Ali's Alphabet Dinner

Our dinner this month was hosted by Ali and she chose a fun alphabet theme.  As a 4th grade school teacher Ali is always thinking about letters!  She selected this fitting theme for our feast and we were all curious to see what was in store for us. Each person was assigned to bring a certain dish with a requirement that the dish had to start with either the first or last letter of the person's name. 

We all oooohed and aaaaahed when we walked into Ali's home.  WOW!!  The tablesetting was GORGEOUS!!  She went all out with her table decor and made it really fun. 

We figured out that the big "M" stood for March.  And the green was for St. Patty's Day.  

She monogrammed each glass with our first initial and let us take home the glasses as party favors!

Now for our menu.....

Refreshing Drink:  Lillian Lim's Party Punch

Michele was assigned the drink. She ended up trying out an old recipe that has sat in her recipe box for 15 years!!!   This recipe turned out to be a huge hit.  The drink was a yummy party punch made with ice cream and raspberry sherbet that can be served thick or thin.  It's very refreshing and would be amazing during the summer on a hot day. 



Ingredients:

6 oz. can frozen orange juice

6 oz. can frozen lemonade

2 1/2 gallons of raspberry sherbet

1 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream

9 cups of water

Add ice if desired

  

Michele's variation - She only used one 1/2 gallon of the raspberry sherbert ice cream and used more of the concentrate seeing how 6 oz. can aren't readily available these days.

9 oz. frozen orange juice (from a 12 oz. can)

9 oz. frozen lemonade (from a 12 oz. can)

1 1/2 gallon raspberry sherbet

1 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (only used about 3/4 of carton)

4 cups of water
Garnish with frozen raspberries if desired (this is something I added to make it look fancier)


Directions
Dump all the ingredients into a punch bowl about a half hour before you want to serve the drink.  This will allow time for the ice cream to melt.  Ice is optional.

Appetizer 1: Taos Pumpkin Bread


Paulette shared with us her delicous pumpkin bread that is a favorite in her recipe box.  She even made homemade pumpkin butter to spread on the warm bread.  YMMMMM...it was delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp dry yeast
2 eggs
1 Tbsp salt
6 cups flour (I use 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat)


Directions for Pumpkin Bread:

Measure out water, and sprinkle all the yeast and a pinch of brown sugar over the water.  Measure into a bowl the rest of the brown sugar, pumpkin, cornmeal, eggs, salt, and flour. Mix slightly.  Pour the yeast mixture in and knead until soft ball forms.  Set aside and let double in size.  Form in to rolls or loaves.  Let double in size again.  Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until done.


Directions for Spiced Whipped Butter:
Whip butter in electric mixer, add brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to taste.

Appetizer 2:  Mexican Five Layer Dip


Melissa is our newest club member.  She made a Mexican dip for us to enjoy.  

Ingredients:
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) refried beans
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese ( 4 ounces)
2 tablespoons salsa
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 Tbs)
1 ½ cups sour cream
Tortilla chips


Directions:

Mix refried beans and salsa.  Spread a thin layer on 12- or 13 inch serving plate or pizza pan. Spread sour cream over beans, leaving about 1 inch border of beans around edge.  Spread guacamole over sour cream, leaving border of sour cream showing.  Sprinkle cheese over guacamole.  Sprinkle onions over cheese.  Serve with tortilla chips.


Appetizer 3 -  Carnitas & Pineapple Pizza

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips (about 1 ½ cups)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 ounces coarsely shredded cooked pork carnitas

3 tablespoons butter, softened

½ teaspoon chipotle powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 12 – 14-inch pizza crust, partially cooked

1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained

1 ½ cups (6 oz) shredded manchego or queso blanco cheese

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F

2. Cook onion in oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until onion is just tender, stirring occasionally. Add carnitas and cook just to heat through.

3. Combine butter, chipotle powder and cumin in a small bowl. Brush butter mixture over pizza crust.

4. Top with carnitas mixture and pineapple chunks. Sprinkle with cheese.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

6. Enjoy!

Side Dish 1:  Mindie's Mandarin Quinoa Salad

Mindie scored high for presentation points this round. Look at that beautiful red cabbage used to set her salad in.  This salad ingredient that looks like little pieces of rice was new to me. She used an ingredient called 'quinoa' which is a starch that is a popular substitute for rice. I thought it was coos coos when I first saw it, but was wrong. She mixed the quinoas with mandarin oranges for a healthy and exotic looking salad.  Leave it to Mindie to come up with something fun and creative for us to try.



Salad

1 Cup Uncooked Quinoa

1/2 cup sweet peppers (I used red and yellow bell peppers)

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup mandarin oranges

Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil - I reduced the oil by a few tablespoons and added some of the juice from the mandarin oranges

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

1.  Cook the quinoa and let cool completed.

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

3.  Pour the dressing over the cooked quinoa and mix to combine.

4.  Add the peppers, oniones, parsley, feta and mandarin oranges.  Tossing to combine.

5.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.



Side Dish 2:  Buttery Apples, Cabbage & Carrots

Christie made a healthy looking side dish that was a combination of baked carrots, apples, and cabbage.  Loved the simplicity of the side dish, yet it was so colorful and fun. 

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced ½” carrots

4 cups cubed 1” cabbage

2 cups unpeeled, cubed ½” tart red apples

¼ cup butter

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp dried thyme

Directions:

In a 2 qt saucepan, add carrots and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook until carrots are crisply tender (about 8-12 minutes). Drain and reserve carrots. Rinse saucepan and add 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add cabbage and blanch for 2 minutes, drain. Stir in all ingredients except apples. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Stir in apples. Cover, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until apples are crisply tender (3 to 4 minutes).

Main Dish:  Alison's Spinach Ravioli Lasagna

Our main dish was a spinach ravioli lasagna.  Not quite sure of the proper name, but it was brought to us by Ali.  Recipe to come.   

Dessert 1:  Mudslide Chocolate Frozen Pie


Marina spoiled us by making two desserts.  We were served a mudslide chocolate pie and pineapple bars.  Both were tasty!



Ingredients:

1 prepared 9 inch chocolate crumb crust

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup baking cocoa

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips or grated chocolate bar for top

Directions:

Melt 1 cup morsels in a heavy saucepan slowly over lowest heat.  When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat and stir.  Return to heat as needed until melted and smooth; cool for 10 minutes.

Mix sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract; stir until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in melted chocolate until smooth.  Spread into crust and refrigerate while making top layer.

Beat cream, powdered sugar and cocoa in small mixer until stiff peaks form.  Spread over chocolate layer and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or grated chocolate.

Dessert 2:  Pineapple Bars



Bars:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

¼ cup butter

1 ¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup nuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir flour, sugar and baking soda.  Add pineapple with juice, vanilla and eggs and mix well.  Pour into a greased 11x17 inch jelly roll pan and bake for 25 minutes.  While the bars bake, prepare the frosting by mixing all the frosting ingredients together.  Spread over the hot cake and cut into bars when cool.



And here is the whole gang...spread out over two pictures.

A Chocolate Affair

Our Recipe Collectors' Club met at Paulette's fabulous house this month for our chocolate themed dinner.  Paulette asked everyone to bring a dish of their choice that was made in some way with chocolate.  We all a good time trying to find new and exciting recipes that used this delicious ingredient. 

Let us begin our tour of our chocolatey dinner.  The picture below is a sign hung above Paulette's kitchen sink. How fitting.  I can tell she is a chocolate lover.  I think that also explains why she is a pastry chef by profession.

Here is our lovely table setting.

Appetizer:  Christie's Onion Jam

Our first bite to eat was Christie's Onion Jam.  This was an interesting appetizer that she was hoping would have a tasty effect.  The jam was delicious and was served with melted cheese over crostini (A new word for me, which I looked up.  It means thin pieces of toast). 

Christie's Onion Jam

Ingredients:
1 tsp butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tblsp brown sugar
1/4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add vinegars and brown sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has a thick, jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes. Take off the heat and add chocolate, stirring until melted. Serve over crostini with melted cheese. I used Brie, but any mild cheese would work well.

Side Dish 1:  Mindie's Souper Soup

Next, we had Mindie's soup with white chocolate.  Still waiting for the recipe, but it was tasty and thick. 

Roasted Parnsip and Vanilla Chocolate Soup with Cocoa Dusted Croutons

by Chef Robert Irvine

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds parsnips (about 4 to 5 large parsnips) - peeled and cute into 1 inch chunks
• 1/4 cup canola or olive oil (1/2 to used to roast parnships and the other half for the croutons) **I used less than this**
• 8 tablespoons butter (I used 3 tablespoons of lower fat margerine and it was more than enough)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 quarts chicken stock **I used veggie stock, its about 9 cups**
• 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon high quality vanilla extract **I used the extract**
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup vanilla white chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream **I used low fat half and half**
• 1 fresh lemon or lime, halved cross wise
• 1 epee loaf french bread **I used challah so I think any good quality bread you like will work just fine**
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder **I used only about 1 tablespoon of sweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Peel parsnips and cut into 1 inch chunks.  Toss lightly with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. 

Roast in the oven until the parsnips begin to soften and the tips begin to turn golden brown.  You will know when they are ready when they can easily be pierced with a knife.

This takes about 40 minutes (**In my oven it took only 25 to 30 minutes so watch them carefully).  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with aluminim foil.  Cut the bread into chunks.  Lightly toss with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Dust the bread with the cocoa powder.  Toast in the oven until the bread is well toasted.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a stock put, melt the butter over medium - low heat.  Add the onions and gently saute until they are translucent.  This should take about 10 minutes.  The most important thing is that the onions be translucent.

Add the stock, vanilla and parsnips.  Increase the heat to medium. Bring to a boil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and let cook until the parsnips are completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the white chocolate chips and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow them to melt and to integrate the flavors.

Remove the soup from the heat.  If a vanilla pod was used, discard the pod.  Stir in the cream.  Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  Squueze fresh lemon or limt juice into the pot and stir to combine.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with croutons.   Makes 6 to 8 servings (I would say more like makes more like 10 good sizes servings).

Side Dish 2:  Alison's Chocolate-Balsamic Salad

Our salad was made by Alison.  You would think it's an ordinary strawberry salad with cucumbers, but just wait until she basks it in her chocolate-balsamic dressing. 

Alison's Chocolate-Balsamic Salad

Ingredients:

Lettuce

Cucumbers
Strawberries
Feta cheese
1/3 C. basalmic vinegar
1/3 C. sugar
4 oz. dark chocolate

Directions:
To make the dressing place the basalmic vinegar in a saucepan, add sugar, and dissolve over a temperature. Do not refrigerate or dressing will solidify.

Main Dish: Michele's Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Our main dish was chicken enchiladas.  Sadly no picture.  The original recipe didn't quite turn out the way Michele intended.  Her plan was to make a recipe called "Chicken and Green Olive Enchiladas" from Bon Appetit.  After slaving away in the kitchen for three hours chopping veggies and cooking chicken, the plan was to make the sauce and have it thicken for at least 35 minutes before adding the chocolate.  Once the mole sauce was made, the enchiladas could be prepared and popped into the oven.  Unfortunately, the sauce never thickened and remained as thin as water.  So Michele decided to move to Plan B and made her chicken enchiladas with her trusty Rosarita red enchilada sauce.   

Just for kicks, we'll give you her standard chicken enchilada recipe.  This is how her basketball coach in college taught her how to make them.  They are simple and delicious.   

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts

1 large can Rosarita enchilada sauce

1 small can diced green chilies

1 small can chopped olives

1 block mild cheddar cheese and/or monterey jack cheese

1 package flour tortillas

Directions:

Boil chicken breasts for 20-30 minutes.  Shred chicken once cool.  In a 9x12 baking dish, pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.  In one tortilla, pour enchilada sauce and spread to cover 2/3 of the tortilla.  In center of tortilla, add a few pieces of shredded chicken, olives, diced chiles, and cheese.  Roll up and place face down in pan.  Repeat with each tortilla until pan is full.  Cover top of tortillas with remaining enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  These are great to make ahead of time and freeze for another day.  

Dessert:  Chocolate Tasting

Now for our chocolate tasting event.  Paulette asked each of us to bring our favorite chocolate to the dinner.  It was funny how almost all of us ended up bringing candy bars.  Most were European-brand chocolate bars, but mine was Ghiradelli.  If I had to choose again, I would have grabbed a Symphony bar from the grocery store instead.  I just love the taste of that chocolate wrapped in toffee. 

We each took turns filling our plates with various chocolate squares and other treats and then gobbled them up!

Spooktacular Halloween Cuisine

Welcome to the first dinner with the ladies from The Recipe Collectors' Club.  Our group will be experimenting with fabulous new recipes and trying them out as often as we can.  Each member will be assigned a dish by the hostess and it's up to the chef to find their own recipe, make the dish, and bring it to the dinner to be tasted by the friendly food critics (yes, that's us!).

Our first kickoff dinner was hosted by Michele.  The theme was spooky Halloween cuisine.  So come have a look at The Recipe Collectors' Club first dinner.

Here is the invitation.  Below the invitation were the party details and the food assignments.

Here is our spooky dining room filled with spiders. Oh, what a tangled web we weave.



Now for our food introduction.  Drum roll please..........

Drink:  Mindie's Magical Potion

Mindie led with our first course creating TWO appetizers, being the overachiever that she is!!  She first concocted a delicious mocktail drink that she called her "Magical Potion".  Sadly, no picture of this fancy drink, but it was a combination of pineapple, orange, and mango juice, along with Ginger Ale, raspberry flavoring, and nutmeg.  It seriously went down easy!!   

Mindie's Magical Potion

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. pineapple juice

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1/4 cup mango juice

1/4 cup ginger ale

1 Tbsp raspberry flavoring syrup

Pinch of nutmet

(makes 1 drink)

Directions: 

• Mix together the fruit juices and flavoring syrup. Pour into glass.
• Top with ginger ale.
• Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top to serve.
• Can be mixed with ice or served over ice.

Appetizer 1:  Mindie's Ratty Tortilla Wraps

Next, Mindie made a ratty old appetizer with tortilla wraps.  As you can see, it's quite involved--just look how those mice are devouring the food!

Appetizer 2:  Paulette's Mummified Pizzas

Paulette's Mummified Pizzas were a big hit. They not only looked great, but tasted spooktacular.  She used an Italian bread dough recipe and then put her homemade pizza ingredients on top using olives for the eyes!  They were eerily good.

Paulette's Mummified Pizzas

Step 1:  Authentic Italian Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup warm water

2 teaspoons salt

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached flour

(for softer bread, add 2 Tbsp. oil, and 1 Tbsp. sugar)

Directions:  Choose either the dough hook method or hand/blender method then proceed to "Continuation" section below.

Dough hook method -  Pour water, salt and yeast into a mixing bowl.  Mix in flour and work it until the dough becomes elastic and does not stick to your touch.  Remove the dough from the bowl.  When dough becomes opeck it is done.

Hand/blender method - Mix water, salt and yeast in a large bowl.  Blend in two cups of flour, one at a time, blending each until well integrated.  Mix in the last two cups by hand, a portion at a time.  Turn dough onto a floured counter and knead it for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and does not stick to your touch.  Dust with additional flour as needed.

Continuation:

• Clean the bowl and grease it with olive oil.  Return the dough to the bowl and raise.
• Cover and let it double in size (about an hour).
• Punch it down.
• Lightly flour the counter.  Roll the dough into desired shapes.  I like to make two 15-inch loaves.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Place the bread on an oiled cookie sheet (try olive oil).  Allow it to double in size.  Flatten out then roll it up and flour.
• Use a sharp knife to gently cut 1/4-inch deep, angular markings in the top of the each loaf.
• Bake the loaves for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 2:  Pizza Toppings

Ingredients:

1 recipe "Authentic Italian Bread" dough  (see above)

3 medium, very ripe tomatoes (or 3/4 cup canned, whole tomatoes, drained)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tbsp. extra-vigin olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano---dried

2 1/2 to 3 cups diced mozzarella cheese (12 to 16 oz.)

Directions:

• Follow the directions for making bread dough until you have punched the dough down.  Divide the dough in half.  Half will be enough for 1 large pizza.  The rest may be frozen, or used for bread or garlic sticks.
• Blanch, peel and remove seeds from fresh tomatoes.  Grind the tomatoes in a blender or mince them finely.  Mix in salt.
• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Oil a 17x11x1-inch cookie sheet or a 16-inch round pizza pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Non-stick type pans work better here.
• Press dough into the pan and flip it over so oil covers both sides.  Pinch the edges together to make a border.
• Spread tomato sauce evenly over the dough.  Sprinkle on oregano.  Distribute mozzarella.  (You may add any additional toppings you like at this point, or enjoy a delicious, plain cheese pizza.)
• Bake on lowest rack for 10-15 minutes until cheese starts to brown.
• Let pizza stand on a rack for a few minutes before serving.  If left in the pan the bottom will become wet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil.  Serve.

Side Dish 1:  Alison's Batty Pasta Salad

Alison's Batty Pasta Salad made for a fun dish.  Those black pieces inside with the fancy shapes is really bat-shaped pasta noodles from World Market.  Filled with all her special additions of broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, and other secret ingredients, it was a big bowl of yumminess! 

Side Dish 2:  Sarah's Fresh Peaches & Blueberries Fruit Bowl

Sarah's Fresh Peaches & Blueberries Fruit Bowl was sprinkled with a hint of mint.  We gobbled up the peaches so fast, we barely had time to take a picture before they were all gone!

Sarah's Fresh Peaches & Blueberries Fruit Bowl



Ingredients:

4 peaches, slightly firm

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp. freshly chopped mint

Directions:

• Cut the peaches in half and dice. 
• Mix the peaches with the blueberries and mint. 
• Drizzle with honey.

Side Dish 3:  Marina's Loaded Potato Casserole

Marina's Loaded Potatoe Casserole.  Mmmm, mmmm...don't we all love potatoes??!!  This savory mixture of potatoes mixed with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and onions was so good it's scary.  

Marina's Loaded Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes (about 2 1/2 to 3 lb. total) peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
sliced green onions

Directions:

• Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to boil.   Cook over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender, drain. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 3 quart casserole dish. 
• Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Beat with mixer until smooth.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese and half of bacon.  Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining bacon and green onions.  Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Main Dish:  Michele's Bone Yard Chicken Kabobs

This is where Michele's main dish is supposed to be photographed featuring her bone yard chicken kabobs cooked on the grill with a special marinade.  She was so busy working the grill, that she served them up immediately after and there was no time for a picture! But...they were beautiful creatures that were fat and colorful filled with zucchini, squash, red potatoes, and peppers all lined up on a boney skewer. 

Michele's Bone Yard Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

garlic salt to taste

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 (8 ounce) package fresh chopped mushrooms

2 onions, quartered

1 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, blend vegetable oil, soy sauce, light corn syrup, lemon juice, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and garlic salt. Place chicken in the mixture. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers alternately with mushrooms, onions, and green bell pepper. Pour marinade into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place skewers on the prepared grill. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Baste with the boiled marinade frequently during the last 10 minutes.

Dessert:  Christie's Spidery Ganache

Christie's Spidery Ganache.  Isn't it beautiful??  Christie worked hard on the beautiful icing to create her intricate web and topped her creation with a spooky spider.  It was the perfect Halloween dessert. 

Chocolate Spider Web Cake

Cake

1 box Devil's food cake mix

Make cake as directed.  For a richer cake, add sour cream, pudding mix, and/or chocolate chips.

Ganache Frosting

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate (I used chips)

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Place the chocolate in a medium size heat proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan and pour over the chocolate. Stir until smooth. I waited about 20 minutes to let it cool and thicken slightly, then spread  enough on the cake to cover. I admit, I ate the remaining tablespoon or so with a spoon, then my fingers:)

To decorate, I piped shimmery white decorator icing in circles, then used a toothpick to drag icing from the center to the edges of the cake to create a web pattern. I found a gummy spider at Wal-Mart that was a perfect topping! 

And here is one final picture of all the gang...except for the picture taker hiding behind the camera.  We had a spooky-good time and look forward to more cooking adventures together.