I've been trying to get a posting up for the last 2 hours, but it's proven more than a little difficult when one has a 50-lb dog quivering on my lap. Yes, it's Monday! And yes! It's raining! Again! This time with thunder!
Reading yesterday's posting again this morning it strikes me that I'm more than a little pissed off at this whole No Crap for Kim thing because if I'm to have any measure of success I'm going to have to give up something I need almost as much a breath itself. I'm not talking about giving up alcohol or a specific food or even an entire food group. I'm talking about having to give up baking. It is one of the few ways I fill up may days here on the island in the land of the under-employed.
There's only so much laundry to be done. My house has NEVER been cleaner and let's just say my vegetable garden has nary a weed. Nor do any of my flower beds. So yes, finding ways to fill up my days often takes a creative bend and if I'm not writing here at this blog, I can generally be found in my kitchen playing with ingredients to concoct a new dish, or experimenting with a new recipe I've either found on-line, on tv or in my antique cookbook.
And now, as I struggle with the eternal battle of the bulge, I have to give this up too. It seems so unfair.
Oh, I could keep on baking, sure. I could make mountains of macaroons and countless cakes. But the problem here is that while I can be very headstrong, I simply do not have the willpower to say no to sweet treats if they are in my vicinity. The one whom I adore made a crack last week about how much he enjoyed the two macaroons he got out of that last batch - so yeah, there's an indicator of what happens when I bake. And don't even suggest that I set up a little bakeshop and run it from my house - I don't like to bake in volumes...I just like to make a batch of this or a loaf of that every once in a while (and then I like to eat it). That would hardly sustain a home-baking business. But thanks for the suggestion.
So, what's a gal to do? Any other suggestions? Hello? People? I'm talking to you!
Since I'm obviously not going to be making this anytime soon, I share with you my recipe for orange cake. Someone might as well enjoy it, if I can't!
Orange Cake
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder
250 ml (1 cup) softened unsalted butter
250 ml (1 cup) sugar
Grated zest of 3 oranges
3 x eggs
60 ml (1/4 cup) orange juice
For the Strawberry Coulis
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
60 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
For the Garnish
1 L (4 cups) fresh strawberries, hulled
60 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
DIRECTIONS:
For the Cake
With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 10 x 20-cm (4 x 8-inch) loaf pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the long sides.In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and the orange zest using an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the orange juice. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour.Let cool partially. Unmould onto a cooling rack and let cool. If the cake is for a picnic, wrap in a clean tea towel or place in an aluminum cake tin.
For the Strawberry Coulis
In a blender or food processor, purée the strawberries and sugar until smooth.
Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
If sauce is needed for a picnic, transfer to a Mason jar.
For the Garnish
In a bowl, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar and zest. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Serve slices of cake with the sauce and macerated strawberries.
NOTE: I didn't actually do the coulis - instead I made a simple glaze with the zest of one orange, 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp icing sugar, juice of one orange whisked together until thick and smooth. YUM.
