A worthwhile afternoon
Earlier this month, Powerbooks sent me its newsletter by mail. When I read that a free baking demo was to be conducted by French Kiss, I immediately made plans to attend it. So last February 10, my family and I trooped to Powerbooks-Greenbelt for an afternoon of fun and learning.
While my kids were busily browsing books in the children’s section, I engaged the hostess and part-owner of the specialty cakes shop, Ms. Belle, in conversation. She’s an incredibly nice lady. I inquired about a custom-made cake for a future event and she was very helpful, giving me practical tips and showing me photos of their work. At 4 p.m. sharp, she officially started the demo with her baking partner and pastry chef, Ms. Sheila.
Can you spot the youngest member of the audience?
Each of us was given a hand-out of the recipes. First on the list was the strawberry shortcake. It’s made with layers of chiffon cake, whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberry slices. It looked really easy to make, even for someone like me who has never baked from scratch before. The chiffon cake could also be made into a chocolate-flavored one for variety. Next, Ms. Sheila showed us the step-by-step procedure on how to make classic chocolate chip cookies.
The cookies taste exactly the way I want them–chewy, chocolatey, with the distinct taste of brown sugar (a healthier alternative to refined white sugar). The fresh, homebaked goodness of the cookies is something that I always look for. Then we were taught how to make rosemary shortbread, which came in small, heart-shaped cookies with a hint of dried rosemary. It was a rather simple yet unusual recipe. Finally, Ms. Sheila demonstrated how to bake chocolate cupcakes with ganache frosting. I was called upon to try putting the frosting on top so, the obedient student that I am, I did. As a reward, I got to eat the two mini-cupcakes that I frosted, and–wow–the chocolate ganache was really, really good. Yum.
After the demo, the audience had a feast sampling the baked goodies. We had a great time learning how to make them. In conclusion, I wish I could be a good homebaker someday. It would be really nice to tell people, "I baked this cake" in true domestic goddess fashion. However, baking is an exact science just like mathematics. And I’m very slow in math. Therefore, I’m better off eating the goodies rather than making them. But it was a worthwhile afternoon just the same.
