Cherry Blossoms and Chocoflan

This week has been full of ups and downs. My sinuses are full. I keep blowing and blowing and gallons of stuff...gross stuff comes out. I breathe for about 2 minutes and they are full again. Even as I write this morning I have a small mound of tissues aka snot balls. My life is so gross. I have hope that I am almost over this cold. But I guess there is the allergy component. Oregon has had a really warm February and the cherry trees are in bloom, daffodils are up, tulips are nigh upon full bloom. It is wonderful to say the least. I am enjoying the spring blooms and the freshness if it all.

This is all that remains of the chocoflan I made Wednesday night. My friend Kym is the dental assistant at my office. she loves flan. I saw this cake on a blurb on food network. I downloaded the recipe (link here) and decided to make it. I buzzed around the kitchen and whipped this cake out in less than 30 minutes. While it was cooking I read the reviews and the panic started....

This cake is a tricky cake. I did not know. You place the chocolate cake into the bundt pan first followed by the milk and egg mixture for the flan. But when it cooks the flan somehow sinks to the bottom and the cake raises to the top so when the cake is turned out it looks like this. I must be a master chef because I followed the recipe...kinda and it worked wonderfully. Dr M and Kym loved the cake. I loved the cake. I gave most of it away to the office so I would not be grazing on it all day today.

The disasters of this cake involved cooking for an extra hour, having a lumpy cake because the buttermilk and flour were added at the same time (which I did), not having ingredients at room temp (I did not I pulled them out of the fridge and mixed it up), turning the cake out before it was cool and the flan was not set and it melted all over the place. There were endless disasters about this cake but I honestly had no problem. I did not do anything fancy I just pulled the stuff out and made it. The recipe said to refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. I laughed at that. Like anyone can wait 24 hours before trying this cake. I tried a piece the second I turned it out of the pan. It was still slightly warm. It was good. I had one yesterday and it was wonderful. I agree. If you can handle resisting this wonderful cake it is honestly better the next day.

I am off for my final blood draw. I stuck myself with a needle at work before Christmas. I have only done 3 SRP patients in this office and one of them I was being an idiot and held the cap with my left hand and poked my finger. I felt like such a dork. What a nightmare this whole thing has been. I am sure I am fine. I have been so far and the patient is fine so I am sure I will be also. And then I will eat a piece of cake....