buttercream

So what is a Victoria Sponge anyway? When I am finished explaining it, you will be wanting one, I promise. In the US we sometimes call it a pound cake. In the UK it is referred to as a sponge cake. When one thinks of pound cake, what comes to mind is a firm and well-aerated structure of a cake. It is dense, buttery and lightly sweet. It is one of the first non-yeasted cakes (that is…without leavening). Air, instead, is incorporated into the egg mixture and this results in a light and airy cake. Sandwich it with preferably a raspberry preserve (I’ll take mine seedless please!) and a pure vanilla buttercream. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar and you have a delicious treat! Anyone for afternoon tea?

So what is its history? It’s quite a famous one. Queen Victoria’s lady-in-waiting, Anna, Duchess of Bedford, was the creator of teatime. The noontime meals back in those days were quite skimpy and by late afternoon she was having her wait staff sneak biscuits and breads into her chambers. So she decided to invite her friends over at 5pm for an afternoon meal. The menu consisted of small cakes, sandwiches, sweets and tea. Sounds a lot like High Tea in England today, doesn’t it?

Before long Queen Victoria adopted this ritual herself. By 1855 ‘tea parties’ were in style, with ladies in formal dress meeting in late afternoon, by invitation, no less! When Prince Albert died in 1861, the queen retreated to Osborn House and the cakes were then naturally named after her, as this was her favorite sweet.

The cake itself can be made as an 8″ or 9″ round, sandwiched together with preserves of choice and a vanilla buttercream. I bake them in miniature form. One or two (or three!) bites for each cake…and you’ll be wanting more. They are light, airy, sweet, fruity and creamy all at once. You will be wishing you were in England, enjoying these during an afternoon tea. But until then, come and try them right here at Delices Europeennes, LLC.

Once you taste them, you’ll need a reason to have your friends over for tea…..or coffee…and of course, some lovely treats!

Sweetly,
Christine

Are you familiar with the French Macaron? Most Americans think we are saying “macaroon” which is an American treat made of coconut and usually dipped in chocolate. Although very tasty, this is “not” the Parisian……oh so very French…….Macaron.

This confection boasts mounds of fresh almond meal as its main ingredient in its crispy shell and chewy interior….and did I say filled with a luscious buttercream? This confection is so customizable, it will have your head spinning. Planning a wedding or special event? Provide a swatch of color and the shell can be made to match. From crazy Parisian colors to pretty spring pastels, the shell colors and shades are endless. And the buttercream? There are endless color and flavor combinations as well.

I had the pleasure of having my business being featured in a segment of the March Issue of Lehigh Valley Style Magazine. I want to thank Lisa Gotto, Editor-in-Chief, for our time spent talking about her trip to France and how she loves the French Macaron, as well as offering to make my business a part of the “Life in the Valley” section of their lovely magazine. I also want to thank Editorial Intern, Alyssa D’Ippolito, Marketing Assistant, Kelli Hertzog, and Advertising Executive, Kellie Bartholomew for our emails, phone conversations and helping to bring this to fruition. Many thanks to the entire staff that I did not have the pleasure of meeting.

The French Macaron has actually been around for several hundred years….in France that is. Did you know that the Italians are actually credited with the very first macaron? This was before the French decided to sandwich the shells together with luscious fillings. Well, we can give them both credit for the birth of this lovely and one-of-a-kind confection. Did I mention the difficulty level in producing this cookie? I won’t even go there….many months were spent perfecting the making of them. So many variables in your kitchen from mixing, to oven temperature to humidity levels in the house – they must all work synergistically to produce that lovely “pied” or “foot” or “ruffle” at the base of the shell.

You will most likely taste many lovely desserts, pastries and treats throughout your life, but there is something quite special about the French Macaron. It embodies so many qualities of crispiness, chewiness, sweetness, eye candy color appeal and just plain “cuteness”, that I don’t think we will ever see or produce something quite so special in the culinary world ever again.

Sweetly Yours,
Christine

Decidedly English… The Victoria Sponge

The French Macaron… A Parisian Obsession