Posted on 12/07/2017 4:37:25 PM PST by Jamestown1630
Recently – for some reason that I can’t even remember now – I was looking for information on Germany’s Black Forest. Many of the links that came up were for the famous Black Forest Cake – an extravagant confection of chocolate sponge cake, ‘kirschwasser’ and cherries. Definitely a 'celebration' cake, and it looks very nice for Christmas.
Here, from Genius Kitchen, is a ‘from scratch’ recipe:
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/authentic-black-forest-cake-schwarzwald-kirsch-kuchen-343698
and here is one using prepared cake mix (includes a little history on the cake) from What's Cooking America:
https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/BlackForestCake.htm
I may have been looking up the Black Forest because I’ve become entranced by train driver’s view videos of trains in Europe. This one on the Bergen line in Norway makes you feel as if you're really there - a nice way to enjoy a snowstorm without being in it. For some reason, I just like having this on the television as I putter about the house. (Warning: it's a 2-hour video; but it doesn't take long to get into the storm ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=facDr2lTAUM
-JT
I have a paleo “meat candy” recipe. It’s so good. You slit open dates (not all the way in half) and take away the pits. Then you stuff them (overstuff them) with ground precooked bought sausage (like chicken and apple or something). Not raw sausage but the kind that only need warming up, you grind them in the food processor. Then you surround each with a bacon strip. (We have to use turkey bacon and it is plenty good.) then you bake and I’m not home so I can’t remember the time or temp but not long. These things are so unbelievably delicious.
I hate that candied citron, the bright green stuff.
Can you use canned or frozen?
My second wedding cake had as frosting - whipped cream,
covered with big white chocolate curls. Better than the entire marriage. I’m just sayin.
Actually you can use any moist chocolate cake recipe-—baked in two pans.
Then just layer away.......any ganache recipe is good, chop up some toffee.
And use that Caramel Whipped Cream recipe I posted while back....... to finish.
Dessert memories from the beyond. I can imagine it. My dad grew up in England too.
I like English desserts and cakes. I have many English cookbooks. Their food is underrated.
Just made a gingerbread cake. I poured a ganache over it - attempting to make a spice cake I remembered from my childhood. My husband liked it but thinks the chocolate overpowered the cake. Baking: always a crapshoot!
Funny you mentioned it....I just came across a recipe for a very decadent chocolate gingerbread.
I usually served my fresh out of the oven gingerbread dripping with butter.
Then later I served it cold covered with cream cheese and canned apricots in syrup.
Or maybe just pour a hot thin lemon sauce over the cream cheese.
So versatile.
All of those sound wonderful. I have read about lemon and gingerbread. Something to try. I got from Amazon the most amazing candied ginger and candied orange peel (from Seville). None of that horrible junk they sell in the supermarkets. I put the ginger in the cake as well.
They have some awesome desserts. Even a simple rice pudding can be heavenly.
Mmmmmmm........those were great additions.
You could try adding the orange and ginger to cream cheese....thin it out...... and use it as a sauce to salvage your gingerbread experiment.
Mmmmm. I made a gingerbread cake a week ago. It’s so good that way (not that I don’t like the gingerbread cookies, or lebkuchen). I used an orange flavored cream cheese frosting. I still remember the long sheet cakes of gingerbread coated with powdered sugar at my elementary school cafeteria.
I have to do it. The flavor combos have to be so good.
It appears we had an orange and ginger cream cheese mind meld there. I swear I didn’t see your post. Ha.
You and me....we made a classic.
I hated the strangely colored plastic like fruits in fruit cake. But if you replace them with actual dried fruit bits (and possibly adding bits of dark chocolate!), fruitcake is actually good.
ALMOND CAKE
PREP Parchment 8" springform or butter/flour bundt pan.
METHOD Cream 1/4 lb sweet butter and 3/4 c sugar light and fluffy. Add
cup almond paste; beat well. Add 3 eggs singly; beat each well. Add 1/2 tsp
b/powder, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp almond extract,tb Kirsch or Grand Marnier;
stir/combine well. Fold in 1/4 c cake flour gently; do not overmix.
Bake golden 350 deg 35-45 min (pick comes clean); do not underbake. Cool slightly on rack.
SERVE Dusted w/ conf, side of fresh berries, maybe a dollop of softly whipped cream.
Clotted Cream
Originally from Devonshire County, England--thick, buttery cream often used as dessert topping. Still a specialty of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, b/c the right breed of cattle are raised there---w/ high cream content to produce clotted cream. AKA Devon cream or Devonshire cream. Consistency similar to soft butter.
METHOD Elec/mixer/whisk cup h/cream to stiff peaks. W/ large spoon or rubber spatula, fold in/just combine 1/3 c light sour cream, 2 tbl conf. Refrigerate til needed.
Yes it’s the village pan I’ve been eyeing. I’ve been looking at the metal one and the silicone one, wondering which would be better. I have a flower pan - 6 flowers with 3 different designs. It is metal. I have about a 75% success rate with it.
I do think they’re adorable, although I probably wouldn’t decorate them to their full advantage, like it shows on Amazon but that I sent around eight shingle and what not. Still, really cute. My favorite thing for Christmas is my village that lights up, a ceramic one I mean. So I thought this would be a nice complement.
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