Mad About Maida

Joan's Frozen Lemon Mousse Source:  Maida Heatter's Pies & Tarts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997) , pg. 246 and Maida Heatter's New Book of Great Desserts (Knopf, 1982), pg. 447. This delicious dessert is easy but it helps to have everything you need ready in advance. You will need your mixer bowl 3 separate times. The bowls and beaters should be chilled for whipping the heavy cream and I usually chill my bowl for the egg whites as well. The recipe calls for the crust to be pressed up the sides of the pan which, as you can see in the photos, I forgot to do. This caused the base of the crust to be very thick.  One of Michael's all-time favorite desserts is a simple frozen pie made with frozen lemonade mixed with whipped cream in a graham cracker crust. This dessert reminded me of that one but perhaps not as tart. You will need to make it a day ahead or you can make it up to 2 weeks in advance. (In case you are wondering who Joan is, she is Joan...

Devilish Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.) , pg. 69. Ah, Devils Food Cake! I love it. In appearance, the cake is so thin that it reminded me of a torte. I suppose if you'd like thicker layers, you could use 8" pans but the recipe calls for 9" so that is what I used.  The cake is dense in texture and the icing is delicious. For me, this doesn't beat the Country Fair cake but it comes close! 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) 3/4 cup boiling water 1 stick unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sour cream  2 cups sifted all-purpose flour  Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round layer cake pans. Dust them with flour and tap out excess and set aside. In a bowl, mix the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Set aside In a large bowl of an electric mixer,...

Dolly's Crisp Toffee Bars Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.) , pg. 111. These are wonderful and easy to make. They are crisp, crunchy and buttery. The chocolate chips and nuts give them a great texture.  (Notes in red are my own) 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup light or dark brown sugar , firmly packed 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 4 oz. walnuts (1 generous cup), cut into medium sized pieces 6 oz. (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips  Adjust rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the salt, vanilla and sugar, beating well, until the mixture holds together. Add the flour. Add the nuts... Add the chocolate morsels... Stir until the morsels and nuts are evenly distributed. The dough will be stiff. Place teaspoon sized mounds of the do...

Country Fair  Chocolate Layer Cake Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.) , pg. 59. I think this is the best chocolate cake I've ever made. It is outstanding. I made the cake layers a few weeks ago, planning to take this to a work function, but plans changed and I ended up freezing it. We had company this past weekend so I whipped up the icing and finished the cake. The icing is absolutely beautiful and spreads nicely. I was amazed how beautiful the cake was when I finished it. The cake is dense, rich and delicious. Everyone agreed, even those who are not particularly chocolate lovers, that this cake is a winner! Cocoa Cake Layers 2 cups sifted cake flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 6 TBS strained unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process) 1/4 lb (1 stick) sweet butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 cup milk  Adjust rack to center of the oven and prehea...