchen today and cooking along with the French Friday gang.  This version of gnocchi is not the gnocchi most of us know as it's not a potato based dough but rather like a pâte à choux.  The dough came together nicely.  I used a suggestion from a fellow FFwD member and put the dough in a ziploc bag with the corner cut off.  I squeezed out the dough while L snipped it off in little bits into the boiling water.  Piece of cake...except when the water splashes up into your eye.  I should have listened more to my FFwD members when it came to the béchamel sauce.  Everyone commented how thick it was.  The ratio of butter to flour called for 2 1/2 tablespoons butter to 6 tablespoons of flour.  I normally do an even ratio.  I cut it down to 5 tablespoons but I still found the sauce too think.  It had a nice taste but just too thick and rich.  I actually had some sauce on my plate and D commented it looked like a gnocchi.  Overall not our favourite but the gnocchi were nice and light, willing to give this one a try again someday.