b'Marianist TableBLUEBERRIESin al\x08 THEIR GLORYBrothers signature Black Orchard Cake cause for celebration, community By Kathleen NelsonP eople are quick to haul out the holly when first, second and third layers, heDecember rolls around. Marianist Brother spoons blueberry jam, followed byAndrew Kosmowski instead gathers blueberries thawed and drained frozen berries,to prepare his signature Black Orchard Cake, a tradition followed by whipped cream. Heat the Marianist Novitiates annual Christmas party.crowns the top layer with whippedInspired by the traditional cherry Black Forest cream, followed by fresh berries andCake of his mom, Patricia, he added his own twist. shaved dark chocolate, then garnishesHer secret was to soak the fruit in kirschwasser, a the masterpiece with chocolate-coveredcherry liqueur; his secret is to layer blueberries in all blueberries.of their glory: fresh and frozen, as pie filling and jam, And voila! he said. Its fantasticand even chocolate-covered. served cold. Chocolate cake is such a good winter cake, said The cake has become so popularBro. Andrew, who professed vows in 2006. And I have that Bro. Andrew has tinkered withblueberries everywhere. the recipe at different times of theHe starts with two, 9-inch-round chocolate cakes, year, always to critical acclaim. Hes Brother Andrew based on a one-bowl recipe he found in the Better Homes used raspberries at Thanksgiving and Kosmowski, SM& Gardens New Cookbook. He makes it his own by has crafted a variation with oranges, Cool Whip, andomitting salt, substituting dark cocoa powder, and triple sec. His summer version features white cake,adding blueberry pie filling for moisture and density.strawberries, and cream cheese icing. Ive tried a few recipes, but love this one because Though his love of the original cake came fromits so easy, Bro. Andrew said. his mom, he honed his culinary skills with the 4-HAfter the cakes cool, he slices each into two layers, Club in Genesee County, New York. He also tookso that he has four beds of chocolate cake. On the every home economics class offered in high schoolbecause I knew that at some point in time, Id haveto cook for myself. He didnt realize at the time that hed also becooking for others, a treasured part of Marianist hos-pitality. Serving as lead librarian at the North AmericanCenter for Marianist Studies, Bro. Andrew lives incommunity with three other Marianist brothers inDayton. Ive noticed that the better the meal, the longer welinger to share conversation, he said, which is agreat way to grow in community.\x01Kathleen Nelson is a writer/photographer from St. Louis. 20 Call 1.800.348.4732'