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

Red Velvet Pancakes (Colored with Beets) with Maple-Buttermilk Icing

 

My boys asked me to make "wacky" pancakes this morning.  These Red Velvet pancakes fit the bill.

The recipe calls for 2-4 teaspoons of red food coloring (depending on how red you'd like for the pancakes to be).  I didn't have nearly that amount on-hand, so I went with my favorite red food coloring alternative:  roasted, pureed beets (which I had a lot of!).

(Please see this post for easy step-by-step instructions for roasting and pureeing the beets to get them recipe-ready.  I've added them to many baked goods, and I have never been able to detect that "earthy" beet taste.)

I used 4 tablespoons of beet puree to color these pancakes so deeply. 

And then I got a strong and handsome helper to stir the batter.

I used about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

"One of these days", I'd like to have a griddle.  But for now, this big skillet works pretty well.  I have to use a lot of coconut oil to keep the cakes from sticking, but the oil gives the outside of each one a delicious, coconut-y crispiness that is absolutely divine. 

I overcooked a few trying to get the heat on the skillet just right, but these were far from being inedible. 

While I realize this isn't the world's most appetizing photo, can I just tell you?  The buttermilk in the batter gives these pancakes a delicious twang, and the cocoa powder lends a whisper of chocolate.  For a "wacky" pancake, these are just about as good as it gets.

The icing contains buttermilk, milk, powdered sugar and vanilla.  It's unusual yet equally fantastic (not at all in-your-face buttermilk).  

He agrees.  

Make these for your loves this Valentine's Day for a fun breakfast.

Do-ahead-tip:  I love to make a huge batch of pancakes, freeze them individually on a baking sheet, and then transfer the frozen pancakes to a freezer bag.  When I need a few for breakfast, I just pop them in the toaster oven for 4-5 minutes.  It's like a delicious, homemade version of frozen grocery store pancakes.  :)  

This recipe is Ree Drummond's (a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman) "A Year of Holidays" cookbook.  I didn't have cake flour on hand, so I used all-purpose and it seems to work fine.  I also swapped out the food coloring for the beet puree.  Other than that, this is her creation. 

Red Velvet Pancakes with Maple-Buttermilk Icing
Makes about 20 Pancakes

Pancakes:
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2-4 tablespoons pureed beets (or substitute 2-4 teaspoons red food coloring)
Cooking spray (if you have a griddle)
4-5 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (if you are using a skillet to make the pancakes)

Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the pancakes:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cocoa powder.  Whisk well to combine. 

In a separate bowl, mix the milk, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar.  (Whisk it well.) Now add the beet puree (or food coloring) and stir again.

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture; mix just until it comes together (the more you stir, the tougher the pancakes will be).  Pour in the melted butter and stir (or whisk) until it's all combined.  

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat.  Or, if you're like me and you don't have a griddle, melt about a tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter) into a large skillet.  (I use a stainless steel skillet; if you're using a non-stick skillet, you may not have to use this much oil.)   Use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop and drop them on the skillet (I fit batches of 3 pancakes onto my 10-inch skillet).  Cook SLOWLY (over medium heat) until the pancakes are done, about 2 minutes per side.  These look much better when they are a pretty pink color as opposed to scorched black.  :)  Add more oil to the skillet as needed for each batch. 

For the icing:

I found it best to do this in my stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  But, if you don't have one you can definitely just use a whisk.   

Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the salt and melted butter and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth.  Add the buttermilk, milk, and maple syrup and whisk again until it's very smooth.  A few small, unfortunate lumps may remain.  It will still taste great.  

Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks:  A Year of Holidays

Bacon, Mushroom and Cheddar-Stuffed Rolls

 These rolls are just pretty.  Pretty to look at, pretty on your plate, and pretty dang good to eat.

Begin by sauteeing about 9 slices of bacon. (No lovelier words began a recipe...)

Then dice 6 mushrooms.  

Wait...what's that you say?  You'd like a mushroom-dicing lesson?!  Really?  OK! 

First lop off the stem.  Then slice through the mushroom horizontally.

Then flip it back to right-side-up.  Slice through it six or seven times vertically (with the cuts coming toward yourself).  Then rotate the mushroom and slice through it again,

Until the little darlin' is neatly and evenly diced.   (It's much like my nerdy little "how to dice an onion" tutorial.)

Six to seven mushrooms diced will yield almost 1 cup. 

Let's return to the bacon.  Blot it well with a paper towel, and chop it up. 

In the skillet in which you cooked the bacon, remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the grease (or, if that gags you out...just use a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in its place).  Throw in the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until they get all browned and bubbly and delicious.  Transfer the sauteed mushrooms to a bowl.

Slice up a few green onions (and 5 cloves of garlic...forgot to snap that pic)...

Remove the mushroooms from the pan (but, by golly, do NOT wash it!).  If the skillet's on the dry side, toss in a tablespoon of butter.  Saute the garlic for about 1 minute over medium-high heat,

 Then toss in the green onions for about thirty seconds or so. 

 Pour the garlic and green onions in the bowl with the mushrooms,

And then add about 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, and a cup of grated cheddar cheese.

If you'd like to, by all means, use your own homemade rolls for this recipe.  I love Sister Schubert's rolls, and they work fantastic here (and saved me a whole lot of time).  I set the frozen bag on the counter when I began sauteing the bacon, and by the time I was ready to stuff them, the rolls were thawed. 

Cut an eye-shaped wedge out of the rolls.  

(But be careful not to slice through the bottom of the roll.)

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, place the rolls on the sheet, 

...and stuff them.  Then sprinkle over a bit more of cheddar cheese.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm.  (They reheat very well, if you need to make them ahead of time.  Just keep the rolls well-wrapped in the fridge and cover them with foil when it's time to reheat before serving.)

Bacon, Mushroom, and Cheddar-Stuffed Rolls
Makes 12 rolls

9 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease)
6 mushrooms, diced (stems removed)
4 green onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon (I used coarse-ground)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
 12 (purchased) smooth-topped dinner rolls (do not use cloverleaf rolls)
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, if desired)

Saute bacon in large skillet.  When done, remove bacon and place on a plate that's been lined with paper towels.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease; discard the rest.  In the same skillet you used to saute the bacon, heat the reserved bacon grease and add the diced mushrooms.  Saute over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until they are evenly browned.  Remove from heat.

Chop bacon and place in a medium-sized bowl.  Add cooked mushrooms to the bowl.  In the same skillet (don't wash it!; if it seems dry add another tablespoon of butter), saute the garlic for 1 minute over medium-high heat until fragrant (don't let it brown).  Add the green onions and saute them for only 30 seconds or so.  Place the garlic and green onions in the bowl.  Add mayonnaise and mustard to the bacon/green onion mixture in the bowl.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheddar cheese.  Set mixture aside.

Make an almond-shaped cut into each of the rolls, bring mindful NOT to pierce the bottom of the rolls.  Remove that cut piece from the center of the roll.  Place rolls on parchment-paper lined baking sheet.  Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of the bacon/cheese mixture into each of the rolls.  Top each roll with 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved cheddar cheese.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until filling is hot.  Garnish each roll with the chopped fresh parsley.

Recipe inspired by Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook

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