Are We? Aren't we?

So it was a late Thursday evening with minimal food in the house (the food was being delivered the next morning) that the prep began.Ideally I would have done the tart base but had no butter annoyingly.

My first ever attempt at meringues went fine if a little large for one mouthful as a Petit Four. There seems to be so much of a mystique surrounding these and I don't see what the fuss is about. Whisking eggs, adding sugar and a dash of vanilla and putting in the oven. But due to them growing in the oven I did another batch which worked even better.

My first attempt. Supposed to be 'walnut' sized but that didn't happen!

Then onto truffles, which this time I quenelled rather than piped. I have a rubbish little piping bag which I used last time. Wouldn't quenelle again as you don't as good a finish when you shape and dip them.

(My first go a few weeks ago when the weather was better).

The Friday started early and according to plan until lunchtime when the pastry which had been rolled between two sheets of greaseproof paper decided to get the paper wedge in to cracks which meant the pastry just disintegrated before being put into the case. Lesson learnt - don't trust Heston when it comes to pastry and don't put it in the freezer. It too me half an hour to roll it out it was so hard! So a rapid new batch was rustled up this time using the tried and tested Ashburton recipe which was much more moist and pliable. Disaster averted, preparations continued and in the end got very little time to actually shower and rest before kick off! All the time waiting for the dreaded call for Hannah to be called in...