finished project: chocolate stout cake

It took almost two years, but I finally got around to baking something on my list: chocolate stout cake. I originally spotted this recipe a while back, bought the Guinness, and then neglected to make any movement on the project. Just a few days ago I found another recipe for the cake and coincidentally had everything I needed to make it. Off I went! Cracking open that beer this morning (for the cake, not drinking!) felt very satisfying in that I finally finished what I set off to do so long ago.

I baked my stout cake in an 8 inch springform pan and enjoyed a nice slice tonight after dinner. Was it worth the wait? YES. Moist and rich, it was satisfying even to a non beer fan like myself. Most will make its way to the freezer and be enjoyed for many weeks to come.

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zucchini brownies

It's zucchini time again. This year I've been over run with them from my CSA, definitely something I wasn't expecting. I was out-zucchini'd week one when I tried them lightly marinated in a vinaigrette which was too reminiscent of recipes I've had for several years. And then I saw a link to a recipe for zucchini brownies! Being a chocoholic, I couldn't resist.

I took my favorite parts from two recipes and made a couple of my own additions and they turned out great! Moist and a tad bit chewy, just how I like them :) These things are highly addicting, I basically ate a third of a pan in the span of an afternoon. Beware!

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 C sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 C cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground cardamom

2 C grated zucchini

1 C almond flour

1 C AP flour

1 1/2 C chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large glass baking dish with oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the flours and chocolate chips until well blended.
3. Fold in flours, then chocolate chips.
4. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Next time I make these, I will try using all almond flour, as this gave it a nice density and texture. This would make it egg and gluten free, and just a couple tweaks away from being vegan!

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Avocado Chocolate Pudding

You know those recipes that you aren't entirely sure of, but you go against your gut instinct and make it anyway, hoping you'll be proven wrong? Well, as a general rule, I used to think avocado should never go near anything sweet or dessert like until this raspberry ganache fudge cake came into my life. So I gave a vanilla pudding recipe, made from avocado, a shot and that was a big mistake. But I turned it into a pretty yummy chocolate pudding recipe.


Avocado Chocolate Pudding

1 medium avocado
3+ tbsp carob or cacao powder, to taste
1 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C cold water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.


The avocado makes this pudding rich and decadent and the blending makes it nice and light!

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my fudge is better than yours.

Ahh, the Christmas season is upon us. Technically, I suppose it has been for a while now. And with it comes all the cookies, cakes, and candies with which to stuff ourselves and then go back for round two.

A while back I saw this recipe for candied bacon fudge and I knew I just had to make it. While bacon desserts are not normally something I tend to cover, I have made bacon cookies as well as chocolate covered bacon (not too different from this fudge, I realize). This stuff is delicious. Life altering. Sweet. Salty. Satisfying. Just generally awesome.

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chocolate simple syrup

I used the last of my simple syrup making a cup of my favorite cold brewed coffee and instead of making another batch of plain syrup, I thought a chocolate version would be an interesting twist and nice change. You know, give my cuppa more of a mocha feel than latte. The result is a subtly chocolate flavor with my coffee, but it's nice! On its own, the syrup is super sweet and distinctly chocolate-y, but it mellows out when diluted with coffee concentrate and milk. At the end of the day, this may just be a watery Hershey's chocolate syrup, but feels more grown-up and less gluttonous than getting your chocolate fix from something normally reserved for the sundae bar.

Chocolate Simple Syrup in a Jar

Chocolate Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• splash almond extract

Method

1. In a saucepan, combine the ingredients and cook over medium to medium high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat, let cool, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Simple Syrup served with coffee

Serving Ideas:

• Swirled into coffee as sweetener
• Served with yogurt and granola
• Drizzled over ice cream or affogato
• Poured over a simple layer cake for additional moisture and flavor

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an unintentional hiatus

I've been meaning to post something in the past two months, I promise. I'd like to think that things got crazy, but really I got lazy. I've got a growing stack of recipes, but my latest cooking expedition is what really got me on here. If you read the 101 Cookbooks blog, no doubt you saw these chocolate puddle cookies inspired by Nuvrei bakery in Portland's Pearl District.

I just made a half batch of them...and wow. I can't tell if the cookies are overly sweet or not. It's honestly hard to tell. The outside has a slight crunch and inside is a delicious, chocolatey cookie studded with walnuts. A bit rich on their own, pair them with a glass of milk and you'll go back for at least one more. I know I did.

The cookies are really easy to make, though you might not have all the ingredients on hand (who has three cups of walnuts or a pound of powdered sugar laying around?), but I think its worth planning for. And the best part? This is the first cookie recipe I've made in a while that came out perfectly in the first batch! I'll definitely be making these again :)

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chocolate covered marshmallows

Another post about David Lebovitz...I think I mentioned his marshmallows last winter as well. If you've never had homemade marshmallows, you seriously need to try them. They are so much better than those rubbery store bought ones (though those little guys toast up very nicely), and a breeze to make in an afternoon.

For an added twist, I did some chocolate covered marshmallows as well this year! My first attempt at tempering chocolate wasn't a total disaster, though I admit it wasn't a total success either. Tempering chocolate is a pretty exact science, here are some resources:

Cooking for Engineers
David Lebovitz (of course)

Once I tempered my chocolate, I dunked the marshmallows in a few at a time until well coated, then put them on a rack to fully dry. These sure make a nice gift!

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Chocolate Covered Bacon

Take a good look, for this is what chocolate covered bacon looks like! I'm not sure this rivals the bacon cookies I made, but it is kinda tasty. Makes me want to try the Vosges Bacon Bar (I saw it today at Whole Foods and was tempted...fortunately the price wasn't marked, otherwise I just might have bought one!).

This "recipe" isn't so stellar, so I won't post anything official. To try it yourself, cook up some bacon to your desired doneness; I prefer mine crispy. Meanwhile, melt some chocolate. When the bacon is cooked, spoon the chocolate on the bacon pieces. Chill until serving.

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Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

I can't resist cookies. And these ones are pretty fantastic.

Espresso Cookies

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david lebovitz--revisited

Winter is almost here--


It's been perfect hot chocolate drinking weather...I was out taking pictures this afternoon and needed to warm up. Enter David Lebovitz and his fantastic chocolate recipes. I enjoyed a nice hot cup of hot chocolate (made with soymilk and Ghiradelli's) with marshmallows, and later in the afternoon, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.


I recently read some new information (new to me anyway) about the proper care of butter in making cookies, from using it at the right temperature to creaming it properly. I was curious and anxious to bake cookies with my new found knowledge.

The cookies ended up pretty flat which I'm not used to, but the flavor is great. I especially love the chocolate chip to dough ratio. The outside is slightly crisp, but the inside is nice and chewy. I will probably make them again just to see if the flatness is due to the recipe or execution. Looking at the ones Heidi made, though, I'm thinking it's on my end...perhaps that butter article wasn't so good after all.

Don't they look tasty?

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a long overdue intro to david lebovitz

I discovered David Lebovitz' blog last week...and oh how dangerous it is! I know I've heard about him countless places around the internet, but never actually took the time to visit his site. I instantly bookmarked a ton of recipes upon visiting his recipes page and honestly wish I had done so long ago. So far, I've had the Parisian hot chocolate, marshmallows, and cheesecake brownies, all of which are fantastic.


I really want to talk about the brownies today. I thought I had an amazing recipe with Jamie Oliver's fifteen brownies...I might have been mistaken. These brownies have that wonderfully fudgy texture paired with the sweet and tangy cream cheese. Honestly, I couldn't decide which was better even if I had them side by side. Nor would I want to!


As for the marshmallows and hot chocolate, I couldn't recommend them more! The hot chocolate tastes like a delicious, creamy, melted chocolate bar (which is basically what it is). If you go all out and make it with fancy chocolate, you wouldn't dare plop a marshmallow on top; save the marshmallows for other hot chocolate mixes or "lesser" chocolate...I personally used a half a king size Hershey bar (purchased super cheap at Grocery Outlet). A half batch of these marshallows do make quite a bit so I wouldn't recommend making more than that unless you plan on using them for something else (I've got my eye on some rocky road!).

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Pumpkin Chip Muffin Loaf

I was looking for a recipe with canned pumpkin so I could use up my leftovers from the pumpkin cookies I made. I finally settled on this recipe, but I wasn't entirely set on making cupcakes, mostly because I didn't have the cream cheese for the frosting but also because I wanted a coffeehouse-style baked item. (Side note: I really like the search function on allrecipes which allows you to search by ingredients you want and/or don't want...perfect when you need to use something left in your fridge!)


I followed the recipe exactly, using approximately 1 cup of regular sized chocolate chips. I poured into a loaf pan and baked for about an hour.

This makes a wonderful afternoon sweet snack, perfect with tea or coffee.

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Coco Loco Brownies

I've tried a Rachael Ray recipe for brownies in the past and it was a total disaster...we're talking an inedible hot mess of chocolate and marshmallows. I found a recipe for brownies in her magazine and decided to try it, half blocking out my negative experience and half wondering what would come of it.

I followed the recipe to a tee. Did it seem right? It did not. But I stuck with it. While they are not the best brownies I've ever had, they are extremely delicious and I will recommend the recipe.



Coco Loco Brownies

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 stick butter (I used salted) at room temperature
1 cup unsweeted cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 1/2 whole almonds, roasted and chopped (to roast, stick in the preheated oven until lightly toasted--do not let them burn)
3/4 cup chocolate chips
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper (this will make it much easier to remove from the pan and put onto a cooling rack, preventing the brownies from steaming in the pan).
2. In a saucepan, cook the sugar and butter over medium heat until bubbling. Remove from heat, stir the cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp salt; cool for 10 minutes.
3. While cooling, mix the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
   
4. Whisk in the vanilla and eggs into the cooled sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in the flour, then almonds. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
5. Spoon dollops of coconut mixture over the tops of the brownies. Gently pat down any large mounds. Bake until the coconut topping is golden brown and the brownies are set.
6. Take the brownies out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
   

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Chocolate, Coconut and Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Lime Frosting

Inspired by some leftover limes from an earlier meal (that dry rubbed salmon), I really wanted to make some cupcakes. So much so that I've been dreaming and scheming about them in my head for two days now.

Lime and coconut sounded really good...but then I had an even better idea of adding chocolate to the mix! And what goes better with the semi tropical flavors of lime and coconut then rum?? Off I went to find a chocolate rum coconut lime cupcake, or something like it. Ha. Like that was really going to happen.

I decided I wanted to make chocolate coconut rum cake with coconut lime frosting. I finally settled on a "light" chocolate cup cake recipe by Martha Stewart and decided I'd modify it a bit to incorporate my coconut rum inspiration, plus add a buttercream frosting later.

Chocolate, Coconut and Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Lime Frosting

the cake:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp hot water
3 tbsp butter, melted
6 tbsp buttermilk
1 1/1 tbsp dark rum
1 large egg
1 large egg white

the frosting:
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp coconut milk, plus more as needed
1 lime, juiced

the recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and coconut.
3. Mix cocoa powder and hot water to form a paste. Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth and well blended. Whisk in the flour mixture.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
6. To make the frosting, whisk all ingredients in a bowl until fluffy. Spread onto cooled cupcakes, and garnish with a bit of flaked coconut.

The cupcakes are quite light in my opinion, not to heavy or dense. While I would normally prefer my cupcakes a bit more dense, I think the texture compliments the delicate buttercream quite nicely. I suppose this is quite dangerous, as I feel I could eat half the batch in one sitting!

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Fifteen Chocolate Brownies

Jamie Oliver is genius, and it's not just the British accent. I found this recipe in his book, Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook. It's got all kinds of recipes in it. I've made his sticky saucepan carrots (which are REALLY good) and his brownies. I can honestly say I've never had better brownies in my life. It's better than even the Ghiradelli mix you can buy at the store. Of course, it's not as easy as adding eggs and some oil, but almost.

Fifteen chocolate brownies (p. 384)

18 tbsp butter
7 oz dark chocolate, broken up (I used a mixture of 80% cocoa and milk chocolate)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 inch baking pan with was paper.
2. In a double boiler (put a large pan over simmering water), melt the butter and chocolate until smooth. Whisk dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the chocolate. Finally, add in the eggs until smooth.
3. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. It is important to not over bake these brownies, so do not test with a toothpick.

These brownies are perfectly moist and melt in your mouth. I found they keep for several days without becoming dry--likely due to the under baking.

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budino

Watching an episode of Everyday Italian yesterday afternoon, I found myself inspired to make a chocolate pudding dish I saw. Unfortunately, I later found the recipe online and it required more work than I liked. So I decided to make budino. I actually had it once or twice before after a friend recommended I try a recipe she likes, found on her blog. I made one by Nigella Lawson--I've seen her on Food Network and took a look at one of her cookbooks, she seems to excel at homey, comfort desserts.

Here's a link to her recipe, Budino Di Cioccolato.


I like this recipe because it is quick and relatively easy, plus I had all the ingredients on hand. The consistency is velvety smooth, like the center of a chocolate truffle (like my favorite Moonstruck truffle, Pure Gold), yum! I didn't notice a significant change in texture after letting it cool completely overnight, so I recommend trying it warm and chilled to find what you like best.

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