Avocado Ice Cream

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

two huge avocados, peeled, seeded, & sliced
four cups medium or whipping cream, divided use
three Tablespoons tequila or light rum
three huge egg yolks
two Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation:

Merge the avocados & one cup of the cream in the container of a blender or food processor. Add the tequila or rum & whirl until smooth. Refrigerate for two hours.

Beat the egg yolks with another cup of the cream.

Merge the avocado mixture & the egg yolk mixture in the container of an ice cream machine & process according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In a saucepan, merge the flour, sugar, & salt & whisk to blend thoroughly. Slowly whisk in the remaining two cups of cream & stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Whisk half the hot mixture in to the egg yolks. Pour the mixture back in to the pan & stir over medium heat for one minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, & chill for two hours.

Yield: 8 servings

Chocolate Mousse Bar

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: one hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 40 wafers)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
one (6 ounces) package semisweet chocolate chips (one cup)
three eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Chocolate Topping:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
one Tbsp shortening

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

In a double-boiler, warm whipping cream and chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove top of double-boiler to a trivot or pad and let chocolate chilled at least five minutes. It needs to stay lukewarm and liquid.

Merge vanilla wafer crumbs with melted butter until well-mixed. Press in to the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for ten minutes.

Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Middle ought to be slightly puffed up and ought to spring back when lightly touched. Set on a rack to chilled at least 15 minutes while making the chocolate topping.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and salt until light and foamy. While constantly stirring, gradually add melted chocolate to the egg mixture. Pour mousse mixture in to baking pan on top of the baked crust.

To make topping, melt chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double-boiler, stirring until smooth. Spread on top of cooled mousse bars. Refrigerate at least hours to firm up before cutting in to bars and serving.

Yield: 16 to 24 chocolate mousse bars, depending on cut size

Porter Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup and two Tablespoons salted butter
2-1/2 cups cake flour
two teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
three eggs, separated, at room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
three ounces unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted
one cup Porter or other dark beer, flat
Chocolate Chip & Porter Cake Frosting:
one pound semisweet actual chocolate chips
two Tablespoons salted butter
five Tablespoons milk

Preparation:


To make the cake: 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 9-inch cake pans with the two tablespoons butter & dust with 1/4 cup of flour. Shake out & discard any excess flour, & set the pans aside.

Mix together the remaining 2-1/4 cups flour with the baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Beat the egg whites with two tablespoons of the sugar until stiff peaks start to form. With an electric mixer, cream together the remaining sugar with the 3/4 cup butter until light in texture. after the other, beat in the egg yolks. Stir in the melted chocolate, the beer, & then gradually beat in the flour mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold in the egg whites. Scrape half the batter in to each of the cake pans, & bake in the midst of the oven 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out tidy. Remove the pans from the oven & let the cakes cold while you prepare the frosting.

To make the frosting:

Soften the chocolate chips & butter in a double boiler. (The chips ought to be soft, but still hold their shape.) Remove from the heat. Using an electric beater, beat the chocolate & butter until smooth, about one minute. Beat in the Porter & milk, tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is soft & shiny. Remove the cakes from the pans. Frost the layers.

Yield: one two-layer cake

Cocoa Bacon Crisp

Prep Time: twenty minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: one hour, five minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar
two teaspoons dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipolata Chile pepper or to taste, optional
two pounds lean, thick-cut bacon

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place baking racks inside rimmed cookie sheets lined with foil.

Whisk together brown sugar, cocoa powder, & chipolata Chile pepper until well-combined. Pour in to a shallow plate.

Cut the bacon in to thirds cross-wise. Press side of each bacon piece in to the brown sugar mixture to coat with a narrow layer of the spiced sugar, brushing off any excess. Arrange on racks in prepared baking pans, sugared-side up, close together but not touching.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until dark brown but not burnt. Keep an eye on the bacon since oven temperatures vary. Let icy before serving.

Yield: about 64 pieces

Chocolate Graham Toffee Bars..

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: one pound

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sticks) butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 box (about) plain graham crackers (not crumbs)
two cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
one cup chopped macadamia nuts (or substitute pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or your favourite nuts

Preparation:

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar & white sugar. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat & let the mixture gently bubble for four minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a ten x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with non-stick foil. Arrange whole graham crackers to fit the bottom of the pan in a single layer, breaking up the last few to fit the space.

Carefully pour sugar/butter mixture evenly over the graham cracker layer. Spread to cover. Bake for ten minutes.

When done, remove from oven & let rest until bubbling subsides. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top. Wait about two minutes for chocolate to melt, then use a spatula to gently spread chocolate chips in to an even layer on top of the toffee graham crackers. Sprinkle with the chopped macadamia nuts, pressing down gently in to the chocolate.

Chilled to room temperature, then refrigerate for two hours. Peel foil from chilled bark. Crack in to 2-inch irregular pieces.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: about one pound sweet bark pieces

Chocolate Chip Nuggets

Cook Time: twenty minutes

Prep Time: one hour

Total Time: one hour, twenty minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
one cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
one cup mini chocolate chips
Additional powdered sugar for coating (about one cup)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking pad.

In a giant bowl, cream butter, sugar, & vanilla extract together on low speed until smooth. Mix flour & salt together in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, half at a time, & mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips by hand until evenly distributed. Chill dough for 30 to 45 minutes to firm up.

Roll dough in to balls about the diameter of a nickel. Place on lined cookie sheets about one inch apart. Bake for 15 to twenty minutes until they barely start to brown at the edges.

Recipe may be doubled, a lovely suggestion since these small nuggets disappear quickly!

Pour powdered sugar in to a bowl or plastic baggie. Roll cookie nuggets in powdered sugar while still warm & place on a rack to chilled before storing.

Yield: three to four dozen cookies

Notes: You can replace the chocolate chips with finely chopped nuts in the event you wish, or use half nuts & half mini chocolate chips. Cooled cookies freeze beautifully. One time thawed, you may need to roll them one time again in powdered sugar.

Black Forest Passover Brownies

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: ten minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
four unsweetened baking chocolate squares (four ounces)
four sizable eggs
two cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
one teaspoon vanilla extract
one cup matzoh cake flour
3/4 cup cherry preserves
two teaspoons Kirsch (optional)
Powdered sugar (see Note)

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

Gently melt shortening & unsweetened chocolate squares in a double-boiler or microwave. Let chilled away from heat for five minutes.

In a sizable bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, & salt on medium speed until thick. Blend in chocolate & vanilla until combined, then beat in matzoh cake flour. Pour in to pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until middle is set. Let chilled to room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar & cut in to bars.

Combine cherry preserves with Kirsch liqueur, if using. Drop spoonfuls of cherry preserves evenly over the top of the brownie batter. Do not stir in.

Yield: 24 bars to 48 brownies, depending on cut size

Chocolate Fondue Rum

Prep Time: ten minutes

Cook Time: five minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
two Tablespoons butter
two Tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 Tablespoons white rum
Fruit slices, cake cubes, cookies, and marshmallows for dipping

Preparation:

Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.

Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour in to a heated fondue pot.

Heat butter, yogurt, and whipping cream over medium heat, stirring to merge, until hot but not boiling. Stir in rum.

Serve warm chocolate rum fondue with fruit slices, cake cubes, cookies, and marshmallows for dipping.

Yield: four servings

Chocolate Peach Amaretti

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: three minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients:

four ounces (115 g) amaretti biscuits (amaretto cookies), crushed
two ounces (50 g) plain chocolate, chopped
Grated rind of 1/2 orange
one Tablespoon (15 ml) clear honey
1/4 teaspoon (one.5 ml) ground cinnamon
one egg white, lightly whisked
four firm ripe peaches
five Tablespoons (75 ml) white wine
one Tablespoons (15 ml) caster (granulated) sugar

Preparation:

Mix together the amaretti biscuits, chocolate, orange rind, honey, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in the egg white to bind the mixture.

Arrange the stuffed peaches in a lightly buttered, shallow microwaveproof dish which will hold them. Pour the wine in to a cup and stir in the sugar.

Halve and stone the peaches and fill the cavities with the chocolate mixture, mounding it up slightly.

Pour the sweetened wine around the peaches. Cover loosely and microwave on High for 2-3 minutes, until the peaches are tender. Serve directly with a small of the cooking juices spooned over and the whipped cream.

Yield: four servings

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Cook Time: twenty minutes

Prep Time: ten minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:
three Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot water
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
one orange
two giant eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled to room temperature
.
For the Frosting:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
one cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
two cups confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

In a giant bowl, whisk together the eggs & granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the buttermilk & vanilla, then the dissolved cocoa. Whisk in the melted butter, then the dry ingredients.

In a tiny bowl, stir the cocoa powder in to the hot water until it dissolves; set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt together in to a bowl. Using the finest rasps of a handheld grater, grate the zest from the orange in to the bowl. Set aside.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate & let chilled to room temperature. Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, beat the butter & confectioners' sugar with the paddle on medium speed until creamy & smooth, about three minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip with the frosting & pipe a spiral on top of each cupcake.

Using a tablespoon, divide the batter among the muffin cups filling each about half full. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed & a skewer inserted in to the middle of comes out tidy 15 to twenty minutes. Let chilled on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan.

Melting Chocolate:
To melt chocolate, chop it in to tiny pieces & put it in a stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl in a saucepan over, but not touching, barely simmering water. Heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Do not permit any water or steam to come in contact with the chocolate, or it will become stiff & grainy. Or, chop the chocolate in giant pieces, place in a microwave-safe dish, & microwave on low for one minute. Continue to microwave if necessary, checking every twenty seconds, until the chocolate looks softened, then stir until smooth & liquid.

Cocoa Powder:
Chocolate is made by crushing roasted cocoa beans in to bits, or nibs, to produce what is named chocolate liquor. To make unsweetened cocoa powder, much of the cocoa butter (the overweight of chocolate) is removed from the liquor & what remains is ground. Dutch-process cocoa, or alkalized cocoa, has a gentle flavor & a rich, dark color due to the addition of potassium carbonate, nonalkalized cocoa has a bolder taste & lighter color.


Refrigerate the cupcakes until 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting.


Yield: 12 cupcakes

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Bars..

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Prep Time: twenty minutes

Total Time: one hour, ten minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:
2-1/2 cups peanut butter sandwich cookie crumbs - see Tip below (625 mL)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (125 mL)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (125 mL)
.
Filling:
four packages (each 8 ounces/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar (250 mL)
four eggs
one cup creamy peanut butter - see Tip below (250 mL)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (250 g)
three Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (45 mL)
one teaspoon vanilla (five mL)
two cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (500 mL)
.
Topping:
one cup sour cream (250 mL)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (125 mL)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (75 mL)
one Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 mL)
one teaspoon vanilla (five mL)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks (125 mL)

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F./160 degrees C. Line a 13-by 9-inch baking pan with foil.


Crust:
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, and butter. Press in to bottom of prepared baking pan and freeze.

Filling:
In a immense mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for three minutes. Add eggs, separately, beating after each addition. Blend in peanut butter and melted chocolate. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour over frozen crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is light brown and the middle has a slight jiggle to it. Icy on the counter for ten minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.

Tip: Use a commercial creamy peanut butter. The natural peanut butters have much oil for this recipe. Use a food processor to chop cookies in to crumbs to the consistency of rough sand.

Topping:
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, peanut butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour in to middle of cooled cake and spread out to edges. Sprinkle with chocolate chunks. Bake for five minutes more. Icy on a rack for two hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before cutting in to bars.

Yield: ten to 12 servings

Cappuccino Muffins...

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

two cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
two teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder (or instant coffee)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
one cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
one egg, slightly beaten
one teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini-chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tins with papers or grease liberally.

In a medium bowl, mix milk, butter, egg, and vanilla until combined. Stir milk mixture in to flour mixture only until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips.

In a huge bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso or instant coffee, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Cappuccino muffins freeze well.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 15 to twenty minutes for standard muffins, ten to 12 minutes for mini-muffins.

Yield: 12 muffins or about 48 mini-muffins

Blueberry White Chocolate Cake

Prep Time: twenty minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 36 to 48 servings

Total Time: one hour, five minutes

Ingredients:

three cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup butter-flavored solid vegetable shortening
one teaspoon pure vanilla extract
one teaspoon almond extract
four giant eggs
two cups white chocolate chips
one can (21 ounces) more fruit blueberry pie filling
.
Glaze:
one cup powdered sugar
two Tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
one to two Tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line jelly roll pan, 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x one inch, with non-stick foil or generously grease the pan.

Beat sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla, almond extract, and eggs in giant bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Increase to high speed and beat an additional three minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in flour mixture by hand, mixing only until combined. Do not over-mix. A few lumps are fine.

Spread 2/3 of the batter in pan. Sprinkle white chocolate chips evenly over batter. Carefully spoon out and spread blueberry filling over chips. Drop remaining coffeecake batter by tablespoonsful onto pie filling. (There will be gaps.)

Bake about 40 to 45 minutes, or until batter begins to turn golden. Let rest about ten minutes while you make the glaze. Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake. Serve warm or let stand until cold. Store in a covered container.

For the glaze, whisk cream cheese until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, adding cream a tiny at a time until you reach a drizzling consistency. Use a zip-top baggie with a tiny corner cut off as a pastry bag and drizzle a wiggly pattern over the top of the coffeecake.

Chocolaty Smores Cups

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 Tablespoons butter, not margarine (3/4 stick)
12 ounces dark chocolate, broken in to chunks
three to four graham crackers, coarsely crushed
two cups miniature marshmallows (about four ounces)

Preparation:

In a double boiler, melt butter & chocolate, stirring to keep away from scorching, until combined. Remove from heat.

Line mini-muffin tins with muffin papers.

Spoon (see Note) about 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate in to each mini-muffin cup. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon graham cracker crumbs while chocolate is still warm & liquid. Tap tins on counter to settle crumbs. Place three to four miniature marshmallows on top of graham cracker crumbs. Top marshmallows evenly with remaining chocolate (re-warm chocolate, if necessary).

When trays are full, tap gently on the counter to force chocolate down & around the marshmallows.

Chill at least hours. Refrigerate leftovers.

These make great gifts for holidays or special occasions.

Yield: about three dozen Smores cups

Note: The chocolate application will go much faster in the event you spoon the warm chocolate in to a zip-top freezer bag, press out the air, & seal. Snip off corner of the bottom of the bag & use as you would a pastry bag.

Chocolate Whiskey Balls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

one cup pecans
one cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
one cup confectioners sugar
1-1/2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup whiskey
Powdered sugar for rolling

Preparation:

Mix in the sugar, corn syrup, and whiskey thoroughly (I use my hands). Shape the mixture in to balls the size of a quarter and roll in powdered sugar.

Grind the pecans and the chocolate wafers coarsely in a food processor and empty in to a gigantic bowl.

Keep in an airtight container in a cold place, or freeze on a baking sheet until each is firm and store in tightly sealed plastic bags.

Yield: two to three dozen

Chocolate Potato Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the Dough:
• 1/2 pound baking potatoes, such as russets, scrubbed
• One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• .
• Nonstick spray for greasing bowl
• Silicon baking mat or parchment paper for the baking sheet
• 
  
• For the Filling:
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup chopped golden raisins
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• For the Topping:
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 Tablespoons wate
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation:

Permit the reserved potato water to icy to between 115 degrees F and 105 degrees F. Sprinkle the yeast in to it, stir to dissolve, then proof for ten minutes, or until the yeast is bubbly. 

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them in to 1-inch pieces. Boil them until soft when pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the potato cooking water in a tiny bowl. Drain the potatoes and icy for five minutes. Press them through a potato ricer in to a massive bowl. Set aside to icy for at least ten minutes. 

Stir the granulated sugar and one cup of the flour in to the riced potatoes, then add the proofed yeast and its potato water. Stir until combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm, dry place to double in bulk, about 30 minutes. 

Stir down the sponge mixture with a wooden spoon, then stir in 2-1/2 cups flour, the eggs, butter, and salt. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by pressing in to it with the heel of hand while pulling it with the other. Knead for 8 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. You may need to add more flour, but be sparing and add  to keep the dough from sticking. Form the dough in to a ball. (Alternatively, you can knead the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Place the dough in the bowl, then knead at medium speed for five minutes.) 

Meanwhile, make the filling. Toast the pecans in a medium skillet set over low heat. Toss and stir for four minutes, until aromatic. Place them in a medium bowl and mix in the raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon with a wooden spoon. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is damp and dense; set aside. Line a massive baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper. 

Spray a massive neat bowl with nonstick spray, place the kneaded dough in the bowl, and flip it over to coat it with the spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, dry place to double in bulk, about an hour. 

When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down by gently pushing your fist in to its middle. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Spread the pecan filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the long sides. Beginning with of the long sides, tightly roll the dough in to a tube, then bend the tube until its ends meet to generate a ring. Place the ring on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Cover loosely with a neat kitchen towel and set in a warm, dry place to double in bulk, about an hour. 

Meanwhile, position the rack in the midst of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the topping make a wash by lightly whisking the egg and water in a tiny bowl. 

After the ring has doubled in bulk, brush the egg wash over its top, then sprinkle the ring with the sugar. With a sharp knife, make six evenly spaced, diagonal slashes across the top of the ring. 

Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden. The cinnamon filling may bubble out of the slashes on the top. Icy on a wire rack for ten minutes, then serve; or icy and wrap in wax paper to store at room temperature for up to days. The ring may even be frozen, sealed tightly in plastic wrap, for up to months.

Chocolate Potato Coffee Cake: Substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips for the raisins in the filling. 

Yield: 12 servings 

Black Forest Buttermilk Cake

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: one hour

Ingredients:

one can (14.5 ounces) pie cherries packed in water (not syrup), drained
one (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix, divided use
one egg
four ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted (one stick or 8 Tablespoons)
one cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
.
two giant eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
four ounces cream cheese
one cup powdered confectioner's sugar
three Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Powdered confectioner's sugar for topping

Preparation:

Put cherries in a strainer to drain.

In giant bowl, merge remaining cake mix, one egg, four ounces cream cheese and butter. Blend well. Mixture will be thick. Spread batter in to bottom of prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and press lightly in to batter. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil. Reserve one heaping cup dry cake mix and set aside.

Place drained cherries on paper towels and gently blot dry. Spread cherries evenly over baked crust. Spoon batter carefully over the cherries and spread with a spatula to cover. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Icy and cut to serve.

In medium bowl, cream two eggs, buttermilk, cream cheese, one cup powdered sugar, and cocoa until well blended. Slowly add reserved cake mix, and beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and thickened (about three minutes).

before serving, dust the top of the cake generously with sifted powdered sugar. The moisture in the cake will cause the sugar to melt within a matter of hours.

Yield: 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size