KItchen lapse

[pegkerr]

I spent way too much time in the kitchen baking loaves of gift bread to take into work tomorrow for my attorneys (cranberry walnut). I made six loaves, one for us and five for my five attorneys, and I managed to overbrown the tops of them. I cooked them in two batches of three and did it twice. I tasted one loaf, and it tastes fine (or if it tastes burnt, it's just a small portion, the ridge at the very center. But whoa, they look--not good.

I considered throwing 'em out and going out and buying some pistachios or something. But screw it; I spent much too much time and, there was the cost of the ingredients, and the taste is 95% fine, even if the look of them isn't as appealing as I would like.

Arrgh. I am an idiot. In my own defense, I will say that I got wrapped up editing the holiday letter, and that is what distracted me.

Edited to add: Following jonquil's suggestion, I took a lace doily, laid it over each loaf, and dusted with sifted powder sugar, leaving a stenciled snowflake behind. They look much, much better, and I am very relieved. Thank you for your suggestions; you saved the day for me.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I suppose you could add a thin coat of icing on the top, to hide the browning . .

Just an idea.

[metmamandy.livejournal.com]

Why don't you frost them? Then they'll look pretty, and no one will be the wiser.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Frosting sounds like an idea, I was going to suggest that slicing them might help disguise the minor lapse because it would then necessitate wrapping them. In some pretty colored plastic wrap, perhaps.

And now you have another anecdote for that holiday letter!

[loup_noir]

If it's just cosmetic, why don't you take some pecan or walnut halves and artistically stick them to the cake? You could probably manage that with a little eggwhite. It only has to stick until they cut into it and then they should be hooked, right? You could also put a little glaze over the top.

Sounds yummy.

[mark356.livejournal.com]

It's proof that you made them byself by hand!

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

Put them in really pretty opaque paper with a big ribbon and no one will be the wiser :)

[demarazare.livejournal.com]

Maybe a dusting of powdered sugar on top?

[gamps-garret.livejournal.com]

By "not good" do you mean imperfect or hideous? I usually understand "overbrown" to mean very dark loaves, but not crusty, crumbly burnt ones. And regardless, if you would eat them yourself, or slice-and-serve them to guests (which it sounds like you would), don't agonize over it. Your attorneys will love the idea that you took the time and the energy to bake them fresh bread.

*nods firmly*

[tinymich.livejournal.com]

Everyone's already said it, but how about frosting them? (maple/brown sugar?) I don't think there's any baked good that frosting doesn't improve, IMO. ;-)

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Magic trick: Grab a doily (or if you don't have one, lace), sift powdered sugar on top, gently remove doily. Hey presto! Snowflake!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Now that worked! Thank you for the suggestion! They look much better.

[jbru.livejournal.com]

Hurray!

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Even if you hadn't found a suggestion you wanted to use, wouldn't all of these make you feel better? After all, people wouldn't think up all these ideas if there weren't a need for them ...

In fact, I think there has been at least one full book written on this general topic of how to salvage food that didn't turn out exactly right!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Even if you hadn't found a suggestion you wanted to use, wouldn't all of these make you feel better?

Heh. Very true. Thank you.

[qwyneth.livejournal.com]

Holy CHRIST. You have FIVE attorneys? The best legal secretaries I know at my firm have only four--and our firm is well known for being a top firm, but utterly ruthless and young-eating. How do you do it?

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I find that my timeturner comes in very useful . . .