Well it was a fun weekend leading up to the big game. Big pot of chili, spinach artichoke dip, cheeses, crackers, and yummy dessert. Part of our guests were under the weather, so we ended up with a small crowd. Next weekend brings on our Valentine dinner for 8 and then the races on Sunday, which will be a big family gathering. I may take a comfy chair and a book to that one! OR, go shopping while they watch the race!
The cake recipe this week comes from my good friend, PJ, who shared this recipe with me at least 14 years ago. I hadn’t made it in a long time, so I pulled it out for an impressive dessert this weekend. Definitely a dish that is going to impress and have folks requesting the recipe.
This week saw me ‘finally’ completing the overhaul in my pantry closet. It feels good to know everything is up to date by expiration, and some decent re-organizing has occurred. Now I need to work in my guest room, and start preparing portions of my desserts for next weekend. One is going to be blueberry crepes, so I have shells to make in advance.
I made enough chili tonight that we are going to need to freeze some of it for a later use. I know I sound picky but frozen chili is just not my favorite way to enjoy the dish. May have to make a few deliveries to some special folks this week. Another project I am itching to get back to is my sourdough bread making. I found the most phenomenal sourdough cookbook by Charlene Yoder, that has me itching to try some new recipes with the starter. I remember how awesome the coffeecakes were in past years. The only thing about this sourdough book is the fact that my starter is a potato based and the cookbook recipes are based on a flour based starter.
For those of you in the Ozark area there’s a little hamburger joint in Blue Eye, Missouri that has not only good food, but one of the staff is making sourdough and selling at the restaurant. It’s awesome, stop in and get a loaf. Many of my friends know what a bread ‘hound’ I am, hard to please and picky!
The Hamburger joint is right at the junction of Hwy 13 and Junction of 86. The name of the place is called The Hop Diner. We split a tenderloin, sweet potato fries and had individual shakes, very good.
There’s snow in the forecast and this snow-bunny is hoping we see a few inches. The pantry is stocked, it could turn out to be a good bread making week. I love it when we are basically forced to stay home. Things are quiet, I just love it.
At the store you might need to pick up nutmeats, cream cheese, coconut and a German Chocolate Cake mix. Here comes the impressive dessert, should serve more than 12 as it is very rich. Simply Yours, The Covered Dish
German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake
PJ Beisswenger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
(Prepare cake by box instructions.)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) softened butter
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 box (1 lb. Or 16 oz.) powdered sugar
(3 ¾ cup unsifted powdered sugar)
½ cup chocolate chips
Vegetable spray
9 x 13 glass baking pan.
Preheat the oven, spray the baking dish and set to the side. Across the bottom sprinkle the pecans and coconut. Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box, pouring over the nuts and coconut. This doesn’t spread well, so do a good job drizzling it on over the nuts and coconut. Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together until well blended. Stir in the powdered sugar until a smooth mixture returns, now place dollops of the icing mixture over the top of the cake batter. Lastly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. I usually end up using way more than a ½ cup. I also recommend a good brand of chocolate chips, steer clear of off brands. Bake the cake for about 40-55 minutes. Usually I say with cake baking: ‘If in doubt, take it out.’ With this recipe I say just the opposite: ‘If in doubt, bake a little longer.’
The dollops you place over the top will fall through to the bottom of the cake. I always say the cake looks a bit like a crater!!!
