For The Second Day of Holiday Treats- Baking Fail.....

I had high hopes for my Second Day of Holiday Treats.....

I was inspired to bake, which is rare because honestly I'm not very good at it and tend to fail... a lot. It was a rainy Sunday so it was a perfect day to stay home and bake. I had a vision of making mini Mexican Hot Chocolate inspired cakes with a cream filling and covered in chocolate ganache. I reached out asking what was the secret to moist cakes, researched all kinds of cake recipes, and found a yummy whip cream filling recipe. I was determined not fail....

First, let me give you a brief history of my baking skills. It started when I was 17 and I wanted to bake a flourless chocolate cake for my friend's birthday. Being that this was long before the access we have to the internet and I could not find a cook book with a recipe. Sooooo I thought why not get a box of cake mix and not add flour. Needless to say I was not allowed to use the oven for awhile after my cake "exploded" in it.

From there on I stuck to box mixes and the occasional simple from scratch recipe. I find the challenge of not being able to "fix" a baking disaster intimidating.

With all the research for my creation I thought I found the perfect cake recipe and combined with the great tips I got I thought I was set. I double checked my measurements at least three times, but I had a feeling something was wrong when the batter was almost like dough. So instead of cake I ended up with a very dense bread like brick.....

I was sad, but I had hope that it would still taste good. I brushed it with Tuaca hoping it would give it some life. If all else fails add alcohol right? That of course did nothing but soak right into the brick. 

It actually tasted really good. Perfect combination of chocolate and cinnamon with a little heat from cayenne. I decided to not give up and made a whip cream frosting. The frosting recipe called for gelatin which also proved to be challenging for me. As I spread the frosting on the cake I kept finding snot like pieces of gelatin. But the frosting made it look much better:

I cut the cake into bite size pieces and dusted them with cinnamon:

As yummy as they tasted they still were a fail, I'm not sure how to describe the texture. I was not about to make chocolate ganache either. I figured two fails in one day was enough.

Now I'm not giving up, I will try again. I just may cheat and use a box mix.

The good news is that the kitchen was not a disaster and I am allowed to use it again.

For The First Day of Holiday Treats- Giving To The Troops

There is so much to love about the holidays....... family, decorating, eating, giving and of course a week off for Christmas just to name a few.

I have a list of things to do this Holiday Season and a lot of it involves food and giving, so I thought I would share it by writing about the

The Twelve Days of Holiday Treats

I know.... its cheestastic......

I began with December 1st by donating items for our troops overseas. The list they made was humbling. They asked for everyday items such as deodorant, tooth brushes, gum, cookies, pillows and snacks just to name a few. All items that we take for granted.

My Mom donated a lot of the non-food items and donated food items. I didn't want to just send whatever was on sale, I tried to pick things that I would want away from home.......

I think coffee was on the top of the list along with some favorite candies.

Always remember how easy it is to give back to others...... it could be something as simple as a pack of gum.

Now for the next Eleven Days of Holiday Treats I have a few ideas:

• Sharing various recipes
• A special Holiday Champagne Sunday
• Making edible gifts

The days will be sporadic, just like me, through out the month. It will end of course with our Christmas menu, which is coming together nicely....

Cant wait to share!