Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars April 8, 2012

I always love finding new recipes of snacks that I can make at home. Obviously, I have a sweet tooth, so I’m a fan of snacks that are at least somewhat sweet. I promise I’ll be posting some snacks that I make for Sean soon too, they are super healthy!

This recipe, however, is super yummy and may be a little less healthy than snacks I’m making should be. It’s still a snack that keeps me from buying other foods. Take a look…

Check out Cookie Madness for this recipe! She says the egg is optional but I used it. If you try this recipe without the egg, please let me know how it turns out for you!! Also, I did use quick oats as suggested, but you can’t really tell there are oats in this bar. When I make them again I will use rolled oats. I like the texture of oats, but if you don’t, definitely use quick oats.

As a tip, if you live in Harrisonburg, buy your oats at Sharp Shopper! Super cheap and we buy organic.

Please let me know if you try to make this. It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser. I try out recipes on my co-workers and they both asked how to make it.

Until next time when I share a healthy snack recipe!

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes October 29, 2011

Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2010

Recipe cards for download into Word. Front side, back side. Don’t forget the back side! It has the frosting on it

Do you want a chocolate-lover’s cupcake? Then make this one! It took me about 3 hours (with a quick trip to Friendly City for a few forgotten ingredients).

A few notes about these cupcakes:

I found this recipe on Kelly’s Konfections website. She was the JMU student who won the Cupcakes for a Good Cause competition for the Best Chocolate Cupcake. I was unable to go to the competition due to work, but was very appreciative that my friend, Josh, sent me to her website! The original recipe is from Cooks Illustrated as you’ll see below and was posted on Pink Parsley.

Also, I did not use coffee for fear it would have a coffee flavor, and used water instead. I had heard it does not give cake a coffee flavor when using it, but being a “super-taster” I didn’t chance it. But next time I may try it.

Last comment: using high quality ingredients will give you a better outcome, period. We used Ghirardelli chocolate, organic whole wheat flour, organic canola oil (Kelly’s recipe called for canola oil instead of vegetable oil), farm-fresh eggs, organic vinegar, organic butter, and organic vanilla. Not that I’d expect anyone to use all organic (we didn’t either!) but get high-quality chocolate at least. You’ll be happier!

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2010
makes 12-15 cupcakes

Ganache Filling

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes 

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee
• 3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounces) bread flour
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Creamy Chocolate Frosting 

• 1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• pinch table salt
• 12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into Tablespoon pieces
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to 85-100 degrees
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ganache filling, place chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Cook on high power until mixture is warm to the touch, 20-30 seconds.  Whisk until smooth, and transfer to the refrigerator.  Let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

For the cupcakes:

Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl, and pour hot coffee over the mixture.  Whisk until smooth, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, 20-30 minutes.

Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

When chocolate mixture is ready…

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth.  Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups, filling each 3/4 full.  Place one slightly rounded teaspoon of the ganache filling on top of each cupcake.

Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes.  Allow to cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Set over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 2-4 minutes.

Fit bowl to stand mixer, and with the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed, until mixture is the consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1-3 minutes.  Add butter 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy.  The frosting may look curdled halfway through, but it will smooth out eventually.

Once all the butter has been added, pour in the cooled chocolate and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Increase speed to medium-high and until light and fluffy, another 30 seconds to a minute.

Frost cupcakes as desired.

You can check out the other blogs on how they frosted, I just threw mine on top because I wasn’t trying to be fancy (and can’t find my tips!).

Devil Dog Cake October 17, 2011

This recipe is from Gourmet Today edited by Ruth Reichl. One of the two cookbook Bibles we have…the other being Gourmet (the first edition).

Ok…the cake is actually called Devil’s Food Cake with Marshmallow Frosting. But it’s basically a devil dog. My mom loves them and it tastes just like it!

 

For Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, left at room temp for 30 min
1 t. vanilla extract
1-1/3 cup water

For Frosting:

2 large egg whites,  left at room temp for 30 min
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla extract

Pan: Recipe says 8×8 pan, 9×9 would be better!

Make the Cake:

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter pan and flour.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and water alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just combined.

Pout batter into cake pan and smooth top. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45-55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 1 hour.

Run a thin knife around sides of pan and invert cake onto rack, then re-invert onto a cake plate.

Make the Frosting:

Combine all ingredients in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is think and fluffy, 6-7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled.

Mount frosting on top of cake. Dust with cocoa powder.

Cook’s Notes (from the book):

The cake improves in flavor if made up to 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature. Frost cake just before serving.

Egg whites in frosting are not fully cooked. If that’s a concern, you may substitute pasteurized liquid egg whites or reconstituted powered eggs whites.

My Notes:

I think this could easily be a two layer cake. If you try it, let me know and take pictures! I also tried this a while ago with inserting the frosting in the middle of cupcakes with the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator. I used the injector tip. It was good but a little messy. Let me know how you make it!

Chocolate Indulgence March 19, 2011

While in Philly I had planned to taste-test the different chocolate truffle places. There is a chocolate tour of Philly and I thought it silly to pay someone to take me around when I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. Well…that didn’t happen. I wasn’t in the mood for small chocolates. I wanted a cupcake. Then it snowballed. You see 6 wonderful looking chocolate cupcakes. I am going to rank them (they are not ranked in the photo), and recommend which you should not miss if you visit Philadelphia. Also, I don’t have the actual descriptions so these are all based on my tastes.

Number 1

10 Arts! This was an unexpected chocolatey surprise. For the 5 bite lunch at 10 Arts you get a cupcake that Pastry Chef Monica Glass decides to prepare that day. Lets just say we are VERY glad we went that day! It is a chocolate cupcake with chai frosting. But the frosting was more like a flavored whipped cream. It had a wonderful flavor and texture. The cake was perfectly moist and just amazing. I really don’t know what else to say except the server almost forgot Sean’s and he wasn’t going to say anything, so I did. And I think he loves me even more now

 

 

Number 2

Philly Cupcake. This was a tasty and moist devils food cupcake with an awesome creamy frosting. So good! The chocolate butterfly doesn’t hurt my vote either It was just a really good cupcake that I would definitely recommend and I almost bought another on Monday, but they are not open Mondays…probably for the best! Their shop is super small and only takes cash. The cupcakes are display in old china cabinets. You tell them what you would like and they will grab it for you. Definitely don’t try to open the cabinet yourself, they seemed pretty strict about that!

 

 

Number 3

Naked Chocolate Cafe. This was the first cupcake I had while there. It was delicious and I knew that it was a good start to our getaway! It was a regular type chocolate cake with your typical buttercream frosting and small chocolate balls. It all went together so well but I did save some chocolate balls to eat later! Go into Naked Chocolate Cafe and I dare you to try and make a choice!

 

 

Number 4

Brown Betty Desserts. This cupcake was really good, it was just really dense. It was so much to try and eat myself (and that’s saying something!). The frosting is a fudge type frosting, so it’s really heavy as well. I would recommend eating this with a partner and getting a big glass of milk…each. It’s still good, just pace yourself.

 

 

 

Number 5

So, I don’t want one cupcake to be the last one and neither of these were bad, they just weren’t the best.

Flying Monkey. It was a good cake, but I loved the frosting. (I should mention here that I don’t know if there is a different in frosting or icing, so just go with it.) The frosting was creamy and tasty and I love the little chocolate shaving on top, I always eat those things separately!

Swiss Haus Bakery.I loved the frosting and the sprinkles. What a clever way to not get frosting everywhere! The cake was good, but I don’t know how true to the cake I can be…I ate it 2 days later. Bad! I know! It was slightly dry but still a good cake. However, this is a big one…they have a wonderful treat called a Devils Food Chocolate Mousse Slice Dipped in Ganache.

Devils Food Choc Mousse Slice Dipped in Ganache

I wish I got a cross-section picture, but it wasn’t chilled when I ate it so it wouldn’t have come out very well. It was amazing! And since it was protected by the ganache, I think it stayed nice and moist a little better. It was so good. Chocolate heaven. But it’s not a cupcake so I didn’t want to rank it (wouldn’t be fair since nothing would compare).

Chocolate Chip Shortbread August 4, 2010

Wednesday, August 4, 2010
National Chocolate Chip Day!

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Squares

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Gradually add in the flour and beat well after each addition. Stir in 1 cup of the mini chocolate morsels.

Press this mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until top lightly browned. Immediately sprinkle with the rest of the mini chocolate morsels left in the bag. Let stand for 5 minutes or so until the morsels are shiny then spread evenly covering the entire top of the shortbread.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

Recipe From A Recipe A Day

REVIEW: This was super easy to make! My biggest suggestion is to use a stand mixer. My hand mixer did the job but struggled while adding flour. I used a 9 x 13 baking sheet and not a baking pan, but I don’t think it really matters too much. The bars came out great! They were so easy to cut through and super easy to melt the chocolate on and spread it around. (I did put it back in the OFF oven just to get the chocolate chips to melt quicker and more evenly) And of course taste… I think they are great! Sean likes them too. They are not too sweet but would satisfy a sweet tooth while not turning off someone who doesn’t like sweets (if there are people like that!).

As always, if you try it, let me know what you think!