Happy Sunday to all! I thank God for this beautiful day of unseasonably warm weather.
Nov30
Monthly Archives: November 2014
Nov29
Double Chocolate Soufflés with Warm Fudge Sauce
I’m elevating this dessert to “Dream Treat”. You can prepare the ingredients ahead, spoon the batter into soufflé dishes, cover, and freeze until you’re ready to cook them. They can go straight from the freezer to the oven.
These chocolate soufflés are a super-decadent dessert and the perfect finishing touch to dinner parties or a quiet dinner for two.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 soufflé and about 2 tablespoons sauce)
Ingredients
SOUFFLE:
Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
6 large egg whites
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preparation
1. Position oven rack to the lowest setting, and remove middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.
2.To prepare the soufflés, lightly coat 6 (8-ounce) soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk; remove from heat. Add 3 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla and egg yolk.
4. Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; place baking sheet on the bottom rack of 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove soufflés from oven). Bake 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the side of soufflé comes out clean.
5. To prepare sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon flour; stir well with a whisk. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring well with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 ounce chocolate, stirring until smooth. Serve warm with soufflés.
Note: You can prepare the ingredients ahead, spoon the batter into soufflé dishes, cover, and freeze until you’re ready to cook them. They can go straight from the freezer to the oven. Make the sauce ahead, too, and simply warm it before serving.
Nov29
Tall For A Girl
At 6 feet myself, I so get this post and had to share. Tall girls rock!!
I’m not super tall for a human nor am I exceptionally tall for a girl, but I am a few inches on the up side of average. I’m 5’9″ (1.75 meters), which some of you may agree is fairly tall for a girl.
I say I’m 5’9″, but it’s really something like 5 ft 9 ½ inches. However, since I aged out of single digits, I haven’t felt the need to count my age nor height in quarters and halves. Though I guess I just did.
Anyway, I thought tell all you short people the benefits and disadvantages of being tall (for a girl).
Pro:
I don’t typically need to stand on something to reach the top shelf. I can reach all the shelves in my closet and in my kitchen, and I can change most light bulbs in my house without a stepladder.
Con:
All the short people I know…
View original post 674 more words
Nov28
Crispy Chocolate Log
I can’t decide if I like them better cold from the fridge (so the chocolate is chunky)….or at room temperature (so the chocolate is gooey). Either way I can’t help but eat about 3 slices, in one sitting. Yikes!
Total Time: Prep: 15 min. + chilling
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients
1 package (10 ounces) large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup peanut butter
5-1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
Directions
1. Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the marshmallows, butter and peanut butter. Cover and microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes; stir until well blended. Stir in cereal until well coated. Spread into prepared pan.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and butterscotch chips. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-1/2 minutes. Stir; spread over cereal mixture to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side, peeling waxed paper away while rolling. Place seam side down on a serving plate. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set. Cut into 1-in. slices.
Nov27
Happy Thanksgiving!
In all things give thanks!! Enjoy abundant life by overflowing with praise and thankfulness.
Nov26
Stéphane Rolland Couture Fall 2014 Collection
Stéphane Rolland Couture Fall 2014 collection is amazing!! Enjoy!
Nov24
Chocolate Turtle Cake
In time for Thanksgiving… Chocolate, caramel, and pecans are made to be together, and their flavors harmonize perfectly in this stunning chocolate layer cake. Devil’s food cake mix with pudding plus chocolate morsels result in brownie-like layers filled and frosted with a jazzed up ready-to-spread fudge frosting. The finishing touches are turtle candies and a drizzling of dulce de leche ice cream topping.
Ingredients
Unsweetened cocoa
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 (6-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (16-oz.) container ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup canned dulce de leche
2 (7-oz.) packages turtle candies
1 (16-oz.) can ready-to-spread chocolate fudge frosting
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche ice cream topping
1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, and dust with cocoa. Set aside.
2. Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate morsels and chopped pecans. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour.
4. Whisk together cream cheese frosting and canned dulce de leche in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Cut 6 turtle candies in half, and set aside for garnish. Dice remaining turtle candies.
5. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting mixture; sprinkle with one-third diced turtle candies. Repeat procedure twice. Place final cake layer on top of cake, cut side down. Spread chocolate fudge frosting on top and sides of cake. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before serving, drizzle dulce de leche ice cream topping over top of cake. Garnish with remaining halved turtle candies and pecan halves. Store in refrigerator.
Nov23
Sunday Reflections
Nov22
Chocolate Sheet Cake
First off, to my followers, I am SO sorry I have not posted in forever. But good news, I am back! So without further ado, a new recipe! 🙂
This has been one of my favorite chocolate recipes since forever. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup water
4 Tablespoons cocoa
½ cup shortening
½ cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
FROSTING
½ cup butter
6 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoon cocoa
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
(nuts if desired, I never add them)
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, measure flour and sugar. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, water, cocoa and shortening. Bring to a boil. After mixture reaches a boil, add it to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
3. Add buttermilk, then baking soda, then eggs, then vanilla in that order, mixing in-between each addition.
4. Pour into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes
FROSTING
1. Bring combine butter milk and cocoa and bring to a boil, stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
2. After cake has cooked, remove from oven and poke holes in hot cake with a fork. Pour frosting evenly over top.
Nov9
Sunday Reflections
This day is shaping up to be beautiful and sunny. Have an amazing Sunday!
Egos & Buffaloes 