Don’t Tell Anyone

There’s a secret handshake that all writers have…the hand must contain chocolate. Life at the keyboard is not worth living if you can’t grab some form of chocolate which will instantly give you the inspiration to keep that hero hunky and that heroine spunky.

Now here’s a secret (turn your eyes away from the screen please, authors). I am not crazy about sweets. For breakfast I would rather have Ramen noodles with tons of hot pepper flakes tossed in than to have any form of danish, donut or Pop Tart.

Don’t get me wrong, I like chocolate. If I’m forced to eat something sweet, it better be a chocolate something. But still, I’d rather be eating tacos with the hottest sauce available on earth. My sister still tells the story about the time she took me out to dinner and I ordered stir fry and told the cute waiter that I’d keep sending it back unless it’s so hot it makes me cry. The kitchen took me up on the challenge, the waiter brought me the stir fry, and then the entire kitchen crew came out to see if I’d actually eat it. They done good. Tears were rolling down my face as I scarfed down the meal. I hugged each and every one of them, I was so happy. And that waiter got one helluva tip.

But back to chocolate. When I was a kid and I was sick, I needed comfort food. That consisted of chicken noodle soup and my mom’s chocolate cake. And my mom, being the best mom in the world, would head to the kitchen and cook the cake, and then heat up the Campbell’s.

Chocolate cake might not the the recipe you’d be looking for at Christmas time, but trust me, it beats every pie in the world. And so, to keep in the writer’s world good standing, I’m offering a recipe that you will never regret making, no matter the holiday. It’s fairly easy, moist, delicious and a good writer handshake offering.

Nancy’s Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1/4 lb (1 stick) butter (unless you woosies want to use margarine), softened

4 squares unsweeted dark chocolate (melted)

1 cup boiling water

2 beaten large or extra large eggs

1 cup sour cream (don’t wimp out on me now with the low fat variety)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

Cream sugar and butter in mixer. Add melted chocolate and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into greased 13″X9″ pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

The Perfect Icing For This Cake

1/2 stick of butter

6 tbs of cream or 1/2 & 1/2

A bit of salt

1 Box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix. Wait until cake has cooled before spreading

You will love me for this, I promise. It freezes well and is delicious frozen, too. So, fellow authors, there’s my secret handshake. I get to stay in the club, right? RIGHT? And don’t forget, all I want for Christmas is a burning mouth. Unless I get sick. In which case, chicken noodle soup and my mom’s cake, please.

Trish Jensen