Chocolate Overload

It was one of my work buddies birthdays on Monday and I know how she (and I think every single one of my coworkers and boss) loves chocolate so I set out to make the chocolatiest cake I could. After it was all said and done the birthday girl declared it the best chocolate cake she'd ever had and dubbed it the Matilda cake. Having never watched Matilda I had to check the scene out on You Tube. Its a good thing she told me she liked it before I saw the video! :-) I do believe she meant it as a compliment.



Matilda Cake for Shannon

Start with your favorite chocolate cake. I cheated and used Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix (for maximum chocolate overload), prepared as directed with an extra egg and 1 tsp baking powder added.


Chocolate Frosting

1 cup cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg milk chocolate chips
1 pkg semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks butter, cut into one tbls pieces

Heat cream with corn syrup and salt on stove until simmering. meanwhile, chop chocolate in food processor. with processor running add simmering cream slowly and process for one minute, until choc is melted. add powdered sugar and vanilla and process again. Then, with processor running, add butter one piece at a time, waiting until the piece is incorporated before adding another. cool until thick and spreadable. For a lighter, more buttercream-frosting, beat with an electric mixer before spreading which is what I did. Frost between layers, sides and top of cake which has been split to make 4 layers. Freeze cake for about 15 minutes then pour cooled put pourable ganache on top.

Chocolate Ganache
2 cups semisweet chocolate chip
1 cup cream
2 Tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla

In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, butter and vanilla. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Cool down until no longer warm - you can put in fridge - but you want it to still be pourable for icing the cake. If you don't use all of it you can keep in fridge to use later for something else.

Come join me for a virtual Ice Cream Social the weekend of July 16th & 17th. Share your favorite ice cream recipes, memories, photos, products, dishes, etc! Or just come and drool! Here's a link to previous socials.


Joining in today for Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace and
Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer (my poppy counts!)

The Great Cooking Magazine Challenge February 2011 Edition

Last Sunday I invited everyone to join me in the Great Cooking Magazine Challenge once again. I hope everyone had time to try something new out of some of your cooking magazines - if you are like me you have piles of them waiting to be read. If you didn't have time this week..feel free to add your link later! I had a lot of recipes marked to try for this challenge, but settled on two. Both were fairly quick and both I'd make again, so it was time well spent.

First up is an unusual (at least to me) sounding recipe from the February issue of Bon Appetit (my newest subscription) that caught my eye as something that would be different, flavorful and light - all a bonus when you're watching your weight! I have to say that the highlight of this recipe, to me were the crispy crumbs. Not a one of those went to waste. They kind of remind me of those mustard flavored pretzels. A tip with the recipe noted that the addition of these crumbs eliminated the need for toast and I do agree it was enough to satisfy my carb addicted taste buds.

Sunny Side-Up Eggs on Mustard Creamed Spinach with Crispy Crumbs
Bon Appetit February 2011

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless country-style bread (I used a great roasted garlic stuffed bread)
• 5 teaspoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 9-ounce package fresh spinach leaves (I used kale because its what I had on hand - any green would do)
• 3 tablespoons half and half
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 large eggs
• Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss crumbs with 2 teaspoons mustard, 2 teaspoons oil, and mustard seeds in medium bowl to coat. Scatter on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, add enough water to deep large nonstick skillet to cover bottom. Add spinach; toss over high heat to wilt, about 2 minutes. Scrape into sieve set over bowl; press out liquid. Wipe out skillet; reserve. Transfer spinach to medium saucepan. Add 3 teaspoons mustard, half and half, and chopped thyme. Stir over medium heat until thick, about 3 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into skillet, spacing apart. Fry until whites are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide spinach between 2 plates, spreading out as base for eggs. Top with eggs, crumbs, and thyme sprigs.





The second recipe I tried comes from the February/March edition of Taste of Home. I've been getting this magazine for years and it really doesn't let me down often, especially in the dessert department. This one sounded to yummy and warm and comforting and it was every bit of that! The cake is a bit gingerbready and the topping peary, appley, nutty and caramely - so many good things wrapped up into one!

Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake
Taste of Home - February/March 2011



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large pears, peeled and sliced (I used 1 pear and 1 apple)
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup warm water
• Ice cream, optional

Pour melted butter into a 9-in. square baking pan; sprinkle with nuts and brown sugar. Arrange pears over nuts. In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Spread batter over pears. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.


So lets see what you did for the challenge! Add your link below. I'm trying Linky Tools this time instead of Mr. Linky, so hopefully it works well. Let me know if you have trouble.

Flashback Friday ~The Great Magazine Challenge Revisited

Last Sunday I threw out my Great Cooking Magazine Challenge to get us out of our winter funk. Hope you all have been trying out some new recipes this week! Come back here on Sunday and post your link or make a comment about what you did with the challenge.


To get you in the mood I'm flashing back this week to a recipe I tried in a previous Great Cooking Magazine Challenge. How about some juicy strawberries to make you think toward spring!



Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes
Adapted from June/July 2009 Food Network Magazine

For the Shortcakes

1 cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
3 ozs milk chocolate roughly chopped
2 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
raw or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

For the Topping
1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Make shortcakes: Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until sandy. Add the chocolate. Whisk 1 egg, the cream and vanilla in a glass measuring cup; stir into a flour mixture with a fork to make a shaggy dough (there will be some dry bits). Turn out into a lightly floured surface; pat flat until 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 6 rounds, using the scraps for the last cake. Place rounds on the baking sheet and place in fridge or freezer for 20 minutes. While in fridge preheat oven to 400°. Beat remaining egg and brush onto cakes and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until firm, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. While cooling make the toppings. (Recipe calls for half of strawberries to be cooked, but I skipped that). Toss strawberries with sugar. Whip the cream until medium peaks forum. Swirl in a little of strawberries and juice into whipped cream. Split the shortcakes in half. Layer the cream and strawberries then cover with second half. Top with more cream and strawberries.

If you have a FLASHBACK you'd like to share please add your link here. This isn't the Cooking Magazine challenge...just my weekly Flashback Friday post. So come back Sunday to share your Magazine reviews and recipes!



I'm also joining in with Foodie Friday this week over at Designs by Gollum. Check it out HERE.

Hope for the Winter Weary & A Challenge

This winter has seemed long and I know its not over yet. And I know we have had it pretty easy in the Pacific Northwest compared to many other parts of the country. But still...it's seemed extra cold and rainy this year. But even as dreary as its been there are bright spots and signs of warmer times to come! This recent sunrise over Mount Rainier, which I photographed on my way to work was one of those bright spots. The sky was on fire! Angels baking cookies :-)



In between raindrops this weekend I ventured outside to see if I could find signs of life in my garden. The primroses always come through. They bloom here several times a year.



Not exactly a flower, but the viburnum is looking colorful


The little snowdrops are about to bloom!


This sedum always reminds me of a flower during winter


This euphorbia's foliage reminds me of a flower too.


The hellebores seem slow this year, but they will be open soon!


The camellia still has a ways to go


I have other mini irises that are getting close to blooming, but I couldn't resist these at the grocery store! They make me smile when I leave for work in the morning.


The heather looks extra nice right about now



And doot do do dooooo (trumpet sound) : A crocus or two have popped up and are ready to bloom! Now if that doesn't give hope to the winter weary I don't know what will!


Hopefully the sun won't be crying for much longer - I think sunshine is predicted around here this week. Nevermind the 20s at night that go along with that!


I got a little nudge this weekend from a fellow blogger (Lynn at Happier Than a Pig in Mud) to throw out the Great Cooking Magazine Challenge again to get us all out of our winter doldrums. Lynn...the challenge is on. For all of you that have stacks of cooking magazines sitting around with all of those great recipes waiting to be tried this challenge is for you too!

I've done this before but this time I'm going to handle it a little different. I am giving you one week to gather those mags and start cooking. Show up back here in one week..next Sunday, February 6th and I will have a post up for you to share your reviews of the recipes you've tried. It doesn't matter how old the magazines are. Magazine clippings you've held on to are okay too. Just try something new!



I'll give you a little inspiration. I dug WAY back in my magazine archive for this recipe for Beef Paprika. It's from the October/November 2002 issue of Taste of Home! I had a chuck roast I wasn't sure what to do with and pulled a few older mags off the shelf and came on this one. We enjoyed it over rice with some cute little broccoletti (tastes like very tender broccoli) and a green salad. Great comfort food dish!



Beef Paprika
Serves 2 - easily doubled for a larger family

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper (my addition)
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Dash cayenne pepper (or my stand by Tony Chachere's seasoning)
  
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, brown beef in oil on all sides. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Add 1/2 cup of water, ketchup, brown sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard and cayenne; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until beef is tender. Combine flour and remaining water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over noodles or rice. Yield: 2 servings.

***************************************************
I also tried a recipe out of the Penzey's Spices catalog. They always have great looking recipes and its hard for me to throw them out. But they have all of the same recipes online I discovered, so I threw a stack of them away this week. This Banana Blueberry cake from the Spring 2010 catalog is a winner. Its got a similar taste to banana bread, but a lighter texture and the blueberries are a nice touch. The original recipe called for an icing but I thought it was good with out it. I sprinkled some powdered sugar on for a little *something* extra.

Banana Blueberry Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 large very ripe bananas, mashed fine

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Frosting (optional):

2 sticks butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons milk, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan and set aside. In a roomy bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and blend until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the batter and mix well. Stir in the mashed bananas. Fold in the blueberries, if using. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Frost, if desired. Now its your turn!!! I'll be making something else for the challenge too. See you back Sunday :-)

I'm joining in for Mosaic Monday over at Little Red House. Go check out all of the other great mosaics HERE.

Mosaic Monday ~Summer Colors

Amazing what a difference a week and a little sun makes in the garden.



New blooms opening up like this astrantia.


Pink spirea fully open now


Spiderwort and lady's mantle both blooming


And these pretty red lilies


The geraniums are going wild this year..they must have liked the rain we had. That's a pink Maltese Cross in the front (Lychnis chalcedonica)


This mountain laurel is hiding behind some other plants, which is sad since its so showy. I'll have to remedy that next year.


I'm so thrilled that the daylilies are starting to open...love the pinks and reds


More geraniums gone wild


This one is called Patricia


Hydrangeas are slowly opening. I love them at this stage. I think I'd like to paint a couple of rooms these same colors..pale yellow and the lightest blue.


Lobelia and saxifrage bloom pretty together


Behind my fence..in the "woods" are some wild geranium, commonly known as Herb Robert. Legend has it that fairies live where Herb Robert grows and its bad luck to destroy it. Shhhh...lets not tell the fairies I normally pull it out. It grows happily out back though and I won't bother it.


There are going to be loads and loads of blackberries in a couple of months.


In the front I have some summer color too. This pretty frilly pink clematis is later than my others and still looks fresh and new.


One of our hanging baskets


And the pot that sits below it.


Around back again, another new bloom this week, this cute little potentilla growing amongst this blue geranium variety..maybe Johnson's Blue...then again maybe not!


Hyperion is still blooming and looks stunning against the purple backdrop of clematis 'Etoile Violette '


Under it is growing this little double feverfew that I love.


This Queen Elizabeth rose is beginning the bloom and the flowers are huge!


The birds have been really active the past few weeks. We bought a new finch feeder to hold thistle to replace our sock feeder which was losing seed, but the one below isn't it. The one we bought originally was kind of cheap...all plastic. Well this week Randy noticed the thistle went almost completely down in a day or so, went to fill it and found that someone had cracked and chewed the plastic around the feedholes in a couple of places so that that thistle was free to run out. We still aren't sure what did it...chipmunks maybe? Anyways we bought a new feeder to replace it. Lets see if those little bandits can break this one.


Speaking of birds, we have had a second robin brood hatched in the same nest at the side of our house under our bedroom window in the honeysuckle vine. Today two of the babies flew the nest or were pushed out!! lol

This one landed on the bird bath and sat here for probably a half hour. Funny thing was he was sitting right on the part of the fountain where the water comes out. A little bidet so to speak! We watched him finally get brave and fly a short way.


Then a while later we saw his brother land on the table near the fountain. He was still for a long time but eventually began hop-flying from one side to the other like he was practicing, then finally got the nerve to fly to the butterfly bush. The mother is still around feeding them worms...keeping an eye on them.

Unfortunately for me I've had to keep my outdoor exposure to a minimum this weekend due to the weed/grass pollen which is high. I had a severe hayfever attack yesterday and Randy said I looked like I had gone a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson...my eyes were so swollen and red! So I stayed indoors more today...in the kitchen.



I made this wonderful coffee cake for a late morning treat. It's from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters...I just love that book. I will love munching on this on the way to work this week. The little plate is one I found not too long ago at one of my favorite charity thrift shops, Granny's Attic.


Mary Williams' Coffee Cake with Streusel
from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters

For streusel:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Place brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Work in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add pecans and combine.

For cake:

1 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beater
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 pan with foil, shiny side up. Coat with butter or vegetable spray.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add sugar. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and combine. Place half of batter in pan. Sprinkle half of streusel on top of batter. Add rest of batter to pan and top with remaining streusel.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool on rack completely before cutting into squares.


Lunch was homemade hummus...I even tried my hand at Tahini. That part was pretty much a failure since I couldn't get a good grind on the sesame seeds, but overall it was a success. I'd make it again. I ate it with Jalapeno flavored Kettle Lays.


Hummus
From Fine Cooking

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 15-1/2-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 Tbs. tahini (see below)

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed

Combine the 1/3 cup oil with the garlic and cumin in a small saucepan. Set over medium-low heat and cook until the garlic softens, about 3 minutes from when you can hear the garlic bubbling quickly. Don’t let the garlic brown. Take the pan off the heat and let cool completely.

Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt in a food processor. Use a fork to fish the softened garlic out of the oil and transfer it to the processor (reserve the oil). Turn the machine on, let it run for about 20 seconds, and then start slowly pouring the cumin oil through the machine’s feed tube. Be sure to scrape the pan with a rubber spatula to get all of the cumin and oil. Pour 1/4 cup cool water down the tube. Stop the machine, scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue processing until the hummus is creamy and almost smooth. Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice, if you like. For best results, let the hummus sit at room temperature for an hour or two before serving so the flavors can meld. Or better yet, make it a day ahead, refrigerate it and return it to room temperature and adjust the seasonings before serving. To serve, spread hummus in a shallow dish and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. oil.

Tahini
From www.homecooking.about.com

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup tepid water

Preparation:

Place sesame seeds in a blender or food processor and grind until smooth. Add sesame oil and salt. Process until combined. With the motor running, add the water in a very slow, steady stream and blend until smooth.

Yield: about 1/2 cup

Dinner was shish kabobs! Inspired by the shish kabob insert in Food Magazine this month - 50 kabob ideas. My beef was marinated in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, Tony Chachere's seasoning, onions and garlic salt. I added cooked potatoes, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and pineapples.



And Cauliflower Au Gratin which wasn't half bad for a light dish.


Cauliflower Au Gratin
from Eating Well Jan/Feb 2008 by way of Terra Organics weekly newsletter.

4 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Bring cauliflower, 1 1/4 cups milk and salt to a boil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cheese and oil in a small bowl. Whisk flour and the remaining 1/4 cup milk in another small bowl until smooth; stir the mixture into the pan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, chives, mustard and pepper. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil until the top is crispy and beginning to brown, 1-2 minutes.

Overall it was a good and colorful weekend :-) I'm joining in on these events:

Mosaic Monday over at Little Red House. Check out all of the beautiful mosaics HERE.


Thrifty Treasures Party over at Southern Hospitality for my little white plate. Check out all of the treasures HERE.



Join me in the fun! I'd love for you to participate in this event with me. Bring your ice cream related posts...anything goes! Tablescapes, recipes, memories, and favorite products will all be welcome. Or anything else you come up with. See you at the parlor!