Leap Year

I noticed something yesterday. This laid back woman has forgotten how to relax.  I did enjoy a few good movies (The Bourne Ultimatum, Leap Year and Last Chance Harvey) and read an entire book (Beat Until Stiff), but it took awhile to get there.  I had to pause the first movie about 10 times.  Good thing I’ve got so many chocolate people interested in guest blogging.  I’m going to start taking one day a week off where I don’t write.  It has to be good for the soul. I hope our guest bloggers will bring you a different aspect of their chocolate world to yours.

Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie

Today. It has finally cooled down in Chicago.  I saw it was National Hot Fudge Sundae day so I went out to get everything to make one. Decided on Ben and Jerry’s Fudge Brownie instead.  Serves 4.  4 what? My 7 year old nephew can polish off a pint of that in 15 minutes.  Still one of my favorites.  Today is also a big night for TV.  PBS has the last new episode of Poirot on tonight entitled Appointment with Death.  Lots of actors from this one were in The Mummy.  Mad Men also premiers tonight, however Comcast decided to taketh away…

Poirot- Appointment with Death (Photo Courtesy of PBS)

Chocolate wise today?  My lovely friend and mystery guru Janet Rudolph has provided us with a Coca-Cola Cake for the Mad Men premier or I’m sure Poirot wouldn’t mind either..  Do you remember when Coke used sugar instead of corn syrup and it came in those little glass bottles? Ah nostalgia.  (A little side note. Anyone remember when the McDonald’s sign said 10 million served?  I noticed that it says 99 billion when I drove by today.) You can still find the Coke in baby glass bottles around the US, but you have to go to another country to buy Coke with sugar in it as opposed to corn syrup.  My Nana used to make this cake when I was little. I forgot all about it.  Thanks Janet!

Mad Men

But first…you need to make sure you have all of the ingedients to make Janet Rudolph’s Dying for Chocolate (mystery and chocolate, get it?) Coca-Cola Cake for your authentic Mad Men premier snack…Janet thought she’d leave you a choice on the icing.  She provided two recipes. ( I think I might try a bit of cocoa in that PB icing next time and see what happens.) If you want to update it a bit, you can make them into cupcakes.  I remember my Nana added chocolate chips to the mix before as well.  Why not?

Note: Whatever you do, do NOT use Diet Coke.  That stuff will kill you anyway. (P.S.  Did you vote yet today?)

If you have any nostalgic chocolate recipes that you want to share with us, I’d love you to send them! Two of my all time favorites were my Nana’s Sour Cream Chocolate Cake and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with the Hershey Kiss in the middle. You can find the cake in the recipe archives. cookie recipe will follow for the holidays.

My Coca-Cola Cake

Coca-Cola Cake

Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 c. unsifted cake flour
2 c. sugar
2 sticks butter
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 c. Coca-Cola
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Sift together the flour and sugar. Heat to boiling point the butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Add to the flour and sugar mixture. Stir to blend. Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, salt and vanilla. Stir with a spoon until well blended. Pour into a greased and floured oblong pan (Pyrex dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Batter will be thin. Ice while hot.

Coca-Cola Icing

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
6 tbsp. Coca-Cola
1 box confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. cocoa

Directions:
Heat to boiling point the butter, cocoa and Cola-Cola. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; stir to blend. Using a fork, make holes in the hot cake and pour the hot icing over it.

Broiled Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp Butter
1 cup  Brown Sugar; Dark, Packed
2/3 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Milk
2/3 cup Peanuts; Chopped

Directions:
Cream Butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Add milk and stir well. Add nuts. Spread over warm cake. Place iced cake under broiler about 4-inches from heat source. Broil just a few seconds, or until topping starts to bubble. DO NOT scorch! Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Southern Coca-Cola Cake with Pecans