As I was doing the food prep for tonight’s party, it occurred to me that having buttermilk pancakes for Saturday morning breakfast means that I need to have syrup. I have syrup, very expensive and delicious Grade B maple syrup from New York State. We use this syrup judiciously; only adults are allowed to pour it.

Then it occurred to me, Did I want to pour syrup over the pancakes for all those children? Come to think of it, Did I want them to eat my precious maple syrup? The answer was a resounding NO! No, no, no, no, no.

So I made a brown sugar syrup. I don’t care if this syrup goes to waste, and I don’t care if they decide to guzzle the stuff. The kids are going back to their parents immediately afterwards and can unleash their sugar high in their respective homes. Parents, you’re welcome.

I will, however, be watching my children’s syrup-pouring abilities like a hawk. I’m not a total glutton for punishment, and I know we’re in for a couple rough days as it is—syrup by the spoonful might put us all over the edge. (I’m already thinking along the lines of detox meals.)

Brown Sugar Syrup
Adapted from my Aunt Valerie’s recipe

We use this syrup other times, too, not just when we’re feeding the masses. It’s a decent alternative to other syrups, though it can’t hold a candle to real maple syrup, of course.

It’s on the runny side; a little goes a long way. (Updated on April 9, 2010: Just made more of this syrup this morning. While the sugar water was coming to a boil, I dissolved two tablespoons of Therm Flo with a little bit of water in a small bowl. Then I stirred the milky-smooth paste into the boiling liquid and proceeded as normal. The result was a slightly thicker syrup, more along the lines of a maple syrup. I like it this way, so I’m adding the changes into the recipe.)

To watch: Making Brown Sugar Syrup on YouTube.

3 cups white sugar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
3 cups water
2 tablespoons Therm Flo
1/3 teaspoon maple extract
2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the water and sugars in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine the Therm Flo with a couple tablespoons of water. Stir the paste into the boiling liquid.

Simmer the syrup for 10-30 minutes (no need to stir) before removing the sauce pan from the heat and allowing it to cool for a bit. Add the flavorings and stir to combine. Pour the syrup into a jar, cap with a lid, and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: One quart

PS. It’s raining. Did you hear me? IT’S RAINING!!!

I thought I was mentally prepared for this turn of events, but as I sit here in a darkened house, the rain pounding down, the wind whipping the leaves off the trees, the concrete porch turning slick with water, I’m not so sure. In fact, I feel like crying. I wish Mr. Handsome would hurry up and get home so I could boo-hoo and whine to somebody…

Nope, no truck in the driveway yet. You’ll have to suffice. Boo-hoo. Sob. Moan and groan. Whine. Sniffle.

Thanks.

About One Year Ago: Love, The Tooth Fairy. A bit out of order time-wise, but appropriate considering that today my first baby turns ten.

A minor multitude of ten-year-old boys will descend upon my house tomorrow. They will run around with sticks and yell and knock each other over. (Don’t worry, we’ll try our best to keep them far away from the more dangerous farm implements.)

They will camp out and have a bonfire and eat lots of hotdogs and candy.

They will stay for 17 hours. It’s supposed to rain the entire time.

They will sleep outside in the fort, no matter what.

I’m in denial about the rain.

I’m also in flat-out party panic mode.

I’ve been coaching Mr. Handsome on his part in this affair: You will be with the boys the entire time. You will play with them, sleep with them, eat with them, talk to them. You will not sit down once. Do you hear?

As for me? I will be hiding in the house with the girls (they are each having a little girlfriend over to keep them company during the entire pubescent testosterone hoopla) and The Baby Nickel. I will pat out the burgers and put candles on the cake (another one!) and stand guard at the door so that no errant muddy boy can sneak inside. Not even for a minute. Not even to pee.

Well, I might let them pee.

I’ll make buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, too.

Yo-Yo better love this party cause I don’t think I’ll be able to pull off another one for a very, very, very long time.

About One Year Ago: Yo-Yo’s birth story.

…I might as well give you the recipe for Mr. Handsome’s birthday cheesecake.

Maybe once I get all the cakes off my chest, I’ll be able to clear my mind of cake and move on to something different, like the soup I made the other day—a rich creamy cheesy chicken-and-cheese chili, not that it’s much different from a cheesecake, considering I use the same adjectives to describe both of them.

Oh well, when I get in a rut (in any rut, be it culinary or otherwise) I spin around helplessly for a while till someone offers to come hoist me out. In this current rut, I’m churning up lots of crumbs and cream and nobody has extended a hand (or recipe) to help pull me out, I’ve noticed. So I’ll keep cake-making my way into a big fat hole.

At least it’s sweet down here.

Classic Cheesecake
Slightly adapted from Aunt Valerie’s recipe

I have yet to eat a better cheesecake. (Feb. 4, 2011: Except, er, I have another recipe here called “The Perfect Classic Cheesecake.” I think it’s better.)

Notes:
*Don’t you dare use reduced-fat anything.
*Farm eggs make the cake look yellowish. If it’s a white cheesecake you are after, use anemic store-bought eggs. (I used farm eggs for this cake.)
*You must, absolutely must, put a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven. It’s the key to making a moist, creamy cheesecake.
*The topping is not optional.
*Make the cake the day before you eat it. Those few extra hours in the fridge make it that much better.

For the crust:
2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup butter, melted

Stir together the cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the butter and stir to combine. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and (three-quarters of the way) up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for five minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

For the cake:
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, separated

Beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Using the egg-white-y beaters, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Fold in the egg whites.

Bring a couple quarts of water to a rolling boil. Pour the boiling water into a 9 x 13 metal pan and set the pan on the bottom rack of the oven.

Pour the cake batter into the pre-baked crust. Put the cake in the oven, on the rack above the pan of water.

Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and starting to crack around the edges and the center is almost set (it will still jiggle a little). Remove the cake and cool to room temperature. It will sink as it cools.

For the topping:
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Whip the heavy cream till peaks form. Set aside.

Stir together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream.

Spread the topping on the cooled cake, the whole way out to the edges.

Cover the cake with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Serve plain, or with fresh fruit or a fruit sauce.

About One Year Ago: Apple Tart with Cider-Rosemary Glaze.