Image Map
Showing posts with label cocoa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cocoa. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Peppermint Patty Cake

Peppermint and Chocolate and Coffee...How bad can that be?

In just a few days, it will be Valentine's Day.  I'll be honest, it's my least favorite holiday.  I know, it's ~really~ not about hearts and flowers and being someone's special all-important valentine.  Yeah, right!  My friend, Melanie, has tried to convince me for years that the holiday is more about honoring the ones we love, family and friends, not just the romance part of the holiday.  As I said, "Yeah, right!"  So, in honor of my friends and family who love me anyway, I made this Peppermint Patty Cake. 
  
This cake is based on a potato cake recipe from my Aunt Barbara.  Again, a recipe written by-hand on a little card and old, old, old.  We think it may have been my Grandmother's recipe.  It calls for mashed potatoes and cocoa.  The original recipe also called for other spices, but I focused on the peppermint and chocolate combination.  Moist and full of chocolate flavor, I'm pretty proud of this one!  I will say, too, this peppermint frosting was lick-the-bowl-clean frosting.  It is that good.

And, I did a bit of research on the Peanuts character, Peppermint Patty, from whom I stole this name...I grew up with Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty.  I had forgotten that she was created in the era of women's lib and the Equal Right Amendment.  More interestingly, I also remembered her great crush on Chuck, as she called Charlie.  Unrequited love as I recall.  Something about Chuck being all confused with what to do with a girl that actually liked him...Maybe she was just too strong for Chuck...Something I can relate to...I just don't know.  

So, to all those strong women out there and for all the men beside them, Happy Valentine's Day!

Pin It
Print Friendly and PDF

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Amaretto and Irish Coffee Truffles

Amaretto and Irish Coffee truffles - deceptively easy idea for Valentine's Day, or just because <3
Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! I'd hoped to get this post up much sooner, but this past week got the better of me and in those precious hours that I'm not working or commuting, I've become rather computer-averse! The good news is, these truffles are really, truly easy. They require minimal planning ahead (which is great if, like me, you're grocery shopping-averse) and would make a fabulous last minute surprise if you're feeling so inclined.
Print Friendly and PDF

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Pin It

Grocery shopping, or cupcake concocting?



You can guess how it turned out, but that was the dilemma I toiled over last night as I made my way home from work. Sensibility was gaining the lead as I considered all of the preparation I need to do for Christmas Eve dinner, which I'll be hosting at my house. I very sensibly considered all of the things I could accomplish early by getting my grocery shopping done that very night. Frivolity, however, edged out a narrow win - I think the bumper to bumper traffic and kamikaze-esque drivers wore me down. By the time I got home, I was in full denial mode. Christmas Eve, looming only three days away? No big deal. I have LOTS of time, right??

Print Friendly and PDF

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Dirty Girl Scout Cookies

I love the name of these cookies!  Conjures up a lot of images, eh?  Good images, not-so-good images.  Is it "Dirty-Girl Scout-Cookie" or is it "Dirty Girl-Scout Cookie"?  Hum, I'll leave that up to you!  :)

Here's a shot of the finished cookies and new cocktail...Soon to become one of my favorite cocktails.  And, I will honestly say: one of my Top 10 Cookies!!!!!

I made this large so you could see the cookie and
 marvel over the layered effect of this cocktail creation.

So, you wonder how I ever found this one?  Well, I was feeling, I don't know, stressed about almost everything in my life.  When that happens I either: bake something or buy something.  This time, I bought 2 new cookbooks, both booze-themed.  This recipe comes from The Boozy Baker, by Lucy Baker.  Seriously, her name is Baker.  When I saw this title and looked at the ingredients and accompanying cocktail, I WAS IN! 

How bad can ANY cookie or cocktail be with those three liqueurs, along with an equal part of vodka?  I'll save the recipes for the end of the post just in case you'd like to try these on your own.  I HIGHLY recommend both for your next autumn night baking respite.
Print Friendly and PDF

Friday, September 23, 2011

Chocolate and Port Cupcakes



 Hints of cherry, deep chocolate, yet subtly sweet.  Ah, and a bit of ROMANCE you say?   Chocolate and wine seem to be the "go-to" romantic dessert of choice for those of us who have enjoyed the fruit of the grapevine for quite some time.  I first stumbled on this particular food pairing in my mid-20s.  A friend and drinking buddy, among other adventures in our early lives, introduced me.  I wasn't so sure.  One taste of a good dark chocolate and a good Cab, and it was a match not to be trumped for some time.

I made these cupcakes after sampling a port at my brother's house a few weeks ago.  He loves port.  He likes sweet wine.  I like it after dinner sometimes.  Mostly, I drink it when I go to his and my SIL's house.  I used it last year for a really great roast pork tenderloin with fig and port sauce.  Not a BIWB thang, so you're on your own for that one.

I used several recipes, and probably didn't follow any one in particular.  I made these buttermilk chocolate with port cupcakes based on the Sweet Chocolate Port Cupcakes from Cupcake Wars.  I did not include the filling.  I made the port reduction from this same recipe.  The frosting is my old stand-by buttercream, and I used port wine and port reduction in the frosting to substitute for the liquid.  The port reduction added a nice and subtle fruity note to this frosting.  B-E-A-U-TI-FUL color.  My favorite sugar pearls added just that little bit of elegance and savoir faire. 
Print Friendly and PDF

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...