Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Mystery Box and the Golden Spoon

In my Advanced Cakes and Classical Tortes Class we had a Mystery Box Challenge this week!

Contrary to popular belief I am not a Food Network watcher. I only catch it here and there when it is on. But I am told our Mystery Box Competition is similar to the show "Chopped."

Rules: You are given a container with mystery ingredients in it. Using those ingredients you must put together a plated dessert within the allotted time that can be submitted for judging

My Mystery Ingredients day one:
-Almond paste
-lime
-dried cherries
-raspberries

What I made: Cherry Limeade cupcakes - white cake with lime zest topped with a swirl of lime buttercream and raspberry cherry butter cream.

results: Epic Fail! The cup cakes did not turn out (i think it is because I had to use the almond paste in the batter) I also didn't get to use cupcake liners so not only did they not turn out but they wouldn't come out of the tray. This resulted in a sloppy plating which the judges deemed too sweet.

My Mystery Ingredients day two:
-almond paste
-apples
-dried cherries
-orange
-white chocolate
-coffee flavoring

What I made: I altered a almond cranberry coffee cake recipe to create a cherry apple coffee cake (I don't think coffee cake is a good description. I think it is much more like a pound cake. In my mind coffee cake is light and fluffy and this cake was very dense) I brushed the coffee cake with a orange glaze that i made from sugar orange juice and orange zest. The dessert was plated with a white chocolate sauce, coffee sauce, and Candie Orange peel as a garnish. I wasn't as pleased with my plating but it turned out far better than day 1.

Result: I took home the golden spoon! First Prize!

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