TIDBIT RECIPES

Steps:

• In medium-sized bowl, whisk first 4 ingredients til well mixed.
• Add sour cream in spoonfuls on top, add oil and mix til all is just moistened with a spoon. Switch to using your hands turning the dough to get all the last of the dry stuff on the bottom of the bowl. Knead 8 times on floured surface.
• Roll thick to only about an 8" circle. Just a few passes with your (floured) rolling pin. Cut out 6 biscuits with a biscuit cutter or a floured glass. Get 2 more out of the last of the dough. (Bunch it back together, knead it just a bit, pat or roll it and cut.) Pitch any last little tidbit if any left. I place mine on my old round metal pizza pan covered with foil and sprayed with butter-flavored Pam. But a cookie sheet will work just fine.
• Place little pats of butter on top, or spread it a little if the butter is VERY soft and doesn't deflate the biscuits while doing so. Bake in hot, preheated 425 oven for 12-15 minutes (ovens vary) or til golden brown on top. Remove from oven and butter tops again with other half of butter. Serve warm with more butter and homemade jam or honey. Makes 8 tall sour cream biscuits.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 metal baking pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda. baking powder, salt and espresso powder. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, eggs and vanilla.
• Add buttermilk then whisk until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir with a spoon until just combined. Take care to avoid overmixing.
• Carefully pour hot coffee into the batter and stir until evenly incorporated. Note: batter will be thin.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Place baking pan on a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 2 hours, before topping with marshmallow frosting.
• Using a double boiler, bring an inch or two of water to a simmer. Continuously whisk egg whites and sugar over heat until sugar has completely dissolved, approximately 7 minutes.
• Immediately transfer marshmallow meringue to a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, approximately 5 minutes.
• Add cream of tarter, vanilla and salt and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
• Spread frosting onto cooled cake then slice and serve.
• Note: Frosting will begin to wilt if let at room temperature. To prevent wilting, cover and chill cake in the refrigerator up to 2 days.