Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Making  a cake with barley was new to me and it turned out fabulous!  The texture was a little more grainy, but I actually liked the taste better.  I could not find barley flour at my store, so I bought pearl barley and used my blender to grind it, which could explain the grainier texture. Drizzled with chocolate icing, this bundt cake is a delicious dessert to serve at any party.

My mom has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember.   This Mississippi Mud Cake is for people who like their sweets sweet (like me, but it was too sweet for my husband).  It is basically a dense chocolate pecan cake topped with marshmallow creme and chocolate pecan icing. 

I love Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake and was planning to use that recipe for Emerald’s birthday cake inspired by The Uninvited Guests.  But, as I started the recipe I realized I didn’t have any milk, so I substituted buttermilk.  Well, just as I added the buttermilk, I was interrupted by a phone call and when I returned to my cake, somewhat distracted, I added the buttermilk again!  I needed a little adjusting here and there and I’m so happy to report that the cake turned out great.  So here’s my take on Hershey’s cake.

I love the rich flavor and moistness of this hurricane cake recipe. No icing needed on this cake!

This creamy frozen pie is made with chocolate ice cream and chocolate pudding. You can purchase a ready made graham cracker pie crust, making this dish super easy to put together.

A deliciously decadent chocolate infused espresso martini. Meant to be savored and sipped slowly. Serve in a chilled martini glass and top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup for an extra special cocktail.

This bananas foster cake was adapted from a recipe from Nestlé Toll House.  The original recipe called for a package of Devil’s Food cake mix and a package of chocolate pudding mix, but I used a homemade chocolate cake recipe instead.   The sprinkling of the chocolate chips on the cake batter prior to cooking gives this cake a rich flavor. The banana flavor is subtle and I think next time I make it I am going to add another banana to the recipe.

Magic Cookie Bars are a childhood favorite of mine. I remember the introduction of my mom’s recipe said this treat is called Magic Cookie Bars because they vanish as soon as you set them out! And they do magically disappear! In my version, I cut back a bit on the coconut and nuts and add butterscotch chips.

The circus and a black and white color scheme are two of the main decoration themes for a book club party for “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern.  Chocolate covered popcorn have these two themes covered!   I do not have exact measurements for the ingredients as I just pop enough popcorn to fill the bowl and add enough chocolate to suit my tastes.

I made these Mini Chocolate Covered Apples with white and dark chocolate to match the black and white theme of “The Night Circus<“.   These apples tasted delicious (what doesn’t taste good covered in chocolate?), but I think I will try peanut butter or caramel next time I make these.