Black Forest Push-Up Pop Cakes: Quite a Catch

Lucy did much better than I this weekend in the fishing department. Basically I just exercised my arms while casting against the wind. Lucy actually landed one, not to mention how adorable she looked in her overalls and red checked shirt.
I, however, triumphed in the kitchen with my Black Forest Push-Up Cakes. This is more an assembly process than a recipe.
Mix:
1/3 cup simple syrup  (pg. 205 in Chocolate Crimes)
1 teaspoon cherry brandy
Put into squeeze bottle and set aside.

chocolate pound cake  (pg. 156 in Chocolate Crimes)
Cut cake circles (about 1/2-inch thick) using a round cutter that will fit inside the push up pops.

2 cans premium cherry pie filling
Place in open ended piping bag. Using a piping bag keeps the sides cleaner than using a spoon.

1 cup stabilized whipped cream  (pg. 206 in Chocolate Crimes)
Place in piping bag with star tip.

Insert plungers into a Styrofoam base to hold upright.  (I have an acrylic stand on order from Sugarcraft.)

Start with a circle of cake, add a squeeze of brandy syrup, a layer of cherries (about 4) then whipped cream.  Continue layering until tube is completely full. (The ones in the picture are not full enough...right to the top, as the cap is domed.  Add caps to pops and refrigerate or freeze.  If you don't have these pops, you can make this dessert in individual glass dishes. Here is my leftover version in a plastic storage container.

Memorial Weekend Bonus Recipe: Escalloped Apples

If a pork tenderloin or babyback ribs are on your menu this weekend, you must try these delicious apples.  They are a great sidedish with pork.  They can be cooked ahead of time and served hot or cold. I will just warn you that this tastes just like apple pie without the crust.  You could even puts this on vanilla ice cream and serve as dessert.

Escalloped Apples

8 pink lady apples, peeled and sliced
Combine the following and pour over apples.
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
Stir until coated and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a covered dish.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  They can also be re-heated. This makes about 4 cups of apples...8, 1/2 cup servings.

Break Out the Bathing Suit and Dive into Some Frozen Hot Chocolate

One of the nicest things about growing up in the 1960's is that no one was harping about skin cancer.  You could "work" on your tan as much as you like.  Oh, it was good to be bronzed! Rub on that baby oil and iodine mixture and the thoughtful D-jays would remind you that it was "time to turn so you don't burn" every fifteen minutes.  You gotta' love your transistor radio!

Veronica decided to take a break from planning other folk's vacations and have one of her own.  Can you say, "Hawaii?"  Could there be love lurking amidst the hula and poi?

All you folks who are stuck at home can make the best of the long Memorial Weekend.  How about a decadent chocolate treat to cool down?

frozen hot chocolate

Stir:

1 cup milk, hot

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon sweetened cocoa powder

Chill.  When cold, pour in blender with:

12-14 ice cubes

Blend until it is the consistency of a smoothie.  Top with whipped cream.  Serves 2.



Debutant Tea: White Chocolate Berry Pie

This is the week that the Midland Minuet Club Debutants are presented, so the Barbie Nation thought it would be fun to host their own debutant tea.

Veronica's momma, Mary Nell, always instructs the new debs on etiquette, posture and of course, the full French court bow.  "The bow requires good knees and lots of practice.  Basically one leg is wrapped around the other, while kneeling.  The the deb lowers herself all the way to the floor.  While sucking in her lips, to keep her lipstick from staining her dress, her head is lowered to the floor." (Courtesy of Texas Manners: A Guide to Gracious Living) Hand me to Osteo-BiFlex!

white chocolate berry pie

This pie is a sweet neutral background for any berries that are in season.

9 inch chocolate cookie pie crust (purchased or prepared)

Melt:

4 ounces white chocolate

2 tablespoons milk

Cool to room temperature. Set aside. Beat:

3 ounces cream cheese

⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar

Until smooth.  Add:

¼ teaspoon orange extract

and melted chocolate.  Fold in:

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Spread into crust. Refrigerate at least one hour. Top with:

2 cups berries

white chocolate curls

For a deep-dish pie crust adjust as follows: 9 ounces white chocolate

1½ cups whipping cream, 5 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon orange extract.

Mother's Day Treat: Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake

Mother's Day always causes a dilemma for Ginger.  She loves her mom, Kay, but can stand being around her alcoholic dad, Roger. Her solution?  Mail Mom a gift and jet-set away with boyfriend, Tyler. Do we see a pattern here?  She is always running away from her troubles. But, I guess three days on the beach is better than watching her father get drunk and offensive.

chocolate mousse layer cake

I always fall for this in restaurants, but homemade is better. Conquer it in steps, and you’ll have smooth sailing.

cake

Whisk:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups boiling water

until smooth and set aside. Combine:

2¾ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

Set aside. Cream:

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter

2½ cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

for five minutes. Add in flour mixture, alternating with cocoa mixture. Bake in (3) 9 inch round pans, greased and floured for 25-30 minutes at 350˚. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on racks.

filling

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Stir in:

6 egg yolks

until blended. Then add:

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat:

6 egg whites

until stiff, and then gently fold into chocolate mixture.

frosting

Combine:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

½ cup cream

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2½ cups confectioners’ sugar

assembly

Layer cakes with mousse filling and ice with frosting.  Refrigerate a minimum of five hours. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Covered Oreos

What you need:
1 bag yellow Wilton Candy Melts
2 bags Real Cocoa Wilton Candy Melts
24 Double Stuff Oreos
(2) 12-count Oreo cookie mold (These come in all types of designs and are available on-line. I purchased mine at spinningleaf.)

Melt Wilton Candy melts according to directions on package.  I heated mine for a total of two minutes, stirring after one minute and then every 15 seconds.  Continue to stir until smooth.

Then pour into disposable icing bag with small round tip. As you can see, I closed the tip with a piece of foil and set the bag in a glass to facilitate filling it. BEWARE: this will harden into one big mass in a hurry, so clean the excess candy out of your piping bag while it is still warm.
Allow candy melts to flow into indentions on the molds or you can "paint" the design with a small paintbrush.

This will harden pretty rapidly, but you can speed it along by putting it in the freezer for a few minutes.  When the yellow is firm, then add the melted chocolate candy melts.  (Look for the ones that say "real cocoa" on the bag.)

This is where I went a little astray in this process.  You need to fill these molds with enough chocolate so that it will push up the sides of the mold and onto the top of the Oreo, when you insert it.  Insert the Oreos on top of the chocolate.

Then, you merely top off the Oreo with enough chocolate to completely fill the mold.  The sides of my cookies did not get completely covered because I did not initially fill the molds with enough chocolate.  They still tasted delicious, though.

I put these in the freezer for about ten minutes, until firm.  At first, they were a little difficult to remove from the molds, but as they warmed a little, they popped right out. They will be less prone to sticking if your candy is not overly warm. 

Maryann is singing at her friend's brunch and assembled these delicious Oreos . Of course, they match her dress!