Remember...an Ode and a recipe.

          I haven't posted anything so personal before but I felt that for this once would be okay. Since February of this year, things have been kind of tough for my family and I. Keep in mind I am in no way complaining, this is just a retrospective "ode" for lack of a better word to the three people its about, plus a recipe.
           In February, my brother Joey went missing off the coast of Mexico in a boating accident. The man that was sailing with him has given us a full disclosure of what happened when he went into the water. I was close to my big brother. Not as close as one could be I guess and that's on me, but I felt his disappearance pretty deep.  He was/is a great man who didn't always know or understand how loved he was. I think a part of him felt that he didn't deserve it. You'd have to know my brother to understand that last part. He was as deep as the ocean that claimed him. My sister wrote a beautiful tribute to him that I would never be able to replicate. Below is a recipe that will be explained. I would do one for my brother, but he was never really big on sweets. He loved green tea and when I find a recipe for Green Tea cake that I find acceptable, that one will be for him.

           On August 1, 2012 after being back in NY for only three days, my best friend and her husband were killed in a horrible, senseless car accident.  My best friend, Patti died instantly. Her husband Shawn later died at a local hospital. They leave behind two small children who were in the car with them, but not seriously injured. They all had left my house thirty minutes prior to the accident, making my family and I the last to see them alive. They were supposed to come back for a day of swimming and dinner that coming Sunday. Patti's birthday had past not too long ago and Shawn's was yesterday (8/10/12), so I was going to make her the cupcakes she had given me the idea for in honor of our favorite candy....chocolate covered cherries. So in her honor, I'm going to rename the flavor for her....The Patticake (which is somewhat ironic as she hated that nickname as I hate "red" but she would see how it fits this one time). Shawn will get his flavor when I tweak a gluten free option.

          These three people mean so much to me and all of them have left this life entirely too early. I know they are wherever they are, and if I know Patti, Shawn and my brother there is a large beach/ocean up there in paradise. So I say to them, Patti save a spot in the sand for me, Shawn make me a drink and brudder save me a sail!  I'll see you all again someday, just not today. <3

Patti and Shawn Wonderly

My brother, Joey Horrevoets

         After you read this, do me a favor. Go to your significant other, your kids, you parents, grandparents, friends, anyone that you love and can't picture life without. give them the biggest hug you can possible manage. Tell them you love them. Show them you love them everyday, even in a small way. Make memories. Share laughter and tears. Never regret words that may have been said in the past, simply forgive and forget. Talks for hours on the phone if you can't be there in person. Never leave the "I'm Sorry's" for another day. Life can be taken away in an instant. Enjoy every second that we're granted and hold them close to your heart.

                                        The Patticake adapted from Betty Crocker and given my own little spin.
3/4 cup softened unsalted butter.
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coca powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3 TBSP vanilla
1 1/2 cups Milk (I use 1%)
Fresh cherries, pitted and chopped (used about 30 cherries) or one can of cherry pie filling.
1/2 c sugar
 
 Filling:
 In a small saucepan, on medium to low heat, combine fresh cherries and sugar. Let simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until becomes slightly syrupy (yes that's a word, in my world anyway ;p). Set aside.

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp. for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease bottoms of two 8x8x2" square or 9x1 1/2" round cake pans or one 13x9x2" pan(or ungreased cupcake liners). In a medium bowl mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer, beat butter on high until creamy or 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until combined (approx 3-4 minutes). Scrape sides of bowl then continue to beat at medium for an additional 2 mins. Add eggs one at a time then beat in vanilla.


  Alternate adding in dry ingredients with the milk, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on low until just combined. do not over mix. Spread batter evenly into pans or fill cupcake liners 1/2 way. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 mins for the 13x9x2 pan, 30-35 mins for the 9" pans. Cupcakes will cook in about 10-15 mins at 325 degrees. Tops of cuppies will spring back when done. test cake pans with a toothpick. When its clean after removal then the cake is done. Cool in pans for 10 mins then remove to wire cooling racks to cool thoroughly. "Core" the cuppies and save the middles. Fill with cherry mixture (or canned cherry pie filling) and replace with middles. replacing the middles is optional. I usually choose not too.  Cover with icing and enjoy!

Cead Mile Failte!

       Happy belated Saint Patrick's Day to all the Irish folks out there! I myself am half Irish and that half is obvious (red hair, blue/green eyes and cough...a mild temper...cough). As with every year I either make the traditional Corned Beef and potatoes ( I leave out the cabbage to appease my olfactory peace of mind) and Soda Bread, or the Hubs, offspring and I are invited to a party where the fixings are made by someone else. This year was no exception. We had to skip the party this year due to the Hub's job so on St Pats we invited a couple of friends over for a low key evening of merry making. Good times were had by all and the offspring played like it was going out of style!

      This year I added something baked to the meal. i wouldn't be me if I hadn't. Along with the Corned Beef we had the Soda Bread. I've had this recipe for years and for the life of me I cannot remember where in the world I got it. Normally I tweak any recipe I find to make it my own somehow, but this particular one is great on its own. It can be made with or without raisins. As for me, I love raisins whether they reside in bread or are covered with chocolate or yogurt. Raisins and me are BFF!

photo by Amanda @Mandies Sugar Bowl

Irish Soda Bread  yields: 12 servings
5 C All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
5 tsp Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 C) Butter, softened
1 1/4 c Raisins (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 to 2 C Buttermilk (you can do a buttermilk sub. but the taste of the bread is not the same)

     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the flour, salt, soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Unwrap the butter and save the wrapper (to grease the cookie sheet). Mix butter in with a spoon.  Add the raisins, eggs, and sugar. Mix these together well. At some point your going to need your hands. (I nix the spoon altogether. Less dishes = a happy me!) Scoop the dry ingredients up from the bottom so that everything is mixed to an equal consistancy. Add the buttermilk a little at a time. Stop when the dough becomes sticky (For me it's usually after adding 1 1/2 c of the buttermilk). Take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead the dough 10 times. More than that will change the texture of the dough. Cut into half to make two loaves. Using the butter wrapper, grease a cookie sheet (you can also use parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray. This technique has never changed the bread in any way for me.) Score the top of the bread with a cross an "x" for decoration and to help with make the top crusty. Place the bread in the oven for 45-60 minutes (45 mins. works for me.) or until the bread is a nutty brown. Test before removing by inserting a skewer or slim knife in the center. If it comes out clean, then the bread is done. Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!!

photo by Amanda @Mandie's Sugar Bowl

        For dessert this year I added something new to the day. I made Chocolate Stout Cupcakes courtesy of Dave Lieberman at Food Network. I didn't change much as the recipe I used before Dave's was way too buttery. For this recipe I left out the salt with no repercussions. I also made a different butter-cream than Dave used. The result was sooooooo much better than my first attempt!! I also filled them with a chocolate ganache. The ganache part I have to tweak a bit more, but on the whole they came out fantastic! To top it all off I hand piped some chocolate Shamrocks for the occasion. All in all the evening was great. Everyone had a lot of laughs and a great time, which is the Irish way. I hope your St. Pats was great as well! Sláinte! (Cheers in Gaelic)