Books > The Lady & Sons Just Desserts > Excerpts

Two Brothers' Chocolate Gobs

I remember making these so very often for two cute little towheaded brothers. If I shut my eyes I can see them right now, running through the back door, leading a pack of more cute little towheaded boys. They would be heading them straight to the refrigerator, slingin' open the door, laughin' and yappin' and wiping snot off their upper lips with their shirtsleeves, and smelling like wet dogs; the epitome of snips, and snails, and puppy-dog tails. The pack had interrupted their play long enough to come in and nab what they most assuredly knew would be in the bottom left-hand crisper drawer of the fridge: the yummy and unforgettable chocolate gob!

It's hard to believe that those two smelly little boys have grown into the same two handsome and good-smelling men: my dear sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. And by the way, some things never change: after all these years, they still love those chocolate gobs.

CAKE
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa

FILLING
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cream together sugar and shortening in bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy; add eggs, continuing to beat. Stir together buttermilk, boiling water, and vanilla; blend this into creamed mixture at low speed. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. Add to mixture 1 cup at a time, blending well at low speed. Batter will be very thin, but not to worry. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, allow to cool, and transfer to wax paper.

For filling, put flour into a saucepan and slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Cream together sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy. Spread onto bottom side of cookie and top with another cookie, to make a sandwich. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, store in refrigerator, and save for those snotty-nosed precious little boys and girls.

Yields 25 Gobs

Copyright © 2002 by Paula H. Deen