100!

well, i made it. 100 posts. i can't believe i found enough to talk about for 100 posts. june has been a very busy month with school ending and so i offered to make a cake for the teacher's appreciation luncheon at our daughter's school. i made my standard chocolate cake recipe (below) that i found on allrecipes.com many moons ago. it's very moist and has a wonderful crumb. i use it for regular cakes, cupcakes-both regular and mini sizes, and bundt pans. which is what i made. my dad brought me a castle shaped bundt pan a couple weeks ago and this was the first opportunity i had to use it where i didn't have the leftover cake laying around the house. i also made cookies for all the teachers and support staff and VP's and the retiring principal. unfortunatly i didn't get any pics of the cake. or the cookies. ah well... next time!

dark chocolate cake

2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

*the only things that i have done differently the last few times i have made this is to substitute milk for the water, and not boil it. i also sifted the cocoa powder with the flour and other dry ingredients. the results are the same and you don't have to wait for the cocoa water to cool.

small business???

i've been thinking a lot these days about starting up my own cookie store. well, not just cookies, but cupcakes, too. and cakes. but i like candy, too. o, and i love coffee. maybe a cafe type thing. we only have one in our neighbourhood currently and rumour has it that a starbucks will be moving into the building that is taking forever to be finished. i think it started in 2004 and is still not yet completed! i really like the idea of cupcakes! but i don't like that you really can't sit and enjoy them there. i also don't like getting up too early. i know, sucks if i want to be a baker.

i'm completely obscessed about the idea and i'm overwhelmed... anyone out there know where to start?

mama's li'l baby

it's that time of year again... strawberry season! yumm! there's nothing better than strawberries on, well, on just about anything. i don't know anyone that doesn't like these tasty little ground berries. today i bought 2 extra pints of beautiful organic red berries. we already had one at home and i was thinking, "strawberry shortcake". so that's what i made. so simple and so easy. i have a recipe that i've had since the days of no printer, so i don't remember the source. i think it's from allrecipies.com, but don't quote me on that!strawberry shortcake

3 pints fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter (or shortening)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup whole milk
2 cups whipping cream

wash and slice the strawberries and toss with the 1/2 cup of sugar. preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. butter an 8" cake pan, add a parchment circle and butter again. dust with flour.

in a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 2 tbsp of sugar. cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles small peas. make a well in the centre and add the egg and milk. stir until just combined.

spread the batter into your prepared cake pan. bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. let cool partially on a wire rack. slice it while the shortbread is still warm, making 2 layers. place half the strawberries on the bottom layer, top with whipped cream, replace top half and cover with remaining berries and whipped cream.