Cherry chocolate cake

 

Check out the spoon: beside the color which is my fave, it's obviously disposable. But this is something sweet with a double meaning. Latdawan, a Management major gave this little treat to me. When I smiled at her, "what's this for?" she shrugged, "nothing" then browsed her book. I'm a bit chary about accepting gifts from students; don't want to be compromised come evaluation time. Fortunately, I didn't have to with Latdawan. She's one brainy student.

When it comes to cakes, I always love it moist. Here's a recipe from Linda Larsen that you may want to try.

Ingredients:

1 (18- oz) package chocolate cake mix                        1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract                            1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar                                                               1 (21-oz) can cherry pie filling
6 tablespoons butter                                                     1/3 cup whole milk
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips         2 eggs

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9" pan with nonstick baking spray containing flour and set aside. In large bowl, combine cake mix, cherry pie filling, 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, then beat 1 minute at medium speed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until cake is set.

While cake is in the oven, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and milk in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir with a wire whisk until the chips are melted and frosting is smooth. Pour over warm cake and spread to cover. Let cool on wire rack before serving.

Note: You don't need to refrigerate this cake because of the milk in the frosting. There's so much sugar and fat in the frosting that the milk doesn't present a safety hazard even when left at room temperature.

Rednesday * Color Connection

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Scallops and mango strips

A meal that involves something deep fried and a salad is usually an automatic win for me. This was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions to explore the menu of a restaurant that does not require a reservation. I then naturally chose my favorite combination of tastes in these fried scallops with mango strips in sweet and sour sauce.

I fancy those fresh sea scallops that are 'seared in thyme-infused butter and drenched in white wine.' But while the link for that fancy is broken, here's an alternative recipe from Southern Food, which I think is just as yummy. 

Ingredients:
1 cup flour                                                                         1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika                                                             2 eggs
2 tablespoons water                                                           fine dry bread crumbs
2 cups scallops, cut to about 3/4-inch cubes if large

Preparation:
If scallops are large, cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Dry completely with paper towel. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and paprika. In another bowl, whisk eggs with water. Put bread crumbs in a third bowl. Dip scallops in the flour mixture, then dip in egg, then in the bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil at about 370° until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Serves 6.

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Chocolate mint ice cream

When I ordered ice cream at a big lunch I hosted in 2004 for (m/l) 300 family and friends at my father's funeral reception, I also wondered how it was made. I like to have an idea of how something I'm eating came to be. The recipe I'm sharing comes from Rita on Food: Home of the Home Cook.

She says her son likes chocolate mint ice cream and she made this for his birthday. In the meantime I can only buy scoops for my son and for a slightly different reason - to bribe him to eat veggies. The plan though is to try this recipe myself when things at work calm down.

Ingredients:
2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
9 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons pure mint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine.

Add the remaining half-and-half and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine.

Temper the cream mixture by stirring cream into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about third of the cream mixture has been added. Whisk in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature to cool for 30 minutes. Stir in the mint extract and vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, Cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.

Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

Rewind to (circa) 1989
Miss Rallos, a vintage, fat old maid, very strict you don't want to cross her, was the manager of the dormitory I lived in when I was in boarding college.  My  roommates and  I would queue up for her signature on our clearance slips before we could take final exams.  Once my turn was about five girls ahead; I made use of the time observing things in her lair...err...kitchen. On the wall near the bathroom there was this picture poster of a mommy koala and her baby looking cheeky. I still memorize what it said, and I'm using the words nowadays to make a little story of how the kiddo is so difficult to feed. 

Fast forward to 2008
This chocolate mint ice cream was actually my choice, not the kiddo's. At first he was timid about it. I introduced him to some of life's sweetest things by telling him a story about how that pretty nun Mommy saw in Dalby Forest (England) ate an ice cream just like this one. This was also his reward for trying to eat salad during lunch earlier. By the time he finished eating, the melting ice cream had dripped from his little fingers down to his elbow and soaked his shirt, and I found out I had no more Kleenex in my purse so we rushed home by taking the sky train.

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