use real butter

To continue with yesterday’s theme of Birthday Boy’s Wishes, I made an Italian Cassata per Jeremy’s request this afternoon once the Subaru and I were both done being poked and prodded. This is the traditional cassata with a twist by way of Marcel Desaulnier’s Death by Chocolate. I have a version of this great recipe book that was signed by Monsieur Desaulnier himself because he is one of the chefs/owners of The Trellis restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg (my old stomping grounds). He is a terrific chef – I even emailed him about doubling recipes from his book for making large sheet spongecakes to serve 40+. His advice worked perfectly. I should note, I don’t use his pastry cream recipe though – I prefer Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pastry Cream recipe from The Pie and Pastry Bible (or was it The Cake Bible?) – either way, her books are an endless reference for bakers…

make the pastry cream and chop the chocolate (caro dark)

**Jump for more butter**

Jeremy should be arriving home any minute now. I last saw him at 5:30 this morning on his way to do his astronomer thing. I bet he is hungry because I only sent him with a smidgen of brekkie and some lunch and three fun size butterfingers. I have dinner on the stove as I type… and then it’s off to bed because we are getting up even earlier tomorrow to summit (twice) before the storms roll in. They did their boom boom today and finally delivered rain around 6. At that time I was preparing sour cream coffee cake:

ready for the oven

ready for the tummy

**Jump for more butter**

I made rice crispy treats with Trader Joe’s organic Koala Crisps (cocoa flavored!).

They look funny because I had more marshmallow than rice cereal, so I had to add in some regular rice crispies. But my Official Taste Tester reports that the texture of the Koala Crisps is crunchier and more flavorful than regular rice crispies. Success!