Scrabble Cakes: National Scrabble Day

Today is Scrabble Day, and I'll admit I'm addicted to Scrabble. I love words, so Scrabble has always been apart of my life. I even had a mini-scrabble game that I carried when I backpacked across Europe many years ago. That was pre-internet, pre-game devices. I now have an iPad, and, of course, I have Scrabble on it, and I play every day. So, if you're like me, you'll love this medley of cake photos I found on the web. Full disclosure: none of them are mine, but I identify them and list the source. Let me know if you've made a Scrabble Cake or saw one at a party. Love to include your photos!

This unique Scrabble wedding cake was made for a bride and groom who played Scrabble together over the internet while he was stationed in Iraq. K, worth five points, was at the top because both the bride and groom have names starting with K. I love this cake from the PinkCakeBox Blog.

And a few more:

From MySweetandsaucy.com

 From Sweetthings-Toronto comes two Scrabble Related items:
A Wedding Cake and Cupcakes.

And, from Mindylong.com come photos of this Scrabble Cake for Word Lovers from the National Capital Area Cake Show:

And, from CakeCentral comes this Birthday Cake spelling out greetings for an 80th Birthday:

Happy Scrabble Day!

Sweet Chocolate Orange Marmalade Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, and, of course, I've posted many different variations on Chocolate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. So today here's one more. Bread, Butter, Cheese, Chocolate--and Orange Marmalade! What could be better?

I love my Panini Press, but this one should be made on the stove in an iron skillet. My mother used to make her fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches in an old iron skillet with the top of a small iron lid pressing down on the sandwiches. Both were inherited from my grandmother. I have the lid (with a 1950s era blue handle), but not the original skillet. Interesting what we hold on to.

This recipe is great for Sunday Brunch. It's sweet, so if you'd like another version, just add a bar of chocolate, some cheese--and place in between buttered challah or another bread. This recipe is too creamy ( and oozing) for the panini press, so make it in a big skillet. Reduce amounts if it's only two of you. Try this recipe to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day.. or save it for brunch this weekend.

Sweet Chocolate Orange Marmalade Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
6 ounces Mascarpone
2 Tbsp Orange Marmalade
2 Tbsp Butter (room temperature)
8 slices Challah or Brioche (sandwich size)
8 ounces Brie (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
14 ounces Dark Chocolate (65-75% cacao, fair-trade, organic), chopped

Directions
Combine orange marmalade and mascarpone.
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, buttered side down on work surface. Spread mascarpone mixture on bread. Place brie slices over mixture and sprinkle with chocolate chunks.
Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side up.
Heat large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put sandwiches in pan, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Watch carefully.
Turn sandwiches, pressing each firmly with spatula or heavy pot lid (smaller than the skillet).
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until undersides are browned.
Remove cover, turn sandwiches over and press firmly with spatula or pot lid again.
Cook until cheese has melted completely.
Remove from pan and let cool 2-3 minutes.

National Pet Day: Healthy Dog Treats

Today is National Pet Day, and I thought I'd post a recipe for Dog Treats. No chocolate, though. Chocolate is poisonous and sometimes fatal to dogs. The following recipe is from the All Natural Dog Treat website. Topper, my golden retriever, likes peanut butter, so I thought I'd post this recipe.  If you want to get fancy, cut the treats/cookies with a dogbone cookie cutter. And, remember, everything in moderation, and that includes treats for your pet.

Peanut Butter Goodness Dog Treats

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (all-natural or organic)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
2. Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Kerrian's Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

Once again my crime fiction and chocolate world collide, as I welcome mystery writer/reviewer Patti Phillips. Patti writes the online detective blog, www.KerriansNotebook.com. (Detective Kerrian chats about life as a detective as well as the case featured in Patti’s novel, One Sweet Motion.) Her love of cooking (and therefore Kerrian’s) spills onto the recipe pages of the blog. This special dessert will appear soon on the website, but makes its internet debut today on www.DyingforChocolate.com

Patti Phillips is a writer/photographer whose best investigative days are spent writing, cooking, traveling for research, and playing golf. Her time on the golf course was murderously valuable while creating the perfect alibi for the chief villain in One Sweet Motion. Did you know that there are spots on a golf course that can’t be accessed by listening devices? Of course, it helps to avoid suspicion if you work on lowering your handicap while plotting the dirty deeds.

Patti’s book reviews of mysteries and thrillers can be found on the Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble sites. Her own review site, ‘Nightstand Book Reviews’ is coming soon.

Patti Phillips is a transplanted metropolitan New Yorker/north Texan, now living in the piney state of North Carolina.

I love this cheesecake, especially the chocolate chip cookie crust!

Patti Phillips:
Kerrian’s Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

Detective Charlie Kerrian loves pie! This yummy chocolate dessert was a great complement to his St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Serves 8-10

Ingredients
Vegetable oil for springform pan (I use almond oil)
20- 2” chocolate chip cookies
4 Tbs butter (salted)
10 oz. Ghirardelli milk chocolate baking chips
10 oz. Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
1/3 cup extrafine sugar
12 oz. whipped cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream
2 Tbs. Bailey’s Irish Cream
sour cream and fresh fruit (picture shows strawberries)

Kitchen tools/supplies to have on hand for this recipe:
8” springform pan
Parchment paper
Pot with double-boiler insert
Standing electric mixer with large bowl & paddle attachment

Preparation
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and wipe the sides with oil. Crush the cookies with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, remove from heat, then stir in the crushed cookies. Press the cookie/butter mixture into the bottom (and ½ inch up the sides) of the prepared pan. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Place all the chocolate into the top of the double-boiler, with gently simmering water in the bottom. Melt the chocolate, stirring frequently until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat.

Add sugar and cream cheese to the mixing bowl and beat on lowest speed until smooth. Slowly add the heavy cream and beat on the lowest setting until thick and creamy. Slowly add the melted chocolate and continue to beat on lowest setting until thoroughly blended. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again. Add Bailey’s and mix until blended. Mixture should now have thick pudding consistency.

Spoon into the springform pan and then level surface with butter knife or spoon. Chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours (until very firm). Transfer to cake plate and serve with fresh fruit and sour cream. Also nice with ice cream.

Recipe variation:
If you don’t own a springform pan, or are not comfortable using one, the recipe will also work nicely in a 9” deep-dish disposable pie pan. Press the cookie crumb/butter mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the unlined disposable pan, then follow the rest of the directions as written. Spoon any extra filling into ramekins, chill, garnish with fruit, and serve as individual desserts.

Photograph: Patti Phillips. Kerrian and Patti can be found at www.kerriansnotebook.com. They promise that no bodies have ever been discovered in Kerrian’s Kitchen. ☺