Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’

Does anyone else feel like baking is becoming quite a trend?  First there were cakesters, then cupcakes, after that there were cakeballs and now I’m seeing marshmallows like crazy.  All these tasty treats are going out of style before I’m tired of eating them.  Can we slow down please people??  I’m still eating and baking over here!!

I’m jumping on the whole marshmallow thing now before I miss it completely.  This is the easiest fad to hit the baking market in a while so if you are not a baker, but love the sugar, than this is for you! 

Did your mom ever wrap socks and underwear in wrapping paper and tie bows on the end like a piece of wrapped candy?  Mine totally did.  There is nothing more disappointing then seeing  a gift wrapped like a giant piece of candy and then opening it to find socks….  I now need therapy due to this. 

For these little pieces of heaven I used the following ingredients but please feel free to shake it up and give it your personal touch.  I used what I had in the pantry!

White chocolate bark

Large Marshmallows

Crushed Graham Cracker

Crushed Candy Cane (chocolate mint)

Blue Sprinkles

White Sprinkles

Popsicle Sticks

8″ Small Clear Bags

Thin Ribbon (1/4″ works great)

Melt the white chocolate according to the package instructions in the microwave or over a double boiler.  (Do not put the chocolate in a pan to melt it.  I repeat do not put the chocolate in a pan to melt it.  It will burn and make your house smell like Santa’s Bakery caught on fire.  Trust me I know this from multiple experiences.  Yes, I keep forgetting…..

Crush up the candy and the graham and put them on small flat plates or little bowls along with the sprinkles.  Lay out a large piece of parchment paper next to the candy bowls.

Dip each marshmallow in the chocolate so that it is about halfway covered.  Gently shake off extra dripping chocolate and dip your marshmallow into any of the crushed candies.  Place the marshmallow, marshmallow side down to allow the chocolate to dry.  You can then flip the marshmallow and do the other side or leave it half covered.  Feel free to dye your chocolate fun colors and to go crazy with the toppings.  This is great to do with kids because there is no right way to do it. 

When the marshmallows are dry, skewer about three marshmallows on each popsicle stick.  Cut the closed end of the bag off so that both ends are open.  Place your skewer in the bag and tie a pretty ribbon on each end of the bag.

It would be very easy to put  a little tag on one end with a holiday greeting or thank you note.  Get creative!

Most of my family gathered a few weekends ago to say goodbye to my brother before he went back to college.  I had been itching to try this recipe and thought a night with family might be a good excuse for chocolate cake…not that chocolate cakes needs an excuse.

I called my mom to chat before we drove over to my parents’ house.  I was all, “what are you up to, mom?”  And she said, “baking a cake for tonight.”  Doh.  “Really….what kind?”  “Chocolate!”  Yep, we both made chocolate cakes on the same day for the same 8 people to eat.  I knew right away that I was in trouble.  My mom has never been known for healthy cooking, so if she was making a chocolate cake it was gonna be damn good!  Who would want to eat my psuedo healthy cake when they could have a slab of hers?  Plus, when we got there I noticed she had covered the chocolate cake in a layer of “Little Fudge.”  This stuff is legendary in my house.  My mom will not tell us how to make it, and we used to beg her for it as kids (and adults).  Anything covered in Little Fudge is going to be the bomb!

After dinner we all took a sliver of each cake and dove in to dessert.  Imagine my surprise when everyone told me how much they enjoyed my cake.  Oh, and my family is not one of those “let’s all be nice” kinda families.  We are sarcastic and honest.  If the cake wasn’t good, they would have let me know!  I couldn’t get over how moist and flavorful the cake was.  It did look lonely since it wasn’t topped with little fudge, so I think next time I’ll serve it with whipped cream, but I was impressed with the cake on its own.  I will definitely be making this one again.

Chocolate Espresso Spelt Cake
Adapted from Gourment, October 2005

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for pan
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder plus additional for dusting pan and cake
1 cup boiling-hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups Medjool dates (10 to 12), pitted and coarsely chopped
2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup amber agave nectar
2 large eggs

Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using cooking spray or butter, coat a springform pan, then lightly dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

In a medium bowl, stir together boiling water, espresso powder, vanilla, and baking soda.  Add dates and mash lightly with a fork.  Steep until liquid cools to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together spelt flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and agave nectar together until smooth, 3-5 minutes.  Add eggs in one at a time, and continue mixing on medium-speed until just combined.  Add in date mixture and reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture and continue mixing until just combined.

Pour batter into greased springform pan and smooth top.  Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove side of pan and cool cake on a rack.  Serve cake warm or at room temperature.  Cake slices may be topped with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar for a little sweetness.  Serves 8-12.

I’m not going to lie to you people I epically failed on the first batch of these cookies.  Shame…  They were so pitifully flat.  They were so flat actually that some of the centers completely fell out.

The second batch however!!  Perfection!  They were fluffy and came out in little mounds with soft centers just how they are supposed to.  What is the difference you ask?  Flour!  Flour makes all the difference.  If your cookies come out too flat just add a tbs of flour, bake a few more, if they are still flat add a few more tbs of flour.  Lesson learned.

Also, I have to think of a better name for these cookies because because chocolate covered cherry chip cookies is way too long.   Any suggestions??

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 tbl Almond Extract

1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup cherry chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips (dark chocolate preferred)

bakers chocolate (semi-sweeet)

Heat your oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl combine the egg and the almond extract.  Whisk together and set aside.  In another medium size bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda.  Whisk these items together and set aside.  In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter together.  Using either your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer blend together the sugar and the butter until it is creamy.  *TIP*  Your butter must be at room temperature!  If you add the butter when it is too cold the butter will not whip very well and will be clumpy.  You need the butter to be even throughout your mixture or your cookies will come out lumpy and the flavor will not be even.  If you microwave your butter to get it to room temperature it is inevitably too soft and your batter will be too gooey, which will result in super flat cookies.  So, the lesson here is be patient and don’t forget to pull your butter out a good 20min before you start.  I tend to forget to pull the butter out and use the microwave to warm the butter up.  If you have to do this be prepared to add an extra tbs of flour or so to thicken up your batter.  Trust me, it makes all the difference.  End of Tip **  Once your butter and sugar are creamed slowly add the egg and almond extract mixture with your mixer on medium.  Once blended begin adding the flour mixture a little at a time.  As soon as your batter comes together turn off your mixer and add the cherry chips.  Blend these in by hand.  Your mixer is to strong and will break up the chips into crumbs.  Place 2″-3″ dollups of dough on your cookie sheet about 2″ apart and place them in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

When the cookies are on the cooling rack start your sauce.  Pull out a small sauce pot and break up the bakers chocolate.  Set the heat to low and drop in the chunks of chocolate.  Allow them to melt into a chocolate sauce.  Once your cookies have cooled COMPLETELY dip one half of the cookie in the chocolate sauce.  Allow the excess to drip back in the pot and place the cookie back on the drying rack so that the chocolate can dry.  I like to double dip mine.  You don’t have to wait until the chocolate has completely cooled to double dip them but wait at least 10 minutes.  Don’t skimp out on the chocolate and buy cheapy melting chocolate.  A good quality chocolate makes all the difference!

I love to make cupcakes.  They are so tiny and cute.  Each one its own little masterpiece.  Every one can be different or you can push them close together and ice them in one giant pattern.  So versatile and no plate needed.  If I plan to bake, then cupcakes are my weakness.  I like to come up with my own little flavor creations, so when Nat and I volunteered for the Oak Cliff Fellowship Gateway Bake Sale I knew I needed to think of a fun cupcake creation.  The bake sale started early in the morning so I thought a breakfast cupcake might be nice.  Easy enough to eat at 8 am but still sweet enough for dessert.  Coffee is a breakfast staple for me so I thought this caramel macchiato coffee cupcake would be perfect.

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Baking is not my favorite thing to do.  I would much rather eat a cookie you made than make them myself.  I don’t really like to measure and when you do bake you can’t accidentally forget an ingredient.  Funny story….  One time when Natalie and I were kids she made peanut butter cookies from a box and managed to forget the peanut butter.  Mind you it was from a box so the peanut butter package was totally sitting right there the whole time.  Shhh don’t tell her I told you she doesn’t like this story.  :)

Truthfully she is a much better baker than I am so she has redeemend herself.  She is more of the technical one.  I tend to throw everything in a bowl and hope for the best!  So you see, these cupcakes are right up my alley.  Just enough homemade and just enough “from a box” not to make me lose my patience.

For the cupcake part I can thank Betty Crocker for her beautiful baking skills.  My chocolate cake box mixes always come out just like she says they will. 

I take one box and follow the directions to the T.  Then I put the batter into each cupcake paper about 3/4 of the way full.  I unwrapped a Reeses peanut butter cup mini and shoved the little sucker in each cupcake batter until all you can see is the tippity top of the cup.  Then I popped a mini reeses cup into my mouth!  Pop those suckers in the oven and then you can start on the from scratch peanut butter icing!  This recipe is courtesy of Paula Dean and apparently she got the recipe from Kathleen.  Whoever she is I love her!  This icing rocks!

Kathleen’s Peanut Butter Icing

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Ice each cupcake once they have cooled and try not to eat them all at once.  I’m not going to lie to you, I ate 6 of them this weekend.  Yes 6.  Which is why I am now off to the gym…  Maybe….