Choco Log

In this post you will get to know a little bit more about me. I did my schooling in Coimbatore, India. My education started in St.Josephs, an all girls Catholic school, also known as Hell. Fresh from America, I was a different type of F.O.B. I want to say I was brilliant from day one, but I think it was because of my accented spoken English that I was sent off to Grade (called Standard here) 1, instead of kindergarten. The first 6 months were torture beyond torture. In fact, I have no memories of it. But I somehow passed year 1 and moved on 2nd grade. It was supposed to get better but it didn't and after 3 whole years, I finally escaped to what I was convinced was paradise for the next few years: Stanes Higher Secondary School. This school was, at the time and until I graduated in 2001, the best school in the city and possibly the state. It was a co-ed school and we had two sessions of physical education a week! Nothing else mattered to me then: 2 whole sessions!! awesome! I went from a failing/barely passing student to ranked #10 amongst 150-200 students. Life was pretty damn good. It was also the school that my 7 years senior brother was enrolled in.

The fact that it was co-ed didn't bother or excite me apart from the fact that my classmates were suddenly less meaner to me and I could play with anyone. My class had 5 girls and about 55 boys. The ratio stayed more or less the same [contrary to the picture above] for the total years that I was there with the girls reaching a maximum of 12 in one year.

Until 6th grade, the subjects we studied sound lame: General knowledge, English, Maths, Language, Science, and Environmental sciences. But starting 6th, we were suddenly more adult. Besides Eng, Maths, and Language (Hindi for me), we now had Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, history, geography. The boys had to join N.C.C (sort of like Boy Scouts) and us girls had to take Home Science.

Home Science, I believe, we had to take for the next 2-3 years . It was termed the lamest class ever but I secretly enjoyed it. Maybe not so secretly, since I ended up getting a certificate and trophy of sorts for being pretty damn good. However, the majority of girls didn't even make an attempt to be good so I just may have lucked out there. We learned different stitches (hemming, herring bone, chain stitch), to make dolls, to cook, to make cool stuff out of lame junk. Basically it was an arts and crafts class.

Why the history? Today, in the year 2009, I happened to find my notebook from that class. I also found a few recipes that we attempted to make in a dingy room with our teacher. I loved the one described below but I haven't made it since I was in 6th grade but since my blog is the only thing permanent in my life right now, the recipe gets a new place. I plan to make it one day and the picture will be posted but until then...

Choco Log

Marie Biscuits ( these are very light cookies almost like crackers, often eaten with tea)- 1 large packet (say about 30 biscuits)
Icing Sugar - 250gms
Butter - 100gms
All purpose flour/maida - 250gms
Cocoa -50gms
Coffee- decoction - 2tbsp (I write it my notes to use 1/2 cup of instant coffee, but I'm not sure. just use something strong)

Method:

Add the flour to the decoction and mix well.
Dip each biscuit and arrange one on top of another to resemble a log/cylinder.
After this, make the cream by mixing icing sugar, cocoa and butter.
Coat the biscuit log with the icing but not too neatly so it appears like a log.
Decorate with white icing (butter 2ogms and icing sugar 50gms).

Comments:

Since I'm not in 6th grade anymore and not on the school budget, I would 1.attempt to make green icing and decorate the log to look like it has moss and leaves on it and maybe some flowers as well and 2. Somehow incorporate more chocolate in the dish, like coating the log in melted chocolate instead of icing :D