Brown Cow: National Ice Cream Soda Day

Today is National Ice Cream Soda Day, and, of course, I'm going to have a Brown Cow! See recipe below. Ice cream sodas, aka ice cream floats, are made by combining ice cream with soda or carbonated water and flavored syrup. Of course, mine always contain chocolate. While many people consider root beer and vanilla ice cream to be the classic ingredients for an ice cream soda, there are lots of variations. Be sure and experiment.

According to Wisegeek.com, "although the recipe for an ice cream soda is quite simple, there is a trick to creating the perfect drink. Plain soda foams because it releases carbon dioxide gas, but ice cream is actually a foamy mixture of liquid, ice crystals, and air pockets. Therefore, if you want to make an ice cream soda with a lot of foam, put the ice cream in the glass before pouring the soda. If you want to make a treat with a minimal amount of foam, add the ice cream after the soda has been poured."

Supposedly, the ice cream soda was invented in Denver in 1871 by Otto Baur.  Soon, there were soda fountains and ice cream parlors scattered throughout the United States.

Brown Cow Ice Cream Soda Recipe

Root Beer
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
Chocolate ice cream

Pour a good quality rootbeer into glass, leaving about 2 inches on top.
Scoop some chocolate ice cream and drop in.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup on top.
Whipped cream optional

Celebrate!

Chocolate Picnic Cake: The Picnic Game

I'm going on a picnic, and I'm bringing Chocolate Picnic Cake, what else?

Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations loves picnics so much, that once again this year, she's playing the International Picnic Game. Each letter of the alphabet has been taken by a different blogger who will post what they're bringing to the Perfect Picnic A-Z!

Want to find out about the history of the picnic? Be sure and read the story at Months of Edible Celebrations.

The picnic this year is filled with international recipes and posts. We're going to have fun! Check out all the recipes at all these different blogs, so you can have your own Virtual Picnic... or real!


CHOCOLATE PICNIC CAKE

There are many recipes for Chocolate Picnic Cake--some using box mixes, some from scratch, but I'm posting an easy one! The nice thing about this Chocolate Picnic Cake is that it travels so well. It doesn't have to be refrigerated, and you can actually make ahead and freeze.  This is a variation on Mary Kennedy's Chocolate Kahlua Cake and my Double Chocolate Bundt Cake. They would all travel well to a picnic--virtual or real!!

Ingredients
1 (18 ounce) box Devil's Food  or Dark Chocolate Cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
1  package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup warm water
1- 1/2 cups 70% or higher dark chocolate (chopped) or dark chocolate chips
1 cup (16 oz) sour cream
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Pour into oiled and floured Bundt pan.
3. Bake at 350 for about an  hour or until tooth pick comes out clean.
4. Dust with powdered sugar.

So, I'm going on a Picnic, and I'm bringing ...

A--Almond Joy Pie 
B--Baked Beans
C--Chocolate Picnic Cake
D--Dutch Funnel Cake
E--Easy Blender Chicken Pie
F--Five Bean Salad
G--Granola Bars
H--Herb and Cheese Pasta Salad
I--Incredibly Fruity Raspberry Cakes
J--Jeweled Picnic Bars
K--Kaltschale (cold fruit soup)
L--Long Island Lemonade Cocktail
M--Mushroom Tart
N--Nut Roast
O--Olive Nut Bread
P--Pomegranate Mousse Cake
Q--Quiche
R--Raspberry Chocolate Macaroons
S--Spicy Glazed Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs
T--Turkey and Pear wraps w/Curried Aioli
U-"Unoriginal Whole Foods Salad Bar"
V-Vegetable Things of Spring Salad+
W-White Caramel Popcorn
X X-quisite Layered Fruit Salad 
Y-Yellow Squash Casserole (soon:)
Z-Zucchini Bread 


(I'll be updating ALL the foods "I'll be bringing..." to the picnic on July 1)

I'm ready for the picnic! Thanks, Louise, for organizing the Picnic!

Mikki's Mandelbrot

There are many Mandelbrot recipes, and they're all delicious. When I was growing up, I loved our neighbor Flora's Mandelbrot. She was a great baker, and she always seemed to have extra for the neighborhood children.

Mandelbrot is very similar to biscotti in that it's twice baked. Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot is very special, and, of course, my favorite. Technically it's not mandelbrot since the word itself mean almond bread, but adding the chocolate chips makes these heavenly.

I've posted a Mandlebrot recipe before, but recently my neighbor Mikki brought Mandelbrot to my Literary Salon with mystery author Elizabeth George. I love when my worlds of mystery and chocolate collide. The Salon was great, and the Mandelbrot was terrific, so I asked if she would share it here on DyingforChocolate.com. The directions are Mikki's, complete with her own notes. If you compare Mikki's Mandelbrot with the other one. It's a difference in technique. The ingredients are quite similar.  Mikki left the extra Mandlebrot with me, and I snapped this photo before devouring the remainder. Of course when I make it, I will add more chocolate chips, but then I'm a chocoholic. Either way, you'll love these.

Mikki’s Mandlebrot

Eggs                3 large
Oil (Vegetable)1 Cup (If using canola or a blend it changes flavor)
Sugar               1 Cup (more or less, according to taste)
Flour                 3 1/2 cups
Baking powder 2 tsp
Salt                   1/4 tsp
Vanilla               1 tsp
Walnuts/Almonds 1 Cup, chopped (I prefer almonds. Mostly I delete nuts)
Semi-Sweet choc chips 3 oz. chopped (or use minis - easier)

Topping:
Cocoa       1 tsp
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Sugar        1 Tbsp
Mix together. Adjust to personal taste

Almonds, slivered 4 oz. (Mostly I delete)

Oven 350F

Beat eggs well & add oil & sugar. Sift dry ingredients then add to egg mixture. Add vanilla, (nuts, if desired), and chips. Shape into 2, 3, 4 rolls (whatever fits cookie sheet, whatever size cookie you want. Bake for 25 mins. (will crack on top a bit). Let cool 10 mins, slice, sprinkle with topping and separate each cookie a bit so next baking will bake all cookies throughout. Return to oven and bake for approx. 15 mins. Longer baking time makes crispier cookies; shorter baking time - cake like.

Makes about 50 cookies. Freezes well and taste great frozen.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: 2 Easy Recipes

The other day Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations posted about the birth of Richard Hellman (Hellman's Mayonnaise) in 1876. The exact date coincided with her own birthday. Of course her birthday was many, many years later. Since there is no holiday dedicated to Mayonnaise, she and I think there should be. Where would tuna fish be without mayonnaise; where would sandwiches be? So better late than never, let's celebrate Mayonnaise Day. Be sure and check out the history of Mayonnaise, the life of Hellman, and a lot more info about mayonnaise at Months of Edible Celebrations.

Since it was Louise's birthday, she decided to make a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. I've made chocolate mayonnaise cake before, and you'd be surprised how many recipes there are. Seems like everyone's Aunt Sadie had a recipe. It shouldn't be a surprise to you that mayonnaise was used often in past generations. Remember mayonnaise in jello molds? That used to be a staple at special occasions all over the U.S. If you don't remember, be glad!

Since I try to post easy recipes here, I have two. The first is slightly harder since it means making a layer cake (2 layers) and icing the cake. That's not really difficult--just takes a bit more time--and sometimes layer cakes aren't even, so you need to do a bit of shaping. The second recipe is for a Chocolate Mayonnaise Bundt Cake. You just mix all the ingredients together and pour into the bundt pan and bake. Easy peasy. And delicious.

As I said there are many recipes for Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. I've chosen to post Louise's recipe with her photos. Thanks, Louise, for your permission. Louise collects cookbooks, and this recipe is from That amazing ingredient: mayonnaise! Talk about your odd cookbook!

Mayonnaise Cakes are really moist, so it's hard to go wrong on either of these recipes.

Here's Louise's finished Birthday Cake:

Want to try a variation of the above recipe? Use Miracle Whip instead of Mayonnaise. Totally different taste. Most people are particular when it comes to the choice between Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. I still think it's worth trying Miracle Whip in this chocolate cake recipe... or for that matter, in the bundt cake recipe below. Word to the wise: don't taste the batter before it's baked. It will seem a bit odd, but the final results will be delicious.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Bundt Cake
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
6 tablespoons dark cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla (or whatever you have)
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 egg, whipped
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup chocolate chips or broken dark chocolate 70% or higher cacao
powdered sugar

Directions:
Blend dry ingredients.
Mix in vanilla, mayonnaise, egg and water-- just enough to get all ingredients blended.
Fold in chocolate chips (broken up chocolate)
Pour into greased Bundt pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cake.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Photos: Months of Edible Celebrations