Chocolate Cream Cheese Filled Cookie Cake

Though this creation is not terribly unique, I'll still classify it as a mad-science experiment because I threw it together in a moment of hungry, chocolate-lusting insanity. I had finished my last slice of birthday cake the day before, so the sudden absence of endorphin-inducing baked goodness resulted in this...

Ingredients:
For the cookie:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, (but I think a full cup would be better)
For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round baking pan.
In a mixing bowl with a beater attachment, combine all the filling ingredient; mix well; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, sugar; beat until well mixed. Add dry ingredients; then add the eggs; then add the vanilla. Mix well. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips.
In the greased baking pan, press half of the cookie dough into the bottom. Spread the filling evenly over the first cookie dough layer. Top the second layer with the remaining cookie dough.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Apricot, Pecan Energy Bites

You could, of course, make these as bars in a baking dish, but I like the uniform size that comes from baking them in a mini-muffin pan. These bites are great as pre or post workout snacks. Or, if your feeling some between-meal temptation, these will help fight the hunger without making you feel guilty because they are so good for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milled flax
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup textured vegetable protein
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini-muffin pan (or a square baking dish).
In a small saucepan, rehydrate textured vegetable protein (TVP) with 1/2 cup water, cook over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, flax, wheat germ, brown sugar. Stir to combine. Once the TVP has absorbed the water, add the the mixture; stir to combine. Add honey, pecans, dried apricots and melted butter; stir to combine. Add eggs; stir to combine. Spoon even amounts into pan. Bake about 12 minutes.

Sweet and Simple: A Cinnamon and Sugar Irish Soda Bread Toast Breakfast

For St. Patrick's Day, my lovely friend Anne made me a loaf of her oh-so-splendid Irish Soda Bread. She suggested that I eat it toasted with ample butter. So, I decided to take something that was good to begin with and dress it up a bit for an extra-special breakfast that was not too time consuming. All I had to do was cut a slice from the loaf, smear a large pat of butter over it, sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar, and pop it in the toaster oven. Meanwhile, I whipped up some fresh cream to jazz up my morning coffee, which always has a tablespoon of sugar and some creamer in it (I like my coffee sweet).

The Irish Soda Bread, being more of a cake-like pastry was able to stand the heat of the toaster oven longer than a piece of bread, so I was able to accomplish a nice creme-brulee effect with the sugar . When I saw the sugar bubbling, I knew it was ready. The warmed bread soaked up the butter, making it perfectly moist. This tenderness was delightfully contrasted by the slightly crisped and crystallized topping -- creating a nice complexity of textures. So, if you were lucky enough to have a friend make you a loaf of Irish soda bread, I suggest making some extra-special cinnamon and sugar toast.

White-Chocolate Spiced-Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love this twist on a delightful dessert. The white chocolate marries so well with the flavors of pumpkin and cream cheese. It's not the first time I've put white chocolate into a cheesecake, and I dare say it won't be the last. Also, another little perk to this cheesecake is that it only uses one package of cream cheese, which cuts down on the typical cheesecake-fat-content. Furthermore, the one and a half cups of pumpkin puree is very good for you. Enjoy!

Ingredient:
Crust:
12 graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Filling:
1 8oz. package cream cheese
3 eggs
4oz. white chocolate
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
In a food processor, process crackers, cinnamon, brown sugar, and melted butter until the mixture forms a fine grain. Press into a prepared cheesecake pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler until just melted; stir and set aside. In a large bowl, cream 8oz cream cheese with sugars; add eggs, pumpkin puree, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, white chocolate; mix well. Pour filling into prepared crust; bake 45 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; chill for at least 1 hour.

Double-Chocolate, Sneaky-Mom Cookies

I'm currently lacking a picture of this tasty creation because they were eaten before the photo shoot could take place, but I really want to get this recipe on here before I mislay the sheet of paper I scibbled it down on. I've lost more than one recipe in this manner...

Here it goes!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flax
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and shortening; add sugars, cocoa and beat. Beat in flour, flax, oats, salt, baking soda and egg. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake 12 to 14 minutes.

When life hands you ripe bananas...

That's right, make chocolate chip banana bread. Now, this is not banana nut bread. Actually, I think of it more as a sheet cake, since I baked mine in a 9x13 inch pan. However, you could certainly bake this recipe in a loaf pan. Anyway, I used some rolled oats and flax in this recipe, which are two things I just love, love, love using. This recipe was a big hit at home, so I hope you enjoy it!

PS
If you guessed that was Nutella that I added as a little garnish in the picture, you guessed right. And, obviously, the green stuff is mint.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup milled flax
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 crushed, ripe bananas
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars; add eggs; beat well. Add flour, rolled oats, flax, soda, powder, cinnamon; beat well. Beat in ripe bananas; stir in chocolate chips. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake about 30 minutes.

Oh, Blondie!

Wow! I have been neglecting this blog for a really, really long time. So, I think I'll get back into the swing of things by posting this new blondie recipe that I recently concocted.

For a while now, the blondies I had been making (and had posted about previously) were my husband's favorite, but this new and improved recipe now reigns supreme. What makes them superior? For starters, they're bigger, so you have more to sink your teeth into. They're still just as moist and chewy as ever, but having more blondie per bite is just heavenly. Also, more brown sugar versus granulated sugar has resulted in an even more fabulous flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup shortening (room temp)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Icing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 13x9 inch baking pan.
Cream butter and shortening; beat in sugars until fluffy; add egg; beat well.
Combine flour, soda, powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in vanilla; stir in chocolate chips. Spread in baking pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, make icing. Beat butter and gradually add powdered sugar and milk, alternating the two as you go. Beat in vanilla. Spread over cooled, baked blondies. Or... if you're like me, spread the icing over the blondies while they're still warm and dig right in.

Chocolate Chip and Rolled Oat Cookies

It seems like I'm always playing with cookie recipes involving the use of rolled oats. But this recipe seems a lot more like a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Only, I think it's a little better because rolled oats give a cookie such great chewy texture.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup milled flax
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine oats, flour, sugars, baking soda and baking powder. Add butter, vanilla and egg; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll 1 to 2 tablespoons of dough into balls, placed on baking sheets,and bake for 11 to 13 minutes.

Elegant Quiche

Well, I guess if I had wanted it to be really elegant, I should have used shallots instead of onions. But honestly, isn't a homemade quiche always elegant? Yet, it's also a comfort food, which makes it a creature of complexity. The name in itself bears an impressive aura, but it's really easy to make. It's as comforting as a cheesy casserole, but it's appearance is more sophisticated. In a word, quiche is simply... quiche!

Ingredients:
For the 9-inch crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups spinach
1 cup blue cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Dash black pepper

Directions:
Make the pie crust and refrigerate at least an hour before before use. In a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to mix. Then, add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a crumble. Slowly add ice water while pulsing. It will only take about half a minute. Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap and work into a flat disk, wrap and refrigerate.

After dough had chilled for at least one hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees and roll crust out and fit to a 9-inch pie pan.
Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from skillet and set aside on a paper towel. Crumble. Saute onion is bacon drippings. Once the onions have become tender, add mushrooms. Once mushrooms are tender, add spinach to the skillet and cook down.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine cheeses, sun dried tomatoes and flour. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly and add heavy cream; mix well. Add in cheese mixture, ingredients from skillet, bacon and dash of black pepper; mix well. Pour into prepared crust-lined pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until knife comes out clean after being inserted in the middle. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Bird Nests: A Holy Week Treat

My mother-in-law passed this recipe along to me, and she found it on another blog: http://www.ponderedinmyheart.typepad.com/ -- the creation of a Catholic homeschooling mother of seven. If there are any other homeschoolers out there, this would be a nice blog to check out!

These fun treats are increadibly easy and redicusouly delicious. My kids (well, at least my five-year-old) were able to help me make them (my two-year-old mostly snacked on the extra chocolate chips).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 cups miniature marshmallows
4 cups chrunchy chow mein noodles (found in the international foods isle)
1 package milk chocolate or malted candy eggs or jelly beans.

Directions:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips; microwave until melted, 1.5 to 2 minutes. Add marshmellows to the melted mixture and heat and microwave about 30 seconds more, or until marshmellows are melted. Stir until blended; then, mix in chow mein noodles. Butter hands and shape mixture into small nests; set them on wax paper and add candy eggs. Allow them to cool and set. They will be less sticky once set.

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Pizza on a Sweet Potato Crust

Savory sweet potatoes sauteed with chorizo and onions make this pizza unique and gourmet, but it's really just as easy as making any homemade pizza. My one word of caution is that you keep plenty of flour handy for working with this dough because it can be a bit sticky. I was so tickled that this pizza turned out to taste just as I hoped it would. Don't you love successful experiments? The tomato slices add a nice fresh and juicy element, which really complimented the savory flavor of the cooked sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 medium sweet potato, boiled and mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and handling
1 teaspoon salt
1 package highly active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, optional

For the toppings:
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
8 oz chorizo, uncased
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 medium to large tomato sliced about 1/4 inch thick
4 green onions sliced
4 cups shredded mozzarella/provolone mixed
5 tablespoons tomato based pizza sauce

Directions:
For the dough:
Boil and smash one medium peeled sweet potato and set aside. In a small bowl, combine warm water, tablespoon of olive oil, teaspoon of sugar, and yeast; allow about 3 to 5 minutes to sit, or until mixture becomes foamy. Meanwhile, whisk flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and mashed sweet potato to flour and stir until well incorporated and dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean floured surface and knead until the dough becomes elastic and rounded. When you push it down with a figure, it should bounce back. Place dough in a large bowl coast with olive oil, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours. After dough has risen, punch down, knead into a ball, and wrap up tightly. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator about half an hour before rolling out and baking. Dough can be made a day ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
For the pizza:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Before rolling out the dough, knead in fresh herbs like rosemary, if desired. Using a floured pizza roller or rolling pin, roll out dough on a large cookie sheet or large pizza pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 425 before topping. This method prevents a soggy crust.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan on medium/high heat, cook chorizo and add sweet potatoes to the pan to saute. If the pan becomes too dry, add white wine as needed to deglaze. Once the sweet potatoes have tenderized, add the chopped onions and cook until they have become fork tender and translucent. Add white wine as needed; be sure to cook the wine down all the way before using the topping. Once this is complete, spoon pizza sauce on the the partially baked crust. Top with cooked chorizo and sweet potato mixture. Then, lay sliced tomatoes on top, followed by a sprinkling of green onion sliced and finally topped with cheese.
Bake for approximated 20 minutes more or until the cheese is completely melted and begins to form browned spots.

Camping Food, Part I: Caramel Guinness Brownies

In New Orleans, the St. Patty's Day festivities began this weekend, but we skipped the parade and went camping with some friends. In keeping with this week's Irish theme, I decided to make some brownies with Guinness. I found various recipes using stout beers in baking with chocolate, but I decided to adapt my own. I thought it would be nice to add some homemade caramel to the brownies to complement the coffee flavors of Guinness. Also, I thought that these brownies would most likely have a very deep chocolate flavor which would be benefited by a sweet, delicate cocoa icing. Also, if you don't want to take the extra step to make the caramel you don't necessarily have to--these brownies are perfectly decadent without that addition.

For the caramel:
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cream of tartar, and 1/2 cup of water. Cook over high heat without stirring until sugar begins to melt and edges turn golden. Swirl the pan to cover evenly, and continue cooking until the sugar turns golden amber. Wear oven mitts (sugar will be extremely hot and may splatter) while carefully pouring the heavy cream down the side of the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until combined. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool.
(Note: This caramel with be very thick and chewy. For a thinner caramel, use more cream.)

For the brownies:
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 stick butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 oz. white chocolate
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate
11.5 oz. milk chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
12 oz Guinness extra stout, room temperature

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa. In a double boiler melt butter, unsweetened chocolate, white chocolate, and semi sweet chocolate; whisk together until smooth. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Whisk melted chocolate and Guinness into four/cocoa mixture. Then, mix in egg/sugar mixture. Stir in milk chocolate chips. Spoon half the batter into the prepare pan, being sure to get about half the chocolate chips. Dollop about 5 tablespoons of caramel on different spots on the batter in the pan, streaking the caramel so that there will be just a touch of caramel per brownie. You will only use about half of the prepared caramel (the rest would be nice with apples!). Pour the remaining brownie batter in the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Icing:
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions:
Beat all ingredients together in a small bowl and spread over warm brownies.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Oat Protein Bars

These bars are very similar to my Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Protein Bars; however, the addition of peanut butter and cinnamon add moisture and an extra flavor zing. I'm still playing with ingredients for healthy bars that will make for good running fuel. The first batch gave me plenty of energy for a five mile run. I was definitely happy with those results. Even if you're not running, I still think these bars are great for getting extra protein and Omega 3 in a tasty way!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup textured vegetable protein, rehydrated with 1 cup water
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flax
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 12oz package semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 inch baking pan.
In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein and 1 cup water; cook on medium heat until TVP absorbs all the water.
Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. I suggest using a stiff wooden spoon. Add TVP once it is ready. Make sure all dry ingredients are moistened. Press dough into baking pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Protein Bars

Rolled oats! Milled flax! Textured vegetable protein! Whole wheat flour! You can barely contain yourself, right??? Don't you just love the taste of flax and TVP??? Alright, in all seriousness, these bars are pretty tasty. And I have not gone over to the dark side; I very much still love baked goods that provide only one sort of benefit--mental health! I made up this recipe because next month my husband and I are running in the Crescent City Classic, so we thought it would be nice to have some homemade energy boosters. They really are quite tasty (thanks to semi sweet chocolate) and packed with protein and Omega 3. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup milled flax
1/2 cup high protein TVP (textured vegetable protein), rehydrated with 1 cup of water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 package (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:
Grease 9x13 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a microwave safe bowl, rehydrate 1/2 cup TVP with 1 cup of water. Be sure that the bowl is covered tightly, or it will boil over. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes, then let set for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and TVP; mix well. Lastly, add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Stir contents of bowl until all dry ingredients are wet. The warmth from the TVP and butter will cause the chocolate chips to partially melt.
Press batter into baking pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Rosemary Basil Pizza Crust

I'm a bit surprised with myself for not yet having blogged about homemade pizza; although, I'll admit that it's been at last a couple of months since I've made one. What I really like about this dough is how simple and easy it is to make, and I equally love how easy it is to manipulate with little additions. I've used it for calzones and even bread that was perfect for pannini's. You can make it as this herb version, or even role cheese into it. Once before, I baked it as a three cheese bread with cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan. It was very tasty! You can also substitute one cup of all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour to make a healthier crust. It changes the texture, but it is still very good, like anything baked from scratch.
(You'll notice that one corner of the pizza looks a little different. That part was pepperoni only--for the boys.)

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons dried basil leaves

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil. Let sit for about 3 minutes to fully dissolve and activate the yeast.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
With a rubber spatula, gradually mix the yeast mixture into the flour until just combined and dough barely holds together. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface dusted with flour.
Knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until the dough has become smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The surface should be tight and silky and bounce back slightly when pressed. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Once doubled, punch the dough down. Knead the dough into a ball; set aside and cover with plastic wrap to rest for half an hour.
Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight. Keep covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a sealed food storage bag.
Prior to rolling the dough for baking, knead in herbs. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll dough out in a pizza stone or no-burn cookie sheet. Sprinkle on garlic powder, if desired. Bake dough for approximately 5 minutes before topping. This method helps prevent a soggy crust.
Once topped with the desired sauce and toppings, continue to bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Jam Muffins

These muffins are delicious with or without the jam. I made them mini (I always seem to make my muffins mini) because they are easier for my little boys to eat, and the mini size makes them bake faster, thus leaving less time for restless waiting. I enjoy baking breakfast goods in the morning because it adds to the ambiance that I try to achieve in the mornings. Breakfast is a special time at my house. We begin with a Bible story, then continue at the at the with some literature. I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to my boys. I'm so glad that my eldest has reached an age where he can sit and enjoy a good chapter book.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
Strawberry jam

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well.
In a small mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, butter and egg; beat well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture all at once; stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter evenly into greased muffin cups. Place 1/4 teaspoon of jam on each muffin; press into batter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
If making regular sized muffins, use 1/2 teaspoon of jam, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Red Velvet Cake

For St. Valentine's Day, my husband made a lovely dinner: a simple wedge salad topped with crispy bacon and creamy blue cheese dressing; followed by scallops with a spicy chipotle sauce, fresh tomato, and avocado slices. The least I could do was make a tasty dessert. I'll admit, I was a bit selfish in electing to make a red velvet cake because it's my favorite, but it does seem like an ideal cake for Valentine's Day. Doesn't it?

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon special dark cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 ounce red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease 2 9-inch cake pans.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa's, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Alternate beating in flour mixture and buttermilk, until well combined. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla.
Spread the batter evenly in pans.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
In a a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy; beat in vanilla. Use to fill and frost cake.

Optional:
Combine semisweet chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler. Whisk until smooth, then cool and use to spread on top of cake or to dip fruit for decoration.

Black & Gold King Cake

WHO DAT!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can tell you about the nontraditional king cake I made for this year's momentous Super Bowl. I represented the Saint's black by making the pastry chocolate and represented the gold by making a caramel filling. I hope you enjoy! By the way, the grocery store only had green and red sugar sprinkles, so I just skipped that part; although, I wish I had just put some regular sugar on top.

Ingredients:
Pastry:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 8oz package heath toffee brickle

Icing:
2 cup confectioners sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour and cocoa's into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. (Make filling while dough rises. Directions follow.)
When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets.
Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Spread caramel and toffee bits evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. Make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 4 to 6 tablespoons of heavy cream (milk is an acceptable substitute).

Caramel filling:
In a medium heavy saucepan, combine water, sugar, and cream of tartar. Cook on high until the sugar completely dissolves and edge become a golden color; then, swirl the pan. Allow the the sugar to cook until it becomes and amber color. While wearing an ovenmit, carefully pour cream down the side of the pan and stir continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon. Remove from heat and pour caramel into a medium bowl to cool until room temperature.

Shortbread and Toffee Fudge Bars

These simple bars can satisfy even the strongest craving for buttery cookies and fudge, probably because they are cookies and fudge. This recipe is a little time consuming relative to its simplicity; but, honestly, it doesn't require much work. The fudge layer is Carnation's excessively easy recipe with the added bonus of toffee bits. The cookie dough is dense and firm enough to make it a good crust, but, with two sticks of butter, it's sure to be moist and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Ingredients:
Cookie Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fudge Topping:
2 cups (12 oz.)Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 can (14 oz.)Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 pkg.(4 oz. from 8-oz. pkg.) Heath Bits 'O Brickle Toffee

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 in pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make cookie dough: beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Then, beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix until dough forms. Press dough into the greased baking pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and crust is firm in the center. Allow to cool.

Once the crust has cooled, begin the fudge. Combine chocolate morsels and sweetened condensed milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Warm over lowest possible heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in toffee and vanilla extract. Spread fudge mixture evenly over cookie crust and refrigerate until firm.

Milk Chocolate Chip Blondies with Vanilla Icing

It's not a cookie. It's not a brownie. It's not a cake. It's something delightfully reminiscent of all of the above. Even my husband, who is "not that into sweets," couldn't resist the chewy delightfulness of these blondies.

Blondies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9 inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips; spread in bottom of greased pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

In a medium bowl, mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk for desired consistency. Spread over bars.

You can spread the icing over cooled bars, but I prefer spreading it on warm bars because it melts over the blondies nicely.