Cakes, oh lovely cakes...

So another year has come around again, no memorable parting, no unforgettable night - I didn't even catch the midnight chorus - I went to bed an hour short of midnight as I had to get up early in the morning to go and bake!

Here I am in my second year of my baking apprenticeship, amazingly enough only 3 more months to go and I'm on my last year! Every year in my apprenticeship a block course happens, requiring me to travel 5 hours south of what I currently call home to a somewhat beautiful, but so, so, city Palmerston North, for two weeks.

Last year, for two weeks, I learnt about all sorts of different breads, and how to make them. This year myself and 9 others have been baking and adding a finesse to a variety of cakes.

So far I have only completed one week, which has been focused on cakes alone, next week we'll be baking biscuits.

Cakes is certainly something I want to play more with and make more of a 'long-term' option, so naturally I have thoroughly enjoyed these last 5 days. Half of the cakes I've either heard of, or have actually produced in the small bakery I work in, the other half, I'd never known existed.

Due to there being ten on us on this course, space is incredibly limited, and working in pairs produces an easier flow of production - although sounding reasonable, I really don't like the layout. When it comes to me and the kitchen I like to work alone. It is the time I zone out to everything around me and let food take over. Clearly over the years I've had to work on my patience issues with other people in the kitchen with me, making it a non-existent problem for me now. But, making it a more enjoyable and pleasurable moment when I do have those small moments of empty space.....

In saying that there is something magical - I think -about having someone to talk to in the kitchen with me while I bake/cook.

Anyway, with ten of us it's been interesting.

So here are most of the creations I've put my hands to, enjoy.

Because putting pictures on a blog seems to require a masters in qualification, I'm not going to risk writing what they all are underneath just in case they decide to re-arrange themselves, especially since its taken me nearly an hour to put these together!

So here they are about 2/3 of what I've had fun doing, I'll explain them all to you another date, or you'll just have to fantasize over what they're all called.

Love, me xx