Traditional Black Forest Cake

Did You Know? 

The Traditional Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte) consists of several layers of chocolate cake brushed with Kirsh syrup, and whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, cherries, and chocolate shavings. 

Historically - The Black Forest Cake name resembles the traditional clothing worn by women of the Black Forest: a black skirt and bodice (the chocolate) over a white blouse (the whipped cream), topped off with a wide flat hat covered with red pompoms (the cherries).

Recipe

Chocolate chiffon cake (3/8 inch thick)	3.00	layers
Kirschwasser Simple Syrup	3.00	oz
Whipped Cream (Sweet)	16.00	oz
Brandy Soaked tart Cherries	8.00	oz
Chocolate curls (as needed)
Cherries (as needed)

Moisten each cake layer with syrup during assembly

Place first cake layer on 8-inch cake circle. Moisten, and then spread a 1/2 inch layer of whipped cream evenly over cake, dot with Brandy Soaked tart Cherries

Place second cake layer on Cherries and Whipped Cream; moisten and repeat with more Whipped Cream and Brandy Soaked tart Cherries

Place third cake layer on Cherries and Whipped Cream. Moisten and ice top and sides with more Whipped Cream.

Freeze torte for about 30 minutes, until firm

Smooth any defects. Pipe rosettes and shells decoratively on the top of the torte and garnish with Chocolate Curls and Cherries.

Today's Food History ~ Chocolate Chips, Listerine & Hershey's

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day!

1923 ~ Listerine was registered as a trademark.
1989 ~ Hershey's reduces the size of the Hershey bar to 1.55 ounces.  The price remains 40 cents.
1991 ~ The famous Paris cooking school, L'Ecole de Cordon Bleu, opens a branch in Tokyo, Japan.


Chocolate Chip Cookies Walnut Cookie Recipe

 

Note: All ingredients should be room temperature before using.

2 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour

1 C Butter - Unsalted

3/4 C Cane Sugar

3/4 C Packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 C Chopped Walnuts

2 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cream together Butter, Sugars, Vanilla, Eggs, Baking Soda and Salt.

Add Flour, one cup at a time. Stir in Walnuts. Finally, fold in the Chocolate Chips.

Line cookie sheet with Parchment Paper, and scoop cookies onto sheet using a medium ice cream scoop.  Bake for 8-12 minutes, and let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

May 15 (05/15) is National Chocolate Chip Day!

Today's Food History, Buttermilk Biscuits & Tips

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
National Dance like a Chicken Day

1686 Gabriel Fahrenheit was born.  Fahrenheit was a German physicist who invented the Fahrenheit temperature scale thermometer.  It was the first thermometer to use mercury instead of alcohol, which also extended the temperature range of thermometers.

1853 Gail Borden applied for a patent for condensed milk.

TODAY’S KITCHEN TIP

Chill cheese for easy grating and shredding. It'll make the job much easier. Chill hard cheeses in the freezer for 30 minutes and soft cheeses for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. If you want to crumble hard cheese, freeze it longer.

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Coleridge holds that a man cannot have a pure mind who refuse apple-dumplings. I am not certain but that he is right.” ~ Charles Lamb (1775-1834)

SOUTHERN BUTTERMILK BISCUIT RECIPE

Ingredients

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform the scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.