During this project, I am attempting to do mise en place for each recipe. It is one of my biggest weaknesses as a baker since it can lead to realizing halfway through a multi-step recipe that I’m two eggs short. (Thank you to all my roommates, past and present, who have lent me eggs in such times of crisis.) So, ta-daa! Proof of my mise en place (or as much as I could fit into the picture.)

My lovely roommate Lauren has the most wonderful food scale which I’ve been commandeering each week to measure my ingredients. So far that I’ve found, the most accurate results come from a recipe that was measured in grams, as opposed to cups and tablespoons! Plus, it’s very fun and official-feeling to use the scale.

I love using the hand mixer for egg whites. It is a similar feeling of satisfaction that I’ve heard comes from driving stick-shift instead of automatic cars. You’re more in touch with the car and how it functions. I can only imagine, as I drive an automatic and fail miserably at stick, but I digress. I find that it’s a nice middle ground between hand whipping them and using a stand mixer. And let’s be honest, it’s as close to hand whipping them as one ever wants to get.

The designs you can make in the egg whites when they are approaching stiff peaks are the best part. I have come dangerously close to over whipping a batch due to my artistic endeavors. All the swirls and mountains!

 Overall, a solid third week bake! A better finish on the chocolate icing and it could have passed for a true Austrian delight! Til next week.