Time to Breathe. Preparation

Now that the holidays are over and everyone is either on their New Year's resolution diet or hermitting at home away from the cold weather work has been slow. The economic recession doesn't help much either. When pockets are low one of the things that people skimp on are desserts and pastries. But I'm grateful for the minute to breathe again. Valentine's day is right around the corner and I'm already preparing. These sugar cookies are going to be iced and decorated to look like the traditional powdery heart candies with the cute sayings on them that you got from your kindergarten crush. Right now I'm also taking advantage of the time to design some new cakes. I already have a carrot cake in the works. I just need to make the raisin coulis to finish. I think during economic times like this people tend to gravitate towards comfort foods and nothing says comfort like cinnamony carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I'm thinking about adding goat cheese to the icing but not everyone likes the funk from goat cheese. Another idea that is a comfort food is a Smores cake. Dense chocolate cake, homemade marshmallow layer, homemade graham cracker, covered in chocolate glaze. I wonder how that would fair. Not exactly french but I have to roll with the times. Once we get closer to spring I'm thinking about a honey cake. Possibly lavendar honey, some kind of cake, some kind of mousse with a crunchy honey comb layer. I'm really into the crunchy thing lately.