I’m always searching of the perfect pie crust; I think I may have found it.  I liked the flavor of it, since it’s made with both Crisco and butter.  My son Danny just told me that he thought it was amazing, so I’ll probably stick with this recipe, at least for awhile.

crust: 

3 cups unbleached organic flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

12 tablespoons frozen salted butter

8 tablespoons crisco (that’s refrigerated)

8 tablespoons ice water

Put flour in food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Sprinkle salt over.  Then put cut up butter over flour and crisco over as well.  Pulse till you can still see some pieces of butter throughout. Pour water over, and pulse till dough comes together.  Dump on clean surface (I use a marble slab) and divide into 2 pieces, one being larger by about 2 oz. for the top crust).

Flatter each into a round disk and refrigerate wrapped separately in waxed paper or parchment paper for a few hours or overnight.

apple filling:

apples – about 12 medium to large apples- I use a variety of baking apples either from my local orchard, Terhune Orchards near Princeton, or from

Whole Foods.

scant 3/4 cup granulated sugar

about 1 1/2 teaspoons organic cinnamon (you many need 2 teaspoons to taste)

about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons cornstarch or flour (I used cornstarch this time)

dash kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter, broken up for dotting over the top

Roll out smaller bottom crust, using enough flour to prevent sticking.  Place carefully in 9 to 9 1/2 inch pie dish.  Then spoon apples and most of the macerated cinnamon-lemon juice in. Dot with about 2 tablespoons butter. Then stick this in fridge while you roll out top crust.    After you roll out the top crust, carefully place over the apple filling.  Brush crust with a mixture of 1 egg and about 1 1/2 teaspoon milk or light cream (I used the light cream).  Then refrigerate or freeze for baking later. I freeze it uncovered for about 30 minutes before I wrap it up to give the egg wash some time to freeze.

Before baking, put  about 6 slits in the top for venting purposes.I bake it frozen at 375 degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes on lowest possible position in the oven  till the crust is nice and golden, and just before the juices start to erupt.

This recipe turns out fudgy with a crackly top.

• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons cocoa 
• 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 light brown sugar
• 3 extra large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• a very heavy 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (recipe called for 2/3 cup, but I’d say I added an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to that)
• 1/2 kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

I made this recipe today in honor of my grandson Noah’s seventh birthday.  It was his special request. When they came out of the oven, my son Benji couldn’t wait to eat one warm.  He said, “You can’t buy brownies like these anywhere- in a restaurant, supermarket, anywhere.”

Over a pot of simmering water, put a glass bowl.  Put butter and oil in, melt a bit, and put chocolate chips in.  Mix over simmering water till melted.  Take bowl off heat.  Add cocoa, sugars, espresso, eggs, vanilla.  Mix till blended.  Add flour, baking powder, salt.  Mix with rubber spatula just till blended.  Grease pan.  Put parchment paper in with overhang.  Grease parchment.  Put batter in.  Bake at 350 for about 20 min. till toothpick comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

It was my daughter’s anniversary today, so I decided to make a yummy dinner for her and her husband (and kids).  For dessert, I decided last night that I’d make a chocolate cake that I’d been eying the recipe for.  It is known as “That Chocolate Cake” and I found it on the Scharffen Berger web site and on Tastespotting. This cake was everything I was looking for, and it was super simple to make.  I believe this recipe is almost exactly the same as the recipe I’ve made for chocolate cupcakes (Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe) except that it calls for no vanilla. I followed it pretty much exactly as it appears on the web site listed above, except that I added vanilla.  The finished product was magnificent.  The cake was really dark, moist, but light at the same time.  The icing was bittersweet and creamy, but I prefer to use my own recipe you will find on this site under “Judy’s Famous Birthday Cake.”

Recipe is adapted from the Scharffen Berger recipe – “That Chocolate Cake.”

 for the cake:

butter (for greasing pans)

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (Heckers)
• 3/4 cup SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder (I used this brand of cocoa and after tasting the cake, I’m a huge fan of it! But I also use Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa and it’s great) Sift, then measure
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I used aluminum free- Rumsford)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup  oil (I used sunflower)
• 1 cup whole milk (I used organic)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 slightly heavy teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• make the cake:

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom of  a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or two 9-inch round cake pans. I always make the cake in the 9 by 13 pan.

  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer or with a whisk, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed just to combine. Mix in the eggs, oil, and milk and vanilla.

  Increase the speed to medium and beat for a minute or two, scraping the bottom a few times. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the boiling water. The batter will be soupy, but if you mix it on low for a minute, it will thicken up a little.

  Pour into greased rectangular pan or divide the batter evenly between the 2 round cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the cake starts to separate from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for 30-45  minutes.  Then you can frost.  If using round pans, then run a knife around the edges of the pans turn the layers out onto the rack and cool completely.

Vanilla Frosting:

1 stick salted butter

4 cups sifted first, then measured confectioners sugar

1/4 cup whole milk, plus 1 or 2 extra tablespoons if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 t. kosher salt (or 1/2 t. if using unsalted butter)

Cut 1 room temperature stick (1/4 lb. or 1/2 cup) salted butter (I use land o lakes or Trader Joe’s salted butter for baking) into large Kitchen Aid mixer bowl. Mix for a minute to cream the butter. Then sift 1 box of Confectioner’s sugar and then measure 4 cups – which will NOT be the entire 1 lb. box sugar. Use either the paddle or whisk attachment. Add sugar to mixer bowl. When mixture is still dry, add whole milk- 1/4 cup- and 1/4 teasp. of salt, unless you are using unsalted butter, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt. I usually feel like I need to add another tablespoon of milk and beat frosting a little more so it gets a little lighter.

Dollop the frosting over the whole top of the cake, and then use a small rubber spatula to frost . Cover with plastic wrap, and try not to have the wrap touch the icing.

Chocolate Frosting:

 This is one recipe I used, and it was pretty good,  but I prefer the chocolate icing from Judy’s Famous Birthday Cake  for the frosting which can also be found on this site:

• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I used a heavy 1 1/4 cups since I did not use the 99% unsweetened chocolate the original recipe calls for, but totally unsweetened chocolate)
• 1 cup heavy cream (I used organic)
• 5 ounces  (squares) Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter (I used organic)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, but I feel that is too much)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon  kosher salt (the original recipe does not call for salt)
• Let cake cool completely before you frost it.

• make the frosting:

  In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring almost constantly.  Turn flame off and add the chocolate.  When almost completely melted, add the butter and stir until melted. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla. Immediately place in the fridge to start firming up.  Every 15 min. or so, mix the frosting with a rubber spatula and place back in fridge till it’s of spreading consistency.

• to frost the cake- spread evenly over cake and cover with plastic wrap.

  Consider trying this old recipe which follows below for chocolate frosting that was from Aunt Florence! This was actually the frosting mommy (Shirley) used for icing on her 9 by 13 chocolate cake that I loved so much as a young child. I still don’t know what chocolate cake recipe she used- possibly Beverly’s:

1 cup sugar

2 ½ T cornstarch

Dash salt

1 ¼ cup milk

3 sq (3 oz.) unsweetenced baker’s chocolate 

2 T butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add milk and choc. Bring mixture to full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter. Stir till butter melts and frosting is smooth. While warm, spread on cake.

or another possible chocolate frosting:

see Judy’s famous birthday cake recipe on this website for our family’s favorite chocolate frosting.

My daughter Randi had eaten some homemade apple cake at a friend’s house, and she claimed it was the best apple cake she’d ever eaten.  It turned out the recipe had come from Smitten Kitchen and is called Mom’s Apple Cake.  I basically followed the recipe to a t.  It turned out to be absolutely delicious.

( adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• • 6 apples (I used a combination of apples)
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons sugar

• 1/4 cup orange juice (squeeze fresh if you have it)
• 2 3/4 cup flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs (extra large)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cool and sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

I made a carrot cake yesterday.  It is basically a cross between Ina Garten’s recipe and David Lebovitz’s recipe.  I brought it to school, and some of the teachers asked for the recipe, and anyone who ate it said it was amazing.

ingredients for the cake (basically from Ina Garten)

• • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (Ina uses 2 cups)

• • scant 1 1/4  cups vegetable oil (Ina uses 1 1/3 cups but this cake is moist enough without the extra oil.  I used corn oil, but canola would be fine too)

• • 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (if cold from fridge, place in bowl of warm water for a few minutes)

• • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• • 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour (you do not need to sift it)

• • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• • 2 teaspoons baking soda

• • 1 teaspoon baking powder (not in Ina’s recipe)

• • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• • 1 cup chopped walnuts (I use, but optional)

• • 1 cup raisins (I did not use)

• • 1 pound carrots, grated (I use organic, I peel them, and then grate them in the food processor using the grater attachment)

• 1 8 oz. can Dole crushed pineapple in natural juice, which I lightly drain pretty well (Ina uses 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple- which I would use, but the crushed in the can is perfectly fine)

ingredients for cream cheese frosting (this is basically from David Lebovitz):

2- 8 oz. packages of regular Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature

1 – 4 oz stick of salted butter (he uses unsalted)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (he says a few drops)

about 3 3/4 cups of sifted confectioners sugar (sift first, then measure) (he says 2 to 3cups)

***updated icing (March 2016)- oh my gosh this is amazing and I like it better than my original above)  This has no nuts in the icing!

• 1 stick salted butter (room temperature)
• 1 8oz. package Philadelphia (full fat) cream cheese (room temperature)
• about 2 1/2 – 3 cups confectioners sugar (I didn’t sift as it seemed very fresh and lump free.)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

directions for the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 by 13 pan with butter.  I use the rectangular pan because it’s so easy, but you could make this as a layer cake as well (which Ina does).

Place dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix with rubber spatula- just to blend everything together.

Beat sugar, oil, and eggs in large mixing bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment till it becomes light and a little fluffy.  Then  add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just till blended.  Add crushed pineapple and nuts and mix a few seconds till blended in.  Add carrots, and fold in by hand.  Pour all into greased pan.

Bake about 50-60 min. till toothpick comes out clean and sides of cake are separated from the pan.  Cool on wire rack.

Frost when totally cool.  I like to put the cake in the fridge after it’s cool and get it really cold before I frost it because if the cake is still slightly warm when you frost it, the frosting starts to  melt into the cake.

directions for the frosting:

When cream cheese and butter are totally at room temp (this will prevent lumps in the frosting), put them in large bowl of mixer with the wire whisk attachment if you have it- otherwise use the regular beaters or paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed till light and fluffy. On very low speed add the sifted confectioners sugar and salt. Gradually raise the speed and blend until lump-free. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix till light and fluffy.

Use a rubber spatula to frost the cake.  Even though this makes a ton of icing, I use it all. You will have a nice thick layer of icing on the cake, but that’s what makes the cake.

Note:

I have eliminated the nuts in the cake and used them in the icing.  That’s really good, too.

My grandson Noah’s third birthday was coming up, and my daughter Randi asked me if I wanted to make the cupcakes.  I think she knew what my answer would be.  I just needed to find the perfect recipe.  After reading many blogs about cupcakes, I couldn’t decide between a recipe from the Hershey’s website which Hershey’s calls, “Perfectly Chocolate Cake” and a recipe called “that Chocolate Cake” on the Scharffen Berger web site.  It was then that it dawned on me that they were literally the same, except that on the Hershey’s site, the recipe calls for 2 tsp. of vanilla, and on the Scharffen Berger web site, their recipe calls for no vanilla.  I compromised and settled on using 1 tsp. of vanilla.  I also changed the recipe by using extra large eggs and corn oil rather than canola oil.  No reason- I just grew up in a house where corn oil was used.  I used Hershey’s cocoa as that’s what I’ve got in my pantry-  I have both Hershey’s natural cocoa and Hershey’s special dark cocoa, so I used a combination of both- using a bit more of the natural than the dark.  I was “perfectly” happy with this recipe for the “Perfectly Chocolate Cake.”  This is so easy to make- I think just as easy as a mix- because you are doing it all in one bowl- practically just dumping the ingredients in.  The batter is very thin, so I ladled it into my muffin cups.  The result was very dark chocolate cupcakes, and very light- which was exactly what I was looking or.  My daughter compared the experience of eating these to eating Hostess chocolate cupcakes- only much better!  I used a standard recipe for vanilla icing which I adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.  These cupcakes are amazing!

Ingredients:

These cookies taste very close to regular chocolate chip cookies.  I’ve made them a few times, and they are really good.

• • 1 1/4 cups matzoh cake meal (sift after measured)
  • 1 tsp. baking soda (eliminate to make totally kosher for Passover)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt (scant teaspoon if using salted butter)
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (may substitute margarine)
  • scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 12 oz. package of semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake meal , baking soda, and salt in bowl; set aside.  Beat butter in mixer till fluffy. Add sugars and vanilla; beat until creamy.  Add eggs, and beat.  Slowly beat in cake meal mixture, and mix only until blended.  Stir in chips by hand.

Drop by tablespoon onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.

Yesterday, my daughter Randi got back from a great summer vacation with her husband Dan and his  family in Mantoloking, New Jersey, a beautiful shore town next to Point Pleasant Beach at the Jersey Shore. I knew that Randi wanted Nana (my mother) and me to pick up some incredible fried fresh flounder platters (the best!) from the amazing Keyport Fishery (Keyport, NJ) for dinner tonight.  When Randi called me yesterday she put Noah (now 2 years old) on the phone to tell me what he wanted me to bake for our dessert.  He said in his sweet baby voice, “peach pie.”  So Randi asked me if I would oblige, or if it was too big a deal to make it.  I said I would love to make it for Noah.  Luckily, I was just about to set foot in Trader Joe’s where they happened to have beautiful looking peaches.  So last night, I made some pastry, and this morning, I made the filling, and I actually made 1 12 in. crostada, and 2 mini crostadas, and 2 turnovers with the filling and the pastry.  I was just fooling around to see how the turnovers would come out.  The reason I made the 2 mini crostadas and not 2 more turnovers is because when I cut the dough, 2 pieces just weren’t squared enough to make the turnovers, whereas you don’t have to worry about that with the crostadas. The large crostada just came out of the oven, and the rest are baking.  Oh my god, the crostadas are gorgeous, and so are the turnovers! the dough looks super flaky. Yes!

for the dough:

•     2 1/2 cups unbleached organic (King Arthur) flour (carried by Stop and Shop and A&P or kingarthurflour.com)
•     2 Tbs. granulated sugar
•     1/2 tsp. kosher salt
•     1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cup), cut into pieces (I take butter right from the freezer)
•     6 oz. cold cream cheese , cut into pieces
•     1/2 cup cold light cream, half and half, or heavy cream

for the filling:

•     about 6 large peaches or nectaries (I did not peel them to save work and to add a bit of the rustic), about 2 lbs.
•     scant 1/4 cup granulated sugar
•     juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
•     about 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
•     1 tablespoon flour
•     1 tablespoon cornstarch
•     1 large organic egg yolk, beaten with 2 teaspoons light cream (substitute half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk)
•     granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

make the dough:

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.  Pulse.  Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse till the mixture looks like very coarse meal, 10-15 pulses approximately.  Add the cold cream and pulse, just until the dough starts to come together, about 10 pulses.  Turn dough out onto clean work surface or waxed paper, gather dough together, cut it into 2 pieces, form into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic, refrigerate at least 2 or 3 hours, or overnight as I did.

when ready to bake:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Position oven racks in middle of oven.  Line heavy duty baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make your filling.  Slice peaches into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick wedges and some smaller pieces with remaining parts of peaches into large mixing bowl.  Add sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, flour, cornstarch, and salt.  Set aside.

Take out 1 disk of pastry.  Roll out disk on waxed paper which you dusted with flour till you have about a 12 inch round (doesn’t have to be totally round)  Every once in a while, lift dough up, and sprinkle a little more flour underneath, or sprinkle flour on top as I do, and flip pastry so that the newly floured top is now on the bottom.  When dough is somewhere between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick, transfer it to parchment lined baking sheet (fold in quarters, transfer, and unfold).  Place about half of your peach mixture on round, leaving about 1 inch on edges that you are not putting the peach mixture on.  Begin draping dough up and over, making pleats, pressing to seal.  Place back in fridge right on baking sheet so dough gets cold again before you bake it- that will keep it flaky.  Take out when cold, in about 15 min., and brush dough with egg wash, sprinkle lightly with sugar.  Then dot the filling with just about 1/2 tables. of butter.   Bake for about 30 min. or a little more till crust is beautifully browned.  If you think crust is browning too quickly, reduce temp to 400 degrees midway.  Let cool on baking sheet, either serve warm or at room temp.

Then take out remaining disk of pastry from fridge.  At this point lower temp. to 400 degrees.  (I felt I would lower temperature, because these smaller turnovers seemed a little more delicate, so I decided they would do better with 400 degrees rather than 425 degrees.) Roll out pastry somewhere between 1/4 in. and 1/8 in. thick, try for a large rectangle, about 12 by 14 in. if you want to make the turnovers, otherwise roll out into another big circle if you wish to make a second crostada, again sprinkling with flour as you go as explained above..  I did the rectangle.  Then with pizza cutter, cut into 4 squares or rectangles, if possible.    Tranfer first square or rectangle to parchment lined baking sheet.  I actually at this point cut my largish peach slices in smaller pieces.  Spoon a few tablespoons of peaches onto half of rectangle, on half of your square- making a triangle, or on middle of round if that’s what the quarter of your dough turned into.  Leave a border of about 1/2 inch in square or rectangle, and about 3/4 inch for round.  Brush border of square and rectangle with egg wash to be a sort of glue.  Then fold over the dough for your turnovers- your square or rectangle, and pleat the dough over the mini crostada.  Brush tops of turnovers all over with some of the remaining egg wash, brush dough of crostada, and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-30 min. till beautifully browned.  Take out and serve either warm or at room temperature.

an easy variation for the crostadas:

one box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry- defrost it in fridge, then break sheets into thirds along line that is present, then roll out each third till about 1/8 to 1/4 in. thick, form into squares, rectangles or circles, and fill with above filling, fold over to make either triangles, rectangles, or half moons.  When ready to bake, brush with melted butter and bake on parchment lined cookie sheets at 400 degress until browned.

My mother, Shirley Fried, was a wonderful baker when I was growing up.  One of my favorite cakes of hers was a chocolate chip cake..  This chocolate chip cake reminds me of the one she made (as when she was still alive, she and I couldn’t figure out for sure what the recipe was).  I’ve always made it in a tube pan, but it can also be made in a large loaf pan. Back in the 50s and 60s, they didn’t have miniature semisweet chocolate chips readily available, so my mother chopped, I believe, a few ounce bars of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate into small chips or pieces. She might have even put the chocolate into her nut mill to chop it. So if you don’t have miniature chocolate chips or you want to be nostalgic, you can chop regular size chips or ounce squares of chocolate and use them instead of the miniature chips.  I recently found this recipe in my mother’s vintage Good Housekeeping’s Cake Cookbook – Dorothy B. Marsh Editor, and I will note the changes I’ve made over the years to the original one.  I’ve definitely made this cake more often than any other. My three kids love it, and others like my daughter’s mother-in-law Leah as well as Leah’s sister Beth both say they love this cake. It’s definitely a great cake that needs no frosting or other embellishments- its simplicity and pure flavors make it great.

• about 10 oz. out of   a 12 oz. bag mini sem-sweet chocolate chips  (original recipe says 1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips, finely ground), and I think they meant a 6 oz. bag of chips, but I use more, and I use mini chips. Many years ago, I used Baker’s unsweetened chocolate squares and I chopped the chocolate up by hand, but it was too much of an effort, so I switched to the mini chips.
• 2/3 cup butter (10 2/3 Tablespoons) – room temperature (original recipe calls for soft shortening. My mother may have used Crisco for this, and that may have been why her cake (in my memory) was so much whiter than mine. If you use salted butter, then reduce the salt below to 3/4 tsp.
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups unbleached organic flour, which I don’t sift (original recipe calls for 2 cups sifted regular, not unbleached flour, so I may try to sift my flour next time just to see what happens.
• 2 1/2 tsp.  aluminum free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt  (if using salted butter, reduce to  3/4 tsp. salt)
• 2/3 cup organic whole milk
• 3 extra large eggs (original recipe calls for 3 medium eggs)
• 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract (original recipe calls for 1 tsp.)
• Note: original recipe calls for 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, which my mother may have used, but which I do not use)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Original recipe calls for greasing a  loaf pan, but my mother used either a small tube pan or a 9 inch square pan, and I use a regular tube pan. Instructions say to line loaf pan with greased wax paper. I don’t do that, but if I make this as a loaf someday, I may do it with parchment. Otherwise, grease a tube pan, bundt, or loaf pan well- sides and bottom- and tube if you are using a tube pan.  If you are sifting (which I don’t do), sift together first flour, baking powder, and the salt.  Otherwise, just measure the dry ingredients without sifting and set aside in bowl. If you are following the original recipe, finely grind the chocolate in food chopper- I’m guessing a nut mill.  Have your mini chips ready. With paddle attachment on Kitchen aid mixer, or with regular hand held portable mixer, cream room temperature butter first, then add sugar, and cream till light and fluffy. Add eggs and cream till very light and fluffy. If you haven’t already combined your 3 dry ingredients, do so now.  Blend in the dry ingredients alternately on low speed with the wet ingredients- the milk and vanilla – starting and ending with flour mixture (4 times adding the flour, and 3 times adding the milk and vanilla). Mix in dry ingredients each time only till blended. When done blending dry and wet ingredients on very low speed,  raise the speed on your mixer for  5-10 seconds and mix. Then by hand add chips (and nuts if using) and fold in with rubber spatula only until blended. Pour into your greased pan and bake  for about 50-60 minutes (for tube pan- my normal choice).  In loaf pan, original recipe says you need more time-  1 hr. 15 min.  Just make sure the toothpick comes out clean, either way.

Note: I usually bake this in a tube pan, then I cut cake into thirds, I keep one third of the cake out, and I freeze each of the other thirds by wrapping them in plastic wrap first and then placing them in a ziploc bag.

Note:  I used to sometimes use 6 or 7 oz. of miniature chocolate chips and then 4 oz. of Baker’s bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate chopped by hand, but the easiest thing to do is just use one 10 or 12 oz. bag of miniature semisweet chocolate chips.