Melissa’s Chocolate-Mouse Dessert Cake

Ingredients: 1 package angel food cake mix, sifted
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: 1. Preheat oven and prepare cake mix as package label directs, adding grated chocolate to flour mixture. 2. Turn batter into ungreased 10" tube pan; bake 30 - 40 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed. 3. Invert pan over neck of bottle. Let cake hang to cool completely. 4. Meanwhile, make cocoa cream filling and frosting. Refrigerate cream, confectioners sugar, and cocoa ( in large bowl) until very cold. 5. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Heat, stirring, over hot water until dissolved. Let cool. 6. Add vanilla and salt to chilled cream. Beat with portable electric mixer until stiff enough to hold its shape. 7. Remove 3 cups cocoa cream; into this, stir the cooled gelatin. Use for filling cake. 8. To prepare cake for filling; remove cake from pan, place upside down on cake plate. Cut 1 inch slice crosswise from the top of the cake, set aside. With knife outline a cavity in cake, leaving 1 inch thick walls. Carefully remove cake from center area leaving a 1 inch base. Reserve the removed cake pieces. 9. Fill cavity of cake with cocoa cream with gelatin. Replace the top portion . Toss cake pieces with a bit of frosting and fill the center hole with them. Frost with remaining cocoa cream. Chill several hours or overnight.

Serves: 12

Joanne’s Famous Chocolate Orange Cake

Cake

Substitute orange juice for the water in a boxed chocolate cake (like Devil’s Food cake) and add half a bag of chocolate chips.

Frosting

1/4 c orange juice (less if using concentrate)
1/2 bag chocolate chips
2 T milk

Melt in chocolate chips with milk and juice in the  microwave, on low heat. Stir every minute. Be careful not to over-cook the chocolate in the microwave.  When it’s melted, add more juice to taste if needed. Beat with fork till shiny and drizzle over cake.

Tamara zests an orange over the top for an added touch of fanciness.

Suzanne sent the full recipe for her chicken recipe. We had it tonight and invited Grandma and our neighbor, Heather, for dinner (and celebrated Heather's birthday). I substituted Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) for the whole grain bread crumbs and it was great.

Baked Ranch parmesan chicken

6 chicken breasts halves
½ Cup Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup whole grain bread crumbs
½ Cup Digorno grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (opt.)
1+ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon salt

Marinate chicken in ranch dressing overnight (4 hours minimum)Preheat oven to 450
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, sage and salt. Mix well. Coat the marinated chicken in breading mixture and place in lightly sprayed 9 x 13 glass pan.
Bake 20 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 30 minutes or until done.

Black Rice Dessert

1 cup black rice
1.5 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar

Open coconut milk from bottom of can. Pour coconut milk into a glass and scoop out the cream into a small bowl. Put cream into the fridge. Mix sugar salt and water until all dissolve. Put in rice cooker with black rice and coconut milk. Press button. Wait with bated breath until rice is done. Allow to cool a bit. With wet hands form into balls, place on dessert plates. Dab some coconut cream on each ball.

Garnish with mango or mint leaves or something if you feel extra fancy tonight. This might take advance planning, so you should have decided how fancy you were going to feel ahead of time.

This is the recipe I should have followed, not the recipe I did follow.

Leslie's Mock Libation

Leslie Melchert, Age 20, Des Plaines, IL (First Prize Winner)

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (3-4 oranges)
2-3 orange segments
1 Tbsp. vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp. orange-flavored gelatin (dry)
Orange and/or grapefruit segments
Fresh mint

Prepare glass.*
In blender, combine all ingredients except garnish; blend until smooth. Pour into prepared glass; garnish with 3 citrus segments threaded on long wooden skewer. Top drink with mint. Makes one 9 oz serving.

*Chill tall (10-12 oz) glass in freezer. Turn frosted glass upside-down on small amount of additional orange-flavored gelatin to coat rim; return to freezer.

Whizzy Sour Mocktail

Whizzy Sour (Janna Jarvis, Age 17, Little Rock, AR)

2 cups fresh squeezed OJ (6-8 oranges)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 bottle (1 liter) lemon-lime soda or club soda
Orange cartwheel slices
Maraschino cherries

Combine fruit juices. Pour into 2 ice cube trays; freeze.
To serve, place 3-4 frozen cubes in each 8oz glass.
Fill with soda; stirr well.
Garnish with orange slices and cherries.
(Makes 24 cubes for 6-8 7 oz. servings)

Note: Unused "orange cubes" can be stored in plastic bag in freezer. Make a couple of trays ahead and keep in freezer to have on hand.

Mocktails (Mock Cocktails)

Years ago I received a Sunkist pamphlet on Mock Cocktails. It included "Twenty-two award winning party time beverage recipes from the 1989 "Sunkist/S.A.D.D. )Students Against Driving Drunk) Mock-Cocktail Recipe Contest. Each recipe contains refreshing, flavorful citrus juices and a colorful citrus garnish for extra eye appeal." So credit goes to "Sunkist Growers, Inc., Consumer Affairs Dept., Box 7888, Van Nuys, CA 91409" just in case you want to write them for these recipes (by now they are probably on a website somewhere). So, not having tried any, I thought I'd like to write them down to try sometime!

Phantom of the Prom Punch (Elizabeth H. Brown, Age 14, Rex, GA)
2 quarts fresh squeezed orange juice, chilled (24-32 oranges)*
1 bottle (48 oz) guava fruit drink, chilled
1 can (12 oz) frozen concentrated cranberry juice cocktail, thawed
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 bottles (1 liter each) club soda, chilled
Orange Peel Rose Ice Ring**

In large punch bowl, combine fruit juices and almond extract; stir well. Float Ice ring in punch. Makes 22 cups

*Make orange peel roses before cutting oranges in half and juicing.
**To unmold Ice Ring, place metal mold briefly in warm water; remove Ice Ring and float in punch.

Orange Peel Rose Ice Ring: With vegetable parer or knife, peel 4-6 oranges in thin continuous spirals (about 3/4 to 1 inch wide), removing outer colored layer of peel only. (If necessary, palce peel in near-boiling water for 1-2 minutes to make more pliable; cool in cold water for easy handling.) Cut peel into 6-8 inch length strips. To make roses, wind each strip of peel in revers, with colored side in. Roll peel to form a rose shape with the bottom of the roll tighter than the top so the rose will flare open a bit. Secure with toothpick. Make 8-12 roses; freeze for one hour. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into a 1 1/2 quart metal ring mold. Cut off excess toothpick from each rose. Arrange roses, upside-down, in mold; freeze until firm. Add enough water to cover roses, freeze again. Fill mold with water to within 1/2 inch of top; freeze until firm.

Ranch Baked Chicken

Aunt Suzanne served this on their 40th wedding anniversary today. It sounds really good.

Marinate chicken in ranch dressing overnight.
Make a breading of
bread crumbs (used whole wheat),
sage,
salt
and parmesan cheese
Coat chicken pieces (dressing is so thick breading really sticks)
Bake at 450 for 20 minutes then 350 until done

Eileen has a similar recipe. Bread chicken with crushed saltine crackers mixed with Parmesan cheese and bake (no ranch dressing, however). Eileen's recipe is called Trena's treat (or something like that).

Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Very easy, but delectable. It’s just sushi rice formed into a shape with stuff in it, sometimes wrapped in nori (seaweed paper.)

Here’s how I made mine.

Sushi Rice:
1 & 1/2 cups sushi rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
roasted sesame seeds

Sushi rice tastes much better than long grain rice and will form better balls. It is found in the oriental section of Kroger’s.
1. Put the rice in the rice cooker with 2  cups of water.
2. While the rice is cooking, bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil, then set aside.
3. When the rice is done, pour in the sauce and fluff gently.
4. Sprinkle sesame seeds liberally  and then fluff some more.
5. Taste.
If it needs more sesame seeds, repeat the last 2 steps until it’s good.
6. Form into shapes. I just use my hands to form it into flattened ball shapes or into triangles. I have also done squares and hearts. The rice could be packed into anything to give it shape though, e.g., cookie cutters, mugs, rubber ice cube trays, etc. The key is to make sure your hands and whatever implements you use are wet so the rice doesn’t stick.
7. (optional) Wrap with nori. For ideas on how, see Google.

A Mexican Fiesta

Tamara and I made a delicious meal while singing Amigos Para Siempre tonight in Tennessee. Apparently, Tamara does not think I sound like José Carreras even with my best vibrato.

Here’s our menu:

Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadillas

Black refried beans

Rice

Jalapeño carrots

Plátanos

Horchata – (a recipe shared by Whitney Todd via Logan Julander)

For 2 quarts of Horchata:

Soak a cup of rice for 6 or so hours.

Blend the rice in the water it has been soaking in.

Add one can of sweetened condensed milk*, a couple of cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and half a cap of vanilla.

Add water and lots of ice y gozar.

*I was under the impression that dulce de leche was the same thing as sweetened condensed milk. That is false. They are not the same. However, it makes an interesting (and tasty) variation that I would do again on purpose.

Taco Soup

1 large can Tomato Juice
2 cans corn
2 cans drained pinto, black or kidney beans
1 lb browned hamburger
1 pkt taco seasoning
1 can tomato paste
1 chopped onion (or can use as topping)

Place above in crockpot and heat on low.

Toppings:
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped or Sliced black Olives
Chopped Onions (Optional)
Corn Chips (Fritoes)

I generally don't put in the tomato paste (because I just don't have it on hand) and it turns out great; its a little thicker with the tomato paste.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

This is the recipe from Janet Lawrence that she made for Suzanne's birthday! It is fantastic, but does take time.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)
4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosted, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)
5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup cream
1. In the top of double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Bread Machine Recipe

This is what I use to make bread in our bread machine:

1/4 cup margarine
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Our machine calls for liquid ingredients first. The margarine should be soft our cut into slices. Our machine also states to put the yeast on top, last ingredient. Be sure to check your machine recommendations.

Roll Recipe

Bread Rolls
Makes 2 dozen plain rolls or 1 large coffeecake, or 1½ large sweet rolls
(I always doubled this. For richer rolls double the eggs and sugar.)
Mix together
1c lukewarm milk
¼ c sugar
1 t salt
Crumble into mixture 1 pkg. dry granular yeast
Stir until yeast is dissolved.
Stir in 1 egg
Add ¼ c soft shortening (margarine or butter)
Mix in with spoon or by hand 3½-3¾ c sifted flour
Add in two additional
Use amount of flour necessary to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough onto lightly floured board, cover and let stand 10 min. to tighten up, then knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl turning once to bring greased side up. Cover with damp cloth and set to rise at 85º until indentation remains when two fingers are pressed deeply into dough (double in bulk)… about 2 hrs. Punch down Round up and set to rise again until not quite double in bulk… about 45 min. Punch down dough. Round up on board, cover and let rise 15 min until impression remains when dough is pinched gently with fingers (double in bulk). Bake 12- 35 min (depending on size) in hot oven(425º). Makes 2 dozen plain rolls or 1 large coffeecake, or 1½ large sweet rolls.

Easter Rolls

Easter Rolls (Resurrection Rolls – hollow tomb)
Make Bread dough or use canned biscuits
Cinnamon Sugar
Melted Margarine/Butter
Large Marshmallows

Dip marshmallow in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar. Flatten bread dough into circle (enough for one roll). Wrap bread dough around marshmallow and seal completely
Place on cookie sheet and let raise. Bake 15-20 minutes at 425º.

Whoops - this is now on the blog twice - Andrea asked me last night to post it.

Swiss Chard Tuna Salad with Egg

We have a forest of Swiss Chard growing and found a great recipe online.  We modified it a bit:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped kalamata olive

2 teaspoons brine from the olives

2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained

3/4 cups chopped Swiss chard stems

2 to 3 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

                                         1 cup chopped green onions

                                         4 hard boiled eggs, cubed

                                         Salt & pepper to taste

                                         Serves 4

Creamed Tuna

Thanks to Andrea for looking up the recipes for Creamed Tuna and Baking Powder Biscuits. And for the suggestion.

4 tbs	Margarine
1/4 cup	flour
1/2 tsp	salt
1/8 tsp	pepper
2 cups	milk
2 cans	tuna

Melt margarine on low.
Blend flour, salt, and pepper until smooth and bubbly.
Remove from heat and stir in milk slowly.
Boil 1 minute until sauce thickens.
Add tuna and reheat.
Serve over biscuits or toast.

Joanne’s Baking Powder Biscuits

Yield: 14 biscuits

4 cup	flour
1/2 cup	sugar (I use half that)
1/4 tsp	baking soda
2 heaping tbs	baking powder
pinch	salt
1 1/3 cup	milk
1/3 cup	oil

Pre-heat the oven to 375.
Choose the right cutter for the biscuits.
Mix the dry ingredients.
Add milk and oil.
Stir until just mixed. Make sure it is still lumpy.
Roll out, cut, and bake 20 minutes.

Eggnog

Here is the recipe for eggnog we used this year as emailed to me by my mom. Make sure that you turn off the burner when you’re done cooking, or you’ll end up with a thin lumpy custard instead of a drink.

Recipe By: Better Homes and Garden
Yield: 4 cups

1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4  teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
2 egg whites
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipping cream
nutmeg

Beat together 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 egg yolks.  Add salt and milk.  Heat on the stove at medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture starts to coat the spoon.  Mom and I watch for bubbles to form at the edge of the pot.  Cool (if you want).
Beat egg whites and slowly add the 3 teaspoons of sugar.  Beat to soft peaks.  Add vanilla.
Fold egg white mixture into milk mixture.
Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with a bit of ground nutmeg.

Eggnog

Here is the recipe for eggnog we used this year as emailed to me by my mom. Make sure that you turn off the burner when you’re done cooking, or you’ll end up with a thin custard instead of a drink.

Recipe By: Better Homes and Garden
Yield: 4 cups

1/3 cup Sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4  teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
2 egg whites
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipping cream
nutmeg

Beat together 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 egg yolks.  Add salt and milk.  Heat on the stove at medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture starts to coat the spoon.  Mom and I watch for bubbles to form at the edge of the pot.  Cool (if you want).
Beat egg whites and slowly add the 3 teaspoons of sugar.  Beat to soft peaks.  Add vanilla.
Fold egg white mixture into milk mixture.
Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with a bit of ground nutmeg.