Hi there, Rose: We met for the first time, Spring, 1993 in Capri at a 9-day event/tour hosted by IOOC. I wrote a column about the tour and it just so happens that it's one of 80 (out of more than 300 that I wrote during my 27-year career as editor of Restaurant Hospitality)that I've selected to launch as a blog later this year. The column includes a mention of your name; it'll be included as a link to your two websites. OK?

Cheers,Stephen

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Hi Rose,

Well, I made my first confectioner’s sugar-based buttercream for a chocolate cake on Sunday. I used ½ cup softened butter, creamed, then added 1 & 1/3 cup unsweetened, not-dutched Hershey’s-type cocoa, mixed well in a stand mixer. Then I added 2 & 1/3 cups confectioner’s sugar and about 1.5 tsp. Vanilla, 1/3 cup of milk with 1 heaping tsp. Pero french roast instant coffee substitute dissolved in about a Tbsp. Of hot water (I figure there is plenty of caffeine in the chocolate) and about 1/16 tsp salt (a pinch, but it maybe could have used more). It tasted pretty good, although next time I would add the last 1/3 cup sugar by tablespoons because I think it could have been a little less sweet. This is a handy frosting because you do not have to wait for it to cool and it did not harden as it sat. It is easy to manage and frost with, and would be esp. good for a beginning baker. The chocolate flavor was pretty assertive. I would like to experiment with dark cocoa powder as well as dutched to see what the flavor difference would be. This made enough for the top and sides of a two layer cake, needs half again as much for the center. It just so happened that I had some leftover custard-based buttercream that I put in the center so did not bother to increase this recipe.

Anne

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