Weekend Challenge

I realize that I am very fortunate to have the job that I have. I have great co-workers, a supportive boss, a fun office environment, and ample time off available to me throughout the year. As such, I am taking a personal day tomorrow not for any particular reason other than I'd like a three-day weekend, and I have some things to do around the house.

I told myself as part of this three-day weekend that I would take a bit of time off from the baking that has ruled my life for the last few weeks. It's not that I don't like baking or that I want to pull myself away from my goal of opening the Etsy store mid-March. I just think it would be a good idea to take a step back and enjoy just relaxing sans flour and sugar and dirty dishes. You know, rule from my roost on the couch this weekend.

Alas, I don't think that's to be.

First of all, I have been craving cheesecake. I know, I know. I said I was craving french toast, too. And I am. I just also happen to be craving cheesecake. I'll blame it on being hormonal or something. Regardless, I am making a cheesecake on Saturday night. A honey-almond cheesecake, I'll have you know. A honey-almond cheesecake that is Weight Watchers friendly. I know - awesome. It'll be a nice complement to the (grilled, extra lean) burgers and (baked) french fries we're having for dinner that night.

Yes, I've already planned the meals for the weekend. Go figure, right?

Secondly, I promised Conner that we'd make Scottie cookies this weekend. Initially, I was thinking we'd make sugar cookies with Scotties on them. I could use frosting and a homemade stencil. Then I got to thinking about it, and I'm going in a different direction. We're going to make a Scottie cookie by shaping dough into a Scottish Terrier through hard work and determination. What kind of dough? I'm not sure yet. I have some oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, sugar, and peanut butter dough in the freezer. I could also make a dog cookie that only Conner could eat. It would be a good idea to keep the humans out of it. We have enough sweets to snack on. If it turns out, I'll let you take a look at it. If not, we'll pretend I never said anything about it, all right?

And finally, I feel a challenge coming on. It's the challenge that I reference in the title of this post. No, it's not about a challenge for me to sit still for one whole weekend. It's a challenge to me as a baker. As a connoisseur of sweets. As a woman who cannot have chocolate!

If you've spent any time over at Bakerella, and I do hope you have, then you've stumbled across this post. It makes your tongue tingle and your stomach rumble. It looks good, right? Don't I know it. I am practically dying to try it. The hitch? It's chocolate through and through, and we all know about my chocolate allergy. I want it, but I can't have it. Or, I should say, I shouldn't have it. I could have it and suffer the consequences. I prefer not to, though.

So the challenge? To de-chocolate the peanut butter cup cake. I think I can do this.

I'm working on my own chocolate-free pb cup recipe, and I'm tinkering with Bakerella's fantasy cake to make it feasible as a non-chocolate dream come true. I might go the cupcake route just to save my sanity, but the cake looks so much prettier in some ways. We'll see what I come up with. We'll also see if Shannon is okay with me spending a few extra dollars on pb cup fixin's.

While you're enjoying your Saturday, think of me. I may well be buried up to my eyeballs in mis-made pb cups and flour. But that's not such a bad thing, is it?