Mocha Bars also known as Blarney Stones

Mocha Bars

To me St. Patrick’s Day isn't about green eggs or corned beef, but rather about Mocha Bars also known as Blarney Stones. For those who have not had the opportunity to indulge in this delightful combination of flavors, let me explain. Mocha Bars have nothing to do with coffee or chocolate.  I have no idea where the name originated, but it is white cake covered on all sides with frosting then rolled in crushed salted peanuts. This sweet and salty combination is amazing and worth the sticky fingers. Don’t be tempted to make the cake from scratch. A box of white cake mix made in a 9 by 13 inch pan is easier, cheaper and tastes better since it isn't as rich. The frosting has to be homemade though using shortening instead of butter for the best flavor combination.

Mocha Bars a.k.a. Blarney Stones		Skill Level: Easy, but a little messy
Cake: White Cake Mix Oil Water Eggs 12 oz. Dry Roasted Peanuts finely chopped Optional: Sprinkles and coconut Make a white cake mix according to the directions on the box. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Bake as directed on the box, cool 10 minutes then turn over on a cooling rack to finish cooling. When cool, cut into squares and put in the freezer until frozen.
Frosting:
1 c.	Crisco Shortening
2 tsp.	Vanilla (clear if possible)
4 c.	Powdered Sugar
3 TBSP	Milk or Cream
Beat shortening and vanilla with mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low then add milk a little at a time until it is a medium consistency. It should hold its shape but is still easy to spread. Put crushed peanuts in a shallow dish. If you have someone who doesn’t like or cannot have peanuts you can roll in sprinkles or coconut instead. Better yet, make some of each. Take a cake square from the freezer and quickly frost the 4 sides, then roll in peanuts, sprinkles or coconut pressing lightly. Finally, frost and press the top side into peanuts, sprinkles or coconut. Each square will be frosted on all sides except the bottom. Repeat until each square is frosted and rolled. It is important that the cake is frozen so you can handle it and that you roll it right away before the frosting freezes and the toppings don’t stick. Source: Created from memories of those at the Red Owl Grocery Store.

Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Cinnamon Bundt Cake

 I love all sweets, but my favorite flavor combination is cinnamon-sugar. Give me a snickerdoodle over a chocolate chip cookie any day! The cake this week has everything I love….cinnamon, nuts, along with other ingredients I always have on hand. Plus it is super easy and is great from the freezer so you can keep secret slices hidden for future treats.

This recipe was written on a card with my mom’s name but I am pretty sure I wrote the card. First, it is in my loopy handwriting.  Second, her recipes were usually vague and she could make them without knowing exact details. This recipe says “beat for 8 minutes” and “cool exactly 8 minutes…”  

This doesn't sound like Mom but an annoying kid who couldn't accept the word “about.”  A kid who needed to know exactly what kind… how much…. and for how long. It would drive me crazy when she would say, “Just dump some in.”

Luckily, I pestered her so much she gave up and told me baking times and measurements for many of her recipes.

If your mom is still alive, get those measurements so you will have her recipes to cherish when she is no longer with you.  If you are the one guessing and dumping, start measuring and writing things down so you can live on through your recipes.

Cinnamon Bundt Cake		Skill Level: Easy and Quick
Cake Ingredients:
1 box	Yellow Cake Mix
1 pkg.	Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (4 serving size)
½ c.	Crisco Oil (any vegetable oil will work)
½ c.	Melted Butter
½ c.	Water
2 tsp.	Vanilla or butter extract
4	Eggs
Streusel Ingredients:
¼ c.	Sugar
¼ c.	Brown Sugar
2 tsp.	Cinnamon
3/4 c.	Pecans- chopped (save some to sprinkle on the finished cake)
Glaze Ingredients
1 c.	Powdered Sugar
2 TBSP	Butter (softened)
1 tsp.	Vanilla
3 TBSP	Milk (just enough so glaze runs slowly from the spoon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray. Dump cake mix, pudding mix, oil, butter, water and vanilla into a bowl and mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one. Continue beating 8 more minutes adding the vanilla toward the end. Put half the batter in the bundt pan, sprinkle with the combined streusel ingredients then with the rest of the batter. Move a butter knife slowly through the batter to swirl the filling.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool exactly 8 minutes and turn out onto a cake plate. Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm cake. Source: Mom’s Recipe Box

Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Yesterday was the first day of spring and that always makes me start thinking about rhubarb. Rhubarb has become a recent food trend, but growing up in Minnesota rhubarb is part of my DNA. Even with a generous amount of sugar, rhubarb has a tart taste similar to raspberries. It is often mixed with strawberries in pies and jams but I think that is just a waste of good rhubarb. When I am lucky enough to get “up north” during rhubarb season, I carefully ration it between Rhubarb Pie (my husband’s favorite) and Rhubarb Custard Dessert (my favorite). Any extra then goes in the freezer for Rhubarb Crumb Cake.

Rhubarb grows like a weed in Minnesota, but it must love cold winters and cool summers because I have never been able to grow it here in Missouri. Since rhubarb has started drawing attention, I have started seeing  it in the grocery store, but it is a very expensive weed. This cake was made from frozen rhubarb since it is too early for the good stuff. If you don’t have rhubarb you can substitute chopped apples. 

Disclaimer: The picture above is as close we could get to fresh rhubarb in March. Swiss Chard looks similar but the leaves of rhubarb are poisonous which is a big difference. The leaves do work great as mosquito swatters which is what my mom would use sitting outside on a Minnesota summer evening. (a chemical-free repellent)

Rhubarb Crumb Cake		Skill Level:  Easy and quick
Cake Ingredients:
1 ½ c.	Brown sugar
½ c.	Butter (softened)
1	Egg
1 tsp.	vanilla
1 c.	Buttermilk
1 tsp.	Baking Soda
2 c.	Flour
1 tsp.	Cinnamon
2 c.	Rhubarb (apples can also be used)
Topping Ingredients:
½  c.	Sugar
½ c.	Brown Sugar
1 ½  tsp.	Cinnamon
Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice fresh rhubarb or if you are using frozen let it thaw in a colander to drain the excess liquid while you are preparing the batter. Mix brown sugar and butter in mixer until smooth then add the egg and vanilla beating just until smooth. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk to dissolve it and set it aside. Mix the flour and cinnamon together. Alternately add the two mixtures starting and ending with the flour mixing until smooth. Stir in 2 cups of diced rhubarb. Put batter in prepared pan then sprinkle with the topping ingredients which have been mixed together. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched. Source: My recipe box

Baking is the easy part

Welcome to my journey of a year's worth of cakes. A favorite hobby of mine is looking at recipes. I love to bake and can cook but neither is as fun as just looking at recipes with pictures of food. I used to share this hobby with my mom; we would look at recipes and talk about making them, but didn't make the time. As a tribute to her, I am challenging myself to use those recipes to make a different cake each week for a year.

I was about to have my 51st birthday so why not start then so my last cake would be on my 52nd birthday. Clever right? By the way, my 51st birthday was January 24th! This is proof of how good I am at procrastinating. When I don't see and understand every aspect, I am paralyzed and get stuck before I even start. I could have given up the idea, but luckily I had told too many friends so I couldn't. 

So where are these blog posts?  I have made a cake every week starting on my 51st birthday. 

Baking is easy.

         I know how to bake.

                  I don't get overwhelmed by baking. 

Technology is a different story. I have never written a blog.

         How do I set it up?

                     How do I insert the pictures?

I just kept thinking of other things I could be doing.

       Things I understood, 

                    Things I already knew how to do, 

Scroll down to see proof I have been baking by looking at the pictures my talented husband has been taking for me each week. Then, come back for the recipes which I promise to post as soon as I figure out how to get the formatting to look perfect. 

January 24th: Raspberry Lemonade Chiffon 

Lemon chiffon layered with a raspberry filling and frosted with 7 minute icing

The filling is made using frozen raspberries but what a great excuse to buy some fresh ones too.

Raspberry lemonade makes it easy to forget that it is winter outside. 

January 31st: Mom's Chocolate Cake with Boiled Icing

Mom's original recipe card which she never needed to use but was still well worn. 

                                      
My recipe card with a few more directions. I am not sure why there is more than one frosting recipe since using anything but boiled frosting on this cake would just be WRONG.

The best part of this cake and the frosting is that it uses ingredients that are always on hand. This was important growing up on a farm, because  we didn't run to the grocery store like I do today.

Have the first piece fresh from the oven with butter, then frost the rest.

February 7th: Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Frosting cupcakes is easier if you put the icing in a zip lock bag with the corner snipped.

I wonder what happens if the cupcake see its shadow. Way more interesting than a groundhog.

The hearts are made using product made by Wilton called Candy Melts. After they are melted and put in a small zip lock bag, you pipe onto parchment paper just like you are drawing hearts on paper.

February 14th: Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

 Fast, easy, and delicious.... This is the kind of recipe I love most.

As it bakes, the water from the top turns into hot fudge sauce and bubbles up from the bottom.

Fresh from the oven with a scoop of ice cream

Happy Valentine's Day! 

February 21st: Heart Healthy Coke Zero Chocolate with Cherries and Whipped Cream

These are the only 4 ingredients in the entire cake!

To save calories you can use fresh strawberries instead. 

It can be cubed and layered in a pretty bowl, 

put it in a mason jar

or layered in a fancy flute.

February 28th: Red Velvet with White Chocolate Frosting 

Mom would have been 80 years old today. Happy Birthday Mom! 

This picture of Mom and Dad with the grand-kids was taken almost 22 years ago. Time Flies! 

I made 2 long, narrow cakes. On one I decorated with cake crumbs and this one I sprinkled with shaved white chocolate. I need to work on my chocolate shaving skills.

 The sides of the cakes are trimmed to show the beautiful red color.
                       What do you do when you have lots of cake scraps?
                                          Make cake pops!
Just stir the crumbled cake into the extra frosting. Use a cookie scoop to make balls and push a lollipop stick into each one, Put them in the freezer for a couple hours then dip them in melted white chocolate.  The red is melted candy melts drizzled on after the white had hardened.

A friend raises chickens and gave me this dozen of eggs. What a great example of diversity. 

This picture reminds me of teaching the phases of the moon to 5th graders.