SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

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    • Easy “Boozy Fudge” Rum Fudge

      Those who know me- know that I love anything with rum in it. It is hands down my favorite spirit. A couple of years ago I went on a cruise with my sister and one of the stops was Jamaica. A rum lovers paradise. I got inspired after returning home to make this fudge and it has since been a workplace favorite. When everyone at work is grumpy and stressed, I like to bring this in.  It is ridiculously easy and definitely for adults only. If you don’t have rum, you could substitute Kahlua; although I have always made it with rum. I’m a rum girl.  Single girls– bring this to a party where there are lots of men and you might just snag the man of your dreams. Make it a point to tell them you made it. They will think you are a goddess… and quite frankly,  you are!

      Ingredients:

      1 pound quality semisweet chocolate chopped fine (please do not use chocolate chips- I beg of you!) [I like Guittard]

      1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk [yes, buy the no name cheap kind]

      4 Tablespoons Myers Dark Rum [or any other quality dark rum] (or you can substitute Kahlua if you like)

      pinch of kosher salt

      1 tsp. vanilla

      Directions:

      * Prepare an 8 inch square pan with a “sling” by using wax paper or parchment paper. You want the sling to hang over the edge of the pan by about 2 inches. Lighlty grease (butter/baking spray) the 2 sides of the pan that the sling is not touching.  This will make it easy for you to remove the fudge later.

      1) Assemble  a double boiler by finding a metal or glass bowl that fits over your bottom pot in order so the bowl does not touch the water. You only need about a good inch of water in the bottom pot.

      2) In your bowl that is sitting over the bottom pot place in this order: Put in the chocolate first, then dump in the condensed milk, and then the chosen booze, vanilla and salt.

      3) Over medium low heat with a heat resistant spatula stir this wonderful mass of ingredients constantly at a zen like pace until it fully melts. Do not let the water below the pot boil; you don’t need to let the water get that hot as you are looking for a slow melting. If the water starts to boil, just turn down the heat.  You don’t want to burn the chocolate which is always a reason why you are using the double boiler method with chocolate- because chocolate is like tempermental old ladies; you just need to take your time and go slow. :-)

      4) Once it is melted pull it off the heat and pour it into your prepared pan. Smooth it out so it is level. Let the fudge sit out overnight or several hours.

      5) The next morning; you can lift out the whole “sling” and then peel off the wax paper and cut it into small squares. It’s rich, so cut small squares.

      Flavor tip: This actually gets better with age. It’s best the second day. But if you can’t wait; it’s still divine.

      When I make this to bring to work; I’m usually cutting these little devils at 6:30 Am in the morning still in my jammies, and I can tell you there is nothing like a good cup of coffee and a tiny bit of fudge to get you going!

      Cheers!

    • Seth’s Chocolate Camo Cake

      adapted from: Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake

      My son is going through a camouflage phase. Well, I thought it was a phase…but now it’s going on several months to a year and he is still obsessed with everthing camo. Camo jammies, camo pants, camo jacket,  you name it; he has everything camo,  and of course when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday he said, ” Mom, I want a camo cake”. Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of….Okay I can do this.. I went to my no fail Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe. The only real change I make is that I use hot coffee instead of the boiling water.

      Ingredients:

      2 Cups Sugar

      1- 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

      3/4 Cup Hershey’s Natural Cocoa powder

      1- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

      1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

      1 tsp. salt

      2 eggs

      1 Cup Milk

      1/2 Cup Vegetable oil

      2 tsp. vanilla extract

      1 Cup hot coffee [the original recipe calls for boiling water; but I use coffee]

      Directions:

      Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your selected pan. [for the cake above, I used a 10 inch square] (the recipe will also yield two 9 inch cake pans).

      1) Combine dry ingredients in a large stand mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on med. speed for 2 mins. Stir in hot coffee [batter will be thin]. Pour into pan(s).

      2) Bake 30-35 mins. or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 mins. Remove from pan(s). Cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting. * [I used chocolate swiss meringue buttercream that I colored in several brown and green different colors.] See recipe below.

       

      Chocolate Swiss Buttercream Frosting

      4 egg whites [room temp]

      1 Cup sugar

      3 sticks butter- set at room temp but don’t let it get super soft; should give just a bit when pressed.

      6 oz. semisweet/bittersweet chocolate melted, cooled.

       

      Directions:

      Make sure your mixer bowl is super clean; I always clean mine out with hot water before I start.

      Place the egg whites and sugar in the mixer bowl and place over a (bain marie/also known as a double boiler* with the heat on low to medium,  and whip with a hand whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the temperature is 160 degrees. Take the bowl off the bain marie and place on the stand mixer,  and whip until the mixture turns to meringue; at stiff peaks. Continue mixing until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch. Switch to the paddle attachment and  slowly start adding the butter by a tablespoon at a time, until all of the butter is incorporated. Continue whipping until the buttercream comes together; you will actually see it separate and then come back together. Add the cooled chocolate and , whip until completely combined.

      *TIP: Double boiler: place an inch of water in a sauce pan and bring to simmer over med heat with the stand mixer set right over the simmering water.

      *For the camo design; I crumb coat the entire cake first in chocolate frosting; chill for about 30 mins. then I mix up several colors using brown and green then fill each color into  a piping bag with your different colors,  pipe a random blob like shape outline with one of the chosen colors with a No. 4 tip and then simply fill in the outline with the same No. 4 tip. Keep moving around the cake using this technique and try not to over think it too much.  I use an offset spatula to gently smooth over each area to help “flatten” the buttercream.