Amy and Kevin's 25th Wedding Anniversary Chocolate Cake

I made one 9 inch cake for Amy and Kevin 2025 on their 25th wedding anniversary.

This cake is gluten free, keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen un-iced. Thanks Tristan for sharing your expertise on the difference between almond meal and almond flour.

For two thick 9 inch cakes you need the following for each one ( in other words the following twice if you want two cakes:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot water

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

330 g butter (about 1 1/2 cups)

300 g dark chocolate

2 1/4 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

9 eggs

For one thin 9 inch cake and one 6 inch cake you will need the following for each one.

1/2 cup cocoa powder

                                                  1/2 cup hot water                                                        

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

220 g butter ( about 1 cup)

200 g dark chocolate

1 1/2 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 170 C/338 F. Grease cake tins and line the base with baking paper.
Put cocoa into a medium saucepan and slowly whisk in the hot water to form a smooth paste. Add sugar, butter and chocolate. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Stir in the almond meal and eggs. Pour into tin and bake for about 60-70 minutes for the two deep 22cm cakes, 50 minutes for thinner 22cm (9 in) cake, and 1 hour 20 minutes for 16cm (6 in) cake or until cooked when tested with a skewer. I baked the 9 inch cake for 1 1/2 hours to get the toothpick to come out clean but read elsewhere that flourless cakes can be taken out when the middle is still a bit jiggly otherwise they can be a bit dry.  Not sure if that applies to this cake.  The cake wasn't overly dry but I will try a bit less time in the oven next time. Cool cake in the tin, then remove, cover and refrigerate until needed. They can all be frozen at his stage if you are planning ahead. Cool, wrap in baking paper then cling film and freeze flat (on a tray is good). Defrost over night . 

Meringue Icing

1 1/4 cups berry sugar

1/3 cup water

6 egg whites

500 grams (1 lb) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, and slowly bring to the boil without stirring. You can swirl the pan slightly, but stirring it can cause sugar crystals to form, which you don’t want. Wash down any sugar crystals from the inside of the pan with a wet pastry brush. When the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil until soft ball stage on a sugar (candy) thermometer (116 C/240 F). If you don’t happen to have a sugar thermometer, simply drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water, and if it forms a soft sugary ball you’re good to go.

Beat the egg whites with a electric hand mixer in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Continue beating and pour in the sugar syrup in a steady stream into the egg whites. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture stops steaming.

Continue beating and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, until it's all incorporated. Beat for a further 15 minutes (the mixture will look curdled at first), then use a metal spoon to mix in the vanilla. Keep in a cool place (not in the fridge) until needed.

To ice I turned the cake upside down on the serving plate as the bottom of the cake is flatter.  For the 9 inch cake the above amount of icing was too much. I would try 2/3 of the recipe next time.

Garden flowers made a pleasing finish to the cake.

August 2025

 

Amy's Summer Bowl

Pictures say it all in this yummy and healthy summer meal! 

This meal can be served using individual large bowls or plates and 

personalized to suit guests' preferences.

Buffet style with prepared ingredients so that diners

 may choose their own combinations.

Ingredients

Meatballs, beef, chicken or shrimp

Rice vermicelli 

Crunchy sliced veggies( radishes, cucumbers, peppers, coleslaw)

Pineapple chunks in cornstarch slurry (can add jelly)

Peanut sauce

Crunchy rice (optional topping)

Peanuts or Almonds (optional topping)

Sweet Corn and Green Chile Baked Flautas

 This is  a vegan recipe but Jenny and Sadie like to add:

Shredded Cheese

Guacamole

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Salsa

The Lewises usually serve the flautas with Carne Asada that is basically

 a seasoned sirloin steak that is served thinly sliced.

This recipe makes about 12 flautas using standard flour tortillas

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about 1/2 onion)

2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups cooked pinto beans

1 -4 oz can mild green chiles

juice of 1/2 lime

1 cup sweet corn kernels

12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and throw in the onion.  Cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.

Throw the beans, chilis, and lime juice together in a big bowl.  Mash them up using a potato masher or a spoon until a paste forms.  It's cool if there are some whole beans left here and there: you don't need to spend the whole day mashing.  Fold in the onions and corn and stir.  Your filling is ready.

Using a griddle, your oven or the microwave, warm up the tortillas.  Grab about 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling and spread that in a nice line toward the edge of the left side of one of the tortillas from top to bottom. Then roll that up nice and tight from left to right.  You could even put a small smear of beans toward the other end of the tortilla to help it stay shut.  Place the flauta seam side down on the baking sheet about an inch or two away from its flauta brethren.  Make sure the filling got all the way to the ends and then adjust how you distribute the filling the next time.  Keep going until you run out of tortillas or filling.

Lightly coat them all with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes.  When you pull them out the bottoms should be golden-if not stick them in for another couple minutes.  When the bottoms look good, turn them over and bake until golden and crispy on both sides, another 5 to 7 minutes.  Serve warm topped with your choice of toppings.

Lady Finger Dessert

Sadie recreates one of Mom's recipes 

on Grandmaman and Papa's summer visit 2025.

 

Noodles with Poached Egg, Bok Choy and Mushrooms

 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 scallions, trimmed whites and greens separated and thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

kosher salt

1 medium bok choy (about 4 ounces cut into bite size pieces)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus some for drizzling

3 bundles (about 7 ounces total) somen noodles or any thin wheat or rice noodle

2 large eggs

1.  Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer.

2.  Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and        mushrooms season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

3.  Add 3 cups water to the pot with the mushrooms, increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.  Add the bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.  Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and season to taste with salt.  Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

4.  Meanwhile, cook the somen in the large saucepan of simmering water according to the package instructions.  Using a slotted spoon, divide the noodles among bowls, leaving the simmering water in the saucepan.  Crack each egg into its own small bowl, discarding the shells.  Swirl the simmering water in the saucepan, creating a vortex by stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the eggs, one right ofter another, and cook over medium-low until the whites are set, about 3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs the bowls of noodles.

5.  Ladle the hot shittake broth into the bowls.  Top with the scallion greens, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

Cinnamon Buns

 This recipe is one I've used for years and the original recipe 

I followed was from a free cookbook from 

the 1980's "fleischmann's CREATIVE WORLD OF BAKING". 

The book is getting very tattered thus my motivation for 

putting this recipe on the blog.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk

1/4 butter (original recipe called for margarine)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons sugar

2 pkgs or 2 tbsp. Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast

2 beaten eggs

4 to 5 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and heat over low heat until 

liquid is warm and margarine melts.  

Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and the salt.  Set aside to cool.

Measure 1 cup warm water into a large bowl.  

Stir in 2 teaspoons sugar and the active dry yeast.

Let stand for 10 minutes then stir well.

Add the cooled  milk mixture to the dissolved yeast.  

Add the eggs and whisk together.  

Add 1 1/2 cups of flour.

  Stir in and additional (about) 3 cups of flour to make a soft dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic,

 about 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: If using Kitchen Aid with dough hook I whisk the first amount 

of flour in before transferring bowl to the mixer with the dough hook 

to add the final amount of flour.   

If using the dough hook and mixer to knead mix 

on slow speed for about 5 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.  

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, 

about 1 hour.  

I use the Bread Proof function on my oven.

Punch dough down, then turn onto a lightly floured board.  

Divide in half and shape as desired.

For cinnamon rolls:  Roll each half into an 18 x 9 inch oblong. 

(My oblongs were more 12 x 10). 

Brush with melted butter.  

Combine 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 2/3 cup raisins and 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Sprinkle 1/2 of mixture over each piece of  dough.  

Roll each up as for a jelly roll to make 18 or 12 inch rolls.   

Cut each roll into 12 pieces (or 9) about 1 1/2 inches wide.  

Place cut side up in 2 greased 9 inch round cake pans.  

Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  

Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 25 minutes, or until done.  

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Serve plain or if desired frost with confectioners' sugar frosting.

Dried Cranberry Sticky Toffee Pudding

Reminiscent of Christmas Puddings from the past this pudding is the perfect fit 

for a holiday treat.  Pat brought over four individual puddings along

 with the toffee sauce as a finale to our New Year's Eve dinner celebration.  

Thank you Pat and Grant.

For the puddings:

1 cup water

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the vanilla and baking soda.

Add the dried cranberries and set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Lightly beat the eggs and gradually add to the butter mixture. Lightly mix the flour and baking powder together and gently fold into the batter.  Fold into the cranberry mixture.

Puddings can be baked individually in ramekins or muffin cups and size 

can vary according to what you have available.

This recipe makes 8 half cup ramekins.  Butter and flour the ramekins or muffin cups.

Bake at 350 for  25 to 30 minutes.

Toffee Sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat 

until the sugar dissolves.  Simmer until the sauce thickens.  

To serve remove the puddings from the ramekins, invert on a plate and 

drizzle with warm toffee sauce.

The puddings can be made ahead (even frozen) but it best served warm (reheat in 300 oven).  The sauce can also be made ahead and reheated. 

Happy New Year