Gingerbread, whale sharks and cake pops oh my!

Hello, Life is Lemonade. I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. Life has been very busy and full of lemonade making. Fall is the busiest time of year for my work at The Reynolds Group, and in addition to that – I’ve been working on a very special project that I hope I will be able to tell you more about in the New Year.

For now, though, I wanted to wish you happy holidays and catch you up on what’s been going on – and of course I couldn’t let this week go past without sharing a few recipes for this exciting time of year.

Every December, my family and I make a gingerbread house – it’s a festive, fun thing to share with your children (usually everyone ends up getting in on the act). We make it easy on ourselves by purchasing a gingerbread house kit; kits are easy to find at most Publix, Kroger and Michael’s as well as cake supply shops such as Cake Art in Tucker (or you can buy one online).

The kits make the entire process easy for you – they provide the baked pieces, candy decorations, plus icing tips and bags. They also come with icing, but I recommend you use royal icing rather than the icing that comes with the kit (it is runny and difficult to pipe – especially if you are beginner). Royal icing is perfect for this type of glue job and will hold its shape beautifully (I share the recipe, below).

When the beautiful ladies at “The Chat Room” heard from Atlanta magazine’s Richard Eldredge that I make a mean gingerbread house, they emailed to ask if I’d come on air and share some tips and fun with them. Shaunya Chavis and Kimberley Kennedy and their Sunday morning crew at 11 Alive WXIA-TV couldn’t have been more hospitable – my daughter (aka assistant, below to right) and I arrived and were treated like rock stars.

All in the family with "The Chat Room." What fun!

The show is taped at the Georgia Aquarium, which made the session even more magical. There’s nothing like piping a few icicles on the side of your gingerbread house while watching one of the aquarium’s whale sharks glide by. If Santa visits early at your house, wade through the wrapping paper and tune in this Christmas morning at noon to catch all the fun we had. If you want a step-by-step guide to gingerbread houses, my guide is still online with the AJC – complete with tell-all photos.

Even the fish get a visit from Santa!

In September, I presented a story I wrote for the AJC back in 2008 for “Chefs that Stir the Soul” at Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta. Four chefs – Steven Satterfield of Miller Union; Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene (and Holeman & Finch, H & F Bread Co. and H & F Bottle Shop), Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering and I all read from original works ranging from Linton’s “Ode to Butter” to Steven’s and Cathy’s stirring remembrances of times spent with their grandmothers, and the influence that had on their cooking and kitchen philosophies.

Linton and Steven backstage before the show.

The beautiful and talented Cathy Conway.

We all contributed to a bento box of goodies to eat, unveiled in the theater by the audience as we presented (I baked up a batch of lemon cake pops, of course!). This was an incredible evening for me, combining the three areas of my career(s) I had heretofore never been able to sew together in one place: writing, cooking and performing.

Lemon cake pops wrapped and ready for the show.

In November, I had the fun of recreating some of the recipes for “The Help,” originally created and styled by Lee Ann Flemming. The Southern stylist and food writer was in town promoting the recipes for the popular film, and needed a stylist (it’s awfully hard to bake spinach-stuffed squash, three cheesecake pecan pies, sweet potato casserole, Mamaw’s homemade rolls (her Mamaw – not mine) and “Mrs. Walter’s fruit salad” for an 8:30 a.m. visit to CBS Better Mornings). It was the first time in my career as a stylist and food writer that I used someone else’s recipes for a shoot instead of my own – and it was a thrill, too. Lee Ann’s cooking evokes lots of Southern goodness, and I made an extra batch of her rolls to freeze and bake for Christmas dinner.

Like Christmas dinner, only on TV!

Lee Ann and her publicists on the set.

That leads me to yesterday, when my kitchen was filled with a bevy of teenagers at my daughter’s 12th annual cookie party. This year, we eschewed cookies and went for – you guessed it – cake pops. A batch of chocolate and peppermint pops later, the girls all went home with a holiday tin-full.

I told you I was busy! So I hope you’ll forgive me for being such a stranger – I promise to write more often in 2012. In the meantime, share this blessed time of year with your loved ones and be happy and thankful for all that you have. I know I am. Remember, winter is a magical time. Its stillness leads to rebirth in the spring, and preparing for that is hard work.

Love to you and yours,

Meridith

Royal Icing

Makes about 3 cups

Hands on: 2 minutes

Total time: 7 minutes

Use this icing “glue” to put together a gingerbread house, or to pipe decorative designs on cakes and cookies. You can also use the recipe in the booklet inside the Wilton Meringue Powder canister.

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder

6 to 7 tablespoons warm water

With an electric mixer using a whip attachment, whip confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and water in a bowl until incorporated, Continue beating on medium speed for 7 minutes. Keep the icing covered with a moist paper towel when not using.

Basic Cake Pops

Yield: 48 cake pops

1 box (18.25 ounces) cake mix (or a 9-x13-inch cake)

12-ounces frosting

48 ounces candy coating

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9-x13-inch pan for baking.

Bake the cake according to the instructions on the package. Let the cake cool completely (can be done a day ahead).

Crumble the cooled cake into a large mixing bowl with your hands. Add the frosting (if you are using ready-made frosting, you will only need ¾ of the can). Mix the frosting into the cake using a large spoon until completely combined.

Roll the mixture into 1 and ½-inch balls, place them on parchment-lined sheetpans, cover and place in the freezer for at least 15 – 20 minutes, or refrigerate for at least two hours. (Do not completely freeze the cake balls).

For dipping:

In a baine marie over a double boiler, melt the candy coating slowly, taking care not to overheat or get any water droplets in the coating. If the coating is too thick (it should pour from the end of a spoon in a thin, but not fine, stream), add one or two paramount crystals or a teaspoon of vegetable shortening (1 teaspoon: 2 pounds coating) to thin it out for smooth dipping.

While dipping, be sure to keep the cake balls chilled in the refrigerator.

Dip about ½-inch of a lollipop stick into the melted coating, then insert the stick into the cake balling, pushing it no more than halfway through.

Dip the cake ball into the coating and completely submerge the ball to coat, taking care to seal the pop to the stick with coating at the base. Twist the pop sideways to clear any drips. Place the pops in a Styrofoam block for drying. Decorate with sprinkles, etc., while the coating is almost set, but not wet. Decorate with piping, etc when the pops are completely dry.

Comments

[Mel]

Yowza! What a fun string of events you've experienced! Have missed your blog posts.

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