S’mores Cake

There is something about the combination of graham crackers, toasted marshmallow, and chocolate that speaks to me.  While I enjoy their combined taste, I find I am compelled towards them also because of positive associations I have with the idea of a s’mores and youthfulness and frivolity.  S’mores are a carefree snack that oftentimes reminds people of their childhood even if they never made s’mores growing up.

It is also one of the few quintessentially American foods, and I think anyone who considers themselves American needs to have had a s’more at least once.  If I were running the show, during the swearing ceremony for U.S. citizenship, it would be mandatory to eat a s’more.

(Don’t worry, there would be imitation s’mores available for those unable to eat an authentic s’more because of dietary restrictions.)

Anyway, it was my brother’s birthday recently and when I asked him what kind of cake/pie/dessert I should make to celebrate it did not take him long to decide he wanted a s’mores cake (I also suggested cookies and cream cake and plain chocolate cake, but he was most into s’mores pitch).

I looked online for a while trying to find a recipe for a s’mores cake.  I found some, but none that really delivered exactly what I was looking for.  Some were more along the lines of a s’mores pie, while others featured graham cracker flavored cake (why would you want this over chocolate cake base?), and I found the use of marshmallow fluff over actual marshmallows to be in bad taste.

Long story short: I came up with my own game-plan.  I found a chocolate cake recipe and added graham cracker pieces to it.  Then I put a layer of toasted marshmallows in between two layers of cake and covered the top with melted Hershey’s bars.  Along the sides I ‘glued’ on graham crackers with toasted marshmallows.

It turned out ok (my brother loved it) but it definitely took on that ‘homespun’ sorta look.  ‘Lop-sided’ is a word I might use in describing it.  But hey, it was from da heart people…

Blueberry Cobbler

INTRO

When I heard my mom had invited company over for dinner, I immediately offered to help out and make the dessert.  And given the fact that there were 3 containers of fresh blueberries in the fridge, I knew they would have to be utilized in whatever I made.

My mom suggested that I do a cold custard blueberry tart.  This sounded good to me, but I was in the mood for something more basic, simple, and less time-consuming to make (I had plans to spend the afternoon at the pool).

Cobbler quickly came to mind as not 24 hours before I’d seen a great blueberry cobbler recipe on Pinterest.  It was from a blog called “No. 2 Pencil” for Grandma Bea’s Blueberry Cobbler.  It looked fantastic.  I loved the simplicity of the ingredients, and there is something so quintessentially “American Summer” about a blueberry cobbler.

Apfelkuchen

INTRO

Over the summer I read a book called “Confections of a Closet Master Baker” by Gesine Bullock Prado–the sister of the acclaimed actress Sandra Bullock.

The book (which is memoir) focuses on Gesine’s transition from a career as a producer in Hollywood to leaving it all behind in order to open a bakery in a small town in Vermont.  Each chapter in the book starts with a recipe of a baked good that either is a personal favorite of Gesine’s, or something that is a popular item at her bakery.

One of the recipes that jumped out to me was the recipe for her German grandmother’s apfelkuchen (apple cake).  Gesine’s mother was a German opera singer (her dad is American), and as her mother was from Germany, she naturally had ties to the country and spent a lot of time their as a small child, and then later as a young adult.

Scones: Fruit, Nut, and Chocolate

INTRO

Scones are probably the one thing (other than cookies) that I have made the most.  I could probably do it in my sleep!  Because I am so comfortable making them, I frequently change-up the recipe/how I make them.  Scones are great, in that they are so flexible.  You ca make sweet or savory scones.  You can put chocolate or cheese in them, butter or lard, you can make them cakey or bready.  And they go great with coffee!

Because I will probably make more scones and post them to this blog in the future, I am going to use this colon to designate the kind of scone this is.