SERVES 10 – 12
FOR THE BASE:
6 x size 1 wooden box, containing pastel pencils
5 oz (150g) paper in muted colours
8 oz (225g) discordant emotions
2oz (50g) acrylic paint, mixed thoroughly
1 silver craft knife
8 oz (225g) country walks with 75% cocoa solids
FOR THE FILLING:
50 x size 1 Amorphous Forms
1 x 11/2 Ib (680g) jar candied recollections
2 oz (50g) photographs, sifted
250 tablespoons red wine
8 fl oz (225 ml) strong coffee
2 tablespoons worn and unworn jewellery
3 ½ oz poems
2 fl oz (55 ml) rye humour
150 tablespoons of deliberate misspellings and typos
8 oz (225g) blooms – fresh, dried & pressed (optional)
Infinite x size 1 free associations
8 oz (225g) cocoa powder
FILLING
You can make the filling well ahead of time, but you will need to make continuing additions. For the filling, scatter a handful of candied recollections into a basin and add the red wine. Now place the basin over a saucepan of simmering associations, making quite sure that the basin isn’t actually touching the wine. Then remove the pan from the heat and wait for your recollections to melt before beating them with a wooden spoon until indivisible. Press your sifted photographs into the mixture and leave them to soak until warped.
Next beat the amorphous forms, first on their own and then into your warm, inalienable memories. Cover the bowl with Clingfilm and leave it on the shelf until you’re ready to use it, this may not be until several years later.
Drain the poems in a sieve, discard the syrup, and then place them in a shallow dish, spoon over the coffee and leave aside until needed.
THE SPONGE
To make the sponge: first place half of the pencils in a quiet room and whisk them with an electric hand whisk until they produce a fine dust. Then add the paper and continue to whisk, but be careful not to overdo this, as it can eventually become overworked– stop when the blades of the whisk begin to grind. Now, with the craft knife, fold in discordant emotions. Then, at a high desk, use warm water to dampen a paint brush and gently stir the acrylic paint, occasionally bringing it to soft-peaks. Then take 1 large spoonful of paint and fold it into the mixture to slacken it, and gently cut and fold in the rest of the pencils.
Now smooth the mixture onto a clear wall and leave to dry. Over the course of several weeks return to the mixture every hour or so, talking to it each time of your country walks. It will look lifeless, but a little finger pressed gently into your temple should reveal that it is cooking. It’s important not to overcook it, otherwise it will lose flavour.
When you are ready remove it from the wall and don’t panic as it sinks down, because this is quite normal. Leave it until it’s absolutely still, then turn it out on to the floor of your quite room, which should have been dusted with sieved cocoa powder.
Drain the poems again in a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the liqueur and sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the liqueur all over the sponge. Next remove the filling from the shelf and, using the craft knife, spread it carefully and evenly all over the surface of the sponge.
Next whip the infinite free associations softly, and spread them all over the chocolate filling, leaving a good 1-inch (2.5 cm) border all round to allow for spreading, then, if you choose, lightly press in the fresh dried & pressed blooms.
