019 - Reflecting On "The Mirror of Galadriel"

Deciding our new addresses in Lorien, uncovering each others banes, and role-playing J.R.R. Tolkien's editor trying to reduce the amount of proper nouns per chapter. This week we discuss book 2, chapter 7, "The Mirror of Galadriel", from The Fellowship of the Ring.

Today's "Food For Thought": Galadriel's Mirror Glaze

I've been watching too much Great British Bake-Off, so for this episode I learned how to make mirror glaze! Normally you would pour this over a cake or fancy mousse dessert for a smooth, shiny finish... but we work with what we have, and I had pound cake slices.

1 packet (or 2.5 tsp) powdered unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup water, for blooming gelatin
1.5 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water, room temp
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups white chocolate chips

Mix the gelatin with the 1/4 cup of water and set aside to bloom. In a microwaveable bowl, combine granulated sugar, 3/4 cup water, and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 90 seconds and stir. If the sugar is not fully dissolved, give it 10 second increments until it dissolves.

Add the bloomed gelatin to the warm mixture and whisk until combined. Melt white chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl (or over a double boiler). I typically start with 30 seconds and stir, repeat, and then do 15 or 10 second increments, stirring after each, until there are a few lumps remaining. A good stir will spread the heat and melt the final lumps. Pour the melted white chocolate into the gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour through a sieve to remove any chunks.

Use as is for a milky white glaze, or separate into bowls and add food coloring to get your desired effect. I used black, blue, and purple to get a galaxy effect. I also added some edible shimmer to the black for some glitter. Stir the glaze frequently, and it will thicken as it cools. If it's too warm, it will run off the cake. If it's too cool, it will be thick and not smooth when you pour. In my case, around 80-85F was the ideal temperature to pour it over the pound cake slices. If you are using cake like I did, you must frost it first. Otherwise the glaze will simply soak into the cake.

Place your dessert on a cooling rack over a baking pan lined with anything to catch the drips. Pour over your dessert, alternating colors for a cool design. I used a spoon for the pound cake and made sure to cover all the edges. Let the glaze dry for at least 10 minutes.

It may not fully set - mine didn't.

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Welcome to the Fool of a Took Podcast — the show where deep lore meets even deeper nonsense! Here's the catch - 2 of the 4 hosts have never read the books before! Join Chris, RJ, Pat and Laura as they dive headfirst into the world of Tolkien.

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