Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue

Pretty, right? This was the finale to Eric and my Valentine's Day dinner. It was good but so rich, you can really only eat a small piece.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue

Adapted from February's Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

Cake:

2 1/2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs

3/4 c turbinado sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 c stout beer (Guinness)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Meringue:

2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1 c sugar

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour the sides and bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Put the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water (you're making a double boiler, here). Stir until the chocolate melts and set aside.

Put the eggs, turbinado sugar and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Set that bowl over the same bowl of simmering water and stir until warmed through. Transfer to your stand mixer, and wish a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the beer and vanilla to boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the beer mixture then the chocolate mixture. Beat until combined. Gradually beat in the butter until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack and let continue cooling. Refrigerate when completely cool.

To make the meringue, microwave the chocolate, butter and corn syrup for 30 second intervals until the chocolate is melted.

Whisk the egg white, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and 1/3 c of water in a heatproof bowl. Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water; beat with a hand mixer, gradually increasing the speed to high. Continue to beat until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and continue beating until meringue firms and you have stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla and then fold in the melted chocolate until just combined. Spread on your cake and refrigerate before serving.

Chai Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Holy cow!! These are ridiculous!! I mean, possibly the most exciting baked good I've ever made. I took these to work and people are still raving! This recipe is a serious keeper!

Chai Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3/4 c milk

2 black chai tea bags

2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter, room temperature

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Buttercream:

1/2 c butter, room temperature

2 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tbsp milk, as needed to thin

2-3 c powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners.

Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing the tea bags over the milk and discard. Allow milk to cool completely.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk. Beat until just combined.

Divide batter evening among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched and are pale golden, about 10-12 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make frosting, beat the butter with an electric mixer for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk, briefly blend. Add the powdered sugar gradually until the frosting is thick enough to pipe or spread easily. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk. If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar.

Frost cupcakes generously and share with some good friends who will appreciate the amazing-ness of this treat!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

We just celebrated a lot of birthdays in the last 2 weeks! Happy Birthday to my Aunts Pami, Kimberle, and Linda as well as my dearest cousin Cassady!!

I wanted to make my aunts some treats but was on a time crunch (hello procrastination...). I used a chocolate fudge box cake mix and then made my own frosting. This buttercream is really yummy and pretty easy- you just throw the ingredients into the mixer and let it go.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from SavorySweetLife.com

Ingredients

1 c unsalted butter, softened

3-4 c powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract

up to 4 tbsp milk or heavy cream

Directions

In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mix on low speed (otherwise you'll be wearing the powdered sugar) until incorporated. Increase the speed and add vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If it needs a thinner consistency, add a bit more milk.

I tried my hand at piping again... it went ok. I make a huge mess and am not thrilled with my results. I'm determined to keep trying, however.

Zucchini Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

I was given a 2 foot zucchini by a coworker who has an abundance in her garden. What do you do with that much zucchini? I'm not sure. I shredded the whole thing figuring the best bet was to bake with it. I've now got 9 cups of shredded zucchini in my freezer.

This was an excellent use of that zucchini. I can't believe how moist this cake is and I'm not quite sure why, but I'm enjoying it all the same!

Zucchini Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

*Martha used orange in this recipe, but I sub'd lemon, FYI)

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

2 1/2 c flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground anise seeds (I left this out cause I don't have such a thing)

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (also left this out, sub nutmeg or clove or something)

Pinch of salt

2 medium zucchini (about 2 1/2 c shredded)

3 eggs

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices and salt.

Grate zucchini and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel or fine mesh strainer.

Stir together eggs and sugar, then stir in melted butter, zucchini, zest and juice. Stir in flour mixture. Transfer batter to your prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lemon Glaze

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

3 tbsp lemon juice

Milk or heavy cream, for thinning

Combine ingredients above minus the milk with a whisk until smooth. Add milk until you get the desired consistency. Spoon onto cake and let set for a few minutes. Enjoy!

I learned to pipe frosting!! Finally!!

You can call me Martha, Martha Stewart, that is. :)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

College football begins today. I'm headed to a BBQ at my friend Liz's and her husband is a huge Oregon Ducks fan. Although I'm not a Ducks fan, I am a fan of Liz, her new baby Jameson, and BBQ. Therefore, it should be a great time!

I wanted to make some treats to bring for the party and had a great idea to make them green and yellow, the Ducks colors. They came out so cute! I'm so excited to show up to the party with them!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from www.kevinandamanda.com

Ingredients

For the cookies:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 white sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 c rolled oats

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 c chocolate chips

For the frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened

4 c powdered sugar (maybe more to stiffen your frosting)

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk or heavy cream

Food coloring of your choice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray (or regular sized muffin tins, if you wish).

In a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. When light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and oats. With the mixer on, add the dry ingredients in several batches. When combined, add the chocolate chips and mix by hand.

Spoon the cookie mixture into the muffin tins, about 1- 1 1/2 tsp a piece. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until you feel like they're done. While still hot, run a knife along the edge to loosen them. Let cool completely before icing them. To make a well in the center of the cookie for frosting, use the back of a spoon and press into the middle of the hot cookie.

To make the icing, in a mixer, combine all ingredients. You may need to use more powdered sugar to get a stiff icing for piping. If you want to pipe your frosting, put a sandwich bag in a glass measuring cup. Fold the edges of the plastic bag down around the cup so you've got sturdy grip on the glass. Spoon your frosting in, remove from glass, and push towards one of the bottom corners. With kitchen scissors, snip off an end and there you go! Pipe away!

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicious!!! Moist, slightly sweet, and fruity cupcakes with smooth cream cheese frosting- hits every craving you might be having! Plus, this is a pretty low fat cupcake. No butter involved and only 5 WW+ points, if you're counting.

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

3/4 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c white flour

1 c white sugar

1/2 c flaked coconut

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger (optional)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 c grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture in a dish towel or in a mesh strainer)

20 oz can crushed pineapple, juice discarded (squeeze out extra moisture like above)

Frosting

1 c powdered sugar

8 oz low fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners (I ended up with 20 cupcakes).

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, coconut, salt and spices. Mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Fold in zucchini and pineapple.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Mixture will be dry, but continue to mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Use a cookie/ice cream scoop to scoop cupcake batter into liners (this will give you perfectly even cupcakes). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire baking rack.

Combine frosting ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Frost cupcakes using your desired method (I like an offset spatula because I haven't mastered piping frosting, yet). Enjoy!!

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes

You know, I'm not a huge fan of Oreos, but for some reason this recipe spoke to me. I had no reason to make them other than to bake, so I took them to my sister's classroom for a special treat for her students. I was told they were "amazing" and "the best cupcake I've ever had." My sister said her students were on their knees begging for seconds. She could just be inflating my ego by saying that, but doubtful.

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes

Adapted from TastyKitchen.com

Ingredients

Cupcake:

1 c butter, softened

2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 whole eggs

1 c milk

1 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 c self-rising flour

1 1/2 c crushed Oreo cookies (I put mine in the food processor and pulverlized them)

Frosting:

1/2 c butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lb powdered sugar

5 tbsp milk

1/2 c ground Oreo cookies

24 whole mini Oreos for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large stand mixer, while butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (I used my paddle attachment, if you're using a KitchenAid mixer). Stir in vanilla and eggs 1 at a time until combined. Scrape sides and mix again. Slowly stir in flours and milk, alternating back and forth until all ingredients are added to the bowl. Scrap sides down and mix again briefly. Fold in Oreo pieces by hand.

Scoop batter into prepared tins so they are 2/3 full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Wait until completely totally utterly cool to frost or you'll get ugly melty cupcakes!

For the frosting, whip butter and vanilla together in a large bowl (use a whisk attachment or hand mixer for this). Stir in powdered sugar and then milk. You may not need all of the milk, so check the consistency of your frosting as you go. Whip 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. * I didn't whip my frosting enough so it was kind of runny. Don't be me! Whip your frosting!*

Fold in ground Oreo pieces and top with mini Oreos.

Mom's Best Ever Icing

I wanted to make a treat for this class I was going to, but didn't have tons of time. I decided to make a box cupcake mix and then make homemade frosting to make sure it was still special. It turned out great! Every class I've been to since, people ask where the cupcakes are.

Mom's Best Ever Icing

Adapted from The Happy Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

1/4 c butter, softened

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp hot water

2 c confectioner's sugar

Directions

Combine the butter, cocoa and hot water. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar until smooth and creamy. I had to use a mixer to get a really smooth frosting. Ice your fav cupcakes and enjoy!!

Valentine's Day Treats

For Valentine's Day, my sister had a bunch of the girls over (including Madison, Brooke, and Caitlyn; the cousins) for lunch, treats and crafts. I brought over a couple treat ideas and they turned out SO cute!!

This cake idea came from a Martha Stewart birthday cake I saw in her magazine. I just bought M&Ms in their Valentine's Day color and covered a boxed cake which I'd frosted with store bought frosting that I dyed pink with food coloring. The little girls LOVED this!

Being the funny chicks we are, we had to cut the cake like this... hahahahaha! We're so hilarious!!

These are no-bake choca-mocha squares!

Choca-Mocha Squares

Adapted from The Happy Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

2 tbsp cocoa

1/2 c sugar

1 egg

1/2 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 c graham cracker crumbs, about 1 sleeve of crackers

1/2 c almond slivers, toasted at 325 for 5 min

Frosting

1 tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp cocoa

1 tbsp coffee

1 c confectioners sugar (powered sugar)

Directions

Combine cocoa, sugar and egg in a medium saucepan, mix well. Add butter, stir frequently over medium heat until bubble. Remove from heat, add vanilla and nuts. Gradually add graham cracker crumbs and mix well. Press into a greased 8-inch square pain. Let cool.

For the frosting, combine the butter, cocoa and coffee until smooth. Gradually add confectioners sugar until you get a creamy texture. Spread over cooled squares and refrigerate. Once firm, cut into desired shape and serve.

Lemon Almond Biscotti dipped in White Chocolate

My Aunt Kimmie and Uncle James love coffee. Whenever we have family get togethers, Uncle J always wants to make coffee in his fancy machine. I thought making this would be a perfect dessert because he could have an excuse to use his coffee maker.

Lemon Almond Biscotti dipped in White Chocolate
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from about 3 to 4 lemons)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped whole almonds
18 ounces white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixture until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Mix in the lemon zest and then the flour, and beat until just blended. (The dough will be sticky). Stir in the almonds. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough evenly into 2 equal mounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. With moist hands, space the dough evenly apart and form into 2 (9 by-3-inch) logs. Bake for 35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are pale golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the pan does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the end of each biscotti in the chocolate. Transfer the dipped biscotti to a wire rack, set over a baking sheet, until the chocolate has hardened. Store in an airtight container.