Wicked Wednesday: Your Dessert Masterpiece

By Julie, decking the halls in Somerville

I am a huge fan of the Great British Baking Show, and am determined to try and make something challenging with meringue this month. I am also taking out an old recipe for Buche de Noel–I haven’t made it in years, but am going to take a day (it takes that long) and give it a whirl. The question of the week, Wickeds–is there a dessert you only make once a year because it is so complicated, or special? Anyone else tempted to make
a frangipane tart?

Edith: I made a Buche a couple of years ago, Julie. Maybe it was the recipe, maybe my
execution, but I have to say it was not worth the effort. This year it’s going to take all my energy just to make my usual rounds of Christmas cookies – five kinds. They are both labor- and butter-intensive, so I only make them at the holidays.

Sherry: Poor, sad Buche, Edith! If I ever find the recipe I used which was easy and delicious, I’ll send it to you. I make a layered Strawberry Cake some years for Bob’s birthday. It’s my mom’s recipe and is delicious. It’s not particularly hard but it is time consuming. And I made Baklava once — again not hard just a lot of steps.

Jessie: For years I made gingerbread houses for a decorating party I threw for my kids. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun. I would bake and asemble all the plain houses and then set the table with royal icing and all sorts of candy. The kids would arrive and within an hour or so they’d each have a masterpiece to take home. Now tht my kids are older we sometimes make one large house that we all help to assemble and to decorate.

Liz: Since I changed the way I eat, desserts have typically been very different. Gluten and dairy free offerings can be tricky, and I admit sometimes I’m too lazy to bake them myself and prefer to find a good bakery to buy from! That said, I refer to Kris Carr’s recipes a lot – they’re raw, vegan and usually gluten free, and super easy. I’ve got my eye on peanut butter pomegranate cups right now…

Barb: I’m not much of a baker. My usual is seasonal pies. However, I do six kinds of cookies every Christmas, the same ones my mother did. Her mother did five of the six, and the recipes I use are from a book in her handwriting. My granddaughter recently started making the cookies with me, bringing us to at least the sixth generation. Very satisfying work, I must say.

Readers: What’s your dessert masterpiece? The one your mom or son or other family member always makes? Or the one you’d really like to make but don’t dare?

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