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I'm having my birthday party tomorrow evening. A few folks will be coming over for dessert & pinata smashing. It should be fun.

I've put more time than is necessary into making the desserts. The aspiring cooking show host in me really came out.

Much of this afternoon was devoted to making a double recipe of:

Raspberry Truffles
(recipe from WS, a man who went to the church I grew up in)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 T butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup berry preserves
2 T brandy (I used port)
16 oz. raspberries
1/2 cup cocoa

Melt chocolate, preserves, and butter in the microwave oven. Stir in the brandy. Plop a berry into the batter, submerge it, then fish it out and place it on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.
As the raspberries are dipped into the batter, occasionally zap the batter with microwaves to keep it a thick liquid. Let the coated berries harden in the freezer or refrigerator, then coat them with cocoa. Store frozen until one or two hours before serving, then refrigerate right up to serving time.

the other item on the menu is:

Soft Ginger Cake with Mascarpone Mousse
(from Aquavit by Marcus Samuelsson)

for the mascarpone mousse:
1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin (not wanting to eat horse, I'm using pectin)
2 T cold espresso
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean split lengthwise in half (after seeing how spendy vanilla beans are, I'm using flavoring)
1/4 lb. mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream

for the ginger cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped peeled ginger
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold espresso

1/4 cup espresso
2 tsp. Kahlua
1 tsp. Bailey's Irish Cream
1/4 cup sugar

1. Prepare the mousse: sprinkle the gelatin over the espresso in a small cup. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
2. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the seeds to the egg yolks. Set the pan or bowl over simmering water and whist until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Add the gelatin mixture and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Transfer to a medium nown and fold in the mascarpone. Let cool completely.
3. Beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl until it forms soft peaks. Fold into the mascarpone mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Prepare the cake: preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line the bottom with a square of parchment and butter the parchment.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a large bowl.
6. Heat the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add the ginger and lemon zest and cook, stirring for one minute. Remove from the heat and add to the flour mixture, stirring to mix well. Stir in the egg, then stir in the espresso.
7. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
8. While the cake is cooling, combine the espresso, Kahlua, Bailey's, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and brush the warm cake generously with the syrup. Invert it onto a rack, peel off the paper, and brush generously with the syrup. Invert onto a serving plate.
9. To serve, cute the cake into squares or rectangles. Transfer to dessert plates and top each slice with a large dollop of the mascarpone mousse. Pass remaining mousse at table.

and that is how I will spent my tomorrow afternoon.