Tag Archives: Chocolate

Ho-Ho Cake

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Chocolate? On a Monday? Again??

 Why, you might ask? Well, quite simply, can you really come up with a better way to start the week? (Ok, well besides sunbathing on a yacht…..or winning the lottery…..or being gifted 10 Chanel bags….)

Ho-Ho Cake

For the cake~

6 squares  of dark chocolate

6 Tbsp.  butter

1 c.  granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 c.  flour

1/2 tsp.  baking soda

2/3 c.  water

 

For the filling~

5 tbsp. flour

1 1/4 c. milk

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. crisco

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

 

For the frosting~

3 oz. dark chocolate

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 tbsp. hot water

1/2 c. butter

3 c. powdered sugar

 

First prepare your cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then grease a 15x10x1 inch baking sheet. Completely line with wax paper and then spray with more cooking spray; set aside. Microwave 3 of the chocolate squares and butter in medium microwaveable bowl for 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir to completely melt the chocolate, then mix in the sugar. In a mixer bowl, on high speed, beat eggs for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Blend in chocolate mixture. Add 1/4 cup flour and baking soda; beat just until blended. Alternate adding the remaining flour and water. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 min. or until top of cake springs back when touched; dust with powdered sugar. Immediately invert cake onto clean towel and remove pan. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at one short side, roll up cake and towel together. Cool completely on wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, begin making your filling and frosting. Heat flour and milk in saucepan. Cook until thick, make sure to whisk/stir to avoid getting lumps, and then cool completely. Beat sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla for 4-5 minutes or until creamy. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until smooth. For the frosting, first melt the chocolate. Then mix in the vanilla, milk, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth.

To assemble the ho-ho, first unroll the cooled cake. Spread it with the white filling making sure to leave about a one inch gap between the frosting and the edge of the cake. Begin rolling the cake up from the short end. Place the rolled cake, edge side down, on your serving dish. (Side note, any frosting that spilled out I just filled in on either end of the cake.)  Spread on your chocolate frosting and refrigerate.

Inspired by a recipe from my Mom, originally from Kelsey‘s family; cake recipe from Kraft

S’Mores Bars

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Remember these fluffy little guys from a few weeks back? And how I told you I was also making cookies?

Wellllll these are those cookies. That required these marshmallows. That took 4 hours to make.

Good thing they were so delicious!

And good thing I told you about this on a Monday, because obviously there is no better way to start your week than a pan full of chocolate and marshmallows!

S’Mores Bars 

Inspired by a Living Tastefully recipe

 

Crust- 

1 1/2 c. cookie crumbs ( I used a mix of chocolate graham crackers and pizzelle cookies)

1/3 c. granulated sugar

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

 

Filling-

1 c. dark chocolate chunks/chips

3/4 c. milk

A splash of heavy cream (if you don’t have it, you can use evaporated milk or just more regular milk)

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

 

Topping-

Marshmallows (homemade, if you’re brave enough!)

 

To make the crust, begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next, melt the butter then  stir in the sugar and crumbs until well combined. Press into the bottom of a well-greased 7 1/2″ by 11 1/2″ baking dish. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare your filling by placing the milk, cream and butter in a microwave proof bowl and heating it in the microwave until the butter is melted, about one minute. Add in the chocolate. Let sit for a few minutes and then stir to combine. Mix in the vanilla and the salt. Pour over the cooled crust and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Before serving, top each square with a marshmallow. Store for up to two weeks in a covered container in the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies…Ever!

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I know this isn’t some fancy pants recipe (sometimes it’s good to go back to basics)  and I know that’s a bold statement of me to make (that these are “best ever”)….but really they are.

And I would know because I’m like über, mega picky times 100 when it comes to chocolate chip cookies.

The secret ingredient that makes these so perfectly delicious? Crisco (so don’t even think about replacing that white lard gunk)!

And in case you still haven’t figured out how to reward yourself from yesterday, you just found your answer. You’re welcome :)

 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

*recipe from my sister*

 

2 sticks of butter

1 c. Crisco

1 c. white sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

4 tsp. vanilla

4 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

24 oz. chocolate chips

 

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.

Meanwhile, beat together the butters and sugars until creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended and fluffy.

Add in dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips, making sure not to over mix.

Shape into golf ball sized balls and place 1″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12-16 minutes, just until the edges are brown, making sure NOT to over bake them! (When they still look slightly undone is usually when you want to take them out…I have found this to be around 12 minutes in my oven.)

Let cool and serve with a big glass of milk.

 

 

*This recipe can easily be made in halves or quarters. I usually make a half recipe, bake us a few cookies, then freeze the rest in logs which can than be sliced for freezer-to-oven cookies*

*This recipe is easily adaptable- I have made variations with heath pieces, nuts, butterscotch chips or with a sprinkling of salt on top all with delicious results*

Coffee Ice-cream Cake Bowl

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Don’t you just want to dive into this giant bowl of ice-cream goodness?!

Because I’m telling you, you need to dive into this like you need to dive into a pool.

In other words, eat this, than go swim it off….best.summer.plan.ever!

Coffee Ice-cream Cake Bowl

Adapted from Bake at 350

 

1 1/2 packages of chocolate graham crackers (14 sheets), broken into pieces

4-6 c. of coffee ice-cream, left out to soften

3 c. whipped cream (make sure it has very stiff peaks) mixed with 1/4 c. Kalhua

1 1/2 c. hot fudge sauce

1 package of heath bits

 

In a 4 quart glass bowl, begin layering your ingredients. Start with graham crackers, then ice-cream, whipped cream, fudge sauce and lastly heath pieces. Continue this until you’ve filled up the bowl, making sure to end with the fudge sauce and heath pieces (so it looks pretty and all, of course!). Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and freeze until set, at least three hours. Use a sharp knife to cut & serve.

Notes-

* You can use as much or as little home-made ingredients for this recipe. While I wish I had time to do that, I only made my own whipped cream and fudge sauce this time. On the other side, feel free to use cool whip and  store-bought fudge sauce to make this recipe even easier.

* For the fudge sauce, I used 1 1/4 c. chocolate chips melted together with 1 tbsp. of butter and 1/4 c. of heavy cream.

* Feel free to leave the Kalhua out of the whipped cream.

* This can also be made in a pan instead of a bowl.

 

Flourless Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Remember when I made this (literally) heart-stopping meal? And I promised you a delicious dessert  recipe that was soon to follow?

Well I’m finally following up on that promise, not as soon as I planned to, but just in time for you to have some chocolate with your Guinness as you celebrate St.Patty’s Day.

 

Flourless Chocolate Guinness Cake

Slightly Adapted from Food Network Magazine

 

For the cake

2 1/2 sticks of butter

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

6 large eggs

1/3 c. sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 c. of chocolate Guinness or other stout beer

1 tsp. vanilla

 

For the meringue topping

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

 

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Then butter the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan.(I used a 9 inch square glass dish and just cut the baking time by 10 minutes).

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Meanwhile beat together eggs, sugar and salt over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the whites have tripled and formed thick peaks.

In another small pan bring the beer  and vanilla to a soft boil. Reduce the mixer to low and slowly add in the beer mixture, then the chocolate and lastly the butter and beat until well incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes (about 25 for a glass pan) or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs on it. Remove from the oven and cool for an hour before topping with the meringue.

To make the meringue, microwave  the chocolate, butter and corn syrup at 30 second intervals, stirring until the chocolate melts. In another heat-proof bowl combine the egg whites, sugar, salt and a 1/3 c. of water. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk  for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue to beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla and then swirl in the chocolate mixture. Spread on the cake and serve.