Busy Bee Cake

for the cake:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 scant cup boiling water

for the glaze:
1/4 cup honey
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

for the bees:
almond paste
12 sliced almonds
melted chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch removable-bottom cake pan.

Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool.
Cream together brown sugar, honey and butter about 5 minutes or until
fluffy and the color lightens. In a small bowl, sift together the
flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda. Beat the egg into the sugar
mixture and then add the chocolate with the mixer running. Slowly beat
in the flour mixture and then mix in the boiling water with the mixer
on low, pausing if needed to let the water incorporate. Transfer the
batter to the baking pan and bake up to 1 1/2 hours. If cake is too
dark at 45 minutes, cover with a sheet of foil. Beginning at 1 hour,
check for doneness every 15 minutes and remove to a rack to cool once a
toothpick comes out clean.

Melt remaining chocolate in a double boiler and remove from heat.
Use nickel-sized balls of almond paste rolled a bit oblong for the
bees. Insert sliced almonds on either side for wings and use a
toothpick dipped in chocolate to draw the stripes and dot the eyes. Set
these aside on a plate and stir 1/4-cup honey into the rest of the
chocolate to form the glaze. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. If
your cake is uneven trim the top off with a long serrated knife and
invert onto the serving platter. Waxed paper under the edges will keep
the platter clean while you work and can be removed after the chocolate
sets. Pour the glaze onto the top of the cake and spread it around with
a spatula, letting a bit drip over the sides. Tap serving platter
gently on the counter to even out the glaze and then place the bees
around the top.

Jason’s green sweater has been in time-out for quite long enough and frankly I’d have picked it up again much sooner had I not had such a long list of other deadline knitting that kept getting in the way. I pulled it out a couple days ago and spent some time getting reacquainted with the pattern. It did take a little doing to ascertain exactly which row of which repeat I’d ripped back to but once I got going I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to pick it up and continue on where I’d left off. I’ve now reknit several inches of what had been ripped out and am nearly done with the front of the sweater. The back is already done so that leaves the sleeves and ribbed neck left to do.

During the night Jack Frost visited and left layers of ice and snow that had to be cleared from the driveway before anyone could venture out. Daniel was thrilled to have slept in only to wake up and realize he had a snow day.

For dinner I wanted something simple that would tide us over until farmer’s market day. I snagged some fresh cranberry beans, arugula and a bit of Canadian bacon. The beans are simmered until soft, about 15 minutes, then drained and dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings. The arugula is drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice as well. I used the Canadian bacon for some little ham sandwiches made with cheddar biscuits and honey mustard.  Dinner was ready in under 30 minutes aside from preheating the oven.

Cheddar Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups buttermilk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Blend together the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and then briefly stir in the buttermilk just until mixed. Fold in the cheese then turn out batter onto a floured board and pat into an oval about an inch high. Cut into 3-inch rounds and transfer to a nonstick baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

As it turns out, even a half-hearted swipe at cleaning the window improves bird photos significantly (or perhaps it was more the afternoon sun). Here’s our girl watching me work on the biscuits. Now if I can just catch the boy, he positively glows at that time of day although he doesn’t come to visit nearly as often as she does. Perhaps he’s shy.

I finished up the placemats and here they are in their native environment.

Yesterday afternoon I had a trip to the farmer’s market which seems to be doing well. I found some delicious raw milk cheese that was a bit like a Camembert or Brie. It’s got a very assertive flavor so I asked Jason to pick up a bottle of red wine to go along with it and he found a pinot noir that was perfect. This is my contribution to Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-a-day Tuesday.

Farmer’s Market Salad

4 ounces soft pungent cheese
1 cup blackberries
1 cup cherries, pitted and quartered
1 fresh red onion with green tops
1 head romaine
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
red wine vinaigrette

Slice the onion bulb and caramelize it in a bit of olive oil and butter over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Chop the green tops. Toss together all ingredients and serve with crusty bread and red wine.