chocolate treaties for your sweetie
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Valentine’s Day couldn’t be better with a nice chocolate cake and maybe even some chocolate ice cream on top!
Whether you choose coffee or champagne, chocolate cake is a delicious, decadent celebration of the holiday.
But first, a word about the First Friends Chili Supper. This annual event, ongoing since about 1978, is held the last Thursday in February. I visited with Dottie Ludwig, and she says this year’s feast will be February 22 at the church, at 6th and Sylvan.
There will be chili, vegetable soup and many homemade desserts. Dottie says they always have a big crowd, and the chili is delicious, meaty and not at all spicy-hot. I hear the secret is a little bit of Williams Chili Seasoning!
If you’d like to attend, the chili supper starts at 4:30 p.m. and goes until 7 p.m. It’s $5 for adults and $3 for children. Call ahead the day of the supper for carry-out, if you like, at 342-6734. The proceeds go toward various church projects. A great meal for a good cause!
Now, a tale of chocolate, sour cream and the spelling of last names. I’m sure you all recall the search for a certain chocolate sour cream cake that I ascribed to Sandy Laird. Imagine my chagrin when I was told it is “Lahr,” not “Laird”! I guess that’s why Sandy Laird hasn’t returned any of my calls (mea culpa). My apologies to all, and thanks to everyone who has tried to help find Sandy LAHR’s lost recipe.
Six wonderful women contacted me with recipes that they hoped might fill the bill: Kay Shandler, Pat Douglas, Judy Patton, Mary Volland, Judy Conway and Eileen Kellie. What a team!
Pat Douglas said “I have a Hershey's Cocoa Cookbook, copyright 1979. Not sure if this is the recipe that Sandy was looking for; but here it is.” This sheet cake recipe is moist and delicious.
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM CAKE
1 3/4 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large mixer bowl. Blend in butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla on low speed. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into greased and floured 13-inch sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost.
Judy Patton just so happened to have a 1971 reprint of a 1934 Hershey’s Cookbook, and although this recipe calls for sour milk, maybe it evolved into the one we’re missing. At least it has a sour cream icing!
HERSHEY’S SPECIAL CAKE
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour milk
3 squares Hershey’s baking chocolate, melted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Cream butter; gradually add sugar and cream together. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour and salt, add alternately with milk, beating well. Add chocolate. Dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and add that. Beat well, then pour into two well-buttered 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes. Cool and ice.
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM ICING
2 cups sugar
6 Tbsp Hershey’s chocolate syrup
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine the sugar and chocolate syrup in a saucepan. When well mixed, add the sour cream, and cook over medium heat to the soft ball stage (234 degrees F) Remove from the fire; add vanilla and beat until thick enough to spread. Add nuts of any kind for variety.
Mary Volland faxed a recipe for a rich, luscious layer cake that is definitely worth a try. Thanks, Mary!
HERSHEY’S RED VELVET COCOA CAKE
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. Hershey’s cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring (paste is better)
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate dish, blend cocoa and food coloring; add to sugar mixture. Sift flour and salt together and add alternately with buttermilk. Mix soda and vinegar together and stir that in.
Bake in two 9-inch cake pans, greased and floured, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and frost.
Judy Conway also lent her expertise to the situation. She says: “The following recipe used to be on the back of the Swan's Cake Flour Box, not sure if it still is or not. Anyway, my grandmother and mom used to make this cake and it has always been one of my all time favorites.” Yay!
JUDY’S SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE
3 squares unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ICING:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
1/4 cup shortening or unsalted butter (Judy prefers butter)
3/4 cup unsalted butter or unsalted margarine
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, measured then sifted
1/3 cup cocoa, measured then sifted
1/2 cup half-and-half
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 9-inch layer pans and line with parchment paper circles or a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan.
Cream the melted, cooled chocolate with the butter. Add the sugar until fluffy and well blended. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients to blend. Add dry ingredients and sour cream, alternating until batter is smooth. Add boiling water; the batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until cake springs back when gently pressed. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto cake rack.
For the icing: cream shortening and butter together with l cup of the confectioners' sugar. Add remaining confectioners' sugar, cocoa and melted chocolate. Whip on high speed, then add in a bit of milk or cream to get a light, fluffy consistency. If not using right away, rewhip before using. Add additional milk or cream to get correct consistency (a tablespoon at a time). Frost the cake & enjoy!
Eileen Kellie e-mailed a recipe she found in "Best Recipes From the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars" by Cecil Dyer. His introduction to the recipe reads: “One of the best ever Chocolate Cake recipes to come from Chocolate Town, Hershey, Pennsylvania. A longtime favorite from the Hershey Cocoa box label.” Could this be the one!?
CHOCOLATE TOWN
SPECIAL CAKE
1/2 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
2/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk
Grease and dust with flour two 9-inch cake pans. Make a smooth paste of cocoa and boiling water; cool slightly. Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl; blend in eggs. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture (to use sour milk, add 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vinegar plus milk to equal 1 1/3 cups). Add cocoa paste to batter, blending well. Pour batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Frost as desired.
I’m sure that one is just wonderful, but alas, Sandy says none of these are the missing recipe. What we know for certain is (1) It was Hershey’s Cocoa; (2) it was on the can; (3) it had one cup of sour cream (not sour milk or buttermilk); and (4) it did not have boiling water. Keep your eyes and ears open, Flint Hills Chefs! That recipe has got to be out there somewhere.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. Next week’s edition is on Arabian cuisine, thanks to two young men from ESU! Your challenge is now to supply a recipe for your best CHOWDER. Not just soup, not mere broth, but thick, chunky, creamy chowder! Send that recipe to 517 Merchant or murphysmenu@yahoo.com. Let’s get cooking!