The Little Bluebird of Happiness Delivers
I guess you had to be there. Anyways, today marks the start of our Christmas Treat Days which have been mostly an annual tradition in my department. I took it over a couple years ago after a horrible run of Timbits and Loblaw's pastries, of which I was guilty too. Now, it's a chance for people to show off their baking skills (if they want to), share a favourite recipe (if so desired) and come and eat some treats (mandatory). Every year, I do something new and different. The first year, I made two massive pans of cheese cake. Last year was apple crisp, which requried me to peel and chop 6lbs of apples.
This year, it's butter tarts. As you've read, I've done these once before to much acclaim. Since most people seem to love butter tarts (think pecan pie sans nuts or sugar pie), I wanted to take the chance to improve my skills. As usual, I bit off more than I should chew. Since I'm flying solo on the first day, I needed to make a quadruple batch of those damned tarts, which means I had to do it over two nights.
Learning from previous attempts, I decided to make the pastry up in two batches per night. That's where the good ideas stop on the first night. Ingredients were measured, pastry was mixed and I attempted to roll it. What a bloody nightmare. The pastry would tear, stick and refuse to flatten. It took two hours to roll out 24 four inch tart shells. At this point, I was ready to slaughter the editors of Joy Of Baking dot com. Regardless, the tarts got made and put away for a day.
For night two, was prepared for more of the same, but I was determined to plow through it. Ingredients were measured, pastry was mixed and I attempted to roll it. Not only did I attempt, I was actually rolling out the pastry! It was like a completely different recipe. The pastry was smooth, cool and I was able to easily get 12 pastry shells per batch. Hell, I had so much pastry left over, I was able to make ped de nun, which are pretty much just pastry cut out and covered in sugar.
I did one thing different the second night, and it was quite by accident actually. I added 5mL more water into the pastry mixture, and poof! Magically, I had a wonderful, easy to work with dough. So, now I have slightly less than 4 dozen butter tarts here at work (quality control) and soon, they'll be donated to willing eaters.
Without further adieu, I present the goods.
The Goods, as presented by the Little Friggin Bluebird of Happiness
This year, it's butter tarts. As you've read, I've done these once before to much acclaim. Since most people seem to love butter tarts (think pecan pie sans nuts or sugar pie), I wanted to take the chance to improve my skills. As usual, I bit off more than I should chew. Since I'm flying solo on the first day, I needed to make a quadruple batch of those damned tarts, which means I had to do it over two nights.
Learning from previous attempts, I decided to make the pastry up in two batches per night. That's where the good ideas stop on the first night. Ingredients were measured, pastry was mixed and I attempted to roll it. What a bloody nightmare. The pastry would tear, stick and refuse to flatten. It took two hours to roll out 24 four inch tart shells. At this point, I was ready to slaughter the editors of Joy Of Baking dot com. Regardless, the tarts got made and put away for a day.
For night two, was prepared for more of the same, but I was determined to plow through it. Ingredients were measured, pastry was mixed and I attempted to roll it. Not only did I attempt, I was actually rolling out the pastry! It was like a completely different recipe. The pastry was smooth, cool and I was able to easily get 12 pastry shells per batch. Hell, I had so much pastry left over, I was able to make ped de nun, which are pretty much just pastry cut out and covered in sugar.
I did one thing different the second night, and it was quite by accident actually. I added 5mL more water into the pastry mixture, and poof! Magically, I had a wonderful, easy to work with dough. So, now I have slightly less than 4 dozen butter tarts here at work (quality control) and soon, they'll be donated to willing eaters.
Without further adieu, I present the goods.
The Goods, as presented by the Little Friggin Bluebird of HappinessEnd Transmission.
posted by Serdic at 09:11
7 Comments:
I swear - reading your blog sometimes is liken to torture!
GAWD DAMN, thems looks like good eats!
Well, lemme know when you and Nail are gonna meet up next, and I'll see about passing some good stuff to you.
Well, lemme know when you and Nail are gonna meet up next, and I'll see about passing some good stuff to you.
Suweeeeet! ;)
That's ok, dozens of other people do! =)
Your call. Regardless, that's beauty of the Christmas Treat Days. You don't have to approve, you're still invited. If I was the only person doing it, I'd still have Christmas Treat Days, and everybody would still be invited.
To the second point, I don't know you well enough to dislike you. I do get a perplexed look on my face when I read some of your comments from time to time, but it quickly passes. After all, this is the internet and nothing on the internet is to be taken seriously.
Dear Stephanie:
Nobody cares about you enough to dislike you.
Love,
-Everybody
Stephanie...?
Huh?
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