HCB Double Chocolate Valentine

Prep Work
Finding raspberries proved challenging but we finally hunted some down. The snow has really wiped our supermarkets supplies out. My mother and I went to the store and just laughed. So many people preparing for the "big snow". Shelves emptied and still, now, trucks not delivering the normal fare. My life for cilantro!!
Meet me in my kitchen
I always wear an apron. They are one of my favorite things. I am very messy in the kitchen and need lots of help keeping clean.
We love having food challenges! Here we are smelling our choices for baking chocolate. Nestle vs. gourmet dutch that I had shipped from Utah. The Dutch processed was darker and had the most wonderful aroma. This picture was right before my sous chef breathed and spread cocoa all over the table! What fun..she said, "I hope you got that!"
In my kitchen, I make do. I use what I have or go without. Here, I am perfecting the art of making my own cake strips.

First you need three strips of tin foil.

Then place folded wet paper towel in the center and fold!

Wrap around your pan.

And there you have cake strips. Or you could purchase them..but why?

I can not express the amazing difference this little bit of insulation makes. My cakes are no longer funky looking or bulbous. Cake Strips!!!

In my kitchen, the baby monitor calls the shots. If it speaks to me...my kitchen playtime is over! Luckily, it usually says the most wonderful things-like mommy, mommy, I need some hugs....mommy.
After baking the cake I spread the runny chocolate over the top and then flip it onto a flat plate. It comes out beautifully! Then I cover the other side with holes that are not as large! And do the same thing. More chocolate.
Oops, in my kitchen I always have at least one mishap and here it is. I forgot to cover my plate with Saran wrap and it stuck!!! Well, I am going to cover it with berries anyhow.
I glazed with red raspberry preserves because I didn't have the red current jam. I heated the jam and then pushed it through a fine mess sieve. I had so much fun painting those wonderful berries.
Look at all that snow!!! The raspberries were excellent. Not so the cake- dry and crumbly! So disappointing. I will add that I did use Saran Wrap to cover the chocolate while waiting.
In my kitchen, everything becomes an after school snack! Yummy. I made little mini muffins with some of the extra batter..they didn't come out of the pans soooo we had mini muffin tops!!

Happy Valentines Day, Friends.