Facts of Life

It is already two a.m., and this post ought to have been written a week ago. Unfortunately, my pathetic lack of self discipline stepped directly into the path of that intention and kept up interference until now, when discipline and caffeine (my first in over a month) has shouldered past it.

 

With relatively unlimited ingredients at hand, I have given into the temptation to indulge my need to de-stress by baking, which means I have been on a near-irresponsible carbohydrate binge for the last week. The first project ended up being cinnamon rolls, my very first attempt at making such a thing, and despite the fact that they were slightly overdone I liked the recipe enough to copy it into my everything notebook along with the oat pan rolls. Next I tackled Melt-In-Your-Mouth Biscuits, which, while they did not live up to the promise of delectable goodness, did turn out to be a rather nice basic biscuit for accompanying a meal.

 

Following the rolls and biscuits was a blueberry buttermilk cake that involved both blueberries and strawberries, as well as buttermilk and a bundt cake pan. While the cake itself turned out decently enough, I found both the icing and the blueberries rather disgusting. (Blueberries baked into cakes are not good, period, and I don't know what it is about confectioner's sugar in butter, but it is almost enough to merit the term 'gross'.) As the projects in close succession were resulting in an overdose of sugar and carbohydrates, I resolved to abandon baking for another, less sickening form of stress relief, only to capitulate on Saturday to my urgent need to pound something into the counter; having sworn off sweets I settled for experimenting with an old favourite that had turned out badly last time I tried it—Taste of Home's delicious Oat Pan Rolls. While the rolls themselves proved tasty, the pan size and disproportionate oven heat resulted in rolls that rose too high and overcooked on top while leaving the bottom a soft mass of dough. However, they were quite edible, and I intend to repeat the recipe once or twice more so I can get it exactly right.

 

I had gone slightly less than one day without baking and was faring none the worse for the deprivation until this past evening, when I at last capitulated to an urge to caffeinate and brewed myself a strong cup of black coffee. While it scarcely had the desired effect, it did provide an infusion of antsiness that resulted in an hour or two of obsessive cleaning. As the tasks I could assume diminished, I ran to the bread cookbook for consolation; the recipes found therein offered none, so I turned to Google-san and consulted with him on the making and baking of soft pretzels.

 

The pretzels, while simple to prepare, turned out to be disappointing in flavour and texture, ruling out that recipe for future use in the kitchen. However, during my internet search, I had come across links to a number of deserts that looked impossibly delectable, one of those being a Triple Chocolate Layer Cake from a blog entitled Sally's Baking Addiction. I knew the moment I saw the picture that, banning of sweets or no, I simply had to make it. Hence, after the pretzels came out of the oven in went the nine-inch circular pans of chocolate cake; those very layers are now cooling on the stove top while I type, and the frosting is in the fridge.

 

Speaking of frosting, I should go take it out right now, because once this post is finished I am going to frost the cake and the butter should not be solidified when I do that.

 

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I was going to tell about the ball jointed dolls and the sewing project; however, you must excuse me until the next post as it is four forty-eight in the morning, and I have a cake to frost.