Insanity

When I no longer thrill to

the first snow of the season,

I'll know I am growing old.

Lady Bird Johnson

Today I may be bordering on insanity as I trudged around the dog park in a snowstorm with periods of white-out conditions all in the name of exercise. But it was comforting thought that a wonderful treat awaited my return home. Several times around the park seem to justify having a real small piece of Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake I had made for a dinner party tonight.

Note: I did make some modifications by using Mexican Chocolate instead of usual semisweet bars of baking chocolate. Check out the recipe.

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Note: Mexican chocolate has a cinnamon flavor to it. I found in the Hispanic aisle of the grocery store a product called: Chocolate Ibarra. It is 12. 6 oz. box with individual wrapped circular chocolate each 2.1 oz inside. I substituted 4 of them for the cake recipe instead of using 1- 8 oz. package of semi sweet chocolate baking squares listed below in the recipe. Then I also eliminated the 1 tsp. cinnamon.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) package semi sweet chocolate baking square, chopped
• 1 stick butter and 1 stick margarine softened = 1 cup
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup chocolate syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

• Preheat oven 325
• Grease well a tube pan
• Microwave chopped chocolate about a minute- stir a few times till smooth
• Beat butter and margarine until creamy-2 minutes
• Add sugar gradually and beat about 4-5 minutes
• Add eggs one at a time-beat into butter mixture
• Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, vanilla and mix till smooth
• In another bowl mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture on low mixer speed alternately with buttermilk but beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat a low speed until all blended
• Bake 325 about 55 minutes-check to make sure toothpick comes out clean from center
• Cool in pan 10 minutes remove to serving plate
• After cake is cooled frost with you favorite chocolate frosting and sprinkle with crushed almonds on top
• Another option is slicing the pound cake and serve warm Mexican Chocolate Sauce over each piece sprinkled with crushed almonds

Mexican Chocolate Sauce

• On low heat in a saucepan mix
• 1- 6 oz. package of semisweet chocolate baking squares
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• Cook all ingredients on low heat, whisking occasionally till mixture smooth
• Remove from heat add 1 tsp. butter and ¼ cup Kahlua
• Serve warm over the pound cake

Thought this quote was rather thought-provoking

Advice is like the snow-

the softer it falls,

the longer it dwells upon,

and

the deeper it sinks into the mind

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

English poet 1772-1834