Gearing up for the Big Event!

Jessica and I have just returned from Kalscheur's with several hundred forks. We got quite a few looks in the checkout line! (I tried to pretend I was a very picky eater and needed a new fork for every bite, but I don't think anyone bought it.)

Since the forks are now safely in the house, I thought I'd take the opportunity to remind all those bakers out there that your entries are due this Wednesday at 5:00 pm. That's only 50 hours away!

And for those of you who've surfed to this blog from the article in the Cap Times, you can find lots more info on the contest, including a downloadable entry form, at the Mount Horeb Public Library's main website -- www.mhpl.org.

"Neither power outages, nor firemen can keep me from baking for this contest!"

So now that I don't work at the library, I can compete in the chocolate contest I started there! But I don't bake. I eat. Should I make something super-easy but over-the-top like bacon drizzled with fine chocolate?

After some hand-wringing, and chocolate eating, I decided to do something that requires more skill than frosting an Oreo.

I like dairy products. I love chocolate. I adore coffee. And I found a website called “allrecipes.com” and a recipe called “Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake” created by evil genius “Cigdem Buke” (is this a real name?).

I broke out the electric mixer and began talking to myself (because that's what great cooks do before they get their own television shows). And then as if I had crossed over into some forbidden territory, the power went out. Only in the kitchen. Ten minutes after I put my cheesecakes in the oven.

Right now readers may be muttering, “It's a sign from God, stupid”. I began muttering a few words myself. I ran up and down the stairs to the fuse box. I flipped switches off. I flipped switches on. Then all power went out. At this point I thought, “OK! I've learned my lesson! I'll never push cheesecake on people again!” And then I heard a heavy knock at the door.

It was a fireman here to inform me that power in the entire neighborhood would be going down for 1 or 2 hours due to some incident across the street. I threw a couple of cakes in the freezer to chill (yes, they had baked) and I slouched into the couch with a flashlight in my hand.

I could slouch and grumble for only so long before I remembered that I had not even tasted the cheesecakes I had been fighting so hard to make. One chomp into one of those wondercakes and, dear reader, I felt all better, ready to march into the Death by Chocolate Bake Off this Saturday.

Trust me. YOU won't have to fight power outages and flip your fusebox when you make your cakes and cookies. Join me Saturday at the Mount Horeb Public Library at 6:30 PM and I'll share with you what I now call “Electric Cheesecakes”!

Feel free to email Carol at bookluvn at yahoo.com.

"It's the final countdown"

Can you hear that song playing in your head? Remember? That one by the group, "Europe"? My little sister and I used to shoot hoops in our parent's drive-way while listening to that song and imaging that we were in the WNBA. Oh yes, I remember the "Final Countdown" well!

I want you to hear that song playing in your head as it prompts you to come to the library this week to sign up to be a baker. Time is running out! The deadline to sign up is this Wednesday, February 13th at 5:30 p.m. We still have many slots available in all five different dessert categories : candy, cake, cookies, cheesecake, and brownies. Thus, your odds of being in the money are very high at this point!

Think the "Final Countdown" also as next Saturday, February 16th approaches. In just 8 short days from now, the Mount Horeb Public Library is going to be packed with people and chocolate. Not only will we be giving away free chocolate to you, the tasters, but we will also hand out free coffee and hot chocolate thanks to Mary's Coffee. Mary's Coffee is generously providing drinks for everyone! (To counteract the caffeine and chocolate, we will also provide bottled water courtesy of Kalscheur's Fine Foods.) Furthermore, you can eat and drink to your heart's delight while being entertained by the Mount Horeb High School fiddle band. The night promises fun, excitement, and sugar highs like you've never experienced before. I hope to see you there!

One thick batter

Library customer and intrepid baker Karen E. reports that she was surprised at the consistency of the batter when she whipped up the Chocolua Cake recipe from our bookmark-a-week series.

"You put these things together and you're thinking there's something wrong, there needs to be more liquid. The recipe says to pour the batter into the pan; you have to scoop it!" Karen says the batter was so thick that it climbed the beaters on her mixer, and was nearly impossible to scrape off.

Karen proceeded with the recipe as written and the cake turned out great! "Good and moist."

For those of you who didn't grab a bookmark, here's the recipe:

I box dark chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
16 oz sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 Cup oil
1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together with the chocolate chips folded in last.
Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.
Bake @ 350F for 55 minutes.
Cool completely before removing from pan.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

It's that easy

Imagine my shock when I figured out that it only takes three ingredients to make basic hot cocoa from scratch! Saco Premium Cocoa (available at Death by Chocolate Bake-Off sponsor Kalscheurs Fine Foods) has the following recipe on the back of the tub:

1 heaping teaspoon Saco Premium Cocoa
2 heaping teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk

Stir and heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes, or heat on stovetop until warm. Stir thoroughly after heating.

That's it? Cocoa, sugar and milk?

The great thing about this recipe is that you can sweeten it with whatever you want: Splenda, NutraSweet, stevia or honey. I use a sugar free Torani syrup flavored with coconut, and my hot chocolate tastes like a Mounds bar.

It takes a long time to stir it up. The cocoa seems resistant to mixing with the milk. But just be persistent and it'll happen, and YOU'LL be in charge of what goes into your cocoa. (Hint: I also use a very tiny pinch of salt to bring out the chocolate flavor.)

What's in it?

The Death by Chocolate rules for ingredients are pretty liberal.
1. It's got to have chocolate (or cocoa) in it. White chocolate doesn't count
2. No raw eggs, for health reasons
3. Nuts and nut derivatives are fair game -- this is an important consideration for anyone with allergies

Thank-you to the Mount Horebite who asked me question #1 this morning :D

Tried and True Recipes

Hello, chocolate fans!

Stop by the library and grab your collectible recipe bookmark. We're putting out a new recipe each week in anticipation of the coming event! 

 

This week's bookmark features the dazzling Chocolate Almond Torte submitted by the Mount Horeb Food 2 class in 2007. 

 

How can you resist this cake???