German Chocolate Cake

My youngest daughter, Scarlet, has turned 21 and so my job of raising children is finished and I feel fulfilled! That being said, I still have a cake to bake. She has chosen a German chocolate cake and it has been her favorite from adolescence on.
I also love this cake because of its delicate, moist crumb and mild chocolate flavor coupled with the boiled coconut and pecan frosting which makes it sublime.

1 package (4oz) Bakers German Sweet Chocolate
1/2  C boiling water
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2  t salt
1 C butter
2 C sugar
4 egg yolks
11/2 t vanilla
1C buttermilk
4 egg whites
Coconut filling and frosting

Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cool. Mix flour soda and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into batter.
Pour into three 8 inch layer pans which are lined on the bottom with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 35 min. or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Run a knife around the sides and cool in pan for 15 min. Remove from pans  by inverting on racks carefully then pull off paper and cool on racks. Spread frosting between the layers and on the sides and top.

Coconut Pecan Filling

1 C heavy cream
1 C sugar
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/2 C butter
11/2 t vanilla
11/3 C flaked coconut (Bakers)
1 c chopped pecans
In a saucepan combine the first 5 ingredients and cook and stir over med. heat until mixture thickens about 12 min. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Let cool a bit till spreading consistency.

Banana Cream Pie

My daughter, Alexandra, and I were out by the  pool the other day and some neighbors and friends were out there with us. The guys decided to plan a barbecue for the following monday and invited us to come. I never like to go to something like that empty handed and one of the guys had been talking about this banana pie that he liked from a grocery store which made me think, I can do better than that, so I volunteered to make my own banana cream pie.

 Unfortunately, the barbecue was cancelled unbeknownst to me. Thank goodness Alexandra loves banana pudding and this was just a step above that I believe, although Samantha, my oldest, might beg to differ since her favorite part of banana pudding was the soggy cookies which this pie lacked. When she was a child, I would open the refrigerator to find that she had tunneled through the banana pudding eating out the cookies in the middle avoiding all the bananas. 

Alexandra and I managed to eat the whole pie on our own though, it was delicious!

Pie Crust

You can use anyone you like but this is mine...

2 C flour

1/2 t salt

2/3 C butter

2 t sugar

1 egg yolk

3-4 T cold water

Cut in the butter  and salt by rubbing it with your fingers until it becomes a coarse crumb. make a well in the center and add sugar egg yolk and 3 T water. Stir quickly and press together into ball with fingers. Add more water if needed. Knead lightly into ball. Chill 30 min.

Roll out half the dough because this is enough for a top and bottom of a pie. Line a pie pan and blind bake the crust then let cool.

Custard Pie Filling

4 T cornstarch

4 T water

2 t vanilla

dissolve the cornstarch in the liquid

2 1/2 C whipping cream

1/2 C sugar 

4 oz. butter unsalted

In a sauce pan bring the whipping cream, sugar and butter to boil over med. heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring back to boil then remove and cool slightly.

Topping

1 pint whipping cream whipped with 1/4 C powdered sugar

Assembly

3 large bananas sliced

Take your pie crust and line it with the sliced bananas. While the custard is still warm pour it over the bananas because it will make the custard take on the flavor of the bananas. Cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and cool and then refrigerate. Add the whipped topping when cold.

Chicken Chowder

I thought I was going to make chicken chili and add that recipe to my blog but alas it tasted terrible. I had roasted a whole chicken for the chili and didn't use it all so I had left over chicken to do something with. I decided that on this unusual rainy day to make chicken chowder.

4 big carrots roughly chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves roughly chopped
1 lg onion roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
3 C homemade chicken stock
2 C heavy cream
1 t  fresh thyme
1/2 t dried thyme
salt and pepper freshly ground
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 T butter
1/4 C flour
2 C cooked chicken (roasted tastes better)

Melt butter and olive oil in large pot. Add the chopped vegetables, garlic, salt, pepper and saute until tender. Add the flour and cook a few minutes to take out the raw flour taste then add the stock slowly whisking to prevent lumps. Add the thyme and more salt and pepper and simmer until vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness. Pour in the cream then add the cooked chicken and nutmeg then warm through. Check seasonings one more time... I like to add more pepper!

Mexican Chili

I substitute teach and I am off for the summer. Oddly enough, I had a very strong desire for chili and plenty of time to make it! The weather is a little warm for chili but I thought if it had a mexican twist it wouldn't seem out of season. I think mexican food tastes great year round! So I tweaked my chili recipe and this is what I came up with. My youngest daughter's boyfriend said it tasted like an orgasm of flavors in his mouth!

5 lbs. beef brisket cut up in 1 inch cubes fat trimmed
1/4 C oil
2 C chopped white onions
6 garlic cloves minced
2-3 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 t garlic powder
2 t oregano
2 t coriander or dried cilantro
2 T salt
2 heaping T adobo
2 green bell peppers seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
6 cups chopped tomatoes with liquid
pepper
1/2 cup strong coffee
2 cans pinto beans (I used Bush's)
fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat oil in a flat bottomed pot until very hot but not smoking. Brown the brisket cubes in a single layer turning to brown all sides then remove to a plate. Repeat till all the cubes are browned. Then add the chopped onion, garlic and the seasonings with 1 T of salt and let saute over medium heat. Next add the bell peppers and then the tomatoes. Add the meat back in the pot. Now add the other 1T of salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat cover tightly and let simmer for 21/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Next add the coffee and adjust the seasonings to taste and let simmer for 1 more hour. Now add the beans and let warm through or get tender.

Toppings
crema (mexican sour cream)
sour cream
avocado
cilantro
tortilla chips
cheddar cheese

Berry Cobbler

Its Spring, which means its berry season! My ex-husband treated me to a trip to Costco yesterday and I loaded up on yummy ripe berries. I love this cobbler for its sweet simplicity and deliciousness.

After my rough week, where I discovered that Samantha's divorce, which began back in October is still not finalized and with her panning to get remarried in a week in Vegas, I felt that this could create some problems. After all, I don't want a polygamist for a daughter. So, after many stressful phone calls and then a quick one to my attorney asking him to take over and fix this, he assures me that with a little judge smooshing and a waiver, we will be good to go.

Samantha's first marriage fell apart quite quickly. I have to say I was not surprised since I had many misgivings that I expressed through motherly advise and was not taken. As a treat to herself for managing her way through a tough situation and finishing her masters in Biology, Samantha headed off to Europe for the summer. In Gibraltar Spain, she met the love of her life! She told me over the phone that he was exactly what I had always said I wanted for her. I was elated! His name is Tristan and he is a UK citizen with a lovely British accent. Needless to say, she did not come home except to get her things and start moving them back to Spain. She says she wants to take it slowly and see how it works out with them living together. I am dying to meet him and she can't wait as well, so they fly over for her birthday in Nov. He had been complaining of headaches but the doctor deemed them stress related as he is a successful attorney. After being here for just two days, he has a seizure where he is rushed to the emergency room and is diagnosed with a brain tumor. They fly out the next day to London where he has the tumor removed and undergoes a month of radiation treatment. They take a weekend trip to Paris where he proposes and she accepts! Never mind about slow, life is to be lived. They are back in the US on a massive road trip where Samantha is showing him our country. They decide to get married in Las Vegas and we are all flying out to be there with them! I am very excited!

Samantha being the scientist she is has researched Tristan's condition thoroughly and has him now following a very low carb diet to inhibit tumor growth. They have a blog and I would like her to post a link to in case anyone is interested in what they are doing. I will follow up on that.

Okay, now now it is time for dessert!

18 oz blackberries fresh
12 oz. raspberries  fresh
6 oz. blueberries fresh
1/2 cup sugar
2 t vanilla ( I use mexican vanilla, la vencedora)

In a 9x13 baking dish spread out berries evenly then sprinkle with sugar and vanilla. You can eyeball the berries and use as many as you want...just don't fill the dish full, only about half way and you will need more sugar if you use more berries and it also depends on the sweetness of the berries so taste them.

Topping
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 1/2 stick of butter cold from the refrigerator
pinch of salt
Mix with fingers in a bowl until it resembles coarse meal
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
Add and use your hands to form a ball
wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till cold
cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Take the topping out of the refrigerator and pull off large pieces and flatten into thick round disks in the palms of your hands. Lay on top of the berries. Continue until you cover the berries but don't worry about little gaps or overlapping. Dust the top of the dough with cinnamon and then sugar. Bake for about 45 min. until golden brown.

Balsamic Zucchini and Tomato Pizza

I have to say that my favorite thing to eat on Friday night is pizza. It feels like a treat at the end of a stressful work week.
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This week has been more trying than usual. I have had an allergic reaction to Advil according to Dr.Newton. My entire back has an itchy hot red raised rash that has now spread to my tummy and arms. It has been going on since Spring break. Last Saturday and Sunday I ended up spending a lost weekend in a benadryl induced coma. I have to admit the swelling went down and my skin was no longer hot but I was still itching violently. Saw the doctor again and this time he prescribes an anti-itch pill that after the second day I finally didn't feel like ripping my skin off. I am also halfheartedly trying to take off my winter padding that I use to keep me warm here in the tropics. You see I am going to Las Vegas for my birthday and Samantha' second wedding in less than a year. She is my oldest. I deserve pizza!

As I have mentioned before, I do not make my own dough as yeast and I do not get along, so I stopped by breadsmith on my way home today and picked up some fresh dough. I don't like conventional pizza ingredients so I am always experimenting with new ideas for toppings. This is one of my latest concoctions!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with pizza brick in the oven on the bottom rack.
Let your dough rest outside of the fridge.

Topping
3 zucchini sliced very thin (my zucchini were big you so you might need more than 3.)
2 C diced ripe tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes...home grown would be amazing!)
1 1/2 t balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic pressed
4-5 T basil leaves chopped or shredded
2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
1/4-1/2 C parmesan cheese grated
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes optional

Slice your zucchini very thin. Chop your tomatoes and put them in a bowl with the garlic and balsamic vinegar then add about 1/2 t salt. In a skillet drizzle 2 T of olive oil in the pan and let get hot on high heat. Add the zucchini and saute till lightly browned on both sides and add salt and pepper.Reduce heat to med. while cooking. You will want to do this in two batches. Now put it all together in the pan and add the tomato mixture, then let simmer for a minute or two and then turn off heat.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and then put on the pizza brick. Prick the dough with a fork and set the timer for about 3 min. Open the oven door and spray olive oil on the dough and add 1/2 the rosemary and then sprinkle with salt. I use kosher salt. Set the timer for 4 min more to let the dough brown a bit. Take out the dough and put on the
counter and spread the vegetable mixture evenly. Sprinkle the top with basil leaves, the remaining rosemary and you can spray with olive oil if it is a bit dry. Add the red pepper flakes if you are using them and evenly sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven to warm back up. Remove the pizza and eat!!!!

This was my piece...I was so hungry I was literally taking off tiny slices even before I could get a good photo!

Green eggs and Ham Biscuit

I was watching Iron Chef America very late the other night as I am an insufferable night owl and the secret ingredient was egg. I joined  the episode late and saw only the presentation to the judges. Bobby Flay had made green eggs and ham with a biscuit for one of his dishes. When he described the eggs as having been infused with basil I thought "wow, what a great idea that sounds delicious!" Not having seen the whole episode I had no idea how he did it but I thought I could make up my own version and yes it did turn out as delicious as they made it sound on TV.

First of all, I bought some little ham slices just the size of my biscuits and fried them up in a skillet.
Meanwhile I made some biscuits. You can use your own recipe but here is mine.

Biscuits
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 C whipping cream

Combine flour,baking powder and salt. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form and stir into flour mixture until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth about 10 to 15 times. Roll dough out to about a 1/2 in thick and then cut with a 3 in biscuit cutter. Repeat with leftover dough. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 12 min. or until lightly browned. It makes about 6.

Eggs
6 large eggs
1/3 C whipping cream
4 T pesto (my homemade recipe that I used is on my vegan pizza post just the non-vegan version)

In a bowl beat eggs with the cream and pesto. Heat up a nonstick skillet on med. heat and add 1 t butter to the pan. Coat the pan and when it sizzles add the eggs and scramble till done. Salt and pepper to taste.

Split open the biscuits and butter the inside slightly. Assemble the biscuit with 2 slices of ham and a pile of eggs.