Chocolate Stout Cake , from Gael

Chocolate Stout Cake , from Gael

adapted from Bon Appétit, September 2002

Cake
2 cups Guinness stout
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter (or spray) three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter (or spray) paper.

Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. keep an eye on it, it will foam up. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Let this mixture cool while you do the next steps.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl (not your mixer bowl, though) to blend, set aside.

Using electric mixer with the whip attachment, beat eggs and sour cream in the mixer's bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes.Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

This obviously makes a large 3 layer cake, but you can just bake 2 layers and make cupcakes with the rest of the batter.

Fudge Icing:
4 ounces butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In another saucepan, over medium heat, combine the butter and milk. Bring to a boil.

SIFT the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and whisk/beat very well. Add the vanilla and finish mixing.

Let stand at room temp, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency for frosting or piping.

Texas Sheet Cake, from Gael

Texas Sheet Cake, from Gael

I have never had Texas Sheet Cake, but it is supposed to be awesome. Found it on a Web site that claims "It is absolutely, without a doubt, The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. It’s moist beyond imagination, chocolatey and rich like no tomorrow, and 100% of the time, causes moans and groans from anyone who takes a bite. "

The Web site offers photos of each step of the recipe, Couldn't be simpler!

Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt: 2 sticks butter

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together. Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.*

Add:2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (like cookie sheet, but with sides) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add: 6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Stir together.

Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

*I usually don’t have buttermilk in the fridge when I want to make this cake, so here’s what I do: pour just under 1/2 cup regular milk into the measuring cup, then add enough regular vinegar to the milk to bring the quantity up to 1/2 cup. Within seconds, it turns into buttermilk and works perfectly. Try it sometime!

Nutella Crinkle Cookies, from Gael

Nutella Crinkle Cookies, from Gael

Gael made these on 12/13/08 for her annual Cookie Swap party in Seattle. They are similar to regular Chocolate Crinkles, but the use of Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread) instead of melted chocolate, and the addition of hazelnuts, made them special. Rob and I really liked them and so did partygoers. I think these will replace regular Chocolate Crinkles for me.

You need to plan ahead and buy the Nutella, which isn't super-cheap, nor are hazelnuts. Nutella is usually shelved with marshmallow fluff or spreads like peanut butter.

Found in Cook's Country Magazine, January 2009 issue

3 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
13 ounce jar of Nutella (this comes out to be about 1 1/4 c)
4 T unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t instant espresso powder (I used this, but it's probably fine if you don't have any)
2 large eggs
1/3 c milk
1 1/2 c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped fine (I didn't toast and I think I used about half. To chop, I used a blender.)
1 c powdered sugar to roll cookies in

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl.

With electric mixer on medium-high, beat Nutella, butter, sugar till light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, espresso powder, and eggs and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mix and milk. Mix till just combined.

Fold in 1/2 c hazelnuts and refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.

Place remaining hazelnuts in bowl. Add powdered sugar to another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, roll in nuts, then in powdered sugar.

Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Chocolate Charlotte, from Grace

Chocolate Charlotte, from Grace

Grace gave this to me in April 2008. She says: "This is a good opportunity to use some pretty dish that you have. I have my Mother's crystal compote and it looks so nice. Also Crate & Barrel has such pretty compotes and cheap, too."

1 eight oz pkg semisweet bar chocolate
3 tablespoons water
4 eggs separated
1/2 cup margarine softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cream, whipped
1 cup cream, whipped and sweetened
10 double lady fingers
curl 1 oz chocolate for garnish

In a large bowl, melt 7 oz chocolate and 3 tablespoons water. Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat in margarine small amounts at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Beat whites to soft peaks and add sugar slowly and fold into above. Beat cream and fold into above.

Line straight-sided 2 quart dish with lady fingers. Pour in charlotte.

Whip and sweeten 1 cup cream and garnish top with curled chocolate .

Mississippi Mud Brownies/Cake, from Gael

Mississippi Mud Brownies/Cake, from Gael

From the book "Southern Cakes." Gael made on 6-28-07 for book club and brought the rest into work where they vanished in seconds. Everyone loved this and folks asked for the recipe. One co-worker called it the "Michael Bay of brownies" (Michael Bay is a movie director who makes films with lots of explosions.) It's amazingly rich. Easy to make, easy to slice, which isn't always the case for gooey chocolate desserts. It's technically a cake, but it seemed more like brownies.

CAKE
1 cup butter, chunked
1/2 cup cocoa
4 eggs, beaten well
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

FROSTING
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk or evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups miniature marshmallows

For cake: Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan.

In medium saucepan, combine butter and cocoa and cook over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in beaten eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, salt and pecans. Beat until well combined and smooth and flour has disappeared.

Quickly pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (mine was more like 35) until cake springs back when gently touched in center and is beginning to pull away from sides of pan.

While cake is baking: Make frosting. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and cocoa, mix well. Add melted butter, milk and vanilla. Beat everything well. Set aside until cake is done.

Remove cake from oven: Scatter marshmallows on top. Return to hot oven for 3 minutes (I would go up to 5, watching them) to soften marshmallow.

Place on wire rack or folded kitchen towel. Pour frosting over it. You may find some marshmallows end up kind of uncovered but that gives it kind of a rustic layered look and people don't mind. Let cool, cut into small pieces.

Ultimate Chocolate Bars, from Bernell and Eileen

Ultimate Chocolate Bars, from Bernell and Eileen

Bernell and Eileen made a ton of bars for Gael's high school graduation from Derham Hall on 8/25/1985. These were one of them. Mom still talks about how many bars they made. (See also: Cherry Bars.)

BASE
1/2 cup margarine
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese (save 2 ounces)
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup margarine
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup milk
2 ounces cream cheese reserved from filling
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

No mixing and baking instructions given! Guess you have to wing it!

Bobby Fashingbauer's Brownies

Bobby Fashingbauer's Brownies

Mom says: She baked these from 1940s on, they were one of her specialties.

2 squares chocolate
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup milk
salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
nuts

For 9 x 13 pan.

Important note: Egg whites are beaten stiff and folded in last. Yolks are added with sugar and margarine.

(No baking temp or time given...I guess just use regular brownie time/temp...350 for 30 minutes or until done?)

Evelyn Coda's Brownies

Evelyn Coda's Brownies
Mom writes: This recipe is from Evelyn Coda, the night nurse in charge at St. Luke's Hospital when I worked there in 1970-71. The brownies are very good and easy to make and so is the frosting -- it's one of my favorites. (Mom recopied it over numerous times in her recipe box.)

1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 can Hershey's syrup (16 oz.)

Mix and bake for 30 minutes in a greased (bottom only) 9 x 13 pan at 350.

FROSTING: 1 c sugar, 4 T milk (I use 1/4 c), 4 T margarine. Mix in saucepan. Boil 1/2 min. Turn off heat and add 3/4 c (6 oz) chocolate chips. Allow to melt and then spread.

Mocha Truffles, from Gael

Mocha Truffles, from Gael

Very rich, but great for holiday presents

24 ounces chocolate chips
8 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons instant coffee
2 teaspoons water
1 pound dark chocolate confectionery coating
You will need tiny candy cups, Maid of Scandinavia has them

Melt chocolate chips. Add cream cheese, coffee and water, mix well. Chill until firm enough to shape (a couple of hours). Shape into one-inch balls. I put one candy cup in front of me and eyeball it for size as I shape them and place them on a waxed-paper-lined cookie sheet. Chill for 1-2 hours or until firm. I usually do this overnight.

Melt chocolate coating. I melt about one-third at a time. Dip truffles and place on waxed paper to harden. Be warned--dipping can get messy! I use a teaspoon and kind of roll the truffle around in the coating to coat all sides, but still when I take it out, there's usually a mark from the spoon. You can try to cover this mark by dripping coating on it after you put it on the waxed paper and before the coating hardens.

After coating hardens, place in candy cups. Recipe is supposed to make 66, but I think I make them slightly larger than they should be and doubt I've ever ended up with that many.

Grasshopper Bars, from Anne

Grasshopper Bars, from Anne

From Anne’s friend, Sue Delaney. These are super, like fudge!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts – chopped

MIDDLE LAYER
2 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon creamfew drops green coloring1 cup powdered sugar1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavor

TOP LAYER
3 tablespoons butter1/2 cup chocolate chips1 teaspoon vanillaPreheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Beat well. Blend in 2 one-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, vanilla, and flour. Then add chopped nuts. Bake in 8 x 8 pan at 325 for 25 minutes. Mix middle layer, use as frosting on the baked bars. Mix top later, spread over green frosting and refrigerate.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies, from Gael

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies, from Gael

1 box Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup cocoa
1 package chocolate chips -- I like Ghirardelli Double Chocolate
2 drops mint flavoring, up to 3 drops

Preheat oven to 400. Combine cake mix, eggs, water, cooking oil, and cocoa. Blend this well, will be a sticky mess. Let stand 10 minutes, and then shape into small ½-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and smash down flat with large spoon sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 8 minutes. Let cool until they reach room temperature.

Heat chocolate chips in the microwave, or in a double boiler. When completely melted add a couple drops mint flavoring. Careful not to add too much, it is powerful. Spread the melted chocolate on the cookies, or dip the cookies into the chocolate.

Fash’s Fudge, from Claudia

Fash’s Fudge, from Claudia

Claudia used to make this a lot for the Charles family. She tells that people would kill for the fudge--once Alice Rader was carrying the pan and was being chased around the kitchen by various Charleses who were threatening her with a knife to get it back.

2 sticks margarine
4 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped, optional

Bring margarine, sugar and evaporated milk to a boil and boil and stir for about 20 minutes (don't boil at too high heat). Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla.

Now beat till it gets thick enough to fold back on itself without sinking in (Claudia's Secret: if you let it sit a while it will thicken as it cools). Add 1 c chopped walnuts if you like. When it's thick enough, pour into large cake pan that has been either buttered or lined with foil. Refrigerate about 2 hrs or till it hardens enough to cut.

Variation: To make butterscotch fudge, use butterscotch chips.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, from Gael

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, from Gael

These easy cookies are almost like little brownies. Yum!

3 eggs
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted (TIP: 1 oz of unsweetened choc = 3 T cocoa plus 1 T oil)2 t baking powder
2 c flour
1 ½ c sugar
½ c oil
2 t vanilla
Sifted powdered sugar

Beat eggs, granulated sugar, chocolate, oil, baking powder and vanilla with mixer until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Cover and chill 1-2 hours or more. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops crackled.

Brownies and Frosting, from Mom

Brownies and Frosting, from Mom

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add melted choc and eggs, mix well. Add dry ingredients. Pour in greased 9-inch pan Bake 350 for 15 minutes

FROSTING:
1/4 c sugar
3 T butter
3 T milk
Boil for 1 1/2 minutes and add 6 oz choc chips. Beat until spreadable.