This week’s TWD pick is Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler(chosen by Amanda of Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake). Rhubarb has come and gone(at least the good looking stuff) around these parts so I went with all cherries. Especially since cherries are cheap around these parts. And cheap right about now sounds good. I really seems this week when I was at Costco that I really noticed a price hike. My cream that was $4.79 a half gallon(yes, that is right I go through, not one, but two ½ gallons a month…easily) is now $6.49. That is quite a jump in a month.
Oh my.
In fact the only things that still seem to be relatively cheap of course is snack food. So when you start seeing me get creative with Pop Tarts on here you know my grocery budget is shot.
In my last post about being child free(btw…who knew there were so many of you non-breeders out there, I don’t feel so alone) some one left a comment about a movie called Idiocracy. They wondered if I had seen it. I have. It’s one of my husband and I’s favorite movies for the sheer fact that we can totally see it happening. The plot is described as this(or you can read a much longer recap here):

Joe Bauers, an Army librarian, is judged to be absolutely average in every regard, has no relatives, has no future, so he’s chosen to be one of the two test subjects in a top-secret hibernation program. He and hooker Rita were to awaken in one year, but things go wrong and they wake up instead in 2505. By this time, stupid people have out bred intelligent people; the world is (barely) run by morons–and Joe and Rita are the smartest people in America.

They wake up in a world that is beyond lazy. No one drinks water they drink the equivalent to Gatorade(which won a government contract through lots of lobbying). It is in everything from drinking fountains to what the water crops with(crops that wont grow). Garbage is everywhere. Toilets are built into their chairs so they don’t have to get up. The language has been dumbed down so much that they all talk like Brittany Spears when she is loaded. Speaking of Spears, the whole way this came about was that the less intelligent were the ones breeding and the more intelligent individuals either waited until it was too late or didn’t have children at all. Thus, causing the population to slowly but surely dumb itself down.
Now before you leave me hate mail, I am not saying that if you have kids you are dumb. Sooo not where I was going with this. I think you know the difference between the type of person I am talking about, they are the people who end up on Jerry Springer and say “I just went to the bathroom one day and out popped a baby, I didn’t even know I was pregnant.” These are the people popping out 5 or 6 kids that make me nervous. Top that with snack food being the only thing that is cheap these days and we wont be that far off from the movie’s portrait of the world come 2505.
Back to the food and speaking of cheap, I got me some free chocolate awhile back at a Seattle Food Bloggers meet up. Quite the variety, with one really interesting one being a Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate. Hmmm. I thought long and hard about how to use it. I thought either custard or ice cream. Ice cream won out. I decided to pair it with the cherry cobbler so that I could give you a recipe this week. Since it was a chocolate ice cream, I went ahead and made the cobbler topping chocolate as well. I simply added 2 heaping TBSP of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix as well as another ¼ cup of sugar. The curry is pretty subtle for those of you who are wondering. And thoughit is a little out there, the flavors did work well with the cherry cobbler, probably not with a cherry rhubarb cobbler though.

 The chocolate I used comes from Theo Chocolates here in Seattle.

Coconut Curry Chocolate Ice Cream

6 ounces Coconut Curry Chocolate(or just plain milk or semi sweet chocolate…not unsweetened)
1 cup sugar
½  cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 ½  cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 large egg yolks

Chop chocolate. In a heavy saucepan whisk together sugar and cocoa powder until combined and whisk in cream and milk. Bring mixture just to a boil, stirring occasionally. In a bowl beat yolks until smooth. Add hot cream mixture to yolks in a slow stream, whisking, and pour into pan. Cook custard over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until a thermometer registers 170° F. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate, whisking until melted. Pour custard through a sieve into a clean bowl and cool. Chill custard, its surface covered with plastic wrap, at least 3 hours, or until cold, and up to 1 day.
Transfer custard to bowl of a standing electric mixer and beat just until thick and fluffy. Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine August 1997

I grew up not really liking chocolate pudding. The only kind I ever had was instant and the texture just always seemed weird to me. Then I went on a diet(one of many in my life before realizing that extra cushing for the pushing was better than starving). I was introduced to the world of fat free pudding cups. Not terribly exciting but in those days it was that or diet Jello. So I just got used to it. At  no point in my life would I ever call it good. What I would have called it was tolerable. And when I gave up sugar for a year the sugar free kind was a God send I will not lie. But again, I wouldn’t call it good.
Not until I was in a pastry class and I had to make a cake with a chocolate pudding filling did I come to realize what all the fuss over chocolate pudding was. Thick and chocolate velvety goodness, this was like no pudding I had ever put in my mouth.

When I saw the recipe and saw that it called for using a food processor I decided to pretty much stay the course and not do something out of the ordinary this week. I like the use of the food processor, all be it a little odd, since it produces such a smooth pudding. I saw some people discussing that they were going to use skim milk. Just don’t. Seriously. If you are going to use skim milk just save the time and buy the Jello fat free kind. Same thing. Yes, I had to go buy whole milk, we drink skim. But whole milk has many other uses in the baking world and you can surely use it up!(jumps off of milk soap box)

The changes I did make to the recipe were the following:
I used no vanilla extract, I added 4 TBSP of Bailey’s Irish Cream instead.
I used 65% cocoa Madagascar chocolate.
I used ¼ cup more sugar due to the type of chocolate I used.
I added Bailey’s Irish Cream Caramel(recipe can be found here), this was either layered or placed at the bottom of each dish so that you got a surprise at the end.
It’s an easy recipe and I was more than happy not to have to turn on my oven this week. So thanks to Melissa of It’s Melissa’s Kitchen for picking it. If you want the recipe for it you can go to her site or go to Dorie’s own website and get it.

I cringed having to write that but I must admit that once again(don’t let it go to your head mom) my mother was right. As you get older your body rebels against you, but you feel the same on the inside as you did when you were 16. Though hopefully at little more educated and street smart then that 16 year old.
I’ll never forget the first time one of my friends turned 40(no, I’m not there yet but now I am closer to 40 than 30). It just seemed so odd. For J is not old to me at all and yet here I was going to the birthday party of a forty year old. A forty year old. Surreal.
I can still remember my mother’s 40th birthday. It involved a penis cake(which she blushed galore…12 year old me did as well) and my mother getting so drunk that she promised me a pony(I’m still waiting). Certainly if I can remember my mother’s 40th birthday so clearly, no friend of mine could be turning 40, let alone me in a few years.
I’m not a panicker. I had a friend who when she turned 35 literally had to be sedated(she did that at 30 as well). She kept freaking out that her best years were over. Subsequently, she pretty much lives like the best years of her life are over…rather sad. I know I am older, but then again so is everyone else. No one I know can afford Botox so we are all growing old together.
I guess I feel the best years of my life are the ones I am currently living. Making the best of what you got and not worrying about how you used to look can make your life a lot more happier. Holding on to that pair of pants you had when you were a size 6 helps no one, only hurts. Plus, if you ever do fit back into those babies…they will be out of style…toss them. If your life is so bad that all you can do is reminisce about the old days, YOU do have the power to fix it. Enjoy the now, enjoy the you in the now.
Well, I said I wasn’t going to bake a birthday cake and then out of no where the sky opened up and started to dump rain. And dump rain. And thunder. In doing that the temperature this morning was 57! Hello oven!
These are simply just devil’s food cupcakes with some buttercream frosting that has a little raspberry jam in it. Topped with a little chocolate raspberry jam ganache filled raspberry to make it a little more birthday special.
Thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday…it was a happy one indeed.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Jam Buttercream and Raspberry Truffle

Devil’s Food Cake
Raspberry Jam Buttercream
Raspberry Truffles

Deeply Dark Devil’s Food Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
11 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour mini cupcake pans.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to incorporate.
Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake cupcakes for 13-15 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes in pan and remove cupcakes from pan. Let cool on wire rack. When cool, frost with Raspberry Jam Buttercream.

Cake Source: Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Raspberry Jam Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6-8 cups powdered sugar
½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream butter and jam until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out.

Raspberry Truffles

2 pints fresh raspberries, cleaned and dried
5 ounce semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place chocolate and raspberry jam in a heat proof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil.
Pour cream over chocolate and jam and let sit for about 3 minutes.
Whisk together chocolate mixture. If it is still a little lumpy, put in microwave for a few seconds and whisk again.
Put ganache into a piping bag fitted or even an plastic bag(with a tiny hole cut out). Pipe chocolate ganache into fresh raspberries.
Let sit in fridge for about 15 minutes. Top frosted cupcakes with raspberry truffle. Eat any extras…they are good.

I can’t believe it. For the first time I am missing Tuesdays with Dorie. But don’t get mad, you can’t get mad at me…it’s my birthday tomorrow(not my blogs…but mine) so you have to be nice!
I had every intention of making the Apple Cheddar Scones that Karina of the Floured Apron chose…except that the weather chose not to cooperate. Right about the time I got to feeling better Summer finally decided to show up around these parts(it’s been so cold here people were calling it Junuary). And when Summer came it came hard. We don’t usually get into the high 80’s and low 90’s(we average in the low 70’s for June) and when we do we all tend to melt since very few of us around here have air conditioning. I being one of the air conditionless am not about to turn on the oven…not even to bake me my very own birthday cake(Cold Stone here I come for an ice cream cake).
So into the vault I went to find this chocolate zucchini bread I made a little while back.
I’ll admit it doesn’t really say birthday, but it does say breakfast. And since there are two loaves sitting in the freezer right now, it will probably be my birthday breakfast…if I remember to take it out. I am getting old you know. Although apparently not old enough. I had to laugh as in the couple weeks I have received quite a few comments and emails about the photos(of me) in my blog. How everyone thought I was older than what I am. Is it because I am wise beyond my years? HA! More like I keep my body filled with pastries…plump adds more youth as it fills in the wrinkles. Something to remember.
This is a nice moist bread as it has mascarpone cheese as well as buttermilk in it. I used a super dark chocolate…I want to say 76%. Not positive though. I won some free chocolate at a Seattle Food Blogger get together and was using that. I had a couple to choose from and I don’t remember which one I picked…again with the old age.
How will I be spending my birthday you ask? I always start the day by going to the gym. Nothing says I love you to your body and heart like a nice little cardio workout. And I figure if I can still drag my butt there to do it then I can’t be THAT old. Then a quick lunch with a friend and then out to the Melting Pot for dinner with my beloved hubby. We go the Melting Pot each year. I just love fondue…it’s so fun. I already got my birthday gift…a nice little shopping spree at Williams-Sonoma, so you know I was a happy girl!
P.S. Happy Canada Day for all that applies to!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
3 eggs
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Heat oven to 350°F.
Melt together butter and chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler.
When melted remove from heat.
Mix in mascarpone cheese until it melts in with the chocolate mixture.
Place mixture into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix in sugars, zucchini, eggs and vanilla on low speed until well combined.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Then add the buttermilk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients.
Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8×4-inch loaf pans.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes(about 20-25 minutes for mini loaves) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Remove from pans and continue to cool on wire rack.