The Chocolate Cake You Must Try

As much as I love chocolate, I actually don't really like chocolate cake. But it was Frank's birthday a few weeks back, and chocolate cake is his favorite. So I began surfing the web for any clues about what distinguishes a so-so chocolate cake from an award winner. I came up empty, so I just settled on a highly rated recipe on Allrecipes.com. 

I didn't want to risk the cake sticking to the pan, so I greased my cake pans and lined them with parchment paper. Yeah, well, the cake still stuck. (I found out later I should have used wax paper instead.)

But instead of tossing it in the trash, I improvised. I pressed the cake from one pan into the bottom of a glass dish. Then I mixed up a little chocolate milk, brushed it over the cake, and patted down the cake from the second pan on top of that. I brushed this layer with chocolate milk, too, and finally spread the homemade frosting on top.

Oh my gosh. The cake came out incredibly dense and fudge-like, with a deep, rich flavor reminiscent of dark chocolate. As Frank says, "It just falls apart in your mouth." It's the best baking mistake I've ever made!

Chocolate Fudge Cake
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

What you need
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweeetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Hershey's chocolate syrup

For the frosting
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup vanilla
1 tsp vanilla

Put it all together

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then mix in the eggs, 1 cup of milk, oil, and vanilla, using an electric mixer (about 3 minutes). 
3. Gently stir in the boiling water with a wooden spoon, and divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then crumble the warm cake. Firmly press the cake crumbles from one pan into the bottom of an ungreased 8" square glass baking dish. 
5. Make chocolate milk: Squirt Hershey's syrup into the remaining 1/4 cup milk. Use a pastry brush to generously soak the first layer of cake with half the milk. Then press the cake crumbles from the second pan on top, and soak with remaining milk. 
6. Make the frosting: Cream butter until fluffy, then alternately stir in the cocoa and powdered sugar and the milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and spreadable.
7. Once the cake is cool to the touch, frost the top. Then serve!

Double Mint Chocolate Cookies

I know, it's not even December 1st and I'm baking Christmas cookies. But who says mint-chocolate can't be delicious in November? No one. These cookies are one of my dig-through-the-pantry efforts that turned out to be a winner. No matter the time of year. 

I started with Jell-O Candy Cane Pudding Mix, then crunched up a (well-preserved) box of Thin Mints to deepen the minty flavor and add texture. I stirred in a little Hershey's cocoa powder to deliver the chocolatey richness I craved, and used self-rising flour so the cookies would have a cakey texture. I rolled the dough into perfect little balls, shoved them in the oven, and hoped for the best. 

I didn't let myself down.

These cookie are divine. They're so soft they should be called a "cakie" instead of a cookie. The mint flavor isn't as overwhelming as, say, a York Peppermint Patty. But it's strong enough to deliver the coolness that contrasts so beautifully with the depth of chocolate. 

Double Mint Chocolate Cookies

What You Need
2 ¼ cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 package instant candy cane pudding mix
2 eggs
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
14 Thin Mints, crumbled*

*Not a Thin Mint hoarder like me? Try Mint Oreos.

Put It All Together

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Use a mixer to cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl. Add the pudding mix, and beat until incorporated completely. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour and baking soda, then add to the butter mixture. Blend thoroughly.
4. Stir in the crushed cookies with a wooden spoon. (Don't use the mixer. It will crush them.) 
5. Roll dough into 1" balls, and position them at at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (or an ungreased cookie sheet). Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Cookies

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room: These cookies are hideous. They're too dark to be peanut butter, too light to be chocolate. Not quite the texture of oatmeal cookies, but not completely smooth. 

I wouldn't take one off the dessert table, either.

That'd be a big mistake. I served these ugly ducklings at a recent get-together, and the crowd was, understandably, skeptical. But then someone bit into one, and declared, "Now that's a good cookie." Everyone dug in. And everyone was smitten. I declare victory.

I took a dependable oatmeal peanut butter cookie recipe, and swapped in melted Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for the peanut butter. Then, I added Rice Krispies cereal along with the oatmeal. The final result: a delightfully chewy cookie, with just enough peanut butter-chocolate flavor to tempt your taste buds into eating another.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Cookies

What you need
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter cups, melted
2 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup instant oats  
¾ cup Rice Krispies cereal 
Almonds (optional)

Put it all together

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Chop up the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and melt in a microwave-safe bowl.
3. Cream together shortening, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and melted Reese's Cups. Beat in the eggs one a time, until well combined, then add the flour, baking soda, and salt, until well combined.
4. Gently fold in the oats and Rice Krispies cereal.
5. Roll dough into 1" balls, and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 11 minutes in the pre-heated oven. While the cookies are still hot, press an almond into the center of each, if desired. 

You may also enjoy...
Cadbury Egg Fudge Cookies
Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter & Co. Elvis Whoopie Pies

Mini S'mores Pies

So I'm a little late. August was National S'mores Month, because it's, supposedly, the prime time for campfires. But, I'm sorry, who really wants to cozy up to an open flame during the hottest month of the year? Certainly not me.

September, however, is another story. It signals the beginning of fall (and the birth of me!). It's the season of fleece jackets, pumpkin spice, and fallen leaves. That is campfire weather. 

Unless, of course, you live in an apartment that doesn't have a square of grass in its vicinity. By you, I mean me. The only fire that might happen is inside my apartment, since my pilot light has a habit of extinguishing itself, thereby threatening my life. But enough about the natural gas I regularly inhale during my sleep. Back to the bigger dilemma...

I live in an urban downtown, where campfires aren't too readily available. The next best thing: the broiler in my oven. I started with a crunchy graham cracker crust, whipped up a smooth, deep chocolate filling, and finally, topped it off with cinnamon marshmallows, browned under the broiler. 

The pie isn't overwhelmed by any one layer; rather, every bite delivers the impeccable balance of flavors that makes s'mores so addictive. It's the perfect dessert for the summer-fall transition: not fruity and summery, but not too pumpkin-hot-chocolate-hibernate-for-the-winter either. Take advantage now. 

Destroyed. 

Mini S'mores Pies

What you need

Crust
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 ½ Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter, melted

Chocolate Filling 
(adapted from Garden and Gun) 
5 large egg, yolks
6 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ Tsp fine sea salt
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
7 oz milk chocolate, melted

Topping
Marshmallows*

*I used Kraft Jet-Puffed Cinnamon Bun Marshmallows. The warmth of the cinnamon compensates for the lack of toasty, over-the-open-flame goodness. 

Put It All Together

1. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Divide evenly among 5 mini aluminum pie pans; press firmly into the bottom of each pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. 
2. Make the chocolate filling: Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, sea salt, until thick. Set aside.
3. Boil the milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture (don't pour all of the milk in at once, or the eggs will curdle). Slowly pour in the rest of the milk, whisking constantly. 
4. Pour the egg-milk mixture into a heat-safe bowl, and place over a saucepan of simmering water, without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Whisk constantly for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture looks glossy and thick.
5. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate. 
6. Divide the chocolate filling evenly among the mini pies, then place marshmallows on top. (They should be touching, without any significant gaps.) Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the marshmallows are light brown and slightly crispy.  

You may also enjoy...

Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Pie Parfaits

Reese's Puffs Cupcakes with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Filling

 

I usually shy away from cake mixes. The one time I dared use one, everyone asked me, "Wow, is this carrot cake homemade?" Embarrassed, I threw out some lame, fumbling excuse, like, "No, my grocery store was out of carrots." They then gave me false looks of understanding, that really said, "You took the easy way out." 

       Maybe I'm being paranoid. But still. I was traumatized.

       Even so, when I spotted Reese's Puffs Muffin Mix at Target, I didn't think twice about tossing it into my cart. I'm a sucker for novelty products. I'm also a sucker for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Sold. 

       Although the streusel-topped muffins on the package look delightful, I had a sneaking suspicion that they would taste more like cupcakes than muffins. Here's scientific proof: In a 2012 Yale study, Reese's Puffs ranked third to last in a nutritional analysis of 43 cereals. (The only cereals that fared worse were Pebbles and Cap'n Crunch.) Why? Because the peanut-buttery puffs consist of 34 percent sugar. What that tells me: I should be eating them for dessert, not breakfast.

      I don't need any more convincing.

      I found a handy little tool called the MuffinMeal on the free table at my office. It creates  cylindrical indentations in the center of your muffins (or cupcakes), which just beg to be filled with frosting, fruit, or cream cheese. (No MuffinMeal? No worries: You can also use an apple corer to create holes in your cupcakes after baking.) This inspired me: Instead of piling frosting on top, I would pipe a creamy combination of peanut butter and whipped chocolate frosting into the centers of the cupcakes.

Perfect little indentations, soon to be filled with sugary goodness.

     My instincts didn't fail me. The cake tastes exactly like Reese's Puffs cereal—that is, tantalizingly sweet, made even more so by the chocolate-peanut butter filling. I ate one cupcake for dessert, of course, but then I broke my own rule: I ate one for breakfast, too. 

 
Reese's Puffs Cupcakes with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Filling

What you need

1 box Reese's Puffs muffin mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup water
2 eggs
1 container whipped chocolate frosting
1 small jar creamy peanut butter
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis

Put it all together

1. Combine the muffin mix, vegetable oil, water, and eggs. If you have a MuffinMeal kit, follow the device's instructions. Otherwise, line a cupcake tin with paper baking cups. Fill the cups about two-thirds full. 
2. Bake according to muffin mix directions. 
3. Allow to cool completely, then position an apple corer on the top center of the cupcake. Press down and turn until you've carved out a cylinder of cake. Pull out the corer, and remove the cake cylinder.
4. Thoroughly combine the frosting and peanut butter. Spoon into a large Ziploc bag, and snip a small triangle from one corner of the bag, squeezing the frosting mixture toward this corner. Pipe the peanut butter-chocolate into the the center of each cupcake, using a circular motion and extending the frosting about an inch above the top of the cupcake.
5. Sprinkle a few pinches of the muffin mix streusel over the frosting, then top with a Reese's Cup Mini.

You may also enjoy...

Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter & Co. Elvis Whoopie Pies
Maple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Pie Parfaits

Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

Are you tired of peanut butter yet? Because I'm not. I've nearly worked my way through all 12 jars of my Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter freebies. In fact, to plow through the PB, I've made peanut butter pie parfaits, Elvis whoopie pies, and triple chocolate peanut butter bars, and eaten peanut butter every single morning for breakfast. (My current obsession is a mix of crunchy and dark chocolate peanut butter swirled on an English muffin.) 

       I was committed to trying something new—I have three lemons in my fridge, I promise—but then it was my boyfriend's father's birthday. And he loves peanut-butter desserts.  So, sorry, another peanut-butter recipe. But don't hate me for being boring, because the outcome was, as all things peanut butter are, delicious. 

       The layer of ganache is rich and slightly bitter, sort of like dark chocolate, while the brownie has a robust, nutty flavor that is unfortunately rare among peanut-butter desserts.  Too often, they're only mildly nutty, so the peanut butter seems like an afterthought. But, with these brownies, the peanut-butter flavor is strong and undiluted, providing a creamy contrast to the chocolate's depth and intensity.

Peanut Butter Brownies with Chocolate Ganache

From Gourmet via SmittenKitchen.com

What you need

Brownies

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla 

2 cups flour

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

½ tsp salt

Ganache

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Put it all together

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9X13" baking pan.
2. Make the brownies: Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, then add peanut butter, beating until well incorporated. Mix in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in the flour until just combined.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips (1 ½ cups), then pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, about 1 ½ hours.
6. Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan, and pour it over the  chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Let stand for 1 minute.
7. Gently whisk in the butter, until both the butter and chocolate are melted.
8. Spread ganache on cooled brownies. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.