Delicious Double Chocolate Muffins

Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda posted a picture of some chocolate muffins last week and I must have been hormonal, or something, because I wanted chocolate muffins now! I held off for a couple days, but they were on my mind a lot!

I made breakfast for dinner on Monday, and chocolate muffins were on the menu. They were so good. I mean really, really good. I am not sure I have ever made a double chocolate muffin before, but these could not have been better. They were definitely muffins, not cupcakes, but so chocolatey!

You need to make some soon. Seriously.

I used the recipe as found at Dinner with Julie, and the only change I made was to use coconut oil instead of canola oil or butter. I melted it before I added it. It added a definite coconut flavor, so if you don't like that flavor, use a less flavorful oil. I loved it!

I think I will fool around with a recipe a bit and try some flour blends for more nutrition, and sub out some yogurt for some oil. I'll let you know if I do. Here is the recipe as written. Do try!

Part of a healthy breakfast dinner (scrambled eggs and tomatoes, apple slices, sausage, and muffins!) 

Double Chocolate Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil or butter, melted (or coconut oil, melted)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and stir just until well blended.

Divide batter among a dozen paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until domed and springy to the touch.

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Salted Deep Dish Brownies

I have recently become aware of how the simple sprinkling of coarse salt on a baked good can completely change the taste. I experimented for the first time last year with Jeni's Salted Caramel Ice Cream (apparently I forgot to blog about that one), and then at Christmas with Annie's Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars. Of course, I had tried neither of those recipes without the salt, so I can't say how the salt changed the flavor.


I make these brownies all the time, however, so I can honestly say a little sprinkle of salt truly changes the flavor. With a really coarse sea salt, you get the salty flavor and tiny bit of crunch in almost every bite. It's really remarkable how good, how different it is. I saw them somewhere online -- it may have been Annie's Salty Caramel Brownies -- but I didn't want caramel, I just wanted the chocolate with the salt. So I used my favorite old stand-by brownie recipe, which is so quick and easy, but so chocolatey and fudgie, and after they cooled for a short while, I cut them and then sprinkled some coarse sea salt across the top (I think cutting them after sprinkling would displace the salt unless you cut them and left them in the pan). Yum. I then made them another day and we placed them beneath a scoop of brown sugar ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Yum. I don't think you can go wrong here.

Salted Deep Dish Brownies

makes 16

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Grease an 8 inch square pan.

In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

Gradually blend into the egg mixture.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brownies begin

to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let cool for about 25 minutes until the top feels coolish but the bottom is still warm. 

Cut brownies with a bench knife of sharp kitchen knife. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

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Noah's Ginormous Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

My youngest son, Noah (and the biggest as it turns out), has been harassing me to make these cookies. Oreo-stuffed anything is not my idea of a good cookie, but after he begged and begged and even offered to help, I gave in.

I admit, they were good. I couldn't have eaten more than one, but they were pretty darn good. And Noah was really happy with the whole helping-mom-make-cookies thing. All by himself. Which is really funny since he's a good head-and-a-half taller than me.

And you better believe he hid the cookie jar after we filled it. He is forcing his siblings to ask him for a cookie. Tee hee.

You can find the recipe all over the internet and in foodie magazines, but Noah did the research and he picked the Picky Palate's recipe. We followed the recipe exactly the way it was written, but ours required a slightly longer cooking time. They looked pretty gooey after the timer went off, so I gave 'em another five or so. I altered the time in the recipe to my oven and taste. We had regular Oreos, not Double Stuff, so less of our cream shows. You decide which to use.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes about 2 dozen really big cookies

2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 T. pure vanilla

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

10 oz. bag chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, Ghiradelli)

about a dozen Oreo cookies

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

 In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto  baking sheet and bake cookies 12-18 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  

Source: modified from The Picky Palate

Got teens?

School's out for the summer and suddenly I have teen boys at home all day, and they are hungry!

I don't realize how much food they don't eat when they are just somewhere else. Holy cow! It's all they think about.

Last night after dinner they were clamoring for dessert (two boys ate 16 Drumsticks in four days) and I had just seen this dessert at sophistimom on Pinterest (gosh it's hard these days to find the original recipe. Click, click, click....).

This dessert just has "teenage boys" all over it.

Stressed out mommies, too.

It was delicious and though it served eight pieces, if you have a big family, you'd best invest in another pan. This is a keeper.

PS I used an 8-inch cast iron skillet and followed the recipe exactly, except for using chocolate chips (Ghiradelli dark) instead of chunks.

Skillet Chocolate Chipper

serves 8

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in an 8 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Let rest until pan is warm, but no longer very hot, about 5 minutes.

 Crack an egg onto the butter and sugar mixture, and use a fork to whisk it well into the mixture. Place flour, baking soda, and salt on top, and very carefully stir into the mixture until smooth and well-mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes*, or until starting to turn golden on the top and around the edges, but soft in the center. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

* Mine took at least 10 minutes longer than the recommended time, but it would have been good with only five minutes more -- it wasn't terribly gooey and gooey is a good thing.

Bourbon Balls for Derby Day

We had no real vested interested in the Kentucky Derby held this evening, certainly no money on any horse, but it's always fun to watch and to live vicariously through the partiers who are there in person.

 I made a batch of Bourbon Balls to help celebrate. They are traditionally a Christmas treat, but because they are so delicious, and since bourbon is the best known Kentucky beverage, why not enjoy them on Derby Day...chewy, sweet, and with just a little bite from good Kentucky bourbon. I used some good Wild Turkey American Honey.

The base of bourbon balls is almost always crushed vanilla wafers. I didn't really use a recipe and it's not rocket science, so just estimate until you get a mixture that holds together when you squeeze it in your hands. You can roll them in powdered sugar like I did, or crushed nuts, cocoa, or dip them in melted chocolate. We have a nut allergy in our home, so I substitute additional vanilla wafers for the chopped nuts.

 Bourbon Balls 

makes about 20

 3 cups crushed vanilla wafers (I just poured the entire box into the food processor -- you can substitute one cup finely chopped nuts -- pecans or walnuts -- for one cup of cookie crumbs)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 T. cocoa

2 T. light Karo syrup

5 T. bourbon (more if needed to get the right consistency)

After processing the cookies, add powdered sugar and cocoa to cookies in bowl of food processor. Pulse a few times. Add Karo syrup and pulse a few times. Drizzle in bourbon and pulse until mixture sticks together. Form into balls about the size of cherries. Roll in powdered sugar like I did, or crushed nuts, cocoa,or melted chocolate.




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Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe is a rerun on my food blog, but it's been a couple years since I posted it and I had such a hard time finding it here that I thought I'd repost it.

 I brought these cupcakes to a family get-together on Easter Monday (hence the candy egg-topped frosting) and my father-in-law later said they were the best thing he ever tasted. Ever! He cracks me up. He is either a total brown-noser or he just loves sweets too much! I suspect it's the former, but he does have a sweet tooth.

 The cake part of these cupcakes is a really yummy cake recipe and would be wonderful even without the cream filling. They dome very well for a scratch cupcake and are moist and tender. I find that chocolate cupcakes really are superior to white in the moist and tender department.

 The cream filling part is easy peasy. I fill a decorator bag (with a star tip), and then push a sharp-tipped knife through the cupcake paper on the bottom, stick the point of the bag in and squeeze to the count of three. No need to cut away the cake, the cream just oozes in and makes a little pocket. Lovely!

 The frosting is a soft, chocolate buttercream, just the right topping, but they are also yummy with this Vanilla Buttercream on top.

The recipe makes a lot so they are perfect for a bake sale, scouting get-together, or just a family party!

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cupcakes

makes about 30

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

⅓ c. cocoa

2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1 c. vegetable oil

1 c. water

1 t. vanilla extract

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Filling

¼ c. butter, softened

¼ c. shortening

2 c. confectioners' sugar

3 T. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

pinch salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients.

Add eggs, milk, oil, water and vanilla.

Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Fill a decorator bag, fitted with a star tip, with filling. Slit the paper on the botton of the cupcake just slightly. 

Insert tip and squeeze to the count of three.

Frosting

1/4 c. butter, softened

2/3 c. cocoa

3 c. powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

about 1/3 c. milk

In a mixing bowl, whip butter. Add cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

(If you are going to frost cupcakes using a decorator bag and tip,

 you will want to make more frosting -- 1.5 or 2 times the recipe)

Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Cupcakes

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I am sure if you have egg and milk allergies in your house, you already have your favorite goody recipes. I recently needed an egg-free recipe to take to a friend's house and had nothing in my recipe box to make. Though the frosting on these cupcakes is my standard Buttercream Recipe and has milk and butter (you could surely sub with an alternate soy or almond milk, and shortening or margarine), the cupcakes are really what I remember being so good. Maybe I was partly surprised that they were so good, but they were really good, all on their own, allergy-free notwithstanding.

If you need a cucpake recipe, don't feel the slightest bit shy about serving these -- even to folks who are perfectly happy eating eggs and dairy. They rose to a nice dome, not spilling over the sides of the tins (although I did leave a little batter in the bowl to not overfill). I found the recipe here, and I made them just the way the recipe is written.

Egg-Free and Dairy-Free Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vinegar
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. oil
1 c. cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients (I beat briefly with mixer) and pour into muffin tin (use papers) filling just a little over halfway, maybe 2/3. Bake until done, when cake springs back to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean. Mine baked about 15 minutes. Frost with any frosting, I used Buttercream and sugar sprinkles.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

I have an uncle who is the quintessential chocoholic. There is no chocolate treat too chocolately for him. Each Christmas I make him a batch of fudge and he savors it for weeks. This year, however, I had these Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars on my mind and wanted a reason to make them (like I need a reason). My uncle was most appreciative. They are very chocolatey and very rich. I packed my uncle a full tin and had some left to put out for dessert on New Year's Eve. The recipe makes a lot because you really need to cut them small.

I halved the ingredients for the caramel because I didn't want the chocolate to be over-powered. I think, however, the chocolate can hold its own (the recipe is listed below as Annie originally listed it). I spoke with a friend about her experience with this recipe. She said she never got her caramel to darken because she was afraid the caramel would get too chewy (she didn't have a candy thermometer). I put my candy thermometer in the pan to make certain the caramel didn't reach too high a temperature and I'll tell you it took almost 30 minutes to achieve the color I did. Mine still was not as dark as Annie's.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

For the shortbread layer:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

For the caramel layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer::

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. light corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces Fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling

To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden. (If the crust puffs up a bit while baking, just gently press it down while it is cooling.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly. Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set. (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added.)

To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with salt (I had to chill them for more than a few minutes before the chocolate set enough for the salt not to dissolve on contact). Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.

My brother John's Ginormous Double Chocolate Cookies

Over Labor Day weekend we had a family gathering at our house and my brother John promised he would bring his latest culinary invention -- 1/2 pound chocolate cookies. My brother is a perfectionist when is comes to cooking, so he tries a recipe and tries it again until he gets it perfect. These cookies are pretty near perfect if you ask me, but if you're not a chocaholic, they might be just a little too much cookie for you.

Am I baiting you? Maybe  ;-)

Really, I couldn't even eat a whole cookie at one sitting -- not even a half, so they really are a lot of cookie. But if you have the need, these cookies definitely fit the bill. One recipe would make a whole batch of cookies, but with this recipe you divide the dough up into six or seven giant balls and end up with six or seven half-pound cookies. The texture is wonderful -- soft and chewy but not gooey. They would be a great addition to a tailgate party or home football party -- even if you had to cut them in quarters to give them away.

My brother's notes are in italics.

John's Ginormous Double Chocolate Cookies

 3 cups flour

1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 T. corn starch
1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar (I use dark but it can be either)
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 t. kahlua

2 cups quality chocolate chunks (I use Graeter's dark chocolate)

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients.  (I didn't sift, just made sure they were well mixed)

In a separate bowl cream butter with the sugars.  Add eggs and kahlua, and mix.

Slowly mix in the flour mixture.  (I did it about a cup at a time).  This is a very heavy dough.

Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chunks.

Bake (on a parchment paper covered pan -- extra large cookie sheet) in preheated oven at 375 for 8 minutes.  

Without opening oven door turn temperature down to 325 and bake an additional 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet for 10 minutes. 

NOTE: When placing the dough on the cookie sheet I go with 6 at a time.  I make them somewhere around tennis ball sized, maybe a touch smaller.  I've never weighed them but I would go with somewhere between 6 - 8oz each. 

Rich Chocolate Cake and Sweet Vanilla Buttercream

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My brother was in town from Maryland for his birthday this year. We usually don't see each other on our birthdays -- mine is just two days after his -- one year and two days apart, but this year he was in town for my grandma's 95th birthday party, the same day as my birthday -- we have a lot of late June birthdays in my family.

My brother asks every year for a chocolate cake with white frosting and this year I was able to oblige him. I made my favorite dark chocolate cake and a variation of my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting -- a wonderful combination. I split my cake batter up into three pans for a super tall cake -- makes for great presentation. I piped a pretty edge around the top and bottom, shaved some Lindt dark chocolate on top and studded the bottom edge with dark chocolate covered espresso beads. It was a sight to behold if I do say so myself. ;-) Fortunately it tasted just as good as it looked.

My house was nice and cool so the cake sat on the dining room table awaiting the singing of the birthday song, but if it's at all warm in your house you will want to make room on a refrigerator shelf -- this buttercream frosting is very soft and will not hold up to heat.

 

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar
1¾ c. flour
¾ c. cocoa
1½ t. baking soda
1½ t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup oil
2 t. vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour two (or three) round 9” pans.
In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Stir in boiling water by hand (batter will be thin).
Pour into prepared pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes for two round pans about 20-25 for three (toothpick test).
Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 pounds powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla extract

milk as needed to make frosting of spreading consistency

2 oz dark chocolate for grating

dark-chocolate covered espresso beans or other decorative candy

Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add all of the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, adding milk by the tablespoonful and scraping the bowl as needed until frosting is fluffy and spreadable.

Frost cake (using a crumb coat first because the chocolate crumbs will show on the white frosting). Using a grater, grate a layer of chocolate shavings over top of cake. Pipe a scallop around top and bottom edge if desired and stud bottom edge with coffee beans.

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Chocolate Cupcakes

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I have another summer supper to post here, but I need more than a few moments to gather my recipes and post them. In the meantime, I'll post this absolutely scrumptious recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes. You can make them in almost the time it takes to say Chocolate Cupcakes three times. Maybe a little longer ;-) but they are really easy.

I combined two really yummy cupcakes to come up with them. I made this recipe from Tasty Kitchen a few months ago but I really was not gaga over the cake. You know me and cake. So for my son's grad party, I took my favorite, super easy cupcake recipe and combined it with the truly delicious ganache frosting from the other recipe. The cupcake is so soft and moist and perfect, and the ganache gets a little bit firm (unless left in the heat -- don't do that!). It's delightful to break through the topping to get to the soft cupcake. It's very, um, Hostessesque, but so much better. I modified the ganache recipe for ease in measuring and for a little bit more ganache.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache
24 cupcakes

 

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1 pkg plain devil's food cake mix
2 T unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup oil
½ cup water
3 eggs
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners (I do one pan at a time, so youu can just use one pan if you want). Set pans aside.

Place cake mix, cocoa powder, sour cream, oil, water, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend on low for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and beat 2 minutes longer. Pour batter into cupcake lined pans two-thirds full. Bake until cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 20-26 minutes. Cool on racks for 5 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack until completely cool. Frost with ganache and refrigerate if it's very warm in the house.

½ cups heavy cream

 ½ cups butter 

2 cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat the heavy cream and 1/2 cup butter in the microwave until it is steaming. Remove and add the  chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes (really -- just let it sit, don't fuss) then stir until smooth. If necessary, heat again very briefly until chocolate is completely melted.

Let it sit for at least an hour or until it becomes ‘spreadable’. You may have to put it in the fridge in summer months in order to help it along. Spread on cool cupcakes. 

Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake

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Last week, I was planning my menu for Mother's Day dinner. My mom was planning to be with us and I was planning as much of dinner to be prepared before hand as possible. My husband likes to think that he does all the work on Mother's Day, which just means I have to appear to not be working on the actual day. It makes for a lot of work, I'll tell you that. I asked one of the kids, "How about a strawberries and cream cake for Mother's Day?" To which he replied, "How about a chocolate cheesecake?" I suppose that's what I get for asking. 

I hunted down a new recipe for cheesecake, something we had not tried before and I am so glad I did. This recipe was not only very simple to make, but it was such a yummy cheesecake. Very soft and chocolatey, but not overly so, it was a perfect cheesecake. I really liked the crust -- with the addition of the cocoa powder, you take a graham cracker crust and make it chocolate. Yum!

A few notes: custard powder is instant vanilla pudding, so you'll need to buy a small box and use 1 tablespoon. I always keep an open box on-hand for adding to whipping cream, so you can use the rest another day. Also, I did not use all of the sauce on top -- it was too much. You can either half the recipe or save the remainder for drizzle over each piece at serving time.

Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake

 serves 12

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Cheesecake base:

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup butter

1 T. cocoa

Cheesecake filling:

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small

2 1/2 cups cream cheese

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1 T. custard powder (instant vanilla pudding)

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 t. cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Sauce:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 t. dark corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

To make the base, process the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling. 

Put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter. 

Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.

Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling.

Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it. 

Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve. 

To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. 

Source: The Food Network

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

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This is one of those recipes that not only does not qualify as a recipe, but it almost does not qualify as food. But it's yummy un-food. My kids really love this dessert and when we left them (with the 18-year-old) recently for a night out, I made it as a special treat. The funny thing is, adults love it too, and you would never guess what the ingredients are by tasting it. I usually don't eat any of these ingredients on their own, but I can't resist a piece of this dessert. You can double the ingredients and put it in a 13 x 9 pan, but I can't remember if you use all the ice cream sandwiches that way.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

9 servings

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1 box ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped (duh!)

1 small container Cool Whip

1 bottle Smucker's Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream topping

maraschino cherries, optional

In a 9 x 9 pan arrange a single layer of ice cream sandwiches, cutting a sandwich to fit where necessary. Spoon half the Cool Whip on the sandwiches and spread to edges. Drizzle with a layer of Magic Shell. Place another layer of ice cream sandwiches and the rest of the Cool Whip. Drizzle with Magic Shell. Freeze until ready to serve. Top with a cherry if desired.

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Lincoln Log

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Sorry to have two chocolate recipes in a row (I know it's a real hardship for you ::wink::), but I posted the picture of the Lincoln Log at Praying for Grace and I figured that I'd better follow up with a recipe here. No fair just sharing pictures, right?

This recipe is traditionally served by my husband's family on President's Day or President Lincoln's birthday. It's a yummy tradition to carry on, so I am happy to do it.

Lincoln Log

serves 8

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1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt
4 eggs, divided

1/2 t. vanilla

1/3 cup plus 1/2  cup granulated sugar, divided

2 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup semi sweet chocolate (either chips or finely chopped pieces)

Grease and line a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with parchment or waxed paper. Then grease and flour paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla at high speed for 5 minutes or so until eggs are thick and lemon colored. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until sugar dissolves. 

In another mixer with clean beaters, beat egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into whites very gently. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture and fold gently until incorporated. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. While cake is baking, sprinkle powdered sugar over a clean tea towel. When cake is done, immediately flip cake out of pan and onto towel. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake in tea towel. Cool on a wire rack. (You can see the rolling process here.)

Beat cream to stiff peaks with powdered sugar. When cake is cool, carefully unroll cake and fill with sweetened whipped cream and re-roll (If cake begins to crack, try to re-roll it -- the cream will probably hold it together).

Place rolled cake on a serving platter and prepare glaze. Heat 3/4 cup cream to steaming and pour over chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for a minute (leave it alone). Stir until chocolate melts and then let it sit to cool for a few minutes. Pour glaze over cake from the top slowly drizzling, back and forth, so it will slowly drip down over sides. Chill until ready to serve.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

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If there is any ingredient which says love to my family, it is, chocolate. Like so many people today, my kids, and husband, are chocolate lovers, and so I knew I would have to make a chocolate dessert for Valentine's Day last week. I have made a flourless chocolate cake before -- technically a souffle, but flourless chocolate cake I think sounds less intimidating -- but somehow lost my favorite recipe. I hunted on the internet and thought Tyler Florence's recipe sounded almost identical to the one I made before. I'm not certain it was, after tasting it, but then it's been a while since I've made it. It was very delicious and received raves from all parties. I admit that I left it in the oven a little longer than it was supposed to be, as I kept thinking that it looked too wet. It was a bit dry as a result -- at least around the outside, so do not wait for it to look done to take it out. I did modify the time a little bit and I also added a pinch of salt.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

serves 10-12

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16 oz.  bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces (I used semi sweet baking chocolate squares)

  1/2 cup unsalted butter
    9 large eggs, separated
    ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

pinch salt
    whipping cream, for serving
        Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate - then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture and salt.

Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture (This takes patience. Do not stir, just fold until there are no streaks of egg left.). Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.

While the cake is cooking, whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy.

Serve at room temperature dusted with confectioners' sugar and topped with whipped cream.

Source: Modified from Food Network

       

Mexican Chocolate Cake

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For this past Sunday's dessert, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I baked this Mexican Chocolate Cake, the recipe for which I found at Catholic Cuisine. It was divine. Really. It was a lot like a Texas Sheet Cake, which I always enjoy, except for the addition of cinnamon. Mmmm. Cinnamon and chocolate seem to be a quintessential Mexican dessert combo, and they are so yummy. This cake is moist and the icing is rich and buttery and so good you could eat the whole recipe right out of the pan (at least I could!).

This would be a great recipe to enjoy during Las Posadas, the Mexican celebration which begins today, December 16, and remembers the trip that Mary and Joseph made by donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, arriving to find "no room at the inn."

I modified the frosting because I did not have a box of powdered sugar and I had no idea (nor the desire to determine) how much powdered sugar is in a box. I also omitted the nuts for allergy reasons.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. oil
4 T. cocoa
1 c. water
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter, oil, cocoa and water in sauce pan. Heat until butter is melted.

Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine with first mixture.

Pour batter into a greased 12-by-18-inch cake pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool slightly and prepare frosting. Pour warm, liquid frosting over cake and spread to edges while cake is just slightly warm.

Mario Bosquez's Mexican Chocolate Icing

1/2 c. butter
4 T. cocoa
6 T. milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

1 c. pecans chopped (optional)

Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in saucepan. Heat until bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat.

Add vanilla, and nuts (if desired). Add powdered sugar and beat with a whisk until smooth. Ice cake while frosting is warm, not stiff.

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Source: Catholic Cuisine, originally from In the Kitchen with Mario Bosquez

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Chocolate Sorrow Cake

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Yesterday we remembered Our Blessed Mother on her feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It has become a tradition to make a heart-shaped cake with seven "swords" depicting the seven sorrows that pierced the heart of Our Lord's mother. In the past I have used pretzel sticks for swords. This year I cut swords from craft sticks (aka Popsicle sticks, um, unused). The cake is easy to put together by making one round cake and one square (this method). I frosted it with vanilla buttercream frosting, ignoring my husband's pleas for chocolate frosting because, I argued, Our Blessed Mother's heart was pure white -- besides the cake was chocolate. The cake was a Chocolate Sour Cream cake. It's a moist and spongy cake with rich chocolate flavor. I used low-fat sour cream, so the end result is not a high-fat cake, though you definitely get a rich flavor and moist texture. The recipe for the cake came from the Pillsbury Complete Cookbook.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
serves 12 printer version

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1 cup water
3/4 c. sour cream (I use low-fat)
1/4 c. shortening
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and line bottom with wax paper (or for the Our Lady of Sorrows cake a round and a square).

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder; mix well.

In a large bowl, combine water, sour cream, shortening, vanilla, eggs and chocolate; blend well. Add dry ingredients; blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Pour batter into greased, floured and lined pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans.

Cool completely before frosting.

Source: Pillsbury Complete Cookbook
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Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookies

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My mother makes the best Chocolate Chip Cookies. I bet your mom does, too. Because no matter what chocolate chip cookie you eat, your mom's always tastes best -- it's what you know best, right?

Well, I've made a lot of chocolate chippers in my day, but I just can't beat my mother's. Hers are crisp and rich and have that je ne sais pas that makes them hers. Well, actually, I do know what that je ne sais pas is (so I guess it's not so unknown) -- dark brown sugar and Imperial margarine. You may think those don't seem like such unusual ingredients, but I have tried this recipe forwards and backwards and those two ingredients provide the je ne sais pas. If you don't like your chocolate chippers crisp, this may not be the cookie for you, but I can tell you that you can substitute 1/2 Crisco and half butter for the margarine and you'll get a softer cookie, without the crisp middle.

Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 36-48 depending on scoop size

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2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 sticks Imperial brand margarine (1 c. total)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz . chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, but yummy)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until well combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts, if desired and stir until well mixed. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

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S'more Bars

I have to apologize that it took me a whole week to share these little lovelies with you. I made them last Sunday and I have, honestly, been thinking about them since the last one was consumed sometime in the hours after I went to bed Sunday and when I awoke Monday. They didn't even have a chance to be my breakfast on Monday morning. Drats! My oldest teenage son has an enormous appetite and sweets left untended during the night are gone by morning.

It was probably for the better because one bar after dinner gave me heartburn. Paired with black coffee in the morning, it would surely have been trouble, albeit worth every nibble. These bars are just as good as a true-blue s'more, maybe better. The crust has the flavor of a s'more, but with added buttery goodness. The melted chocolate stays pretty gooey even after they cool, and the marshmallow bakes up and gets just a little bit sticky -- perfect texture.

I had a little trouble getting the top crust right, and in fact, the marshmallow oozed up through the cracks in it. Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything (where I found this gem) patted her top crust onto parchment and then transferred it to the bars. I, in my usual impatience, could not be bothered, so I sort of pressed walnut-size pieces flat with my palm and then placed them carefully on top of the marshmallow. The cracks, however, allowed the marshmallow to ooze. That was not really enough of a negative thing for me to alter my method next time. However, if you want a pretty top on your bars, you better do what Christy did. I was not able to find jumbo Hershey bars at my grocer (we -- jokingly --call my discount grocer the Communist grocer because you get what you get), so I used four regular bars. I would do the same again so my change is noted below.

S'more Bars
16 bars

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1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 regular-size Hershey bars
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. (I pressed walnut-size pieces flat in my palm and placed them over the marshmallow. Try to get them to meet so the marshmallow does not ooze up.)

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

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We're back to dessert, and this one is a classic. Chocolate Mayonnaise cake is a cake made with, duh, mayonnaise, which replaces the eggs and the fat in a regular scratch cake. It's a dense cake, slightly moist, but not quite fudgy moist. It has great chocolate flavor, and a depth of flavor not found in a regular chocolate cake made with eggs and fat. I have, with success, used low fat mayonnaise and salad dressing in this cake, so it could be a low fat choice (if you skip the frosting and maybe just dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar).

This recipe was passed down from my husband's grandmother, and to me that makes it a better recipe than one found in any old cookbook. I've said before that a recipe that evokes emotion is a recipe to keep. I love thinking about my husband's father eating this cake as a little boy, and then my own husband eating it as a little boy. Those images make the cake even sweeter. The frosting is my own.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
serves 12-20

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3 cups flour
3 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
6 T. cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 t. vanilla
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 13 x 9 or two 8-inch cake pans.

Mix together in a large bowl the flour, soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. In another bowl, mix milk, vanilla, mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. Turn mixer on to medium-low and add about a third of the mayonnaise mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add the second third, then mix, and add last of mayonnaise mixture. Turn mixer on medium-high and beat until smooth.

Divide batter between cake pans (or put all the batter into 13 x 9). Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans or 40-45 minutes for an oblong pan, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack (not necessary for oblong pan). When cake is cool, frost with frosting of your choice.




Chocolate Frosting

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5 T. butter, softened, but not mushy
6 T. cocoa
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk added one tablespoon at a time (I used about 6 T.)

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cocoa until well blended.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending thoroughly.
Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time.
Whip for about a minute after final addition of milk,
until spreading consistency is desired.

Frost top of bottom layer.
Add top layer and frost top and sides.

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