Too much merry in the air

A word of warning to everyone who ventures close to this Bakery, or who are even minutely involved with our activities: Forget about escaping with an empty stomach, or an intact diet plan.

From making it, to sharing it it is virtually impossible not to be munching, nibbling on, or scoffing down something while at work (or even out of work). Elise (from Caf Conversations) is always baking some kind of sinful, delicious treat in the Training Room, a prominent high-traffic channel from the Bakery and Office through to the Caf . Today, it was gloriously rich mini fudge chocolate cakes.

While Gingerbread Baking was an ominous sign of the approaching gluttony, the real slippery slope downward began with Tweetbake 2. This time, it was Baking with Grains & Seeds on Wednesday 9 December. Minh from the ever-popular Eat Show and Tell food blog along with her colleagues from Red Balloon, Duncan and Elliot booked in as a pre-Holiday company present, while Ashley and Alex (@ashleybartlett @xragon) bravely attempted to keep up the live tweeting while simultaneously shaping their baguettes. We even had Greg from another bakery book in for some extra instruction on bread making. Ok, less talk, pictures below.

Shaping the EPI

enjoying some freshly baked petit pain

showing off his creation

As always, the dough pillow was the subject of intense fascination…

Don and the dough pillow

marvelling at the dough pillow

oh dough pillow, how soft you are to the touch

(Read Minh’s post on our Grains & Seeds Baking Class. )

From getting the adults excited about baking, to getting the kids to provide the finishing touches. Our first Gingerbread Decorating Day was held on Sunday and it went perfectly. We couldn t have asked for more – energy levels were buzzing in the Caf and Training Room, all the kids and parents were excited to be there, and the weather was absolutely fantastic.

with her little brother looking on

aspiring pastry chef Nathan

the class in session

Owen's masterpiece

All done!

And let me tell you, the silent intensity of kids concentrating on their decorations in that room was electric.

They were all focusing so hard on their creations, it felt like an exam hall, with kids peering up at the clock every 10 minutes or so to check how much time they had left. Instead of resembling the circus ringmaster that he usually is, Yudha was a sage – still and perched in the middle of the room, watching over his kingdom of calm.

Snaps for the Gingerbread Decorating Session (Sunday 13 Dec) can be viewed here.

Our second, and Final Gingerbread Decorating Day for the year will be held this Sunday 20 December.

Now from making it, to sharing it: following the Gingerbread Decorating Day on Sunday, I had the privilege of attending the Food Blogger s Christmas Picnic in Hyde Park. Organised by one of Sydney’s top food bloggers and a recent SBS Featured foodie, Helen from Grab Your Fork, and Susan from Chocolatesuze (does the most amazing pear & cardamom biscotti, at Eveleigh Markets), the spread was absolutely fantastic and when you re invited to a Food Blogger s picnic, you d think it s only human nature to starve yourself for 3 days in preparation for it. But stupidly enough, I had lunch beforehand. So now, I weep when I look at the pictures, all that food I could ve enjoyed that much more if I hadn t had that damned sushi.

*See that Brasserie Bread bag in the middle? Minh from Eat Show and Tell had actually brought along her grain loaf from the Tweetbake class to share at the picnic. It tasted awesome 🙂