Perfect Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Submitted by Heather

Just keeping it real with the picture above.  You know I can't get a fancy cake made without the rest of the house falling to pieces.  With 5 kiddos, it doesn't take long to trash the house.  But the taste of the cake made up for the chaos that ensued!

This is a really good chocolate cake.  I don't use the word "perfect" lightly, but this has become my "go-to" chocolate cake for special occasions. It has a light crumb, tastes like chocolate (unlike some cakes that only LOOK like chocolate) and cuts nicely.  I wish I had enough time to do a taste test with other chocolate cakes so that I could definitively say which one is the best, but just know that this one is very good and worth the time to make it.  I was making up excuses to level the cakes over and over just so that I could taste the cake again.  I started out with about 2 1/2 inch layers and was left with about 1 1/2 inch layers by the time I was done "testing"! Just make sure that you don't overcook this cake!  I made that mistake the first time and it was very dry.  I was so annoyed, that I immediately made the cake again - much to the amazement and happiness of my family. It was moist and wonderful the next time.

The frosting is also very good.  How can it not be, when it is mostly melted chocolate?  Make this cake for your next birthday or celebration and wait for the chocoholics to sing your praises.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Spray the pans with vegetable oil spray. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl, and whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk, little by little, into reserved cocoa mixture until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into center of each layer comes out clean (or almost clean), 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.

Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Reserve the prettiest layer for the top. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer, and spread with another 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with third cake layer. Cover outside of cake with the remaining 3 cups frosting. Serve.

Source: Moist Devil's Food Cake by Martha Stewart

FROSTING:

16 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/3 C. sugar

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. table salt

1 1/4 C. heavy cream (cold)

Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl set over saucepan containing 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Meanwhile, heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted.  Increase heat to medium; add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and stir with heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, 4-5 minutes.  add melted chocolate, butter mixture, and cream to clean bowl of standing mixer and stir to thoroughly combine.

Place mixer bowl over ice bath and stir mixture constantly with rubber spatula until frosting is thick and just beginning to harden against sides of bowl, 1 to 2 minutes (frosting should be 70 degrees). Place bowl on standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until frosting is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth.

Source: America's Test Kitchen Old Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake (frosting)

Chocolate Mousse Dacquoise

Submitted by Heather

For a couple of years I've wanted to start a dessert club.  You know, get together with friends who love to cook and eat and share our latest recipes.  So this past month I finally set it all up and we had our inaugural meeting.  It was so much fun!  Because I wanted everyone to feel comfortable (or uncomfortable?), I had the dessert assignment be something you've never made before.  That opened up a lot of possibilities, without making it so that people could say "I don't know how to make that."  We were all trying something new.
It was really hard to decide on something to make.  I have a cake cookbook, though, with a number of cake recipes that are just different enough that I've never thought of attempting them.  I can't believe how many things I've never tried making!  The following recipe is one of those.  I'm so glad I chose it, because it was really different and fantastic.
It took a bit of work and pre-planning, but don't let all the steps scare you away.  They're really just there to guide you and help you from making mistakes.
This cake is really wonderful, because you get the crisp and crunchy texture from the dacquoise, and the smooth chocolate taste from the mousse and together it is definitely more than the sum of its parts.  After I had made just the dacquoise layer, I tasted it and thought, meh.  I wasn't sure my dessert was going to be anything special.  But after I put it together with the mousse, I was won over.  It was delicious!  If you have a fancy occasion and want to wow someone, this would be a perfect choice.  And one wonderful thing about this cake is that you can make the different parts days ahead of time, and then you're all ready to assemble a few hours before serving.

(In all of the craziness of the first meeting of Dessert Club, I forgot to take a close-up of my own dessert!  Here it is blown up a bit.  At the top of the post is a picture of a leftover piece I thankfully had saved.)

Dacquoise Cake Layer

6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/4 C.  sifted superfine sugar (8 3/4 oz.; 250 g.)
2 Tablespoons sifted cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For dacquoise add:
1 C. (5 ounces; 140 g) toasted and finely ground hazelnuts and/or almonds
1/8 tsp. hazelnut or almond extract

Dab a little butter on a jellyroll pan and add parchment paper cut to fit the pan. Spray parchment with vegetable spray, then dust it with flour; tap out excess flour. Use a toothpick directly on the greased sheet to draw around a template marking three 8 or 9 inch rounds about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans.

Set aside 1/2 C. of the sugar. Combine remaining sugar with the cornstarch in a sifter and sift together onto wax paper.  If making a dacquoise, add the ground nuts to this sugar-cornstarch mixture.

Put the warm whites into the large bowl of an electric mixer, add cream of tartar and salt, and beat on low to medium speed until the whites begin to look fluffy.  Gradually add the reserved 1/2 C. sugar, while beating on medium-high speed (Kitchenaid #8) until whites are glossy and medium-stiff.  Add vanilla if used, and the hazelnut or almond extract.  Beat just a few seconds longer, until stiff but not dry.

In four or five additions, fold the cornstarch-sugar and nuts mixture into the whites by hand, using a flat whisk or rubber spatula.  Fold gently to maintain maximum volume.

Prepare a pastry bag by setting it, tip down in a four cup measure.  Spoon in the meringue.  Twist the bag closed and pipe meringue inside the 3 marked shapes on the pan.  Gently squeeze out an even column of meringue, holding the bag perpendicular to the pan and slightly above it.  Use up any leftover meringue by piping out small cookies or spooning out small nests or cups of meringue.  Bake the meringue in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or longer, until the meringue is thoroughly set and a very light beige color.  Look in the oven after about 5 minutes; if the meringue is darkening too fast, reduce the heat to 250 degrees.  If the oven heat is too high, the color of the meringue will darken as the sugar caramelizes; this changes the flavor of the meringue.  To bake perfectly white meringues, you must bake the layers at 200 degrees for 90 minutes or longer until thoroughly dried out.

After baking the dacquoise, set the pans on a wire rack for a few minutes.  The baked shapes will be slightly pliable while warm.  At this stage, use a wide spatula to lift them from the sheet, take off the parchment, and set them on the wire rack to cool completely.  After cooling the layers on the racks for 15 to 20 minutes, they should be completely crisp.  Test a small cookie to test the texture - it should crack in half.  If your shapes are still soft when cold, set them back on the parchment and return to the oven for a little while to dry out further.

Once they are cold and crisp, trim the layers to be the same size so that they have a neat appearance.  Save the trimmings. Store the layers in an airtight container, separated by wax paper.  You may freeze, fill and frost or keep on the counter for several days.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, NEW STYLE
(This recipe is for those who do not want raw egg in their mousse, but would like the added richness that eggs add.  The eggs are cooked to remove any possible danger.)

12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped (2 C. morsels; 340 g.) or combine half semisweet and half bittersweet chocolate
4 Tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg yolks
1 C. heavy cream, at room temperature, plus 2 Cups, well chilled

Melt chocolate in top of the double boiler set over, not touching, hot water; stir, remove from heat, stir until smooth, and set aside to cool.
In small, heavy-bottomed pan set over medium-low heat, whisk together corn syrup, yolks, and 1 C. room-temp. cream.  Whisk and stir continuously for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture is thick, covers a spoon, and reaches 150 F for 2 minutes, or 160 for moment on an instant-read thermometer.
Strain the yolk mixture into the cooling chocolate and immediately whisk hard, making the chocolate shiny and satin-smooth.  Cool until warm, not hot, to the touch.
Using a chilled bowl and beater, whip remaining 2 Cups of chilled cream to soft peaks.  Check temperature of chocolate - it should feel warm but comfortable to the touch.  Fold chocolate into cream, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Bring to room temperature before spreading on cake or serving alone as a dessert.
Makes 6 Cups.

GARNISH
1 C. toasted and ground hazelnuts and/or almonds, or toasted and sliced almonds (add this to the leftover dacquoise pieces that have been crushed)
Chocolate curls (Note: my curls didn't work out.  I think the room/pan was too cold, because they turned into shards of chocolate instead.  But I still used them and actually got compliments on them! Maybe people were just being nice...)



ASSEMBLY
Prepare 3 dacquoise layers.  While the layers are baking, prepare the chocolate mousse.  Set the mousse in the refrigerator to chill until it reaches a spreading consistency.
Set out a bowl containing toasted sliced or chopped nuts and add any crumbs left from trimming the baked dacquoise layers.

On a 9 inch cardboard cake disk or a flat plate, put a dab of chocolate mousse in the center, then set down the first dacquoise layer.  spread about 1 1/4 C. of mousse on the first layer, top with a second dacquoise layer, and add mousse filling as before; repeat with remaining layers.  Align the sides of the cake neatly.  Frost the sides and top of the cake generously with the chocolate mousse.  You will probably have some mousse left over; it can be frozen and served at another time or piped through a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to make decorative rosettes around the edge of the cake.

To garnish the cake, lift it up and hold it over a piece of wax paper or a tray.  Scoop the toasted and ground nuts/crumbs into the palm of your other hand and press them gently onto the lower third of the cake sides.  If you plan to freeze the cake, do so at this time.

To complete the cake, cover the top with chocolate curls and sift on a fine dusting of confectioners' sugar.  Refrigerate the cake for 3 or 4 hours for easiest slicing, or until ready to serve.


Source: The Perfect Cake by Susan G. Purdy

Perfect New Potatoes

Submitted by Heather

You may look at the above picture and wonder how in the world these could be considered "perfect" potatoes.  They're UGLY!  Well, it might be a good time to remember that old saying:  Don't judge a book by it's cover.  It certainly applies here.  These potatoes do not look lovely, but boy are they delicious.

It's possible that some of you might have made some new year's resolutions that include eating less salt.  This recipe may not be for you!  Just don't look at the ingredients - the amount of salt might raise your blood pressure just looking at it.  Also, for those who can eat normal amounts of salt, please don't be scared away.  The salt quantities in this recipe make for a perfectly seasoned potato- trust me.  I'd read some reviews on these potatoes and others admitted that they were nervous about making these, but after tasting them were won over.  Just remember not to cut the potatoes before cooking them.

Now, I don't like to waste, so I also thought, "Do these potatoes REALLY need that much salt???"  Kosher salt is pretty cheap, though, so don't feel bad about dumping so much in.  One of my kids asked me if they were "old" potatoes that I was serving them!  So, they won't win any beauty contests, but they are truly delicious.  Please try them. We really enjoyed them with a caramelized onion and blue cheese sauce that I recently posted.  Enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds kosher or rock salt
2 quarts water
2 pounds small fingerling potatoes, cleaned (or baby new (red-skinned) potatoes)
4 tablespoons butter, optional
Freshly ground black pepper, optional
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives, optional

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the salt, water, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pot to a cooling rack and let stand for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve as is or with butter, pepper, or chives.



Look!  My kids were even snitching them after dinner, as if they were a yummy treat!


Source: Alton Brown at foodnetwork.com

Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Sauce (with steak)

Submitted by Heather

My family has a tradition each Christmas season, where every member of the family randomly picks a dinner category (main dish, beverage, etc.) out of a hat.  This allows each person full license to pick whatever they want to in that category - it doesn't have to match the rest of the meal.  Some years we've had really wacky combinations - smoothies, Cheetos, burritos, scalloped potatoes, etc.
This year we actually had a very traditional meal.  Except for the strawberry and raspberry shakes which were our beverages, that is.  One of my children picked steak for the main course.  I rarely make steak, so I looked around for some recipes, since I didn't want to just plunk down a hunk of meat for the meal.  I found a few good suggestions, but was won over by the praises given to this caramelized onion and blue cheese sauce.

If you think the potatoes look weird, just hold on!  They're wonderful and my family LOVED them.  Recipe coming soon!)

Even if you think you don't like blue cheese, give this sauce a chance!  I wasn't super excited about a recipe with blue cheese.  I don't hate blue cheese, but I don't love it either.  But I was looking for something to jazz up the steaks, so I went for it.  I'm so glad I did, because most of the family ended up loving it.  And I ate it for days (since I'd doubled the recipe)!  If you really, really don't like blue cheese, I think you can safely substitute another cheese for it, though it may be best to have an easy melting cheese rather than cheddar, etc.  Even just the caramelized onions with cream are good enough on their own, maybe with a little extra salt and pepper thrown in.  When the steak was gone and we still had some sauce left, we just slathered our leftover potatoes with it and might have loved it even more.

Ingredients:

2 whole Ribeye Steaks
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt
Pepper
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Very Large Yellow Onion, Sliced
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Preparation Instructions:
Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 tablespoons butter until medium rare.

Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce.

Source:  thepioneerwoman.com

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Submitted by Heather

Okay, this isn't really a brand new recipe, it's a variation of one I posted already on this site.  My family really loves these pumpkin muffins - they're moist and soft and turn out perfect every time.

I find, though, that for different people in my family, I have to modify them a bit.  The older kids like regular sized muffins with chocolate chips throughout the muffin.  My preschooler loves the mini muffins with mini chocolate chips.  Or maybe I love to give those to him because they fit so perfectly in his little fist, and the small chocolate chips make it so that he doesn't make quite so big a mess.  Then there's Daddy.  He doesn't really like the chocolate chips in the muffins at all.  Weird, I know.

So, years ago I found a streusel recipe and I've been topping these muffins with it ever since.  It's crunchy, has fiber and makes the muffin feel special (but maybe you don't care how the muffin feels).  The best combination, in my opinion, is a regular sized muffin with chocolate chips inside AND streusel topping.  Now everyone is happy!

Here's the link to my favorite pumpkin muffins:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Streusel Topping:
3 T. flour
1/3 C. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. All-Bran (or you can use crushed bran flakes or even Cracklin' Oat Bran chopped up!)*
3 T. softened butter
1/4 C. chopped pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)

Mix all ingredients until crumbly and divide among muffins before baking.

*The muffins in this picture have streusel with Cracklin' Oat Bran in them.  It's all I had on hand and it worked great.  Chopping the cereal was a bit difficult but the chunks just lent to the crunchiness of the topping.
                          

Source: unknown

Green Monster Soup (Split Pea)

Submitted by: Heather

Never heard of Green Monster Soup before?  Well, desperation requires creativity.  Earlier in the week I had served a pesto and chicken pasta dish, and going with the green theme, I added frozen peas to the pasta.  The kids were less than thrilled and when I went to pack up the leftovers I found a pan full of peas, with very little pasta left.  So, the kids are obviously not fans of peas.  

I'm in pantry clean-out mode, though, and coming upon both a frozen ham bone in the freezer and a sadly neglected bag of split peas in the pantry, I decided to make split pea soup.  The last time I'd eaten split pea soup I remember really liking it.  This time was no exception.  In fact my husband and I wondered why I hadn't made it in so long since we both repeatedly filled our bowls.  I also didn't hear any complaints from the kids - even my picky little 5 year old!  The trick was in the name (okay, okay, and the homemade bread sticks I served along with it).  Not once did I bring up the fact that this was made out of peas.  My kids were clueless to all the vitamins they were consuming and I was happily adding a delicious soup to our dinner line-up.  Give it a try - I think you'll be surprised.

I made a double batch of the following soup and it was perfect for my family of 7.  I omitted the celery, not because I don't like it, but because I was out of it.  I chopped more carrots to make up the difference. I also used a ham bone from a spiral cut ham instead of a pork hock, and it imparted a lot of wonderful flavor.

Yield: Serves 6


2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped peeled carrots

2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 pounds smoked pork hocks (or a ham bone, left over from a spiral ham, etc.)
2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram (or thyme)
1 1/2 cups green split peas
8 cups water


Melt butter in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add pork and marjoram/thyme; stir 1 minute. Add peas, then water, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot; simmer soup until pork and vegetables are tender peas are falling apart, stirring often, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer hocks/ham bone to bowl. Puree 5 cups of soup in batches in blender and return to the pot. Or use an immersion blender to puree most (but not all!) of the soup.  Cut meat off bones. Dice meat and return it to the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Rewarm before serving.

Source: adapted from Epicurious (Easy Split Pea Soup)

Teriyaki Salmon

Submitted by: Heather

I feel like this recipe should have "curd" in the title, since my sister, Lisa, and I have posted two curd recipes back to back before this one.  But, somehow I don't think that "salmon curd" would sound very appetizing to anyone...

This salmon recipe has been used by our family since my kids were tiny.  I was always impressed that they would eat it so readily.  When I was a kid and had fish put on my plate I refused to eat it.  I remember sitting at my table for many hours until I finished my fish (or successfully fed it to the dog without anyone seeing).  I'm ashamed that I never gave it a chance.  I blame my older sister, Lisa (sorry Lisa!).  I followed her in most things and she absolutely hated fish, so naturally I did too.
Now I really like fish. My husband sometimes calls this recipe "candy fish". Yes, it's sweet, but not overly so.  It also has a nice peppery flavor.  Try it - I bet your kids will love it.

1 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt, to taste
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/3 C. water
1/4 C. vegetable oil

Sprinkle fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt. In a large ziploc, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, water and oil (I use much less oil than called for). Place fish in the marinade and marinate for at least 2 hours.

To grill: Remove fish from marinade and grill over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side.

To broil: Adjust broiler rack so that it's approx 2" below the heat source if the fish is 1" thick or under; or place rack 4" from heat if the fish is over 1" thick. Place fish under broiler and broil, undisturbed, for approx. 4 minutes.  It's done when opaque.  If you need to remove a fillet because it's done before the others, make sure to wipe the marinade from the pan or it will burn.

Source: unknown

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Submitted by Heather

Raise your hand if you're one of those people who would rather eat the cookie dough raw than bake it?  Really?  I must admit that I do my fair share of snitching dough, always ensuring that I scoop up a number of chocolate chips to make it worth my while.  But while I do really love cookie dough, I'd rather bake it into cookies.  These cookies make it so that you don't have to choose - they give you a little of both worlds.  You get a delicious, golden cupcake filled with cookie dough (eggless!) and then topped with tasty cookie dough frosting.  What's not to love?

My kids sure couldn't answer that question.  They loved these cupcakes.  They weren't difficult, but you do have to plan ahead so that you have time to make all three components.  And I didn't even make the fourth!  If you're really ambitious (or just have some cookie dough laying around) you'll make a batch of mini chocolate chip cookies for a garnish.  Don't be thrown off by the frosting.  It's supposed to be a little bit grainy so that it mimics real cookie dough.

You won't be sorry you made these babies, and neither will anyone around you.  Enjoy!

Yield: 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

SOURCE: annies-eats.com

Mediterranean Dip

Submitted by Heather 

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it.  But I've got to be choosy about when I make certain things - cookies and cakes go pretty fast around my house, but try to make something "interesting" and my five kids turn up their noses and I'm left eating the whole thing.  That's not always a bad thing, but not necessarily good for the figure either.  I finally got my chance, though, and brought it to a church potluck.

I was actually pretty surprised by the great reviews it got.  I took a polite spoonful on my plate and ate it and thought, "yes, this IS good," but by the time I got back to try it out again it was gone.  That and the fact that many people asked for the recipe, made it seem like a "keeper" in my book, but I wanted to taste it again to be sure (all in the name of testing and quality control, of course).  So I made it for a luncheon for my friends and finally got to take more than a polite portion.  And yes, it was very good.  All those distinct flavors were amazing as they melded into one delicious bite.  This would be a great dip to bring to any gathering of adults.  Actually, if there are kids there they'll try to eat all the pita chips and leave you with none to scoop up the dip, so watch out.  Then again, this is good enough to eat with a spoon.  I did.

               

Yield: 1 12-inch round plate of dip

For the cilantro pesto:

1½ cups fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. pecans
2 tbsp. pine nuts*
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you have it)

To assemble the dip:
Hummus (store-bought or homemade)
Cilantro pesto (above)
Cucumber, seeded (or unseeded English cucumber) and diced
Red onion, diced
Banana peppers, chopped
Sliced olives (black or Kalamata)
Crumbled feta cheese
Oven-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (I used sun-dried)

*If you don't have pine nuts, you can substitute all pecans with equally great results.  

DIRECTIONS
To make the cilantro pesto, combine the cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, pecans, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse repeatedly until a coarse paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan. (If storing for later use, drizzle with a thin film of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto, and store in an airtight container.)

To assemble the dip, spread a layer of hummus on a serving platter. Spread the cilantro pesto over the top of the hummus. Layer evenly with cucumber, red onion, banana peppers, olives, feta, and oven-dried tomatoes as desired. Garnish with an additional few tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro. Serve with pita chips.

Source: slightly adapted from Annies-eats.com

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Submitted by Heather

Who doesn't love a warm and soft piece of cinnamon bread slathered with butter?  I know my kids would like one every morning and never get tired of it. Unfortunately my waistline and my lack of willpower won't allow me to have this bread in the house that often, but it's a wonderful treat to have for a special breakfast (or late night snack...).


It was recently my friend's birthday and instead of a cake she wanted cinnamon bread. I was happy to oblige since I had been meaning to try out a cinnamon bread recipe.  I couldn't find the one I had been meaning to make, but I found this one instead and it was really a great find.


This is a beautiful bread.  Not just visually, though it was lovely with it's dark crust and the swirl of cinnamon, but the fluffy and chewy texture was so pleasing. It had plenty of cinnamon flavor on its own, but my kids ended up loving it toasted with butter and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.  


If you're one of those people who are afraid of cooking with yeast (I used to be!), please try this recipe.  Just make sure your yeast isn't expired and that you use warm but not hot milk.  You're going to love this bread!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 2 whole Eggs
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 3-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
• Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. 
Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.  Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.


Source: The Pioneer Woman


**I think I let my loaves rise a little too long, since they rose over the sides of the pan, but they still turned out wonderfully.

Citrus and Soy Marinated Pork Tenderloin

This is a delicious and really simple meal.  In fact, it's perfect for company, because you do a lot of the work the day before so that you can concentrate on side dishes on the actual day of cooking.  You just need a little forethought to start it marinating the day before.

Don't worry about it being a little pink in the middle.  It's not like chicken - it doesn't have to be cooked until all the pink is gone.  You really don't want to overcook it, or it will be tough, so having an instant-read thermometer is really beneficial here.

I have actually never tried grilling this as the directions say, because our grill is an embarrassment.  Dead spots, hot spots, rust - you name it!  Father's Day is coming up and I think I know exactly what Daddy is getting.  I have great results making this in the oven, so give it a try either way.

My kids love this meal.  Even the picky eater! And the friends who have tried this meal have all really enjoyed it too.  I love it because it's quick, easy and healthy.

Citrus and Soy-Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin
*Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 pounds pork tenderloin
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all the ingredients except the pork and mix well. Pour the marinade into a ziploc bag or baking dish and add the pork tenderloin, making sure the marinade completely covers the pork. Marinade for 8-10 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill (charcoal or gas). Grill the pork tenderloin about 3-4 minutes on each of its four sides (the exact time will depend on the temperature of your grill) or the internal temperature is about 150 to 155 degrees. Remove from the grill, tent with foil, and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

If you're not able to grill, you can cook it in the oven easily.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (yes, you read that right).  Place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan (I use a glass or metal 9x13 inch pan), add a little of the marinade in the bottom and cook uncovered until the roast reaches 155-160 degrees in the thickest part.  This could take 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the roast.

If you'd like to use the marinade as a sauce, just make sure to boil it for a couple of minutes before you use it. Or you can reserve some of the marinade before you put the meat in it, and then heat it up before serving. Just don't mix those directions up!  If the marinade touched the meat, then you have to boil it.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from melskitchencafe.com

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Submitted by Heather

When I was newly married I had a recipe for white chicken enchiladas that I really loved.  I used to make it for my family, guests and for friends who had new babies.  As the years have gone by and I've learned a few things about cooking, I've tried to get away from using canned, condensed cream of "whatever" soups.  Oh, I've used one here or there, but I generally try not to use it.  So, I was really excited when I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I hadn't made the white chicken enchiladas in years, so it was so fun to rediscover it and have it be improved.  I love a good red enchilada too, but there's definitely a place for these on our table.  They're creamy, have a slight spiciness without being overwhelming and just comforting. And the homemade sauce is so much better tasting than the canned variety.  If you're planning ahead, it works really well to make the chopped chicken in the crockpot the night before.  That way it's all ready to throw together the next day!

*Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 -10 corn tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside. 

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream. 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Warm the corn tortillas by wrapping a few in a damp paper towel and microwaving them for a few seconds (this will help them resist cracking when you roll them). Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan). 

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Source: slightly adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Norwegian Leek Soup

Submitted by Heather

This soup may not look too exciting or impressive, but boy is it delicious.  Ever since I was a kid, our family would have a big Norwegian dinner to celebrate our Norwegian heritage (just one of the many countries our ancestors hail from). And at every celebration, we had this soup.  I think I could have done without the lutefisk or even the lefse, but not this soup.  It's creamy and flavorful and unlike any of the other soups I usually make.  My kids love it too, which is a plus, or I might eat the whole pot of it myself.  

3 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (discard dark green part)

3 medium potatoes, diced

2 medium carrots, diced or sliced

6 Tbsp. butter

1/2 C. flour

6 C. beef broth

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

chopped parsley

1 large egg yolk (optional)

Melt butter over medium heat.  Add sliced leeks and diced vegetables.  Cook 5 minutes while stirring occasionally, to prevent vegetables from browning. Add flour, stirring constantly; remove from heat and add beef broth all at once. Add salt. Return to heat and continue cooking gently until vegetables are tender. Beat egg yolk into soup tureen. Pour soup over egg yolk, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve at once.

Note: I don't ever use the egg yolk and it always turns out wonderfully.

Source: I have no idea because we've used it for so many years.

Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

These cookies have been a long-time favorite. If you need a deep, dark chocolate fix and want more than just a hunk of chocolate (though that definitely has its time and place), look no further. Sometimes you just need the substance of a cookie, you know? That beautiful aroma of the warm, dark chocolate coming out of the oven is irresistible. My kids came flocking (and with 5 kids, they really do flock) when they started to smell these. One of my kids said, "Are they just brownies in a cookie shape?" I had to say "no," because while they are very chocolatey like brownies, there's something different. Maybe it's because more surface area is exposed to the heat of the oven and that makes them chewier? Maybe it's because you can eat it without crumbs falling all over from all sides? Oh, I'm just rambling now, but the bottom line is that these are fantastic cookies and anyone I've ever fed them to agrees. I wish I could take credit for the recipe!

When my sisters were recently visiting I brought some of these to the airport when I picked them up. It was a good way to start the weekend. By the next day they were calling them "devil cookies" because none of us could stop eating them! If you're wondering if it's worth using so much chocolate on one recipe, don't bother. It's totally worth it.

Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar

12 oz. (2 C.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together; set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water until completely melted and smooth; remove from the heat. (Alternatively, microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, mixing thoroughly in between, until melted and smooth.) In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Mix in the sugars until well combined, about 45 seconds – the mixture will look granular. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate to the bowl in a steady stream and continue beating until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, being careful not to overbeat. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the consistency is scoopable and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a 1 ¾-inch cookie dough scoop, spacing the dough balls about 1 ½ inches apart.

Bake until the edges of the cookies have just began to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes then transfer to cooling racks and allow to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets before baking more batches with the remaining dough.

Source: The New Best Recipe