Ok, I tried the About.com recipe, which was essentially chocolate milk, sweetened condensed milk and cool whip. (I added some HersheyÂs syrup to make it more chocolate-y). It didnÂt turn out to be what I hoped for, and given the ingredients, I know why - itÂs really more like ice milk than ice cream. It didnÂt freeze well in the ice cream maker, instead staying at a WendyÂs Frosty consistency  and thatÂs kind of what it tasted like, too (which isnÂt bad of course, just not what I was going for) When I put it in the freezer, it froze very solid, too solid. Taking it out of the container was like a granita. the next time we're in this "predicament" of too much chocolate milk, I'll try a recipe with more fat, either from cream or eggs. Until then, I have a stash of this ice milk in the freeze which will make quite a few awesome milk shakes...

I've made this one several times, each time it's a hit! You ever had Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake? This is that recipe! Yes it is! -Topping- 1 c flour (all purpose) 1 c light brown sugar packed 1/2 c butter softened 1tsp cinnamon 1/2 c chopped pecans -cake- 1 cup butter softened 3/4 c light brown sugar packed 1/2 c sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 c milk preheat oven 325° Make topping by combining flour w/brown sugar, stick of butter and cinnamon in medium bowl. Mixture should have consistency of moist sand. Add pecans. In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, sugar w/mixer til smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and mix well. In a Separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Add dry mixture to moist ingredients, a little at a time. Add milk and mix well. Spoon batter into 9 x 13 pan, buttered and dusted with light coating of flour. Sprinkle crumb topping over batter, be sure topping completely covers batter. Bake cake for 50 mins or until edges begin to turn light brown. Cool and slice. Serves 8

sapphires, I don't even like bananas, I don't even eat banana bread, but I eat this cake. Ashley says it's her favorite, the best she's ever had and it is darned good. It was posted on the Cooking Forum by a former poster, J. Garner, who worked as a pastry chef. Banana Cake (Rose Levy BerenbaumÂs Cordon Rose Cake) Jgarner-Cooking Forum (good as layer cake, elegant, delicate texture) mix together: sifted cake flour 2 cups sugar 3/4 c + 2 Tbs baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp puree together: 2 large ripe bananas 1 c sour cream 2 Tbs or up to 1/2 c 2 large eggs 2 grated lemon zest 2 tsp (I left this out since I don't like the flavor of lemon with banana) vanilla 1-1/2 tsp soften: Butter 10 Tbs (5 oz) Add butter and half of pureed mixture to dry ingredients in stand mixer and mix at medium with paddle for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape bowl and add rest of banana mixture in two batches, mixing 20 seconds after each addition. Pour into 9"x2" round pan (I just lined the bottom with parchment, no spray or butter) and bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Hint: Use smallest amount of sour cream and 3 bananas for more pronounced banana flavor Cream Cheese Icing Cream cheese, softened 8 oz. Butter, softened 5 TBS (2.5 oz) Sour cream 1 Tbs Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. Rum 1 Tbs Powdered sugar 1 1/4 C (5 oz) Process (yeah, the food processor) or beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and pulse until smooth. Makes enough to frost the top of a 9x13 sheet cake. I used regular flour, because I never have cake flour, and it always comes out great. Annie

You don't have the book any more, Westelle? I found the recipe at Recipelink: Swiss Black Forest Cake (From the Cake Bible) Brandied Burgundy Cherries Make 1 pint **Brandied cherries are flavorful after only 12 hours but the longer they stand, the more mellow they become. Ingredients: 1 lb. (454g) Pitted bing cherries in heavy syrup 1 oz. Sugar 2 oz. Kirsch or Cognac or cherry-flavored brandy In a colander suspended over a deep bowl drain the cherries for 30 min. Reserve cup syrup. There will be about 1 ½ cups cherries. In a medium saucepan combine the syrup and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cherries and simmer, covered, 1 min. Remove from the heat. Transfer the cherries with a slotted spoon to a pint jar and add the kirsch or Cognac to the jar. Boil the syrup until reduced to ¼ cup and pour over the cherries. Cover tightly and swirl to mix. If planning to store longer than 3 months, add enough liqueur to reach almost to the top of the jar. Cool, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Moist Chocolate Genoise one 9-inch springform pan or cake tin (must be straight on the sides), greased, bottom lined with parchment and then greased again and floured. Ingredients: 4 oz. Bittersweet chocolate 4.125 oz(1/2 liquid cup) boiling water 4 large eggs (7 oz. Weight without shells) 3.5 oz. Sugar (regular white sugar is fine.) 2.625oz (75g/3/4 cup) sifted cake flour Preheat the oven to 350F. Ina heavy saucepan bring the chocolate and water to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the chocolate thickens to a pudding like consistency. (It will fall from the spoon and pool slightly before disappearing.) Cool completely. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with the whisk beater on high speed for 5 min or until triple in volume. ( a hand beater may be used but it will be necessary to beat for least 10 min.) Sift ½ the flour over t he egg mixture and fold it in gently but rapidly with a slotted skimmer or a large rubber spatula until dome of the flour has disappeared. Repeat with the remaining flour until all flour has disappeared. Fold in the chocolate mixture until incorporated. Pour immediately into the prepared pan. (It should be about 2/3 full) and bake 30 to 35 min or until a tester inserted in the center as easily as it does when inserted closer to the sides. The cake rises to the top of the pan during baking and will lower slightly when done, pulling slightly away from the sides. Avoid opening the oven door before the min. time or the cakes could fall. Loosen the sides often cake with a small metal spatula and unmold at once onto lightly greased rack. Reinvert to cool. The firm upper crust prevents falling. Trim the top and bottom crust removed (very important or else it will form "crusts" in between the cream after itÂs soaked in the syrup) and split in half horizontally to make (2) ½ " layers. Super-stabilized whipped cream, make 6 cups 3 t. powdered gelatin 4 T. water 24 oz. (3 liquid cup) heavy cream 1.5 oz caster (superfine) sugar 1.5 t. vanilla Refrigerate the mixing bowl and beater for at least 15 min. In a small heatproof measuring cup place gelatin and water. Allow to soften for 5 min. Set cup in a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until gelatin is dissolved. (This can also be done in a microwave on high power, stirring once or twice.) Remove cup and cool to room temperature (about 7 minutes). Gelatin must be liquid but not warm when added to cream. In the chilled bowl beat the cream and sugar just until traces of beater marks begin to show distinctly. Add the gelatin mixture in a steady stream, beating constantly. Add vanilla and beat just until stiff peaks form when beater is raised. Do not over beat the cream. ½ cup chocolate snowflakes: The chocolate needs to be as hard as possible to make thin flakes, so donÂt leave it in a warm kitchen. A large piece of chocolate is easiest to work with, but a flat bar will also work. Use a melon-baller (or a veggie peeler) to scrape the chocolate, making short, light strokes that do not cut too deeply into the chocolate. Allow the flakes to fall onto a small cool baking sheet. Place the sheet inside a large plastic bag and shake the flakes into the bag. Avoid touching them because they melt very easily. Store refrigerated or at cool room temperature. Use a large spoon to lift chocolate flakes onto the cake. Assembling the cake: Use a 9 inch springform pan fitted with cardboard round to a depth of 2 ½". (for really smooth finish on the sides, you will need a "French flan ring".) Add the kirsch or brandy to the reserved cherry syrup to make ½ cup. Sprinkle each side of the cake layers with 2 T. syrup. Reserve 12 whole cherries for decor and cut the remaining cherries in half if they are large. Reserve 2 ¼ cups whipped cream for the top of the cake and the rosettes. (This may be refrigerated for up to 6 hours.) Place 1 cake layer in the bottom of the pan and top with the remaining whipped cream. Poke the cherries into the whipped cream, pressing some of the cut sides against the pan. Use a small angled spatula to level the cream and top with the second cake layer. Spread with 1 cup of the reserved whipped cream. Use a long metal spatula to create a smooth top, allowing the blade to rest on the sides of the ring to create a very even surface. Use the rest of the cream to pipe rosettes, about 8 - 12, depends on the size of your decorating tube. I use a size 6 (1/2in) and make about 10. Leave the cake in an airtight cake container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Wipe the sides of the ring with a warm, damp towel and lift way the ring or remove the sides of the pan. Use the remaining whipped cream to decorate the top with rosettes sing a large number 6 star tube. Top the rosettes with the reserved whole cherries. Spoon the chocolate snowflakes in the center. MSG URL: http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/033253