I lost my excellent mom a few years back, so I’m ambivalent about Mother’s Day. But I won the mother-in-law jackpot about 21 years ago, and that’s worth celebrating tomorrow.
In addition to being the kindest human being I’ve ever met and a woman of infinite generosity of spirit, my mother-in-law is mad about chocolate covered cherries. So, I am confident she’d like a Black Forest gateau cake as a Mother’s Day dessert.
I’ve never made that type of cake before. I’d never heard of it until it came to my attention during an episode of “The Great British Bake-Off” a while back. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it for my mother-in-law someday. Today is that day.
I’ll be using this recipe. Right now, I’m waiting for a gourmet shop to open so I can pick up “caster sugar,”* which isn’t a thing in America, plus some seven-inch cake pans.
Hope the cake turns out. I’m not an experienced baker, so we’ll see. I will post photos later, even if it’s an embarrassing and messy failure that will expose me to ridicule.
What are y’all up to today? It’s rainy here, so we’re trying to keep the dogs from tracking muck all over the house. That’s a challenge under the best of circumstances but even more so now that we have a puppy who has to go out every two hours.
Picture from yesterday:
Open thread!
*I know it’s theoretically possible to blast regular sugar in a food processor to make caster sugar, but every time I’ve tried, I’ve ended up with confectioner’s sugar, even if I only pulse it for a nanosecond.
Aleta
He loves his life.
eta Badger that is.
donnah
Good luck and have fun, Betty! I have made a Black Forest cake one time as a special gift for a friend and it turned out to be delicious and pretty, too. It’s such a lovely gesture for your mother-in-law.
My husband and I are taking our moms out to lunch today, as we plan to head for Myrtle Beach tomorrow for a few days vacation. They are getting beautiful potted begonias as a gift as well, so I hope they feel appreciated.
The Little Man is adorable as he basks in the sunshine. He’s going to be a little firecracker, isn’t he?
Mathguy
Who’s a good dog? Badger’s a good dog!
debit
My grandmother had a Boston Terrier with the unfortunate name of Tuffy. Tuffy was a a Very Good Dog and to this day I have an exceedingly large soft spot for the breed. Your Badger looks utterly adorable.
I have to go to work today for some computer maintenance shit, and then come home and try to finish putting 5600 pounds of dirt into a raised bed. Don’t think I’ll have time to bake anything for my mom, but I know a great bakery and will find something.
My sympathy about your mom, Betty. I know holidays and anniversaries can be hard.
p.a.
Failure??!! What, u never heard of a Black Forest Crumble?
schrodingers_cat
BC@top
Use the coffee grinder to make caster sugar.
peggyai
Publix used to carry & Safeway still does the C & H baking sugar that comes in a box like a milk carton – it’s the same as the caster sugar that I buy at Whole Foods, just for future reference. Can’t wait to see your cake!
WereBear
You win the Internets today!
Baking is 90% attention to detail; following a good recipe removes most of the suspense, so bake on, Betty!
OzarkHillbilly
I’ll be ignoring Mother’s Day. I know I know, I’m a terrible husband. Fortunately my wife agrees with me about ignoring all the Hallmark Holidays.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@WereBear: Have a bowl of cake!
Elizabelle
Beautiful cake. Looks like you almost don’t need the ganache. Good luck!
Happy Saturday to all.
Badger is so sweet.
ETA: Just saw that MIL loves chocolate covered cherries. Yes, you do need the ganache. And how thoughtful to make a cake.
rikyrah
Badger is so cute ?
Good luck with the cake.
WereBear
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): It could catch on…
Victor Matheson
My experience making Schwartzwalder Kirschentorte is that as long as you use the appropriate amount of cherry liquor, no one will notice what type of sugar you use.
Immanentize
Caster suger is “Superfine Suger” in the states. I’ve seen it at Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, and the Big K! Here near Boston.
Good luck and Please save me a slice, yum!!
Juju
If you can’t find caster sugar I think something like Dominos super fine sugar would work. I’d also recommend taking the stems off any fresh cherries you use for decoration. Dealing with stems while eating a cake is a minor pain. I also think you could get away with 8″ pans. I have never actually seen a 7″ cake pan, and I have every size cake pan from 6″ to 14″. The only odd number size pan I have is 9″. Let me know if you find a 7″ pan, I didn’t know that size actually exists.
BruceFromOhio
MrsFromOhio claims you can grind regular sugar down to make caster sugar, and was also very pointed about confectioners sugar containing corn starch. I’m just backing away slowly, not making any sudden moves or loud noises.
Good luck with the cake, looking forward to pictures later!
Mother’s Day is a thing for us, but we hide at home and do fun things that MFO wants to do. This year it’s planting things she intends to purchase today, and then having a nice dinner with our daughter who will visit tomorrow. The weather is cool and forecast wet, so we have backup plans for indoor fun, too. Mine involves drinking heavily either way. Right now, off for a trip to the market and a bike ride to finish by noon so I can jump back on MFO’s chain gang (“I have a list for you …”)
I love weekends in Spring, the lilacs are just blooming like crazy.
Juju
If you don’t have a cherry pitter, you may want to get one of those as well.
Starfish
Do you have a baking scale? I get frustrated with British recipes because they use caster sugar, and they cook based on weight rather than volume because it is supposedly more accurate so they will tell you to use 500g of flour.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
Our move to Chicagoland is scheduled for July 5 & 6. I’m starting to fret about things like finding a new grocery store while driving in traffic that’s busier than I’m used to. I realize that will all work out. I’m just stressed out over a big change.
MattF
Looks like it’ll be a quiet day. Did the annual eye exam Wednesday, got the heat pump repaired yesterday. Eye doc suggested some laser surgery, but said it might make the floater in the left eye worse, so I’ll think about it. Maybe next year.
In other news, I retired from my job about six weeks ago. Right now, the internal dialogue is a mix of ‘Is this some sort of very long vacation?’ and a bit of boredom. All the insurance stuff is straightened out and the payments out of my retirement accounts are happening on schedule, so it looks like relatively smooth sailing. But we shall see.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@MattF: It’s quite a change. I had the academic’s advantage of being used to long periods away from my office, and it was still a change.
Best advice I got was get out of the house every day.
ETA: Also, after hearing Cohen contacted Ford too, if I were in the legal dept at any big company, I’d be sending out a communication asking if our company was contacted.
Barbara
@Starfish: Once I bought a scale I found it to to be pretty much indispensable. I finally found one that doesn’t take those stupid and expensive flat batteries that are used in medical devices, but the one I found also doesn’t do higher weights. So I have no problem following most recipes however they are written.
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): I must have missed prior posts. That’s a big move!
MattF
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): I do that. I live in a very walkable neighborhood (Walk Score = 98) so I get out for groceries, walkies and just inspecting the neighborhood. I’ve been hobbled a bit from the aftereffects of a minor fall, but that’s mostly gone away.
debbie
Ahh, the distant good old days, when I could have cake for breakfast.
RepubAnon
Sometimes, it’s a matter of setting expectations – show your mother-in-law a few of the more amusing failures from CakeWrecks.com (such as inspiration vs perspiration.
If it turns out perfectly, you can show her one of the triumphs of the baking arts , such as last week’s Sunday Sweets example of piping
Yarrow
Yummmm! That cake is gorgeous. Can’t wait to see yours. Are you going to top it with a butter lamb just for fun?
Badger is such a cutie. He looks a lot more comfortable now. He’s settling right in.
PIGL
Someone needs to point it out: nothing that the esteemed Betty Cracker did could possibly expose her to ridicule.
Signed
Shameless fanboi
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Barbara: Mr DAW retired a year ago, so we’ve spent a year deciding what to do, and concluded that while we’re fine for now, we need to live closer to our only child. So we’re moving into a senior community. We’ll be in an apartment big enough to hold all the furniture we currently have and then some, so we’re not exactly downsizing. But there are options for more care in the future when we need it.
Gelfling 545
Having many relatives of German descent I have made the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte on a few occasions. It’s not too hard and I’ve been known to use plain old table sugar or superfine sugar. It’s pretty much going to taste wonderful no matter what, given the ingredients.
ETA every time I see a photo of Badger I start to think that what this house needs is a Boston Terrier.
Shell
That is one lovely boudoir shot of Badger. Looks like he’s soaking up that Florida sun before it gets too steamy.
******
Only have had a bakery Black Forest cake and it was very tasty.
Steeplejack
@Betty Cracker:
What Immanentize said. “Caster sugar” is superfine sugar (not confectioner’s sugar). It’s not too hard to find. Domino and C&H both sell it in a 12-ounce bottle. Maybe check a good-sized grocery before trekking to a gourmet shop.
Planetpundit
Badger is a cutie-pie.
Gelfling 545
@MattF: I retired at 56 some years ago, worked part time in a different field for a bit, finally took on a 2 year volunteer project after which I retired in earnest in 2011. I can’t say I’ve been bored yet. It seems there’s always something to do. (Well, excepting the couple of months I had my ankle braced and had to stay put. That was frustrating. )
CarolDuhart2
@MattF: Congratulations, Matt! Yes, boredom in retirement is a thing-that nobody really talks about much. Aches and pains, sure,but boredom? I’m still trying to figure out what to do now that I don’t have anything I have to do (besides the usual housekeeping things).
Miss Bianca
@Juju: I actually prefer the term “cherry stoner”, which is how I saw one of these devices advertised in the window of our farm and home supply store many moons ago. In fact, I’ve decided that if I ever need another pseudonym for a band (which happens from time to time), it’s gonna be “Cherry Stoner”. : )
TaMara (HFG)
@BettyCracker – that looks amazing. I made a Lane Cake one time, probably won’t again, it was so labor intensive (and weighed like 5 lbs when finished). I made my coconut lemon cake for Easter and used almost every bowl and measuring instrument in my SIL’s kitchen. Not a fan of making elaborate recipes. But they sure do taste great when I do. I think this one will be a success. Especially since it’s suppose to be gooey in the end. That’s hides a lot of errors. :-)
Meanwhile, I’m going to make lemon tarts for a dinner party next weekend.
ruemara
Sounds superb, Betty. No baking today, but I do plan to consume shamelessly. Headed to the Whole Earth Festival to try acriyoga (probably a bad idea since my abs aren’t fully recovered), do some improv, listen to music and fill my lesser camera with pictures. Plus eat vegan food. I do wonder how vegans & vegetarians are avoiding blame for all global warming caused by flatulence. Just a mellow day.
Sab
Good luck Betty.
I baked my last angel food cake in the kitchenette of a coed dorm in college. It was baking away nicely, some guy came through the kitchen, slamming both doors, and we heard the cake fall with a bang.
It was one inch high instead of the usual five inches, and the texture of mozzarella cheese. Othetwise delicious, like very dense pound cake.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@TaMara (HFG): I love lemon tarts. Lemon bars too. The combination of sweet and tart is irresistible.
AlanM
@Victor Matheson: THIS!
Made one at Xmas. The bottle of German Specht Kirsch had a Japanese label which said -Only for Culinary Purposes- It didnt say it in German though…
Also, putting regular sugar through coffee mill/food processor makes it close enough to what we in the UK would think of as caster sugar. I do this here in Japan as anything labelled as caster sugar costs an arm and a leg.
WereBear
@TaMara (HFG): Whoa, that’s quite an undertaking. I’ve done cream puffs, which are deceptively easy, and boiled frosting, but my baking days are scarce lately.
J R in WV
Been retired since New Year’s eve 2008, bought a tractor my last year at work, with a backhoe. Have built a second house 2000 miles away, don’t recommend that for a project.
Betty, The Greenbrier Resort in Greenbrier county WV kind of specializes in an odd cross between high end southron food and (because the last couple of head chefs were Swiss) extermely high end Swiss food. With a string quartet playing while you eat. One the special desserts they often have for everyone is Black Forest Cake !!
Whenever a family member was over there they would pick up one for us – or for me!
Now we are 3 hours farther away from The Greenbrier, and have learned how to bake, mostly (don’t use fresh pineapple in Pineapple Upside Cake, ever!!!) we sometimes make Black Forest Cake here. Kirschwasser is important, more so than special sugar, which I have never used. Good cherries, also. Sour baking cherries work well.
You will love it. So glad your MIL is great. My wife always thought that my mom was a jackpot MIL for her, even with her little eccentricities. I cannot disagree, my mom was sweet to everyone she could.
NotMax
Best of luck. When it comes to cake baking, if it can be done in a loaf, tube or Bundt pan, am all in. Anything involving layers or icing tries my patience too much.
As others have said above, get superfine sugar at most any decent supermarket; same thing as caster sugar.
Elmo
I get caster sugar on Amazon. Same place I get Demerara sugar, coffee beans, and lots of other non perishable grocery items.
I make up for it by buying all of my perishables at the local corner market, family owned since 1919. It helps that they have the best prices on wine and liquor in the region.
Lapassionara
@OzarkHillbilly: We have the same theory! It does simplify life and saves time and money.
rikyrah
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
They should also check Dolt45’s Twitter feed
schrodingers_cat
Speaking of baking, I was wondering if the jackals have watched Christopher Kimball’s new show? Thoughts?
J R in WV
@CarolDuhart2:
“Yes, boredom in retirement is a thing-that nobody really talks about much… I’m still trying to figure out what to do”
I’m considering joining the Y to use their huge facility, but it’s a 45 minute drive… could try to make it a tradition to combine errands with pool, etc…? Never go to town without a visit to the Y..!
raven
I’m cleaning up my “shop” in anticipation of in-laws coming for the retirement party for sweet pea. I’m also watching Tiger rip it up at the TPC.
WereBear
Jiminy Christmas, this is the very least of my worries. I have never had enough time to do the things I like, and since most of them can be done sitting on a couch, I don’t anticipate that changing as I age.
Mel
@J R in WV: So true! The kirschwasser and the quality of the cherries really make all the difference.
Betty, if the cake is going to be taken any significant distance away or be stored overnight prior to being eaten, stabilizing your whipped cream is a good idea. That way, it will stay firm and tidy, and will also hold its shape if you do anything fancy with it to decorate thevtop of the cake (piped swirls, rosettes, etc.).
Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho
@schrodingers_cat: I was going to suggest this, but as usual I’m late to the party. Some groceries carry “bar sugar” which is very much like “or perhaps three same as caster sugar.
: waves at everyone :
Immanentize
Just to tempt others vis a vis the exquisite cake pron Betty offers, I am making a chocolate pecan bourbon pie tomorrow. The quality of the pie is somehow related to the quality and quantity of bourbon tested by the chef….
condorcet runner-up
Not sure if this has already been posted in an earlier thread, but Bari Weiss basically codified Cleek’s Law in a series of tweets and is getting totally dragged in the responses. Many of the replies are really clever:
Here is the tweet.
jharp
I’m off to watch my daughter be crowned Dr. jharp’s daughter at what might be my last graduation ever.
tybee
@Immanentize: testing should be done early and often.
WereBear
@condorcet runner-up: Dagnab, I love a good ass-handing.
Gelfling 545
@J R in WV: dDefinitely join the Y or a Tai Chi or yoga group. Keeps body, mind and spirit all need attention. My Tai Chi club is one of my constants. Dog walking, morning coffee, piano practice and tai chi are my morning ritual. Three days a week I go th the tai chi club; other days I practice at home. Taking up piano at age 67 has turned out to be a great thing for me. My teacher is a retired public school teacher who has opened a little music store locally and has to his surprise attracted a good sized daytime clientel of new to instrumental music retirees.
Immanentize
@tybee: I think, considering baking day is tomorrow, I will have to begin rigorous testing this afternoon
JanieM
@condorcet runner-up: I clicked over to your link and found her saying this, in big letters:
I love the way she uses “chattering class” snidely, and as though she’s not part of it. Or, one might say, since she writes for the NYT, at the head of it.
Immanentize
@condorcet runner-up: And I thought “Fuck Your Feelings” was a big thing with the “I’m not a racist, oh no not me” Trump voter.
Or has something changed? Bari Weiss is such a child. Perhaps Jennifer Rubin should get her in a room to ‘talk.’
HeleninEire
@p.a.: “I meant that to happen” /Pee Wee Herman
tybee
@Immanentize: practice makes perfect.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
and, for most of it, she is now their brave, speaking-truth-to-twitter heroine
she retweeted this, which she seems to see as vindication
One wonders if this person, this “classical liberal” typed this blatherskite about “white men on the bottom” with a thought to the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, Wall St, the Fortune 500, the military…. Does she “despise such hierarchies”? Or she all wrapped up in snarky tweets? I think I know the answer
Raven
@MattF: Mt bride is retiring in two weeks and she is 60. I’m 68 and plan to keep working foe another 16 months. She is a super busybody what with gardening, sewing and community involvement. I’m hoping she’ll use the Y membership I bought her, I’m a gym rat and don’t need any “social” bullshit to work out but I think she will.
Raven
@tybee: cAtchin any?
Phylllis
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): We will be moving probably a week after that to a much bigger place. Luckily, we already have our neighborhood grocery (and the back way there) already scoped out. Back to weekly shopping at Publix, just like my childhood, for the win! And there’s a Lowe’s Foods nearby as well. Where they will steam your fresh shrimp for you. While you enjoy a beer from the Beer Den.
Currants
Pretty sure someone else will have said this but superfine sugar is around in most grocery stores, and that works for (is) caster sugar.
ETA yep, what everyone else said.
Brachiator
Hope that everyone who is observing or celebrating Mother’s Day has a great time.
I’ve been hearing some good things about the movie Tully, starring Charlize Theron, and in theaters now. It is strongly centered on a woman’s thoughts and experiences with respect to being a mother, and its insights have really hit some viewers.
The movie was written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jason Reitman, who previously directed the quirky comedy, Up in the Air.
narya
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): I’ve lived in the city for >30 years, so feel free to contact me if you want info about any of the neighborhoods in which I’ve lived or that I’ve frequented.
Raven
8 birds in 12 holes!
Raven
@narya: God it’s so different than it used to be!
HeleninEire
@jharp: OMG. Congratulates Dr. Dad.
narya
@Raven: in what way(s)? I moved here from the east coast for grad school and never managed to get out again. Still an east-coaster at heart. I HAVE seen multiple neighborhoods gentrify, but I live in the People’s Republic of Rogers Park, which doesn’t seem to change much.
ETA: Lived in Hyde Pk for awhile, and got to know a bunch of older folks who grew up there in the 40s & 50s; loved to hear them talk.
cosima
My two cents re: caster sugar (possibly too late to save you making a special trip to get it): don’t bother. In the UK white/processed sugar is generally not as fine as the white/processed sugar that is the norm in the US, so ‘caster sugar’ is a bit finer, and necessary for some recipes. The difference between the regular sugar in the US and caster sugar is barely perceptible, so I, personally, would consider them interchangeable for baking, unless doing something very technical.
cosima
@MattF: Do a lot of research re: laser surgery if it’s meant to correct vision, rather than correct a problem. Mr Cosima was nearly legally blind, so it was amazing for him, and the pros def outweighed the cons. My eyes were not nearly as bad, though I did need glasses for most everything, and I wish that I hadn’t got it. Mr’s was about 12 years ago, and mine about 8 years ago, so the technology had advanced a bit for mine, and is certain to have between then and now, but it still needs a lot of researching before taking the plunge.
I had such bad starring for night vision that I thought for a while that I would have to give up night driving entirely. When you live as far north as we do, that’s a big deal. My are so sensitive to changes in light. For years I wore sunglasses even on cloudy days. My near vision went to hell quickly. I’m quite near being back to needing glasses for most everything. So, really, I’m just not a big fan unless one is, like Mr., nearly legally blind.
Mary G
Barber’s quite the model! And knows he’s pretty, doesn’t he? What a good boy!
My mom was an inpatient unsentimental type, who never wanted to do anything for Mothers Day. It was quite a shock to find her stash of cards I had sent her over the years after her death. And I still miss her and my dad who died in 1967.
opiejeanne
This is my cake wreck, because the top layers started sliding off the bottom one almost immediately. lemon cake
It was a recipe featured in a Martha Stewart magazine and it tasted delicious but I was too embarrassed to serve it to my dad, who worked as a dessert chef for a catering company in his youth. I made another that came out fine a week later and he got some of that one.
burnspbesq
Late breakfast at The South’s Revenge (Waffle House). Then over to Koskinen Stadium for first round NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament action, Duke vs. Villanova.
Raven
@narya: I had tons of friends from the Cal-Touhy area. The last time I was there Devon looked like Bombay. I’m from Villa Park and while the town itself is the same everything around it is totally different. When I left in 66 it was basically country but now it looks like midtown Atlanta!
MagdaInBlack
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
I’m in the NW suburbs…..grew up in the corn fields of northern Illinois…..the traffic takes some getting used to..but once you’re ready to explore, you’ll find the area full of interesting more ethnically focused grocery stores, as well as larger chains (Jewell..yuk)
I’m a fan of Caputos…..please feel free to google ….im linkless. ?
Fair Economist
@cosima: Piggybaking on Cosima: Laser surgery has a high success rate, with less than 10% significant complications, BUT you risk serious vision damage to skip wearing glasses, so it is a dubious risk at best.
Alan M
@Mel: Stabilising the cream with cornstarch also means it doesnt weep into the cake.
condorcet runner-up
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: It is especially rich that these people are all about the free market when it suits them, but when that same “market” rejects their ideas as totally stupid and worse, they start whining about being ce sored or silenced. Relatedly, they conspicuously ignore that (a) they have voices in every major op ed page, (b) a the wingnut welfare circuit is alive and well, and (c) their magazines and websites exist, of course because they are all supported by wealthy conservative patrons.
MattF
@cosima: In fact, it’s not for refraction. My eye doc is a specialist in corneal problems– she did both cataract surgery and corneal surgery on me, both successfully. So, I’ve got considerable confidence in her judgement and ability.
The laser surgery she’s suggesting would fix some roughness on my corneas. I’m not really convinced it’s for me, since 1) it might aggravate my floater, 2) it would probably use steroids for post-op healing and I’m very sensitive to steroids. There doesn’t seem to be any penalty for waiting, so I’ll wait and see.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@narya: Thank you. I will. You’re very kind to offer.
ETA: I was looking at “narya” and trying to remember where I knew that from. Then I recalled my LOTR fanfic writing days!
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@MagdaInBlack: Thanks for the Caputo’s suggestion. We’re not far from Naperville and there seems to be on there.
narya
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady): hah! awesome! rare that anyone picks up on that.
MagdaInBlack
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
You are most welcome. I love “exploring” grocery stores…..ask, and I can find it ☺️
Mary
Generally speaking, you don’t really need to use caster sugar. Regular granulated sugar works just fine in almost every case where caster sugar is called for. The only time I probably wouldn’t use regular sugar is if caster sugar is being used as a topping or garnish, like on a Victoria sponge.
Gemina13
I love Black Forest cake. So does the SO. Because we’ve only just moved into our own place, which we will be able to keep clean without others totally trashing it (and leaving us the mess), I can finally make him one from scratch for his birthday. Past years have meant a trip to Safeway’s.
The funny thing is, we started dating due to a cake failure. I prided myself on being more of a cook than a baker, and then I wanted to bake a cake for my best friend’s birthday. I had just moved to WA and was living with her at the time. She didn’t have baking powder or soda, and I didn’t have any cash, so I substituted more eggs and cream of tartar. The cake came out flat, with the texture of vinyl – you could hear the knife sawing through it when I cut the pieces. I was miserably embarrassed. Best Friend tried to assure me it was good. SO took a bite and said, “There’s nothing wrong with how it tastes. The texture’s just a little off.” I must have blushed, because he smiled and said, “You’re turning pretty colors.”
We went out for lunch that Wednesday, and moved in together six months later.
The cake, btw, was a chai-flavored cake with honey-ginger cream frosting. I chopped up the remains, added heavy whipping cream and more eggs, and turned it into a tasty bread pudding.
debbie
@Immanentize:
I’ve made Maida Heatter’s chocolate run pecan pie. I like it because rum and because the unsweetened chocolate cuts through the sweetness of pecan pie.
I wonder what other alcohols can be used in pecan pie? It would make for an interesting desert table, if nothing else.
Mnemosyne
@Gemina13:
Your story is adorable, and I may need to steal it for a future romance novel. ?
MagdaInBlack
@Gemina13:
I do love a good “how we met” story ?
PaulWartenberg
new computer. trying to get my sound system plugged in (damn drivers)
Juju
@Miss Bianca: Cherry stoner sounds like a better description. Mine was a gift from an old friend of my mother, and she had/ has a whole bunch of neat kitchen utensils and devices she rarely or never used. She isn’t a cook. She gave me the cherry pitter that was a wedding present from her wedding in 1955. She called it a pitter, I didn’t know otherwise. I would probably not have one if it wasn’t for her. I’ve actually used it more than I ever thought I would. I also have a square tube or angel food cake pan from her. It’s interesting but makes an odd to cut angel food cake.
Ruckus
@MattF:
I’m past retirement age but still work. I figured out a compromise, I only work part time. I’m on 3 days a week for the next couple of years, then I plan to lay about, being as lazy as fucking possible. I’m at 55 yrs now with a jobs that collected taxes, so I think it’s getting close to time to being a lazy bum.
ETA BTW enjoy your retirement, you earned it.
Ruckus
@cosima:
Every one is a bit different. Or a lot.
I got laser surgery 21 yrs ago, just before they started doing Lasik, and it was wonderful. I was told about all the risks and possible side effects and had/have none of them. However I have eye problems and have been assured by numerous eye docs that none of them have anything to do with the laser surgery. As you age the gel inside the eye becomes more liquified, with bits and pieces of the gel floating around, floaters. Also the eye muscles are what adjust for close vision, the shape of the lens is what gives you far vision. That’s why changing the shape -laser surgery- corrects your far vision, which is what glasses or contacts effectively does. But as we age our muscles become less flexible and have a more difficult time correcting our close vision – readers become necessary. Readers and far vision correction was necessary long before laser surgery and floaters and crappy near vision was as well. I wore glasses/contacts for over 30 yrs before laser surgery and will require surgery for cataracts, possibly far vision glasses and readers for the rest of my life. None of this is because of laser surgery.
narya
@Raven: actually, my home town in NJ is like that. We had a farmers’ fair in my county when I was a kid, and the very small city across the river was surrounded by farms as well, but now it’s just more houses on the hillsides, on both sides of the river. In part, I suspect, it’s because an interstate finally went through, to NYC, which made it more or less commutable, which it really was not when I was a kid.
cosima
@Ruckus: Yes, I’m aware it’s quite different for everyone. So many variables. Eye shapes, astigmatism, type of surgery, doctor performing it, the list is endless. Mr. would do it again in a heartbeat, he hasn’t had any of the same problems that I’ve had. Don’t know why it didn’t seem to work for me, but there are risks, and I tell everyone to do a lot of homework before deciding. If someone asked Mr., he’d say it was all sunshine & lollipops, because that’s been his experience. Ultimately you have to decide if your quality of life will be enhanced thru having it. I did it to avoid wearing glasses whilst kayaking, skiing, and other outdoor often-in-inclement-weather sports. It wasn’t a good trade-off for me given the problems I’ve had with starring and the like. It sounds like MattF realises that there are drawbacks. But it’s a soapbox issue with me, because I have some problems associated with it that are significant, but I do realise that I’m in the minority.
Fair Economist
@opiejeanne:
That’s not a cake wreck. It’s more of a cake fender-bender.
SWMBO
If the Black Forest Cake turns into the Black Forest Crumble, put the cherries on a stick, turn the cake into cake pops and use the ganache to cover up the pops. You can make bigger cake pops and have a tasty mess at the same time.
Juju
@Ruckus: My mother had cataracts done in both eyes. The lens is replaced and you have perfect vision, but you will need readers. I hear that a multifocal lens is available or in development, and that would take care of the need for readers. I hope this is available if I ever need cataract surgery. I had lasik done two years ago and I have loved every minute of my better than perfect eye sight since. I had an evaluation done for laser surgery at least a dozen years before and was told I was too nearsighted for surgery. That was heartbreaking. After that I figured I wouldn’t qualify for surgery, so I never looked into it until I had a friend who had lasik done, and she convinced me to look into it again. New technology helped me qualify. I went from -8.95 in both eyes to better than 20/20, though for my right eye it took two surgeries. I’m sorry things didn’t go as well for Cosima, but I would still recommend having lasik done for anyone considering the procedure. I just wish I could have had it done before I needed readers, or as I call them, disposable glasses.
Juju
@SWMBO: or a Black Forest trifle.
jl
Thanks to Lady Cracker for great pix. I’ve saved it under the title ‘art dog with skull’ and will try to decipher that deep meaning of the dog’s performance art later. Glad Cracker finally learned about Black Forest cherry chocolate pastry whatever it is, because it is good.