Replies

Out of ideas this week, I decided to ‘spin the Bing wheel’ and see what came up; and my sweet tooth was captured! Tell me what kind of cocoa you would use in this recipe.

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

Hmm, I’ve used organic Dutch cocoa before but it was bulk, not a particular brand.

There's a relatively new chain popping up around here called "Nothing Bundt Cakes".

They sell mini bundts that are the size of large donuts.

I'm wondering what they do with the cake missing from the center.

Do they sell them as bundt holes?

That looks wildly delicious! Whenever I use this pan, half of it sticks no matter how much I butter it.

Dirty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
24 Oreo cookies, divided
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions
Coarsely chop 12 Oreo cookies and set aside. Reserve the remaining 12 for later use.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and both sugars together for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt and mix for an additional minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just combined.
Mix in the chocolate chips and coarsely chopped Oreo cookies.
Chill the dough for 2 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Separate the remaining Oreo cookies and scrape the cream filling from the cookie and discard. Place only the cookies in a food processor or blender and blend until they are a fine crumb. Place the cookie crumbs in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls.
Next roll each cookie dough ball into the Oreo dust.
Place the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.

https://cookiesandcups.com/dirty-chocolate-chip-cookies/

This: E Guittard Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened Rouge Red Dutch Process Cocoa or this: HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK 100% Cocoa (Natural and Dutched Cocoas, haven't tried the latter yet (have an unopened new can) but it really looks good.

Rather than the cheese bread from scratch, I would rather make these again, made them only once years ago. Had them at a bunch at my cousin's.

They are delicious, think I used 2 jars Old English cheese spread and whole egg. Bread has to be unsliced and crusts removed. A Pullman loaf would be ideal. Don't think I'm trying to one-upman you, just didn't like the onion soup mix in your recipe and remembered these. Sometimes things don't sound so good and then if you try them, sensational though.

http://www.kraftcanada.com/recipes/cheddar-cheese-puffs-84507 - Cheddar Cheese Puffs

My mother used to make Pillsbury Mardi Gras Cake. I should bake one this weekend.

https://www.momlovesbaking.com/recipe-11-of-52-pillsbury-grand-prize-recipes-in-52-weeks/

Chocolate For The WIN! :)

SAVE

Mmmm. Learned a chocolate frosting tip from a local restaurant that makes the yummiest chocolate cake. Make the usual choc buttercream frosting and then microwave until it melts. Pour over cake. Turns into fudgie heaven!

Fat Tuesday is on the way and none of the bakeries in my area sell King Cakes. Does anyone have a recipe they’d like to share?

Here is a similar cake:

Devil’s Bundt Cake

By Martha Stewart

For the cake:

•Vegetable-oil cooking spray
•1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
•1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•1 cup boiling water
•1 cup sour cream
•1/4 teaspoon fine salt
•3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•2 1/4 cups sugar
•4 large eggs
•1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
•1 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips

Glaze;

•1 cup heavy cream
•8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
•Pinch of fine salt

Method:

1.Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk boiling water into cocoa powder until smooth; whisk in sour cream. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with 2 additions of cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until tops springs back when lightly touched, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set over a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Let cool 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

3. Glaze: Bring cream to a boil in a medium pot. Add chocolate and let stand 5 minutes. Add salt and stir until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes, and then pour over cake allowing the glaze to drip down sides and cover cake. Let set 3 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in refrigerator.

Cook’s Notes

When Martha made this recipe on “Martha Bakes” episode 311, after spraying the pan with nonstick cooking spray, she dusted it with cocoa. And in place of the glaze, Martha dusted the finished cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Here’s a tunnel of coconut cake. They used to make these mixes long ago, so this is an approximation.

Chocolate Macaroons Bundt Cake

1 egg white
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups shredded coconut
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup hot brewed coffee
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
2 cups sifted flour
2 cup sugar
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

350°. Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan. Beat egg white with 1 tsp vanilla until soft mounts form. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in coconut and 1 tbsp flour. Set aside. Dissolve the cocoa in the hot coffee. Separate the three eggs and beat the egg whites until soft mounds form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Combine the sour cream and the baking soda. Beat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, shortening, egg yolks, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, and one half of the cocoa mixture until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour, the sour cream mixture and the remaining cocoa mixture; blend well. Fold in the egg whites. Turn half of the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Place half of the coconut mixture on top. Cover with the remaining chocolate batter, then the remaining coconut mixture. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from pan and icing. In a saucepan, mix 2 cup sugar, 4 tbsp cocoa, butter, corn syrup, and milk. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, let cool, and beat until it is of spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Do not over cook!

Chocolate Walnut Salted Caramel Torte Ingredients

1 pack of graham crackers
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 oz of butter
1 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts (if using raw walnuts put in the oven at 350 until fragrant and slightly browned)
3/4 of a cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Salted Caramel sauce courtesy of: Foods Of Our Lives

Chocolate Walnut Salted Caramel Torte Crust
In food processor, pulse one pack of graham crackers until fine.
Add half a cup toasted walnuts and 6 oz of melted butter. Pulse this until well combined.
Press into the bottom of a tart pan or springform pan. I like to get a good edge by using a measuring cup to press the sides up.
Place remaining walnuts over the crust and gently press them into the crust slightly.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
12 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Preparation Instructions
Put the sugar in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, this will take a few minutes.
Once the sugar has all melted start adding the butter one piece at a time. Whisk until the butter is all melted
Wait about 3 seconds and then add the cream slowly. Whisk as you add until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.
Add the salt and whisk again a couple times just to incorporate.
Let cool in the pan for a bit and then pour, carefully, into a mason jar to store. It should keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge but I haven’t tested that since it never lasts more than 24 hours in my house.

Make salted caramel sauce from Food of our Lives. “It is seriously best sauce of my life,” notes the baker of this torte!
Gently pour a cup to a cup and a half of caramel over the nuts making sure it’s evenly distributed.
Set aside to cool and thicken. -it can be set in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to cool quickly to make sure it’s done in time for the chocolate.

Chocolate Walnut Salted Caramel Torte Filling

Place 3/4 a cup of heavy whipping cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (until milk is visibly heated but not boiling).
Remove from heat pour in one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let’s sit for about 3 minutes.
Whisk until smooth.

Assembling the Rest of the Chocolate Walnut Salted Caramel Torte

At this point you want a mostly firm caramel before you add the chocolate to assure you get that good layering effect. Gently drizzle the chocolate over top making sure to cover all of it evenly.
Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. This is a great dessert to make ahead of time and saves well for at least 3 days in the fridge. Enjoy!

meaningfulmama.com/chocolate-walnut-salted-caramel-torte.html

This cake is calling me..

Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake

Ingredients
Fudge Cake
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
Chocolate Buttercream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound butter at room temperature
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º.
To make the cake, place the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Gently microwave, using 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until almost all melted. Remove and let sit, stir until smooth. If needed zap again for a few seconds to make sure all chocolate is melted.
Spray two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick oil and flour spray like Bakers Joy. Whisk together the 2 cups of flour, the baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine the brown sugar and 8 tablespoons soft butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and beat on high for another 1½ minutes.
Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating on high for 30 seconds after adding each egg. Scrape down the bowl after each addition, then beat on high for 2 more minutes. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl.
Microwave 1 cup of water until near boiling in a microwave safe Pyrex measuring cup. With the mixer on low add a third of the flour mixture. Mix, then add ½ cup sour cream; allow to mix for 30 seconds. Add another third of the flour and the remaining sour cream and mix for another 30 seconds. Add the remaining sifted flour and the boiling water and mix for an additional 30 seconds before removing the bowl from the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter, until it is smooth and thoroughly combined. You do not want to over-mix.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes at room temperature. Remove cakes to cooling racks and refrigerate until needed.
To make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a 2½-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place 8 ounces semisweet chocolate and the instant coffee powder in a heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.
To make the buttercream: Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate in the top half of double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap. Allow to heat for 8 to 10 minutes, add vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.
Place 1 pound of butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat the butter on low for 2 minutes then on medium for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the butter to a large bowl. Set aside until needed.
Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 5 egg whites and 1 cup sugar in the top half of the double boiler. Gently whisk the egg whites until they reach a temperature of 120 degrees, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the heated egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Remove from mixer.
Fold the melted chocolate into the butter, using a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine. Fold in the whipped egg whites until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
To assemble the cake: Remove cakes from refrigerator and turn them over so the top side is facing up. Trim off the tops of the cakes, if they are rounded. Slice each cake horizontally into 2 equal layers. Place the top layer of a cake onto the bottom of a closed 9-inch springform pan. Evenly spread 1½ cups of the buttercream over the cake in the springform pan. Place the bottom layer of the first cake onto the buttercream and gently press into place. Pour 1¼ cups of ganache over the cake layer, spreading the ganache evenly to the edges. Refrigerate the remaining ganache. Place the top layer of the second cake on top of the ganache and press into place. Spread 1½ cups buttercream evenly over this layer. Place the remaining bottom cake layer, cut side down, onto the buttercream and gently press into place. Cover the entire cake and pan with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.
To decorate the cake: Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with 1½ cups of buttercream. Remove the cake from the freezer. Run a metal spatula or table knife around the edges next to the pan to release the cake from the springform pan. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Using a cake spatula, evenly spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized star tip with remaining ganache. To decorate the cake, first pipe a ring of the buttercream stars around the outside edge of the top of the cake. Then pipe a circle of ganache stars (each star touching the other) inside the ring of buttercream. Alternate the rings of buttercream stars and circles of ganache stars, until the entire top of the cake is covered. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before cutting.
To cut and serve the cake: When ready to serve, slice the cake and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minute before serving.

https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/chocolate-fudge-layer-cake-sundaysupper/

Looks too yummy.

It was fun the other day watching season 3 of the Great British Baking Show when they were all to make a classic drizzle cake. Which I had never heard of. So interesting to see all the classic cakes they have in England that we don’t. (A drizzle cake has icing but also has some kind of flavored liquid that is drizzled inside the cake after the baker pokes tiny holes all into it.)

Hi Jamestown1630! that bundtcake looks fit to eat!

Hot coco sounds good tooooo.......but I have a problem; I’m not able to have chocolate.

I hope and wonder if while you are exploring this avenue if you and any other folks who might be beset with this know of any good recipes for carob, or good ways to adapt carob to some chocolate recipes successfully. I would really appreciate the help!

I have tried a few hot carob drinks but have not really cared about them very well. I know it can be really good (I’ve actually had some somewhere) but I have not been able to achieve it myself.

Thanks for all you do!

texokie

This looks incredible!

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream*
2 and 1/2 cups (600ml) whole milk*
two 4-ounce bars semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped*
4 large eggs
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 loaf day-old challah bread, cut into 1 inch cubes*
1 cup (190g) chocolate chips or 4 extra ounces chopped chocolate
optional add-ins: 1 cup of chopped pecans, dried cranberries/cherries, peanut butter chips, etc
optional toppings: salted caramel, fresh berries, homemade whipped cream

Directions:
Over medium heat, heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a medium saucepan until simmering. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil— that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Then stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Set aside for a few minutes to slightly cool down so as not to cook the eggs in the next step.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the chocolate cream mixture and whisk until smooth. Divide this chocolate custard mixture in half. Add the bread cubes and chocolate chips to one half and stir to evenly coat.
Grease a 9x13-inch (or similar size) baking pan. Spread the soaked bread evenly into the pan. Pour the remaining chocolate custard evenly over the top. If you have extra, dot a few chocolate chips on top too (this is for looks and extra chocolate taste!). Cover tightly and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the bread has a chance to soak up some of the custard. This is crucial. You can also chill the unbaked bread pudding in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake the bread pudding for 45-50 minutes until the edges appear set. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. It will come out with a few moist crumbs, but won’t be overly wet.
Garnish with toppings and serve warm.
Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Serve leftovers warm, room temperature, or cold. We found that the bread pudding had a slight texture change when reheated. The custard was a little more solid and not deliciously soft. The bread pudding is best eaten right out of the oven.

Make ahead tip: You can prepare the bread pudding through step 3 and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking. You can also freeze the baked bread pudding for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in the oven until warm throughout. See the last step in the recipe with notes on the taste/texture after reheating. I do not suggest freezing the unbaked pudding as the custard will separate when thawing/baking.

Recipe Notes:
*I found the best combination of liquid to be 1 cup of heavy cream/heavy whipping cream with 2 and 1/2 cups of whole milk. Alternatively, you can use 3 and 1/2 cups of full-fat half-and-half. I do not suggest all whole milk or anything lower in fat. If you buy a pint of heavy cream, you can use the leftover 1 cup to make whipped cream to top the baked bread pudding. See step 6 in this strawberry shortcake recipe for how I usually make homemade whipped cream.

*Since you’re essentially making a thinned-out ganache, it’s best to use real chocolate. You can find the 4 ounce baking bars in the baking aisle. I like using Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand. You can use 8 ounces (heaping 1 and 1/3 cups) of quality chocolate chips instead, such as Ghirardelli brand. I tested this recipe with unsweetened chocolate as I knew I wanted to top it with salted caramel and sweetened whipped cream. It was extra dark and not overly sweetened; we loved it. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, or unsweetened chocolate. White chocolate will work as well, though I would reduce the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup.

*You need around 1 lb of bread. I suggest a rich sweet bread like challah or brioche. You can also use a baguette. I don’t suggest a heartier bread or sourdough bread as their flavors don’t pair well with sweet bread pudding. Whichever bread you use, slice and leave it out overnight so it’s stale and can really soak up the custard. Moist bread creates a soggy bread pudding.

You can bake the bread pudding in several individual ramekins. Adjust the baking time as needed.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/02/12/dark-chocolate-bread-pudding/