Thanks to cheezz, Michael in Sarasota, lizzy, and Gisene for inspiration for our library luncheon

M

marilynfl

Moderator
The theme was "Our Volunteers are Royalty" and the colors were Mardi Gras (deep purple, dark green, and gold).

I made a stacked 10"/12" cake using cheezz's Swiss Meringue icing and you're right! It's super-easy and pipes very nicely. Then I made Michael's "Better than Crack Brownies" which were, without a doubt, the hit of the ball. Finally, I made a faux (styrofoam) layered cake covered in homemade marshmallow fondant and decorated with individual candy lollipops with each volunteer's name written in white chocolate. It was one of those ideas that seemed to work in my head (always a scary thought) that didn't quite make it in the translation. I tried writing the name backward in chocolate, but it kept melting so I had to write it on top of the finished lollipop. Ended up with 42 lollipops and there was no way the dummy cake model would hold all of them.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/019.jpg

The rest were splayed out across the table and I presented them to each volunteer as they came up for dessert, whispering an extra "thanks" to those with shorter names. Poor Mrs. Wasilawski's lollipop had to be hand-written three times before she fit.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/017.jpg

The cake was yellow butter cake with jam filling (my own jam, pureeing jars of strawberry, peach and apricot) and the Swiss icing. Lizzy inspired me to try the jaconde method for the wrapped text and Gisene Prado (see link) has a good tutorial on her website. I even forgot to add the butter to the jaconde sponge and it still worked.

I'm not sure how they do it at weddings, but it got pretty messy when I lifted off the 10" to cut the 12". But the cake cut beautifully. One of my many regrets was failing to capture a video clip of the 10" layer OVERFLOWING in the oven, much like I suspect Mount St. Helena looked a few years ago. Well, what do I know? I've only made two other 10" cakes in my entire life and NEVER made a 12" one. I guess there is a reason they tell you on the label to use so many cups of batter.

The cake, by the way, was designed entirely around the 8" gold crown I already owned. Larry had proclaimed himself Sixth and Final King of Redondo, a teeny tiny uninhabited island (10% rock, 90% bat guano) that we passed while on a Windjammer cruise through the Leeward Islands. Mr. Despot demanded the return of his crown after the luncheon.

http://confectionsofamasterbaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/ps-i-cake-you.html

 
Here's what I used for the brownies:

Ghirardelli fudge brownie mix

Dove Peanut butter eggs (instead of Reese’s which I think get “sugary” when they’re baked)

Jiff smooth Peanut butter

Half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet chocolate chips, cause that’s what I had

Dry-roasted salted peanuts

and....

Totally organic, gluten-free, vegan crunchy brown rice cereal (which my husband described as gerbil food) to tweak a note of healthiness in an otherwise obscene amount of badness. (Note: see Image for product. Even Bigger Note: I did not pay $79.69 for my box.)

Lined a 9x13" pan with parchment and sprayed that with Baker's Joy. Cut into 1" cubes, it makes THREE times the amount you see in the photo above.

Enjoy,
M

http://www.howsweeteats.com/2010/08/09/better-than-crack-brownies/

http://www.buy.com/prod/gluten-free-crunchy-rice-cereal-12-x-10-oz-7-5-lb-case/q/sellerid/30535934/loc/68687/217496582.html

 
Oh, I get it now! You made the lollipops yourself? Using a candy mold

and were going to write the names before you poured the chocolate in? Oh wow! Backwards, that would've been impossible!

Although I know if you put a pencil in both hands and write the same words at the same time, with both hands, right hand forward and left hand backwards, it's easy. The brain can do that easier than writing one word, backwards. Not sure why, but for future reference, if anyone ever wants to write something backwards! They look great the way they are... good job.

 
WOW is not even good enough... you did a really lovely job! I love the personalized lollipops smileys/smile.gif

 
Yes, I used a candy mold and wanted the name imbedded in the chocolate.

I put all the volunteer names into Microsoft Word and then rotated them 180 degrees. That way I could lay the clear mold on top of the paper and trace the names.

But my darn microwave wattage is too high and the dark chocolate came out too hot and melted the reversed name. Luckily, I'd only done a few to test the theory.

So I wrote them out free-hand on top of the finished lollipop. I had to prop the pages up so I could see through and read the names the correct way. This would be because I was too lazy to reprint 5 pages of names.

I just tried your two-pen test (right and left hand). The right lettering looked fine. The left looked like I wrote it after drinking 15 shots of Peppermint Schnapps.

Of course, the lettering may look that because the brain cells on that side of my brain are all dead since I actually drank 15 shots of Peppermint Schnapps once.

 
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