Baker's Special - Raspberry Chocolate Cake

I never got around to blogging about it at the time, but we celebrated DJ's birthday last month. DJ and I decided to alternate years for celebrating each other's birthdays in extra special ways and since last year, it was DJ's turn for "extra special", this year, we celebrated on a smaller scale. But of course it still had to be special.

Since I know DJ loves chocolate combined with either cherries or raspberries, I decided to make a raspberry chocolate cake. Only this was no ordinary cake. I decided to go all out and do everything from scratch, cake, frosting, everything. I found recipes all claiming to make the best EVER cake/frosting/ganache. I thought I couldn't possibly go wrong if I used the best of the best for everything. I started out with the moistest cake EVER. Each layer was separated with a homemade chocolate buttercream frosting with the very middle layer including a layer of juicy raspberries. I then iced the entire outside with a rich ganache and layered the top with additional juicy raspberries. It was heaven.

The whole process started out a little shaky though. First the cake didn't start getting made until about 6:00 pm. It then had to bake and cool. While baking, one pan of batter deciding to overflow in the oven, resulting in a slightly deflated cake. When the cakes were finally ready to frost,I whipped up a batch of the buttercream frosting, but it was not enough. So another batch had to be made. Thankfully I had enough ingredients. By this time it was nearing 9:30 or 10:00 pm. Surprisngly the ganache presented no problems whatsoever, and I was able to cover all flaws with a thick layer. After all was said and done, the flavor of everything combined was perfect and it made up for the long wait. I even have a witness who has stated that it is the best cake he has ever eaten. And it wasn't DJ.

Sweet Potato Pie

I decided this year for Thanksgiving that I would try my hand at some real down home Southern cookin'. I had a huge list of recipes and ideas and Southern variations of the normal Thanksgiving foods all planned out but when it came right down to it, I only got to try one Southern food.

I may be adventurous and ready to give up old traditions for the sake of some new ones, but I discovered that I'm the only one in my family that shares those aspirations. Everyone else was happy as a cat to let good things go unchanged. You know the old saying "Why change something if there's nothing wrong with it" (or something like that...)? Well my family pretty much takes the phrase to heart and lives wholeheartedly by it. Which is totally cool. That's fine for them but I still have to experiment. I was just itching to try a new Southern recipe so I did it in a small way and said "No" to four different desserts for a total of 6 people that would be attending my Thanksgiving feast. I put my foot down by golly! (Well, pretty much. I did make a pumpkin pie too as a safeguard in case the sweet potato pie was a flop. I didn't want a mutiny on my hands!) And I think I made some converts to my way of life because they loved my new dessert! Good ol' sweet potato pie. See what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone and challenge those taste buds? (Who knew one could get so philosophical about pie??)

The recipe is so, so good because although yes, sweet potato pie is a lot like pumpkin pie, I tried to find a recipe that would stand on its own and not necessarily be "just like pumpkin pie". This pie has a graham cracker crust and very simple ingredients, which is also great because who wants to make something complicated when it's just going to get scarfed down as soon as it cools slightly from the oven?

Here's the recipe! Tell me if you try it and what you think of it!

Sweet Potato Pie

Makes:
1 (9-inch) pie, 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, about 10 ounces each
1 3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers, finely ground) (I use cinnamon flavor)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the sweet potatoes tightly in 2 layers of aluminum foil and roast them in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar until well combined. Add the butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press firmly and evenly on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to create a crust, being sure there are no cracks. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Unwrap the potatoes and peel them. Put the flesh into a bowl and mash well with a fork. Add the eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cream, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and whip until very smooth with a whisk. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon brown sugar over top and bake in the center of the oven until set, about 40 minutes.

Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting. Serve at room temperature.

(I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com.)

Sloppy Goodness

I was pleased to be informed last night that I have discovered a favorite of DJ's. Not just any favorite but a food favorite. It's not often that this happens so I was very flattered. We eat these probably about once a month at least. I am going to share the receipe with you! You lucky ducks.

They're called Emily's Sloppy Joes but I think we'll just change that to Nichole's Sloppy Joes. I'm sure my version is better than Emily's, whoever that is...

1.5 lbs Ground Beef

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 can tomato paste

1 cup of water

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs chile powder

3 Tbs brown sugar

Brown the ground beef. Add the chopped onion and red pepper. Saute for an additional 5-7 minutes. Drain the fat.

Add the tomato paste and water. Mix until paste is dissolved.

Add the rest of the ingredients and let cook for 5-10 minutes until the mixtures is thick like a stew.

Serve on buns!

Photo: Sloppy Joes

So easy and so good.