FOURTH OF JULY CHOCOLATE COCA COLA CAKE

Last week I posted a recipe for a 7-Up Chocolate Cake. For the Fourth of July, I thought I'd post another 'soda' recipe. This time for Chocolate Coca Cola Cake. Love this Retro Ad for Coke. So, get out your 'Pyrex' dish and bake a Retro Chocolate Coca Cola Cake!

CHOCOLATE COCA-COLA CAKE

Ingredients
2 cups unsifted cake flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Sift together flour and sugar. Heat to boiling point the butter, cocoam and Coca-Cola. Add to flour and sugar mixture. Stir to blend. Add buttermilk, soda, eggs, salt, and vanilla. Stir with spoon until well blended. Pour into greased and floured oblong pan (Pyrex dish). Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Batter will be thin. Ice while hot.

COCA-COLA ICING

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp Coca-Cola
1 box confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cocoa

Heat to boiling point--butter, cocoa and Cola-Cola. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; stir to blend. Using a fork, make holes in hot cake and pour hot icing over it.

CHOCOLATE-BERRY MERINGUE: Fourth of July!

Love this Chocolate-Berry Meringue from Better Homes & Gardens for Fourth of July. It's light and healthy, and all Red, White, & Blue! Choose your favorite berries or have a medley. The chocolate curls are the finishing touch and look like fireworks!

Chocolate-Berry Meringue 

Ingredients
1 recipe Chocolate Meringue
1 recipe Raspberry Puree
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and/or sliced strawberries
Bittersweet chocolate curls

Directions 
Prepare Meringue and Raspberry Puree.
In chilled bowl beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form; spread onto meringue. Top with berries and chocolate. Drizzle raspberry puree onto plates. Serve meringue wedges atop puree.

Chocolate Meringue 

Ingredients 
6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely shredded
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions
Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a very large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Draw a 10-inch diameter circle on paper, leaving a 1- to 2-inch margin outside the circle; set aside.
In large mixing bowl beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight) and sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, and balsamic vinegar. Spread meringue on circle on prepared baking sheet.
Place in oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven; cool completely on baking sheet on rack. Carefully remove meringue from parchment; transfer to a serving platter.

Raspberry Puree 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions 
In blender place fresh raspberries. Cover and blend until pureed; sieve, if desired. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in sugar.

Photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Fourth of July Strawberry Pie

For me, Fourth of July is all about Strawberries and Whipped Cream.  Here's an easy Fourth of July Strawberry Pie, but of course I want chocolate with that, so I'm making a Chocolate Cookie Crust. Add blueberries to the whipped cream topping, and you'll have stars!

FOURTH OF JULY STRAWBERRY PIE

Chocolate Cookie Crust

25-30 chocolate cookie wafers (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers), 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled. Heat oven to 350°F.  Whirl cookies in food processor until crumbs are fine. Put in medium bowl, add melted butter, and mix until combined. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate evenly and firmly on bottom and up sides. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool (on wire rack) before filling.

Filling & Topping

Mash 2 cups of strawberries (chunky not macerated) (put aside a cup of sliced strawberries). Place strawberries in small saucepan. Add sugar (to taste-depends on strawberries-about 1/4-1/2 cup), 1/4 cup corn starch, dash of salt, 1 tsp vanilla or 1 Tbsp  lemon juice (or both). Bring to simmer until thickened. Cool completely. Add rest of strawberries (cut up or sliced) and put in baked cooled Chocolate Cookie Crust. Put in fridge for 2 hours to set. Top with whipped cream, big whole strawberries, and blueberries!

Happy Fourth of July!

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH RED, WHITE, & BLUE SPRINKLES for Fourth of July!

I always say you find recipes in the most unusual places. The Old Farmer's Almanac, founded in 1792, is one of those sites. The Farmer's Almanac is no longer just about when to plant and harvest your crops. The site is filled with weather, astronomy, gardening, advice and food tips and recipes. Here's one of my favorites for the Fourth of July. As always use the very best cocoa and butter for the best flavor.

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH RED, WHITE, & BLUE SPRINKLES

COOKIES 

Ingredients 
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Turn off machine and add flour, cocoa, and salt. Beat at low speed until the dough comes together. Turn out onto work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out first portion of dough to a ⅛-inch thickness. Use 2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut dough into circles, gathering and rerolling as needed; then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven and place on cooling rack.

FILLING

Ingredients 
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 3 tablespoons water
red, white, and blue sprinkles

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugar, shortening, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low speed, then increase to medium. Add water, tablespoon at time, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Frost bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie. Repeat. Roll cookies in sprinkles.

Photo: Farmer's Almanac