Framboise a.k.a Celebrating the French way!

My darlings, something lovely is coming to life in my oven.

I have been peeking at it through the glass door for the last 45 minutes and my patience is wearing thin. Unfortunately the antsy-ness needs to be in check, until the end of the following day when I present it to my friend at his birthday dinner.


Rewinding to my first Friday morning at home this year, spent, away from work, indulging in uninterrupted "me" time streaming epsiodes of Laura Calder's 'French food at home'. She'd puttered around with some rustic dessert crepes and elegant tarts and then the pièce de résistance, Chocolate Framboise. I was hooked!

Up until that first glimpse of the Framboise, an important decision was looming over my head. I had to settle on a cake that would celebrate my friend and yet bring flair to a grown-up's birthday dinner. You see we're all embarking on our fabulous 30 somethings, so the days of store-bought chocolate cake with generic buttercream frosting and cheap champagne just doesn't cut it anymore. We have traded beer for batter. Really good batter.


And now back to the scene with happy Laura, silver fork, decadent cake and a crown of raspberries. See where I'm going with this?

So it was fate that this framboise should make its way into our life in the form of a birthday cake.


"But as impatient as I am, I'm also known for my generosity". In that statement, lies a promise to bring you my impression of the Chocolate Framboise. After all your patience should be rewarded too, right?

P.S: This cake is best made over two days. So whilst you will suffer terrible bouts of impatience, remember, patient people go to heaven. Dessert heaven.

For my friend

Somebody once told me “Follow your dreams”. When I was a child, I could embrace that idea. No questions asked. Leaping into the unknown with abandon. Easy-peasy!

What they didn’t say was that it would cost you something. And a little more each year you grow older. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. We’ll lose some friends, memories, cherished things. We’ll lose heart, will and strength. We’ll experience doubt, intense pain and self-pity. We’ll be subjected to the ridicule and insensitivity of mockers and cowards and others who wished they could go on our journey and be as brave as us. We may have to give up our independence for a while and take a humbling stance. We may have to learn to depend on those who are unfamiliar to us. We may have to uproot our lives and move to a strange city, leave our familiar dinner dates with close friends, give up the thrill of worshipping next to an army of believers each Sunday, forego planning meals for Thanksgiving, a birthday and Christmas, and say goodbye to someone you’re used to seeing every day for the last ten years.

 It’s hard, my friend. My bleating heart understands your torment.

However, if you do continue down the path of ‘dream-living’ these are some things to expect. You’ll have new friends, a new jacket and some new memories. You’ll gain five ounces of bravery and live each day with a little less fear of the unexpected. You’ll own new furniture, and decorate a wall with your favorite paintings. Where you were once a  disciple, you will now lead others to proclaim the good news. You will love and cherish those you left behind a little more. You will have stories to encourage and help others who are battling a crisis and life-changing decisions. You’ll tell them “I thought I couldn’t do it but I’m so glad I did”. You’ll laugh, you’ll hug more and you’ll continue to dream some more.

Somebody also told me that our ability to dream is what keeps us young each day. Stay young my friend and follow your dreams.