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Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desserts. Show all posts

Friday, March 15, 2013

Peyton's Easter Cake

Peyton is my 4 year-old great-grandson.  He is handsome, adorable, sweet, loving, funny, and very smart.  This is my totally unprejudiced great-grandmother's perspective and opinion. :) This little boy is a bright ray of sunshine in our lives, and his Boompa and Gram-Gram always look forward to visiting him in Arkansas, and his visits to our home in Texas.

 This week, we had an early Easter celebration with Peyton and the rest of the Arkansas family.  We made an Easter basket for him, and took along some Cascarones, which he thoroughly enjoyed! (Cascarones are a Mexican tradition for Easter as well as other holidays. A cascaron is an egg that is decorated much like an Easter egg and then filled with confetti. Cascarones are broken over the head for good luck.  They are used by many Texans on Holidays).  For dessert, I made this quick and easy Cream of Coconut Cake.  Here is a picture of Peyton's slice of cake.  He redesigned it, and even added some frosting to the chick's beak. I wanted to share this happy memory, and this easy, tasty cake with my blogging friends.  Happy Easter to all!

 Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix, prepared per package instructions.
(ingredients needed:egg, oil & water)
1 can Condensed milk1 can Cream of Coconut (I used Coco Lopez)
1 16 oz container Cool Whip, thawed
1 package frozen grated coconut, thawed

Instructions:
Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions for a 9x13 pan.
Remove cake from oven, and while still hot, poke holes all over the top of cake using the handle of a wooden spoon, or a large fork.
Mix condensed milk and Cream of Coconut well, and pour over warm cake. Coat top of cake evenly.  Be sure you coat the whole cake and spread it so it will soak in.

Let cake cool completely then frost with whipped topping, and, top with flaked coconut. Decorate as desired..as Peyton did.

Keep cake refrigerated.

 Notes: Be sure you use CONDENSED milk...not evaporated milk, and CREAM OF COCONUT, not coconut milk. Cream of Coconut is usually found in the section for alcoholic drink mixes..it does not contain alcohol, however.
Sharing on:
Mix it up Monday
On the Menu Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday At The Table

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Posted by Patsy at 6:45 AM 5 comments
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Fit for a Queen Tea Cozy and Chocolate Biscuit Cake

This year, Queen Elizabeth celebrates 60 years as Monarch.  The central week for the Diamond Jubilee celebration is Saturday, June 2 through Tuesday, June 5, 2012.
Our good friends are here from London, so they will miss the festivities....perhaps they wanted to miss the crowds in London!  They come over twice a year, and stay a couple of months at a time.  Their son is a builder, and has just finished building a new home for them to live in while they are in Texas.  They have spent the last few weeks moving in.  We wanted to give them something unique for a housewarming gift, so I asked my sweet littlecousin (aka Gwen) to make a tea cozy for them.  We selected a beautiful pattern that was especially created for the Diamond Jubilee, and I think it is lovely!
The Royal crown is in the center, with the English Rose beneath.  There are thistles representing Scotland, shamrocks for Northern Ireland, and daffodils for Wales.

I also plan to prepare the Queen's favorite tea cake, Chocolate Biscuit Cake, for our English friends.  The Queen's former chef, Darren McGrady, used to prepare it for the Queen. He says it was "without a double her favorite tea cake."

My friend Kitty of Kitty's Kozy Kitchen has posted a lovely strawberry ice cream to go with this cake for the Diamond Jubilee.  Do you think the Queen will join us for tea?

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. butter, for greasing pan
8 oz. McVities rich tea biscuits
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C granulated sugar
4 oz. semi sweet dark chocolate*
1 egg, beaten
8 oz semi sweet dark chocolate, for icing*
1 oz sweetened white chocolate, for decoration
*Darren does not specify what kind of chocolate, other than "dark chocolate", but I don't think unsweetened dark chocolate would fit the bill.  The cake and icing would be too bitter, I think.  I am going to use semi sweet dark chocolate when I make it, or perhaps Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate.

Instructions:
Grease 6" x 2 1/2" cake ring with butter, and place on a parchment lined tray.  Break biscuits into almond sized pieces by hand, and set aside.  Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until mixture is a light lemon color.

Melt 4 oz. of the chocolate in a double boiler.  Add butter and sugar mixture into the chocolate, stirring constantly.  Add egg and continue stirring.  Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are coated with chocolate mixture.

Spoon the chocolate/biscuit mixture into prepared cake ring.  Try to fill all gaps on the bottom, because this will be the top when it is unmolded.  Chill cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Remove cake from fridge, and let it stand while you melt 8 oz. of chocolate for the icing.  Slide the ring off the cake, and turn upside down on a cooling rack.  Pour the chocolate over the cake, and smooth the top and sides with a butter knife or offset spatula.  Allow chocolate icing to set at room temperature.  Carefully run a knife around bottom of cake where it has stuck to cooling rack, and transfer cake to a pretty serving plate.  Melt the white chocolate, and drizzle on top of cake in a decorative pattern.

Congratulations on your Diamond Jubilee, Your Majesty.


Mix it up Monday
On the Menu Monday
Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage





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Posted by Patsy at 3:23 PM 20 comments
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