Happy Birthday L

Boss returned from her overseas vacation this week, and sent out a call for a surprise party for her husband upon his return following a stop in Vienna.

We had some discussion about cake-their traditional being a pound cake strawberry and whipped cream combo, but some uncertainty whether K was bringing a cake, and my sudden desire to bring one...(I have a penchant for bringing tricky desserts to gatherings)

Suddenly I recalled a recipe out of my collection en route to the store to buy the best bottle of red I could find-what better gift for a 70 year old well educated genius from old money with a taste for wine?

Strawberry orange something, and I gathered the ingredients that I thought might be in it, and arrived home to discover I was missing almonds and cornstarch...

The recipe from was Gourmet magazine 1991, one that I had clipped but never attempted. Swedish Meringue Cake with Orange and Strawberries. Well it was indeed tricky, involving making meringue, obviously, and the orange filling, and grinding and blending almonds into the meringue. I burnt the first batch of filling prepping the strawberry part. More zest, cornstarch, sugar...I'll never get the origanal pan clean, lol.

Fortunately through out this complicated creation , there were updates about arrival times. First set back was to 8:30. I had Willow in the car and the cake hastily assembled when the second delay came...10:30. But, with the offer to arrive early and eat and drink wine. LOL Never leave the farm help unattended with access to wine.

No, we were good. Well, K and I were bad I suppos; she broke the cork on the first bottle. $37..but manage to re-screw it at my urging. She went for a lesser bottle for the second. The troop of us, K's husband and three of her children, all former employees, P, myself, and C and Willow, laying in wait for...well, it was nearly midnight when poor exhausted Mr Boss sat down to remove his shoes and we all jumped out and screamed, "surprise!!!!!"

Then the party began. Good times, glad I am not working in the morning! This ale tastes a bit sour after all that fine wine...hehe