Double Chocolate Pudding

What a WINTER this has been!  

Our backyard has a decent slope to it; on snow days we have quite the kid-crowd.  A smattering of sleds are visible from my living room windows.  I enjoy watching the bright colors of all the children's coats and gloves soar down the hill in glee. They don't notice that it's 10 degrees. 

I love to welcome them back inside with something warm and comforting to eat (or drink).  Usually it's this cookie recipe (because it's so fast and easy), but today I decided to go with a 7-ingredient chocolate pudding.  It waaaaaay easier than the cookies (less than 12 minutes from beginning to in-your-mouth if you want to eat it warm).  And the TASTE.  I just can't get over the chocolatey creaminess!  

I literally finished arranging this vignette as I heard the back door open, took a few shots, and grinned as they rounded the corner to the kitchen exclaiming, "CHOCOLATE PUDDING!!!  THANK YOU!!!  WE'RE SO COLD AND HUNGRY!!"

Self high-five!  A Mom Success.

  (Real life shot.  Forget the cute vintage styling!  Gimme some puddin'!)

Double Chocolate Pudding
Serves 6

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cream (I used 1.75 cups whole milk + 0.25 cup Half-and-Half...it worked great)
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (substitute chocolate chips)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sift the dry ingredients into a medium saucepan (you can skip this step if you want; it's just that unsifted cocoa powder makes me crazy.)  Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the cream (or milk/half-and-half mixture) until smooth; then add the remaining one cup of cream (or milk mixture).  Place the pan over medium heat and cook (whisking constantly...don't let it scorch!) until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).  Continue to whisk and boil for 1 minute.

Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Add in the chopped chocolate and the vanilla.  Let stand for about 5 minutes until the chocolate is melted. Then stir gently until the pudding is smooth.  (Don't stir too much or the pudding will begin to thin out.)

Divide pudding into 6 small bowls or cups.  Let cool for about 20 minutes to serve warm and soft (I couldn't wait that long!), or refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Recipe from:  Short and Sweet:  Sophisticated Desserts in 30 Minutes or Less

Chocolate Mug Cake

Ever have a craving for a few bites of something chocolatey-cakey but don't necessarily want make an ENTIRE cake?  

Me, too!

Ever been a total snob about something (that you've never even tried) and then felt like a jerk when you finally tried it (and actually liked it)?

Me, too!

I freely admit I'm a recovering snob about this make-a-little-cake-in-the-microwave recipe.  My fear was that the cake would be so gummy and chewy that you could dump it out of the cup, dribble it out the door, and shoot a basket with it in the driveway.  And I will tell you...if you don't eat the cake pretty soon after it's done, it will get that way.  But YUM!!  I was blown away by how good and non-rubbery it was upon it's exit from the microwave! 

I threw a few chocolate chips on top as soon as the cake was done; they melted deliciously and provided more moisture to each bite.

It's Secret Recipe Club time again!  This month my assigned blog was My Hobbie Lobbie written by Trisha from Sydney, Australia.  Trisha loves to craft AND cook; she says she has a fondness for collecting both recipes and crochet patterns. :)  She has a LOT of recipes on her site!  Click on over and check out her blog. 

The only thing I altered about this recipe was that I swapped out the vegetable oil for coconut oil.  Also, I sifted the dry ingredients together because unsifted cocoa powder gives me a nervous twitch.  :) 

(Printable Recipe)

Two-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake
Yield:  1 large mug or 2 small mugs 

3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

Whisk together the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla extract in a small bowl or directly into the microwave-safe mug you'll be using.

If desired, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and the salt into another small bowl; mix well and then add those ingredients to the oil and milk mixture.    (If you want to add the dry ingredients directly to the mug, go right ahead...but it may be a bit lumpy.)  Using a small whisk or a fork, mix the dry and wet ingredients together well.  Divide between two small microwave-safe mugs or use one larger one.

Microwave on high power for 2 minutes.  PLEASE BE CAREFUL BECAUSE IT WILL BE VERY HOT WHEN IT'S DONE. Let it sit for a minute or two, and then eat it immediately.

Variations:
Toss a few chocolate chips in the batter (they sink to the bottom and make a delicious fudgy layer).
Toss a few chocolate chips on top of the cake when it's done; allow to melt.
Poke holes in the cake when it's done and pour some sweetened condensed milk or dulce de leche all over it.
Add freshly whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Recipe from My Hobbie Lobbie and Completely Delicious

Caramel and Dark Chocolate Cookie Cups

Caramel and Dark Chocolate Cookie Cups 

A rich, buttery chocolate "cookie" filled with homemade salted caramel sauce and topped with chopped almonds and melted dark chocolate.  

What's not to love?  

This recipe was created by Lisa from Sweet As Sugar Cookies, my assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  Have a sweet tooth?  Want to make some delicious, original desserts?  Head on over to Lisa's blog!  Her recipes do not disappoint.   I've "known" Lisa for years by following her blog...in fact I'm pretty sure she's the reason I joined SRC.  :)

Please forgive me for this picture-heavy post.  Get your scrolling/swiping finger ready.  This recipe was very fun to make and I enjoyed shooting almost every step.

Begin by "creaming" together the butter, coconut oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt.  (I swapped out a second stick of butter for the coconut oil.)

Until the mixture looks dreamy and fluffy...like this. 

Add an egg and the vanilla (the amount of which I doubled from Lisa's original recipe.)  Mix again. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and soda. 

 

Usually whisking dry ingredients does the trick of mixing them together fully, but today the cocoa powder was being stubborn and balling up.  So I sifted the whole sha-bang.

Showed them who's boss!

A lovely volcano crater of cocoa and flour.  

Gently mix the egg/butter/sugar mixture with the cocoa/flour mixture.  But for the love of all things good and decent, DON'T over mix it.  That will make your cookies hard as rocks.  

The dough is thick and will look about like this.

(And your pile of dirty dishes will look about like this.)

Now, grab a greased mini-muffin tin.  Fill each cup about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-11 minutes, JUST until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.  They will still look a bit soft, but again, for the love of all things good and decent....DON'T overbake them.

As soon as you remove them from the oven, take a small spoon (or your thumb), and press down the center of each muffin, making a well.

Now refrigerate this whole thing for 30 minutes or so (then you can gently remove the cookie cups from the tin...use a knife to free each muffin's perimeter; they should slide right out).

Meanwhile, let's enter salted caramel-making-land, shall we?  [Please note: Lisa's original recipe involves employing jarred caramel sauce...easier than making your own like I'm about to do in the steps below.  But I have to tell ya---I wanted to do a face-plant in this stuff.  It was incredible (and the salted caramel recipe also came from Lisa's site.)]

Heat granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it starts to melt and liquify. (This is organic sugar which is why it looks darker than regular granulated sugar.)

Here we go.

Keep whisking if that's working for you, or switch to a wooden spoon.  [I will tell you...some of these little sugar lumps would not dissolve and remained in the finished sauce.  Ask me if I cared. :)  The sauce was scrumptious and the lumps were undetectable in the finished cookie cups.]

 

After sugar has mostly melted, toss in the butter and stir well.

Lookin' good!  Then add the heavy cream, whisk like mad, remove pot from the heat, and allow it to cool down.

When ready, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (makes clean-up a snap!), and spoon about a teaspoon of the caramel sauce into the well of each "cookie cup".

(You may end up with some leftover caramel sauce.  This hardly qualifies as a tragedy.  Eat it straight-up, pour it over ice cream, stir it into your coffee.)

Then sprinkle over some chopped almonds,

and top with melted dark chocolate. 

Bliss.

All the thanks goes to Lisa for this fabulous recipe!

Here's the printable recipe...

Caramel and Dark Chocolate Cookie Cups
(Makes about 26 "cookie cups")

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1/2 cup coconut oil (you can substitute another stick of butter)
3/8 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped almonds, if desired

Salted Caramel Sauce/Filling:
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cubed (if you're using unsalted butter, add about 1/8 teaspoon salt)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature 

Toppings:  
Melted dark chocolate (about 1/3 cup chocolate chips)
Chopped almonds (about 1/4 cup, chopped)

To prepare "cookie cup" batter:  in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, coconut oil, salt, and both sugars together for about 1 minute on high speed, or until the color has lightened and the mixture is fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla; mix again for about 30 seconds.  Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and baking soda to a separate mixing bowl.  Whisk well to combine.  If little balls of cocoa powder remain, sift the mixture into the egg/sugar/butter mixture.  Combine the flour and egg/butter mixture JUST UNTIL they are fully mixed (10 seconds or so).  Don't mix it too much, or the dough will be tough. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a mini-muffin tin.  Fill each cup about 3/4 full.  Bake for 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the largest muffin comes out clean.  (Do NOT overbake.)  Immediately press a well into the center of each mini-muffin using a small spoon or your thumb.  Refrigerate the tin for about 30 minutes.  Then run a knife around the perimeter of each mini-muffin and gently encourage them out of the pan.  (Be careful...they will be crumbly.)

While the muffins are chilling, make the salted caramel sauce:  Have the caramel sauce ingredients set out and ready to use.  Place the sugar in a saucepan set over medium to medium-high heat.  Whisk it--break up any sugar lumps--soon the sugar will begin to melt and liquify.  When it turns a dark amber color add the butter and keep whisking.  Once the butter is melted, add the heavy cream.  Keep whisking until smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly before adding to cookie cups.  

Line a baking sheet or other flat work surface with parchment or waxed paper (this makes clean-up much simpler).    Lay the cookie cups out on the surface.  Use a teaspoon to generously fill each cookie cup with the caramel sauce (there will be some sauce left over...it's great on ice cream or in your coffee!).  Sprinkle chopped almonds over the caramel sauce.  Then, melt the chocolate, place it in a Zip-lock baggie with a tiny part of a corner snipped off, and zig-zag the chocolate over cookie cups.  

I prefer the cookie cups at room temperature, but you can also store them in the fridge.  

Recipe slightly modified from Lisa at Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Bark

Dark Chocolate and Dried Cherry Bark:  a (simple) gluten- and grain-free dessert.  

Great to keep...or to give away.

This recipe comes from my Secret Recipe Club assignment for October:  the lovely blog of Mellissa of A Fit and Spicy Life.  Mellissa and her husband live in Minneapolis, and when she's not working her day job as a marketing manager, she's loving on her sweet doggies, sipping on delicious wines, and cooking wonderful food.  In addition to the treasure-trove of fantastic recipes, Mellissa's blog is chock-full of all sorts of wonderful workout-tips (Dive-Bomber push-ups, anyone?!)!  I seriously watched the video and got on the floor and did...ONE.  And then I died.  :)  

I scrolled through Mellissa's many wonderful recipes and settled on this delicious Chocolate "Bark."  (I guess it looks sort-of like tree bark, hence the age-old name?)

Mellissa's recipe calls for a combo of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates.  I used only bittersweet (60% cocoa.).  Also, she used almonds (I subbed pistachios) and dried cranberries (I forgot to add them!).  I flip-flopped her method by putting the nut and fruit mixture down first and pouring the melted chocolate over.  The end result is similar, but I believe her chocolate layer must have been much smoother than mine turned out to be. 

Pistachios, Dried Cherries, and Bittersweet Chocolate.  

Melt the chocolate in a homemade double boiler (saucepan filled with simmering water, topped with a bowl with the chocolates).

Arrange the dried cherries and pistachios on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pour over the melted chocolate.  

Allow it to "set" for about 2 hours.  

Voila.  

I broke it into pieces,

And put it in jars so I can GIVE IT AWAY instead of scarfing down the whole batch.

Here's the funny part about this recipe:  as I was breaking the bark into pieces, I had a deja vu moment.  I HAVE MADE THIS VERY RECIPE BEFORE from another SRC-er's blog!!  Katherine Martinelli has a delicious Pistachio, Cherry and Dark Chocolate Bark recipe.  I think her recipe was why I subconsciously swapped the almonds for the pistachios...I love the color contrast.   

Anyway---I really hope you are inspired to make this yummy stuff.  And please swing by Mellissa's blog!  It's a real treat! 

(Here's the printable recipe...)

Dark Chocolate and Cherry "Bark"
Makes a 10" x 10" square...yield depends on size each piece is broken into

16 ounces dark (bittersweet) chocolate

1 cup dried cherries
1 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

Melt the chocolate by placing it in a bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water.  (Or use a double boiler.)  Stir occasionally while the chocolate melts (about 10 minutes).

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.  Spread the dried cherries and chopped pistachios into about a 10" x 10" square.

Pour the chocolate over the nuts and fruit in as even a layer as possible.

Allow the "bark" to rest for about 2 hours (time will depend on temperature of room).  When set, break into pieces and serve. 

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from here and here.

"Fauxstess" Cake

 

One of the drawbacks of having a food blog is that my "creations" are rarely original.  Items cranked out of this kitchen are usually a kaleidoscope of recipes I've seen in cookbooks or on other blogs.  Last week I dreamt about making this cake --a spin-off of the "Fauxstess" Cupcakes from last Wednesday--; my feet hit the floor the next morning and I immediately got to work.  I haven't "googled" to see if this recipe exists elsewhere on the Internet.  Don't tell me if it does!  

This post has lots of photos and details.  BUT IT IS NOT A COMPLICATED RECIPE.  I promise.

I used --gasp!-- a boxed chocolate cake mix to save some time, since this was an experiment after all.  :)  I baked the cake in a 13" x 9" pan that had been lined with a giant sheet of buttered parchment paper.  When the cake was finished baking, I literally lifted the entire thing out of the pan (using the overlapping parchment paper as "handles") and set it on a cooling rack.  It cooled in a jiffy.

Meanwhile, I whipped up this Honey-Vanilla "Marshmallow" Creme filling.   (It doesn't contain corn syrup, woot!)

Once the cake was completely cooled, I "scored" it with a knife, marking off 15 squares so I would know where to squirt the filling.  You don't have to do this.  You could be completely random with the filling application -- like polka dots.  (Note:  the next time I make this cake, I will continue the scored lines lightly down the sides of the cake.  This way, when the top is covered with ganache and frosting swirls, I will still know where to slice the cake to get 15 lovely pieces with filling in the center of each piece.)

I wanted the surface of the cake to be completely smooth... 

...so I used a knife to level out the filling puffs.   Then I transferred the cake to a serving platter (I just slid my hands under the entire cake for support and gently lifted it.)  I cut four strips of parchment paper and slid those under the edges of the cake; this kept the serving platter neat and clean while I completed the decorating steps.

Then I made some ganache.

(At this point in the shoot, I was literally holding laughing children back with my leg to keep their little fingers from swiping the ganache for a lick!)

Spread half of the ganache over the cake and let it set for about 10 minutes.  You can see that this layer will smudge some of the white filling.  It's OK.  We'll cover that up with the second layer of ganache. 

Ganache Swiper. 

Now gently spread over the remaining ganache.  (I used an offset spatula to do this.)

(If you're like, "What the heck is an off-set spatula?", here's a picture.  Don't worry--I didn't know what one either until just a few years ago.  The spatula in the center and on the right are considered "off-set".)

 I allowed the second ganache layer to "set" for about 15 minutes, and then I piped on the "swirl".

(The next time I make this, I will also pipe the swirls around the edge of the cake.  It was kind of the ugly duckling of this project.)

 However, no one complained!

A fun, moist, chocolatey, creamy (and as far as I know--original!!) treat.

Printable Recipe

"Fauxstess" Cake

(Yields 15 generous pieces)

Chocolate Cake

1 (16-or 17-ounce) package of boxed chocolate cake mix, prepared according to directions

(Or use this recipe for homemade chocolate cake)

"Marshmallow" Filling and Swirl

2 and 2/3 cups Honey-Vanilla Marshmallow Creme, divided

1/2 teaspoon heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache Icing

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

1.  Grease a 13"x 9" baking pan with butter.  Line baking pan with a large sheet of buttered parchment paper (use enough so that the edges of the paper are overlapping the sides of the baking pan.  The overlapping paper will become "handles" for you to lift the cake from the pan after it has baked.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Prepare chocolate cake batter according to package instructions (or make one from scratch).  Bake for 26-31 min or until the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  After baking, allow the cake to "rest" in the pan for about 10 minutes.  Then, firmly grasp the parchment paper "handles" and lift the cake from the pan and onto a wire rack for it to cool completely.

3.  While the cake is baking/cooling, prepare the Honey-Vanilla Marshmallow Creme*.  (You will fill the cake with 2 cups* of the creme, reserving approximately 2/3 cups of it for use to decorate the top of the cake with the "swirls".) 

4.  Once cool, use a knife to score the top of the cake into 15 even pieces, if desired*.  Fill a  pastry bag with about 2 cups of the Marshmallow Creme.  Fit the pastry bag with a medium-round tip (mine was about 1/4" in diameter).  Insert pastry tip into the cake and dispense about an ounce of filling into each of the 15 sections of cake (you can just "eyeball" the filling amount).

5.  Scrape the excess filling from the top of the cake, creating a level surface.  

6.  To make the chocolate ganache, place the heavy cream in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Allow cream to steam.  Right before the cream begins to boil, remove pan from heat.  Immediately place chopped chocolate in the cream and allow it to rest there for about 2 minutes.  Then whisk together the chocolate and the cream until the mixture is smooth and thick.  Don't worry if the mixture looks crazy at first...just keep whisking and it will become smooth and beautiful.

7.  Pour HALF of the chocolate ganache evenly over the surface of the cake.  Gently spread it.  (The ganache will smudge some of marshmallow filling, but it's ok.  The second layer of ganache will cover it.)  Let the first layer "rest" for about 10 minutes.

8.  Gently spread remaining ganache over the first layer.  (I used an off-set spatula to do this.)  Allow it to set for about 15 minutes.  

9.  To pipe on the white "swirl", mix the reserved 2/3 cup of "marshmallow" filling with 1/2 teaspoon heavy cream.  (This will make the filling smoother and therefore easier to apply to the surface of the cake.)  You can use a pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip if you like, or, for simplicity's sake, you can use a Zip-Lock bag with a snipped-off corner to apply the "swirls".)

10.  Slice into 15 generous pieces and serve to smiling faces. 

*My recipe for Honey-Vanilla Marshmallow Creme makes about 5 cups.  You could either halve the recipe OR you could go completely crazy and fill the cake with 4 cups of the Marshmallow creme.  Skip the scoring step and just randomly insert the tip and fill the cake with Marshmallow Creme...like polka dots.