sovay | In sleepy voices close by the opera bar

I am slightly disappointed that the only difference between a Sachertorte and a Sacher-Masoch-Torte is the presence of redcurrant jam and marzipan in the latter, but that doesn't stop me from approving of its existence.

This message brought to you by Eric's brother's birthday request for a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, which is so much more straightforward than anything I would have made if left to myself—I would have thrown some cardamom into the batter or kirsch into the icing or messed around with raspberries just to see what happened, but I have kept it so to speak vanilla and with any luck it will be well-received. Essentially, tonight has been a demonstration that I am easily bored and correspondingly obsessive about cooking; I went to put up an apple or two to bake after dinner, as a dessert or a snack, and now I have a glass dish full of apple slices rendered with maple syrup, honey, two kinds of cinnamon and other spices, and some cranberries that couldn't get out of the way fast enough. It tastes fantastic, but I think it stopped being a baked apple somewhere around the time I decided to do the bottom layer with clove and the top layer with ginger and see if they remained distinguishable to the taste after half an hour under foil at four hundred degrees. (Surprisingly, yes.) Also I am unsatisfied with my icing skills, meaning that the cake-wide distribution is not mathematically exact and I had to polish a paper towel around the rim of the plate afterward so as not to present Ron with a theobromine-flavored crime scene. I was adapting the recipe my family uses for holiday fudge. It came out rather more architectural than I had imagined. So long as no one goes into shock, I'll be happy.

I really think I want to reverse-engineer a Sacher-Masoch-Torte now.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

two kinds of cinnamon Or two kins, as I first typed. ("Which kin of cinnamon are you?" "A cousin")

Wow--I didn't know there were types. I now imagine you as a cinnamon taster, who knows which sort(s) of cinnamon to use for which dish.

Would a Sacher-Masoch-Torte involve hot pepper of some kind (to go with the chocolate, of course)? Or scruts?

That's amazing. Baked apples in this kind of weather are always a great dessert. I enjoy your writing about food.

Sacher-Masoch-Torte sounds like the result of a classic John Cleese sketch: "And now, to prove that I am not sadistic, I will give you today's recipe. First, you beat the eggs. Next, you whip the cream. Then you strangle the butter..."

a theobromine-flavored crime scene

This, I'd actually want to see.

Brilliant. I never knew that there was a Sacher-Masoch-Torte, but I'm definitely pleased to find out.

I hope the cake goes over well--it certainly should. And I'm delighted to know that you're even more obsessive about cooking than I am--some people seem to think there's something weird about the fact that I believe in putting Tabasco sauce in sweet potato bread, garam masala in sugar cookies, and sriracha in scrambled eggs.

Sacher-Masoch-Torte

Squeee I love humanity!

This sounds like fun! But what I don't understand it was you put in it to get thiobromide (SBr-)in the icing? Anyway, I don't think its toxic. Unlike the Fe(CN)6 {ferricyanide) I scored from lab yesterday :) But I only grabbed it because its a lovely red-orange crystalline powder.

Someday, you will have to teach me how to bake. I'm fine with things *on top* of the stove, just not *in* it :/

Squeee I love humanity!

Want to be involved in its baking?

This sounds really, really good. All of it. :P I'm a minimalist cook who bakes rarely as a result, and though I experiment, I haven't the confidence to do so on this scale! This is good inspiration.

Wow.

But what I don't understand it was you put in it to get thiobromide (SBr-)in the icing?

Theobromine! That which bumps up your serotonin levels when you eat chocolate. It is indeed toxic, but only if you're not human; to our species, it's just addictively delicious.

But I only grabbed it because its a lovely red-orange crystalline powder.

Hee. That's kind of awesome.

Someday, you will have to teach me how to bake.

It's a deal.

"And now, to prove that I am not sadistic, I will give you today's recipe. First, you beat the eggs. Next, you whip the cream. Then you strangle the butter..."

*snerk*

I want that sketch on YouTube.

Would a Sacher-Masoch-Torte involve hot pepper of some kind (to go with the chocolate, of course)?

Not as written, but it very well might if I were making it: first the cacao, then that whiplash aftertaste. Besides, I like spicy chocolate.

Or scruts?

. . . probably not.

("Which kin of cinnamon are you?" "A cousin")

I like that.

I now imagine you as a cinnamon taster, who knows which sort(s) of cinnamon to use for which dish.

Heh. I wish I were that organized. Mostly I experiment.

I enjoy your writing about food.

Thank you! I like cooking.

This, I'd actually want to see.

When's your birthday?

Brilliant. I never knew that there was a Sacher-Masoch-Torte, but I'm definitely pleased to find out.

Yes. It cheers me up about this species.

garam masala in sugar cookies

You should know about this chocolate. I would prefer the curried one if it were dark rather than milk, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Wow.

The cake, the apples, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch . . . ?

I'm a minimalist cook who bakes rarely as a result, and though I experiment, I haven't the confidence to do so on this scale! This is good inspiration.

Thank you! May it lead to many tasty things.

Yes. It cheers me up about this species.

That means it's definitely a good thing, then.

You should know about this chocolate. I would prefer the curried one if it were dark rather than milk, but it's interesting nonetheless.

I'd agree about dark chocolate vs. milk, just on principle, but I'd it does sound a very interesting combination of flavours. (I suppose it's possible that the milk chocolate does somehow balance out the flavours better, although I can't imagine why--I wish they had both, so that one could compare the two.) Thanks for telling me about it. Have you had any of their other chocolates? I'm wondering if the chai flavour, in particular, might be worth trying.

I think it was on I'm sorry, I'll read that again, i.e. radio. But I don't suppose that will deter the heroic YouTubers...

now i want to make both the apples and the torte. and to know what your frosting was if it turned out yummy.

...and in fact, i have a sort of baked-apple thing in the oven now. we'll see how they turn out! thanks for the inspiration :)

and to know what your frosting was if it turned out yummy.

Adapted from the recipe my mother calls the Glixman Iowa Fudge, because my grandmother originally got it—with some adaptations of her own—from a candymaking store in Iowa City, where she went to grad school.

Get a mixer. Beat together a stick of butter, softened, and a full pound of confectioner's sugar. Add in order: four ounces of baker's (unsweetened) chocolate, melted; a teaspoon of vanilla and a dash of almond extract; if desired, a little chocolate liqueur (although I left it out of this batch); and three tablespoons of half-and-half, or more to desired consistency. Beat at high speed until smooth; apply to cake!

It was delicious.

...and in fact, i have a sort of baked-apple thing in the oven now. we'll see how they turn out! thanks for the inspiration

Awesome! Let me know.

In sleepy voices close by the opera bar

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject