So, good news. I met with the the draftsman yesterday and got the preliminary drawings for the school. And they got approved, so we are on to the next hurdle: the architect/engineer. Wish me luck.

After an exciting day of rain, theater blocks, meetings, and waiting around, I decided to bake something delicious. I’ve got this recipe that is an untested rifle in my arsenal, and since I am wanting to take it to the crawfish boil in a few weeks, I figured I’d better test it out. Plus, I got this swanky new silicone bundt pan that would allow me to make it.

So, I start gathering up all of the decadent ingredients that go into this monster. 2 sticks of butter. Check. 3 cups of sugar. Check. 3 cups of cake flour. Check. 6 eggs. Check. 1 cup of sour cream. Check. Chopped pecans. Check. Other stuff. Check. Mix together. Bake at 300°F (149°C) for 75-90 minutes?! Holy shit! Seriously. Okay.

So, I bake the thing. And I check it. Still gooey in the center. 10 more minutes. Check it. Still gooey. 10 more minutes. Check it. Still gooey. Dammit. After 30 additional minutes, the bottom is looking like a stale biscuit and the center is still smush. I accept that the cake is not going to make it. So, I pull it out of the oven, cool for the suggested 20 minutes, and flip it onto the cooling rack. Then I attempt to get it out of the “pan”. It fights me and starts disintegrating. Stupid cake. Just come out already. And finally it breaks free. And I glaze it with this ridiculously yummy glaze made with powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract. It may look like total butt, but it tastes awesome:

So, I am blaming the “pan” for this uneven cooking business. Come to think of it, I can’t say that silicone bakeware has ever done me the right way before. Sure it is a great concept, in the hypothetical form, but with these results we can choose to reject the hypothesis. Give me metal or glass any day.

Today I am working for the Center for Art and Education helping them set up a show at the Van Buren library. I can’t foresee it being a lot of fun. But, I’d better get to it. More soon. ~SC