Chocolate cake (from scratch)

This simple one bowl cake recipe is easy, super moist and delicious. The buttercream icing recipe makes *just* enough to cover. If you want a thicker icing, make 1 + 1/2 recipe of icing.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together all ingredients. May need to add more milk (slowly) until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. 

German Chocolate Fudge Bites

I have become obsessed with Katie's "Fudge Bites" from her Chocolate-Covered Katie blog. For the Super Bowl, we made the Peanut Butter and Samoa flavors (along with the chocolate chip cookie dough dip, which Elise and I devoured!).

But the very best of all, was the German chocolate flavored fudge bites. EVERYBODY likes these. And with my Penzey's Dutch Process cocoa, they are out of this world. Seriously. The ingredients are natural - pitted dates is the real secret to the fudge babies. The German chocolate flavor adds vanilla, salt, coconut, pecans and cocoa to the mix. SO yummy! I added a couple tablespoons of chocolate chips for extra decadence.

Measure it all out into the Magic Bullet cup (or a food processor):

And grind it all up. I usually scrape down the sides half-way through. You're left with a sticky, delicious dough.

Roll into bite-sized balls and store in the fridge (if there's any left after you make them!) You can get about 10 tablespoon sized bites from this recipe.

Andy's Favorite Brownies

My dear friend Sarah gave me a set of her favorite to-go recipes as part of my wedding gift, almost 10 years ago! Most of them are now my go-to recipes as well. :) This is the recipe for her husband's favorite brownies. I have made them countless times - with or without the melted chocolate chips on top. They are no-fail and fabulous.


INGREDIENTS:
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup cocoa
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips + more to melt on top, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.

Combine the ingredients in the order listed in a large bowl, beating after every addition. Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the center is cooking or a toothpick comes out barely moist.

Remove the brownies from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips for a really simple icing.

Cut into squares and serve warm.

Healthy Deep Dish Cookie Pie

I recently stumbled across a new food blog called Chocolate-Covered Katie. She creates healthy dessert recipes, featuring chocolate! A lot of her recipes are also gluten-free and vegan. While those diet restrictions don't apply to our family, I have more and more friends who are moving to strict diets and it's nice to have some recipes that I know everyone will be able to enjoy.

This deep-dish cookie pie caught my eye and I made it yesterday. The girls DEVOURED it. They didn't know what was in it, they just saw it's gooey, chocolate-chip yumminess and gobbled it up. It is made with oatmeal and garbanzo beans. BEANS! My girls ate beans! And they LOVED it! :)  Doug also ate a piece without knowing and he liked it as well. He said it's texture was "different" but he had no clue it was made with beans.

If you have picky eaters, like I do, you have to check out her site. I can't wait to try her "ice cream" and fudge pie.

Check out Katie's site for the full cookie pie recipe.

I have also made her Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal for breakfast and it was delish!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

This is one of my tried and true recipes. It uses shortening, so it's a good one to make when you're low on butter. These come out perfect on my Silpats and are chewy and delicious. This recipe was found in my grandma's church cookbook from many years ago.


INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in eggs as well. Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt; add into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended. Fold in chips and nuts.

Drop rounded dough onto greased cookie sheet (or use a Silpat). Bake 10 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

I had harvested the last zucchini of the year, so we had to do something special with it.  A recipe featured on Lick the Bowl Good caught my eye- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake. I had purchased a Pampered Chef stone bundt pan from a garage sale for a mere $2. It had never been used! The time was right to break it in. I added a chocolate glaze for a finishing touch and oh my heavens, if you have a bundt pan you MUST try this cake. MUST.


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (* I left this out and it was still amazing)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


For Chocolate Glaze:
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
2 -3 tablespoons hot water



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder or spray liberally with nonstick spray.

Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and end with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary between additions.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. (Mine took 65 minutes to bake). Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine ingredients for glaze and spoon over top of bundt cake, allowing to drizzle down the sides.

Slice and serve.

Store the uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Flaming Turtle Fondue

This one is a Melting Pot knock-off recipe I made for my Real Moms group. I tripled the recipe, but I should NOT have tripled the rum.  It was quite impressive, but took awhile for the flames to burn out. Each time I stirred it they would flare up again! So, go with a little rum, for show, but be careful.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces melted milk chocolate
• 2 ounces caramel sundae syrup
• 1 ounce chopped pecans
• 1/3 ounce one fifty one rum (may substitute with other flambe liquor)

Directions

1. Using a double boiler fondue pot, heat mixture of chocolate and caramel to a temperature no greater than 135°F
2. Stir frequently. (For thinner chocolate, slowly add whole milk while stirring until desired consistency is reached.)
3. Slowly pour rum into fondue pot.
4. Ignite liquor by touching lighted match to edge of pot.
5. After flame burns, sprinkle nuts over chocolate mixture.
6. Serve at 120°F with assorted fruits, marshmallows, cheesecake, brownies and more.

White Chocolate Orange Fondue

This is from my dear friend Kara P! It is always the first one to run out. SOOO yummy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 12 oz white chocolate (baking or chips)
• 1 Tbsp Triple Sec
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

• Warm cream slowly, then add chocolate and stir until melted. Add liqueur, zest and vanilla.

Chocolate Mallow Fondue

Taken from Taste of Home Dec/Jan 2001.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pineapple or banana chunks, apple slices, marshmallows, cubed angel food or pound cake

Directions

• In a microwave, microwave the first five ingredients just until melted; whisk until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with fruit and/or cake. Yield: 4 cups.

Bittersweet Chocolate Fondue

Another recipe I've had for many years.

* 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate
* 1/3 c. heavy cream
* 3 tbsp. liqueur, brandy or rum (optional)

Melt chocolate with cream in double boiler or in microwave. Blend until smooth. Stir in liqueur - or additional 3 tbsp cream.

Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Fondue

I've had this one for years - not sure where it came from. It's Doug's favorite chocolate fondue.

9 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 c. cream or milk
1/2 c. Bailey's

Chocolate Cherry Bites (cookies)

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbl instant expresso powder dissolved in 1 Tbl boiling water (optional)
1 Tbl vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup dried cherries

Grease or use parmchment paper on cookie sheets

Beat butter and sugar for 1 minute, add eggs and beat 1 minute
Add expresso. Add vanilla, Add dry ingreiants that have already been mixed

Drop by rounded Tbl on baking sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees
Cool on sheets 10 minutes before removing