Two weeks and counting: birthday time. The big 2-6 here I come!
Some would say it’s an unfortunate day to celebrate one’s birthday, so close to Christmas, but I for one love it. I may not get showered with presents, but really, after the age of 10 (or was it 20?) do you really care that you’re brother’s present was 10.9 times bigger than yours? In fact, you come to see the advantages of it - who’s going to forget Christ’s birthday being the one that first comes to mind.
My birthday is actually the 23rd of December which is not-so-famous personage-wise, but happily placed for all round fun. In Australia, it’s summertime and smack bang in the middle of it which makes mandatory drinks all the more enforceable. Ordinarily too, the work year is over, so there’s even more reason to celebrate (as if my birthday wasn’t enough). This year however, poor December 23 got stuck on the wrong side of the weekend tracks meaning work for most will continue right up till the 24th.
But, the birthday party must go on and in its name I have big plans. Well, a champagne brunch at least. The menu is still to be devised, but I do know that muffins, crepes and pancakes of various persuasions will be involved - the works. Interesting suggestions anyone?
There have been hushed whispers of an ice cream-inspired cake too, but we’ll see. I think the frozen theme might be a subconscious response to last year’s cake, the making of which left me burnt, scarred and a little shaky. Damn caramel (and who said us bakers don’t put our bodies on the line!). A Mango & Passionfruit Tarte Tatin, it still tasted pretty good and my white patch right between the eyes did look cool in a walking bull’s eye kind of a way. Certainly added to the memories…
When I think about it really, it actually attests to just how much I love baking - if I’m prepared to accept disfigurement of the face, then it must be love, right? But that, perhaps, is a whole other post!
This year however, I’m going to stay out of harm’s way. Well, attempt to at least… I have been known to indulge a little on my birthday; they do only come once a year!
So here’s to champagne brunches, incident-free cakes and birthdays, mine and yours!
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Incident free ICE CREAM cake!
Ouch about the forehead burn! Then again, one day your kid will ask about that scar and will be so impressed with the war story.
But I meant to ask: might you identify, and perhaps share a recipe for, those good-looking muffins?
Oh, and I vote for a chocolate cake, but maybe I’m biased.
Clotilde.
I certainly do like the sounds of the ice cream cake… I wonder how does one make an ice cream cake?
Clotilde: Done and done. A recipe coming your way next post round! Hopefully my child-to-be will be impressed - at the very least he/she will be wonderfully well-fed!
Oh and chocolate cake, I know very much what you mean…
Steve: Great question. I’ve never made one before so perhaps it won’t be as incident-free as I had hoped for! No essentially, you have to whip up some fantastic tasting ice cream (wait patiently till it sets), place into a mold (and wait patiently till it sets) and then smooth and decorate (waiting, all the time, patiently, again, till it sets). It’s a temperature game really… but perhaps better than scorching hot caramel!
Mmm fab tarte tatin
Many happy returns of the day
Joanna
Happy birthday! I had a champagne brunch for my birthday this year and besides the usual suspects of cup cakes, croissants etc one thing that was a big hit was little glasses filled with a layer of toasted muesli, a layer of yoghurt and then a layer of fruit compote. Served with teaspoons it was a healthy and light “breakfast” style dish and an alternative to all the baking…
Greetings December 23 Bday girl we share the same day and I agree it is the best day of the year to have a Birthday. Good luck from New York Marce