CHOCOLATE ECLIPSE CAKE: 2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE

Unless you've been living in a vacuum, you know that North America will experience a total Solar Eclipse on April 8. Yes, the path of totality will differ in different areas, but unless you're sleeping, you can't miss it. The moon will cover the sun, and you will be able to see the corona. Remember to wear special glasses!

What better cake to celebrate the Solar Eclipse than Mollie Katzen's Eclipse Cake! It's a big chocolate pudding cake that feeds a lot of people, so if you're having an Eclipse Party, it's perfect! It's fun to make..and watch come together..and it's delicious. Note: This cake tastes better the longer you wait to eat it, but I know that might be difficult. Your kitchen will smell divine! Try to wait at least 1/2 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Molly Katzen's Chocolate Eclipse Cake
from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu Cookbook

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups buttermilk*
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
21/2 cups unbleached white flour
21/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
21/2 cups boiling water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Melt  butter and chocolate together.
In separate saucepan, heat buttermilk gently until just a little warmer than body temperature (don't boil or cook it). Remove from heat, and combine with chocolate mixture and vanilla.
In large mixing bowl combine flour, 1 cup of the brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well (use your hands, if necessary) to break up any little lumps of brown sugar, making as uniform a mixture as possible.
Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.
Pour in wet ingredients, and stir until well combined. Spread into prepared pan.
Combine remaining 11/4 cups brown sugar with the unsweetened cocoa in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture as evenly as possible over the top of the batter. Pour on the boiling water. It will look terrible, and you will not believe you are actually doing this, but try to persevere. Place immediately in the preheated oven.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Invert each serving on a plate so that the fudge sauce on the bottom becomes a topping. Serve hot or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.

* No buttermilk in the fridge? Mix 2 cups whole milk with 2 tsp vinegar

BLOOD MOON ECLIPSE BROWNIES

Last night there was a total eclipse of the Blood Moon. It was pretty spectacular, and the Blood Moon Eclipse got me thinking. I've posted a recipe for Full Moon Brownies, but what about Beet Brownies? Many chocolate cakes such as Red Velvet Cakes can be made with beets. So in honor of the Blood Moon Eclipse, here's a great recipe for Blood Moon Eclipse Brownies.

BLOOD MOON ECLIPSE BROWNIES

Ingredients 
1/2 pound fresh beets, scrubbed
1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering parchment paper
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour  (I buy this from King Arthur Flour)
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Directions
Put beets in saucepan and add water to cover by ½ inch. Set over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-35 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to ice bath until cool. Transfer cool beets to food processor and pulse until minced.
Preheat oven to 350°
Line 9-inch by 9-inch brownie pan with parchment paper; lightly coat with butter.
Cut sticks of butter into chunks and put in heavy saucepan. Add chopped chocolate and cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until chocolate begins to melt.
Remove pan from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, gently mix eggs for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and brown sugar; mix on medium-high until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed and add minced beets then slowly add chocolate mixture and mix just until combined.
Slowly add flour mixture and amix just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
Bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool brownies in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
Cut and serve.

SUPER BLUE MOON ECLIPSE BROWNIES

What a spectacular morning! The Super Blue Moon Eclipse was amazing. This was a really fabulous astronomical event on so many levels. A super moon appears bigger and brighter in the night sky than usual, so it was gorgeous. And, to top it off, there was a Lunar Eclipse! Add to that that this is a Blue Moon (two full moons in one month). Amazing.

Given that we were all told at some time in our lives that the 'Moon is Made of Cheese,' I think this recipe for Blue Cheese Brownies is also perfect to celebrate this extraordinary Super Blue Moon Eclipse. This recipe for Blue Cheese Brownies is adapted from Mandy at Monetize Your Vision.

Super Blue Moon Eclipse Brownies

Ingredients
8 ounces good quality dark chocolate (65-80% cacao), chopped
16 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup of good quality blue cheese (I use Rogue or Humboldt or Cowgirl Creamery)
3 medium eggs
2 cups caster/fine sugar (not confectioners sugar)
1/3 cup good quality DARK cocoa powder
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2 level tsp of baking powder

Directions
Melt chocolate, blue cheese, and butter in saucepan over saucepan of simmering hot water. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk eggs with sugar and mix with cooled chocolate, blue cheese, and butter mixture.
Sift and stir in cocoa and flour.
Pour mixture into greased parchment (or waxed paper) lined baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350.
COOL (totally) on rack before taking out or they will totally fall apart.
When cooled, ease around the edges with a knife and cut.

And this fabulous moon setting this morning!

Chocolate Eclipse Cake!

Unless you've been living in a vacuum, you know that North America will experience a total Solar Eclipse on Monday, August 21. Yes, the path of totality will differ in different areas, but unless you're sleeping, you can't miss it. The moon will cover the sun, and you will be able to see the corona. Remember to wear special glasses!

What better cake to celebrate the Solar Eclipse than Mollie Katzen's Eclipse Cake! It's a big chocolate pudding cake that feeds a lot of people, so if you're having an Eclipse Party, it's perfect! It's fun to make..and watch come together..and it's delicious. Note: This cake tastes better the longer you wait to eat it, but I know that might be difficult. Your kitchen will smell divine! Try to wait at least 1/2 hour. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Molly Katzen's Chocolate Eclipse Cake
from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu Cookbook

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups buttermilk*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
21/2 cups unbleached white flour
21/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
21/2 cups boiling water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Melt  butter and chocolate together.
In separate saucepan, heat buttermilk gently until just a little warmer than body temperature (don't boil or cook it). Remove from heat, and combine with chocolate mixture and vanilla.
In large mixing bowl combine flour, 1 cup of the brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well (use your hands, if necessary) to break up any little lumps of brown sugar, making as uniform a mixture as possible.
Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.
Pour in wet ingredients, and stir until well combined. Spread into prepared pan.
Combine remaining 11/4 cups brown sugar with the unsweetened cocoa in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture as evenly as possible over the top of the batter. Pour on the boiling water. It will look terrible, and you will not believe you are actually doing this, but try to persevere. Place immediately in the preheated oven.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Invert each serving on a plate so that the fudge sauce on the bottom becomes a topping. Serve hot or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.

* No buttermilk in the fridge? Mix 2 cups whole milk with 2 tsp vinegar