Peter and his family are coming over tomorrow for his annual birthday party. This year, it’ll be brunch, a meal that easily incorporates one of his favorite foods, bacon.
Even though he elected a brunch menu, we will still have his traditional birthday cake for dessert: 4 chocolate layers with mocha whipped cream filling, topped with a chocolate ganache.
Every year, I try to re-create the filling, which calls for two packages of Jiffy fudge frosting mix. I’ve tried concocting my own frosting, high-end mousse mixes from places like Sid Wainer, and even have attempted to substitute a gourmet bakery product in lieu of making the cake myself – no dice.
Recently, the local markets have started selling an allergen-free chocolate frosting mix. It’s about $5 a box.
On a whim, I visited the Jiffy web site, which has a product locator, to see if I’ve left any stone unturned in the frosting mix quest. Turns out, the closest store is the Super K in Queensbury, NY in the Adirondacks, a 279 mile, 5 hour trek from here.
With the highway mileage I get on my truck, the cost of gas is about 10 cents a mile, so the trip would be $56, not including the infamous Mass. Pike tolls.
The best price per box option would be to buy a case (24 boxes) of Jiffy fudge frosting on Amazon for $23.76, plus $20.25 shipping. At two boxes/birthday and assuming no ant attacks, the mixes wouldn’t run out until James graduates from high school and Emme passes the bar.