Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake

For Goodness Cake

To say that my daughter has varied interests would be the understatement of the century. She has a long list of activities she enjoys participating in, and they are all over the map. Drama Club? Yep. Ceramics Class? Woo Hoo! Gardening Club? Sure. Softball? Definitely! Bluegrass Fiddle? Yee Haw! Add a little paint or glitter and basic carpentry into that mix, and you get the idea. She is like a box of chocolates, and determination should have been her middle name instead of Jane.

On top of everything else, my daughter loves to cook. It makes sense that she would, given how much of my time I devote to cooking and food—she gets it through osmosis. Her love of cooking goes beyond the usual: she has become obsessed with certain shows on the Food Network. Guys Grocery Games would is one, but she has gone Coo Coo for Cocoa Puffs over the Kids Baking Championship.

I admit, I found myself watching with her because it was fascinating. These kids were creating some amazing desserts—all on their own. Well, almost. They had to have had some help. (At least I have to tell myself that so I can feel better, because some of the items they made would have been difficult for most adults…including me.)

Either way, it made my daughter more daring and confident in the kitchen. (Me too!) I let her do more on her own. In fact, since my Dad’s Birthday celebration is this Sunday, I am going to let my daughter make Papa Dave’s favorite birthday cake…all by herself. ( I will still be monitoring. Giving an 8 year old, with a wild imagination, free reign can be a bit messy!)

Here is the recipe inspired by America’s Test Kitchen. I’ll let you know how it goes…

Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake
Adapted from Americas Test Kitchen
Serves 10 to 12

Their notes: Do not substitute semisweet chocolate chips for the chopped semisweet chocolate in the frosting—chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter than bar chocolate and will not melt as readily. For best results, don’t make the frosting until the cakes are cooled, and use the frosting as soon as it is ready. If the frosting gets too cold and stiff to spread easily, wrap the mixer bowl with a towel soaked in hot water and mix on low speed until the frosting appears creamy and smooth. Refrigerated leftover cake should sit at room temperature before serving until the frosting softens. Read more…

Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart

Bon Anniversaire
Last Sunday my mother turned 70. (She’s going to love that I published that.) Since this is one of those big birthdays we, of course, had to do something big to mark the occasion. So, as per usual in my family, we ate. We ate very well. And we drank. We drank very very well. (The French do know their way around fermented grape juice.)

Since I was hosting the soiree, I decided that it would be fun to do a “70 in Paris” theme so we had the Eiffel Tower centerpiece on the dining table and everything we ate and drank was French. We even tried to speak in French but, well, at least we tried…

There were a number of tasty items on the menu including gougeres (cheese puffs), a wonderful country pate (my son took it in his lunch as a sandwich the next day…um, okay?), a bacon, egg and asparagus salad (perfect for this time of year) and a few other bacon and butter laden offerings to round things out. Vive La France!

While it was all super tasty (yay me!) I think by far everyone’s favorite dish was the Crispy, Crackly Apple Almond Tart. I noticed more than one person sneaking back for a second slice, and not all of the thieves were under five feet tall.

I first made this was for our cookbook club last month. It was a big hit. It’s a little tricky if you aren’t accustomed to using filo dough, but I have to say that it was easier this time around. So easy in fact, that my 8 year-old daughter buttered and sugared all of the layers on her own. It’s spreading the almond cream that takes patience so that you don’t rip the filo.

Add a little scoop of ice cream (I recommend Talenti Salted Caramel gelato—it will make your mouth happy), and you have a simple, but oh-so-good, and definitely oh-so-French, dessert.

This Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart can be served warm or at room temperature. I like to serve it a room temperature so that I can make it ahead of time. It would be a perfect addition to any Spring brunch buffet table. And, it makes for a wonderful breakfast when paired with a cafe au lait…

Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Read more…

Cashel Blue, Spinach, and Smoked Salmon Tartlets

Go Green
To most people mid-March means St. Patrick’s Day. When they think about Irish food and drink, those same people generally think of potatoes, corned beef, cabbage, lamb and Guinness.

While those ingredients are frequently featured in Irish cooking, the Emerald Isle has so much more to offer. Their cheese alone could occupy most of your time—and don’t get me started on the charcuterie. The Irish know their way around a butchery. While traveling through Ireland years ago, one of the things that surprised me most was the incredible seafood. (I’m not sure why I was surprised. It is an island after all.) The seafood…it was sensational.

Mussels, Herring, Shrimp, Cod, Crab, Haddock, Skate and Salmon (both fresh and smoked) could be found on most menus along with many other native species. Fish was mostly prepared simply but elegantly, and with obvious skill. Occasionally, if you were lucky, you could find a seafood pie. (Yes, topped with potatoes). Yum!

This year for St. Patrick’s Day, set the green beer down and do something truly Irish like these Smoked Salmon tartlets from the cookbook The New Irish Table by Margaret Johnson. You’ll be glad you did. Erin Go Bragh!

Cashel Blue, Spinach and Smoked Salmon Tartlets
Adapted from The New Irish Table by Margaret Johnson
Yields 30 Tartlets

Oak-smoked Irish salmon is often eaten simply with a squeeze of lemon and a slice of brown bread. But its flavor pairs so well with other ingredients, It’s no surprise to also find it in a paté, atop roasted potatoes, or combined with blue cheese and fresh spinach in these tartlets from David Foley, chef-owner of the Wild Geese Restaurant in picturesque Adare, County Limerick. Chef Foley fills handmade pastry cases with the mixture, but these use frozen filo dough shells. Read more…

Easy Self-Rising Biscuits

Breakfast, It’s What’s for Dinner
Breakfast is one of my favorite things—Sunday breakfast especially. It may or may not include eggs but, in my mind, it will always include a serious carb—something really bad for you, loaded with butter, and smothered in sticky-sweet goodness. Or, if you’re really lucky, savory pepper-y goodness.

Weekend breakfasts have lately been disappointing. We just haven’t been doing the Big Sunday Family Breakfast, which could be blamed on a lot of things; there are just too many activities going on. The main reason though? My kids have become cereal fiends.

I have one son who, given the opportunity, will eat cereal morning, noon and night. The other two are not quite as devoted, but they can do their own damage. And don’t get me started on the 46 year-old…

We easily go through five boxes a week, and the boys aren’t even in high school yet. (I buy milk two gallons at a time, every other day, and it’s only going to get worse).

In order to make up for my breakfast deficiency (and to use the increasing number of eggs that we have been getting from the chickens), I have been forced to make breakfast for dinner during the week.

Breakfast for dinner is a woefully underrated dining option. (I mean hundreds of Denny’s can’t be wrong!) There ain’t no better comfort food than some fluffy scrambled eggs and Easy Self-Rising Biscuits with strawberry jam or honey. Let’s just be frank, sausage gravy is almost always a good idea. (Holy cow! My mouth is watering…) Add a little thick cut bacon, (I do mine in the oven.) or a ham steak, (I fry it up in a skillet.) and I am in heaven.

The best part is making enough biscuits to have a mini ham or bacon biscuit sandwich the next morning. (It is entirely possible that I was a lumberjack in another life.) And if you happen to have some leftover Southern style collard greens (‘cause doesn’t everybody?) throw those on your biscuit with the ham or bacon for an out of body experience!

Easy Self-Rising Biscuits
Adapted from King Arthur’s Flours
Yield: about 1 dozen 2-inch biscuits

These Easy Self-Rising Biscuits are pleasantly crunchy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Read more…