Caring for Grand Ma and Grand Dad

This post is to announce future projects that will provide assistance to aging parents. Everything from updating their property to generate rental income for assisted living rental to mobility aids. I hope that others will begin to post their experiences with technology assistance for Aging Parents!

Helpful technologies during the Covid 19 Quarantine . . .

 Our Family is using Zoom, online homeschool, Facetime, and You Tube to continue to lead active lives during Quarantine. We have also stockpiled dried beans and rice in case food shipments get disrupted. We welcome your comments, hints, posts that share ways to continue an active lifestyle during Covid 19 Quarantine!  Staying healthy . . .

Meetings

Business meetings

https://explore.zoom.us/meetings

Church Services

https://st-philip.org/recentsermons/

School

https://www.youtube.com/education

https://www.k12.com/about-k12.html

Facetime with Grammy

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204380

Activities 

Cooking

https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials

BLACK FOREST CAKE (Schwarzwalder Küchen)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake

Note: All cake ingredients must be at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup cold Starbuck's French Roast brewed coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fillings:

Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser

21+ ounces of cherries

2T cornstarch

1/2 cup Kirschwasser

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

8oz Ghirardelli chocolate chips

1 t. Vanilla

Sweet Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectionary sugar

Icing:

Chocolate Ganache

2 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

7oz Ghirardelli chocolate chips

Sweet Cream

1 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup confectionary sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Note: Bake cake and make fillings on Day 1

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2.  Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans . . . parchment paper in the bottom of the pans works better if it is available.

3.   Make sour milk by combining milk and vinegar. Set aside.

4. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

5.In large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, oil, and sugar, then blend in the coffee, and sour milk.

6. Blend in the flour mixture stirring for 30 seconds while scraping sides of the bowl to moisten all of the mixture. Beat 2 minutes with electric mixer pausing to scrap sides of bowl if necessary.

7. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pans for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Allow cake layers to cool completely.

9. To make the Schwarzwalder-Kirschwasser filling, combine the fresh/frozen  cherries with 2T corn starch and Kirschwasser (cherry liquor) in a large skillet, Flambe then reduce until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate the cherry mixture until very cold.

10. To make the whipped chocolate ganache filling, bring ¾ cup heavy cream to scalding point then remove from heat and add 8 oz.Ghirardelli chocolate pieces stirring gently until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour into a bowl and allow to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the refrigerator to thicken slightly. Whip 2 to 3 minutes until frosting lightens and triples in volume.

11. To make the Sweet Cream filling, whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream until thick then sift 1/3 cup confectionary sugar over whipped cream, add vanilla and whip until peaks form. Refrigerate the Sweet Cream. Allow beaters to chill in refrigerator as well.

Note: To prevent the cake layers from sliding wait until Day 2 to icing the cake

12. Use a large serrated knife to slice the cake horizontally into four equally sized layers. When assembling the cake, the top of the 1^st layer goes down onto a card board baker’s base. The bottoms of the two layers will be facing each other, the top of the second layer is the top of the finished cake. The reason the two bottoms go together is because their flat surfaces will help to prevent the layers from sliding. creating a removaable cake 'collar' with a sheet of plastic will help keep the layers from sliding.

13. To assemble the cake: place the 1st cake layer section top down on a cardboard baker’ base then place the base and 1st layer on a cookie sheet that will fit into your refrigerator. Spoon some of the Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser filling over the 1st cake layer section, use a pastry bag to pipe Sweet Cream filling on top of the Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser filling. Place the 2^nd cake layer section on top of the sweet cream and press gently to stabilize the cake. Spoon or pipe the whipped chocolate ganache on the flat surface of this second layer. Place the flat surface of the 3^rd cake layer section on top of the whipped chocolate ganache and press gently to stabilize. Spoon some of the Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser filling over the cut face of the 3rd cake layer section, use a pastry bag to pipe Sweet Cream filling on top of the Schwarzwalder Kirschwasser filling. Place the 4th cake layer section top up (cut face down) on the sweet cream and press gently to stabilize the cake. Refrigerate layered cake overnight. Do not skip this step.

14. To make the Sweet Cream icing, whip 1 cup of heavy cream until thick then sift ¼ cup confectionary sugar over whipped cream, add vanilla and whip until peaks form. Refrigerate the Sweet Cream.

15. To make the chocolate ganache icing, bring ¾ cup heavy cream to scalding point then remove from heat and add 8 oz. chocolate pieces stirring gently until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before pouring over the cake as a glaze.

16. Remove chilled cake from refrigerator and make certain sides are even. You may need to use a serrated to trim excess filling or uneven cake layers.

17. Glaze the cake with the chocolate ganache then chill until ganache is set.

18. Gently remove cake and cardboard baker’s base from cookie sheet to place the cake onto a serving platter or cakestand.

19. Decorate sides of cake with whipped sweet cream and top of cake with cherries.

20. Allow the cake to set in a cool place before slicing into thick wedges and serving.

Recreated this Blog Because of Photobucket Ransom 4/19/2018

My apoligies for having to delete the previous content that was ransomed by Photobucket.