Valentine's Sweet Testing

Valentine's Day not my favorite holiday but now that we have the restaurant, it's kind of my dessert/sweets day. This year I'm running behind my testing because of my stupid head cold. Now that I'm better, I need to get going.

This year I'm making the meringue kisses, flourless black sesame chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and red velvet cupcakes. What I'm testing are the meringues because they are taking a different form, like a hershey's kiss. So I need to practice my piping skills and I'm also painting the piping bag, so they have pink strips on the meringues.

Here's what I got so far:

• under whipped the meringues--not good
• don't paint too much food coloring becomes sticky and needs a lot more time.
• not to happy with striping becomes one color
• will go with pink and white meringues, dipped in chocolate and sprinkles
• when piping, keep tip of the pan, slightly above
• press, count to 3, then release and twist

striping technique

white kisses

supposed to be strips

Next up pear butter cake, 2 loaves baking in the oven. I'm using this apple butter cake recipe from Sugar Dish Me. I've made this apple butter cake and everyone loves it. Easy especially if you have homemade apple or pear butter in your refrig. 

buttermilk and my homemade pear butter

Instead of walking in the snow . . .

I worked a full day (got a lot done--quiet because of the snow) and helped shovel our driveway then made a batch of sweets for the restaurant for valentine. 

Meringue kisses, some dipped in chocolate ganache, some with ganache and sprinkles and a couple just plain. 

Avoided a disaster while pre-heating the oven for my next sweet. I forgot I had the kisses drying out in the oven. Lost one tray. Thank goodness I made extra.

This is what I was pre-heating the oven for. 

Flourless Chocolate Black Sesame Cake. It's a special dessert for tomorrow night.  It has a very light texture because of the almond flour and whipped egg whites. And a slightly nutty taste. Decide to serve it with a drizzle of raspberry sauce and dollop off whipped cream. 

I mad about this black sesame flavor. And everyone who got to taste test it liked it, too. Hope to get picture of a slice all dressed up.