Halloween Party

UK Library’s Hospitality Committee did not want you to have to wait until dark to start your Halloween celebration so they hosted a potluck breakfast and costume party on October 29th. The staff lounge was definitely scarier than usual with several people dressed-up for the costume contest. The winner was Mary McLaren who came as “Honey” the Beekeeper (thankfully, no one was stung). Second place went to Debbie Sharp, who came as a cat (she might have won if she had sung “Memories”). Katheryn LeFevre, Tari Keller, and Peggy Phillips also participated.

In the so called Intellectual Contest, Kitty Taylor came closest to guessing the right number of candy corns in the jar. Guess what her prize was – that’s right, a jar and 310 candy corns.

Several door prizes were also awarded. Genia Kempster, Mary Geyer, Kathy Franklin, and Shirley Greene all won pumpkins. Mary Schleifer won a Young Library Mug (hopefully an approved container). Mary Spencer and Kazuko Hioki won mums. Cheri Daniels won a potted plant. And, lucky Chris Worland won the Bourbon Chocolate cake.

And, speaking of Bourbon Chocolate Cake, here is Jennifer Richmond’s fabulous recipe:

Dark chocolate bourbon cake

1/4 cup instant coffee
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup bourbon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups flour
powdered sugar for dusting

Combine coffee, cocoa powder and boiling water in a large bowl. Stir to dissolve powders. Add bourbon and salt, set aside.

Beat the butter in a large bowl on medium until fluffy and light. Add sugar a bit at a time until it is combined. Add the eggs, vanilla and baking soda and beat together on medium.
Melt chocolate in the microwave or on your stove top. Add to bowl. Mix to combine.

Add 1/2 of the bourbon mixture to the bowl. Add one cup of flour then mix. Add the rest of the bourbon and the remaining cup of flour. Mix well until there are no lumps.
Pour into a greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean from the center of the cake.

Cool and invert on to cake plate. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.