Recipes Discovered

German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

When Seth’s aunt gave me this recipe a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to try it. It three of my favorite things – chocolate, coconut, and pecans – into one outstanding cake. I’ve had German Chocolate cake before, but I don’t recall ever having it made from scratch. Unlike most other German Chocolate cake recipes, this one calls for separating the eggs and folding in the beaten egg whites. The batter really isn’t that heavy though, so I’m not sure it’s a necessary step, but I may have to try another recipe that just incorporates the whole egg to compare. The frosting was the difficult part. It took well over 12 minutes for the frosting to thicken (I waited until it came to a boil). It also took quite awhile to cool down. I would probably make the frosting before I make the cake next time and let it cool while the cakes cool. Getting the frosting on the sides of the cake was quite a challenge as well, but it is possible. How does it taste though? Unfortunately, I have no idea. Seth took the cake to work with him, but hopefully he will remember to bring me a slice home!

Update: The cake was excellent! The frosting is very rich, but the cake wasn’t overly sweet so it balances really well. The cake was also very moist, unlike some German chocolate cakes. I’m still not sure about separating the eggs, but if that makes a difference, this cake is definitely worth the extra effort.

Thai Curry Shrimp and Broccoli

I’ve been posting a lot of desserts lately, so here is something a little different. Red Curry Shrimp is something that I would typically order at a Thai restaurant. It’s one of my favorites, so I turned it into a simple stir fry. The sauce is only 4 ingredients – coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar – but it’s a pretty intensely flavored. If you don’t like a lot of heat, cut back on the curry paste – it can be spicy! As with any stir fry, the shrimp and broccoli can be substituted out for anything you prefer. Seth and I really enjoyed this combination though. It was sweet and spicy, and made a wonderful dinner.

Boston Cream Pie Recipe

So what do you do with all the egg yolks that are left over from making the most delicious coconut cake ever? If you live with Seth, you definitely make a Boston Cream Pie. I have been toying with this recipe for a couple weeks now, but it never seemed to come out right. Either the chocolate glaze hardened too much, the pastry cream was grainy, or the cake just fell apart. I think I finally figured out the right balance though, and Seth finally had a Boston Cream Pie that tasted as good as it looked.

Chocolate Guinness Cake Recipe

Seth grew up in a very tiny town with a huge Irish heritage. This past weekend, they had their 5th Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. It was a little late, but even Bill Clinton showed up, so it was a pretty big event. Of course, there is always a ton of food, and I made a variety of desserts. Only one of them was actually a real Irish desserts, but they were all appropriate for the occasion. I made traditional Irish soda bread, with raisins and caraway seeds. It’s a really unique flavor, which both Seth and I enjoyed. The bread can be a little on the dry side, especially if it sets for more than a day, but add a little butter and it was excellent. >> Read more