Black forest cake

Slightly modified from King Arthur to accompany an impromptu high tea. Happy birthday Judy and happy holidays to all!

cake:
1 c Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 t baking powder (or 1.5 t at altitude)
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 eggs
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 t vanilla
2 c buttermilk

toppings:
2 c whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/2 c powdered sugar
kirsch, if you have it
21oz can cherry pie filling (eg "Kroger extra cherry pie filling")

Preheat the oven to 350F (or 365F at altitude). Grease 3 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper (it stuck pretty badly without parchment).

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (cocoa powder through salt) until well combined and any chunks are broken up. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the wet ingredients (oil through buttermilk) until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in three additions, whisking after each addition until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 25-30 min (~20 min at altitude) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 min, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

In a stand mixer, beat the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff.

Transfer one cake layer onto a thin cutting board, then slide onto a serving platter. Brush with kirsch if you have it. Spoon on about a third of the whipped cream and spread to cover most of the surface of the cake, leaving a thin border of cake uncovered (so there's room for the cream to squish out a bit) and making the outer edge of the cream slightly taller than the middle (so it will mostly contain the cherries). Spoon on about a third of the cherry pie filling. Repeat with the other two cake layers. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Colorado no-knead bread

Matt's mom has had trouble with bread at >5k feet elevation. After doing some research, I have now made my first no-knead dough and made my first high-altitude bread! Besides sticking to the pan a bit, everything worked pretty much as intended.

3.5 c cool or warm water
3/4 t yeast
1 T honey
4 c bread flour
2 c whole wheat flour
1 T salt

3/4 c caramelized walnuts, whole or coarsely chopped
3/4 c raisins

3/4 c olives, whole or coarsely chopped

cloves from 1 head roasted garlic

Mix the water, yeast, and honey together in a big bowl (or stand mixer) until the yeast and honey are dissolved. Add the flours and salt, and mix (using a wooden spoon, dough hook, and/or your hand) until combined and beginning to get elastic. The dough will be too wet to knead normally, but that's ok. Cover tightly with spray-greased plastic wrap and let rise on the counter for 4 hours until doubled.

Gently deflate the dough and split in half. For each half: spread a little bit of oil on a cutting board, place the dough on the board and press to spread it out a bit, press the fillings on (one with walnuts + raisins, one with olives + garlic), stretch and fold the dough over the fillings to enclose and incorporate, place the dough in a medium spray-greased bowl, and cover tightly with spray-greased plastic wrap. Let rise on the counter for 30min then continue rising in the fridge for 2 hours until almost doubled.

Put a large dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450F for half an hour. Take out the (hot!) dutch oven, take off the (hot!) lid, dump in the first batch of dough, replace the (hot!) lid, return to the oven, and turn the heat down to 425F. Bake covered for 30min then uncovered for 10-15 min. Transfer to a cooling rack and bake the second batch the same way. The first loaf stuck to the pan a bit, and the second loaf stuck to the brown paper we put down—maybe parchment or grease is the answer? Regardless, let cool at least a little bit before eating.

Hazelnut praline

Following this recipe, more or less. You can almost certainly double it, but I undercooked the batch that I doubled—your mileage may vary.

1 c sugar
2 T water
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 c hazelnuts

Combine the sugar, water, and vinegar in a saucepan small enough so that the mixture covers the bottom, but large enough so that the mixture isn't too deep. Stir to moisten all the sugar. Cover a baking sheet with parchment.

Turn the heat on to medium and cook without stirring (swirling is ok) until the full surface of the caramel is bubbling. Continue to cook without stirring for another 3-5 min or until your desired level of golden brown is reached. Dump in the hazelnuts, quickly stir to coat, and quickly pour onto the parchment in a single layer. Let cool completely.

Nutella cupcakes

An abbreviated record of some seriously delicious cupcakes.

2/3 batch of this cake, with extra nutella-like things.

cake:
1.5 oz TJs pound plus, roughly chopped
1/3 c cocoa powder
2/3 c hot coffee
1 T frangelico
1/3 c nutella
2 T sour cream
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 325F. Place paper liners in 24 mini cupcakes and 10-12 regular cupcakes.

In a small bowl, place the chocolates, and pour the coffee and frangelico over them. Let sit to melt, then stir together until smooth. Stir in the nutella and sour cream. In a separate small bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate mixture in several alternating additions, beating after each addition until just combined.

Scoop a tablespoon or a bit less batter into each mini cupcake, and divide the rest of the batter between the regular cupcakes. Bake the minis for 17 min and the regulars for a bit longer min. Let cool completely before frosting.

frosting:
3 egg whites
3/4 c sugar
2 sticks butter, softened

1/4 c frangelico

8 drops Scrappy's chocolate bitters

Make into swiss meringue buttercream.