Karate Chop Cake

                                  

We're blessed to live next door to a single gal who frequently brings baked items. Apparently we're great "testers." I try to share lots of them with my family. I really do!

One of her latest creations was a chocolate cake with an ingredient that added an extra "kick" to it. Her's had a slight "kick" as she called it. I took a shot at baking it, and mine ended up with a full blown karate chop!

First, let's discuss the icing.

It was store-bought/in-a-can-frosting which is almost against my religion. I did not know it at the time or I may have been a bit skeptical of the taste. Sorry. I'm all about icing, and it shouldn't come in a can!

Anywho, I noticed the icing was two shades of white, but it was so yummy I was dying to ask her what it was. She had started out with one can and ran out. The grocery store closest to our houses didn't carry the same kind so she was stuck buying another brand. In the end, I liked the double color and the combined taste. Shocking of me! Canned icing. What's this world coming to. . .

It was a breeze to cram the icing into a bag and swirl around the top! I had fun using Wilton's 1M for big roses and another smaller tip for swirls. It's a shame I'm not more fond of canned frosting; my life would be much easier. :-)

 Enough on the outside!

The neighbor's "kicking" ingredient is cayenne pepper! It may not surprise you, but that wasn't exactly what I paired with a chocolate cake! She had always made ours with 1/4 of a teaspoon but told me of adding one entire teaspoon to another friends'.

Silly me thought I'd try the entire teaspoon. Silly me who isn't very fond of kicking food. Silly me who'd prefer to eat tame things like bread or chocolate covered strawberries. Silly me.

Another important part of the baking process is sampling batter. :-) Uh - huh! I think there was a little bit of batter in that cayenne pepper! Wow. Oh, wow! It karate chopped me in the mouth and stomach! I think I had indigestion all afternoon.

Long story short - some of us loved it. Some of us didn't. Some of us went to bed with queasy bellies. Some of us didn't. Some want me to try it again. Some of us don't.

It does add a fun twist,

but I think I'll stick with 1/2 tsp next time.

Chocolate cake is more enjoyable when you're not concentrating on the karate chopping!

I think I'd just prefer a little nudge!





"Easy as pie"

I have my mother to thank for this easy/pretty/yummy recipe -

three aspects which make a dish appealing to me.

Candy Bar Pie:

~ 1 - 8 pack snack sized candy bar package

(We usually throw in an extra 1 or 2 little bars or 1 regular sized bar.)

~ 1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese

~ 1 - 8 oz container of whipped topping

~ Chocolate pie crust (I usually buy a prepared one.)



Some may have dignified ways of crushing candy pieces,
but at our house which is teeming with energetic boys,
we smash them with hammers. :-)
It's a great way to expend energy and promote good hammer use!

Just remember to wash the end of your hammer in case it has:
1. Brought down innocent trees in the woods behind your house.
2. Driven nails and misc objects into unsuspecting trees.
3. Participated in the demise of numerous forest bugs!

Ewwww!

That probably doesn't happen at your home. . .

Back to the recipe - - -



Beat the softened cream cheese -
later adding the thawed whipped topping.
Empty all but two candy bar wrappers into the mixture
and beat again.



Scoop all contents into pie shell (leaving a few spoonfuls to sample!)
and garnish with leftover candy bar pieces.
I prefer to give it a good 5-6 hours in the fridge before serving.

A Castle Haven favorite -

especially since kids are able to make this recipe!

 It'll snag you favorable compliments anywhere you take the dish;

Just be prepared to bring an empty pie plate home!

Enjoy! :-)