Berry Berry Delicious Birthday Meals

So today was a very special day that required me to cook some very special meals for a very special person.    This person happens to also love berries.

So when I woke up this morning I had an idea.   I wanted to make the day a Berry Berry Delicious day by whipping up some Berry Compote centric dishes for breakfast and dessert.

I made a quick and easy Blackberry and Blueberry compote in the morning with the notion of putting it on some buttermilk pancakes and designing a cake around it a bit.

First step was the pancakes and I want to make it absolutely delicious.   I have come to realize that the more care or love you put into the meal the better it comes out.   You need to take your time and do every step with the full focus of your mind and heart.   When you do this things come out so wonderful delicious and uniquely perfect.

I used the recipe from Joy of Cooking for Buttermilk pancakes and I will posts  separate article about all that tomorrow but I wanted to take the time to talk about technique for a second.   What I am beginning to learn about baking is that you need to very careful mix every thing up.

The more care you put to how you mix things together. the more delicious they end up being especially texturally.   So I took great care in whisking all the liquids together.    I started with the eggs and buttermilk and really whisking them to make them nice and airy.   I then slowly whisked in the butter, and then the dried goods an ingredient at a time.  Slow slow slow.    The batter was so fluffy looking and bubbly.  It looked divine before even cooking!   I cooked in some of the compote as well as drizzled it on top.   They were so fluffy and fruity.   YUM YUM YUM!!!!

And Dessert you ask?!????   I whipped up Joy of Cooking's Velvet Spice Cake.   YUM YUM YUMMY!   I also whipped up the Joy of Cooking Chocolate Butter Icing.   Once the cake cooled I layered on the icing and let it get cool again.   I then gave it a healthy coating of the berry compote and of course I spiked the icing and compote mixture with some fresh nutmeg and a pinch of ground coffee.    How did it taste???   I had a piece with vanilla ice cream and some more berry compote drizzle and good lord.   YUM YUM CAKE!

I also cooked bacon for breakfast and shrimp scampi with new york strip steak served with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and red endive along side of cilantro mashed potatoes.  All of which was delicious!    I love putting my love on a plate and making a very special person a very special meal.   :)   Happy Birthday.