HCB: Gold Ingots {Financiers}

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This past weekend I have been up to my ears in flour, butter, sugar, spatulas, and every single piece of baking equipment in my kitchen.

In order words, I think I have baked myself OUT.

Is that even possible?

I think it may be.  And just like my vast weekend-baking, there is going to be a substantial amount of posting to cover all of it.

So let’s start with the easy one.  This weeks Heavenly Cake Baker’s choice was the Gold Ingots.  Or better knows as Financiers, or at our house: “those little cakey-thingy’s-that are-yummy”

I kid you not, that is what we are calling them.  Nobody can say Financiers and Tom refuses to call them Ingots, because he said that he is not eating a bar of molted gold. (I cannot make these things up – trust me.  My house = Crazy).

But, I’m getting off topic here.  Back to the cakey-thingy’s-that are-yummy.

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HCB: Designer Chocolate Baby Grands

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And I’m back!  This week’s HCB choice was baby cakes… CHOCOLATE baby cakes and covered with my favorite piano glaze – which I love to do and was introduce to the technique back with the Chocolate Apricot Roll and then again with the Bernachon Palets D’Or Gateau.

These cakes were pretty easy to put together and they are a marriage in chocolate heaven!

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HCB: Mini Vanilla Pound Cake

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This past weekend was insane around our house, last week I was away in Orlando for work-related training, so upon arriving on Friday the amount of stuff that accumulated in the To Do list was ridiculous – laundry, cleaning, folding, dishes and on and on.  I mean, Tom does his share around here, but I guess what they say it true – when the cat is away…. Apparently everything goes to the dogs!  So I was very happy about this week's HCB choice, since I knew it was going to be a snap to prepare, bake and have ready for those hungry boys I live with.

This is straight easy pound cake recipe, with three perfect twist: One, they are mini cake (can you say perfect give-aways? yes you can!). Two, they are made with vanilla bean and three, soaked in a cognac base syrup. (On a side note, I'm on to Rose and her boozy syrups because in my world I trust anything that is made with liquor - it makes everything better - trust).

How can you go wrong?

You can’t.

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