My oven and I, Just as Geet & I are going through a rough patch and frankly, I don't know if it can be fixed.
You see, it has been behaving in the most erratic manner this last few days,
Just Like Our damsel Ms Geet Handa!
If there's one thing a cook doesn't need, it's erratic Oven!
& If there's one thing a viewer doesn't need is Erratic behavior from the lead protagonist such as Ms Handa!
Her blowing hot Blowing cold from day one has given me a perpetual headache!
Err yes, coming back my unreliable oven, one that takes forrrreeeeevvver to preheat, like the initial Office days,
Turns itself off mid-baking like the "Roop tera Mastaana" moment,
Then refuses to turn itself back on, as in when she accuses Maan of maangani-as-natak moment & walked away''...
Or burns the food that's placed too far out in the back'as when she so Bounti-fully announced her Pregnancy with such Elan to MAAN.
Irksome & irritating!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and I almost forgot the best part: mine is also an oven that chooses to not demonstrate any of the above symptoms when the Oven Doctor comes to examine it.
Mischievous, no? Exasperating & Infuriating To say the least!
Considering the tears of frustration that have been shed because of this -- about a fourth of a cup -- it seems heroic, or perhaps foolhardy, to attempt to bake anything for Maison De L'amour today.
But I decided to brave my oven's capricious temperament'..& hoped & prayed it would cooperate today.
Though I bought some store bought cookies so we wouldn't find ourselves unprepared, should disaster strike.
Ms Handa is walking talking disaster, More speaking then talking.
Did she not know that when in doubt whether to speak to to keep
quiet, give yourself the benefit of doubt, & remain silent!!!
Getting back to the Cake, I scaled down to use the four eggs, and modified it to use part butter, part almond butter, and a little less sugar.
With so much MAAN sweetness in the air, a little less sugar won't do us any harm.
I also flavored the cake with the zest of an orange & MAX-MAAN Chocolate and omitted baking powder which didn't seem altogether necessary
Coz just like Max MAAN provides the soul to this show, the whipped egg whites provide sufficient volume.
Finally, I baked it in the heart-shaped pan, coz after all it STILL is 'House of Love"
And coz the cake got a little burned at the edges I whipped up a simple orange glaze to use as a concealer, & hoping that CV's too will find a way to redeem the misdoing & honor the Initial Max-MAAN-Geet Love with some tender & poignant moments from now on.
And even though it won't quite set the way it should have been had it been done in the right flow'..
But we, the deprived & indigent souls are willing to lap it all, crumbs & cream''.such is our Magnanimity!
To my relief, *phew* my oven behaved in a relatively cooperative way..yes yes read Geetli today, only shutting down once or twice during the baking.
Result: We were able to enjoy this marvelously aromatic cake & SHOW, fine scraped-specked and moist....(think MAAN errrrr)its every bite sparking an explosion of poppy seeds beneath our teeth.
I feel compelled to add this one caveat, when you're done eating your slice, you may want to excuse yourself and check your smile in the nearest mirror.
Poppy seeds, Just Like MAX-MAAN are sneaky that way.
They unscrupulously enter your life leaving a long lasting impression'.like MAX-MAAN!!! And Before long, the whole world knows of your MAAN-Jaan *sigh*
While You all enjoy this sinful & luscious Chocolate heaven, I just received an estimate of what it would cost to fix what needs fixing, and found out that it is ----> surprise, surprise!
Almost the price of the oven!! Does that mean viewers will abandon the show for a new one if this Circus keeps going???
Oh well, I think I'm going to have to redraft my letter to Santa for this year!
Give me MAX-MAAN for a Good Happy Cheer!!!! Now & always....
Amour ❤️
~N~
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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