A moment of gratitude

I’m grateful that cake tastes good without frosting.

Because I couldn’t wait.

But oh man, now I kinda have a tummy ache.

Recipe: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9in x 9in cake pan.

2. Melt chocolate in a microwave.

3. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and slowly blend until combined.

4. Add eggs to the mixture one at a time. Beat until blended and fluffy.

5. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Blend. The mixture should be smooth, fluffy, and lighter in color.

6. Fold in half of the flour, the baking soda, and baking powder. Gently mix until just combined.

7. Add the water and gently fold in. Add the remaining flour and mix.

8. Pour batter into cake pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, approximately 30-35 minutes.

Based on a recipe from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans and France Ruffenach. 

 

Simple pleasures

An afternoon spent baking…

…a beautiful chocolate cake…

…with a little help…

…from baby blue eyes.

 

Happy Pie Day!

Okay…I made that up…Pie Day. To me, though, the day before Thanksgiving is an unofficial holiday. It deserves a name. So I made one up and I call it Pie Day because this is the day that all the pies and goodies are baked for the bigger, officially recognized holiday. While others might focus on the hassle of traveling and last minute turkey shopping, I’m choosing to focus on the joyful aspect of Thanksgiving Eve. I’m choosing to focus on the pie.

Here are a few reasons why Pie Day deserves more attention:

1. Pie Day has its own traditions. In our house, my mom always baked a pumpkin pie and a chocolate pecan pie for Thanksgiving. The day before, she would make the crust from scratch (!) and I remember her trimming and crimping the pie edges just so. She’d use the leftover crust dough to make little pie crust cookies with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. It was the same thing every, single year. Now that I’m cooking my own Thanksgiving dinner, I can’t celebrate the holiday without those pies. I could choose other pies but I don’t. I love them.

See…tradition!

2. Pie Day is about love. This is the day when everyone comes home, when everyone starts to come together in their pie-scented homes. People start to gather in the kitchen. The holiday anticipation starts to build and everyone becomes a little happier, a little softer.

See…love!

3. Pie Day is a heck of a lot of fun. Pour a glass of wine, set out some yummy snacks, turn on some music, and bake up a storm. It’s an enjoyable process.

See…fun!

Pie Day is a day to be recognized and it’s something that we need. If you feel up to it, read this post about a girl with very grand ideas. It’s the right attitude. It’s inspiring. So let’s follow her lead. We need to celebrate more often. Let’s make extra holidays. Happy Pie Day!

Day 11, check!