Chocolate Raspberry Cake

For my birthday I decided to make myself a cake.  It might sound silly, but I had seen an episode on the Food Network of Giada de Laurentis making a chocolate layer cake, and I knew that's what I wanted.  Thankfully, her recipe was online, as I couldn't remember the exact ingredients.  This cake is delicious and we will definitely be eating it again. 

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 cup raspberry freezer jam {original recipe calls for raspberry puree, but I didn't have any and the freezer jam worked just fine}.

Dump cake mix into a large mixing bowl.  Scoop out one tablespoon of mix and stir it with the chocolate chips in a separate bowl.  {This keeps the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake}.  Add oil, water, and eggs to the cake mix and beat at medium speed until well combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  Divide batter into two 9-inch round baking pans.  Bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes.  

Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove to wire cooling rack until completely cool, about 1 hour. 

To make frosting:

Combine butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, cream cheese and sour cream in a large mixing bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy.  

Remove 3/4 cup of this chocolate mixture and add it to 1/4 cup raspberry jam.  

Place one cake on cake stand or platter and frost with the chocolate/raspberry frosting mixture.  Place second cake on top of this and use remaining chocolate frosting to cover the cake.  Garnish with fresh raspberries.  

Cake needs to be refrigerated, and can be made one day ahead.  Just be sure to store it in an airtight container.  

source:  slightly adapted from Food Network

Disclosure:  Yes, my blog is titled 'Only From Scratch'.  However, there are occasionally recipes that I find that are not completely from scratch, and yet are so delicious that I must share them here.  This is one of those recipes.  You could easily make this cake using a recipe for a chocolate cake from scratch, and just add the chocolate chips and make the frosting as called for above.  

Chocolate Dream Bars

One of my all time favorite cookies that my mom makes every year for Christmas are Seven Layer cookies.  True to its name, there are seven ingredients, all layered into a pan:  butter, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and nuts.

I've been wanting to change it up a little bit and finally got the ingredients I needed the other day.  Instead of graham cracker crumbs, I crushed up some pretzel sticks I had in the pantry.

Then, I omitted the butterscotch chips and used four different kinds of chocolate.  If you like chocolate, you'll love these.

Milk, dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips melt together to create a dreamy chocolate taste!  Even though I don't normally like coconut, somehow in these cookies it adds to the taste instead of overpowering.

The sweetened condensed milk gets evenly drizzled over the top, and then bakes for 35 minutes.  I try to avoid nuts as much as possible when baking, since my husband is not a fan, but you could definitely finish these off with some chopped pecans on top.

Make sure you have some milk in the fridge if you're going to make these.  You can cut them small and serve on a cookie platter.  OR, make the pieces a bit bigger, serve them warm, and place a scoop of ice cream on the top.  An easy dessert that is sure to please.


Chocolate Dream Bars

3/4 stick butter or margarine
3/4 cup pretzel crumbs {or graham cracker crumbs}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Spread butter or margarine on the bottom of 8x8-inch pan.  Sprinkle pretzel crumbs evenly over top.  Then, sprinkle chocolate pieces; top with coconut.  Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top, being sure to cover as much of the coconut as possible.  Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.  Cool before slicing.

This could easily be made in a 9x13-inch pan.  Just double all the ingredients and use on entire can of sweetened condensed milk.

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Chocolate Slice Shortbread Cookies

 My sister recently gave me a new cookbook titled, Around My French Table, and I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through it. Reading cookbooks is a hobby of mine.  In fact, there is often a cookbook or two on my nightstand reading stack.  This cookbook is great because there are hundreds of French recipes, but they are not all complicated.  The author does a great job of giving tips for each recipe on whether or not you can freeze it, various ways to serve the dish, and other little tips to help in the kitchen.

Beware, because I'm going to be sharing many recipes from her book and most of them contain LOTS of butter!

This cookie recipe was one that I flagged upon my first perusal of the book because it combines two of my favorite things in a dessert:  butter and chocolate.  Not only that, but in her little side tip, she suggests serving these cookies as an ice cream sandwich using Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream.  Coffee ice cream just happens to be my favorite flavor, and with a little Heath Magic Shell topping, you have the perfect combination.  These cookies added a nice touch.

Chocolate Slice Shortbread Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (10 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped {optional}

Whisk the flour, cocoa, and salt together.  In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar and beat until creamy, but not airy.  Mix in the vanilla.  Gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate at this point, if using.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 1 3/4 inches in diameter.  Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Slice the logs into 1/2-inch thick cookies {or 1/3 inch if you want them thinner} and place on baking sheets.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating sheets at the halfway point.  Cookies should be firm to the touch.  Cool on wire racks.

You can refrigerate the dough for 3 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months.  If freezing, just add a minute or two to the baking time.  


source: Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

Chocolate Buttermilk Scones {the not-so-skinny ones}

 

One of my Pinterest boards, is titled "Recipes to Try".  Perhaps many of you also have a board that is similar to this one.  Well, I decided it was about time to start trying those recipes out!  {This is the danger of Pinterest.  We find great ideas and then just spend lots of time looking, but no time creating}.

This is the original pin and if you follow the link it will take you to the recipe.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Looks great and I'm sure they're wonderful!  However, I'm more of a not-so-skinny kind of cook, so I changed it up a bit and made my own 'fat' version of this one.  The hubby liked them.  My friend who received the ones wrapped in the package above {I really need to invest in some baker's twine and brown paper} liked them.  It's a keeper.  Perfect for any out-of-town guests you might have with you celebrating Independence Day this week!

Chocolate Buttermilk Scones


2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips
egg white
sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In another small bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, vanilla and egg; whisk to combine.  Pour this mixture into the large bowl and stir until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Place dough onto a well-floured surface, and knead a few times.  {I had to keep adding in more flour so that the dough wouldn't stick to me}.  Form dough into a 9-inch circle, on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.  Cut with a knife dipped in flour, all the way through the circle, into 12 wedges.  Brush egg white all over and sprinkle with extra sugar.  Bake at 375F for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

source:  slightly adapted from Skinny Taste

Celebrating Julia Child & Chocolate Mousse

Perhaps the most famous culinary expert of the 20th century was Julia Child.   Often bored and lonely upon her arrival in France with her husband, Julia struggled to learn French and fit into her host culture.  Attending culinary school gave her the joy she had lacked and she quickly mastered French cuisine.  She authored a cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which has been a great tool for cooks in being able to bring French cuisine to the American table.

This year, August 15, Julia would have been 100 years old.  In celebration of her life, and the great culinary inspiration she provided, many bloggers are participating in JC100.  I was contacted and invited to participate, and I eagerly agreed!  Do you remember the movie Julie and Julia from a few years ago?  It is one of my favorites and truly inspired me in my culinary endeavors.  Attending culinary school is a dream of mine, so being able to 'watch' Julia's experience via this movie was a lot of fun.  I've always wanted to try her recipes, so now I get the opportunity! 

Each week we are given a new recipe of Julia's, and we are able to share the recipe with you!  This week's recipe is Chocolate Mousse, a favorite dessert in my husband's family, so it was only appropriate that my in-laws are in town this week and can sample this decadent delight.  

Hope you enjoy!  Bon Appetit!

In, what I would think would have been Julia's fashion, I measured out all of my ingredients into prep bowls and placed them on the counter, in easy to reach places.

I even weighed the chocolate to ensure that I had exactly 6 ounces.  You can't always trust a labeled bag.

Julia may not forgive me for this, but I opted to leave out the orange liquer that is called for in the recipe.  I just couldn't seem to find any in my pantry {ha!}...and honestly, I don't like orange flavor in my chocolate.  This may have caused a bit of a different consistency as I cooked the first part {there was never any foam in mine}, but it ended up just fine.   Her description of the egg yolks and sugar mixture is that it will look like mayonnaise.  She was right.

Smooth melted chocolate, with a bit of coffee and lots of butter {always lots of butter in Julia's recipes} makes for yummy chocolate.

 Beating egg whites is apparently an art.  I'm not sure if I've mastered it, but this is what the 'stiff peaks' should look like.  If you use an electric mixer, the beaters should leave small peaks when you lift them up and off of the mixture.

I believe folding something into another portion of the recipe is best accomplished with the use of a spatula--it makes for gentle stirring.

Hopefully, these pictures and little tips will help you if you endeavor to try this recipe.  And, be sure to check out the other bloggers who are joining in this celebration by looking at the Facebook page.

Chocolate Mousse

A 3-quart porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup instant sugar {I used regular granulated sugar}

1/4 cup orange liquer

pan of not-quite simmering water

basin of cold water

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon.  Beat in the orange liquer.  Then set mixing bowl over the not-quite simmering water and continue beating for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger.  Then beat over cold water for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon.  It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

6 ounces or squares of semisweet baking chocolate

4 Tablespoons strong coffee

A small saucepan

6 ounces, or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Optional: 1/4 cup finely diced, glazed orange peel

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in butter, a bit at a time, to make a smooth cream.  Beat the chocolate into the yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange peel.  

4 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.  Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the rest. 

Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

Crispy Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently picked up a copy of a Food Network magazine at the grocery store.  What about it grabbed my attention?  It was the CHOCOLATE issue!  The front cover tantalized my taste buds and I couldn't wait to tear into it and discover some incredible chocolate recipes.  Near the center of the magazine I was delighted to find several different recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I have always made the classic recipe, printed on the back of bags of chocolate chips, so we've had fun over the past few weeks trying out some of these various recipes.  The one I'm posting today is our favorite so far.  The ingredients aren't too different from the standard, but they get baked at a higher temperature.  I'm not an expert on science in the kitchen, so I don't know why these turn out the way that they do, but the crispy edges and cakey middle provide the perfect textures for a delicious cookie.

Crispy Cakey Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, then beat in the vanilla.  Add the flour, salt and baking soda; beat until combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.  bake until golden brown around the edges but still light in the center, about 8 minutes.  Removed from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

source:  Food Network, March 2012

Chocolate Malt Filled Cupcakes

This cupcake recipe was born out of some research I did on cream filled cupcakes, combined with a desire to make something up using one of my favorite Easter candies:  Whoppers Robin Eggs.  I offered to bring dessert for our Easter get together yesterday, and it was fun to be able to make something with ingredients I had on hand and a little bit of creativity.  Have lots of Easter candy leftover?  Then, this would be perfect for you to make!  Everyone seemed to enjoy them, and my husband even told me they were the best cupcakes he'd ever had {I hope he wasn't lying, but it's quite possible he exaggerated a bit for his overly emotional pregnant wife}.

I used some pretty standard Betty Crocker recipes for the cake and the icing, and added a bit of a twist for the inside filling.  Hope you enjoy!

Starlight Yellow Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups milk
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs

Heat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Beat all ingredients together in large mixing bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.  Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Pour into cupcake liners, about 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Malt Filling
6 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
4 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup baking cocoa
6-8 tablespoons milk
1 cup Whoppers Robin eggs candy

Mix powdered sugar and butter in medium bowl with spoon or electric mixer on low speed.  Mix in vanilla and chocolate.  Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable.  If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk.  If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.

Place candy in a food processor and chop until fine crumbs appear.  Place 1/3 of the icing into a small bowl and stir in the chopped candies.  This will be used for the cupcake filling.

To Assemble:

Ideally, you want to have an actual pastry bag with piping attachment for this process, but since I didn't, I used an object that could make a small hole in the cupcake, and placed the frosting in a ziploc bag with a tiny hole in one corner.  It worked fine.

Make a small hole in the top of each cupcake:

Snip a little corner of the ziploc bag for the icing to squeeze through:

Squeeze into the hole {this will work, just be patient with it; you only need a small amount of filling in each one}:

In another ziploc bag, place some of the plain chocolate frosting.  Make a bigger hole in one bottom corner of the bag and pipe on the top of the cupcake, starting on the outside of the cupcake and working in, in a swirling motion until the cupcake is covered.

Place a single Whopper egg on the top and you are finished!

cake and chocolate buttercream frosting source:  Betty Crocker's Cookbook


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Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

One Saturday, a couple weeks ago, the girls begged me to make some cookies.  I knew we were out of chocolate chips, my husband doesn't like peanut butter cookies, and the girls aren't too fond of oatmeal.  So, I quickly searched the pantry and my handy Old-Fashioned Cookies cookbook to see what we could create.  Based upon the ingredients I had on hand, we were able to make these yummy sandwich cookies.  Delicious, I tell you.  They aren't too sweet or too chocolaty, and the cookies have a cake-like texture which makes them especially yummy.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Printable Version


Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk

Filling
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425F.  For cookies, stir together 2 cups flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Add flour mixture and 1 cup milk.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased {or parchment lined} cookie sheets.

The dough is very cake-like, so don't be alarmed

 Bake about 7 minutes or until set.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

For filling, stir together 1/2 cup milk and 2 tablespoons flour in small saucepan over low heat.

Cook and stir until thick and bubbly; continue cooking 1 or 2 minutes more.  Cool slightly.  Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl until fluffy.

 Add cooled flour mixture and vanilla.

Beat until smooth.

* Note:  You may want to wear an apron, as the filling could splatter all over you, especially if you have a very pregnant belly :)

Spread filling on flat side of half the cooled cookies.

 Top with remaining cookies.

source:  Old-Fashioned Cookies

Day 31: Chocolate Truffle Tart

I figured I would conclude my 31 series with a delectable dessert that is truly perfect for any season of the year, but it would make a nice completion to a fall flavored dinner.  If you enjoy eating truffles, then you will like this; it's basically a huge truffle with a chocolate tart crust.

When I'm planning meals for entertaining I usually try to choose at least one element of the meal to be a bit more difficult to make or at least something that isn't normally on my meal plan.  The first time I made this dessert I served it after serving homemade pizzas.  The pizza was easy, but the dessert took a bit more time and some ingredients I didn't normally have on hand, so it worked well for me.  As you're planning your holiday entertaining menus, this might be a good way to incorporate new dishes into your already tried and true favorites.

The original recipe for this calls for two types of chocolate:  hazelnut and bittersweet or semisweet.  I used milk chocolate and semisweet, but you could use any two types of chocolate for this, so be creative!  Just be sure that you at least use some kind of sweet chocolate so that you don't end up with a bitter dessert.

Chocolate Truffle Tart (or the name on the recipe Torta Galosa)
Printable Version

crust
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

filling
7 ounces milk chocolate chips
7 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup whipping cream

For Crust: 
In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar in medium bowl.  Beat in egg yolks.  Add flour and cocoa.  Mix just until combined.  Form dough into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap in plastic; chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Roll out dough on floured surface to 11-inch round (or 13-inch if using an 11-inch tart pan).  Transfer to 9-inch (or 11-inch) tart pan with removable bottom.

Fold in overhang; press to form double-thick sides.

Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights (I used barley).

 Bake until edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans.  Bake until firm, about 10 minutes longer; cool.

For Filling:
Place chocolate in medium bowl.

Bring cream to boil in small saucepan.  Pour hot cream over chocolate; whisk until smooth.

don't worry that it's runny; it hardens in the fridge

Cool slightly.  Pour chocolate mixture into cooled crust.

it will be shiny 

Cover and chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Remove tart from pan.  If desired, sift cocoa powder lightly over tart.  Cut into small wedges.

source: Bon Appetit, May 2007