My Summer Vacation
By Liz W.
My summer vacation was the best summer vacation since 1986. There was so much fun to be had and I had it. I watched an amazing 4th of July fireworks display in the pouring rain. I danced late into the night with my girlfriend while wearing neon sunglasses. I watched in horror and awe as my 6 year old son jumped from a 10 foot high dive. I counted new freckles on my arms, and watch old freckles darken each day on my face. I worried about skin cancer. I read one book after another. The last one being Amor Towels’ Rules of Civility, which left me in tears. I emailed Amor Towels about being his number one fan. I never heard back from Amor Towels. I put my tiny, 3 year old son on a school bus to camp every morning, and waved furiously as it drove away. I drank vodka martinis, and Kir. I watched my house get messier and messier. I went to the New Jersey State Fair and waved furiously as the Corn Princess rode past me in a Cinderella-inspired carriage. I jogged so much that I got shin splints. I celebrated being married to Aron for 10 years. I told my kids we’d have a kick-ass lemonade stand, but never got around to it. I vacationed with my entire family on a lake in the Poconos, and we talked about politics so loudly every morning that our neighbors heard us, and I suspect, disagreed with our views. I got a reading from a psychic and she told me to start meditating, and so I’ve started meditating because she told me to. And finally, a friend and I went through a secret door in a payphone to drink my first, but not last, Old Fashioned. The summer of ’86 has nothing on you, summer of ’16! I’m going to make you chocolate bowls filled with Nutella cake and Kahlua whipped cream.
Okay, let’s begin by making the chocolate bowls. I got this recipe from Rachel Khoo. I also have a quick Youtube video showing how I made them. It’s quite a festive process. You blow up a few small balloons and dip the bottoms in a mixture of melted chocolate and vegetable oil. The balloons are then refrigerated for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set. They are then dipped again in the melted chocolate and refrigerated again to set. Once the chocolate has hardened you pop the balloon. Whoopee!
Gently peel out the popped balloon. This step is very satisfying.
I chose to fill the chocolate bowl with cut up pieces of delicious Nutella cake, a recipe I got from BakingMad.com and Baking Heaven magazine.
I then drizzled some Nutella over the cake because, why the hell not?
Finally, I piped out the Kahlua whipped cream. I got this yummy recipe from the lovely food blog Cooking Tip Of The Day.
- 14 oz. (400 grams) Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
- 2 TBS Vegetable Oil
- Balloons
- 3 and ½ TBS (50 g) Unsalted Butter
- 2 and ½ TBS (50 g) Nutella
- 2 Large Eggs
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- 2/3 cup (100 g) Self-Rising Flour
- ¼ tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 TBS Kahlua
- 3 TBS Sugar
- Nutella
- In a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, stir the chocolate pieces and vegetable oil until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Blow up 8 to 10 balloons, and line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
- When ready gently dip the bottom of a balloon into the chocolate. Place the balloon (chocolate side down) onto the plastic wrapped baking sheet. Continue doing the same with the remaining balloons. Some balloons may pop during the dipping process, so be ready with extra balloons. Once finished, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator. After the chocolate has set (about 10 minutes) re-dip the bottom of the balloons in the melted chocolate. You might need to reheat the chocolate, and let cool again. You can do this during the first setting. After you have double-dipped each balloon place them back in the refrigerator to set the second coating of chocolate.
- When ready to fill the chocolate bowls pop each balloon with a pin. The balloon will shrink into the bowl. Gently pull it out. Keep the bowls refrigerated until ready to assemble and serve.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and 9-inch round cake pan, line it with parchment, and then grease the parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the self-rising flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Using a hand whisk, mix in the Nutella, and then each egg one at a time. Fold in the flour/baking powder mixture.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan, and gently spread it around until it reaches the sides.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick that has been inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
- Place a bowl and whisk from a hand-held mixer in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from the freezer and pour in the heavy cream. Whisk on high until bubbles form. Pour in the sugar and Kahlua. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to assemble and serve.
- Cut up pieces of the Nutella cake and place the pieces in a chocolate bowl. Pipe out or drizzle a little Nutella over the cake pieces. Finally, pipe out the whipped cream over top. Serve immediately.
- Large baking sheet
- Plastic wrap
- Saucepan
- Heat-proof bowl
- Pin or something sharp
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment
- Off set spatula
- Hand-held mixer
- Disposable piping bags and large star tip
