If Life Gives You Snow, Make Snow Cream

Chocolate snow cream. *

The Weather Forecasters were predicting a rather substantial snow fall last night, so I set out a large bowl on our patio table out back to catch some snow for making snow cream.  When I was a kid my Mama made snow cream for us every time there was snowfall.  As I recall she would mix a beaten egg, milk, sugar and vanilla in with the snow.  Nowadays it isn't safe to eat raw eggs so I omitted that in my recipe.  Actually I didn't have a recipe, I just mixed the snow with chocolate milk, a bit of heavy cream and sugar to taste.  Dan had requested chocolate snow cream, and we happened to have chocolate milk on hand.

Bowl full of fresh snow.

The bowl was full of snow when I got up this morning, and I thought I would put it in the freezer until I was ready to make the snow cream.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  After about an hour I began to wonder if the snow would freeze solid, so I went out to check it and sure enough the top was a layer of frozen snow, so I brought it in.  I could dig down into the bowl where the snow was still not frozen though and that is where I made the snow cream.

Top frozen.  Dug down into middle where the snow was not frozen.

I just gradually added chocolate milk, a bit of sugar, and some heavy cream into the middle of the bowl and stirred until it was incorporated with the snow.

Mixing ingredients into snow.

Ready to eat.  

It was more like a chocolate slushie.  Dan and I each had a small bowl, and it was okay.  It had to be eaten immediately because it melted quickly.

But one member of our family found it absolutely delicious.

Maggie eating a bit of the slushie.  There wasn't much chocolate milk left. (I know dogs should not eat chocolate.)

Here's a recipe I found on line, but as I said, I think you can just add the milk, and sugar to taste and to consistency.  Next time I won't put the snow in the freezer.

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon snow
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk

Directions

1.

When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.

* Dan is an environmental biologist, and he said it won't hurt you to eat snow cream occasionally.  This is for those of you who are worried about pollutants in the air.  Dan is very cautious about things like that, so I thought if he said it was okay it would not be harmful.  

Pecan Pie Truffles (Vegan)

Pecan Pie Truffles

This recipe* from the NY Times is quite fun to make and is absolutely delicious.  The truffle features the best part of a pecan pie but with a chocolate coating.  I'm not vegan, but this recipe is.  I loved it anyway.  No eggs, no milk, no butter. No cooking except for melting the chocolate.

My friend Virginia from Greensboro was here for a visit and we made these.  It's always fun to cook with a friend.  These will freeze nicely, so I have some stashed away in the freezer ready for the holidays.

Ingredients

• 2½cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 1cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1cup dark brown sugar, packed
• ½teaspoon salt
• 2tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼cup bourbon
• 1teaspoon vanilla
• 7ounces dark chocolate

Preparation

• 1 In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Use your hands to make sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated.
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• 2 Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
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• 3 In the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, then place onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 15 minutes or until firm.

All ingredients mixed together.

Walnut-sized balls ready for the freezer.

Melt dark chocolate in double boiler. 

Chocolate coated and ready to eat or ready to freeze for the holidays. 

A bite out reveals the pecan pie center. 

I will serve these in a candy dish that was a wedding gift to Mama,  I remember it holding candy every Christmas. 

Yes, I think I will add this recipe to my holiday recipes book.  

*Check out this website.

Cheerwine Cake

A piece of moist Cheerwine cake.

After a ballgame the other week, Michael, Zach and I stopped by PDQ Barbecue to get a snack.  When I walked in I saw this enormous pile of Cheerwine cases.  Cheerwine is just about my favorite soda. Back in the 50s we rarely drank sodas, but when I did my choice was Cheerwine which has its roots in Salisbury, NC.

Cases of Cheerwine soda at PDQ in Raleigh. 

 

I immediately remembered seeing a reference to Cheerwine Cake in a recent Our State magazine.  I bought four.  One to drink and the others to take home for making the cake.  The waitress told me I could buy a case for $32.00.  I was tempted, because it is sometimes difficult to find Cheerwine even here in North Carolina where it is made.  I resisted because I try not to drink many sodas. 

 

Here's a recipe.

Cheerwine Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup Cheerwine or Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup Cheerwine or Coca-Cola
1 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan well with butter or shortening.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix to combine.

Mix dry ingredients.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder, Cheerwine, and buttermilk. Stir over medium heat until butter has melted and mixture has combined.

Melting the butter in the liquid ingredients.

Remove chocolate mixture from heat, and with the mixer running on low, slowly pour into the flour mixture. Add in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix until combined, then pour into prepared baking pan.

Ready to pour into baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the frosting/glaze. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, Cheerwine, and maraschino juice. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and carefully whisk in 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Pour the frosting over the warm cake. 

Let sit for at least 2 hours before cutting, or even overnight. We let it sit overnight and enjoyed it the next day.  It was so moist. 

Very moist cake.

Here it is ready to eat.  It was a bit sweet with the frosting.  It would be delicious without the frosting and next time I will omit the frosting.

Ready to enjoy.

It's nice with a dollop of whipped cream and garnished with a maraschino cherry.
And by the way.  I enjoyed a nice cold Cheerwine while I was making the cake. 

A nice cold Cheerwine.  Delish!!!!

Chocolate Festival in Robbins

Cake decorating demonstration by professional chef Walter Viegelmann.

I've never seen so much chocolate as I did at the Chocolate Festival in Robbins yesterday  It was a fun event, but I must say I have had quite enough chocolate for a while, and I'm a real chocolate lover.

Fruit and dessert tidbits for dipping in the chocolate fountain.

Book signing by Foy Allen Edelman.

Cafe with hotdogs and of course plenty of chocolate desserts available for sale.

I contributed this walnut-chocolate meringue cake--gluten free--good with whipped cream.

One of my favorites was this chocolate pie contributed by Randy Hussey.

The Three Musketeers--entry into Chocolate Fashion Show.

Springtime Tea with the First Lady of Chocolate

Alice Medrich reading from her new book Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts

Yesterday afternoon friend Marcia and I had a delightful time at Fearrington Village and McIntyre's Book Store where we attended a spring tea. Although tea and desserts were delicious, the highlight was meeting Alice Medrich who introduced us to her most recent book,  Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts.  

Marcia perusing Medrich's book.

Relaxing in the Reading Room before the tea.

We arrived early and had time to browse McIntyre's Book Store and peruse Medrich's book before the tea while we relaxed in the Reading Room of the Book Store.

Samples of desserts.

Samples of desserts from Medrich's book were served and although hot tea was available, because it was a very warm day most folks opted for iced tea.

Table set for tea.

I finished my iced tea in quick order.  It was a hot afternoon.

Lovely fascinator, lovely lady.

 The beautiful fascinator that one lady wore was very appropriate for an afternoon tea.

We each received an autographed copy of Medrich's new book Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts just released by Artisan Books.

Medrich signing books.

 You will find recipes— for soufflés and tarts and pies and even a torte or two— that you might not expect in a book meant for cooks in a hurry, cooks with small kitchens, beginners, or self proclaimed bake-ophobes, not to mention great cooks who just don't like to make dessert.  Alice Medrich's Blog

I can't wait to try some of these easy desserts.  

McIntyre's Book Store was kind enough to donate one of Alice's signed books for the Chocolate Festival in Robbins.  It will be available at the Silent Auction.  Come out on Saturday, you may win it.

The Angus Barn's Chocolate Chess Pie

Image from the Angus Barn website.

A famous dessert from the Angus Barn is their chocolate chess pie. I made it recently. As you may know from some of my earlier posts, I'm trying chocolate recipes to decide what I'll take to the Chocolate Festival in Moore County.  This is a great pie, very rich, and it will satisfy your chocolate craving.

A really, really good chocolate chess pie.

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 (1 ounce) Bakers semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 dash salt

Directions 

1. Melt butter and chocolate
2. Mix with other ingredients which have been blended together.
3. Pour into pie crust,.
4. Bake 35 minutes, at 350.
5. Top with whipped cream.  (Except I didn't when I made it.)

Chocolate Shortbread

I'm trying out more chocolate recipes and recently I made this chocolate shortbread with a recipe from the Joy of Baking website. Chocolate Shortbread Recipe

Chocolate Shortbread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with the rack in the center of the oven. Lightly butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract and egg yolk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until a dough forms. Press the shortbread dough in an even layer onto the bottom of the tart pan. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, or just until the shortbread is set and no longer looks wet. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. While the shortbread is baking, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water (this can also be done in the microwave). Immediately upon removing the shortbread from the oven, pour the warm chocolate glaze over the shortbread and, using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, evenly spread the glaze over the shortbread. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and press them gently into the glaze. Let the chocolate shortbread cool completely then remove the sides of the tart pan and cut into 16 wedges. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or they can be frozen Makes 16 shortbread wedges. This is nice and buttery and not too sweet.  I think I'll make this to take down to the  Chocolate Festival in Robbins

Chocolate Shortbread: 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 large egg yolk Chocolate Glaze: 3 ounces (90 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 1/2 cup (120 ml) semi sweet chocolate chips) 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/3 cup (80 ml) salted or unsalted toasted nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts), coarsely chopped

Cappuccino-Walnut Toffee

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett (Southern Living magazine).

I always make toffee at Christmas time using my recipe for traditional English toffee, but when I ran across this recipe in Southern Living, I thought I would give it a try.  I liked the idea of combining cappucino and walnuts.  I use pecans in my traditional recipe.  I also thought the swirled dark and white chocolate gave a nice effect.  Here's the recipe:

 YIELD: Makes about 2 lb.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 1/4 cups butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark unsulphured molasses
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate morsels
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
2. Bake walnuts at 350° in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Let cool 30 minutes.
3. Melt 1 1/4 cups butter in a 3 1/2-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir in granulated sugar, next 5 ingredients, and 1/3 cup water. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 290° (soft crack stage), about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and stir in walnuts. Quickly pour mixture into prepared pan, and spread into an even layer. Immediately sprinkle milk chocolate and white chocolate morsels over top; let stand 5 minutes. Swirl chocolate using an off-set spatula. Cover and chill until firm (about 1 hour). Break toffee into pieces. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 7 days. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Southern Living FEBRUARY 2011

Cappuccino-Walnut Toffee.

When I tried to swirl the white and chocolate morsels, the white just became incorporated into the dark chocolate or remained under the dark chocolate, and I didn't get the swirled effect.  I think perhaps I didn't wait the full 5 minutes to swirl the two.  While I do like the cappucino flavor for a change,  I think I'm going to stick with my traditional recipe which is virtually fail-proof.