Absinthe Cookies: yes, they really are a thing.

Wholefoods and generous friends to the rescue! Right?!

Except that they're not. 

Or they weren't until I invented them. Or , more correctly, until I invented 'Absinthe flour-free chocolate cake mushed up with a bit of cream cheese frosting (cake pop style) then pressed and cut into cookie sized shapes before being dolloped with a generous portion of Channel Islands cream flavoured with Cointreau and then smothered with green edible (but not digestible!) glitter'.

And despite getting a 'special mention' by the judging panel, they are unlikely to be a thing ever again.

I had a flourless chocolate cake flavoured with Absinthe. "I know! I'll cut it into stars and serve that as a course," I thought. "Everyone likes chocolate; Absinthe will make me look really glamorous, exotic and adventurous; and cutting dense cake into shapes with cookie cutters is dead simple."

I had a minor panic when I realised that I couldn't get enough servings using the cutter I'd chosen. Then, while I contemplated what to do I nibbled at some crumbs. That was when total and utter disaster struck - turns out, I really don't like Absinthe.

For reasons that seemed sensible at the time, I crumbled up the cake, stirred in a basic cream cheese frosting with a big of cocoa, mushed it all together and then rolled it out until it was about 5mm thick. Then I froze it briefly to make it easier to cut. After a bit I pulled it out if the freezer, cut into stars and layered it into a box with greaseproof paper to separate.

Stolen from little swallow : china doll with many thanks

When serving up I laid the 'cookies' on the plate and tried to smother them with the ridiculously delicious Cointreau cream I'd impulse bought while waiting for a delivery earlier in the evening. Then sous chef B took control and enthusiastically smothered them in green glitter.

I have never felt so uncomfortable as I do when serving people something I've made which I don't like. It's just not right.

They were really difficult to pick up and they were horrid. Well, they were horrid to someone who doesn't like Absinthe. But I totally would have licked the cream and glitter off each and every one of them!

Strawberry Tart: And then there were four...

This is the vibe I was aiming for

At our most recent Supperclub Petal served us a delicious strawberry tart with a balsamic, honey glaze, served with lashings of cream of course.

It was so simple and delicious that it seemed like an ideal fruity option to add to the menu, which could be easily turned into individual portions.

The carnage which followed just serves as evidence as to why I shouldn't experiment when cooking for others...

I had oh so carefully prepared my circles of pastry & my glaze - everything that could be chopped, mixed or baked ahead of time was neatly tucked into containers and packed into carry bags like a puzzle for OC bakers. I'd even got a little crazy and added some pepper to the glaze. I'd toyed with the idea of basil cream but thought better before I clogged our arteries completely.

As we began the prep, I laid the pastry into a greased. shallow cupcake tray, sliced the strawberries and strategically laid them into the tarts, and then handed them over to my sous chef B who gently painted them with glaze before I unceremoniously shoved the lit in the oven. 

B made an admirable rescue effort after I left them ...

When they emerged a little later - cook them until the pastry browns I figured - the strawberries had unattractively shrivelled (as they do), and the glaze had puddled in the base.

As midnight rapidly approached, I made an uncharacteristically rapid decision and decided not to serve them. It's fortunate I did, as when I returned to them later I found them stuck to the tin. Such an event would have sent me into meltdown pre-2013, but the new year brought with it a more relaxed, more mature outlook on the world (and by then I realised that 2 desserts each would have been plenty...)

I have no advice other than 'don't do what I did'. I will however be trying this again in summer - firmly sticking to the recipe!