recipe how-to

I made the White Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Torte, from a post last month, the other day and though it didn't turn out as it was supposed to, it was still very yummy. Instead of the pie-like consistency the picture shows, mine looked more like ice cream (which isn't necessarily bad - just not what I was going for). I had a lesson in not rushing through a recipe and learning a new term: form to a peak. I had to google it before starting the recipe and ended up trying to achieve the result too quickly, thus resulting in my ice cream-ish dessert.

When done properly, the cream should hold its shape when the beaters are pulled straight out of the mixture (thank you Recipe Tips for this picture and explanation).

I think I made two mistakes. First, I'm not sure I had my cream to this point. I think it was still too soft. Second, I didn't let the white chocolate chips and heavy cream mixture I melted in the microwave cool completely so it melted the cream I was adding it to. Again, I was pleased with how it turned out because it was still good. And the cocoa was a really great garnish (I might add even more next time) - it helped break up the richness of heavy cream and white chocolate. I also didn't use a Springform pan and had some issues with the wax paper I lined the dish with getting in the dessert when people scooped it out (this was an all-around learning lesson for me). So I will now take my time when baking (because that really is a big part of it for me - enjoying the process) and make sure I understand the directions completely before jumping in :)