Recipe 60, 61 & 62: Black Satin Chocolate Raspberry Cake (My 29th Birthday cake)

Ok, so the reason why I have separated this one recipe into three is because you can use the three recipes in any other individual baking and do not neccasirly have to go together. Recipe 60: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, Recipe 61: Raspberry Sauce and Recipe 62: Black Satin Raspberry Frosting. Such a complex cake, but my goodness definitely worth it- Especially for those special occasions. I was lucky enough to have my parents over and my mother was relegated to the beater as I do not have a stand  alone mixer (which is a bit of a necessity in this recipe- although if you don't have one, just get a mate over to hold the electric hand beater whilst having a glass of wine!)

Recipe 60, 61 & 62: Black Satin Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Preparation: 2 hours, plus baking, cooling and chilling time...

(best to do Recipe 60 and 61 the night before)

Recipe 60: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
150g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter
1/3 cup copha (vegetable shortening)
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large whole eggs, plus 2 large eggs separated (4 eggs in total)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup milk

IMPORTANT- all of these items should be at room temperature.

METHOD

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of three 9-inch (21cm) round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with baking paper and dust the sides of the pans with flour (tap out excess).
2. In a medium bowl, using a whisk, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended.
3. In another medium bowl (this is where the electric mixer comes in handy- if you have one- use that bowl). beat the butter and copha until  creamy. Add the brown sugar and while continuing to beat (where you friend now comes in if you don't have a mixer), gradually add 1 cup of the white sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time over a 6-minute period. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until the mixture is light in texture and off-white in colour. Beat in the vanilla extract.
4. Melt the chocolate in another bowl, whilst the chocolate is cooling. Break the 2 whole eggs into a measuring cup and add the 2 separated egg yolks. Beat with a fork until forthy. At a medium speed while continuing to beat, slowly add the beaten eggs to the batter. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Beat in the cooled chocolate (you still want the chocolate runny, but not so hot that it will start cooking the cake).
5. At low speed, one third at a time, beat in the flour mixture, alternating it with milk. Mix briefly just until each addition is barely incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Mix the batter for 10 more seconds.
6. In a smaller bowl, beat the 2 egg whites at low speed until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat the whites until soft peaks start to form. One teaspoon at a time, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating the whites until stiff, shiny peaks form.
7. Using the spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into the bater to lightin it. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth it with the back of a soup spoon.
8. Bake the cake layers for 15 minutes. Reposition the cake pans so that the pans at the back of the oven rack are placed in the front. Continute to bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the edge of each cake layer has pulled away slightly from the side of the pan and the center springs back when gently pressed with a finger.
9. Cool the cake layers in the pans set on wire racks for 5 minutes before turning them out.  Cool the cake layers completely (this is why I suggest baking this and then leaving overnight).

Recipe 61: Raspberry Sauce
340g frozen raspberries
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp arrowroot
1 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp of black raspberry liquer such as chambord.

METHOD

1. In a noncorrosive medium saucepan, combine the frozen raspberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries start to soften. Continue to cook at a gentle simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the raspberries are completely softened.
2. Press the raspberry mixture through a fine meshed sieve into a measuring cup. Discard the seeds and then place the raspberry liquid back into the pan.
3. Put the arrowroot in a small cup. Slowly stir in the water until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape the arrowroot mixture into the raspberry puree and stir until blended
4. Cook the raspberry puree over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 to 60 seconds, until the sauce is transluscent. DO NOT BOIL LONGER THAN 1 MINUTE, or the sauce will become watery. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Cool the sauce to room temperature and stir in the liquer to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Recipe 62: Black Satin Raspberry Frosting
570g semisweet (dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup black raspberry liquer, such as chambord
4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Melt the chocolate.
2. Put the evaporated milk, butter, liquer and vanilla extract into a food processor with a metal chopping blade. Add the melted chocolate.
3. Process for 20 to 30 seconds until the frosting is thick and creamy.
4. Use the frosting immediately.

Assembling the cake:
In between each layer of cake add a slather of frosting and raspberry sauce (you will need to use all the raspberry sauce in the layers- but reserve some frosting as you need to ice the rest of the cake). Put the layers together and then frost the rest of the cake.

Recipe 58: Mushroom sauce

A basic sauce which goes well with chicken and steak. I use this mainly to jazz up a steak and mashed spuds dinner.

Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

100g small button mushrooms, sliced
100ml beef stock
50g butter
50g flour
350-400ml milk

METHOD

1. Melt butter in pan, then fry mushrooms until well cooked.
2. Stir in flour and cook further for 2 minutes
3. Slowly pour in stock and milk whilst stirring constantly until all combined (which will take approximately 5 minutes). Add more milk (if needed) to desired consistency.
4. Use salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe 56 & 57: Chicken in a Blanket and Cheese Sauce

Tonight's dinner- have never seen the husbands face so excited when he looked into the oven tonight! Easy to make and definitely a meal. Although you could make each parcel smaller by chopping the bacon and chicken into smaller bite sizes and could use it as a tapas dish.

Chicken in a Blanket

Serves 4

2 chicken breast
4 rashers of bacon (I used middle)
2 sheets puff pastry
200g ricotta cheese (or you could use cottage cheese)

METHOD

1. Slice the chicken breast in half length ways and in a hot pan seal on both sides, remove and allow to cool.
2. Cook the rashers of bacon, remove and allow to cool
3. Once the bacon and chicken are cool, cut the pastry sheets in half diagonally and place 1 slice of bacon, 1 halved chicken breast on top of the bacon and spoon 1 tbsp (50g) of ricotta over the chicken and bacon. Wrap/fold the puff pastry over the chicken and bacon mix.
4. Brush with egg wash  (beat a egg and using a basting brush, brush the pastry with the egg) and bake at 230c for 15 -20 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

50g butter
50g Flour
350ml-400ml milk
300g cheese (about 4 handfuls)

METHOD

1. In a pan, melt the butter and stir in flour - which will make a paste like structure.
2. Slowly pour the milk while stirring constantly until all combined (if you put all the milk in at once you will end up with a lumpy sauce, better to add the milk a little at a time).
3. Add the cheese, again stirring constantly. Add more milk (if needed) to receive the desired sauce consistency.

Recipe 46 and 47 - Meat loaf with an Onion and Mushroom gravy

Recipe 46: Meatloaf

1 kg mince
1 large brown onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon each of: smoked paprika, ginger
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1/2cup fresh basil and parsley
2 eggs
Good splash of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Chop carrots, celery, onion and garlic.
2. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in large bowl, be sure to "massage" everything together.
3. Place in terrine mold and bake at 220c for around 50 minutes.

Recipe 47: Onion and Mushroom Gravy

2 brown onion finely sliced
4 mushrooms diced
2 cloves of chopped garlic
splash of sherry
juice from the meatloaf pan
2 tbsp corn flour

Method

1. Fry onion, mushrooms and garlic together till they start to colour. 
2. Add sherry and boil furiously till almost dry, then add the pan juices (water and/or stock can also be used,) 
3. Bring to boil and stir in corn flour (mixed with cold water,) till required consistency is achieved. 

Recipe 7 & 8 - Tomato & Basil Sauce and Meahini Pasta

I am definitely enjoying finding grassroot recipes. Its amazing to know that most of the recipes I do find, I have a majority of the ingredients here in my pantry or in the vegetable patch that I have just started growing. At the moment I am using dried herbs instead of fresh as my basil is a bit too small to be ransacked. But hopefully in coming weeks I will be able to use it. Also looking forward to using my lettuces, capsicums, chilli's and tomatoes by end of February.
Hitting two birds with one stone today. Firstly am going to try to make a Tomato and Basil Sauce adapted from the Edmonds Cookbook again and then incorporate it with an adapted Italian Skillet Supper Recipe that I found on ifood.tv . IF the sauce works out! Hopefully this will hide the Zucchini enough that my husband won't notice at all.

Tomato and Basil Sauce

2 tblsp Oil

1 tsp of crushed Garlic (I used garlic from jar- however if fresh add it straight away with the onion)

1 Onion, chopped

400g can Tomatoes

1 1/2 tblsp Cornflour

1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup of water

1 tsp sugar

salt

pepper

1 tblsp freshly chopped Basil

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add Onion, cook until onion is clear.
2. Puree tomatoes and juice in a blender (I used a stick blender)
3. Combine cornflour and tomato paste in the water.
4. Add the tomato paste combination, pureed tomatoes, garlic and sugar to the saucepan. Bring to the boil. Season with sale and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in Basil.

Meahini Pasta 

(Creative name huh? Meahini -Meat crossed with Zucchini - to hide from my husband!)

500g lean ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped

2 tsps of crushed Garlic

1 tsp dried Basil or Oregano

1 cup Pasta

1 medium Zucchini, peeled and chopped (I used the stick blender for half of it)

To make a sauce for this:

1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or beef stock 

(I used the Tomato & Basil Sauce instead)

METHOD

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add onion, garlic and basil or oregano; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
2. Add tomato pasta sauce and stock; bring to a boil. (In my case I added 2 cups of the Tomato & Basil sauce I created.)  Stir in pasta; reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini; cook, covered, stirring occasionally, adding more stock (or adding more sauce) if needed, for 5 to 7 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender.

RESULTS:
The Tomato & Basil Sauce came out lovely- but not a deep red that I expected from all other tomato sauces I have brought in the past, maybe due to the amount of preservatives and colour they add .... I used more water than stated in the recipe (about a cup) and so it did get a bit runny, but that's because I was planning to use it for my Meahini. I wouldn't have added the extra water and I am sure it would have been awesome for normal tomato sauce- although not sure how long it would keep for in the fridge...
The Meahini Pasta came out nice enough, although even with all the herbs and my awesome sauce it was quite bland in flavour. I added a bit of Parmesan for a little bit more bang.