I make things for my mother. She's been gone for close to eleven years and I still bake to please her.
While this brings with it great sadness and regret, it also brings her closer.
And nothing draws her more near than marzipan and chocolate.
Dominosteine littered our house during Christmas. The package from Germany would arrive early in the month and we'd be knee deep in those ginger cake, marzipan, currant and chocolate squares for days.
I know I can buy them in the states now; I don't have to beg my family to ship them across the pond. But I'd rather conjure a batch that recalls the best of my mother's favorite things, so that the sweet smell of baking almonds can reach high to her perch and surround her with earthly baking love.
And this version I invented to please her particularly, trading the dry plain sponge for a moist almond cake. Doubling the almond love.
What me make them on the Today Show here.
17 comments:
This is why I love cooking and baking as well, to reconnect with my da even if he's been gone for 8 years now. He loved to eat and was an eager guinea pig for my many kitchenexperimentations, and I still cook for him.
Everything we do with love for someone we love ensures that they'll always be around.
As corny as it sounds, everytime I am in the kitchen preparing a big meal or baking I feel closer to my Grandmother. She was a wonderful inspiration and my mentor in life. It's nice to have an outlet to bring those who have passed a little bit closer.
That is beautiful ... I can almost taste all those lovely flavors coming together with each bite.
I think I find it important to bake around the holidays because, in some way, in my heart it lets me tell my mom and dad that I am okay and that I am making it and that life turned out pretty good. I lost my mom when I was 19 and my dad when I was 22. They both loved the holiday season.
These look wonderful and I love the tiny pearl on top. It is kind of like saying you mom was the jewel in the crown.
I started crying today, I missed my parents so much. They passed as a result of Hurricane Katrina. It's five years and the Holidays bring them back yet make me miss them more. I read your posting today and cried again. You pulled at my heartstrings today....
What a wonderful tribute to your mother. I'm sure she would be quite proud of you. Beautiful pastries.
My sister and I are going to bake our mother's Christmas fruit cookies tomorrow, for all the same reasons and with the same sadness and regret. Six years, eleven, a hundred--I don't think it matters; the loss and love are always there. Wishing you all the best.
I loss my mother to a brain tumor 23 years ago and miss her as if it was yesterday. She was my baking inspiration and, like you, I bake for her each day to bring back those memories of being in her kitchen together.
This recipe sounds decadent and I know my mother would have loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Schöne kekse and a beautiful tribute to your mother.
This sounds lovely, I plan on making it soon and I am just wondering for the packages of almond paste and for the ganache about how much is this in oz? I've never actually bought almond paste (new baker) and I'm sure they come in different sizes packages. And for the ganache I know how to make it on my own but not sure exactly what you mean by a half batch.
Thank you so much if you could answer these questions.
A beautiful (and bittersweet) way to connect .. and sadly relatable.
They look elegant and divine.. just like your dear Mama.
I do the same thing, Gesine. My connection is a Slovenian nut roll called potica. Mamma isn't here physically to help me stretch the dough and I have to use more rolling pin but it wouldn't be Christmas without that pastry. I think all bakers honor their folks that way.
I often remember my grandmother reaching for the spatula and scraping all of the cake batter from the mixing bowl.. she would tell me that if we leave it behind someone will not get a piece of cake. Everytime I scrap the mixing bowl I smile thinking of her.
Touching post...and what beautiful treats.
Oh so very yummy, and thank you for the memories. We also would get from my relatives in Germany the Advent Calendar that took for ever to be made in America...but the surprises from my Grandparents especially was grand and it was like the greatest part of Christmas!
Absolutely gorgeous!
This is a gorgeous cake. As all are your other pastries.
I would like to make the cake ahead of time and assemble it 2-3 days later. Would you please advise as to how to store the cake best. Is wrapping it in plastic wrap and leaving at room temperature up to 3 days okay? Or is this not recommended for this type of a cake? I don't want to freeze the cake prior to assembling it and heard refrigeration is not advisable (the cake dries out). I'd appreciate any advice from you. Thank you.
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