inkpadchocolate

10 Years: Toll House Cookie Pie

2012-02-14T17:22:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago tonight, a guy I sort of liked and I went to a local restaurant in our college town to pick up dessert after our Thursday evening commitments. (Ah, college.)

Of course, we go to pick it up and—I was only 19—there was a bouncer at the door. Being one of the few restaurants-turned-night-clubs in our college town, we hadn’t even considered this SNAFU. But I think I batted my eyelashes, we ~~begged~~ explained that we merely wanted to order dessert to go, and scurried through the door.

Inside was… interesting.

You see, not only had it turned into a night club scene, but Thursday night + bar + college town + Valentine’s Day = ...sorority mixer. Desperate, drunk, dateless women were everywhere. The bar was packed full of college girls who very clearly wanted one last chance to snag a Valentine’s Day date. Somehow, we managed to squeeze our way to the bar and order what I’m certain the bartender was not expecting—one Toll-House cookie pie to go please? (I’m sure more eyelash batting ensued.)

We waited for what seemed like forever—and because the night hadn’t been awkward enough for two people who had only just started to get to know one another, a sorority girl managed to spill the entire contents of her beer on my guy’s pants.

I think we had a good laugh once we escaped. We enjoyed our pie in a to-go box in the safety of his apartment.

The restaurant has since had two name/ownership changes, but it will always be Biltmore to us. We’ve never invested much into Valentine’s Day, but 02/02/2002 was our first kiss (I bet the groundhog didn’t predict that!), and the whole month of February has always held special significance for us. We stopped celebrating our dating anniversary once we got married in 2007, so imagine my shock and excitement to come home from the gym on 02/02/2012 to a homemade Toll House cookie pie—that my husband rushed home from work to bake for me after Googling the recipe. He even added the nuts, which he hates. I think he’s a keeper.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Toll House Cookie Pie
(adapted from this link)
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
2 large eggs
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened (I used salted; if using unsalted, add 1/2 t. salt)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped walnuts
Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixing bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in butter (and salt, if needed) and vanilla. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

(Also see one of my very first posts for the very similar Bourbon Walnut Pie.)

**pictures to come later this week... time to start dinner before he gets home!

Five-Layer Bars

2012-02-04T15:31:00.002-05:00

Well, hello there.

Long time no type.

It's been so long, even Blogger looks different.

In a rush for a quick dessert suitable for a big game, potluck, or tailgate?

It should come as no surprise by now that I like stuff in my chocolate

Five-Layer* Bars
Adapted from Epicurious
1 stick (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, melted
2 sleeves graham crackers, crushed
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
(*other toppings: pretzels, fleur de sel, potato chips, etc.—who's counting?!)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
2 c. pecans, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch pan and line with parchment paper, allowing enough overhang on the long side to lift the bars from the pan.

Place the melted butter and graham crackers in a bowl and combine well. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer to form the crust.

Sprinkle the coconut evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and any other desired toppings over the coconut. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the condensed milk layer. Press the layers down lightly. Transfer to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Set aside to cool completely and cut into 24 pieces.

Gooey goodness

Coconut Chocolate Chip Frozen Custard

2011-09-18T18:07:00.000-04:00

In college, I was introduced to Serendipity. The movie first, then the ice cream shop. (It was Thanksgiving Day 2001 and two hungry piccolo players who just marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were just trying to eat at ANYWHERE THAT WAS OPEN, but the wait at Serendipity was just too long. My Thanksgiving dinner ended up being cheesecake from some random diner and I don't even like cheesecake. But I digress.)

When I heard that a Serendipity was opening in DC, it was high on my list of places to visit and we ended up going on my birthday. I'll probably stick to the frrrrozen hot chocolate next time (the sundaes were 90% whipped cream, which is not my favorite), but two ginormous lunchtime sundaes sure was a funny sight to see!

Uhh, is there even any ice cream under there??

Anyway, years ago, my mom bought me the Serendipity book, but, without an ice cream maker, all I could do was drool on the pretty pictures. Well, fast forward 10 years and even with an ice cream maker, all I usually do is drool on the pretty pictures. :) But, if you like coconut cream pie and have an ice cream maker, I highly encourage you to MAKE THIS, adapted from that book. It tastes like summer and the guts of a coconut chess pie (which we were obsessed with while on our honeymoon even though it was possibly here that the waitress stole our credit card number then bought three airline tickets... small price to pay, right?). Mom already designated it as her requested birthday dessert for later this month!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Frozen Custard
Makes one generous quart
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
1 c. milk (I used 2%)
3 large egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. light cream
1 t. vanilla extract
3/4 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine coconut milk and milk in a medium nonstick saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

Combine yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Temper the eggs by adding half the milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture and quickly whisk until blended. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Be extremely careful not to overheat, as it is very easy to curdle egg yolks—the correct consistency will be ruined.

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the cream. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, add the vanilla extract and freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Five minutes before ice cream is finished churning, add coconut and mini chocolate chips. Remove the ice cream with a spatula and eat immediately or store in a plastic container in the freezer. (If ice cream is too soft, store in a plastic container in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours before serving.)

Farewell, summer!

Classic Blueberry Pie

2011-07-04T13:19:00.010-04:00

I'd like to let you in on a little secret: pie crusts terrify me. I guess part of it is that I'd rather eat a cake or brownies or ice cream than a temperamental pie. Also, when I think of pie, I think of fruit more than I think of chocolate (and chocolate pies, to me, deserve an Oreo or graham cracker crust anyway).

But it's time to get over my fear. I'm not going to improve if I only make one pie (spoiler: pumpkin) a year. Of course, a hot summer kitchen isn't really pie crust's best friend, but nothing says July 4th more than pie.

This recipe is from Annie, my new favorite blogger. Christina, however, gives a beautiful tutorial on the lattice pie crust. Never fear though, this pie is perfectly delicious with a standard double crust, as long as you make holes in it for the steam to escape (cutting holes with festive cookie cutters always brings it to the next level). My only change is that I have had success with Martha's pie crust and didn't want to change it up. I also used this "by hand in a bowl" method (but not the recipe) to avoid overmixing the dough in the food processor, and, let's be honest, to have one less appliance to clean. :)

Classic Blueberry Pie
2 rolled-out rounds basic pie dough
¾ c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
½ t. finely grated lemon zest
¼ t. salt
¼ t. cinnamon
4 c. blueberries
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 T. water

Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the rolled-out dough rounds. Set pan aside in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon. Place the blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss to distribute evenly. Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan. Dot with butter pieces. Either follow instructions for a lattice crust or place the remaining dough round on top of the pie and trim the excess from the bottom and top rounds. (Roll excess dough into shapes like mini pretzels, dust with cinnamon sugar, and bake alongside pie on a cookie sheet for 10–12 minutes... husbands love these but get made fun of if they bring them to the office in their lunch.) Crimp the dough rounds together to seal the edges. Be sure to cut vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.

Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, 20–30 minutes. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375°. In a small bowl, beat the egg and water with a fork to make an egg wash. Brush onto the top crust just before baking.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 50–60 minutes (55 was just right for me). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to set, 1–2 hours. Serve at room temperature or rewarm in a 350° oven for 10–15 minutes just before serving. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream.

Note: If fresh blueberries are unavailable, use frozen blueberries (without thawing) and increase the baking time by 10–15 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-06-17T11:09:00.009-04:00

I'm about to do something crazy.

From time to time, I share a recipe that is against my belief system. What belief system is that? "Vanilla is ick." Oh, that.

However, I have been known to befriend people with other belief systems. Several years ago, my husband asked if I could make vanilla cupcakes with white chocolate frosting for a coworker of his. It's apparently her favorite combo. In fact, I almost added the recipe to this blog, but later thought better of it. Why is that? Other than the (plain! vanilla! boring!) obvious, I have never really tasted these cupcakes. I had a tiny bite of one, but gave the rest to my husband and went to the freezer for some chocolatey ice cream instead. The frosting is too sweet. The cake is too un-chocolate. I considered eating one topped with chocolate sauce, but what is the point?

Don't get me wrong. I'm told that these are delicious cupcakes. Better than delicious. When the aforementioned coworker took a new job elsewhere, I was asked to make the cupcakes again. I was told that she had four of them. Then saved two for the next day. When my husband saved one for his old boss, she replied with an e-mail. Subject line: "OMG." Of all the (by my standards) delicious things that I have prepared for his coworkers, this is what the people want. I'll just go have another scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream, thankyouverymuch.

I wasn't even inspired to take nice photographs or to decorate them with a piping bag. So, sorry. Vanilla just doesn't deserve that.

Everyone's Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
(adapted from Martha via Magnolia Bakery, and frosting from Diana's Desserts)

Cupcakes:
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, and scraping down sides of bowl in between each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

"Help us! We're plain! Not even chocolate can save us!"

Transfer to a wire rack to cool in tins for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins, and cool completely on rack. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Serve at room temperature.

Frosting:
9 oz. white chocolate, chopped (or use chips)
12 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/4–3 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar (to taste)
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or good nonstick pot on low. Stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, and alternate with the milk, beating until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until smooth. Stir in the cooled melted white chocolate. If necessary, refrigerate until firm enough to frost the cupcakes, about 30 minutes.

Frost cooled cupcakes with an offset spatula.

Chow Mein Easter Nests

2011-04-20T18:39:00.005-04:00

I cut this recipe out of a magazine in 1998. Truly. The Bagel Bites coupon on the back of the recipe expires 6/30/98. :) Hey, better late than never! These are so adorable, so simple, and pretty tasty too. It's basically Rice Krispie treats made with chow mein noodles!

Chow Mein Easter Nests
makes 12
2 c. miniature marshmallows
4 T. butter
one 6-oz. package (4 c.) chow mein noodles
jelly beans or other egg-shaped Easter candies

Butter or spray a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine marshmallows and butter; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted (6 to 8 minutes). Add noodles and stir until very well coated.

With buttered fingers, press mixture on bottom and up sides of each cup of prepared muffin pan. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until firm.

Remove from cups; fill with candies. These would be adorable as place settings on each plate at your Easter brunch!

Brownie Pudding

2011-03-02T10:23:00.009-05:00

I'm here. Nothing is wrong with your Google Reader. I haven't had time for baking let alone blogging, but this recipe is worth the wait—promise.

What I love about it is simple: the ingredients will be in your cupboard already, you throw it together in minutes, it feeds a crowd (or two adults... I'll say it took four nights to polish off, though only we know the truth...), and it's molten goo. It's perfect for Valentine's Day, but here are a few other suggestions to share with your sweetie.

Brownie Pudding
adapted from Ina Garten via Annie's Eats
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter—use the wrappers to grease the dish
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. cocoa powder
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 T liqueur of your choosing, optional (chocolate, Irish cream, hazelnut, etc., would all be divine)
- Ice cream, for serving (mint chocolate chip went very well, but I'd otherwise choose vanilla)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart oval baking dish. In a small bowl, melt the 2 sticks of butter in the microwave and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until thick and light yellow in color, 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sift or whisk the cocoa and flour together in a medium bowl and set aside.

When the egg/sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla, liqueur (if using), and the cocoa/flour mixture. Mix only until just combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. (Next time, I'll throw caution to the wind and not use a water bath... just stick it in the oven as usual.) Place it in a larger roasting or baking pan. Add enough very hot tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for 1 hour. The center will appear underbaked, but that's exactly how it's meant to be.

Serve with ice cream—I chose to serve it warm right out of the oven, but it's pretty dangerous cold straight out of the fridge for breakfast too. (Just being honest here.)

Buckeyes

2010-12-23T12:42:00.011-05:00

Many, many moons ago, I was first introduced to this candy by my friend Jackie. I remember standing in her kitchen as her mom handed me my first one, always a part of her Christmas baking repertoire. I was probably 11 or 12, but a peanut butter chocoholic knows when her life has changed.

So tell me, if it's so memorable, why have I never made them?

I was recently inspired to finally try my hand at making them because of this beautiful post over at SK, but the thought of cream cheese diluting them made me sad inside (and to be perfectly honest, I could not handle yet another grocery store trip). So off to the Internet I went! While most buckeyes have gobs of powdered sugar involved, this recipe seemed to have a more reasonable amount; I just tweaked it to bittersweet chocolate and also tempered it per SK's instructions to have the perfect shiny result.

I won't lie—I had a bear of a time dipping them. The peanut butter "eye" was never perfectly round (more like a pentagon) and I could never properly cover the toothpick hole, and I may have even had a temper tantrum* when they wouldn't turn out perfectly and after finding my candy thermometer shattered in the drawer (and running to BB&B at 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve Eve only to find thermometers that started at 100 degrees when I needed 80s for tempering), but I promise you, this will soon be a favorite recipe. Next time, I'll freeze the peanut butter balls rather than refrigerate and I will also dip them in smaller batches, keeping enough in the fridge/freezer so they don't warm up too much before their chocolate bath.

Buckeyes
makes 2–3 dozen, depending on size
1/2 stick (4 T.) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2.5 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 t. salt
1 c. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, peanut butter, and salt.

Mix on medium speed for 1–2 minutes, until very smooth and well combined.

Using a teaspoon, form mixture into balls the size of a quarter. Place balls on cookie sheet covered with foil or parchment and chill in refrigerator (or perhaps I'll try the freezer next time) for 30 minutes.

While balls are chilling, melt the chocolate. Temper the chocolate if you desire. (The link above at Smitten Kitchen has perfect instructions.)

Once balls are firm, they can be dipped. Using a toothpick, skewer a ball and dip it halfway into the melted chocolate. You want to leave at least a dime-sized circle of undipped candy on top of the ball. *Or, you know, get so upset at your imperfect buckeyes that you angrily poke a hole in one. And then, shucks, I'll have to eat that deformity.

Don't do this.

Drag it along the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and place it back on the cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls. Work in shifts so that not too many peanut butter balls are out of the fridge/freezer at once. They warm very quickly, which poses huge problems when dipping.

Return balls to fridge to set the chocolate. Serve once candies are firm. Or give as gifts—your friends and family will love you for it.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies

2010-12-19T14:41:00.010-05:00

If I had to rank my favorite chocolate combinations, first would be peanut butter & chocolate, then perhaps coconut & chocolate, then mint & chocolate. (Nuts and caramel are on that list too, but they're sort of an obvious choice. Fruit & chocolate will never be on my favorites list. What a waste of good chocolate!)

Anyway, the hubby would definitely rank mint & chocolate first, whether Thin Mints, Trader Joe's UFOs, or mint chocolate chip ice cream. I saw this recipe referenced on a blog I read (much better pics of the cookies there, BTW) and immediately knew I had to make them! They're nice and chewy with a hard minty top. I particularly enjoy mint at Christmas, so thought I'd wait to share them until now.

Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
makes 3–4 dozen
3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 (4.5 ounce) packages chocolate covered thin mints (such as Andes)

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter, brown sugar, and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, and stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets (or use a Silpat). Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, being careful not to overbake. While cookies are baking, remove wrappers from mints. When cookies come out of the oven, immediately press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute.

When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. Remove cookies from sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Happy Holidays!

Ginger Spice Cookies

2010-12-12T14:27:00.012-05:00

December 13 is an important holiday for Swedes. St. Lucia Day goes hand in hand with Christmas, symbolizing light over darkness (Lucia/Lucy = light) in a country that can be very dark and very cold in winter. You may have seen an image of a girl in a white robe with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head before... that's Lucia!

The oldest daughter traditionally serves her parents saffron buns and black coffee (St. Lucia brought food during famine), and the traditional sweet is pepparkakor, or gingerbread cookies. The smell of these baking will warm you up this holiday season!

In full disclosure, the recipe is actually called "Chewy Ginger Spice Cookies" but they were only chewy when fresh out of the oven. They quickly became ginger snaps instead, which is ok by me, but it's worth mentioning—perhaps I made mine too thin.

Ginger Spice Cookies
Makes about 38 cookies, from RealSimple
2 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 t. ground ginger
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. ground cloves
3/4 c. vegetable shortening
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c. molasses
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus more for dusting

Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves.

Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined (do not overmix).

Place the granulated sugar on a plate. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls; roll in the sugar to coat. Place on parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Using a glass in a twisting motion (so they won't stick), press the balls to a ⅜-inch thickness (or thinner for crisp gingersnaps) and sprinkle with more granulated sugar.

Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the edges are firm, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-11-20T16:41:00.007-05:00

Dear all three of you,

I will not attempt an apology for being absent these many weeks. But I will offer a string of excuses.

I usually blog while at the beach. But a hurricane made us evacuate after two days and I was too grumpy to bake or do much of anything when we got home. Stupid Earl.

Then we spent three glorious weeks in France, Austria, and Germany, plus a few weeks prepping and a few weeks decompressing. No time for blogging.

Then I got sick. Then hubby got sick. Then I got sick again. Which means no baking.

But here I am! It's the best time of year for baking! Apples and pumpkin and chocolate, oh my!

I promise to make it up to you—again, all three of you. Let's start with this recipe... one promised to me for several years from my friend M, but it was oh so worth the wait. It was a "viral recipe" passed around her mom's elementary school with cute illustrations provided. If the kids can make it, so can you! They are simple but so moist—for the pumpkin lover. Sorry there are so few pictures... they got eaten quickly!

xoxo,
inkpadchocolate

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
15-oz. can cooked pumpkin
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat 1 minute.

Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 for 20–25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed. Cool slightly in the pans, then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
8-oz. package cream cheese (reduced fat is fine), at room temperature
1/4 c. plus 2 T. butter, at room temperature
1 T. orange juice
1 t. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add orange juice and vanilla—mix well. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until well combined.

Frost cupcakes when they are completely cool.

Crunchy Ice Cream "Casserole"

2010-07-25T17:57:00.009-04:00

I asked for this recipe many moons ago at a choir potluck picnic. It's so simple, full of texture (crunchy! gooey! creamy!), and just screams summer... but melts quickly so beware!

Bring this to your next picnic or summer party and I can guarantee that your friends will be asking for the recipe just like I did 10 years ago. Enjoy!

Crunchy Ice Cream "Casserole"
1.5 c. flour
1 c. oats (uncooked, old-fashioned or quick oats will do)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1.5 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. melted butter (2 sticks)
12-oz. jar caramel ice cream topping (calls for entire jar but I rarely use that much)
1/2 gallon ice cream of choice (butter pecan, vanilla, etc. are all good options)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, chopped nuts, and melted butter in a bowl with a spoon until evenly moistened. Spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until brown. Cool and crumble. Try not to eat it all!

Spread half of the crunchies in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spoon over top approximately half of the caramel topping, then top with an even layer of the full carton of ice cream (softened slightly). Spoon remaining half of caramel topping on top, then sprinkle with the remaining half of the crunchies. Cover with foil and freeze until set. Cut and serve!

My Birthday

2010-07-25T16:07:00.010-04:00

I'm super late (although I started this post on 7/25 so at least there's the illusion of being posted in my birth month), but it's now become a tradition to share my birthday desserts every year.

We attended a wedding in NY on the Hudson the day before my birthday, so although my birthday was spent in a car, we did intentionally stop to get a peanut butter cup sundae (with "peanut butter puddles" ice cream) in Hershey, PA at one of my favorite ice cream establishments.

Yeah, so I'm sort of anti-Hershey, but the roads were paved brown so it made me happy.

On our way home, we stopped for dinner at Chef Geoff's downtown. Their Dark Chocolate Tart with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was divine! Sooooo rich though. Not for the quasi-chocoholics—only the hardcore ones. (And, as in previous years, I still had a birthday cake waiting for me at home... oof.)

The following day, M really REALLY outdid himself and took me to Restaurant Eve for dinner. We didn't do the tasting menu, but had a wonderful dinner in the bistro and the most faaaaabulous peanut butter chocolate dessert (see a theme?) imaginable: The Butterfinger.

Specifically, "'Butterfinger' Napoleon of Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse with Vanilla Ice Cream."

Holy cow. HOLY COW. It was more salty than overly sweet and definitely the highlight of my entire meal (and birthday). It was so good that it needs a close-up shot.

Until next year...

A Triple-Layer Birthday

2010-05-25T21:02:00.014-04:00

A certain hubby of mine recently turned 30 and I found it appropriate to raise (literally) his standard birthday cake to new levels. Three of them to be exact.

I almost considered this gorgeous cake (with chocolate frosting throughout, of course), but I chickened out at the last minute since it was a new recipe and an important birthday. I noticed when making the cream-filled chocolate cupcakes earlier in the week that the cupcakes didn't really "dome" much—which would be perfect for a layer cake. When the layers get too rounded at the top, they become difficult to stack unless you trim them (and I'm just not advanced enough for that).

I won't duplicate the recipe here (it's right below this one!) but since I only have two 9-inch round cake pans, I used one 24-cupcake recipe to evenly fill two pans (be sure to butter and flour the pans first!), baked that off, let cool, released from pans, etc., then made a half recipe of the cupcake recipe to fill one more cake pan. However, since you can't really halve three eggs, I did want to mention that I used just one egg in the halved recipe and everything turned out just fine.

Cooking time varied slightly as well, with two pans in the oven taking about 33 minutes to fully cook (but test on your own with a toothpick).

I doubled the chocolate buttercream frosting (rather than multiplying by 1.5) and that was a good idea since there's so much surface area on a triple-layer cake (and hubby is all about the frosting anyway).

Finally, to pipe on the lettering, I used a basic vanilla buttercream recipe—just a small batch. I'd double the following recipe if you wanted to use it to actually frost anything like a batch of cupcakes. This is the recipe given to us at the Sur La Table class and is used on the whoopie pies as the filling. You could add some food coloring if you'd like!

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1.5 c. powdered sugar
1.5 T. heavy whipping cream—milk will definitely do though
1/2 t. vanilla extract (or my new favorite paste if you want the flecks!)
pinch of salt

Cream butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, starting on low and increasing speed to medium, until mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on high until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scoop into piping bag or large zip-top bag with the corner snipped to pipe on details.

Happy birthday!

Retro Desserts: Cream-filled Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-05-25T21:00:00.021-04:00

My friend M and I decided to take a class at our local Sur La Table recently. The title was "Retro Desserts" and the menu included cream-filled chocolate cupcakes (think Hostess cupcakes), chocolate whoopie pies, baked doughnuts, and strawberry chiffon pies. The hands-down favorites were the cupcakes and the whoopie pies (recipe to come at a later date!).

I was never a huge fan of the Hostess cupcake growing up, but I certainly had it in my lunch from time to time. I guess you could say that although I wanted processed lunches like every other elementary schooler, I was likely a dessert snob from day one. These cupcakes are a great update on a "classic"... can you see vanilla bean flecks (I adore this vanilla bean paste) in the original? Don't think so.

Also? They were fun to make, even if it does include a large chunk of time for cooling/filling/frosting/decorating... and dishes. It was only my second attempt at a filled cupcake (using the cone method), but the results were impressive. I'm making several dozen to bring into work this week (update: it was a huge, huge success)! Check back later too. The cake recipe was so incredibly moist and delicious that I turned this cupcake recipe into a triple-layer cake for my husband's 30th birthday. Details to come!

Cream-filled Chocolate Cupcakes
makes 24
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 c. sour cream (low-fat or regular will do)
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 oz. dark chocolate (I used 1/3 c. bittersweet morsels)
1 cup water, boiling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two 12-cup muffin tins (or one muffin tin in two batches!).

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by about half of the sour cream and all of the vanilla.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on, add about half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the remaining sour cream, followed by the remainder of the flour mixture, mixing well between additions. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain (overmixing flour = tough cupcakes).

Measure out 1 c. water in a glass measuring cup and microwave until boiling. Whisk cocoa powder and dark chocolate into the boiling water until well combined. Gradually pour "chocolate water" into the batter and stir (by hand—it will splatter if you use the mixer!) until uniform in color.

Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 15–17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cakes spring back slightly when lightly pressed. Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before filling or frosting.

Vanilla Cream Filling:
3 T. flour
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract (or 1/2 scraped vanilla bean, etc.)

Whisk together the flour and milk and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes. Stir continuously to avoid clumping and do not bring all the way to a boil. When thickened (consistency of a thin pudding), strain with a mesh strainer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool completely to room temperature.

When the milk mixture is cool, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until light. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the vanilla and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, until light and very fluffy. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (or a large zip-top plastic bag with the corner cut off) and set aside until ready to fill your cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2–3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Cream butter well with an electric mixer. Add cocoa and powdered sugar alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Beat to smooth, thick (but still spreadable) consistency—add more milk a little at a time if needed. Taste often!

Assembly
Take a completely cooled cupcake and, using a small paring knife, cut a cone of cake (1 inch across by 1 inch deep) out of the top. Trim off pointy end of cone (you can eat that!), leaving a flat circle of cake. Set to the side and continue process for all cupcakes.

Take the cream filling and squeeze a tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity. Top off with the flat circle of cake to plug up the hole and keep the filling in place.

Using a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of chocolate buttercream. Spread from the center to the sides to evenly cover the cake plug and help prevent tearing/crumbs.

If you have leftover vanilla cream filling, transfer it to a fresh zip-top bag, cut off a very small opening in one corner of the bag, and pipe a decorative swirl down the center of each cupcake. Store cupcakes in an airtight container.

Here are Miss M's cute swirls!

Check back at another time for the other recipes (and by "other recipes" I mean the chocolate ones... so whoopie pies!).

Nigella's Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce

2010-05-19T21:34:00.008-04:00

Hold on to your aprons, everyone.

If you dream in peanut butter and chocolate, make this recipe. You'll thank me. As Nigella says, "Hand them 'round and wait for people to weep with gratitude."

The expectant momma from my previous post mentions this fudge sauce enough that we thought it would be an excellent idea to make it for her surprise baby shower for an ice cream sundae bar. I had a slight issue with the ingredients separating due to some confusion between the British and the American recipe (and different ingredients), but I got it all sorted out for Mother's Day to serve on top of these brownies. Both times, the sundaes were devoured in complete silence. Eerie, really. I think that's a good sign. :) Speechless!

Nigella's Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce
3/4 c. heavy cream
4 ounces chocolate, chopped (about 2/3 c. semisweet morsels was perfect)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3 T. sweetened condensed milk
Salted peanuts, roughly chopped or left whole to taste (garnish)
ice cream of your choosing

Put the cream, chocolate, peanut butter, and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan and put it on the heat to melt, stirring occasionally. In about 2 minutes you should have your sauce ready.

Get out four sundae glasses and put a few scoops of ice cream in each (Nigella recommends toffee, caramel, chocolate, and vanilla).

Pour the warm chocolate peanut butter fudge sauce over the ice cream and sprinkle with salted peanuts or other toppings of your choice.

It's that simple yet that divine!

Cocoa Brownies

2010-05-19T21:10:00.012-04:00

There's no point in reinventing the wheel here. SmittenKitchen recently blogged about these brownies, I was craving brownie sundaes and needed a recipe for Mother's Day, I made the life-changing discovery that Ghirardelli cocoa is actually cheaper per ounce (at least at my Safeway) than Hershey cocoa (hey, inkpadchocolate is on a budget, sometimes), and SHAZAM. I had to make these brownies.

SK makes the astute observation that the opposite of sweet is not always bitter. Sometimes it's just... intense chocolate. These are super good with ice cream, but keep in mind that I'd probably enjoy ice cream on sauerkraut. (Hmm, that might actually be good...)

Sorry, no time to take many pictures. The moms demanded brownies!

SK's Cocoa Brownies
(which she adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet)
10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. + 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch (I used 9x9) square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

(What? You don't use garlic and scissors to prevent your parchment from curling? Weirdos. It's all about WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND.)

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl above a saucepan of barely simmering water—or use a heatproof glass bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each round. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test (ouch!—about 3 minutes in the microwave for me, stirring every 30 seconds). Remove the bowl from the saucepan or microwave and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret—it smooths out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon (I used a rubber spatula—it's fine!). Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes is Medrich’s suggestion but it took SK at least 10 minutes longer to get them set (me, too). Let cool completely on a rack. (SK goes further and throws it in the fridge or freezer for a while to be able to cut with clean lines.)

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares. (Ha! SK must live in a portion-controlled dream world! I'm not at all embarrassed to say that I got NINE brownies. It was beautiful. A proud moment.) Serve with ice cream, and perhaps, Nigella's peanut butter fudge sauce, coming soon to a blog near you. (I warmed the brownies up in the microwave first—nothing makes me happier than a molten sundae!)

Texas Sheet Cake

2010-05-08T23:42:00.015-04:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus, but I have a bunch of exciting, super chocolatey recipes waiting in the wings!

I've never been to Texas, but I do love this cake (and that show; hooray, it's back!). I'm no authority on the subject, but from what I've read, this is an old-fashioned, simple, traditional potluck dessert in the South—which was exactly what I needed for an event this weekend. Oh, and it's freaking delicious.

The recipe that inspired me to try it was this one (and I'm grateful to her for the frosting recipe), but I ended up going with an oldie but goodie: a recipe posted in the Washington Post on May 30, 1974 (Thanks, Google)! While almost all recipes were virtually identical, why this one? Sour cream. I'm a sucker for cakes made with sour cream/yogurt/mayo. So moist! But, have a glass of milk ready for this one. It's a stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth cake. But who said that's a bad thing?

I'm in a retro mood after a cooking class I took this weekend (details and recipes to come), and what's more, this cake is all beaten by hand with a spoon. No mixer needed!

Texas Sheet Cake
adapted from the Washington Post
1 c. (2 sticks) butter (I used unsalted)
4 T. cocoa
1 c. water
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 eggs, fork beaten
1/2 c. sour cream (but milk will do if you don't have it on hand)
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour* a 13x9-inch pan (called for metal but I only have glass). (*To "flour" a pan when the cake is chocolate, use cocoa so the flour won't show, though it likely won't matter all that much.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and water and bring to a boil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.

Pour the hot ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla and stir until batter is very smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting (it's frosted when warm).

Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Immediately pour the frosting over the warm cake and spread evenly. Let the cake cool completely before cutting.

Frosting
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
3 T. milk
2 T. cocoa
dash of salt
1 t. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, milk, cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Bring to a boil.

Place the powdered sugar in a large bowl and pour the hot ingredients over the powdered sugar and mix with a wooden spoon until the frosting is very smooth. Add chopped walnuts if desired. Frost cake as indicated above.

Compost Cookies (aka Pregnancy Craving Cookies)

2010-05-01T01:35:00.015-04:00

These are fun cookies. Created by a woman who eats pie for breakfast and ice cream for dinner, these cookies are from Momofuku Milk Bar, a concept that could only work in New York, I think. I haven't had the pleasure of trying the cookies from the actual bakery yet (too much food, too little time), but considering two of my friends individually sent me this recipe, I knew I had to give it a try.

My friend is expecting a little Sprout in July and a few of us decided to throw her a surprise "un-baby shower" (i.e., a party in her honor but without cheesy games that make some moms-to-be uncomfortable), and since these cookies are loaded with, well, junk, I decided to rename them Pregnancy Craving Cookies for the occasion. :)

These are so versatile; you could really add just about anything. I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible (which is apparently potato chips, pretzels, coffee grounds, chocolate chips, oats, and butterscotch chips), but other fun options include Fritos, raisins, Raisinettes, Cocoa Krispies, coconut, peanut butter chips, goldfish, Ritz...

Be sure you allow the dough to cool in the fridge for at least an hour before baking. (Reading the recipe all the way through before starting is always a good thing to do so you can be prepared!) If you like these, you might also like Martha's Cowboy Cookies.

Compost Cookies (from Momofuku Milk Bar, NYC)
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1 T. light corn syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
2 t. salt (I used about 1.5 t.)
1 1/2 c. your favorite baking ingredients! (I used chocolate chips and butterscotch chips)
1 1/2 c. your favorite snack foods! (I used ridged potato chips and pretzel sticks, broken into pieces)

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars, and corn syrup on medium high for 2–3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time, the sugar will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color, and the creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45–60 seconds just until the dough comes together and there are no streaks of dry ingredients. Do not overmix the dough.

On low speed, add in your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30–45 seconds until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, mixing again on low speed until they are just incorporated. (You may need to mix these in by hand a little bit!)

(If junk food in cookies is wrong, I don't want to be right.)

Using an ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. (You will not bake on this parchment. It's for refrigerating the dough only; hence, I just used cheap wax paper.)

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week. DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

After the hour is up, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or Silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction. Bake 9–11 minutes (I needed the full 11) or until browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or tin.

And this photo I shall call parchment (left) vs. Silpat (right). On a Silpat, the cookies kept their shape... just sayin'. I will always prefer the Silpat!!!

Happy Un-Shower!

Passover/Easter: Flourless Chocolate Torte II

2010-04-03T16:15:00.012-04:00

This is a belated post, for which I apologize. Who knew that April was a busy month for those who work at accounting firms? Anyway, I have three or four flourless chocolate cake recipes that are taking up space in my dessert binders. (Yes, binders.) This, however, is the one I should have made last year. (a) It has a ganache glaze, (b) it's from Bon Appétit, (c) it has a French name :), and (d) it translates to "The Black Beast." Well, hello there.

You'll want to use bittersweet, not semisweet, chocolate because of the addition of a simple syrup. Semisweet + sugar = too sweet for this sophisticated dessert. This is not your typical fallen flourless chocolate cake; in fact, it's somewhat similar to the chocolate pavé, which would have also been suitable for Passover.

La Bête Noire
1 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
9 T. unsalted butter, diced
18 oz. bittersweet chocolate (approx. 3 c. bittersweet Ghirardelli chips for me)
6 eggs, fork beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round (you can trace the bottom part that pops out); butter parchment as well. Wrap heavy-duty aluminum foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim (this is to protect the torte from the water so nothing seeps in).

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Fill a large tea kettle with water and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk the sugar syrup into the chocolate; cool slightly (to prevent scrambled eggs!). Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Place in the oven and add enough hot water from the tea kettle to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (You might need to refill the tea kettle a few times depending on the size of your roasting pan. As long as the water is hot, you'll be fine.)

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely in pan.

For the ganache:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. (Can be assembled two days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Run knife around pan to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Perfection

Easter: Cold Oven Lemon Pound Cake

2010-04-03T00:45:00.011-04:00

It should be no surprise by now that I'm all about the chocolate. In elementary school, I won two successive cakewalks by being on the number 18 (yes I remember what number) when the music stopped. If you won early enough in the evening, you had your choice of alllll the cakes on the table and I'd spend a good 10 minutes inspecting every one, searching for the fudgiest of the bunch. (I'm embarrassed to say that one of those years, I came home with the one my mom made, because really, it doesn't get much more delicious than this and why risk it with some stranger's cake? Mom only made it for my birthday and for the cakewalk. It was special, ok?)

Two summers ago, I made this and this for a bake sale at my office to raise money for a charity we support. You'd be quite surprised to learn that I became absolutely obsessed with a lemon pound cake at the bake sale. After inspecting everything, much like I used to do at the annual cakewalk, it kept calling me back. It was insanely moist and dense and because it seemed to be a treasured family secret, I hesitated to ask the woman for the recipe. But she did tell me that it's a cold oven pound cake.

A what?

It seems to be a Southern thing, but rather than preheating the oven, the cake starts in a cold oven. The gradual increase in temperature does some magic on the batter and affects the crumb, moisture, and density. However, the only cold oven loaf pound cakes I could find online were plain and I desperately wanted lemon for Easter. So this is an Ina recipe that I tweaked to accommodate a cold oven... I intended to make one loaf at Ina's temperature and one with a cold oven, but Safeway only had four lemons left! I'll report back later. :) Ina also makes a glaze, but I didn't—but I did have some issues with the lemon syrup she adds at the end. It just wouldn't absorb, and next time, I might let it absorb in the more porous bottom of the cake then flip it over to finish cooling. Funny, I'm not the only one with this problem. Note that it's important that certain ingredients (as indicated) be at room temperature. Leave the butter out for about an hour so it will cream easily.

This was deliciously tart but not quite as moist as my coworker's cake (which was so moist you could hardly pick up a piece without the weight of it causing it to crumble in half). More butter next time? (pound cake = pound of butter) Still a delicious recipe, perfect for spring. Can easily be halved (I did). For last year's Easter lemon cake, click.

Cold Oven Lemon Pound Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature (save the wrappers!)
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar, divided
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 c. grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract

Grease and flour two 8.5x4.25x2.5-inch loaf pans with leftover butter wrappers or nonstick spray.

Cream the butter and 2 c. of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, then the lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another small bowl, combine 1/4 c. lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. (Why? Because I trust Ina with my life, that's why.) Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and place in a COLD OVEN. (If you don't want to do this, check the Ina link above for her preheating and temperature instructions.) Close the door and turn the oven to 325 degrees. Cook for 60–70 minutes (mine took 70) until light brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.

Combine 1/2 c. sugar with 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook on low until sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow them to cool for 10 minutes before sliding a knife around them and releasing them from their pans. Set them on a rack over a cookie sheet and spoon/brush the lemon syrup over them (see my note above; you may want to do this on the porous bottom of the cake rather than the crusty top). Allow the cakes to cool completely before slicing.

Happy Spring!

Passover: Toffee-Chocolate Matzah

2010-03-28T17:15:00.009-04:00

I've been meaning to make this recipe for the past few years, especially since I've already tasted the same recipe but with either Saltines or graham crackers and can attest to its deliciousness. A sprinkle of salt on top is key—aim for either sea salt or kosher salt. It rounds out the other flavors so well!

Toffee-Chocolate Matzah
4 sheets unsalted non-egg matzah (or Saltines, or graham crackers)
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
sea salt (or other toppings like nuts)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (less cleanup!). Arrange matzah in an even layer on baking sheets and set aside.

(These pictured matzahs don't even know how lucky they're about to become...)

Melt butter in saucepan on medium-low heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved, it starts to bubble, and the mixture is pourable—about 5 minutes. Drizzle toffee evenly over matzah and spread with a spatula.

Transfer to the oven and bake until toffee has a rich sheen, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Tent matzah with aluminum foil and let stand 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove foil tent and spread melted chocolate over matzah to cover; sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer matzah to refrigerator and let chill at least 2 hours.

Break chilled matzah into pieces. Matzah will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, but you may have to keep it in the refrigerator if your kitchen is always hot like ours is!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-27T13:00:00.006-04:00

It's that time of year again! Passover baking usually results in fallen cakes, an overabundant use of coconut, or relying on so many egg whites that you start to feel downright wasteful. (Even though those last linked-to cookies remain my very favorite.) Not these cookies! And who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate?

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Emeril Lagasse, as featured on Good Morning America
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. (or way more...) semisweet chocolate chips
1 egg, fork-beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Put a few scoops of sugar in a small bowl. Roll about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough between your hands to form a smooth ball then drop each dough ball into the sugar and roll around until coated.

Place each dough ball onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Using a fork, press on the dough in two directions to form a crosshatch pattern.

Bake cookies until puffed and lightly golden, 10 minutes. Important: Remove baking sheets from oven and let cookies cool on the sheets. Otherwise, they will completely crumble. Then remove them with a spatula once cooled enough to transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

PB+C=Best Combo Ever

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

2010-03-13T14:46:00.007-05:00

This is a strange recipe. I'm just going to say that from the start. I would never have thought to cut open a tea bag and mix the contents into cookies. However, my husband loves Earl Grey tea so I've had this one bookmarked for a while. I made them for him for Christmas.

If you're a dough eater (come on, who isn't?), you'll be disappointed with this one. The Earl Grey is bitter bitter bitter and raw tasting in the dough, but the heat of the oven cooks the leaves and makes these cookies surprisingly delicate and fragrant. You could easily try other varieties of tea: Darjeeling, English breakfast, Lady Grey, etc.—but even though I wouldn't choose Earl Grey for drinking, it's great in these butter cookies.

To grind the tea leaves, cut open the tea bags and either empty the contents into a small mini-prep food processor or use a mortar and pestle if you have one. I created my own: I dumped the tea leaves into a small bowl and used the flat head of a meat mallet to grind the leaves down by hand.

These would be perfect for a springtime tea party!

Earl Grey Tea Cookies
makes 8 dozen bite-sized cookies
2 c. flour
2 T. finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (2–4 tea bags)
1/2 t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 T. finely grated orange zest (I wasn't crazy about this flavor, FYI)

Whisk together flour, ground tea leaves, and salt in a bowl.

Place butter, confectioners' sugar, and orange zest, if using, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Place each half in parchment paper, shape into logs, and roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Transfer parchment logs to the freezer; freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices with a sharp knife. Space 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat.

Bake cookies until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire rack.

Rich Chocolate Pudding

2010-02-27T14:03:00.011-05:00

During Snowmageddon, I made a homemade chocolate pudding that I had been wanting to make ever since getting the cookbook several years ago. However, I don't always have the best luck with puddings or other egg-based custards. For whatever reason (perhaps just needing more practice), once I add eggs to a saucepan, everything separates and gets really unpleasant and lumpy.

So, I went back to the drawing board and looked for another recipe. There are several methods to homemade pudding. In either, you need a thickening agent. For some, that would be eggs, but an easier way, for me, is cornstarch.

This recipe is good warm or cold, and would even be delicious poured into a pie crust (regular, Oreo, or graham cracker) and topped with whipped cream. (Or check out this one.) Yes, it uses whole milk. Just go for a run before eating it like I did. :) I might use a little less brown sugar next time since the point of bittersweet chocolate is its darkness, but otherwise, this is a good recipe—and you won't have to worry about what to do with a bunch of leftover egg whites.

Rich Chocolate Pudding
makes 4–5 servings
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
2 c. whole milk
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 t. vanilla extract

In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt with a fork until the brown sugar is broken up and the mixture is well combined. Pour into a heavy saucepan (I love my good nonstick one), and add in one cup of the milk and all of the chopped chocolate. Whisk over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Whisk in the remaining one cup of milk and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, until large bubbles break on the surface and the pudding is thick and smooth. Keep in mind: once the lumps form, it's hard to break them—so keep stirring/whisking!

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour the pudding into a glass measuring cup with a spout (you'll have about 24 ounces), then immediately and evenly transfer the pudding to four or five serving glasses—I think martini or cosmo glasses make it extra special.

Now, there are two schools of thought on homemade pudding. I, personally, hate the skin on the top of pudding (it's a rubbery texture thing), but if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, more power to you! If you don't want skin, immediately press plastic wrap directly onto the top of the pudding itself to prevent a skin from forming. Otherwise, just cover the top of the dish with plastic wrap.

This pudding can be served hot, warm, at room temperature, or cool. Store leftovers in the fridge—if there are any.

Survival Chocolate Pots de Crème

2010-02-21T16:20:00.010-05:00

I had a whole post written out about the Snowpocalypse and SNOMG! and Snowverkill and every other cutesy term coined this February as a result of more than two feet of snow here in the metro DC area that descended upon us the week before Valentine's Day, and I hunkered down for a weekend of great baking. On my list: Fran Bigelow's Chocolate Pots de Crème.

Unfortunately, I didn't have as much time to blog and bake as expected since my employer didn't consider metro closures, week-long school closures, an unprecedented four-day closure of the federal government, and absolutely treacherous roads to be reason enough to close the office.

But the title of this post isn't extremely bitter chocolate pots de crème. :) Fortunately, I looked forward to making these beauties all week. Even a 3.5-hour one-way commute on Friday couldn't stop me from the excitement of this dessert. Score another perfect 10 for Fran!

Any time I make a dessert that is time-sensitive or that requires a lot of equipment or care, I make sure everything is ready well before I turn on the burner. For this, I recommend you have the eggs separated and ready to go, a teapot on the boil (it can simmer until you're ready for it), the ingredients measured, chocolate chopped, and the strainer, baking dish, and ramekins ready. It is not, however, a difficult recipe. Promise.

Trust me when I say that you'll want to save this one for a special occasion—but sometimes just surviving the week is reason enough.

Survival Chocolate Pots de Crème
1 whole egg
5 egg yolks
2 T. plus 1 t. sugar
pinch of salt
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
8 oz. semisweet chocolate (60% preferred), finely chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Set a tea kettle filled with water on the stovetop to boil. Have ready six 5-ounce pot de crème cups or ramekins.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks with 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth and the sugar begins to dissolve. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until it comes to just a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate. Gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted (be patient!) and smooth (you'll thank me later).

Pour about a third (just eyeball it) of the chocolate mixture into the eggs and immediately stir to combine. Then add the remaining chocolate mixture, gently stirring until smooth without incorporating too much air or too many bubbles. (This will help the texture later.)

Using a rubber spatula to help, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. You should have about 24 fluid ounces.

Pour about 4 ounces into each pot de crème cup or ramekin until 1/2 inch from the top. Tap the base of each cup on the counter to remove any bubbles.

If using pot de crème cups, place their hats (lids... whatever) on them—or individually and tightly cover each ramekin with plastic wrap to prevent a skin. With the tip of a sharp knife, punch a small slit in the surface of the plastic wrap so that steam can escape during cooking.

When your tea kettle comes to a boil, arrange the custard cups in a rimmed baking dish or roasting pan and place in the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan around the custard cups to a depth of about an inch to create a bain-marie (a fancy term for a water bath, which ensures even, gentle cooking). If using ramekins, loosely cover the pan with foil.

Bake for 35 minutes (perfect amount of time for my oven), or until the custard is set. If the center moves independently when gently shaken, continue baking.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any portion not devoured.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Other inkpadchocolate V-day recommendations:
Chocolate Soufflés
Aunt Louise's Famous Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Pavé
Flourless Chocolate Torte

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies

2010-02-08T12:10:00.009-05:00

I made these fun cookies a few months back when I still had some leftover matchstick carrots from Scout's birthday—and I'm not really much of a carrot person unless it's in cake. :) I bookmarked this recipe a long time ago and it's simple, has nice presentation, and is super tasty! These cookies are soft, chewy, and just slightly salty—my favorite.

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies
Makes about 11 sandwiches or 22 individual cookies
1 1/8 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 c. plus 2 T. packed light brown sugar
1/3 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. coarsely grated carrots (or matchstick carrots, roughly chopped)
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. raisins (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets or line with a Silpat.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla at medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto prepared baking sheets (I recommend using an ice cream or cookie scoop for even baking and even cookie size), about 2 inches apart, and bake until cookies are lightly browned, 12 to 16 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheet about 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting (half recipe of what I use for red velvet):
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. confectioners' sugar, or to taste

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Once the cookies are completely cool, make sandwiches with a dollop of cream cheese frosting in the middle.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-01-24T18:32:00.008-05:00

I had a bag of chocolate toffee pieces that I wasn't sure what to do with (other than the obvious thing: eat them straight from the bag...) and happened to come across the following recipe in a cookbook I got for Christmas. The cookies were even featured on the cover, so they must be good, right?

I really had no idea that we would like them as much as we did! For basically being just a chocolate chip cookie with some toffee thrown in, these were darn tasty. The toffee added this buttery, salty flavor that really took them up a notch. And a sprinkle of my secret ingredient*, sea salt, on top before baking really rounded them out. M asked if I could make a batch every day. He was serious.

*I'm no good at keeping secrets. ;)

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 42
3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. chocolate-covered toffee candy bar bits (or several bars, such as Heath, chopped)
sprinkle of sea salt, optional

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix on low just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate toffee bits by hand with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Drop the dough in heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets (lined with a Silpat, if you have one), spacing the cookies about two inches apart. For an extra hit of flavor, sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake 10 minutes, until golden. Leave them on the cookie sheet for about two minutes then transfer baked cookies to wire racks to cool.

See the toffee oozing out on the left? YUM.

Scout's 2nd Birthday: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-01-21T10:06:00.018-05:00

Well, my little puppy is now, officially, an adult dog.

Let me preface this post by saying that I never thought I'd be that dog owner. Talking to him like he's a baby? Crazy. Birthday parties? Ha! You have got to be kidding me.

"Hi, momma. I waited right here for you to come home."

...then it all went out the window.

He's my starter-kid. My fluffy protector. My companion. My running buddy. My comedic relief. MY BABY!!

I knew a small slice of carrot cake would make Scout very happy, but if feeding to doggies, omit the frosting on that piece, since dairy and dogs don't mix.

One thing I like about this recipe is that matchstick carrots are a great time-saver. You can chop them for a few seconds in the food processor or run a knife through them just to make them slightly more palatable in the cake. So simple.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. allspice (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 t. nutmeg
dash of salt
2/3 c. canola or vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly fork beaten
1 1/2 c. finely grated peeled carrots or matchstick carrots, chopped
1 c. chopped walnuts (reserve some for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round pans, two 8-inch square pans, one 13x9-inch cake pan, or prepare 18 cupcake liners.

Whisk together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl. Add canola oil and fork-beaten eggs. Stir chopped grated carrots and walnuts into mixture.

Scrape batter into pan(s), and spread until even. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean: 25–30 minutes in round or square pans; 30–35 minutes in 13x9 pan; 20 minutes for 18 cupcakes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Slide knife around edges to loosen if removing from pan. Frost when completely cooled.

Cream Cheese Frosting (half recipe of what I use for red velvet):*
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. confectioners' sugar, or to taste

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Frost cake when completely cool, and top with additional chopped walnuts, if desired.

* You may need to double the frosting recipe for a layered cake, but this was enough for a single-layer 13x9 pan.

Happy Birthday, Scouty!

Hot chocolate on a stick!

2009-12-27T20:19:00.012-05:00

Here's a cute idea I ran across this year when making my homemade gifts. This whole website is fun and creative!

Take chocolate (milk, semisweet, and bittersweet all work), cocoa, and powdered sugar. Melt together and pour into ice cube trays and insert craft sticks. Cool to room temp. Tie up in little bags with labels. The receiver just adds milk! I used these as Christmas gifts, but who wouldn't love a hostess gift like this anytime this winter?

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
makes 10 cubes of chocolate
8 oz. chocolate (any kind), chopped
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. powdered sugar
pinch of salt
a few ounces of a contrasting chocolate, for dipping
festive sprinkles

In a double boiler (or a glass bowl set over gently simmering water), melt chocolate. When it is about 2/3 melted, remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted (this just keeps it from overheating).

Add cocoa, powdered sugar, and salt and stir until well combined. Don't stop until it's all incorporated! It'll start to look better/smoother after a few minutes of stirring.

Either pipe the chocolate mixture into a clean ice cube tray (a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off works well) or use a small cookie scoop, being careful not to make a big mess of the ice cube tray so that the resulting pops will look clean and professional. Tap the ice cube tray mold on the counter to ensure that there are no air bubbles.

Add a stir stick (I found some at A.C. Moore) to each cube. It should stand up straight without any issues.

Cool to room temperature (or in the fridge if in a hurry).

Once hardened, to remove from the mold, twist the ice cube tray the same way you would to remove ice cubes. They should come right out.

To make the pops a bit more festive, I melted a small amount of white chocolate and dipped each pop in at an angle then topped with some Christmas sprinkles. Be sure to have some tall glasses or vases ready so you can prop up the dipped pops so they can dry.

They can be stored at room temp, but I recommend making them nearly the same day as you give them—my milk chocolate pops started getting speckled at room temp because I think I waited too long to cover them with plastic wrap.

If these are gifts, be sure to provide instructions for the receiver. Each ounce of chocolate should be melted into a cup of milk or cream, but since these ice cube tray pops are 3/4 ounce, they should be stirred into 3/4 cup of milk or cream when making the hot chocolate.

Bailey's/Kahlua/Schnapps/Godiva/Creme de Menthe/fluffy Williams-Sonoma marshmallows optional. ;)

Spritz (aka Swedish Pressed Butter Cookies)

2009-12-20T21:38:00.011-05:00

I'm going to admit this up front. Many countries proudly claim these cookies. Many of those countries are Scandinavian ones. I'm going to put a little blue and yellow flag on them and claim them for Sweden, m'kay?

I know that the holidays are now over. But you likely know by now that I'm too preoccupied with other things to get a recipe up in time for someone to actually use it during the correct season. :) However, the holidays just aren't complete for me without these cookies. Fortunately, my husband is used to having them as part of his holiday repertoire as well. Spritz cookies are buttery, delicate, and pushed through a cookie press. (Miss A, I ended up with this one. My grandmother's looks just like this!)

I will also be the first to admit that they can be a real pain to make! They will not stick to a greased or nonstick cookie sheet or Silpat. The dough does not fall off the cookie press. The dough, being mostly butter, warms up VERY quickly. Tricks abound including putting the cookie sheet in the freezer, putting the cookie press barrel in the fridge, the general consensus that a metal barrel keeps the dough colder than a plastic one. But I don't want this post to turn into cookie press 101. If you have one already, you KNOW these cookies. If not, here's the recipe that came included with my new press. ;)

Spritz
makes about 4 dozen cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the flour, in batches, until just combined.

Pack dough into the cookie press and fit with desired disk shape. Press dough out onto ungreased cookie sheet, spacing cookies 1 inch apart. Decorate with sprinkles.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light golden. Cool on wire racks.

Merry Belated Christmas!

Easiest chocolate cupcakes with glossy chocolate glaze

2009-12-16T16:23:00.009-05:00

First, I am alive and well. I just have a gazillion pumpkin recipes that will be ready to post next fall that I never got around to posting before Thanksgiving (i.e., the last day I want to see or eat pumpkin until September 1, 2010).

Switching gears to Christmas, the season of chocolate, I have so many recipes I look forward to sharing and only a few days to do it. Whoops. But let me start with this one.

Husband forget to tell you about his office holiday party where he signed up to bring cupcakes?* Need a quick recipe to wow your family that is descending on you for the holidays? Feeling unstable and need a supremely fudgy treat?

With the exception of the Baker's unsweetened chocolate, you are likely to have all of these ingredients in your pantry! (And, if you're an avid baker, you will have it all.) When does that ever happen?! You don't even need more than a whisk, a bowl, and a saucepan.

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs. She even provides a link so you can print it all pretty!

*Purely hypothetical :) He was good this year. ;)

Easiest chocolate cupcakes with glossy chocolate glaze
Cupcakes
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. hot water
1/2 c. canola (or vegetable) oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in hot water, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the egg, whisking until well blended.

3. Pour into prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack. Frost when completely cooled.

Glaze
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1 1-oz. square unsweetened Baker's chocolate, grated or chopped very finely
dash of salt
1/2 c. boiling water
1 1/2 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, grated/chopped chocolate, and salt. Add boiling water and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, whisking so it will be smooth.

2. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

3. While frosting is still hot, dip the cooled cupcake tops into the glaze one at a time. Top with sprinkles and set on a cooling rack. Devour, with milk. You'll need it!

Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream

2009-10-24T15:55:00.009-04:00

Confession: I've had the freezer bowl of my ice cream maker attachment in the freezer since, oh, July. I waited all summer for the perfect recipe, but then life got busy.

I needed to use up the rest of my apples and had recently made my favorite apple cake recipe when it occurred to me that apple ice cream with apple cake might just be the perfect combo.

I found this recipe on allrecipes but made it my own. Hope you like it. It's gooood.

Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 T butter
3 T sugar
1 t. cinnamon

3 c. whipping cream – I used 3 c. half and half
1 1/2 c. half and half – I used 1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
2 t. cinnamon

4–6 oatmeal cookies – I used soft store-bought ones and gently tore them into small pieces
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook until the apples have lightly browned and the sugar has begun to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.

Combine cream (or half and half, if substituting), half and half (or 2% milk, if substituting), sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix to blend well. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

When the ice cream has finished, stir in the cookie pieces, caramelized apples, and walnuts. Add the caramel by the spoonful while stirring to evenly distribute.

Serve on this cake. :)

Apple Cake 2

2009-10-24T15:54:00.009-04:00

If you aren't a reader of Smitten Kitchen (really, who isn't?), you should take a gander at all her amazing recipes over there. This time of year, anything with apple or pumpkin has my vote!

Although I still think that this is my very favorite apple cake recipe, SK shares a sentimental one with a slightly different technique than mine. The apples are layered, the cinnamon is mixed into the apples rather than the batter, and she uses a tube pan (but I still used a Bundt—all I have!). Hers has the presentation though that my favorite does not. Look at those huge apple chunks on hers!

Since mine was in a Bundt pan, which you flip out of the pan (so the bottom becomes the top), I knew I'd have an issue with the apples being visible. Put them in first and you might not get the cake out of the pan at all. Put them in last, and you won't see them at all like you do in SK's because they'd be on the bottom. So, I attempted to layer them the best I could. Use a tube pan if you have one. :)

Apple Cake 2
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
6 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped – I used a combo of Braeburn and Golden Delicious
1 T cinnamon
5 T sugar

2 3/4 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. vegetable oil – I used canola
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice – I bet apple juice would be great, but I didn't have any ;)
2 1/2 t. vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan (preferred) or Bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine apple chunks, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, orange juice, and vanilla. Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Tube pan instructions:
Pour half the batter into the greased pan. Spread half the apples over the batter. Pour remaining batter over the apples. Arrange remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1.5 hours or until a tester comes out clean.

Bundt pan instructions:
Pour about a third of the batter into the greased pan. Spread half of the apples over the batter, pushing down slightly so that the apples can just slightly peek out the bottom (which will be the top) of the cake. Pour another third or so of the batter on top of the apples. Pour in remaining apples then remaining batter. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. (I did it this way so that you'd be able to see the apples when you flip it out of the pan but still be able to get it out of the pan without the apples sticking to the bottom—hopefully!)

Hers looks a heck of a lot yummier than mine, so use that tube pan if you have it. ;)

Coming Soon...

2009-10-04T18:38:00.006-04:00

Meet my friends (l to r) Red Delicious (I only picked two—not the best for baking), Golden Delicious (perfect for baking), Braeburn (slightly tart due to his Granny Smith momma), and York (lopsided but so delicious).

Coming soon:

Apple cake (a different version)
Apple cinnamon ice cream (with oatmeal cookie chunks, caramel, and nuts—you won't want to miss this one!)

Fall: Pumpkin Bars

2009-09-25T23:44:00.008-04:00

In high school AP German class, after the exam, we had to translate a recipe for cobbler (a krümeltorte, technically), make the recipe, then bring it in to class for a massive cobbler gorge-fest. (Unless you translated it incorrectly, in which case, no I don't want to eat your nasty concoction, thanks.) I remember my friend Jen gave up on translating/making the topping ingredients (methinks senioritis hit her junior year) and topped hers with yellow cake mix and melted butter. I thought this was the strangest thing, but she assured me that this was how her mother makes a shortcut cobbler.

Yeah, that crumbled yellow cake mix tasted better than my homemade topping (Butter, Zucker, Mehl, Backpulver, Ei, Vanille-Extrakt, und Salz, for those curious).

So when I acquired a recipe that included probably my favorite non-chocolate sweet (pumpkin) with that surprisingly tasty yellow cake mix topping, I knew we had a winner.

The good: You don't need special equipment. The bad: It takes an hour (or more) to cook. The worse: Despite my alterations, this ain't health food. But boy is it good!

Pumpkin Bars
30 oz. can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
14 oz. can evaporated milk (fat free works perfectly well)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. sugar
splash of vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 T. pumpkin pie spice (or your favorite combination of nutmeg, cloves, etc.)
one box yellow cake mix (you could totally use only a half box and save the rest for next time)
1.5 sticks butter, melted (it calls for 2 sticks (!), but I'd start with 1 and add more if needed)
1 c. chopped pecans (I just eyeballed it)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and the spices with a whisk or spatula in a bowl. Spread into 13 x 9-inch pan.

Sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 for 1 to 1.5 hours. (70 minutes worked for me)

I took this picture at a Navy football tailgate. Perfect recipe for traveling!

Magic Coconut Pie

2009-09-20T14:31:00.013-04:00

Well, it's mom's birthday again. This is her one time per year that she can beg for coconut—and coconut-hating dad can't do anything about it. :)

I was slightly skeptical about this one. It sounded so 50s. Seriously, Bisquik and coconut and no pie crust? It reminded me of this awful Bisquik Mexican dish I had to eat as a kid. Um, enjoy your "pie" mom! But I immediately changed my tune when I started breathing in the warm coconut, which reminded me so much of our honeymoon to Barbados and this coconut pie we would order at this bar on the beach. It was coconut and eggs and sugar and probably nothing else and it was just so amazing. This pie... this is my new pie. Custard on the inside, crunchy on top. We just loved it. Well, not dad, but the rest of us. ;)

Recipe from Baker's coconut bag.

Magic Coconut Pie
2 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. Bisquik
4 eggs
1/4 c. butter, softened (at room temp)
1 t. vanilla
1 1/3 c. Baker's (preferred by my mom) angel flake coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, sugar, Bisquik, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a blender on low speed for approximately 3 minutes. Pour into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Carefully sprinkle with coconut, making sure it doesn't overflow!

Carefully slide pie into oven and bake for 40–45 minutes or until center of pie is set (no longer jiggles when you attempt to take it out of the oven) and top is golden brown. Serve either warm or cool.

Store leftovers (ha!) in the refrigerator.

Custard!

Anniversary

2009-09-15T20:40:00.006-04:00

I think I might belong in chocolate blog prison, but I bought a store cake for our second anniversary. The horror! Take me away, baking police. (In my defense, we had only been stateside for some 24 hours and jet lag had taken its toll.)

But, I doubt you've had the Wegmans chocolate cake. If so, you might understand. Soooo fudgy. The frosting is so good, and I generally HATE frosting. They make mini cakes that could totally pass for the top tier of a wedding cake, except this is anniversary #2 and the small wedding cake tier was SO last year. And the bigger cake costs less per pound... like my rationalizing? :)

Happy 2nd anniversary, sweetie!

Not Chocolate: Beachy Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2009-08-30T01:06:00.011-04:00

It's now a tradition that I make something sweet for our annual beach trip with my husband's family. Last year's cookies were a little too labor-intensive (especially since they were eaten in about two seconds) but this year, I have the perfect recipe.

While perusing the new Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book, I found both a snickerdoodle cupcake recipe and a creative way to frost cupcakes so that they look like the beach. Since cinnamon sugar looks like sand to me, I decided to combine the two recipes into the perfect beach cupcake. All you need to embellish them are graham crackers and cocktail umbrellas (or palm trees), which I found on clearance at Party City. Since I decided to assemble these at the beach rather than have them in the hot car, I made my own version of seven-minute frosting, rather than Martha's, since hers involves 230-degree syrup and a candy thermometer. (Which, for those just tuning in, I have not used since December 2007. OUCH.)

Beachy Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. cake flour (not self-rising)
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 c. sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. milk
2 graham cracker rectangles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, stir together both flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Marshmallow (or Seven-Minute) Frosting
2 large egg whites
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. When cupcakes are cool, frost.

Meanwhile, using a small food processor or a ziploc bag and a rolling pin, crush graham crackers until fine and the consistency of sand. Rather than dipping each frosted cupcake upside-down into the crushed graham crackers, which I found to flatten the frosting, sprinkle the crushed grahams onto the top of the frosting (with a bowl underneath to catch the excess) until thoroughly covered. Top with a drink umbrella.

(No time to crush graham crackers? Just give each frosted cupcake a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar instead.)

Best enjoyed on the deck of your beach house. :)

Happy last weekend of summer!

inkpad eats Maine

2009-08-13T11:48:00.022-04:00

If you aren't planning a trip to New Hampshire/Maine, the following might be boring. Similarly, if you don't like other people's silly travel pictures, move right along. Otherwise, here's what we indulged in while on a recent vacation! (eleventy billion lobster rolls are excluded; we're talking SWEETS!)

First stop was my aunt and uncle's house in New Hampshire. The main goal was relaxing (which we totally needed, by the way) but on one occasion, we wandered into nearby Plymouth for an afternoon out. Surely a small college town (the other PSU) had ice cream...

Introducing Sweet Kathy's, Plymouth, NH, a few shops down from Anderson's Swedish Bakery (of note: hubz and I both have Swede in us)

M had the monster "Iditarod" sundae, thankyouverymuch. I had the much more modest scoop of Coffee Kahlua Brownie. I was very tempted by the blueberry ice cream, considering where we were, but I decided that could wait until Maine.

Another outing was to nearby Lake Winnipesaukee. Certain areas have definite tourist traps, and Kellerhaus, near campy Weirs Beach, is certainly no exception, but it is a MUST STOP. An ice cream Smörgåsbord?!

We had dough boy, peanut butter chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, butterscotch, hot fudge, chocolate jimmies (I call them sprinkles, but when in Rome, er, New England...), M&Ms, spanish peanuts, walnuts, whipped cream, an American flag (random)...

Then we bought some cashew and peanut turtles to go...

Next stop: Maine! I solely determined our coastal route based on this place: The Harbor Candy Shop in Ogunquit, ME. I couldn't decide what to get on my first visit and bought an impulse Dark Caramallow.

And the Bread & Roses Bakery next door was fabulous. (We liked these Magic Bars enough to get them on the way back to the airport too!) Coconut, buttery crust, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, oats, nuts. Sounds like magic to me.

We looooved the sweets at locally owned 3 Dogs Cafe (the website will send you into a sugar coma) in Rockport, but devoured them too quickly to take a picture. Let's just say a HUGE rum ball coated in Oreo crumbs, a peanut butter cup that was really like a flattened buckeye ball, and an elephant ear for M. Yummmm. And we sort of like Labs. I think they do too. A lot. Seriously.

Since you can't do Maine without blueberries, let me recommend the wild blueberry pie at Cappy's in Camden, ME. Small and very sweet berries. Delicious with ice cream. My horrible picture does it no justice!

And, I guess the last sweet of note was wedding cake. ;) (congrats, you know who!)

We highly, highly recommend NH and ME! For sort of more than food.

(I promise to never again put so many links in a post. Oh wait. My London review is coming soon...)

Birthday

2009-08-13T11:47:00.009-04:00

Ever wonder what a chocoholic would eat on a day all about her? (July 18, so I'm a little behind...)

This (Michel's Chocolate Bar, basically a large Kit-Kat bar with hazelnutty goodness).

This (they forgot my birthday candle and brought out another scoop of homemade ice cream, with a candle this time, with our check).

And this (both the Chocolate Truffle Cake from my coworkers and mom's Inside-Out Chocolate Bundt Cake, yes, with ice cream).

Oof.

Six Ingredient No-Bake Cherry Cheese Pie

2009-07-12T10:36:00.008-04:00

I don't always have time for an elaborate recipe, especially in summer when I don't want the oven on and the frozen pina coladas are beckoning. ;) This would be perfect for the upcoming Labor Day... though I made this for July 4 and am just now blogging while at the beach. :)

This is a simple, no-fail recipe for a delicious pie. Sure, you can make it a little bit more homemade by making a graham cracker crust or a regular crust, but why bother if you don't have to bake the rest? This recipe is just from a simple online search. The cheese part isn't quite like cheesecake, but a slightly tangy cream cheese. Enjoy!

Six Ingredient No-Bake Cherry Cheese Pie
Store-bought graham cracker crust (reduced-fat or regular)
8 oz. cream cheese (I use reduced-fat Neufchatel)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk (I use fat-free)
1/3 c. lemon juice (sure, fresh would be great, but RealLemon is my friend)
1 t. vanilla extract
21 oz. store-bought cherry pie filling (or blueberry, or...)

Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy then add sweetened condensed milk until well combined. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into graham cracker crust. Chill for at least 3 hours, or until set, in the fridge.

After the 3 hours, take out of the fridge and top with the cherry pie filling. I like to leave a little edge of white so you can see the different colors, especially at July 4th! I also don't use all the cherry syrup, but rather, focus on getting all the cherries and whatever syrup comes with them so that the pie doesn't get too runny. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Not Chocolate: Patriotic Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

2009-07-04T13:42:00.007-04:00

Browsing through one of my favorite blogs, bakerella recently featured a recipe from the June 2009 Martha Stewart Living magazine. Oh my. I had to make these pancakes.

Full of sweet blueberries (purchased at a stand on the way home from Harper's Ferry), crunchy cornmeal, and tangy buttermilk, these were such a hit!

And, it was fun to make them extra patriotic... by making a star shape out of the blueberries as you drop them onto each pancake, when you flip them, the star is cooked in on the back side. :) Adorable! That was a nice surprise.

Patriotic Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes
from Martha Stewart Living, June 2009

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/4 c. sugar, plus 2 t. for blueberries
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. milk
3 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 egg lightly beaten
2 c. blueberries
Extra butter for coating griddle
Maple syrup

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and egg in medium bowl.

Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and whisk together just until combined. (Lumps are ok!)

Toss blueberries in a bowl with 2 t. sugar.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Melt butter over surface of griddle. (Repeat as necessary throughout the process.) Drop batter on griddle using a 1/4 c. measure each time. Add sugared blueberries to each pancake, in a star shape if you like! Cook for about 3–4 minutes then carefully flip and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

To keep pancakes warm, I put a piece of foil in a 225 degree oven and pile the cooked pancakes on the foil as I make the next batch on the griddle.

Now that's a pancake.

How to throw an ice cream bridal shower :)

2009-06-27T14:54:00.017-04:00

As a fun little rest from typical food blogging, I thought I'd show off the decorations I did for my best friend's bridal shower.

To say that Sara likes ice cream is a bit of an understatement. Take my obvious love of chocolate, change it to ice cream, and multiply it by 10. Seriously. When I visited her in grad school, we had mudslides when I got there at night, ice cream for breakfast in town, s'mores for an afternoon snack, a normal dinner (with dessert, probably), then ice cream for breakfast the next morning. :)

So, naturally, I always envisioned an ice cream bridal shower for her.

Ice cream cookie cutter favors:

Dressed up with stamped labels and cupcake ribbon from Michaels:

Shower invitations (name smeared out for internet safety!) I made with help from Design-her Gals. An ice cream cone accessory = freaking awesome.

Ice cream sundae glasses with peony "ice cream" and long sundae spoons from Williams-Sonoma several years ago. (The handles are imprinted with ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and sherbet.)

How I set up the entry table. Note the ice cream favors in their own sundae glasses, pink M&Ms from Michaels in sundae glasses with the long spoons again, and a framed invitation (the mat was the cute polka dot wrapping paper I found at A.C. Moore that reminded me of ice cream!).

Sara even got ice cream lingerie and this cute apron! And one of my gifts was this from C&B.

A good shot of the table set up for dessert. Among other things, ice cream cone cupcakes (friend made), ice cream bonbons from Trader Joe's (in cupcake mini muffin paper liners from Michaels), and the rest of the "ice cream" peonies and ice cream scoops between the flower arrangements for extra emphasis... just incase you haven't caught on yet.

Happy shower, Sara!!

Captain Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-06-27T14:54:00.008-04:00

After making my famous Captain Crunch chicken* for my friend's bridal shower, I had lots of leftover Captain Crunch in the cupboard. For most people, this wouldn't be a big issue. And while I love cereal and have it every morning, I didn't grow up with sugary cereal and with the exception of Lucky Charms, I think they're all way too sweet for my 5:30 a.m. breakfast.

It was quite serendipitous then that Peabody would post her recipe for Captain Crunch chocolate chip cookies the week I had leftovers!

Deliciously salty, this recipe produces a thin, crisp cookie. I used regular (not mini) chocolate chips that I already had on hand, and added more than a cup of them... shocking, I know. :)

*Ask nicely, and I'll share, but this isn't a chicken blog. :)

Captain Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 c. Captain Crunch Flour (pulverized Captain Crunch – It takes about 2 ½ cups Captain Crunch cereal to make flour. Just place in food processor and pulse until it becomes powdery.)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. (or more...) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high for about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. Reduce to low speed and add the flour, Captain Crunch Flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until completely combined. Add chocolate chips and mix until fully incorporated.

Spray baking sheets with cooking spray or use a Silpat. Use a cookie scoop to form cookies and drop onto sheet. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then move to rack to finish cooling.

He certainly wants some of these...

Not Chocolate but Pure Summer: Blueberry Coffee Cake

2009-05-25T15:07:00.010-04:00

I have been making this recipe for years, and while it's not at all chocolate, blueberries scream summer and scream July 4th, so I thought it would be a good time to share the recipe.

I make this coffee cake every year for Memorial Day, July 4th, and for most breakfast meetings/brunches. It's quite sweet and I have altered the recipe a little bit. Feel free to tweak it to make it more healthy too!! Yikes, Paula!

It's a little curious that it's apparently both a Paula Deen recipe and a Pillsbury Bake-off winner? Hmmm. In any case, enjoy! It's even better for dessert with vanilla ice cream. :)

Blueberry Coffee Cake
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 (12-oz.) can buttermilk biscuits (or as close to 12 oz. as you can find)
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted (I usually use only 1/4 c. and melt just a little more if needed)
1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen works perfectly well)
1/2 c. sugar (or to taste; it's to sweeten the blueberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with the butter wrapper or cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well with a fork. Separate biscuit dough into 10 (or however many come in the roll) biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters, and lightly dip each piece in melted butter and coat with brown sugar mixture. Arrange in a single layer, covering the entire bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the oats.

Combine blueberries and sugar in a separate bowl and toss to coat. Spoon over oats and biscuits and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup oats. Drizzle remaining melted butter on top (I find this unnecessary, by the way). Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cake is golden brown and center is done. (It always takes me way more than 20 minutes; use a spatula to gently lift up a corner edge of the cake to see if it's still gooey or if it has cooked through.) Serve warm.

Wish-it-were-my-idea-graduation-caps

2009-05-24T16:32:00.007-04:00

How I made it this long without knowing about bakerella is totally beyond me, but what a talented blogger. And just in time too. My friend over at ieatDC graduated from law school recently, and I knew that making her these graduation caps with her school's colors on the tassels would totally make her day! (Without hesitation, she put the whole huge thing in her mouth at once.) :)

These are pretty easy to put together, with some patience and the right supplies. Colors are customizable. :)

Graduation Caps
Miniature peanut butter cups, chilled in the freezer
Godiva squares*
Airheads Extremes Rainbow Berry Sweetly Sour Belts, cut into strips by color**
Lollipop sticks (the Wilton brand is available at Michaels or Party City)
Small handful of chocolate chips, melted (this is your "glue")
Rainbow chip sprinkles (mine are from a Williams-Sonoma ice cream topping kit; other small candies will do as well)

*Apparently found at World Market, for a price; after feeling up all the chocolate bars at Wegmans, I bought a Wegmans brand bar of chocolate that had squares approximately proportionate for the square part of the cap—but the Wegmans logo is on top, unfortunately. They were also thicker than the Godiva squares, but I was not making one more stop with chocolate already in the car trying to melt!

**I'm going to save you the trouble and let you know you can only find these at 7-Eleven in this area... not Wegmans, Safeway, CVS, Giant, Walmart, Target... not that I'd know or anything... ;)

(Bakerella gives great instructions and step-by-step pictures if you want to see it there. I just give a basic overview.) Place peanut butter cups in the freezer until firm. Remove from freezer and carefully remove the wrappers. (Otherwise, too much chocolate gets stuck on the wrapper when unwrapped at room temperature.) Let come to room temperature once unwrapped (so that you can stick the lollipop stick in each without it cracking).

Melt a few chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave. Dip the tip of each lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and carefully insert into the wider part of each peanut butter cup (when the pb cups have come to room temp, otherwise, they'll crack). Don't pierce through to the other side!

Now, moving your attention to the squares, take a small dollop of your melted chocolate on a toothpick and "paint" a small blob in the center of each square as well as a "tail" for the tassel to adhere to. Adhere a rainbow chip in the middle of each square and a strip of sour belt to form the tassel. You'll have to cut the tassels down a little bit so they hang over the edge of each cap at the right length to look like a graduation cap.

When the caps have dried, use more melted chocolate to adhere them to the top of each grad cap. Stick into a styrofoam block to dry, or, the ghetto inkpadchocolate method, which is a shotglass. Hey, it's graduation, right? ;) The styrofoam will keep the caps more upright though. Oh well; you get the point! I was in a hurry as always!

Congrats, A!

Peabody's Chocolate Pecan Triangles

2009-05-24T16:31:00.012-04:00

For Mother's Day this year, M and I hosted our moms for a tea. Unlike with most guests, our moms fortunately share our chocolate obsession—we didn't have to worry about providing less decadent options like we sometimes do with other dinner guests. ;) Also, we didn't even bother with anything savory... my kind of tea party!

Lately I have been following the blog Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. I really like her material because unlike some of my other favorite dessert blogs, Peabody makes things that, while totally creative and one of a kind, are still easy enough for a moderately experienced baker to handle, without being too over the top. Warning, her pictures will totally make you drool.

I had been eyeing her Chocolate Pecan Diamonds for a long time, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to take the plunge. Not only did the moms LOVE them, so did the dads (they got goodie bags)—and so did I. This recipe totally won me over. It's like super rich and chewy fudge on top of a crunchy, buttery crust. Makes me happy. Thanks, Peabody!

Please click the link above for her original recipe, but I did make a few changes and would like to make a few notes.

1. "Pecan dough" and "pecan filling" section: To toast the pecans, scatter them on an ungreased cookie sheet in a single layer and cook them in a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 or so minutes, tossing them a few times during cooking. This really releases the flavors and aroma of the nuts, but if this is just an extra step for you, you don't *have* to do it. But I do agree that it adds a lot of flavor and texture.

2. "Pecan filling" section: I used 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips rather than milk chocolate chips, but that's also because I buy semisweet chips in bulk at Costco. ;)

3. "Pecan filling" section: I used 10 oz. of milk chocolate chips rather than a milk chocolate bar that I chopped—mostly to save time and not have to clean another cutting board/knife. ;)

4. "To make the filling" section: When she says to "Remove the pan from oven, and use a spatula to smooth the chocolate. I choose to make a marbled effect since the chocolates were different shades of brown."—this was a disaster for me. When I tried to marble it, the milk chocolate chips would pull up the already baked chocolate beneath it and there was no way it would end prettily. Next time, I'll leave visible chips on top.

5. Finally, I couldn't follow the instructions to make diamonds. M had to rip the ruler out of my hands because the moms were arriving in less than five minutes. So, triangles it is!!

I really hope you try this recipe. It's really a great one. I filed it under favorites and everything. :)

Cinco de Mayo: Chocolatey Empanadas

2009-05-24T16:30:00.007-04:00

I decided to make chicken empanadas for Cinco de Mayo dinner this year, and with the leftover dough, my mind naturally drifted toward chocolate.

Using this dough and instructions as a base, I added different combinations of fillings. Chocolate chips with cinnamon, Nutella, peanut butter and chocolate chips—the possibilities are endless!

Although a cornmeal dough was a little strong for delicate fillings, it was still yummy and really pretty too.

And, to make sure each had a nicely browned exterior, I used the leftover egg whites to make an egg wash and brushed it over the top of each and finished with a generous sprinkling of sugar or cinnamon sugar.

Well, and chocolate syrup too, of course. :)

Friendly Post-Passover Reminder

2009-04-26T15:24:00.005-04:00

Have leftover matzo meal? Don't know what matzo meal even is?

Just a friendly reminder about my favorite cookies, i.e., not your average Passover hockey pucks.

This year, with better pictures!

Passover/Easter: Flourless Chocolate Torte

2009-04-10T12:39:00.007-04:00

Since Easter was during Passover this year, I helped my mom make a flourless chocolate torte for Easter dessert so that all in my multi-religioned family could enjoy it. ;) This chocolatey treat can be for any occasion though. It is super easy to throw together too—just be sure to serve it hot and with ice cream. :)

Flourless Chocolate Torte
from Southern Living

Unsweetened cocoa
Two 8-oz. packages semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. butter
5 eggs, separated
1 T. vanilla extract
1/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa. Set aside.

Melt chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

Whisk together egg yolks and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir about a 1/4 cup of egg mixture into warm chocolate mixture to temper eggs. Gradually stir the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of beaten egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes before running a knife around pan and removing sides of pan. Serve warm. (Don't be too concerned if craters form before your eyes... it happens.)

Crater!

Deliciousness

Passover: Macaroons Part II

2009-04-10T12:38:00.004-04:00

Scratch last year's Martha macaroons. Throw those hockey pucks out! These, following, are my mom-in-law's and they are to die for. Chewy and crunchy at the same time. She uses matzo cake meal instead of matzo meal—good call!

And, shocker, I added chocolate chips. Happy Pesach!

Mom's Better Macaroons
1 1/3 c. shredded coconut
1/3 c. sugar
3 T. Manischewitz matzo cake meal
2 egg whites
1/2 t. vanilla extract
chocolate chips, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine coconut, sugar, and cake meal in bowl. Stir egg whites and vanilla in a cup, add to coconut mixture, and combine completely. Add chocolate chips, to taste. Drop by cookie scoop on nonstick or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 22–25 minutes until edges are golden brown. Remove from pan immediately or else they will stick.

I love Scouty's look of utter desperation...

inkpad Eats NYC

2009-04-10T12:31:00.015-04:00

So I thought it would be fun to do a food review of my most recent trip to NYC. Since a very young age, I would write down EVERYTHING I ate while on vacation. This could include a stale bagel at the Holiday Inn, but if I ate it, it went on my list. Forget what I saw. It's always been about what I ate. But since this is a chocolate blog, it'll be about the sweets I ate.

After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we decided to grab lunch at the famous Lombardi's in Little Italy. Since there was a wait (even at 2:30), we hopped on across the street to Rice to Riches, one of those trendy shops that only NYC can pull off. Inside, you'll find any type of rice pudding imaginable. I don't think I even like true rice pudding, but this stuff tastes much more like the flavor it imitates rather than rice pudding, except of course for the texture. I sampled the "Sex, Drugs, and Rocky Road," but M and I decided on the "Fluent in French Toast" rice pudding. It was heavenly. And filling.

After eating too much pizza, we walked through SoHo and stopped at Vosges Haut-Chocolat for a sample. They are known for their odd chocolate pairings, like their famous Mo's Bacon Bar. What really attracted me though were their exotic caramels. Mmmmm. A little too pricey though.

Our next stop was the Chelsea Market, where I coveted a vat of Nutella. But, I was good. We still had Billy's...

The thing with Billy's is that, like my friend Annie complains of NYC cupcakeries, it's chocolate with vanilla, chocolate with chocolate, mix and match, and repeat. I also saw a red velvet and a lemon, but where's the variety in that? In any case, M and I each got a cupcake and I stood at the window with my nose pressed against the glass to learn their famous frosting technique. It's all in the wrist (and it was too sweet).

We then huffed it back to Midtown to change at the hotel and meet our friend Heather for dinner at Landmarc in Tribeca. Excellent steak and cute mini desserts, but you'll have to take my word for it... Heather hates looking like a tourist in her own city, so I didn't take pictures for fear of her throwing herself at my camera. But, she had the cotton candy ("It's not on the menu," Heather proudly stated), M had the mini chocolate mousse, I had the mini crème brûlée (crazy, I know!), and our check came with handmade caramels. Delicious and fun!

The next morning, we met my friend Annie for brunch at Norma's in Le Parker Meridien. Holy moly, kids. Come hungry!

Annie got the famous Waz-Za Waffle ("Fruit Inside, Fruit Outside, Crackly Brûlée Top"):

M got a standard Belgian waffle (what a chicken!), aka whipped cream with some waffle:

And I, my friends, got the PB&C Waffle 'Wich ("Chocolate Waffle with a Peanut Butter and Toffee Crunch Filling"). Um yeah, and I ate the whole thing:

I think I'm still on a sugar high. Norma's was full of tourists, but I think that's the point.

As if that weren't enough, my buddy ieatDC made me go to Levain Bakery (such hardship) and Annie was really excited to take us there. Um, yeah, the cookies are as big as that cookie on the opening screen on their website. Crunchy on the outside, doughy on the inside. This is my new must-go place in all of NYC. I got a chocolate chip walnut and M got the chocolate chocolate chip. (Yes, we really had a role reversal this trip... my chocolatey-ness is wearing off on him!) The funny thing about this shop is that they have a webcam that posts your pictures on their website. I found several with me in it and I'd post one, but it's mostly of my obscenely large forehead. Who wants that? Speaking of large...

THEN, it wouldn't be a trip to NYC to see Annie without a stop at Grom, gelato straight from Heaven (or Italy, whatever). It was a beautiful spring day, the glass doors were open and inviting, and the Italian man behind the counter told me what I was going to sample, and who am I to deny him? M and I split a cup of Extra Noir Chocolate and Crema di Grom (egg cream, "meliga" biscuits, and dark chocolate from Ecuador). It was the perfect end to our trip.

On the way to catch the bus home, we stopped in both Neuhaus and Jacques Torres Chocolate. The stupid Neuhaus people wouldn't stop talking about American Idol long enough to give us a sample, so we left. Jacques Torres was a lot of fun—chocolate covered Peeps, chocolate covered Cheerios that Annie says are surprisingly good, and lots of baked goods.

All in all, we had a great trip, and I'm just glad we walked 10 miles that first day or I would have been forced to buy two bus tickets on the way home!

Easter Preview: Lemon Torte

2009-03-26T20:13:00.010-04:00

So, this isn't really an Easter preview. It would no doubt be lovely for Easter and is springy and so lemony and light—but in my family, Easter is definitely a pie occasion. But I have been waiting and waiting for the first signs of spring to make this cake again so that I can share it with you all! (All two of you!)

I made this cake last April at a Sur La Table "Easy Italian Cooking Class" with my friend Margaret at Pentagon Row. The menu was so delicious: Crostini al Pomodoro; Onion, Chickpea, and Prosciutto Frittata; the surprisingly amazing Fennel, Arugula, and Orange Salad; Zucchini Ribbons; and finally, Lemon Torte. I recreated most of it last Mother's Day, but making my mom a lemon cake instead of a chocolate pie would be laughable!

What got me most excited is that in our usual morning-light-only kitchen, I got the first rays of all-day spring sunlight! These pictures are so much better than usual. Thanks, sunshine!

Lemon Torte
Easy Italian Brunch with Robyn Webb

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks (save the wrapper to butter the pan!)
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1 c. nonfat lemon yogurt (you'll need slightly more than one container of yogurt)
grated zest and juice of one lemon
1 T. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. cake flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch round nonstick cake pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter to a cream and add the sugar, a little at a time, beating constantly. Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the yogurt and beat it in; then beat the lemon zest and lemon juice and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until no traces of white remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour (mine took 50 minutes).

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely. When cool, remove from pan* and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*Tip: I've never really had much issue with getting cakes out of pans, but this one didn't cooperate. I found a great tip online that really helped. If, when completely cool, it still won't budge even after running a knife around the edge and gently shaking the pan upside down, heat a burner on your stovetop and put the cake pan over the flame for about 10 seconds. Turn upside down over your plate and repeat the gentle shaking. If this still doesn't work, flip the cake pan back over, and put the bottom of the cake pan on the heat for another 10 seconds. The cake should release (mine did!) after several rotations of this.

Spring!

St. Patty's Day: Triple Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-03-19T20:35:00.004-04:00

It seems like I can't make enough cupcakes these days, and I can't really explain it. But for St. Patty's this year, I wanted something green and minty and decided to browse my old, old 1001 Chocolate Treats cookbook. My friend David gave me this book for my 16th birthday, and I'm ashamed to admit that besides staring at picture after picture (I think every recipe has one), I haven't made ANYTHING in this cookbook! How absurd is that? But it proves that even at Sweet 16, my friends very much knew what I'd like for a birthday gift—even if David never did ask me to the Prom. *sigh* But I'm still that same chocolate girl. :)

So, old pal, I promise to do more than stare at your pictures from now on. Wouldn't you?

Triple Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
based on #129, Chocolate Mint Cake

Cake:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 t. peppermint extract or peppermint schnapps
2/3 c. milk
Chocolate-covered mint candies

Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 t. peppermint extract or peppermint schnapps
2 to 3 T. milk
1 to 2 drops green food coloring (I needed more!)
Chocolate-covered mint candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.

For the cake:
Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar and shortening until smooth. Beat in the egg and peppermint extract/schnapps. In three additions, mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Divide evenly among prepared cupcake liners. Gently push one chocolate-covered mint candy into each filled cupcake liner, and gently cover with excess batter so that it is completely hidden.

Bake for about 20–22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the powdered sugar, butter, and peppermint extract/schnapps until combined. Mix in enough milk to make it spreadable. Beat in the food coloring. (Note: I needed to make a second batch of frosting for 24 cupcakes.) When cupcakes have cooled completely, frost each cupcake and place one chocolate-covered mint candy on top.

Green with envy?

St. Patty's Day: Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread

2009-03-19T20:04:00.006-04:00

Soooo, the Irish would totally strike me down for this next one because (1) the original recipe calls for raisins and caraway seeds and (2) chocolate chips? Seriously? But this isn't a raisin blog and I don't know anyone who would drool over that. Also, I hear that a soda bread with stuff in it is actually Spotted Dog. Who knew?

I love Irish soda bread, and traditionally, it's just four ingredients: flour, buttermilk, baking soda, and salt. This recipe also has sugar and butter and a few other nontraditional elements. It was good, but really didn't taste like soda bread to me. Chocolate chip bread, yes. (Not that that's an entirely bad thing either.) Also contributing to this: swapping 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour for 1 regular because oh. my. gosh. it needs to vacate my cabinet! So if you follow the recipe, yours might taste more like Irish soda bread. Or, try one of these recipes next time. And add chocolate chips. ;)

Chocolate Chip Irish Soda Bread
4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
4 T. unsalted butter, cold
2 c. chocolate chips
1 1/2 scant cups buttermilk*
1 egg
1 t. baking soda

*No buttermilk on hand? For each cup of buttermilk, mix one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to make one cup. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (hmmm, did the Irish use Silpats?); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until well combined.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives in scissor fashion, cut in butter until the mixture feels like coarse meal. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and baking soda until well combined. Pour buttermilk mixture into the flour-and-butter mixture all at once, and stir with a fork until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture begins to hold together. It should resemble a rough biscuit dough. Using your hands, press the dough into a round, dome-shaped loaf about 8 inches in diameter. Lift the loaf from the bowl, and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.

(If desired, brush with an egg wash to make it shiny on top.) With a sharp knife, cut a cross, about 1/2 inch deep into the top of the loaf. Transfer to the oven. Bake, rotating halfway through, until it is deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 70 minutes (mine cooked in about 60). Remove from oven, and transfer bread from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Valentine's Day: Chocolate Soufflés

2009-02-15T11:36:00.007-05:00

The hubz and I rarely go out for Valentine's Day. A nice meal at home is what makes us happy! So to top off this year's delish dinner, I made a rich dark chocolate soufflé. It's the perfect decadent treat: rich, light, molten, airy. I just love it!

This particular soufflé has the added hint of rum (we used honeymoon rum!) but any other liqueur would be great too: Bailey's, Kahlua, Godiva—get creative!

Chocolate Soufflés
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped – plus a small piece for the center of each soufflé
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
5 T. sugar
2 T. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter – keep the wrapper for buttering the ramekins
1 T. dark rum
1 T. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt

6 large eggs, separated
Pinch of cream of tartar
Powdered sugar for garnish

Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm. (Chocolate base can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Stir over low heat just until lukewarm before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter eight 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups and coat insides with sugar. Whisk egg yolks into lukewarm chocolate base. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate base in 3 additions. Divide soufflé mixture among prepared ramekins; place on baking sheet. If desired, place a small piece of leftover bittersweet chocolate into the middle of each soufflé. Bake soufflés until puffed but still moist in center, about 15 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over soufflés, if desired, and serve immediately.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine's Day: Palmiers

2009-02-15T11:35:00.006-05:00

M's favorite cookies are buttery palmiers, also called elephant ears. I always wanted to make them for him, and decided that since they are heart shaped, Valentine's Day would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

I used Ina Garten's recipe for these, but I would not use quite as much sugar as she does. I found that most of it will not become absorbed into the pastry dough and you're left with so much extra on the mat that it's not really worth the waste. My only other tip is to defrost the puffed pastry for at least an hour. Otherwise, the folds will just rip and you really need a full sheet for each cookie.

Palmiers
2 c. granulated sugar (I used 1.5 c. and still had so much left over...)
1/8 t. salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar and kosher salt in a bowl. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board, silicone baking mat, or marble. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour another 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book.

Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment or a Silpat.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool (or devour them when they're warm and still doughy!).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Cardinal Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-02-01T12:49:00.012-05:00

The hubz is an AZ native. To say he likes Arizona sports is a wee bit of an understatement. Suns, D-backs, Coyotes, Sun Devils... and of course, the Cardinals! So when the Cards finally made it to the Super Bowl, it was time to pull out all the stops. From cactus-shaped sugar cookies to guacamole and seven-layer dip, we had a very superstitious Southwest-inspired meal—and Cards-colored red velvet cupcakes!

I never really understood the big deal behind red velvet cupcakes. They're vanilla? But red? But contain cocoa? Huh? But since I LOVE cream cheese frosting, I decided to make these, and I can successfully say that I will make them again soon. This particular recipe produced the most MOIST cupcakes I have ever made. I usually think red food coloring tastes very bitter—red M&Ms, red frosting flowers on a cake (*gag*)—but this just tasted like a moist cake, no bitterness at all.

I combined two different Food Network recipes here because I saw the episode where Sunny made the cakes, which inspired me, but I prefer a cream cheese frosting to a basic white one. And, why not just make Paula Deen's recipe since it has the frosting I like? That's easy: Sunny's contained more cocoa. :) To make them more Big Game–friendly, I made Sunny's recipe into cupcakes and cut the baking time accordingly.

*IMPORTANT: If you don't want everything to be permanently stained red, use a stainless steel bowl, stainless steel whisk, and a dark colored (not white) spatula with a plastic handle (a wooden handle would probably turn red immediately if any dye got on it!)

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temperature (I used unsalted)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 oz. red food coloring (I only used about 1.5 oz.)
3 T. cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened (I used unsalted)
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa, and salt using a whisk. Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among cupcake cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes and get back to watch the heartbreaker game!!

At least we enjoyed the cupcakes, if not the final score. :(

Cowboy Cookies

2009-01-25T13:37:00.007-05:00

My mom always makes a big batch of various chocolatey cookies for M and me at the holidays. This year's stash included chocolate chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, heath bar cookies, Oreo truffles, Saltine "bark," and these curious Cowboy Cookies. Considering that I love "stuff" in my cookies and "stuff" in my ice cream, I knew immediately that I'd love these. With oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut, it really has something for everyone (except perhaps my dad, who abhors coconut... sorry, dad!). Additionally, these are a chewy cookie, for those of us (me! me!) who'd rather have that than a crunchy cookie any day of the week. Another big win for Martha!

Cowboy Cookies
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats (I used quick oats and the world didn't stop spinning)
6 oz. (1 c.) semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (I used chocolate chips)
3 oz. (3/4 c.) pecan halves (I chopped them)
1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut (unsweetened is hard to find other than at Whole Foods)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray, line with parchment, and spray parchment (or just use a Silpat). Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a small spoon, drop dough onto baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire rack, and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks. Let cool. (inkpadchocolate says: "Eat when still hot!)

I love these salty/sweet/chewy bites of heaven!

Scouty's First Birthday!: Devil Dog Cake

2009-01-22T10:12:00.011-05:00

I apparently grew up in the wrong part of the country to know what Devil Dogs are, but they are little chocolate cakes with marshmallow filling made by Drake's out of New Jersey.

I also didn't realize just how many people out there on the Web are obsessed with them.

In any case, we threw a little party for Scout's first birthday, and for the human cake (the dogs got a dog-friendly cake), there's really no better tribute to our naughty little pup than something called a devil dog!

Because I was short on time, I just used Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix from the box, but any of the recipes above would make a great base for the chocolate cake. I ended up using the epicurious recipe for the marshmallow frosting (it's the same as on smitten kitchen). If you like a super sweet frosting, this one's for you.

Devil Dog Cake
1 box Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix (prepared according to box)

Marshmallow (or seven-minute) Frosting:
2 large egg whites
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract

Make cake according to package directions (I made it with two round pans).

For the frosting, combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. When cake is cool, frost. I suppose that for a *true* Devil Dog, you should only frost between the layers to make it look like the Drake's cake, but I wanted it to look more like a traditional birthday cake.

(Tip: This frosting was GREAT for piping details. It's thick and glossy and doesn't run—although the dye colors do run a little bit. I reserved about a 1/2 cup of frosting that I put in different ramekins and dyed before piping.)

Yes, I am aware that I went to this much trouble for a dog. But this cake was for the humans!

What you mean? Dis no chocolate cake!
(Yes, that is a Pound Puppy birthday hat. Don't judge.)

Happy first birthday, fuzzy guy!

New Year's Eve: White Chocolate Mousse Cups

2009-01-04T21:46:00.009-05:00

I wanted to make a unique and bite-sized dessert for an at-home New Year's Eve with my best friend and her fiance. Since I consider Giada the queen of the kitchen, and she shares my chocolate obsession, I decided on her Mascarpone and Dark Chocolate Cream in White Chocolate Cups recipe. I'm not usually a white chocolate fan—it's not chocolate—but I'm a sucker for cute packaging.

It's actually not as labor-intensive as it may seem, but it does take a little bit of time, especially during the freezing process. Don't leave this one for the last minute. The best tip I have is that, when peeling away the paper liner from the white chocolate, start at the bottom of the paper muffin liner since there's a little air pocket there that you can gently stab with a knife tip. And, while a piping bag isn't necessary, it makes the presentation nicer. (Even though I had a star tip that was too small, it still looked nice, I think!) Finally, Giada calls for regular muffin cups (makes 8) but I thought the mini muffin cups were cuter and more figure friendly after an evening of noshing on junk. :)

White Chocolate Mousse Cups
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. whipping cream
3 T. sugar
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (I omitted; I hate orange with chocolate)
1/4 t. vanilla extract

Have mini muffin cups ready. Melt the white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water (or use a good pot), stirring until smooth. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner. Using a pastry brush, coat the chocolate evenly and completely over the bottom and up the sides of the liners. Freeze until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Remelt the remaining white chocolate. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides, forming a second coat. Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in top of a clean double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. At this point, set aside to cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, melted bittersweet chocolate, orange peel (if using), and vanilla in a large bowl just until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds (do not overmix). Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the mousse into the white chocolate cups. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight, and then let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

I should have garnished it with chocolate curls, but I waited until the last minute. :)

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!!

2008-12-28T13:06:00.017-05:00

From my kitchen to yours, Happy Holidays!!

May your holidays be fun...

and golden...

and steeped in tradition*...

and snow-capped...

and drunken...

and perfect.

*Kiss up to Miss ieatdc in order to get her grandmother's mandel bread recipe. :)

Chocolate Rum Balls

2008-12-28T13:02:00.009-05:00

My husband's coworker made rum balls for the office, and he brought one home for me... and wow. I would totally be drunk after just a few! I had never had one before, and intrigued, decided to make my own as this year's holiday treat for my family. (Even though my dad claims that bourbon balls are even better!) I found this recipe in Martha's cookie book, but it's also available on her site.

I had no idea what they were made of though. Would you believe brownies?! A batch of thin brownies is broken in pieces and rum is added until they're moist and rollable. That's it. Awesome.

Chocolate Rum Balls
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 c. packed light-brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. plus 2 T. dark rum
Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling (I used a light green for Christmas!)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 12x17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until top is shiny and a cake tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Break up brownie into small pieces; transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, pour in rum, and mix until crumbs start to come together to form a ball.

Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sanding sugar to coat (I swirled them in a bowl of the sugar, similar to how I do snickerdoodles and chocolate crinkles). Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate, uncovered, until cold, about 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Rum balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Crinkles

2008-12-28T13:01:00.009-05:00

I, again, needed more treats for a cookie exchange, an office party, and for holiday gifts, and after renting Martha's new cookie cookbook from the library, I chose these chocolate crinkles (she calls them crackles, I prefer crinkles...) after browsing through her "soft and chewy" chapter. With two types of chocolate, a pretty pattern on top, and a chewy consistency, I knew they'd be perfect. Plus, they make me think of snow!

Chocolate Crinkles
Yield: about 5 dozen, depending on size

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. milk
1 c. sugar
1 c. confectioners' sugar

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a good nonstick pan, stirring constantly. Set aside and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one portion of dough at a time from the refrigerator. Divide each portion into approximately 16 one-inch balls. Roll each in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners' sugar to coat fully. (I recommend handling the dough as little as possible; I had a small bowl for granulated sugar and another for confectioners' sugar and dropped several balls in at once and swirled them around the bowl without handling them.) Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, about 14 minutes.

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Note the time lapse! Raw then cooked!

Chocolate Cupcakes a la Georgetown Cupcake

2008-12-28T13:00:00.009-05:00

Ahhh, the holidays are upon us and so is my return to chocolate recipes. Thanks for your patience as I got through fall, aka pumpkin and apple season. :) I needed to make several treats for various holiday parties, and I was in the mood for a good cupcake. Georgetown Cupcake, the quaint bakery in ritzy Georgetown, is my favorite cupcakery in the DC area. I think their cakes are moist, the frosting fluffy and perfectly piped on, and the creative decorations on top are just right! You will not be disappointed with the chocolate ganache cupcake!!!! Heaven!

Well, you know you've made it big when you show up on Martha, and the sisters who own and run the shop did just that recently... and shared the recipe for their basic chocolate cupcake. (The recipe on Martha's site also lists their vanilla frosting recipe, but seriously people, I don't believe in vanilla and you should know this by now.)

While I thought it was delicious, it certainly tastes better in the store itself, but I'm not about to purchase French butter, etc. However, I'll keep this one in my recipe stash. Mmmmm...

Avert your eyes. These cupcakes are naked...

Georgetown Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 t. baking soda, sifted
1/4 t. salt
1 c. milk
1 1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c. cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In another bowl, stir together milk and vanilla extract; set aside. (To save yet another bowl, I just added the vanilla to the glass measuring cup I used to measure the milk!)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk mixture; beat until just combined. (Inkpadchocolate's note: OMG it smelled so awesome at this point!) Add cocoa powder and beat until just combined. (OMG it smelled even better here!)

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. (IPC's note: My cupcakes barely rose; I recommend filling them higher.) Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost with tooth-decaying frosting of choice. I chose my favorite Irish Cream Frosting, but you can do vanilla. I won't hold it against you. :)

Yes, admittedly, I frosted these at midnight and didn't have time for the frosting to warm up.

Giada's Apple Crostata

2008-12-02T21:46:00.006-05:00

I puffy heart Giada. Some might say I'm obsessed with her. In any case, she comes up with completely delicious creations that aren't that hard to assemble, and this crostata is no exception. I made it twice and it's just so pretty and flaky and good. I even used her crust recipe for my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie! Be sure to follow the crust recipe carefully; using chilled butter and ice water is very important to any good crust.

Since I still had leftover apples from apple picking, I didn't use Golden Delicious or Pippin, but whatever I had on hand, and it worked out just fine.

Apple Crostata
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
10 T. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T. ice water

Filling:
2 small Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 Pippin apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 c. plus 1 T. sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 large egg white, beaten with 1 T. water (for egg wash)
2 T. sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish (I omitted)

To make the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the ice water and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. (If the dough still crumbles and does not form into a ball, add another tablespoon of ice water.) Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For the filling: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the apples, 1/4 cup of sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl; toss gently to blend. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour and roll out the dough on the paper to an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a heavy large baking sheet. Spoon the apple mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, leaving the apples exposed in the center. Pleat loosely and pinch the dough to seal any cracks. Brush the crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. (Note: Mine leaked apple juices both times I made this, despite pleating, and the juices burned the cookie sheet. Just watch it closely or don't add all the apple juices left in the bowl when you assemble the crostata.)

Bake the crostata until the crust is golden and the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; cool for 10 minutes. Slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the crostata from the baking sheet. Cool the crostata to lukewarm. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve. (Or cut right into it and top with vanilla ice cream while it's still hot!!)

Find the maple leaf cutout amongst the same-colored apples and you win a prize. :)

Fall Treats: Five-minute Pumpkin Spice Pudding

2008-10-13T20:55:00.004-04:00

My college roomie snatched this super quick recipe from a magazine a few years ago and I have no idea where it's from exactly, but I have been making this simple pudding every fall since. I usually force myself to wait until October to make it, but some years, I just can't wait that long!

With just four ingredients, and the option of making this fat free, it's an easy choice when that autumn pumpkin craving arrives. It's very much like the inside of a pumpkin pie, but much creamier... and easier!

Five-minute Pumpkin Spice Pudding
1 package (5.1 oz.) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk (may use fat free variety)
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin pie filling (not pure pumpkin)
1 t. pumpkin pie spice (or any combo of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger you like!)

Beat together pudding mix and evaporated milk. Refrigerate 5 minutes. Mix in pumpkin pie filling and spice. Refrigerate 10 more minutes until set.

Could it be any easier?

Sugar Cookie Cut-outs with Buttercream Frosting

2008-10-13T20:54:00.024-04:00

My college roommate Jen is getting married this November and I decided that I would make pretty wedding cake cookie favors for her shower. I knew that I didn't want to use royal frosting this time, since I tend to wait to the last minute and royal frosting takes a very long time to harden 100% (and I had to drive to PA with these things!) so I decided on a traditional buttercream instead. Buttercream, when exposed to the elements, hardens quite nicely and lends itself better to decorations.

For those in the area, if you haven't been to Fran's Cake and Candy Supplies in Fairfax, you really should. She recently moved to a new and larger location near the intersection of 50/Lee Highway and Main Street/236 and Sallee, the owner, has everything from cookie cutters to fondant to piping bags to premade frosting roses. For this project, I picked up a wedding cake cookie cutter and some edible pearls and sanding sugar in green, the bride's favorite color.

I again decided to go straight to the source—Martha, of course—for the perfect vanilla buttercream, and I ended up choosing this one, developed by Billy's Bakery in NYC.

This was a little experimental, but I think it worked out very well. Oh, and I was sure to make extra incase more came than RSVPed or if some broke in transit! The bride and guests LOVED them and kept asking where we bought them! :) Mission accomplished!

Sugar Cookie Cut-outs with Buttercream Frosting
Cookies: (same recipe as here)

Buttercream Frosting:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Wait until the cookies are completely cool before frosting. As for technique, I covered the entire top of the cookie with my favorite Ateco offset spatula (the smallest one!), trying to make it as smooth as possible with long horizontal strokes. Then, to achieve a cleaner edge, I followed the line of the cookie edge with the edge of the spatula to clear away any stray/ragged frosting.

You should affix any sprinkles or other decorations while the frosting is still wet. You might need to put a small dollop of frosting onto the back of any decorations (like the edible pearls) that want to roll away! I also put some frosting in a piping bag and used my smallest tip to make a few horizontal lines to differentiate the layers of the cake.

And of course, let the frosting dry completely before putting the cookies in cellophane bags. I promise they'll still taste great.

Happy shower, Jen!

Fall Treats: Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze

2008-10-13T20:54:00.023-04:00

My friends Amanda and Margaret and I went apple picking out in Loudoun County and had a lot of fun doing so... but all those apples! What to do with them? Once I found this recipe, it was clear: make this recipe four times. :) I became a little obsessed with this one!

I made it into cupcakes several times (cook it for much less time), but my favorite is just as a Bundt cake. This is the perfect apple cake: crunchy exterior, moist interior, and a sweet glaze. Of course it's from epicurious!! We went apple picking too late for Golden Delicious to still be around, but I just used a combination of several varieties (York, Crispin') and it was perfect.

Apple Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1 cup + 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (about 3 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons flour mixture to Bundt pan and tilt to coat. Set pan aside. Place apples and 2 tablespoons flour mixture in another medium bowl; toss to coat apples. Combine 1 cup brown sugar, vegetable oil, 1 cup sugar, eggs, and 3 teaspoons vanilla in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is thick, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining flour mixture. Fold apple mixture and pecans into batter; transfer to prepared Bundt pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer cake in pan to rack. Let stand while making caramel.

Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in remaining 1 cup brown sugar, then milk. Continue to whisk until topping is smooth and blended and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon 1/4 cup hot caramel topping over bottom of warm cake in pan. Let stand until topping is absorbed into cake, about 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto platter. Pour remaining warm topping over cake. Let stand until cool, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome. Let stand at room temperature.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie

2008-10-13T20:53:00.009-04:00

My mom adores cream pies. Chocolate cream pies and coconut cream pies are her top two (and my dad asks for a banana cream pie every father's day and birthday)... I guess I have cream pie parents. For mother's day this year, I made her favorite chocolate cream pie, so for her birthday, I wanted to switch it up slightly. For as long as I can remember, my mom's favorite has been peanut butter chocolate anything, and I take after her in that regard. So what better birthday treat than a peanut butter chocolate cream pie?!

I enjoyed this pie because the flavors are separate (not too much chocolate, nor too much peanut butter) and it's pretty when you slice it since it has two layers. And it's quite easy! Another rave for epicurious!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie
1 9-inch Oreo or graham cracker crust
4 large egg yolks
2/3 c. sugar
3 1/2 T. cornstarch
3 c. half and half
1 T. unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. (6 ounces) semisweet morsels
1 c. (6 ounces) peanut butter morsels
1 c. chilled whipping cream
2 T. powdered sugar

Place yolks in medium bowl. Combine sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in half and half. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute. Whisk half of mixture into yolks to prevent curdling. Return yolk mixture to saucepan. Boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.

Place chocolate chips in medium bowl. Add 1 cup hot custard and stir until chocolate chips melt and mixture is smooth. Add peanut butter chips to remaining custard in saucepan and stir until peanut butter chips melt and mixture is smooth.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly into prepared crust. Gently spoon peanut butter mixture over chocolate, spreading to edge of crust. Place plastic wrap atop pie to prevent skin from forming. Cool pie on rack 1 hour. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

For the topping, just prior to serving: Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently spread topping on top of pie. Sprinkle with grated semisweet chocolate, if desired.

Happy birthday, mom!

Sugar Cookie Cut-outs with Royal Icing

2008-09-12T20:02:00.017-04:00

As we get into fall, the next few recipes will probably be "not chocolate"... but still delicious, so forgive me. The first are my cut-out sugar cookies with royal icing. And when I say "mine," I of course mean Martha's. :) However, the recipe my mom uses is not Martha's and yet it was nearly identical, so I assume that this is the ultimate sugar cookie recipe. Moms and Martha agree!

For those of you who have not been to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, you should go at least once. OBX isn't anything like Delaware or Maryland beaches. There isn't a trashy boardwalk; there's history (pirates, Civil War, and WWII), wild horses, fabulous lighthouses, and after Labor Day, desolate beaches.

The four main lighthouses are Currituck, Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. Each has a very distinct look to it, so I decided that for our annual trip to Hatteras Island that I'd make unique lighthouse sugar cookies. The best icing for details is royal icing. It dries very hard and you can put it into a piping bag to outline the cookie, then you thin out the icing with water or milk so that you can "fill" the cookie. The thin icing will only spread as much as the thicker icing's border. Yes, only I would do this. But I think I did a pretty good job, no?

Currituck (brick)

Bodie (horizontal stripes; Scout & Boomer make great models!)

Hatteras ("America's Lighthouse"... apparently purple dye bleeds...)

Ocracoke (short and fat) :)

My husband would like to point out that the yellow M&M "lights" were his idea. :) Also, please note that these weren't necessarily the best ones, but the ones that didn't break on the trip. :(

Sugar Cookies
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough into 2 pieces; flatten each into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let 1 disk of dough (or a partial disk, as they warm up too quickly sometimes) stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, no more than 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Transfer to baking sheets (I HIGHLY recommend the Silpat...) as you work. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake until edges turn barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; let cool completely.

Mock Royal Icing...
2 c. powdered sugar
3 T warm water
food coloring of choice

1. OUTLINE. Put sugar and water into a stand mixer (recommended) with a paddle attachment. Beat at a relatively high speed until it resembles a smooth (sickeningly sweet) white icing—be patient! It'll take a little bit. Since I generally recommend white icing as an outline, save your food coloring for step two.

Pour some of the icing (keeping enough icing to fill each cookie later) into a piping bag with a very small tip—a #2 or #3. Carefully outline each cookie and each detail you wish to make. Think ahead as to how you'd like to separate the colors in step two and create a border there. Let dry thoroughly.

2. FILL. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time to the icing remaining in the bowl—you may only need that 1 teaspoon, so be patient. Mix again on high speed until the water is incorporated and the icing runs off the tip of a spoon. The goal of this type of frosting is to be runny enough that it'll fill up until the outline from step one. Use your judgment.

If using colors, pour desired amount of frosting into several ramekins and create fun colors using food coloring (the box generally gives good ideas of color concoctions to reach desired results). One color at a time, pour colored icing into a clean piping bag with a slightly smaller tip than in step one. Starting at the white outline, trace the outline then fill the cookie with color in a sweeping motion. It won't be perfect if this is your first time, but using the tip to help move some of the frosting around will help it better cover the entire cookie surface. And unless you love cavities, try not to use TOO much icing. Just use the tip while not squeezing down on the bag to help move blobs of frosting to areas with less. If using sprinkles or any other decorations, do so now. Let dry very thoroughly, up to 24 hours if packaging.

Pour yourself a drink because this is hard work! (the cleaning up is especially bad)

I should mention that this is mock royal icing because traditional royal icing uses either egg whites or meringue powder as an egg substitute. I was doing this last minute and didn't want to bother. And I knew this would work equally well. :)

I did sailboats and sea turtles too!

Drunken Chocolate Toffee Trifle

2008-09-12T20:01:00.007-04:00

So I'm super far behind on updating the blog, but you may think this one's worth the wait. This sweet treat is perfect for any time of year (although I made it in August for our house party, whoops).

I'm always intrigued by Paula Deen's desserts (although nowhere near my obsession with Giada) because they're usually pretty creative. I would have never thought to bake a cake from a box but then pour alcohol on top of it while it cooled!

If you're strapped for time, just buy some hot fudge and cool whip at the store. I won't tell. ;)

Drunken Chocolate Toffee Trifle
1 box chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines recommended)
1/2 c. Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)
2 c. fudge sauce, recipe follows (or one 16-ounce jar fudge topping)
3 Heath or Skor bars, roughly chopped into pieces (I used more)
1 1/2 c. heavy cream, whipped and sweetened with 1/3 cup sugar

Prepare the cake according to the package directions for a 13x9-inch pan. Cool thoroughly. Prick the entire top of the cake with a fork. Pour Kahlua over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. Slice the cake into 1-inch cubes.

Line the bottom of a large glass bowl with a single layer of cake cubes. Pour 1/4 of the warm fudge sauce over the cake, top with 1/4 of the candy bar bits, then 1/3 of the whipped cream. Repeat layering two more times ending with fudge sauce and candy bits. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

(Assemble the trifle shortly before serving or it will get soggy.)

Hot Fudge Sauce
4-oz. bar German chocolate
1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 T (1 stick) butter
3 c. powdered sugar
1 2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 1/4 t. vanilla extract

To make the sauce: Melt the chocolate with the butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, alternating with evaporated milk and blending well. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Scout (in the background) asks that you party guests please drop some, thank you.

Bake Sale: "Gold Bar" (i.e., Caramel, Roasted Almond) Brownies

2008-08-16T14:33:00.015-04:00

I made these brownies as part two of my bake sale goodies, and they sold equally as fast. Tip: label your brownies as homemade and use the buzz words caramel and roasted almonds, and they'll be gone in a flash!

I have just been so pleased with all of Fran's recipes so far, and this was possibly the most delicious brownie I've ever had. Something about watching the caramel bubble as it cooked in the oven stirred me deeply! If you're not an almond fan, by all means, omit them, but they really add a nice crunch and depth, especially roasted. But the brownie base itself is just awesome plain too.

Apparently, the Gold Bar is one of Fran's best-selling chocolate bars. She started making these brownies in her shop with the leftover Gold Bar scraps, but this recipe is for the home baker without an endless supply of Gold Bars. :)

Gold Bar Brownies
1 c. store-bought caramel sauce
8 oz. (1 2/3 c.) whole almonds
1 lb. semisweet chocolate
1.5 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 stick + 2 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. + 2 T. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. sugar
1.5 t. vanilla extract
3/4 t. instant espresso powder (I omitted)
3 large eggs
1 3/4 c. cake flour, sifted then measured

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9x13" sheet pan. Place whole almonds on a separate baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool then roughly chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

Finely chop 12 ounces (not all!) of the semisweet chocolate and all of the unsweetened chocolate (1.5 ounces) for melting. In a separate pile, chop the remaining 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks, to serve as chocolate chips.

Melt the finely chopped semisweet and unsweetened chocolates in a double boiler or a good pot over low heat. Remove when nearly melted and continue stirring until smooth.

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and the two sugars until light and very fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the vanilla and the espresso powder (if using espresso powder; if not, just go to the next step).

Add vanilla/espresso mixture to butter mixture and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions and scraping the bowl several times. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat to combine.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and FOLD in the sifted cake flour by hand until no traces of white remain (it might take a little while). Fold in the 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate chunks and toasted almonds (I actually skipped the almonds at this point and placed them on top of the brownie batter once it was in the pan instead). The batter will be very thick. Evenly spread the batter in the prepared 13x9" pan.

Spoon the caramel sauce in tablespoon-sized dollops over the top. Using a table knife drawn through the batter, swirl the caramel into the batter to marbelize. (Toss on the almonds now if you haven't already!)

Bake for 45 minutes. When tested with a toothpick in the brownie portion (not the caramel!), it will have moist crumbs when done. Let cool in the pan one hour (important!) and cut into squares.

Welcome to molten caramel heaven!

Bake Sale: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

2008-08-16T14:33:00.009-04:00

I can't imagine a more divine combination than peanut butter and chocolate. In fact, I still have the taste of a Nutrageous bar on my lips right now. Mmmmmmmm.

So when my office had a bake sale to raise money for a reading program for inner-city kids, I knew that homemade peanut butter cups would be a big hit and would raise a lot of money. However, I had no idea just how popular they'd be: the bake sale sellers, not the customers, bought my treats up before the sale even started. I packaged them in bags of two, and the last bag had to be split among two people so they wouldn't fight each other for it!

Anyway, I owe this recipe to goodthingscatered, but geez, I can't believe I never thought of this myself! You don't have to temper the chocolate, but I was paranoid that my beautiful pb cups would melt on Metro. I'm melllllllltiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
semisweet chocolate chips
creamy peanut butter
(just buy a bag of one and a jar of the other and that'll be enough!)

Set out paper candy cups. Slowly melt a handful or two of chocolate chips in a double boiler or a good nonstick pot.

[The following step is NOT required, but it worked really well for me. As Fran says, "If you're one of those folks who thinks life is too short to stuff cherry tomatoes, you may not have the patience for tempering chocolate."

Tempering is the process of melting, cooling, then melting chocolate again in order to realign the crystals in the cocoa butter. Ever made truffles and wonder why they don't look professional and glossy? You haven't tempered the chocolate. Tempered chocolate gives a nice *snap* when broken and is really glossy. For this and other recipes, use a clip-on candy thermometer to ensure you do this properly.

As you slowly melt the chocolate on your stovetop, stir until the thermometer reaches 115 degrees, but no higher than 120. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture cools to between 82 and 84 degrees. Yes, it takes time. Lots of time. Once the chocolate is at the appropriate temperature, return to heat and stir until it reaches 88 to 90 degrees—no more. This may only take 10 seconds! (If it goes above 90, start the process over...)

88 to 90 degrees is the perfect temperature for dipping, which is why I suggest you work one handful of chocolate chips at a time—you need to work quickly!]

So, tempering madness aside, scoop a small blob of melted chocolate into a paper candy cup. Then a small blob of peanut butter. Then top with another blob of melted chocolate. Make a cute swirl on the top :) and refrigerate to set.

(notice varying stages of the setting process)

DEVOUR!

Tea Party: Chocolate Chip Shortbread

2008-07-24T14:43:00.009-04:00

I recently threw a tea party for some of my *gasp* Internet friends. Throw yourself a wedding, find theknot.com, and you'll quickly know what I mean.

Although my inspiration was British, my obsession is chocolate. Here's the menu:

Cream scones
Blueberry streusel scones
Lemon curd
Mock Devonshire cream
Pumpkin chocolate chip bread
Dark chocolate digestive biscuits (only McVities will do)
Cadbury Flakes
Egg salad tea sandwiches
Cucumber tea sandwiches
Goat cheese and watercress tea sandwiches

and

Chocolate Chip Shortbread
1 stick butter, diced (save the wrapper)
3/4 c. flour
3/8 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loose-bottom fluted tart pan (mine was 10.25 inches and turned out just fine, but watch it during cooking) with the remaining butter from the butter wrapper. Sift the flour and cornstarch into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, then add the butter and rub it in (or "cut" it in with a fork, two knives, or dough blender) until the mixture starts to bind together.

Turn into the prepared tart pan and press evenly over the base. Prick the surface with a fork. Sprinkle the chocolate morsels and press lightly into the surface.

Bake at 325 for 35–40 minutes, or until cooked but not brown. Cut into portions. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

YUMMM.

Mom's Chocolate Inside-Out Birthday Bundt Cake!!!

2008-07-18T10:24:00.013-04:00

First, I'd like to share a birthday in the life of inkpadchocolate.

7:15 a.m. Discover peanut butter cup wrapped in birthday wrapping paper from hubby. Devour peanut butter cup on way out the door.
8:30 a.m. Get to work, begrudgingly.
11:30 a.m. Get surprise Chocolate Truffle Cake from coworkers from Bread & Chocolate.

1:30 p.m. Break for lunch at Dickey's Frozen Custard for rich chocolate custard. (melted too fast to take a picture, sorry!)
3:30 p.m. Decide to get the heck out of there and hoof it to Georgetown Cupcake for a lava fudge cupcake. Walking 12 blocks = I deserved it!

5:30 p.m. Meet hubby for dinner at Faccia Luna in Arlington. After fettuccine alla bolognese dinner, devour their Chocolate Noir, one of my very favorites.

7:30 p.m. Meet up with parents and in-laws for Mom's Chocolate Inside-Out Birthday Bundt Cake and Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate Baskin-Robbins ice cream.

12:00 p.m. Go to sleep knowing that your arteries (and hips) can recover tomorrow. It only happens once a year. :)

Mom's Chocolate Inside-Out Birthday Bundt Cake
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O instant chocolate pudding mix
1 box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate cake mix (mom prefers it over Devil's Food)
12 oz. bag chocolate morsels
1 3/4 c. milk
2 eggs

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Combine pudding mix, cake mix, chocolate morsels, milk, and eggs in a bowl with a spatula. Mix by hand until well blended, about two minutes. Pour into greased Bundt pan.*

Bake at 350 for 50–55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with finger. Cool 15 minutes in pan; remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.

Serve with ice cream. This baby's rich!

* Tips for greasing a chocolate cake: since the last thing you want to see on a chocolate cake is white flour, after greasing the pan with a leftover butter wrapper (preferred), simply dust the pan with cocoa powder instead of flour. Be sure to bang the cocoa around the pan so it adheres to most of the butter and dump out the excess.

Happy birthday to me...

Southern Chocolate Chess Pie

2008-07-08T15:06:00.008-04:00

I'm not sure how or why, but I somehow managed to go 25 years without ever hearing about or tasting chess pie. And now it's everywhere! My first experience was in North Carolina in March. My hubby's uncle brought us a chocolate chess pie from a local bakery. Afraid that it would be bad, since he had never heard of it either, he also bought a marbled pound cake. Guess which wasn't eaten. :) The chocolate chess pie was like a gooey brownie. No! A silk pie. No! A pecan pie minus the pecans! In any case, it was outstanding, and the obsession has begun. It's very, very sweet, but not rich, if that makes sense.

Several months later, a friend graduated from grad school and his parents threw a party at their home in Richmond—with a chocolate chess pie. In fact, the joke of the evening was "Can you get me a slice with a pawn in it? What the heck is a chess pie?!" Turns out, a chess pie is just a custard pie, although its origin is up for debate.

So when my church threw a "Puttin' on the grits" retirement party for our sweet Southern belle pianist, I knew exactly what to make. Best of all, it only takes five minutes to assemble.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Chocolate Chess Pie
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/4 c. melted butter (1/2 stick)
1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and cocoa together. Beat the eggs then add the cocoa mixture. Beat in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell (I use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts) and bake for 45 minutes or until set. (I recommend covering the pie's edges with foil or a pie guard after the first 20 minutes, or when edges attain a good brown color... so they don't burn.) Let cool before slicing.

Heavenly.

Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

2008-06-29T18:51:00.008-04:00

So it's the end of June and I'm just now writing about Mother's Day, but don't judge me. :)

Back in April, a friend and I took an Italian cooking class at Sur La Table. I recreated the menu for my mom, but I knew that the light lemon cake we made in class just wouldn't do for her! Like mother like daughter, she craves a chocolate cream pie on special occasions. This is one of my favorite recipes, from my Good Housekeeping cook book, and I make it almost every year.

Classic Chocolate Cream Pie
One premade Oreo or graham cracker crust
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
1/2 t. salt
3 3/4 c. milk
5 egg yolks
3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted
2 T. butter, cut into pieces
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. heavy or whipping cream

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt; with a wire whisk, stir in milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and boils; boil one minute. In a small bowl, with a wire whisk, lightly beat egg yolks. Beat 1/2 c. hot milk mixture into beaten egg yolks. Slowly pour egg mixture back into milk mixture, stirring rapidly to prevent curdling. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick or until temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in melted chocolate, butter pieces, and vanilla until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Pour hot chocolate filling into crust; press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate until filling is set, about 4 hours.

To serve, in small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form; spoon over chocolate filling.

Chocolate Chip Cut-out Cookies

2008-06-02T16:37:00.008-04:00

My sincerest apologies for the blogging delay... our new furry addition has kept us from doing anything not centered around him. :)

But, in that vein, I wanted to thank my in-laws for helping out with the dog so much, letting him play at their house during the day for the first few weeks, checking up on him, etc. What better way than with dog bone shaped cookies!

The recipe came from the back of a bag of Toll House morsels, but the cutting technique is all my own. ;)

Chocolate Chip Cut-out Cookies
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. (12 oz. bag) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan (or shallow cookie sheet). Spread cookie mixture onto prepared pan, with the intent of getting the dough as close to the edges as possible. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown (mine took less time, so watch it). Cool in pan on wire rack.

When cool, use a cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes, then transfer each to a cooling rack or cookie tin. Be sure to space each cut close to the previous cut so you get more cookies than scraps. :)

Dad wasn't sure if they were for humans or not!

Not Chocolate: Sticky Toffee Pudding

2008-05-23T20:29:00.007-04:00

You should know by now that I won't put a non-chocolate recipe in my blog unless it's truly outstanding. The following dessert is no exception.

I became obsessed with sticky toffee pudding a few years ago when the Food Network hosted a competition for the next ice cream flavor for Häagen-Dazs. Sticky Toffee beat out the competition. Intrigued, I bought a pint, and the rest is history. For as much as I love chocolate, and never get any ice cream that isn't chocolate based, this has changed me. :) It's hard to find, so it isn't uncommon for me to stock up when I do find it!

Sticky toffee pudding isn't really pudding at all. Silly Brits! It's a brown sugar cake, sweetened with chopped dates, and covered in a warm, gooey, butter toffee sauce. Vanilla ice cream is a must.

Do I have your attention yet?!

I was a little hesitant about the dates—they just didn't sound appealing—but after some online research, I found that sticky toffee pudding just isn't right or traditional without them. You couldn't taste them either, especially when chopped finely enough and plumped in water first.

If you don't have the time to make the cake, I strongly STRONGLY recommend you at least make the sauce and pour it over vanilla ice cream, brownies, carrots... ok, kidding on the last one. But I'd eat it....

I adapted this recipe from two on the Food Network. Gale Gand is an excellent Chicago pastry chef, whom I'd trust with anything, but her sauce recipe was called "Butterscotch," which isn't authentic. I used Marie Simmons's recipe for the sauce instead, and some techniques from both.

Sticky Toffee Pudding
12 oz. dates, pitted and roughly chopped (you can find them near raisins)
2 1/2 c. water
2 t. baking soda
3 1/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
Sticky toffee sauce, recipe follows

Sticky Toffee Sauce
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. packed brown sugar
vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. (I just greased it; turned out fine!)

Combine the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and gradually stir in the baking soda (it will foam up), and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar to the butter, and cream until fluffy. Without stopping the mixer, add 2 eggs and mix until combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the date mixture and mix until combined. (You want to add the date "sauce" made from mixing the dates, water, and baking soda, but I had to strain a little bit of it out because it was too watery.) Repeat until all the flour mixture and dates are incorporated into the batter. Pour into the baking pan and bake 40 minutes, until firm and set in the center. Let cool in the pan. When cool, turn out of the pan onto a baking sheet and peel off the parchment. The recipe can be made through this step up to 2 days in advance.

Toffee Sauce: (Preheat oven to 400 if serving immediately.) Combine the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar in a small saucepan; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes.

When ready to serve pudding, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour the sauce (or most of the sauce, if you want garnish later) evenly over the top of the cake. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and cake is heated through, about 5 minutes. Cut cake into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream and remaining sticky toffee sauce.

*Next time I might experiment more. The ingredients on the Häagen-Dazs carton list cinnamon in the cake and date paste instead of chopped dates. The sauce also contains corn syrup.

I could drink gallons of the sauce alone...

Chocolate Passover Drop Cookies

2008-04-30T20:30:00.009-04:00

Um, let's just cut right to the chase here and say I know exactly what I'll be making with my leftover matzo meal: THESE COOKIES. I'm touting them as the BEST DAMN COOKIES I have ever made. Seriously. Who needs flour? If they didn't use so many egg whites, I think I'd have them every day. If you're a chewy cookie fan, this is your ultimate treat.

In fact, my hubby asked me to find something else to eat. "Stop eating the only sweet I can eat!! Eat your brownies instead, since I can't have them during Passover." How sad. :(

This is another recipe from Martha. I could kiss her feet.

Chocolate Passover Drop Cookies
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 t. vanilla extract
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 c. matzo meal (not matzo cake meal)
1/4 t. salt
4 large egg whites
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add melted chocolate, matzo meal, and salt. Beat until mixture just comes together. (It should be thick.)

In a bowl (or stand mixer) with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (this is important). Gently fold into chocolate mixture, but until no traces of white remain. Add chocolate chips, and stir. Let stand 15 minutes. (I didn't and the world didn't come to an end. I wanted my cookies!)

Scoop 2-inch balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet (or Silpat; I'd even recommend spraying the sheet instead because these are super sticky cookies). Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack, and let cool completely. Or just DEVOUR while still hot.

Chewy chocolatey goodness, Passover or not.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macaroons

2008-04-19T18:22:00.008-04:00

It's that time of year again! I've made my hubby macaroons for previous Passovers, but this is my first "real" one as a married couple.

Originally from Martha Stewart, this recipe actually comes in two other variations: plain and chocolate chunk. However, this wouldn't be a true chocolate blog if I didn't make mine chocolate chocolate chip! (For the record, her recipe is just chocolate; I wanted chocolate chips too! I need an intervention...)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Yields 2 dozen
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut*
3 large egg whites
1 t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips (I didn't measure... probably used more...)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I used a Silpat).

In a double boiler of simmering water (or just use a good nonstick pot), melt chocolate, stirring until melted. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled chocolate, cocoa, sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. Use your hands to mix well, completely combining all ingredients.

Dampen hands with cold water (or just use a cookie dough scoop) to form 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture into a loose haystack shape, and drop onto prepared baking sheet. Place macaroons 1 inch apart.

Bake until just firm to the touch but still soft in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes (but check this; mine started to burn!). Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool.

* I had a hard time finding unsweetened shredded coconut, but ended up with the only one I could find at Whole Foods in their baking or bulk aisle! If I remember correctly though, last year I gave up and used the more common sweetened shredded coconut and just omitted the sugar in the recipe. Turned out fine.

I pulled out the burnt ones for this picture. ;)

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting

2008-03-17T18:31:00.005-04:00

I was in the mood for something special this St. Patrick's Day, and am always up for chocolate mixed with BOOZE. :) This is probably the best and most moist cupcake I have ever made!

The original recipe is posted on Epicurious (originally from Bon Appétit) and the cupcake version is on the blog Batter-Splattered. I made a few tweaks, listed below. I'm definitely making this again!!

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Frosting
Yields 16 cupcakes
1 c. stout (such as Guinness)
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 c. sour cream (not reduced fat)
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 T. Bailey's Irish Cream (optional; my addition)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper cups.

Bring stout and butter to simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add slightly cooled stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among cupcake cups. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make icing. Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and optional Bailey's Irish Cream and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. Spread over cupcakes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Truffle Brownies

2008-03-17T18:09:00.003-04:00

My second Fran recipe was another success, but part of me feels like I have become to "Americanized." I think I prefer a regular chewy brownie over this indulgence. But it's still worth sharing! It is excellent with ice cream.

Truffle Brownies
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup flour

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan.

In a double boiler over simmering water or a good nonstick pot, combine the chocolates. Remove when nearly melted and continue stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars at medium speed until light, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the cooled chocolate and mix well. If the butter begins to melt when the chocolate is added, stop pouring and let the chocolate cool further. The finished mixture should be glossy and smooth. Do not overmix. (I did; the mixture suddenly went from the consistency of brownie batter to that of cookie dough, and I had a really hard time folding in the flour.)

With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour until all traces of white have disappeared. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 30 minutes, or until the crust is dull on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with dark, wet crumbs on it.

Let cool in the pan about 1 hour. Cut into squares and remove with a spatula. Store brownies in sealed plastic containers for as long as a week, or freeze.

Chocolate Pavé

2008-02-18T18:42:00.008-05:00

This recipe is from a chocolate cookbook that I borrowed from the library... but I must buy it soon. After asking for Fran's salted dark chocolate caramels for Christmas, I have since become obsessed with them, and the chocolatier behind them. Her book is great for the somewhat experienced baker, and vanilla lovers need not apply. With just three decadent ingredients, I knew this would be the recipe to try out first—for Valentine's Day, no less! Please note, Fran urges you to follow the directions to the letter so that it will turn out properly.

Chocolate Pavé
(or Pavé Josephine, as Fran has named it)

1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 eggs, room temperature

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper circle (I just used regular parchment paper, traced the pan, and cut it out).

In a double boiler or a good nonstick pot, melt the chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat when nearly melted and continue stirring until completely smooth. Add the room temperature butter in three parts, stirring until no visible traces of butter remain. (If the butter begins to melt and separate, stop and allow the chocolate more time to cool.) The finished mixture should be glossy and smooth. Set aside to cool until the mixture is the consistency of softened butter. Briefly return to heat if it begins to thicken too much.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs at medium-high speed, increasing to high speed until light and tripled in volume, 5 to 6 minutes. Fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture (stirring until it's completely combined and there are no streaks) and pour into the prepared pan.

Place the cake pan onto a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, and put in the oven. Pour about 1/2 inch of simmering water into the baking sheet, making a bain-marie (water bath). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top looks dull and the center is shiny but set. When you shake the cake pan, the cake should jiggle slightly.

Cool the cake in the pan at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. To remove from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the edges and invert onto a 9-inch cardboard cake circle or tart bottom, leaving the parchment in place. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill overnight (preferably).

To finish the torte:
Remove from the refrigerator, unwrap, and peel off the parchment. Let warm to room temperature. Slide an offset spatula under the cardboard circle, rotating the spatula to release it completely. Carefully lift the torte and, supporting the cake's bottom with your free hand, slide it onto its serving plate.

Can be stored at room temperature up to three days (if it lasts that long!), with cut edges protected.

Happy Valentine's Day!!