Monday, March 12, 2007

Good Mistake

I think some of the world's great foods have come about by mistake. I don't have any actual examples here, but here's one of mine! I made my mum a birthday cake. It was supposed to be a date/chocolate cake and it involved four egg whites. I think I may have been too over-enthusiastic with the egg whites because when it came out of the oven, a crust had grown and lifted right up off the rest of the cake, and it was very meringue-like. There was no way I could cover it with ganache because this fine, thin crust began to crack and fall down. It was like a big chocolate meringue. Luckily I had some whipping cream. Whipped it up (no sugar needed), smeared a big thick layer of that on top, and then a fair bit of shaved dark chocolate on top of that. Well, I can't imagine it tasting better than if the cake had worked properly to begin with. A very lucky mistake that I will try and replicate. Just watch - next time that darned cake will work as the recipe intended. Although, you can't go much wrong with whipped cream and chocolate on top of anything. rrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do not think that you could do wrong in any culinary adventure you partake. Your panache for the gustatory perfection; the chef d'oeuvre of any recipe is unsurpassed. Whipped cream and chocolate you say? hmmm

Anonymous said...

The description of your cake/meringue/whip cream concoction has me near drooling!

Anonymous said...

Wasn't one of the world's most popular foods --the sandwich---said to be the result of a happy accident, having to do with the Earl of Sandwich playing cards or being otherwise engaged and unable to devote himself to a full sit down meal, whereupon his cook slapped two pieces of bread around some meat and *voila* invented the sandwich?

Anonymous said...

And who could ever forget (careful, to remember this is to date yourself as a child of the 1970's)...."Hey, your chocolate is in my peanut butter!"

"Yeah? Well your peanut butter is in my chocolate!"

Et bon, so was born le immortal Reeses peanut butter cup, a very happy accident for sweet tooths everywhere, non?