A "Chocolate Times 100" Cake and a Little Celebration

I found myself immediately transformed into a traffic cop as I held out both hands and practically threw myself into the "after-school pick-up" traffic to avoid having my 5-year-old hit by on-coming cars as he obliviously skipped across the street toward me. His eyes were shining. His "too-big" back-pack was jostling wildly up and down on his back. His smile...melt-your-heart big.


"Mom! Mom!" he cried out. "Guess what?"


"What, sweetie?" I said to him while wrapping my arm around his shoulders and pulling him over to the side with me.


"Best day ever!"


"Really? Why?"


"Today was the 100th day of school!"


He then launched into a dissertation on why that 100th day was "Best Day Ever." Top of the list was the half-eaten Fruit Loop necklace he wore around his neck. One hundred Fruit Loops, strung onto a piece of yarn and divided into groups of tens by squares of black paper.


"And, Mom, I finished my "neck-a-lace" first. Other people said they did but they didn't. Not really."


He continued to chatter as we drove home. Recounting the other 100th Day of School activities they had been doing in class. Collecting 100 things. Sorting 100 things. And then, counting out 100 cheerios, 100 raisins and 100 chocolate chips for the 100th day snack. The pinnacle of the 100th Day celebration.

And it made me think, 100 of anything, is quite substantial. Meaningful even. 100 days. 100 dollars. 100 yards. 100 years. 100 La Pomme de Portland posts.


And since this here post marks my 100th, I decided that it deserved its own little celebration. The kind of "Best Day Ever" celebration. It seems so long ago that I wrote that first one.


So, I baked a cake. A chocolate cake. From a box. With a few extras. Just because. And took pictures. Trust me it's delicious. The Rooster couldn't get over his good luck when he arrived home from work and found it sitting on the kitchen table.


And no it's not low-fat, calorie-free or rich with whole grains but sometimes we can't worry about that. Sometimes we simply need to enjoy what we're eating because it tastes delicious. And because we're celebrating. Or as those fancy French folks would say, "pour le plaisir." So go on. Go make it. Celebrate with me.

And then as a little gift for you, I have created a list of inspiration (which ended up taking me a lot longer than I thought and hence the reason why this post did not go out last week at its regularly scheduled time.)


One hundred inspirational sites that I visit regularly. Sometimes for the recipes, sometimes for the beautiful photographs, other times for the bits of relevant information or simply because of the person behind the site.


This list is not exhaustive. There is so much talent out there on the web. It's impossible to capture it all in one list. But I hope my one hundred may inspire you and lead you on to find your one hundred.


You will always find my list at the top of my site under the tab "Inspiration" and I will rotate the sites on the list as time goes by and new bits of inspiration are discovered.

And last, but certainly not least, I send out to each of you one hundred thank you's. Thank you for reading. For growing along with me from 30 friends, to one hundred, to one thousand, to two thousand and more every month. Really and truly. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You mean the world to me. I don't take for granted the precious time that you kindly spend here on La Pomme. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.


xo
Carrie




A "Chocolate Times One Hundred" Cake
My dear, talented sister, Courtney Cook Hopp, passed this recipe on to me years ago. It's easy. It's a winner and it never fails to taste incredible. Perfect for celebrations. Plus, since I'm not much of a baker, as in "cake baking," this recipe takes away the angst of "Will the cake be moist?" It always is.
I was inspired to garnish the cake with bits of greenery from the woods after reading this fascinating article written by our local Oregonian FOODday staff writer, Leslie Cole. Of course, all I could find in my woods were soggy Nerf accessories and a broken badminton racket so I ended up using some French tarragon from my herb garden that is just starting to pop up for spring. Furthermore, if, after reading the above article, you find yourself completely enamored with the foraging concept, here's another good read. This article written by our own Kathleen Bauer of Good Stuff NW.


Ingredients
1 box Devil's food cake mix (fine with or without "pudding in the mix")
1 5.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c oil
4 eggs
2 c chocolate chips, divided (semi-sweet or dark, your choice)
1/2 c whipping cream
Optional: powdered sugar


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan. Set aside.


Combine the first 5 ingredients (cake mix through eggs) and beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes on medium speed. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.


Bake for about 55 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.


Let cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn cake out onto a metal rack to finish cooling.


Once cake has completely cooled, make your ganache. Put your remaining cup of chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, carefully bring your cream just to a boil. Slowly pour over your reserved chocolate chips. With a spatula, gently stir the chips and cream until they blend together. You can let it sit at room temperature for up to 10 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency. Then, spoon over your cooled cake.


As another option, you can pass on the ganache and simply sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. I like to put my powdered sugar in a sieve and then gently press it through the sieve with the back of a spoon. This leaves a fine, even spread of the sugar on the cake.


PS: I like to pop my pieces of cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds. It softens up the chocolate chips and....yum.


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In Case You're Trying to Stay Away from the Box....
Check out these lovely posts, featuring cakes made from scratch.

• Ashley over at Not Without Salt made a Homemade Rainbow Chip Cake. Who knew you even could?
• Hannah has a Browned Butter Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Frosting going on at her lovely Honey and Jam site.
• Here is charming Molly's Winning-Hearts-and-Minds Chocolate Cake that I've always wanted to make but never have.
• Kim over at Quit Eating Out has a recipe for "light and healthy" Red Velvet Cupcakes. Could there be such a thing?
• And of course, one can never go wrong with anything by Ina. Here is the Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Ganache Cake.

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And Because I Have Spring Fever....
Yes, yes, I could go on and on bemoaning our gray, rainy, no-sun weather typical for this time of year but I won't. No. Instead I'll tell you that I have spring fever. I managed to get some sweet pea seeds in the ground by President's Day. Hoping to get some lettuce seeds in the ground as well and I absolutely swooned over this tea towel that Victoria featured over on her design site, SF Girl by Bay.

You can find this little goodie over at Terrain.


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And yes, the Organization Project is back on....
I managed to pull out everything from the "under the stairs" closet. It is all boxed up, labeled and ready to donate. Of course, it is all sitting in my entryway at the moment. So, the goal for this week is to get it loaded into the car and taken to the appropriate donation site. Can't wait!


All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A Modest Little Almond and Cherry Cake

There are days, afternoons, evenings when I simply want all of my chickens and the rooster home...but I want to be left alone. 


No extraneous chicken friends. Just the 5 of us. Here in our coop.


And I don't want to play Candy Land. And I don't want to have Family Movie Night. I don't want to sit around the kitchen table and have a meaningful conversation.


I just want to do "my thing." Alone.


And at this moment, I'm not concerned with the amount of TV they've watched this week or how many video games they've played. Whether or not they've had enough fresh air or eaten enough servings of fruits and vegetables. 


I just want them to be occupied. Quietly. Without needing me.


And, I want to be able to unwrap my new kitchen wall clock. The one I finally decided upon after years...yes, years....of contemplating this purchase. And I want to unwrap it, brush it off and hang it without any "help". Just me and the clock.

And I want to happily enter "To Dos" into my recent discovery. That discovery being Things. A "To Do List Lover's" nirvana. And I want to do this with out any video game sound effects or 30-sec blips of music coming from the computer next to me.


And I want to step out the front door without having to watch for bikes and scooters and take note that while the rest of the country is under a blanket of snow, here, it's beginning to look like spring. I want to notice the green shoots that will grow into daffodils pushing their way up through the ground. I want to breath in the faint perfume in the air. And admire the rhodies with their first blush of pink.

And I want to bake a cake. A simple cake. With cherries and almonds. Not one with a lot of pomp and circumstance. 


(Although, if I were looking for a chocolate cake that was the most incredible tasting cake I had ever tasted and came with plenty of pomp and circumstance...well, then I wouldn't make a cake. I would order one up from talented Mary over at Sweet Ambrosia. And no, she didn't pay me to say that, but I'm sayin' it because it is 100% true.) 


But since I just want a simple cake. One to go with a cup of tea or a piping hot cup of coffee. I'll make it myself. And I want to be left alone. To listen to my music. Over and over again. And get lost in my thoughts as I mix and stir.


But, you see, I want them home. My chickens, that is. And the rooster.


Because.


I don't want to worry.


I want to be left alone, to do "my thing" and I don't want to worry.


I don't want to worry that my littlest guy is running around at recess with his shoes untied, once again. And worrying that today is the day he's going to trip on those laces and scrape up his face.


And I don't want to worry that my middle guy, who is all things speed, is going to come screaming down the driveway on a motorized go-cart and continue down the street where he might possibly slam into a mailbox or worse yet, an on-coming car. Prickles of panic start to wash over me when I envision those possiblities.


And I don't want to worry about how nervous my teenager is or whether she stumbled over her words or somehow embarrassed herself. The teenager who left the house flustered and almost in tears because she had a speech to give that day at school. 


And I especially don't want to worry about the plane the rooster is boarding. Will it make it to its destination? Will there be turbulence? Bad weather? Ice on the wings? Ice on the runway?


No.


I don't want that.


Which is why, I just want them all here. Safe and sound. Sittin' in front of a TV even.


So, I


can just do "my thing", 


alone...and, worry-free.

A Modest Little Almond and Cherry Cake


I have to admit I'm not one to eat a lot of cake. Most days, I'd rather have pie. But for some reason, I got the hankering for a slice of cake. A simple one. No frosting. Not a lot of special preparations or precise measurements. Something to go with a cup of tea. Or a piping hot cup of coffee with plenty of half-and-half. And so I came up with this one. It's hard to beat cherries and almonds together. And the rooster told me I could make this for him anytime he loved it so.


Ingredients:


3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
1 1/4 c all-pupose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 c milk
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 c chopped, dried cherries
1/2 c sliced almonds, toasted


Directions:


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Or if you're like me and don't own a cake pan, flour and butter a deep pie plate.


Put your whole almonds in a food processor and pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add your flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine and then, set aside.


In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and yellow. Add the butter, milk and almond extract. Stir to combine. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the cherries. Then, gently add your dry ingredients. Pour the batter into your prepared cake (or pie) pan. Evenly sprinkle the 1/2 c of sliced almonds over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Then, loosen the edges with a knife. Flip the cake onto a cake stand. Take a few steps back to admire your heavenly creation. Then, slice and serve while still a bit warm. Enjoy.




Yield: One 9-inch cake....




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Calendar Wrap-Up


Thank you, thank you...a million Thank You's....to all of you who purchased La Pomme de Portland calendar(s) in December. All the checks are in, the numbers have been tallied and through your generosity the calendars profited $1500.00...which means I was able to send a check off to the Oregon Food Bank and the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation for $750.00 each. I am humbled. Thank you....




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Super Bowl Menu Ideas


And just in case you have decided to host a Super Bowl Party on Sunday but are still undecided about what to make....


Here's a menu direct off La Pomme de P:


App: Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips
Main Course: Lighten Up Chili, Greens with Homemade Vinaigrette, a fresh baguette
Dessert: Vanilla Ice Cream and NYT Chocolate Chip Cookies


And if you do seriously consider making the Chocolate Chip cookies, make them today. Right now. Get going. By the time the big game rolls around the ingredients will have had the perfect amount of resting time. Your guests will think they've died and gone to cookie heaven.


And just in case you were hoping for even more Super Bowl inspiration, my friend Lori, over at RecipeGirl, has gone to extreme lengths to round up 101 Best Super Bowl Recipes on the Internet. Go Lori!




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A Quick Little Note


I finally put together a Recipe tab at the top of this here website. A few of you gently mentioned to me that it was challenging to find past recipes here on LPdeP. I hope this helps. Let me know if it does. 


I also added a tab for AM Northwest since a few of you Portlanders have kindly been asking me for the dates of my next appearances. I've now gathered that all in one place as well as videos from my past appearances.




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Organizing Project


So I decided last week that I was rushing things a bit and needed to take a week for mental planning as in....Where will I put the items I haul out of the under-stairs closet? So my revised schedule for organizing goals looks like this:


Jan 24-30: Mentally prepare to pull items out of closet.
Jan 31-Feb 6: Pull half the items out.




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And Just Because...


I can't get enough of this talented gal's desktop calendars, here's Shanna Murray's latest:

which you can download here.


And which Shanna collaborated on with one of my favorite food and design bloggers, Nikole Herriott at Forty-Sixth and Grace.




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Whew! That's all for this week! xo












All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2011

A Provincial Sort of Apple Cake

I kept seeing it everywhere. This recipe for, "Dorie Greenspan's Apple Cake." Always referred to as a 4-word title. There it was in our local paper, tied to her book review on Amazon.com, traveling the virtual airways by Twitter, Facebook, Blogs. Hard bound and in print on page 432 of her new cookbook, Around My French Table. And even on AM Northwest, there was Dorie Greenspan making her Apple Cake. My curiosity was piqued...and as I've shared before, I'm not one to bake much.

Before giving it much thought, I tossed out the following statement to the virtual world by means of my La Pomme de Portland Facebook page, "Feeling a little sad to have missed Dorie Greenspan at the Heathman last night but went to Powell's today and bought her new cookbook, Around My French Table. If I make the apple cake, anyone want to come over and try it out with me?? I can't eat a whole cake by myself....seriously."

The response was a resounding, "Yes."

Then, I started to panic....a little. "I know it's Dorie Greenspan and all but what if I make the cake and it's not something I would want to serve to other people?" So, after finally making it to the liquor store for dark rum, I whipped up a trial run of Dorie's apple cake (which, by the way, is called Marie-Helene's Apple Cake in her cookbook.) And, as I pulled away the sides of my springform pan to admire the final product, I thought to myself, "This looks like a cake that Dorie Greenspan would make. It's petite, sophisticated, elegant. And the rum....wow!....you can't miss it." I sliced it up and passed around pieces to the family. I wondered, for just a moment, if I should be worried as I saw my 11-year old all wide-eyed going back for seconds. He, like me, who doesn't usually like baked goods.

The next morning, I carried slices next door, where my neighbor and I analyzed this final product over cups of coffee. I was curious what she thought.... she being a baker and all. Delicious, absolutely, but we couldn't help chuckling as we wondered if this was more of a "5 o' clock" cake. Of course, that didn't prevent us from eating each rum-laden bite.

After leaving my neighbor's, I came to the conclusion that this cake truly looked and tasted like something darling, sophisticated Dorie would serve to guests in her home. The cake reminded me of her...based on the brief amount of time I've spent around her. But for me, someone who spent her most formative years on an island in the Puget Sound, I needed something a little more provincial.

I hauled out my over-stuffed recipe box and whipped up an Apple Cake recipe I had copied down years ago. Too much oil. I pulled out cookbook after cookbook searching for Apple Cake recipes. Too many add-ins. I combed the internet for apple cake, apple bread, apple crumb cake, apple anything. Too much sugar. Finally, in a fit of frustration, using 4 or 5 different recipes as guides, I whipped up my own apple cake.

With Corinne Bailey Rae's rendition of "River" playing in the background and the first flakes of the season gently falling outside, I sat down with a slice of my apple cake. As I tasted that first spice-laden bite, I thought, "Yes. Now, this is something I would serve guests." A bit rustic but still pretty with the dusting of powdered sugar on top. I would serve it warm, with a cup of tea and possibly even a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Funny how even the food we set down for friends and family can say something about us.

And in the spirit of setting down food for family and friends, I wish you a most wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you may be, whatever you may be serving.

Apple Cake with a Provincial Flair

This cake isn't overly sweet which is how I like my baked goods but if you tend to go for cakes and cookies on the sweeter side you could add up to another cup of sugar. For the apples, I used a mixture of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith but any baking apple would work fine. Also, I didn't put any nuts in this cake since I have a kiddo with nut allergies but if you aren't in that same situation I'm begging you to put walnuts or pecans in yours. I just know it would be fantastic and would round out the flavors.

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c applesauce
4 c apples, diced and peeled (approx 3-4 med apples)
Optional: 1 c chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl, cream together your butter and sugar. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in your vanilla and applesauce.

Slowly add your flour mixture to your butter mixture, bit by bit. Mix well to make sure all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in your apples (and your nuts). The mixture will seem to be heavy on the apples but not to worry.

Pour your mixture into your prepared Bundt pan and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, invert onto rack and cool to room temperature. Once cool, sift a light dusting of powdered sugar onto the top.

Slice. Serve with a cup of tea and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, should you desire. Enjoy.



All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010