Chocolate Gravy, Southern Style

Gravy, gravy, gravy!

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Here in the South, Chocolate Gravy is served at breakfast over "cat-head" biscuits, as my dear Dad calls them.   My own daughters used to gag at the idea of gravy being sweet, until they grew up a little and learned just how delicious chocolage gravy poured over a warm biscuit and topped with a pat of butter can be.

It's not something I make on a regular basis, but for a special breakfast treat.

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Speaking of Dad, his specialty was always Tomato Gravy, a savory gravy made with bacon drippings and flour, with chopped fresh tomato pieces added.  Yum, yum!  I must make some soon.

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My friend Jada shares her family's secret recipe for Chocolate Gravy.

Chocolate Gravy

2cups sugar

3TBS cocoa

3 heaping TBS flour

add 3-4cups HOT water

Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa with whisk first, then add your water.  Mix well.  Cook on med heat until it boils. 

Add more water if it gets too thick. Some like it thick, some dont. I let mine set and cool about 5 min before serving so its not like lava--lol--ENJOY! I've just let y'all in on a BIG family recipe  :)

Special Cake with Fudge Sauce

The strawberries were gone too soon.

But, there was still plenty of Aunt Mary's Special Cake to be eaten.  I recalled my Mom's  famous Skillet Cake and Fudge Sauce that I always requested for my birthday.  This recipe is not like hers, but it was quite yummy and was gone very soon.  I even had to make another batch to finish off the Special Cake.  My oldest daughter couldn't get enough of it.  I think she had it for supper one night along with another piece (or two) for dessert!

I just kinda threw this together and here's my sketchy instructions.

Microwave Fudge Sauce

1 square of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/3 stick butter
1/4 cup cream or sweet milk
powdered/confectioner sugar (as much as needed for taste and consistency - I think I used a cup or more)

Place chocolate, butter, and milk in a microwave dish.
Cook on high for 2-3 minutes.  Stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. Begin to add confectioner sugar, stirring after each addition until desired sauce consistency is achieved.

Aunt Mary's Special Cake with Strawberries

Several years ago I had a chance

to go through Aunt Mary's little recipe box.  I copied down the recipes that I thought I might like to make and read through those that I remembered her making.  There was Date Nut Cake, Chess Pie, Pecan Crisp Cookies and even a recipe on stationery sent from a friend along with a greeting and personal  note.  One that stood out to me was hid near the back of the box, with no name other than Cake.  Not wanting it to get lost in my files I renamed it "Special Cake". 



Over the years, I've made Special Cake several times, usually during the summer to go with strawberries and fresh whipped cream.  My oldest daughter happens to love Strawberry Shortcake. 



I made it again this weekend and decided to use my new bundt pan (can you call it a pan if it's ceramic?) from Williams-Sonoma that was a gift from my dear youngest brother.



My cake wanted to stick a little and didn't brown as well as the one on the cake pan lable, even after baking for 45 minutes.  I took a slice of it and cubed it up for Strawberry Shortcake Trifle. 



Don't you just love spring?  Spring brings us those delicious little red bits of delectable fruit we call strawberries.  Aunt Mary brought me a Special Cake recipe to use with that delicious fruit,  along with many wonderful memories.



Happy Spring and happy Strawberry Shortcake Season!

Read more about Aunt Mary's life and recipes