Ida The Sweater Monster

Ida the Sweater Monster is ridiculously cute and so funny!! I found her at Cutesy but not Cutesy at Etsy.

13.1 Miles. Are You Kidding Me?

I did it! I can't believe I really finished a half marathon! Here's the weird part... I really really enjoyed it and (dare I say it) might actually do it again! It was an amazing feeling crossing that finish line. So, in honor of this giant moment in my life I made CUPCAKES!!! Weeeeeee!!!!!!

The Daring Bakers Challenge - Eclairs Mon Frair

August's Daring Bakers Challenge is eclairs!! I somehow managed to make these exquisite eclairs in two mornings before work.
First, let's thank this months Daring Bakers Challenge hosts Tony Tahhan and MeetaK from What's For Lunch, Honey? They have chosen Chocolate Eclairs by Pierre Hermé from a cookbook written by Dorie Greenspan "Chocolate Desserts By Pierre Hermé" On Thursday, I made the chocolate sauce and the chocolate glaze that is made from said sauce. (See all recipes at end of post)
Choppin' chocolate.
Here is the chocolate sauce (top pan) and the chocolate glaze (bottom pan) being born. All I had time for on Thursday was the sauce and glaze. So, on Friday I made the rest. Let's start with the pastry cream. I decided to go with a lemon pastry cream that I found on Food Network.com courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. BAM!!
This is my egg yolk mixture.

Here is my sugar cream mixture.
Then... Wonder Twins Unite!
Uh.. kind of. Ok, so don't panic. Emeril was kind enough to tell me that this would happen. Thank goodness too, I would have lost my chocolate sauce if I hadn't known that. Now I had to wait for this "mixture" to cool. Whilst I wait, here is a nutritious breakfast for me to enjoy.
Breakfast is over and out of boredom of waiting for the lemon pastry cream to cool, I noticed I had sweet messy baking hair.
Wait, what am I doing? I should stop fooling around and make the dough!
Mixing mixing mixing...
Baking baking baking...
Drooling drooling drooling...
Glazing glazing glazing!!!
I'm sure that pastry cream has cooled by now... let's mix it.

All done! This is what they looked like assembled. I give you the lemon cream eclair with chocolate glaze raspberries and chocolate sauce drizzled on top.

I gotta run for now (no pun). I'll post all the recipes later when I have more time! Happy Labor Day!!