Chocolate, Need I Say More?

March is definitely the longest month of the year.  Of course it has the maximum days a month can have, and even in a Leap Year, it comes right after the shortest.  But the real reason it is especially long is because it is the month of waiting.  Here in Minnesota we are waiting for snow to be gone, warm sunny days, the first brave bulb flowers to emerge, a robin or two.  And you may get some of those.  But just as your step quickens and you feel the lightness of spring—Bam!  You get hit with a howling blizzard followed by raw dreariness.  And so it seems forever until the steady days of 60+ degrees, green grass and Easter arrive, usually early to mid April. 

What has this to do with food?  Everything, of course. 

Food is comfort, pleasure and available pretty much right away.  No waiting.  You can open a box cake mix and about an hour later be cutting a delicious slice to eat with a glass of milk or a cup of tea.  Or, even more comforting and fun, make a cake from scratch. 

After school, in the 50’s when I grew up, my best friend and I skated on the neighborhood pond, still frozen in March, and as soon as the light went on I headed home.  There, often as not, my Mom (yes, in a housedress and apron) was frosting a beautiful layer cake for our dinner’s dessert.  None of us was fat and we had dessert every night for dinner.  Oh yes, many times a simple pudding or fruit sauce and a cookie, but always something sweet to end the meal.  Of course, cake was best and Mom was famous for her cakes.  When she was 16 she won a week’s trip to the Minnesota State Fair  (she lived in Mankato) for bread and cake and ran away with all kinds of blue ribbons.

Here are a few of her “best” recipes and a couple of my own:

This cake won ME a blue ribbon at the 1969 Minnesota State Fair

The Best Devil’s Food Cake You Can Bake From Scratch

2 Cups (packed) brown sugar                                            2 Cups cake flour, sifted

½ cup (one stick) butter (no substitutes)                        2 tsp. baking soda

½ cup sour cream (not commercial) or buttermilk           ½ tsp. salt

2 eggs                                                                                    2 squares baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1 tsp. vanilla                                                                          1 cup hot water (add last) will thin out batter

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Sift together in a large bowl all the dry ingredients.  Add eggs to butter-sugar mixture one at a time until well blended.  Add vanilla.   Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream or buttermilk.  Add melted and cooled chocolate.  Blend well.  Add cup of hot water and blend until smooth.  Pour batter into 2 9” layer pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 deg. For 28-32 minutes until they test done.  Frost with Uncooked Fudge frosting (recipe follows). 

Uncooked Fudge Frosting

1 pound powdered sugar                                                    1/8 tsp. salt

3 squares baking chocolate, melted and cooled             6-8 Tbsp. heavy cream

5 Tbsp. Butter, melted and cooled                                    1 cup chopped pecans (optional)                     

1 tsp. vanilla

Put sugar in mixer bowl.  Add all other ingredients, except nuts and beat until smooth and glossy.  If too stiff, add cream or milk, one tablespoon at a time.  If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Sprinkle nuts on top of cake.

My children’s all time favorite is yellow cake with penuche frosting.  My middle son, Greg (29) still begs me to bake this for him when he and his wife are visiting from St. Louis, and of course, I do. 

Gold Cake

2-1/2 cups cake flour                                                           ½ cup shortening

1-1/2 cups sugar                                                                   1 cup milk                             

3 tsp. baking powder                                                           1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt                                                                               2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 deg.  Grease and flour 2-9” round layer pans.  Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl.  Blend ½ minute on low speed.  Beat 3 minutes on high speed.  Pour into pans. 

Bake 30-35 minutes or until they test done.  Cool before frosting.

Penuche Frosting

½ cup butter                                                                         ¼ cup milk

1 cup brown sugar (packed)                                               2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan.  Stir in brown sugar.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir over low heat for 2 minutes.  Stir in milk; heat to boiling.  Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. 

Gradually stir in powdered sugar.  Place pan of frosting in bowl of ice and water; beat until of spreading consistency. 

Shortcut:  You can use Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake—almost as good.

A classic cake to make for any event, it’s really old-fashioned but delightful. 

Williamsburg Orange Cake

2 ¾ cups Cake Flour                                                            ¼ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar                                                                     3 eggs

1 ½ tsp. soda                                                                        1 ½ tsp. vanilla

¾ tsp. salt                                                                              1 cup golden raisins, cut up

1 ½ cups buttermilk                                                             ½ cup finely chopped nuts

½ cup butter, softened                                                        1 Tbsp. Grated orange peel

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 9-inch or 3 8-inch round layer pans with vegetable spray.  Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl.  Blend ½ minute on low speed.  Beat 3 minutes on high speed.  Pour into pans.

Butter Frosting for Williamsburg Orange Cake

½ cup soft butter                                                                 4-5 Tbsp. Orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar                                                                1 Tbsp. Grated orange peel

Blend butter and sugar.  Stir in liqueur and orange peel; beat until smooth.

March is Daffodil Month.  What better way to say Happy Spring or Happy Easter than Daffodil Cake with Lemon Glaze.

Daffodil Cake

1 cup cake flour                                                                    ¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. Sugar                                                   6 egg yolks

12 egg whites (1-1/2 cups)                                                  1 ½ tsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. cream of tartar                                                        ½ tsp. almond extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together flour and ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. Sugar; set aside. 

In large mixer bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy.  Add remaining ¾ cup sugar, 2 Tbsp. At a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.  In small mixer bowl, beat egg yolks about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored.  Gently fold flavorings into meringue.

Sprinkle flour-sugar mixture, ¼ at a time, over meringue, folding in gently just until flour-sugar mixture disappears.  Pour half the batter into another bowl; gently fold in egg yolks.  Spoon yellow and white batters alternately into ungreased tube pan.  Gently cut through batters to swirl. 

Bake on bottom shelf of oven about 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger.  Invert pan on funnel; let hang until cake is completely cool.  Spread cake with lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar                                                         2 Tbsp. Milk

½ tsp. grated lemon peel                                                     1-drop yellow food color

1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix all together until smooth.

ASK LYNETTE

I’m looking for some easy but delicious and pretty sandwiches for a fancy tea.  Can you suggest some?

                                                                                                                Char Henn

                                                                                                                Red Wing

For a really easy and pretty presentation make old-fashioned ribbon sandwiches using the two fillings below:

Trim crust from 1 loaf white and 1 loaf whole wheat unsliced sandwich bread.  Cut each loaf horizontally into 6 slices.

For each ribbon loaf, spread each of 2 slices white and 1 slice whole wheat bread with ½ cup of the spreads below.  Assemble loaf, alternating white and whole-wheat slices; top with unspread whole-wheat slice.  Wrap and chill. 

Cut loaves into slices, about ½ inch thick; cut each slice in half.

Deviled Ham Spread

1 can (41/2 ounces) deviled ham                                       2 Tbsp. Sweet pickle relish, drained

¼ cup sour cream                                                                 1 Tbsp. Grated onion

2 Tbsp. Sweet pickle relish, drained                                  Dash Tabasco

Stir together all ingredients until well mixed.

Olive-Nut Spread

1 3-0z pkg. Cream cheese, softened                                  ¼ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

½ cup finely chopped walnuts                                          2 Tbsp. Milk

Stir together all ingredients until well mixed.

I see mangoes in the stores more frequently than in the past and I wondered if you have any good recipes for mangoes.

                                                                                Judy Zerby

                                                                                Fridley, Minnesota

A great question since these tropical fruits are the single best fruit source of cancer-fighting carotenoids and contain as much Vitamin C as an orange; also rich in iron and Vitamin E and packed with fiber.  A super food in every way. 

Orange-Mango Smoothie

½ cup whole milk                                                 1 cup crushed ice

1 cup cubed fresh mango                                                   1-tsp. honey

1 banana                                                                                                2 slices sweet orange, for garnish

½ cup. Freshly squeezed orange juice

In blender, combine milk, mango, banana, juice, ice and honey; blend until smooth.  Pour into 2 tall glasses and garnish each with an orange slice.

Mango Salsa

3 mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped                        2 Tbsp. Lime juice

1 Tbsp. Minced jalapeno peppers                                     1 to 2 dashes Tabasco       

¾ cup chopped green onion                                              2 Tbsp. Fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients in bowl; mix well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12-24 hours.  (Salsa will keep 5 days in refrigerator)  This is very good with broiled fish.