2012 Halloween - Oreo Bat Cave Cake with Chocolate Glacage

For 2012 Halloween fun, I made this cake for cake auction for the office to raise holiday party funds.   I had fun making it .
The base cake is from the previously posted Persian Love Cake - chiffon cake.

 

Tools:  small stainless steel bowl for chocolate glacage, small pot, food processor, blender with whip, spatula, digital scale, knife to chop chocolate pistoles.

Ingredients:
1 Chiffon Cake from Persian Love Cake recipe
1 pkg Oreo Cookies - remove the cream (discard cream or ??eat it?) - crumbled in food processor
2 Cups Heavy Cream 


Chocolate Glacage:
6 oz Dark unsweetened dark  chocolate pistoles - chopped
6 oz heavy cream
3 Tbsp soft butter

Preparation:
Cool the cake and slice into halves.
While the cake is cooling, whip the heavy cream to stiff peak.
Set aside in refrigerator.  Prepare Chocolate Glacage

 Chop up chocolate pistoles into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.
Heat a small pot with water.  Put into simmer.  The pot should be large enough to hold the bowl with chopped chocolate later to keep warm while the cake is being assembled.
Heat 6 oz heavy cream to boiling point.
Pour heated heavy cream over a bowl with chopped chocolate pieces.
Place the bowl over the pot of water in simmering heat.

 Spread 1 cup of whipped - stiff peak whip cream (no sugar added) on cake.
Top with crumbled Oreo cookies generously.  Then, top with another cup of whipped cream.
* Remove the chocolate glacage from the pot to let it start cooling.

 

 

Place the cake top.  Top with Oreo crumbled cookies.
Test the chocolate temperature.  When the chocolate coats the side of the bowl, it is ready for use.

Pour the chocolate glacage over the cake.  Let it drizzle down the side of the cake naturally.
Place a plastic bat mold to imprint the bat shape.
After 5 minutes, remove the bat mold.   Sprinkle the Oreo crumbles in the bat imprint.
Decorate with Black and Red Gel with shimmer around the bat, etc.

 

 

Consume while the Oreo crumbles remain crisp - serve immediately or within 2 hours.

Peach Pies and Cobblers and Crumbles

October and November have been my months for baking with peaches and plums and apples and all the other great summer fruits still available.
Here is my peach adventure photo journal.

 

Peach Cobblers

 

 

Simple Vegetarian Dinner

Stir fried organic mushrooms

1 pkg Organic white beech mushrooms
1 pkg Organic brown beech mushrooms
1 pkg Organic Oyster mushrooms
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2  tsp Salt
1 tsp Oyster sauce

Clean mushrooms and trim them.  Cut Oyster mushrooms into bite size.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil.  When the OO becomes shimmering, add the mushrooms and stir to coat with olive oil all over.  Stir fry 40 seconds, add salt and oyster sauce, stir fry for 40 sec more.  Done.

 

Stir fried "Ching Tsai" (Mandarine) or aka "BOK CHOI" (Cantonese) with organic Tofu (Thai spicy). 
1 full stalk of Bok Choi - wash and clean well with salt water
1 cake Organic Thai spicy flavor firm Tofu from Organic section
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 clove smashed  garlic
Salt to taste

Wash and clean bok choi well under running water as separating each stem off the root stalk.  Place in bowl with salt water to clean further.  Rinse off.  Cut the bottom part of the tough stem off.  Cut into 3 inch chunks.   Set aside. 
Open the Tofu package and slice one of the cake into strips.
Heat the Wok over a medium heat.

When the oil shimmers, add the vegetable.
Stir veges all around to coat well with olive oil.  Cover the wok with lid - cook for 1 min.  Check the white stem section of the bok choi for tenderness.  When the white stalk part is tender, add garlic and salt to taste. Stir  fry for 30 sec.  Done

Stir fry Zucchini and Eggplants

1 homegrown small zucchini, peeled and cut into 2 in
4 Japanese Eggplants cut in diagonal chunks
1 homegrown fresh chilies
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt to taste
 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
 1 to 2 tsp vinegar

Place the cut up eggplants on a microwaveable plate and add 1 Tbsp of water and cover with microwaveable lid.   Microwave for 3 minutes.  Uncover and check for tenderness.  Stir.
Microwave for 1 more minute.  Check.
Over medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, when the oil starts to shimmer, add egg plants and stir to mix with oil well, add zucchini, and stir fry for 1 min.  Add soy sauce and sugar.  Taste, add salt to taste. Adjust taste accordingly.  Stir fry 30 more seconds.  Done.