Cooks all over the U.S. are dusting off their recipes and making long grocery lists for fourth of July celebrations. Plain Chicken , a food blog by a Southern cook, featured this cake.
Even though I am really not a fan of blue and red tinted food, I kinda love the sense of Americana kitsch; it’s a flag-waver just sitting on the table.
Cake mix has turned many of middle-of-the-road cooks into rock stars. It happens when a competent cook comes across a recipe and says, “This has got to be really good and better yet, it’s amazingly easy, I’m claiming it.”
I saw it in action when a friend of mine offered me biscotti that she had made.
I said, “Biscotti?”
She said, “Yeah, it’s better than the biscotti you used to get from Kay.”
“Really,” I said. That biscotti was pure grade Italian issue, with a lot of time devoted to cooking, drying and cutting. But I was game. She had given me a full zip-lock baggie, I reached in, grabbed a hunk and bit down.
So this is a keeper. Change it up if you want different flavors, butterscotch chips with caramel frosting, or walnuts for almonds, for instance. But here are the basics:
Almond Chocolate Biscotti
1 pk chocolate cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pk (10 to 12 oz) vanilla or white chips
2 TB shortening
1) Beat cake mix, flour, butter, eggs, chocolate syrup and extract until well blended. Stir in almonds, chocolate chips. On un-greased pan, half dough, shape into a 12 x 2 log.
2) Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until firm to touch. Cool on rack for 20 minutes.
3) Transfer to cutting board cut diagonally with a serrated-edge knife into 1/2″ slices. Place cut sides down on baking sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes until firm. Cool.
4) Melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti; store in air tight container.
I doubt that I will ever grow up and out of the irrational notion that if I blow out all of the candles on my birthday cake, I’ll get my wish. (As long as I don’t blab about it.)
The custom is rooted with the ancients, when people believed a herd of gods lived in the sky. Smoke wafting from blown-out candles evidently had a fighting chance of reaching a wish granting spirit.
Since birthday wishes are such a time-honored tradition, there’s job security in cake baking. But some bakers are probably more secure than others.
Cake Wrecks is only interested in cakes gone wrong. For instance, it was just as well that little Trudi Smith didn’t know how to read when it was time for her to blow out the candles on her purple cake.
Overheard.
“Well, I guess Nuts is Peter Allergy’s brother or maybe sister? Good lookin’ bushes, doncha think?”
“Yeah, nice. Let’s move on. We have to finish one more for a 5:00 pick-up, we gots to hurry.”
“Okay, here’s the gab – it goes on the white frosted swirl two decker round.”
“H 85th (Grand.Mom)?”
“Yeah, that’s what it says. I think it is some kinda computer code or somethin?”
“Alrighty. We’re done.”
(Thanks Meghan for passing this along.)