Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Even though our Easter baskets and candy bowls are overflowing with chocolate, we can never have enough chocolate when a dessert is needed for a family dinner! What really caught my eye about this Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe in my February issue of Southern Living was the buttermilk ingredient. I've never made a recipe with buttermilk that didn't turn out to be a family favorite and this one is no exception!

I followed the directions to the letter, except for the ingredient of instant espresso. Since I didn't have instant espresso on hand, I used an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract ( for a total of 3 teaspoons of vanilla).

Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups butter,softened at
    room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
11/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons instant espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup 60% cacao bittersweet
  chocolate morsels
   Shortening

Chocolate Glaze:

3/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar,sifted
1 to 3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour and next 3 ingredients. Beat 11/2 cups butter in a medium bowl at medium-high speed with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yolk disappears. Combine 11/4 cups buttermilk and next 2 ingredients. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed after each addition. Fold in bittersweet chocolate morsels. Pour batter into a well-greased (with shortening) and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. Sharply tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes.Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Chocolate Glaze:
Combine semisweet chocolate morsels, 3 Tablespoons butter, and 1 Tablespoon corn syrup in microwave bowl. Microwave at Medium (50% power) 1 to 11/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Buttermilk  Glaze:
Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 Tablespoon buttermilk, if desired. Drizzle glazes over cooled cake.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Christ the Lord is ris'n today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high,Alleluia!

Sing,ye heav'ns and earth,reply, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King,Alleluia!

Where,O Death. is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Dying once He all doth save, Alleluia!

Where thy victory, O Grave? Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done,Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain for bids Him rise, Alleluia!

Christ hath opened Paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

       

                                ----Charles Wesley

Blessings to you and your family from down on the dairy farm!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The clouds were hiding the sun this morning, but it gave this cluster of jonquils a chance to shine!

I'm thankful for the beauty that seems to pop up every day of the spring season... a reminder to take time to be thankful for the beauty that surrounds us daily.

Generational Sustainability

We think it's bad when the power suddenly goes out and internet availability is gone, but can you imagine living without electricity , running water or a vehicle to drive?   Even with all the modern conveniences, I still need more hours in the day!  

Science and modern technology have improved not only our lifestyle but efficiency in food production. It's a fact that today, a farmer supplies food for more than 150 people in the U.S and abroad, compared with just 25.8 people in 1960, and on less land every year.

I don't  think the word sustainability was used  by  my mother-in-law as she worked the land with her father in the 1940's but I do know that every day, just like today,  required efficiency and careful use of all resources.

In our modern farming world, Sustainable agriculture was actually defined by the U.S. government in the 1990 farm bill.

 Here are the five elements of the USDA definition of sustainable agriculture:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole

(More information about sustainability and dairy farming can

 be found at Midwest Dairy or Dairygood.org.)

                                                                       

   Although the look of the family farm and the technologies have changed with each generation, we still have the same values of caring for the land and animals as we work to produce high-quality,nutritious milk. 

Dairy-Style Spring Break

                                          Spring break  on the dairy farm...

                               always includes feeding our new baby calves and a chance to share

                            how we celebrate during spring and  every day down on the dairy farm!

                 Caring for our calves is an important part of our day because these calves grow up to

                                           become the cows that produce milk on our farm and 

                                                it's a priority to get them off to a healthy start.

                I gave up my bottle feeding job this morning so that Cody could let Margaret's cousin

                     and her friend get a little dairy  farm experience during their college spring break. 

                                              I'm sure it was the highlight of their spring break!

                                                 

                           You have to admit, you can't have  dairy style spring break just anywhere!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Watching the sun rise just as we finish feeding  baby calves on our dairy farm  is a great start to any day but welcoming new life to the farm makes it spectacular!

I'm thankful for these moments of pure delight as I work with my family everyday to provide high-quality, nutritious  milk by caring for our cows, calves, and the land we call home.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

The landscape of Northwest Arkansas is rapidly changing with our population growth and development. 

As the places I've known since childhood are gobbled up with urbanization, I know that it is important to protect the open spaces that we all enjoy. 

Members of the Northwest Arkansas Open Space Steering Committee are on a mission to develop a coordinated,voluntary program to protect and promote the region's most valued natural landscapes and open spaces. We  enjoyed taking a field trip Monday afternoon to visit three natural springs in our area. 

I'm thankful for this process that has the goal to preserve these assets of our community that will maintain the high quality of life  as the region grows.

You can find more information about this project and participate in   this process by taking a survey about the spaces you enjoy in Northwest Arkansas at

nwaopenspace.com