Easier Than You'd Think

My mom has a lot of great stories about her time in nurses training school.  She was there in the late (very late) 1950's and it was definitely a different era.  From what I can tell, women smoked and drank a lot then, had a really good time with their girlfriends and broke a lot of rules... oh wait- that may not be so different.

Well, one thing that was different is that a required part of her nurse training included a "nutrition" course.  I put that in quotes because they had a hellofa different view of what "nutrition" meant.  Mom did not excel at the "Nutrition" course because it was really a basic cooking course that included some odd skill-sets and my mom would rather be out swimming, camping or partying with her girlfriends than trapped behind a stove.  I would have LOVED this part of her training.
It turns out -- they taught her how to make souffles.  Seriously.  Souffles were essential to good nursing (remind me some time to tell you her story of how they cooked a whole chicken in an autoclave-- yep-- that's the machine they used to sterilize surgical tools, and blow up their dinners.  that's right. she blew up a chicken)
Anyhow- back to the souffle:

 Are souffles great nutrition??  Probably not.
But, because of this experience, when I decided I wanted to make souffles, but was concerned they'd be too challenging, my mom was quick to tell me that they would NOT be a problem for me.  She thought it was completely within my cooking abilities.
 But I had been led to believe from a variety of 1970's & 80's sitcoms and movies that souffles were very complicated and would "fall" really easily.
Well, television has told me many lies, but this is among the biggest and my mother was right.
A souffle is easier than you'd think.
I made these chocolate ones for Scott's Birthday last week- and they were truly the most delicious dessert I've ever made.  So tasty, light, fantastic texture, truly chocolaty flavor-- this is my new favorite thing.

delicious beyond measure

I am not a huge fan of Emeril, but i love his Chocolate Souffles:

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 6 large egg whites
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 6 individual ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon sugar. In a large metal bowl, set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate, whisking it occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites with 1/4 cup of the sugar until stiff and glossy. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate one at a time, add the Grand Marnier, and whisk in the remaining sugar. Fold in the egg whites and blend until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until they are puffed and somewhat firm, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the chocolate sauce listed below--and powdered sugar if you want it...

Chocolate Sauce:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until a thin paper-like skin appears on the top. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool or don't-- just dump it on whatever you love... it's soooo good!!!

Anyhow- hope you get a chance to make these- they are wonderful, and let me repeat,  EASY!

Ike turns 6. We get cake!

So, I have lots of wonderful things we've made in the last two weeks (fried chicken and banana bread recipes to come)... but the most intriguing for me has been today's enterprise:  Chocolate Birthday cake from an Ina Garten recipe.  Chocolate cake is not my favorite thing, in fact, I would never order it at a restaurant and I have never asked for it for my birthday, and I usually turn it down when offered it at a party. I often would rather have NO cake instead of chocolate cake.  Now a brownie-- well--- that's a whole different thing!  I think it has to do with sweetness, moistness and how disappointing most chocolate cakes are to taste compared to how they look ( just like pies from the grocery store-- usually a sorry and sad disappointment).

But when your 5 year old says that for his 6th birthday all he wants for dinner is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and all he wants with it is chocolate cake (can you say- "all sugar meal") ... well...  you make the damn cake!

Anyhow I chose this recipe out of the gazillion I found because it got such rave reviews.  I'll post later what our reviews are (since it isn't time to cut it yet... not till Scott gets home). But this is what it looks like

From the smidgeon of cake I broke off and the testing of the icing both Isaac and I did before putting on the sprinkles- I think we may have made the first chocolate cake I've ever really liked.  but I'll let you know when I come down off of the sugar high tomorrow!
Here's the recipe in case you can't wait for the review and want to just go ahead and bake some cake.

The Recipe is a Barefoot Contessa Recipe called Beatty's Chocolate Cake, and I just have to say, I really like her recipes, cooking and her style...

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.