I always like to say “life is short…eat dessert first”
and every one in a while I just think some chocolate
cake is in order…everything in moderation I say too
thank goodness. Really this is a very rich cake but
so yummy coupled with the strawberry sauce and dallop
of whipped cream…thus the “Decadent”.

Enjoy!

P.S. Come follow me & my other Gopher editors on Twitter!
sign up for a free account at http://www.gophertweets.com

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RECIPE: DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

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INGREDIENTS:
1 lb semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp whipping cream
6 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup Myers rum
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 whipping cream
1 recipe chocolate sponge cake
1 cup chocolate ganache
Whipped cream
Mint leaves
Strawberry sauce

DIRECTIONS:
In medium saucepan melt semi-sweet chocolate over low heat;
stir in whipping cream. Cool. When cool enough that butter
will not melt, beat in butter. Stir in rum. In large bowl
beat egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until
very light; fold into chocolate mixture. In large bowl beat
whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold into chocolate
sponge cake into 1/4 inch thick slices; fit onto top of
chocolate decadence. Refridgerate overnight. Remove from pan,
placing cake layer on bottom. Spread top with 3/4 cup chocolate
ganache; refridgerate at least 10 minutes. Cut into 16 slices;
Drizzle a little strawberry sauce on serving plate and add
a dallop of whipped cream on top. Garnish with mint leaf.
(Store in refrigerator).

**Tip**Because of food safety, only pastuerized eggs should
be used in recipes where the eggs are not cooked.

YIELD: 16 Servings
Categories: Desserts, chocolate, Cakes

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                  MARZEE’S CORNER

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

                 CHOCOLATE TIPS:

* Use a potato or vegetable parer to make chocolate curls for
decorating cakes and pies.  You can use bars of semi-sweet or
bitter chocolate.  The chocolate should be at room temperature
or even very slightly warmer.  You can adjust the thickness and
lenght of the curls by the pressure of your strokes.

* To melt chocolate, chop fairly fine. Place in a microwave-safe
bowl and microwave, uncovered, at 100 percent power, stirring
every 10 seconds.

*Use self-sealing plastic bags to melt butter or chocolate in
the microwave.

Nothing beats some ice cream on a hot day that’s for
sure but it’s also so good anytime you don’t need an
excuse. Most of us have an absolute favorite flavor but
it’s a little more complicated for me because they have
all of these great combos now. I love a vanilla base
with the gourmet flavors swirled in like caramel swirl
fudge or some real fruit. My absolute fave lately is
Spumoni fom our favorite neighborhood homemade spot.

Since I’m kind of a self- proclaimed ice cream freak
I’d like to know what your favorite flavor is too so
please come take a second to leave your vote here
on the right sidebar.

I’m appealing to the big kid in all of us today with
this ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE recipe. believe it or
not it is just layered with ice cream sandwiches and
toppings, then given some zap time in the freezer and
voila…slice and serve! Play it up with different o
your favorite ingredients too.

Enjoy! Marzee

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RECIPE: ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

INGREDIENTS:
16 ice cream sandwiches, softened
1 16-ounce container chocolate Cool whip topping
1 12-ounce jar chocolate fudge topping
2 bags (about 16 ounces M&M candies)
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Layer 8 of the sandwiches in a 9×13 baking dish side
by side, press down a little to join them. Spread evenly
1/2 of the Cool Whip and 1/2 of the topping. Sprinkle 1/2
of the candy over layer. Repeat with another layer of
same. Drizzle with chocolate syrup to finish. Cover and
freeze 3 hours or until firm. Slice with a serrated knife.

Yield: 12 Servings
Category: Cakes, Ice Cream, Desserts

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                  MARZEE’S CORNER
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        RECIPE BLOOPERS FROM OUR READERS

Thanks to Jenny W. for sharing!

“In my man years of cooking I have many bad recipes and
great one’s but my favorite recipe was My Apple (Squash)
Crisp, my cousin Nila and her kids would come to visit
me in the summer, and I had decided to make Apple Crisp,
I had stored apples in the freezer along with some Squash
my mother gave me ….well you guest it I got apples mixed
up with squash and after preparing the recipe and was
cooking in the oven you could smell the cinnamon and
squash but not sure why every so often there was the arom
of squash and then came cinnamon, after taking it out of
the oven and cooling it, time came for the ice cream and
apple crisp, when I was serving it out came the smell of
squash I tasted it and yes the whole recipe was a bust,
we all were disappointed but oh what a laugh I got out
of it….we still share the story with our cooking friends..
….Jenny”
 
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Since Independence Day is upon us this weekend I thought
I would use this week to send you some fun recipes for
celebrating the 4th like this patriotic red, white and
blue cake. This is one of my favorites in the patriotic
dessert department. The best part is you decorate it right
in the 9×13 inch pan you bake it in. This could get you
more “oooooooo…..s” from your crowd than the fireworks
on the 4th!

Enjoy! Marzee

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RECIPE: RED WHITE AND BLUE CAKE 
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INGREDIENTS:
You will need the cake ingredients, frosting ingredients,
two pints of strawberries de-stemmed and cut into halves,
and one pint of blueberries washed and drained on a paper
towel.

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites (1/2 cup)
 
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking
pan. In a large bowl, Measure flour, sugar, baking powder,
salt, shortening, 2/3 cup of milk and the vanilla into a
large mixing bowl. Beat 2 minutes on high speed, scraping
bowl occasionally. Add remaining milk and the egg whites;
beat 2 minutes high speed scraping bowl occasionally. Pour
batter into pan, Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick
inserted into the cake comes out clean. 

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioners’ sugar, if required

DIRECTIONS:
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan;
stir until well blended. Boil slowly without stirring until
mixture will spin a long thread when a little is dropped
from a spoon (hold the spoon high above saucepan). In a
large bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer until they are
stiff, but still moist. Pour hot syrup slowly over egg
whites while beating. Continue until mixture is very fluffy,
and will hold its shape. Add vanilla, and beat until blended.
If icing does not seem stiff enough, beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons
confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff enough
to hold its shape. Spread on cake. 

DECORATING:
Spread the icing generously over the completely cooled cake.
In the top left hand corner of the frosted cake, arrange the
blueberries into an outline of a rectangle that is 5 inches
wide and 4 inches tall. Press the berries down into the
frosting. Fill the blueberry outline in with the remaining
blueberries. The blueberries will look best if placed in rows,
the icing between them will resemble stars. Place strawberry
halves cut side down in rows going across the cake horizontally.
The bottom stripe of the flag is red, so start the first row
at the bottom. Be sure to press the berries down into the
frosting so the stripes will not be raised above the fluffy
frosting. Serve any leftover berries with the sliced cake and
ice cream.

Categories: Desserts, Holiday

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                 MARZEE’S CORNER
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Watching the fireworks is the highlight of every 4th of
July holiday, but there is one thing that makes watching
the fireworks even more enjoyable – the treats! By the time
the fireworks extravaganza begins, everyone’s taste buds
are hoping for something small and scrumptious to munch!
The fireworks show is a perfect opportunity to wow your
guests by pulling together a small, portable array of late
night snacks. Make a fireworks snack box or baggie full of
treats that guests old and young can carry with them to the
perfect spot for viewing the fireworks!

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          Viral Videos on the Net at EVTV1.com
              http://www.evtv1.com/

After all of that “fest-ing” this past weekend some
low-fat recipes are what we need to come back from
grease heaven. I happened upon a great recipe for NO-
FAT OLD FASHIONED APPLE CAKE to help get us started
that yes actually takes good. This is a nice dessert
or morning coffee companion…Freezes well too. We
did this one a ways back and it’s coming back now.
 
Enjoy!  Marzee

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
RECIPE: OLD FASHIONED NO-FAT APPLE CAKE
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon mace
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups tart apples; diced
1/2 cups raisins
brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and spices. In
mixer bowl put egg, egg whites, vanilla, apple sauce and
milk. Mix with electric mixer. Gradually add dry ingredients,
blending well. Stir in apples and raisins by hand. Pour
batter into 8×8 pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle
with brown sugar. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for about
50 minutes.

Yield: 9 Servings
Categories: Cake, Desserts, Low-Fat
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                 MARZEE’S CORNER
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
TRY THESE LOWER FAT BAKING TIPS:

You can use applesauce or fruit purees in place of
butter and oil in baked goods. There are also prepared
fruit puree products on the market out there like Lighter
Bake you can use.

Try using skim milk instead of whole milk or replacing
heavy cream or sour cream with low fat yogurt.

You can substitute two egg whites for one whole egg
(three egg whites for two whole eggs).

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          Viral Videos on the Net at EVTV1.com
              http://www.evtv1.com/
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http://www.gophercentral.com
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END OF THE DAILY RECIPE “Until we eat again!”
Copyright 2009 by NextEra Media. All rights reserved

I guess I spell asparagus like I say it – sparagus? I can
get a little caught up in the lingo.  Today brings a fun
Spring dessert… a very popular one from our 2000 list -
an adorable BUNNY PATCH CAKE and get this – you make it
with an already prepared Sara Lee pound cake so it’s quick
too. All decorated with greed colored coconut and colorful
jelly beans it goes over great for Easter. Even a better
idea let the kids decorate it themselves on Easter day!

Enjoy!  Marzee

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
RECIPE:  BUNNY PATCH CAKE
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

INGREDIENTS:
1 package (10 3/4 oz.) Sara Lee Pound Cake, frozen, cut
  into 10 slices
1 can (21 oz.) Pie filling, any flavor
1 tub (12 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
1 cup Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut
Green food coloring
Colorful jelly beans and marshmellow bunnies

DIRECTIONS:
Line bottom of 12×8-inch baking dish with cake slices.
Top with pie filling and all of the whipped topping.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Tint coconut
pale green with food coloring. Sprinkle over center of
whipped topping. Decorate with Easter candies and
marshmellow bunnies .

Yield: 15 Servings
Category: Desserts

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                 MARZEE’S CORNER
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

CHOCOLATE TIPS:

* Use a potato or vegetable parer to make chocolate
curls for decorating cakes and pies. You can use bars
of semi-sweet or bitter chocolate. The chocolate should
be at room temperature  or even very slightly warmer.
You can adjust the thickness and length of the curls
by the pressure of your strokes.

* To melt chocolate, chop fairly fine. Place in a
microwave-safe bowl and microwave, uncovered, at 100
percent power, stirring every 10 seconds.

*Use self-sealing plastic bags to melt butter or
chocolate in  the microwave.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

          Viral Videos on the Net at EVTV1.com
              http://www.evtv1.com/
Subscribe to more Free GopherCentral Newsletters
http://www.gophercentral.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

END OF THE DAILY RECIPE “Until we eat again!”
Copyright 2009 by NextEra Media. All rights reserved