I’m not sure what exactly is in the water in May and
June---I have so many birthday celebrations in late February and March that I actually
may tire of cake! Granted, two of those are
my daughters—Feb 23rd (she was 2 ½ weeks late) and March 2 (a
scheduled c-section to give me a week in between the two birthdays).
Our office had three cakes lined up at our
staff meeting—a fondant covered Pittsburgh Penguins cake, a turquoise and white
confection iced with a star tip on all sides, and a white iced basket covered
on top with chocolate-dipped strawberries.
(Too bad I suck with a camera—they were all beautifully done by a co-worker.)
Childhood friend Kathy celebrated on March 31.
One of our favorite bartenders celebrated his on March 14 by winning
$10,000 with a scratch off ticket, then $2700 at the casino. (He said he broke even as he dropped $2700
first.) Finally, we celebrated best friend birthdays—Dana on March 7, Jeff on March 28, and then, my partner-in-crime
Dawn on March 30.
Dawn’s birthday was a mix of confusion and chocolate. She planned her family celebration for that
Sunday and asked if I would meet her at the bar following the family dinner to
share a cocktail with her favorite bartender.
For her, a properly mixed White Russian and a Cheerwine shot (his secret
recipe) would be in order.
But then,
plans went awry—a well-intentioned friend asked that we come to the bar on
Saturday which sent everyone on a path to crazy. A
pre-ordered cake from the Market District was cancelled in exchange for a
frozen Oreo Cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory.
Partially thawed, it was still tasty.
A second cake was cut, flowers were standing in water (along with the
announcement that the bartender sent his new girlfriend to buy them—wrong thing
to say).
I was racing the clock for two things: picking up some Irish Crème truffles that my
daughter had
made and making Chocolate Cherry Rum Cake Pops for the first time
in a matter of three hours after our original schedule was moved forward one day.
I know nothing about Irish Crème truffles except that they
are delightful and apparently temperature sensitive in the making which affects
the presentation, not the taste.
Chocolate Cherry Rum
Cake Pops
1/8 of a full chocolate sponge sheet cake (5” x 8”) my son
picked mine up from the local Giant Eagle Market District
¾ cup of dried cherries
¾ cup of gold or dark rum
3 T chocolate frosting
Chocolate candy wafers for dipping
1.
Soak the
cherries overnight in the rum.
2.
Break up the chocolate cake into pieces in a
mixing bowl and add frosting. Squash it
all together so that the frosting blends in with the cake and makes a sticky
mix.
3.
Add drained cherries and mix together so that
cherries are distributed throughout.
4.
Form into balls (I got about 12) and place on
parchment lined cookie sheet.
5.
Melt chocolate wafers per package
directions. Dip ends of sticks into
chocolate and insert one in each ball.
Freeze for an hour.
6.
After freezing, coat each cake pop with
chocolate by dipping or spooning chocolate over. Place each pop in a cake pop holder (holes
poked in a plate and set securely in a pot or bowl, holes poked in an empty egg
carton, or a holder that is purchased) and refrigerate or freeze until set.
7.
Delightful!
PPS: I would be remiss if I didn't mention that our "well-meaning" friend who moved our plans every which was but the way Dawn wanted--DIDN'T SHOW UP! A toothache, he said. I promised to dip his frou frou drink umbrella in novacaine for our next celebration.
