Birthday Meals

The morning started with Aebleskivers (recipe below) for the birthday girl. Then we picked up KLB and went to get Moo's hair cut. It turned out so cute! We got the idea and pictures from here. She now looks older than her 14 years and her dad has grounded her until she is 30. (We aren't looking forward to beating off the boys. I see a father sitting on the couch cleaning his guns in Moo's future.)

After stopping by PE's work for the birthday girl to show off the new do and for KLB to sell some jewelry (you can see some of her creations here.) Then we went home where I started baking and Moo watched movies and played around on Facebook. All was going well until Nana canceled because she has a cold and was not feeling well and then KLB canceled because she was not feeling well. (I wish the best to both of them and hope they are feeling better soon.) Moo decided that since KLB wouldn't be around to watch SYTYCD and Glee with us that she would reconsider Cooking W.'s invitation to attend the football game (I guess the boys and I aren't good enough company). Not a big deal, but she did leave in the middle of dinner and now I have an uncut cake in my refrigerator. There is always tonight.

Let us get on with the recipes.

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Aebleskivers
from Sparky
Print Recipe

5 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half & half
6 eggs (separated)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate large mixing bowl add milk, half & half, egg yolks, and beat. Slowly add dry ingredients, keep beating until very smooth and glossy. Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into batter mixture. Preheat aebleskiver pan with 1/2 tsp oil in each cup. When pan is hot, fill cups just under full. Once all cups are filled start turning Aebleskivers (using a toothpick, bamboo skewer, or knitting needle). Each turn will be small, pour uncooked batter to bottom of pan and slowly form sphere. When light golden brown remove to plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup or jam.

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Chocolate Cake
from Hershey's Kitchen
Print Recipe

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9” round baking pans. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking power, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water with a spatula or spoon. Evenly pour batter into both baking pans. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

++I also made cupcakes. Make the batter as directed. Pour batter into paper lined muffin pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool.

++The cupcakes are extremely moist and delicious. I won't know about the cake until tonight.

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Chocolate Mousse
from Real Mom Kitchen
Print Recipe

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp cold water
2 Tbsp boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 cup cold whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small cup; let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir together sugar and cocoa in medium bowl; add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of mixer, scraping bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended.

++The mousse I tasted from the spoon is delicious. How it pairs with the cake I will not know until tonight.

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Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
from MyRecipes.com
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1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 to 7 Tbsp milk

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa. Gradually add powdered sugar mixture alternately with 3 Tbsp milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 4 Tbsp additional milk for desired consistency.

++The frosting is delicious on cupcakes. I can't wait to see how it tastes with the cake and mousse.

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Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
from ourbestbites.com
Print Recipe

3 Tbsp Flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, pour it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temperature or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If it isn't cooled completely, it will melt the butter and the frosting will be runny. In an electric stand mixer with whisk attachment(s), beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9--that's when the magic happens! Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes with BIG tops or it will frost 24 if spreading a little on top.

++DELICIOUS!! This is going to used a lot in my house from now on. It is so worth the work.

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Hasselback Potatoes
from Mmm...Cafe
Print Recipe

4 medium baking potatoes
4 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, making thin slices. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet. Melt butter and stir in minced garlic. Spread between the slits. Sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper over the potatoes Bake the potatoes for about one hour or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

++While delicious, next time I will make the slices thinner.

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Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin a la Hunting W.
from Sparky
Print Recipe

1 tenderloin, sliced into 1" thick slices
bacon
butter, melted
garlic, minced

Wrap each slice of tenderloin around its sides with a slice of bacon, securing with toothpicks. Combine garlic with melted butter. Grill as desired topping the steak with the garlic butter a minute or so before the steak has reach desired doneness (nope, not a word).

++Anyone not in the know would have never guessed they were eating elk.

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I also served Crescent Rolls frozen from earlier in the week. I actually forgot about the rolls until I started the potatoes, so I had to modify their defrosting and baking. They were supposed to defrost all day. Instead I placed them in the slightly warm oven (leftover warmness from baking the cake and cupcakes) while I started to prepare the potatoes. Midway through preparing the potatoes, I turned the oven on to preheat. After four minutes I removed the rolls from the oven and placed them on the stove top to finish defrosting/rising while the potatoes baked. Once the potatoes finished I baked the rolls as directed in the recipe and they turned out just as good as the fresh rolls.

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