Today is National Devil’s Food Cake Day.

This is the recipe for the base cake. Since it makes two cakes you can layer them with a fruit jam or ganache or custard centre and they can be iced anyway you wish. You can even make them into cupcakes.

Devil’s Food Cake

Serves 9.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour 2 9” cake pans.
2. In a bowl over boiling water melt together the butter and chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In another bowl cream together the sugar and eggs. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Add the boiled water (it should be still warm but not super hot) and blend together well.
5. In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the chocolate and combine well.
6. Stir in the buttermilk.
7. Pour evenly into both pans and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Today is National Cheese Souffle Day.

You can use any cheese other than the gruyere in this recipe.

Gruyere Cheese Souffle

Serves 2

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F and grease 2 1-cup souffle dishes with butter.
2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium low heat and add the flour stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
3. Warm the milk in the microwave at medium power for 30 seconds.
4. Whisk into butter and flour mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until thickened.
5. In another bowl whisk together egg yolks, mustard powder, salt and pepper, then add to sauce mixture, whisking steadily to avoid scrambling the eggs.
6. Stir in the cheese and mix thoroughly until melted.
7. Beat egg whites to medium stiff peaks.
8. Fold 1/3 of whites into sauce mixture.
9. Fold mixture back into remaining whites.
10. Pour into dishes , place in oven, reduce heat to 375F, and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Do not open the oven while they are baking.

Today is National Cherry Cobbler Day.

Cherry Cobbler

Serves 12.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss the cherries with the lemon juice and ½ cup sugar. Place in the bottom if a square baking dish. Bake 15 minutes, or until the peaches are hot and bubbly
3. In another bowl mix together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small crumbs.
5. Pour buttermilk over top, and toss with a fork until the mixture clumps together.
6. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough over the cherries. In a small cup, mix 2 teaspoons sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle over biscuits.
7. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Today is National Coquilles St. Jacques Day.

Coquilles St-Jacques

Serves 6.

1. In a bowl combine the flour, salt, and cayenne powder.
2. In a skillet over medium high heat melt and butter.
3. Dredge the scallops in the flour, coating completely then ad to the butter. Saute, turning once until golden on each side about 4 minutes. Drain to plate and keep warm.
4. Add the mushrooms and onions to the skillet and saute until they start to brown. Add the wine and scrape up any little bits off the bottom of the pan.
5. Simmer until reduced by half then stir in the cognac and add the scallops to heat up again.
6. In a baking dish place the scallops and sauce.
7. Sprinkle with the cheese, bread, and cheese and drizzle with the butter.
8. Place under the broiler and bake until bubbling about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day.

You can make this into one large dessert.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bites

Makes 24.

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly spray 24 mini muffin holes.
2. Combine the graham crackers, butter and sugar and press mixture into the wells of each pan.
3. Bake in oven for 5 minutes then remove to cool slightly.
4. Over a bowl over boiling water melt the chocolate and butter. Stir until smooth.
5. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa. Add the eggs one at a time.
6. Stir in the sour cream, vanilla and melted chocolate. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into each well evenly.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes then refrigerate for several hours before unmolding.

Today is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day.

Definitely ate one or 5 of these right out of the oven spread with butter.

You need:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Add the butter.

Cut it into the flour until it resembles loose crumbs.

Pour in the buttermilk. 

You don’t want the dough to be to dry but also not too sticky.

Place the dough on a floured surface.

Roll it out till it’s about 1/2″ thick.  If it’s too thin then the biscuit will be rather small and flat.  And we don’t want that.

Use a good size biscuit cutter to make your cut outs.  Firm press down on the cutter.  Don’t twist or it will seal the edges of your dough preventing the biscuit from rising.

Continue cutting circles until all your dough has been use.  You may re-roll the dough scraps one more time but no more or you’ll get hard and flat biscuits.

Place the cut dough on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.

I highly recommend opening one up, slathering it with butter and diving right in.  You probably will have more than one so be warned that you may need to make another batch.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes 12.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
3. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add the buttermilk until just moistened.
5. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll into ½ inch thickness.
6. Cut out in round biscuit shapes and place on a ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for 8-10 or until golden. Serve warm.

Today is National Fruit Cocktail Day and National Apple Pie Day.

I thought i’d do a little something for the grown ups.

Fruit Cocktail

Serves 1.

1. Combine all ingredients and pour over ice.

Today is National Nutty Fudge Day.

Maple Nut Fudge

Makes 48 pieces.

1. Line a 8” square pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan over med-high heat add the syrup, sugar, cream and salt.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees F.
4. Remove from pan and mix in the butter and vanilla with a electric beater for 8-9 minutes.
5. Stir in the nuts then pour into prepared pan. Let stand for at least 25 minutes before cutting.

This is truly an officiall National holiday.

So what would you eat today?

Today is National Shrimp Day.

Okay! By the end of this month you will see a bit of a trend. There are a lot of coconut recipes. I actually don’t like coconut, except for these few recipes i’ve shared. Go figure!

Coconut Shrimp

Serves 6.

1. In a bowl combine the orange marmalade, mustard, honey and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine the egg, ½ cup of flour, baking powder and beer.
3. In another bowl place ¼ flour.
4. In another bowl place the coconut.
5. Holding the shrimp by the tail dredge in the flour and shake of excess.
6. Dip the shrimp in the egg mixture, letting excess drip off.
7. Finally roll the shrimp in the coconut. Place on waxed paper lined sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Meanwhile heat oil to 350 degrees F.
9. Add the shrimp in batches cooking each for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
10. Serve with the marmalade/mustard dipping sauce.