Christmas today in the Netherlands, and other treats

 Yesterday, too.  St. Nicholas comes to kids in the Netherlands.  It used to be that they found toys and candy in their shoes, hence the giant boot in the new window!  hopeful kids.

And since all the Cattern cookies went away somehow, I was out of baked goods, and needed a little something for Handsome Son who is visiting today with groceries

Distinct shortage of eggs, since they're one of the items he's bringing, so I did the Wacky Chocolate Cake, and here's its cousin on the same page, the Crazy Chocolate Cake. I don't like the titles much, but the cakes are very reliable. 

I added in a handful of chopped walnuts, because I do that with practically everything that doesn't fight me off

Baked in the castiron skillet, I really wonder why I bothered getting a castiron cake pan, since the skillet does a fine job.  You put it in the oven to heat up along with the oven for best results, as they say in the fancy cookbooks, which this isn't.

Large test helping for the cook.  Pretty good, very dark cocoa, Handsome Son will like this, not too sweet. I used a new wholewheat flour, from that Maine mill, and the cake is much lighter and more tender than with the other wholewheat I use from King Arthur.  There are never leftovers from either, I must say.

And it's the time of year when I start hearing about latkes, Hannukah, that, and get a feeling I'd like to make a few.  Not my tradition, but very good food, anyway. Eaten in honor of people whose tradition it is! Mazel Tov! L'chaim!

The liquid in the background is what I sqoze out of the potato and onion shreddings, and rather than discard it as advised by the posh YouTube chef, I froze it for use in soup, for heaven's sake. His grandmother would be shocked at his wastefulness.

And here are two of the batch, sizzling merrily away and awaiting their serving plate

Usually sour cream goes with latkes, but around here plain yogurt plays the part of sour cream when called on.

About Blogger at the moment:  somebody's "improving" it, I think. I wish they'd just let it alone when it's working.  Now when you upload a picture, it comes complete with sizing commands, which you used to have to ask for.  This fiddling may be part of the mixup over links yesterday.  Before yesterday links were working, I'm told.  Oh well.  This too shall pass.

 As a wonderful bodyshop owner I used to know, when I told him I needed to bring in my car, and sounded upset, would say: Did anyone die?  Anyone hurt? Any animals hurt?  No to all that?  Then it's just a thing.  Come in and get a cup of coffee and we'll fix it good as new. Which he did.

In self defense I have to say I was the innocent party in a couple of bumps, people tboning me on my green light, cutting in too close changing lanes, etc.  backing out of a parking place without looking.  You know the sorts of things that happen in the state with the most vehicle traffic of the 50.  We're number one in that respect.  Also in high real estate taxes, number one there, too.

Anyway, if you're making latkes, enjoy them. Chocolate cake likewise.  Oh, and I made a dangerous discovery yesterday. How to make sponge candy.  You know the lovely molasses flavored stuff with the honeycomb thing inside?  That.  I used to send away for it for Christmas, and now maybe I'll make it instead.  And quickly give away quite a bit to neighbors, etc, before I scoff the lot.