The Easter Bunny came and not everything is hopeless in Central Falls

The Easter Bunny came to cake hour as he usually does bringing all the Easter goodies that we love to get.  In addition to a couple of chocolate bunnies there were the requisite Peeps, Cadbury Mini Eggs (aka the best Easter candy there is), Robin's Eggs (second best), mini Robin's Eggs, Nestle's Crunch Eggs, Dove Milk Chocolate Eggs, Dove Coconut Creme Eggs, and of course Jelly Beans. As usual the selection was quite comprehensive and the Easter spirit was in full swing. (Is there such thin as an Easter spirit.)

The Easter Bunny done good again!

Peeps for sure!

Some in fashionable packaging!

Lots of the classic candies too!

Quite a haul!

Solid chocolate rabbits!

Robin's Eggs, Chocolate Eggs, Jelly Beans...the Works!

Time to dig in!

The Peeps were a little lonely. They missed their favorite researcher who is now a PhD and had relocated back to her native New York City. They has no one else to freak out but fortunately there were plenty of Peeps fans left so they didn't get left behind.

Looking for a friend!

The Easter Bunny brought something unusual and quite special actually. It was a box of hand crafted chocolates. The chocolatier is Garrison's and they really were quite well presented and very chic looking - somewhat reminiscent of Richart chocolates from Paris, France.  The flavors were also quite creative and interesting and included names like Blueberry Yogurt, Caramelia, 49% Milk, Mango Kombucha and Hazelnut Macchiato among others. Check out the picture of the road map for the box and see the rest of the names. These were indeed special, tasted very good and the flavors met up to the description.  The box only had twelve because being handcrafted they were not exactly inexpensive.   One would naturally assume that such fine and delicate truffles had to come from Brussels, Germany, Paris or Switzerland which are all known for their chocolates. But in this case that would be a false assumption because these came from none other than Rhode Island's fiscal basket case Central Falls. They have a factory and a store which is generally open around special holidays like Christmas of in this case Easter. The website is http://www.garrisonconfections.com/ and they have an online store that they use for most of their business.  Who knew they were hiding there amid the likes of the City that fired all its teachers.  Not all is hopeless in Central Falls.

A box of chocolate's from Garrison's confections!

Packaged like the best of them!

The soon to be famous logo!

The road map for the box of 12...

...and this is what they looked like!

Nicely decorated!

All decorated by hand!

One of Garrison's Easter specialties included - get this - chocolate dipped Peeps - http://www.garrisonconfections.com/page/G/PROD/easter/peeps!  These are the usual neon colored treats with a new twist on the old classic as they describe. Peeps hand-dipped in luscious Dark chocolate with a light dusting of cookie crumbles and chocolate sprinkles, tied in a cello bag with colorful ribbon.These were kind of fun and largely still tasted like Peeps with a little chocolate finish.  

These guys are not your normal Peeps!

Looks like it's been hanging out in the mud!

It's been rolling in chocolate and cookie crust!

Chocolate covered Peeps are swell!

A cut above the rest!

The conversation turned to cars and how someone had gone to a very well known brand name repair shop got an estimate for work then wen to a local place and got the same work done for a quarter of the price.   Apparently this seems to be a common theme in the experiences of several. One person was especially annoyed because the repairman he consulted was from the same country as him and our colleague expected a little solidarity.  We also talked about the frustration of not being able to get a price quote over the Internet for a new or leased car. Despite the response to something that said get an e-quote despite a batch of emails asking for a lease price no quote was ever given. They wanted you to come to the dealership and had an answer for every excuse given as to why your couldn't make it there.  Also mentioned was the opposite case where the car salesman discouraged the person from buying a car.  He was asked about an advertised offer and responded "where did you see that?"  It was on the dealer's website and the response was "they put these things there and we find out about it later."  So he checked out the offer and said it would be a basic model but the price would also depend on whether there was a trade in or previous lease experience.  He was told those would not apply because the inquirer had not owned a car since 1996 to which said SALESMAN replied "Why would you want to change that?" Refreshingly honest, don't you think?

It's Pepsi Hour!  One day I will make up my mind!

For our sourpuss - just kidding - I mean the guy that doesn't like sweets it is no longer lemonade hour. It is now Pepsi hour judging by the one month plus supply that he brought in!

Return of the Dobos Torte

We have been fans of the Dobos Torte for quite some time. As a matter of fact when there was an even greater Hungarian presence here we had them quite frequently.  At the time they came from Ursula's European Pastries which is regrettably now defunct.  We haven'tt found any other place that could make them and had reconciled to the fact that we would remain deprived until a bakery decided to offer one or someone was brave enough to attempt to make one.  Leave it to an undergraduate student who likes to bake to be the one to take it on.

What's in the box?

This looks familiar...

It's a Dobos Torte!

Caramelized cake slices on the top.

Dusting of ground nuts on the side!

If you don't know what a Dobos Torte is shame on you!  It is is a Hungarian cake named after its inventor, a well-known Hungarian confectioner, József C. Dobos (1847–1924) in 1884. It is a five-layer (at least) sponge cake, layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices. The sides of the cake are sometimes coated with ground hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts or almonds but the original cake is without coat, since it was a slice of a big cake. Dobosh or Dobos Torte (type of cake) was first introduced at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885; Franz Joseph I and his Empress Elisabeth were among the first to taste it. The cake soon became popular throughout Europe as it was different from all others. It was simple but elegant, as opposed to the multi-layer, flaming cakes of the age. Its other secret was its use of fine buttercream, which was very little known at the time. The chocolate buttercream and the batter of the cake were both invented by Jozsef C. Dobos. (Thank you Wikipedia.)

I don't know if baking or research is more fun!

Happy Birthday!

Quite a birthday surprise!

Authentic caramelized top...

...ground nuts on the side and whole nuts in buttercream florets on the top!

It is a very elegant looking cake especially with the caramel slices set askew on the top.  Our student friend decided to make one to celebrate the birthday of her Hungarian mentor, you know, the one who had his naming day about a month ago.  We are starting to wonder if this student is getting more assignments related to baking than medical research. As our Zoltan said, she nailed it.  With only Ursula's to compare it with in the US, our student's product was nearly identical in taste. The buttercream was perfect, her seven layers were light and not overwhelmed by the cream and the caramel on top was just as we had had it before.  She added some Hazenut dust on the sides and some Hazelnut and buttercream florets as decoration but also to stabilize the caramel slices on the top.  It was picture perfect in addition to be delicious. Everyone was duly impressed and we're convinced this student is heading into the wrong career.  The cake was also so impressive looking that folks wanted to have their picture taken with it. 

Seven layers not counting the caramel!

The secret to holding the caramel slice in place!

It must take a lot of patience to get all these layers!

Just like you see in the pictures!

The cake's almost as pretty as we are!

So Happy Birthday to Zoltan, who is 25 again, and welcome back to Dobos!

Enjoy Lebanese Sweets but don't read the nutrition label

We've had several versions of baklava over the years.  Most of them have come from Turkey or local bakeries however for the second time we were presented with some from Lebanon. One of our colleagues hails from there though we like to tease him that he is really from Detroit because he has a brother in Macomb, Michigan. An acquaintance of his who is doing a rotation here at the hospital brought them as a gift. That was nice!

A gift from a visiting colleague!

Made in Lebanon!

Most of the time the baklava that we get is the usual type that is presumably baked and cut on a sheet.  The box usually contains that single type which is made of the mille feuilles type dough laid in multiple layers, sweetened with sugar syrup or honey and then flavored with some crushed nuts.   The Lebanese are more creative however.  Instead of a single kind the box contains many different varieties some resembling the classic version but most being of different shapes and sizes with various flavorings or fillings.  In this respect one must give the Lebanese the nod for imagination.  Perhaps we should just call these Lebanese petits fours or mini-pastries because it does take baklava to a different level.

Nice selection to be sure!

When you open the box there is a nicely displayed selection.  Several were rolled dough with a nut filling. Others were sandwich like with the bread part of the "sandwich" being kataifi.  Aren't you impressed that we know that name? It's because we saw it on a menu the day before and had to look it up. How random that the next day it showed up in this box of sweets so that we can identify it and thereby show how knowledgeable we are! As you can see from the pictures the Lebanese don't skimp on their nuts!  The small ones that look a little like egg rolls were very good. They were a phyllo dough with a crushed peanut filling.  The sandwiches were also very good with a nice chunky pistachio filling.  The other two rolls were a bit on the dry side. The filling was better than the shell but they were worth the try.

A pistachio sandwich with kataifi!

A sampling of each seemed in order!

Still lots to choose from!

We thought we had tried everything when we realized there was a second layer with different types.  So we had to try a few of those. The slightly rounded ones on the left of the picture that were again phyllo type dough with a nut filling on the bottom were also very good.  The traditional baklava like pieces were also fine. Lastly there was a batch that were sliced like brownies and consisted of a thin cake like dough soaked in syrup and a thin filling of nut paste.  One of our Turkish colleagues, no chauvinist she, felt that these were superior to what she is familiar with because they were not as sweet and more interesting.

But wait, there's a second layer!

The final choice. If you had one of each you're done eating for the day!

Given such a nice selection we were happy to try as many as we could.  Although these were made in Lebanon the box had the usual American nutrition label on it.  We made the mistake of reading that label.  A serving constituted two pieces which contained 290 calories. Say what?  For those who tried six to eight we are now talking about a full days caloric requirement. Uh oh! No wonder the pieces are relatively small. Any larger and a two-piece serving would be 500 calories.  We generally tend to be unconcerned about calories but within reason.  This was a bit unreasonable.  The next time we will read the label first and plan accordingly!

Delicious buns amid talk of C-sections

Cakehour.com is clearly developing some devoted followers or so we would like to believe.  As proof, perhaps, today were served up some delicious cinnamon pecan raisin buns that were made not by a lab work colleague but by a colleague from another line of work who is a fan of cake hour and wanted to participate to get her confections onto the blog. Like - who are we to argue! So she prepared a batch of made-from-scratch pecan rolls. Mind you, the fact that she was willing to make these for the hard core participants of cakehour does show a distinct confidence in the quality of her baking.  We're happy to say that confidence is well deserved!

Specially prepared for cake hour but what is in the bag?

Its' a bag o'buns...or pecan raising cinnamon rolls.

It's also a first for cake hour!

Loaded with the good stuff...like lots of pecans!

And just the right size for guilt free enjoyment!

A work of art, no?

These were delicious and everyone was very happy to partake as you can see by the satisfied looks on all the pictures. First of all they were the right size so you could enjoy them without feeling like you are eating your caloric limit for the day. (Sometimes when you buy these at bakeries they are large enough to feed a family of four.)  They were not at all dry like a lot of them are and best of all they were loaded with pecans and raisins. How many time have you bought one of these and had a few pecan pieces on them or an occasional embedded raisin?  That seems to be the norm with the commercial products but here our baker piles them on.  The syrup was appropriately sweet and not overly sticky which it has to be somewhat or they couldn't be alternatively called sticky buns as they usually are.  Lastly, the presentation was nice. We loved the paper doilies! Suffice it to say our guest baker served up a hit and several people threw caution to the wind and ate two.  We thank her and compliment her baking skills. We can't wait for what's next.

As you can see from the rapid depletion of the buns they were largely irresistible.  Largely because there was a trio of people who deferred. "They look good but I won't be able to run."  "I just can't do it." "I've got to be good." We've heard it all before and as mother used to say...all the more for us!

I run but I'm having a pecan roll!

I showed up today and got a bonus!

Why be good when you can have one of these!

Thumbs up to the chef!

Beats running any day!

Always happy for a special treat!

Thumbs up and better than crumpets!

Who can resist?

Almost missed them!

Even grabbed them on the fly!

So what would prompt us in all this pecan roll goodness to start talking about childbirth and Caesarian sections?  That would be the fact that one of our research colleagues was 10 days late delivering her baby. This prompted all sorts of useless advice about how she should be induced, given a C-section. A favorite comment was about natural inducing where "the guy steps in."  In other words nine months pregnant and ready to burst a bout of intercourse will induce labor. Who knew?

Who cares about childbirth!

Questions were asked about how painful can childbirth really be?  The only person having delivered a child was quick to point out it was VERY painful.  Well if it is so painful why do they have multiple children and why doesn't everyone just get a C-section?  Even the baby benefits form being cut our because they don't get all  smooshed up being squeezed through a birth canal we were reminded.  Another piped up that her mother had had little problem delivering normally and was up taking a shower a few hours after she was born. This apparently caused some childhood images of having been born in the reception room or having merely plopped out onto the bed while mother was barely paying attention. Needless to say based upon the discussion I don't think the practice or statistics of C-sections versus natural delivery is going to be in any way affected.

We would have saved these for our friend but she was too pregnant! Breakfast tomorrow!

UPDATE: Two days later our colleague delivered a healthy baby boy. Naturally, we presume, but we'll know more later!