Crunch Bar Pie

This is crazy overdue! I participated in a recipe exchange months ago... I made the recipe right away but didn't get around to blogging it... and then totally forgot. Picture me hanging my head in shame.

Now picture me with a big dorky grin on my face, because that's pretty much what I looked like when I made this awesome pie. I took some shortcuts and made some changes (this was originally based on Andes mints) but the results were unbelievable. There's still plenty of summertime left, and this would be perfect for a barbecue.

Crunch Bar Pie

adapted from Laurie's Kitchen

• 1 prepared chocolate pie crust
• 2 cups whipping cream, divided
• 10oz mini Nestle Crunch bars
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Over low heat, use a double boiler to bring 1/4 cup cream to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Add about half of the Crunch bars (reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish) and stir until melted and smooth.

Leave a tablespoon or two aside and spread the sauce along the bottom of the pie crust and place in freezer.

Over low heat, use a double boiler to melt the marshmallows in milk, stirring constantly. Add the other half of the Crunch bars (remember to keep aside the garnish!) and stir until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until COLD.

Once the marshmallow mixture is cold, beat 1 1/4 cups whipping cream until stiff; fold into the cold marshmallow mixture.

Spoon into pie crust and drizzle with reserved chocolate sauce (you may need to reheat it in the microwave to soften).

Refrigerate until chilled.

Before serving, whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and sugar; pipe or spoon over filling. Sprinkle with reserved chopped Crunch bars.

Protein Breakfast Shake

During the week, I don't get a chance to eat lunch until around 1 and my breakfast time varies. Because I'm a teacher, it's not like I can pull out a snack whenever the urge strikes, so I'm always on the hunt for healthy breakfasts that will keep me full until my prep period.

Enter Slim Fast.

Now, I am NOT a Slim Fast person. Admittedly, I did it for my wedding and did see results, but that's not necessarily a road I plan to travel again; it just doesn't work for my lifestyle. But I found a can of their protein shake powder at the grocery store and thought I'd try it out.

I threw in some additions and am really satisfied with the result. I make it a few times a week, and it's just as delicious as it is filling. I drink it in my car around 7am, and with a fiber bar or some fruit around 10am, I'm good to go until lunch.


Protein Breakfast Shake
adapted from the SlimFast canister

• 8oz skim milk
• 1 scoop SlimFast High Protein Shake Mix
• 1 banana, broken into 3 or 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup crushed ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender (or in a large cup to use with an immersion blender) and blend until desired consistency.

Fluffy Hot Chocolate

Have you seen these adorable little marshmallows?!  If not, run run run to Target and grab a bag full of little strawberry-flavored-heart-shaped goodness.

And then come home and make this.

I happened to see this recipe for hot chocolate the same day that I found the marshmallows.  That could only mean one thing - the stars above WANTED me to have this warm snow-day beverage.

So I did.  And you should too.

I will say, however, that I was excited to throw in Christina's addition of cinnamon.  However, that wasn't a great idea considering I used strawberry-flavored marshmallows.  It wasn't bad, but it was a little... off.  So pick one - if you're using regular marshmallows, add the cinnamon for sure.

Fluffy Hot Chocolate

just barely adapted from Allrecipes, by way of A Mad Men Kitchen

• 8 teaspoons sugar
  
• 5-6 teaspoons baking cocoa
  
• 4 cups milk
  
• 1 1/2 cup marshmallows
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the marshmallows are melted, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon and vanilla.  Ladle into mugs.

Mocha Cupcakes

I think I love cupcakes more than actual cake. They are just so adorable and you can have so much fun with them!

For Danny's first birthday party, I made a variety of cupcakes. As I've mentioned before, I've pretty much given up on "from scratch" cakes and cupcakes, and I'm amazed at how many recipes are out there with a cake mix base.

I found these mocha cupcakes on Big Red Kitchen, and they were absolutely incredible. There was just the right balance of coffee and chocolate, and they received rave reviews.


Ingredients

• One pkg Devil’s food cake mix
• 1 3.9 ox. pkg instant chocolate pudding
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 cup melted butter
• 6 eggs
• One double shot espresso (or 2 T. instant coffee or espresso powder)
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° and fill your cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in sour cream, melted butter, eggs and espresso. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4minutes on medium speed. Blend in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Choco-PB-Banana Panini

I love my panini press. You can take a pretty decent sandwich, pop it on the panini grill, and BAM - you have something absolutely fabulous.

Last night I planned on making a tomato-basil-mozzarella panini, but at the last minute, I wanted something a little more indulgent. I grabbed a banana, some chocolate chips, and peanut butter and made myself a delicious little treat.


Ingredients

• 2 slices bread
• 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter (I used this delicious dark chocolate variation)
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips

I don't really need to write out directions for a sandwich, right? ;)

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Chocolate Drenched Heartcakes

I love making little holiday-themed treats, and Picky Palate has really been my go-to site for this. She's so creative yet her recipes are very easy and fast. I would never think of some of her concoctions, but I love them!


These little red velvet hearts completely fit in with what I was looking for - something easy, yummy, and a little different.

I had a little bit of drama with this recipe, however. I was in Target and stopped to pick up the cake mix and condensed milk. I was going to buy a little heart shaped mold (I had the package IN MY HAND!), but when I saw it, I remembered that I already had one. Score - I saved myself $10.

Then I was all set to make them but the hearts looked much smaller than in the store. Hmm. Sure enough, I realized that what I had was a silicone ice cube tray in heart shapes, and not an oven-save pan.

By now it was two days before Valentine's Day, and by then Target was, of course, sold out of the pans. A couple of different Targets later (made by my wonderful husband and son), however, I was the proud owner of silicone heart-shaped cupcake liners.


Ryan of course helped me make this little treat, and we brought most of them to my parents' house for a pre-Valentine's-Day dinner. I really liked the chocolate ganache, and I used some leftover funfetti sprinkles from our Valentine's Day cupcakes before the chocolate set.


The only thing I did differently was not adding in the extras to the batter that Jenny did - but that was purely because I didn't read the whole recipe. I saw "cake mix" and "eggs" and "oil" and I assumed she was listing the ingredients from the box. It wasn't until later that I realized that she enhanced the cake even more. I'd love to try her version next time - but for now, these straight-out-of-the-box hearts were pretty good!


Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix, plus the ingredients listed on the box
• 1 small can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand of an electric mixer prepare the cake mix as directed. With a cookie scoop or spoon, place cake batter into well greased little heart molds or paper lined cupcake tins, just over 1/2 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. Remove and let cool. With the help of a plastic knife, carefully remove hearts from molds. If you are using regular cupcakes, remove wrappers. Place little cakes onto a cooling rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.

2. To prepare chocolate sauce, pour sweetened condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, pour in chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Pour chocolate sauce over cupcakes and use a little plastic knife to frost the sides of hearts. Let chocolate set slightly or eat immediately if you like it gooey!

about 24 heartcakes

Marshmallow Swirl Brownies

When I was at Jen's Pampered Chef party last weekend, Brooke brought these awesome Marshmallow Swirl Brownies that she found on, get this, the Pillsbury box. I don't think I've ever even thought to look right below where the directions end - clever! :)

They were so ridiculously delicious (not to mention EASY!) and I couldn't wait to make them myself for our baby-playdate with Colleen. I made them in my Pampered Chef "large bar pan," but any pan would do. Actually, I will probably make them in my 9x13 next time so that they're slightly thicker. Or, I can just use two boxes...



Ingredients

• Cooking Spray
• 1 pkg family-sized fudge brownie mix (plus whatever ingredients are listed on the box)
• 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme
• 1/3 cup chocolate frosting

Heat oven to 350. Prepare brownies as indicated on package with oil, water and eggs. Cool completely.

Spread a thin layer of marshmallow creme over brownies. Place frosting in microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 10-20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle frosting over marshmallow creme. Swirl with knife.

Refrigerate 15 minutes. To cut cleanly, spray a knife with non-stick cooking spray as needed. Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Rice Krispie Cookies

A couple of weeks ago I went to my friend Christina's house for a game night.  I offered to bring some cookies to snack on, and I was excited to find this recipe for Rice Krispie Cookies from Amber's Delectable Delights.

The only change I made was to add chocolate chips, because I don't think I know how to make cookies that don't include chocolate!

I thought these were really good - very different.  The cereal added a surprising little crunch, and gave me justification to have a couple of these babies for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.

Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Cinnamon-Chocolate-Chip Poundcake

While flipping through the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, I found a selection on poundcake. Here, Martha offers a Classic Poundcake recipe, along with several variations to suit your appetite.

At the time, I was going nuts in the kitchen preparing meals to freeze in anticipation of our newest little boy. I very quickly added this pound cake to my list - I figured it would be perfect to serve to guests who stopped by to visit Daniel.

I started with the Classic recipe but then couldn't decide between the Chocolate Chip and the Cinnamon Raisin. I decided to combine them, and a Cinnamon-Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake was born!

(I chose to leave off the glaze since I didn't know how that would freeze. While I'm sure it would have been delicious, I didn't miss it!)

I found this obscenely easy to put together. It froze beautifully, and tasted absolutely fabulous. I think my only "complaint" is that my chocolate chips sank... but it did add an interesting layer!

Ingredients

• 1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 9 large, room-temperature eggs
• 2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.

Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Fold chocolate chips into finished batter. Divide batter in half. Fold cinnamon into 1 half. Scoop batters into 2 prepared pans, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating plain and cinnamon. Swirl with a knife. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.

Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Yields two loaves.

Better-Than-Sex Cake

I wish I had better pics of this cake; what I have below does not do this dessert justice!

I had made this cake about a year ago for my husband's 30th birthday but never got around to blogging it. It popped up again not too long ago on my friend Colleen's blog, and I thought it would be a good one to bring up to my parents' house.

It was as good as I remembered, although it was very rich. I think in the future I would do something to the caramel/condensed milk combo - either use less or maybe unsweetened milk... it just seemed a tad too much.

Ingredients

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
• 1 (16 ounce) jar caramel sauce
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tub Cool Whip
• 1 (8 ounce) bar cream cheese
• 1/2 bag heath bar bits - I used M&Ms. Any kind of small or crushed candy would work well

Preheat oven as directed on cake box.

Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Add half the bag of chocolate chips, pour in cake pan and top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake as directed on the box.

Meanwhile, mix the caramel and the condensed milk together in a bowl. When the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes in the cake with a straw and then pour the caramel mix over the top and let sit until cool.

In medium bowl, beat Cool Whip and cream cheese until combined. Top cooled cake with Cool Whip mixture and the candy pieces.

Keep chilled before serving.

Pudding Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I promised one of my classes that I would bake for them since they won this little contest we had at school. It took me weeks to get around to it, and I felt terrible, but finally I did it!

I found this interesting recipe for Pudding Chocolate Chunk Cookies on the Kraft site and decided to go with that.

I liked these a lot, actually, though I think I'd like to play around with pudding flavors next time. They make mint and cookies and cream and all kinds of cool ones! For this one, I used plain ol' chocolate.


Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Instant Pudding, any flavor
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Beat butter, sugars, dry pudding mix and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix well. Gradually add flour and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chunks. (Dough will be stiff.)

DROP teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets. Cool completely on wire racks.

Happy Birthday to Me! Chocolate Overdose Cake

In just 365 days, I will hit the big 3-0... sigh...

I usually take my birthday off from cooking, but as soon as I saw this amazing Chocolate Overdose Cake on Annie's blog, I knew that's what I wanted for my birthday. So I spent the morning in the kitchen on the day we had our families over to celebrate the day I entered this world!


In the interest of time, I did take one major shortcut - I used a brownie mix instead of making the brownie layer by hand (I am still posting Annie's original recipe in case anyone else wants to do the whole shebang). But I did everything else, and I'm pretty freaken proud of myself! This was definitely the most involved dessert I've made, and it was absolutely delicious.


My cake obviously does not look as pretty as Annie's, but it sure tasted great. And pay no attention to the ugly photo below. I almost didn't even post it, but I did want to show the layers in the cake.


Ingredients
For the brownie base:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. cake flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse filling:

• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
• 1 7/8 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. sugar

For the chocolate cake:

• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 7/8 cup sugar, divided
• 7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

For the ganache:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 18 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

Directions:
To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. (Note: at this point, my mixture was pretty thick and I thought I had ruined it, but mixing in the sugar was like magic and it made it smooth and liquidy again.) Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan – reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed.

Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).

Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly.

Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

Mocha Cupcakes

When Annie first posted this recipe for White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes, I starred it immediately and couldn't wait to make them. Chocolate + Coffee + Cupcakes = goooooood.

Our families were coming over to our house after brunch on Mother's Day, and I thought these would be a perfect contribution. I even got to whip out the cupcake stand that I haven't used since Ryan's first birthday party!

If you aren't a coffee drinker, fret not - you really can't taste the actual coffee. It just adds a layer of richness to the chocolate and really enhances the flavor.

(I don't know why the top right of this photo is so overexposed... pretend there isn't a chunk of picture missing, 'kay?)

These cupcakes were delicious, and I received many compliments on them - especially on the heart decorations! I don't have piping bags, so I used a sandwich baggie which worked beautifully. I do wish I had made the hole just slightly bigger for thicker outlines, but that's okay.

I also had no success at all with the icing. I'm not sure what I did wrong. The first portion of heavy cream whipped right up, but then that was it. Once I added the white chocolate/cream part, it kind of thickened a little, but no peaks. I kept the white chocolate/cream combo in the fridge, but maybe it wasn't cool enough? That's really all I could think of. So, on our way to brunch, we stopped at the grocery store for some store-bought frosting. Oh well.

So for obvious reasons, I removed the "White Chocolate" part of the title. :)


Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 5 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups hot coffee
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar

For the whipped cream:

• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

For decorating:

• 4 oz. chocolate (I used semisweet), finely chopped
• chocolate sprinkles

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa powder and baking soda. Mix to form a paste and then slowly whisk in the coffee. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the egg and vanilla mixture and beat until combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the liquid mixture, beating just until all ingredients are incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the white chocolate whipped cream, place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is almost melted, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil. Once the chocolate is fully melted, transfer the bowl to a counter, pour in the hot cream and let it sit for one minute. Then stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth. Let the chocolate sit until it reaches room temperature – the chocolate can’t be the least bit warm when it is added to the whipped cream.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

While the cream is setting, make the chocolate decorations. Spread a piece of wax paper on a flat work surface. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Allow the chocolate to cool for several minutes (I probably waited 10-15 minutes). Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic squeeze bottle (a plastic bag with the corner cut off would also work). Carefully squeeze the melted chocolate onto the wax paper in the desired shape. Allow to set completely. Carefully peel off of the wax paper.

Frost the cupcakes with the now set white chocolate whipped cream, top with chocolate sprinkles, and garnish with chocolate decorations. Store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Source: Annie's Eats - cupcakes adapted from Miss Cupcake Face, whipped cream from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Quadruple Chocolate Bliss Cake

I wanted a yummy dessert to take to Nana's for Palm Sunday dinner. I could have sworn I had saved a chocolately bundt-style cake in my reader, but I couldn't find it.


I found this Triple Chocolate Cake on the Kraft website, and immediately thought it would be perfect. You may notice, however, that I titled this post Quadruple Chocolate Cake; well, I decided that 3 kinds of chocolate (cake mix, pudding mix, and the chocolate frosting) weren't enough. I added a handful of chocolate chips to the batter as well.


This was so, so, so, so delicious. My only regret is that I didn't use all of the sauce for on top. When I poured it on, it seemed like way too much, so I may have used about half of it; it definitely could have used more.


Once again, I had some assistance from my little helper:



Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1-1/2 cups raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Beat all ingredients except whipped topping, chocolate and raspberries in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula and gently remove cake. Cool cake completely on wire rack. Place on serving plate.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping. Microwave remaining whipped topping and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each min. Drizzle over cake. Immediately drop reserved whipped topping, by scant teaspoonfuls, around top of cake; create star shape by drawing wooden toothpick through middle several times. Spoon raspberries into center of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Double-Chocolate Banana Pound Cake

I think that this bread was God's way of telling me that I need to stop baking and cease making my ass so fat.

I was looking for some kind of cakey bread to bring to work, and this one from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody seemed perfect. It looked easy enough, and Ryan was more than happy to be my little helper.


My first clue to stop should have been when I decided to get creative. I thought that I would add some cinnamon-sugar to the top, and then maybe another handful of chocolate chunks.

I was happily (and LIBERALLY) sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar when I had to stop to think about the smell. I suddenly smelled a very strong, very smoky, very distinctive odor. But why would my preheating oven smell like cumin?

Well, as I'm sure you can guess, yes, I grabbed the wrong container from my spice shelf and sprinkled a ton of CUMIN all over my precious bread. I grabbed a spoon and started slicing away at the top layer, determined to get it all off. (Thank GOD I didn't sprinkle on the chocolate chunks - I would have been PISSED if I'd have wasted all that chocolate!)

I'm not really sure what caused problem #2, but my cake completely and totally fell apart as I tried to gracefully slip it out of the pan. I'll just let the photos speak for themselves...



I gotta say, though, crumbly or not, this was some damn tasty bread... once I got the cumin out, of course. :)

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 6 ounce unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tsp cinnamon (the recipe didn't say how much to use - I guessed!)
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 fully ripe bananas, pureed
• ½ cup white chocolate, chopped into chunks
• ½ cup chocolate covered toffee pieces (if you can’t find, chop up a Heath or Skor bar) (I just used plain old chocolate chips)
  

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-x-5-3-inch loaf pan. I used 4 mini loaves.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the sour cream and mascarpone cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter with the cinnamon on high speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar, 1 TBSP at a time, beating continuously on high speed. It should take 5 to 10 minutes to add the sugar. The mixture should be light, fluffy and creamy white in color. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure each egg is completely incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next.

Add one third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat until it is just incorporated. Add one third of the mascarpone cheese mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add the flour and mascarpone mixture in two more additions, mixing until addition is incorporated before adding the next. Fold in the bananas, white chocolate chunks, and toffee pieces.

Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If using mini loaves, fill 2/3 of the way full and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan and set on rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep for one week in fridge or 3 weeks in freezer.

Source: Adapted from The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

From the moment I laid eyes on Annie's recipe for Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Brownie Bits, I was in love. I starred the recipe and added to the ingredients to my Peapod order. (Do you do Peapod? If not, you should. Grocery delivery is freaken fantastic.)

When it came time to make it however, I still had some brownies leftover from a box (Hey - don't judge. The box cost $1. You'd buy it too!) and couldn't really justify making even more. I thought about just throwing the box brownies into the recipe from Annie, but decided against it. I had visions of writing, "The ice cream was good, but the brownies were just ehh." I decided to save her complete version for next time.


I then remembered that Erin posted a Chocolate Ice Cream recipe on her blog, Dinner and Dessert (which she got from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop). I didn't star it initially because, well, in case you hadn't noticed, I like chunks of stuff in my ice cream, and plain ice cream has no chunks. But, in a rare lightbulb moment, I decided that I could throw my brownie chunks into Erin's recipe and I'd be very happy.

And "happy" does not begin to describe yours truly when eating this ice cream. Wowzers.


Here is Erin's recipe. I just also crumbled up the brownies and froze them for about a half hour; I added them to the machine for the last 2 minutes of churning.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used dark)
  
• 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk unto the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin out).

Makes about 1 quart

Chocolate Chip Cookies-in-a-Cookie

If you are my friend on Facebook, then you may have noticed that my status a few days ago claimed that Brooke is my hero. What you'll find below, folks, is why.



These are without a doubt the best cookies I have EVER made. I made a last-minute substitution that I think will remain the new norm; I realized I only had 2 cups of chocolate chips, not 3, so I used a cup of mini M&Ms. Whoa boy. There are simply no words to describe the deliciousness of these cookies. Make these ASAP!

(I also didn't make mine as large because to me, more is better. So I used my regular sized cookie scoop and probably got about 40 cookies total.)



Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or, like me, you can replace one cup with mini M&Ms!)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop 10 heaping tablespoons of dough 3 inches apart onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Set aside the remaining dough. Bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers are golden, about 13 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Break the cooked cookies into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Add the pieces to the reserved dough and mix on low speed to distribute them evenly, about 10 seconds.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring 1/4 cup, scoop mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until they feel firm on top but are still soft in the center and the edges are beginning to brown slightly, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to four days. Brooke says she got 18-20 cookies, but like I said, I made mine smaller...

Ben and Jerry's Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream

I was always a fan of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, but never really ate it much because of its price. However, when I was pregnant with Ryan, I was going through pints of B&J's like they were going out of style.


So is it really shocking that I searched the internet for some B&J's recipes that I could create at home? Google led me to Joyce's Fine Cooking which has some AWESOME ice cream from B&J, most from their book (which I've given as gifts twice, and really need to get for myself!).

I decided on Heath Bar Crunch, although I'm not really sure... it just jumped out at me. I also think it would be really cool to try with various candy bars!


Ingredients

• 4 original (1 1/8oz) Heath Bars

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 2 cup heavy or whipping cream

• 1 cup milk

• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a sharp knife, cut the candy bars into 1/2- to 1-inch chunks. You should have about 1 cup. Put in bowl, cover & freeze.

Whisk eggs in mixing bowl until light & fluffy (1-2 minutes). Whisk in sugar a little at a time, then continue until well blended (about 1 more minute). Add cream, milk, and vanilla, and whisk to blend.

Put in ice cream maker and freeze (according to maker's directions).

After ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the candy, then continue freezing until ready. Makes about 1 quart.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I think I hate Annie of Annie's Eats.

First of all, she's freaken gorgeous. And she was totally skinny like 5 minutes after giving birth to her equally gorgeous little boy. And she's a doctor. And she makes all of these AMAZING dishes. And she's probably the sweetest person I "know" on the cooking message board we frequent.

Okay, I don't hate her. I think she's awesome, actually. I'm just jealous. ;)


She just posted these awesome muffins a few days ago (which she adapted from Williams-Sonoma), and I couldn't wait to make them myself. They were fast and easy... and came out perfect, even though I kind of sort of forgot to set the timer and didn't realize it until I peeked at the stove to find out how much time was left and saw... the actual time. Whoops.

I changed a couple of things, though - I used half-whole-wheat flour and half AP. I also added some cinnamon to the flour mixture (maybe a teaspoon?) and sprinkled the tops with cinnamon sugar.


I also specifically overfilled the muffin liners - I love me some fluffy, oversized muffins! (Note to self - buy mega-muffin tin.)


Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13-14 muffin wells with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir together with a fork. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Mix in the vanilla until well blended. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add the milk and mix until combined. Mix in the rest of the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar to taste. Bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

FiberOne Bars

My breakfasts during the week are typically eaten in the car or at my desk while grading papers, so I always need something portable, not too messy, and of course, delicious. For that reason, one of my favorite things to eat are Fiber One bars; in fact, I usually keep a whole box in my desk drawer.

A few months ago, Brooke posted a DIY recipe for these little bars, and I quickly made them. However, I experienced the same dilemma she did - crumbly, trail-mix type very-non-bars. In fact, I don't even think I blogged about them.


So I was very excited when she posted a revision. Her post, which originates over at Must Love Chutney, promises to yield bars that much better hold their shape - and they sure do! They don't taste quite as good as the original, but they are really good.

Warning: Be prepared to smack your husband's hands away multiple times as he tries to pick the chocolate off of the top, resulting in some chocolate-bald spots!

Now... can anyone help me do a fake-out version of the Mocha Chocolate bar...?


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Fiber One cereal
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds or peanuts
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• I also added about a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder
  

In a large bowl, stir together the cereal, oats and nuts. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until boiling, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, salt, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Pour over the cereal and oat mixture, stirring quickly (as sugar mixture cools it hardens quickly). Immediately press mixture into the prepared pan using the back of a large spatula. Lightly press chocolate chips into top of bars (if using). Allow to cool slightly, then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 18 bars.