Welcome Spring: Retro Springtime Fancy Cake!

Welcome, Spring! Here's a "Springtime Fancy Cake" Advertisement from 1953. It's not chocolate, but it's so fun! Made with Dexo! Dexo was similar to Crisco.

"In the Spring, a young (5 to 95!) man's fancy really turns to thoughts of 'what's cookin?'

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars: Chocolate Caramel Day

Photo: Martha Stewart Living

Today is National Chocolate Caramel Day. My favorite Chocolate Caramels are from Recchiuti Confections,  EHChocolatier, and Delysia. But really, I've never met a chocolate caramel that I didn't like. But in case you want to make something to celebrate the day, here's and easy delicious recipe from Martha Stewart for Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars. I've posted several chocolate caramel recipes, so I thought I'd do a Mini-Round-Up of a few other Chocolate Caramel recipes! Be sure to scroll down.

If you don't want to bake, pick up a Chocolate Caramel at your local chocolate shop... or in a pinch have some Milk Duds.

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, November 2009

Ingredients
For the Crust
4 1/2 ounces (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for parchment
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt

For the Chocolate Caramel
10 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crust: Line 9-inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides; butter parchment, excluding overhang. Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and table salt, and beat until just combined.
Press dough evenly into pan, and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
Make chocolate caramel: Place chocolate in medium bowl. Heat granulated sugar and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat, washing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, cream, and table salt. Bring to boil, stirring until smooth. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Stir to combine, and let stand until cool, about 10 minutes.
Pour mixture over crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. Run knife around edges; lift parchment to remove whole bar from pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Trim edges, and cut into 16 bars. Bars can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Caramel Recipe Round-Up

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Balls
Sea Salt Caramel Brownies
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries
Hazelnut Caramel Toffee Bon Bon
Warm Chocolate Caramel Cakes
Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Caramel Apples
Nutty Chocolate Chip Caramel Squares 
Salted Caramel Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar 
 

BAILEY'S IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATE TRIFLE: St Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's a great treat to celebrate: Bailey's Chocolate Trifle.

As an aside, Bailey's has produced fun promotional collectibles over the years. I love these Winking "yum" cups, creamers, sugar, cookie jars, egg cups and teapots. You can still find them on eBay and etsy, as well as flea markets and estate sales.

Back to recipes: I often clip recipes from newspapers and magazines, only to find them years later, yellowed by age but not necessarily by taste. With the Internet, we're so lucky that these 'one of a kind' recipes are posted. No paper, no fuss. No forgetting where they are.. well, maybe if you're like me and you don't bookmark them right away.  Here's winner Marlene Moore's top recipe from the Mercury (Pottstown, PA) EATS contest. This is perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Bailey's Irish Cream comes in several flavors: Original Irish Cream, Mint Bailey's Irish Cream; Coffee Irish Cream; or Creme Caramel Irish Cream. You can make this trifle using different flavors for completely different tastes! Just an FYI: I usually make trifle in a clear bowl. The layers look beautiful.

Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Trifle
By Marlene Moore

1 (18.25 pk.) Devil’s Food cake mix
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
2 (3.4 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix
3 1/2 cups cold whole milk
3 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed  (possible substitute: fresh whipped cream)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cake according to package directions. Bake in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Poke holes in the cake about 2 inches apart with a meat fork. Carefully pour the Irish cream over the cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

In a medium bowl whisk the pudding mix and milk together until smooth. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft set. Cut the cake into 1-1/2-inch cubes. Place one-third of the cubes in a trifle bowl. Top with one-third of the pudding and one-third of the whipped topping. Repeat the layers two times. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 14-16 servings

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Since it's St. Patrick's Day, you might want to read some Crime Fiction set during St. Patrick's Day. Here's a link to a list on my other blog, Mystery Fanfare.

CHOCOLATE MINT SUNDAE CAKE: Vintage Ad with Recipe for St. Patrick's Day!

Here's a great Vintage Ad with Cake Recipe for St Patrick's Day: Chocolate Mint Sundae Cake, "a Luscious St. Patrick's Day Special!"I haven't made this cake, but wanted to share. I love Vintage Ads. BTW, Spry is similar to Crisco.