How exciting! On October 17, just in time for Halloween, the New York Review Children’s Collection will be re-releasing D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls. I have 1972 hardcover version of the book.

From the New York Book Review:

Trolls of all kinds—mountain trolls, forest trolls, trolls who live underwater and trolls who live under bridges, uncouth, unkempt, unbearable, unforgettable, and invariably unbelievably ugly trolls—fill the pages of D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls, the spectacularly illustrated and delightfully entertaining companion volume to the much-acclaimed D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths.

Here the husband-and-wife team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire explore the shadow side of Norse mythology, the night world in which the trolls work their wiles and carry on in the most bizarre and entertaining fashions, hunting for babies to eat or squabbling with each other in the blueberry patch. Trolls with multiple heads, trolls with heads they carry under their arms, and trolls with only one eye to share around, along with troll wives, whose long red noses are just the thing for stirring soup, roam the mountains of the north by night and retreat by day to sleep in caves full of silver and gold. With their matchless talent as storytellers and illustrators, the d’Aulaires bring to life the weird and wonderful world of Norse mythology.

I have been a huge fan of Ingri and Edgar Parin D’aulaire since childhood. Their Book of Greek Myths is one of my favorites of all time. I highly recommend all their books.

An ugly sort of cake – a troll type of pumpkin cake – comes to us from the folks at Kraft Foods. Now I’m sure they didn’t mean for it to be considered a troll cake, but it is kind of ugly and oozy like that troll in the Harry Potter movie with the nasty booger issues.

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
Ugly Pumpkin Troll Cake

Ingredients:

1. 1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2. 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided
3. 1/2 cup milk
4. 1/3 cup oil
5. 4 large eggs
6. 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
7. 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
8. 1 cup powdered sugar
9. 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
10. 1/4 cup caramel topping
11. 1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Beat cake mix, 1 cup of the pumpkin, the milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. of the pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
2. BAKE 28 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and remaining 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; mix well. Stir in the whipped topping.
3. CUT each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife. Stack layers on serving plate, spreading the cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top of cake.) Drizzle cake with caramel topping just before serving; sprinkle with the pecans. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

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