Shower for Baby Annali

A baby shower to welcome our littlest Murphy,

Annali Grace.

Her mommy (my sis-in-law Jill) eats gluten-free.

Recipe for this Chocolate Passover Cake,

at end of post.

This morning I took Anna Kate to gymnastics.

I scurried about like mad all morning, making the cakes and wrestling the house into order.

Ran out of time, of course.

So I left Julia with this list:

Bleach countertops

Iron table runner

Cake on cake stand

Vacuum entry

Bleach entry floor

Windows above sink

Scrub sinks

Hand-wash and dry the glasses

Whip 1 c. whipping cream

What a girl!  She knocked off most of the list, with help from my sis-in-law at the end.

The table runner WOULD NOT iron smooth, since it's linen, but it looked fine.

She also found time to make these cupcakes!

They are on plates identical to my late Great-Aunt Teda's dishes.

Annali's cousins were busy all week with crafty decorations.

 

Malachi senses a usurper.

Annali's Mama and Grandma,

waiting for their cake.

Julia also made Annali a bracelet just like Malachi's.

She's so tiny, it slips right off her wrist.

Chocolate Flourless Cake

(Adapted from Martha)

3 T. butter

6 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate 

6 large eggs, at room temp., separated

1 c. sugar

1 T. strong coffee

dash of salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Place butter and chocolate in glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute

Stir, microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring betimes, until melted and smooth

In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Blend in 1/2 c. sugar, beat till stiff, set aside.

In separate bowl, beat egg yolks (I do this with a whisk, and call it a work-out) with 1/2 c. sugar, for 3 minutes, till thick and light-colored.

Stir chocolate-butter mixture, coffee, salt, and vanilla into egg yolks, beat 1 minute.

Fold whites into chocolate mixture. Pour into buttered pan(s).

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

After the cake cools, the middle sinks a little. You can fill it (as I did) with sweetened whipped cream (1 cup whipping cream, whipped, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp. almond or vanilla favoring) and decorate with berries.

I bake this in a big quiche pan, but apparently it's not big enough, because it spills over and burns on the oven floor.  So use a big pan, maybe a 9x13, or 2 smaller ones.