Time for a Trifle!

It's "real" Memorial Day today - May 30th - summer's unofficially here, you can wear white all over without offending the senior set, and best of all....fresh berries are hitting the supermarkets in full force!

So for a family BBQ today, I've busted out my trifle dish (mine's an old family one, but the link will show you the general idea) so I can throw together one of the easiest and prettiest summer desserts you can make.

Here's what you need:

* A trifle dish or large glass mixing or serving bowl - preferably with a domed lid

* A pint each of washed, hulled and halved strawberries (go extra with the strawberries), blueberries, raspberries...any berries you want, really - but we're making ours a patriotic red, white and blue today.

* Stiffly whipped cream (toss in some powdered sugar and a hint of vanilla) or a container of Cool Whip*

* A prepared/store-bought angelfood cake, cut lengthwise into thirds (so you have 3 rings)

Here's what you do:

1. Take 8-10 of the strawberries - the mushy or less than aesthetically appealing ones - place in a small bowl and coarsely mash with a fork until some juice is running in the bowl.

2. Sprinkle 2 Tb sugar over the mashed berries and set aside for 5 minutes while you whip the cream and slice the cake. Stir and mash again after the berries have broken down a bit more with the sugar doing its job.

3. Place the bottom layer of the cake into your dish. Spoon a third of the strawberry mixture over the cake, then ***CAREFULLY*** apply a layer of 1/4 of the whipped cream, and a layer of strawberries, positioning them against the glass first so that they show nicely, then working your way in.

4. Repeat this process - add cake (press it down gently to smush down the layer underneath), then strawberry juice, whipped cream, thick layer of blueberries...and again...cake, strawberry juice, whipped cream, with your final layer of raspberries on the very top. Fill the center hole with a dollop of cream, remaining berries, and plug it with whipped cream, then put raspberries over the top of that, too. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and

5. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let it chill and settle, then serve!

There are two great things about this dessert The first is the presentation. If you are careful about layering, it looks pretty from the outside of the glass dish (the whipped cream is the key - if you slime it around on the sides too much, it obscures the berries). I always get compliments about how nice it looks...but it doesn't take much work or skill. A win-win!

The second is its flexibility - you can make a dessert out of just about anything leftover and it still looks good. We've used sliced bakery-outlet-stale pound cake, even chunks of leftover ubiquitous birthday/whatever event white sheet cake, topped it with homemade raspberry jam that didn't set right, ice cream, more cake and raspberry slime...leftover chocolate sheet cake, ice cream, with hot fudge and white chocolate chips on top...nilla wafers, vanilla pudding, bananas, and whipped cream for a chocolate free Lent dessert...you can soak your cake with rum or creme de cacao for the adults....the possibilities are endless.

Hard to screw this one up, so give it a shot and have fun!


* Cool whip is probably better - only because it's a little more durable - if this is going to be sitting out for awhile at a party like the one we're going to today. Otherwise I prefer the real stuff with my own flavoring added.

Another Favorite Salad

I was quite annoyed several months back when I went to Arby's (I know, I know...) with the kids - they love the roast beef and ham-n-cheez [<--really can't call it otherwise, or you'd insult real cheese] sandwiches, but I was a huge fan of their now-discontinued Martha's Vineyard salad....so I was shocked to find it gone from the menu. So I made it at home to spite them.

Here's the basic ingredients:

* 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or equivalent in "tenders"), cooked
in lite Italian dressing (put them in a 9x9 glass pan, squirt some dressing
over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375*) and sliced into strips
when cooled .

* 1 pt. grape or cherry tomatoes

* 2/3 c. shredded cheddar (more or less to taste)

* 1/2 c. Craisins (or other/no-brand dried cranberries)

* 1 large apple, cored and cubed (I like a nice tart Granny Smith, but
use your favorite - peeled or not, up to you)

* 1 bottle raspberry vinaigrette dressing

* 1/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds

* Assorted greens - I prefer a mix of fresh iceberg and romaine, but get a
bag of whatever you like best if you're in a hurry - washed and reasonably
dry

Toss all the ingredients together, cutting the apple up and tossing it in at the last second to avoid browning. This is a great "meal" salad or makes a nice side.

Stupid Arby's.

Coke Cake - Lost and Found!

One of my Southern Marine wife pals gave me this one years ago...I just found it slipped into an envelope with some old photos while going through a box of mementos....yummy, sweet, and SO being made here in my kitchen after Easter!


Coke Cake:

Ingredients:

* 2 cups sugar
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups small marshmallows
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 3 tablespoons cocoa
* 1 cup Coca-Cola
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 3 tablespoons cocoa
* 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
* 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar (have some more on reserve)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, sift together sugar and flour. Add marshmallows.

3. In saucepan, mix butter, oil, cocoa, and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and
pour over dry ingredients; blend well.

4. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter

5. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix well.

6. Pour into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and frost immediately. (Start preparing frosting after

taking cake out of oven).

8. To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan.

9. Bring to aboil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Turn off
heat.

10. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake.

11. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

Very glamourous....and not that hard to make!

The "Other" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been a Toll House girl my whole life. No deviations, got the recipe right on the bag, no questions asked. Until now.

While making Pane Toscana over Christmas, I was feeling a little wild-n-crazy, so I tried the so-called "Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe on the Gold Medal Flour bag. "Extraordinary" may be pushing it, but they are real darn good. The Beloved and girls have declared they will only eat this kind from now on, and I have to say...I think I agree. So here you go:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter - softened
1-1/4 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tb. vanilla

4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 bag (24 oz.) chocolate chips
2 c. chopped nuts (optional - we say yuck!)

Directions:

(Preheat oven to 350*)

1. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl, whisking with fork to distribute salt and baking soda evenly in flour, set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, blend butter and sugars at medium speed*, adding eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add in flour mixture until well incorporated** (dough will be stiff and even a wee bit crumbly), then fold in chocolate chips

4. Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheets by generous tablespoonful (I have a fabulous 1/8 c. scoop that is the perfect size for this recipe) and bake 11-13 minutes*** until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approx. 6 dozen

* I use my trusty KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer - as long as the butter is nice and soft, use the whisk blender attachment

** I switch over to the dough hook at this point

*** I use Baker's Secret (2 layer air pocket style) cookie sheets and a rounded 2 Tb. scoop, so the bake time increases to 15 minutes - keep an eye on 'em the first time you make these and adjust accordingly - same goes for using a SilPat on a regular flat cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, which I've also done.