Divine Flourless Chocolate Cake- the easy way

If you've never had flourless chocolate cake, you don't know what you're missing.  Incredibly rich, moist, dense, it is a chocolate lover's dream.  I've loved it for years and have posted a recipe for it before.  But last weekend I tried out a new recipe I came across.  It's pretty similar to the first recipe, same ingredients with slightly different measurements.  But what sets this recipe apart, is the method.  It's really much simpler and I promise- anyone can make this!  Use your kitchenaid for this and it's a snap. This one has now officially became my favorite.  Be sure to serve it with a healthy dose of fresh whipped cream to cut the richness of the cake.

18 ounces bittersweet chocolate pieces
3/4 C unsalted butter
1 T vanilla
5 eggs
1 C sugar
6 T whipping cream
6 T corn syrup
1 C sliced or chopped almonds
fresh whipped cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.  Line the bottom of a 9 in springform pan with parchment, then grease.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt 10 ounces of the chocolate and the butter, stirring frequently until smooth.  Watch closely so the chocolate doesn't burn.  Stir in the vanilla.  Set aside to cool slightly.
In your kitchenaid beat the eggs and sugar until triple in volume, about 5-6 minutes.  Set to low stir setting, and slowly add the chocolate until combined.  Using a rubber spatula, carefully stir to be sure you get everything off the bottom incorporated well.  There may be streaks in the batter, that's okay.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes.  The crust will start to crack a little.
Place on a wire rack and remove the side of the pan.  The top will be uneven, you can leave it alone for a rustic look (which I like) or you can carefully press it down to create and even layer.  Let cool. When you are ready for the glaze, you can either leave it top up like this, or you can invert it onto a plate if you want a really even, flat top.
For the glaze, in a saucepan on low heat, melt the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate with the whipping cream and corn syrup stirring until smooth.  Cool for ten minutes, then pour over cake.  Top with almonds.  I like to cover the top with almonds so I get some of that salty crunch in each bite, but if you prefer you can press the almonds into just the sides of the cake for another nice look.
It is best if refrigerated before serving.  Enjoy with whipped cream!

Chocolate Pastries

Ever since Jared and I went to Paris about 8 years ago, we've loved Pan Au Chocolat.  It's like a croissant with chocolate rolled up in it, but it has a more tubular shape (like the picture above).  I never thought I could do anything like that at home, but once again I have been happily disproven.  I got an idea for these from a recipe I saw on TV, but I've tweaked it and changed the shape making it look more like a classic Pan Au Chocolat that you would find in Paris. The creamy filling is really wonderful, it doesn't taste cream-cheesy, it just tastes like a great creamy chocolate filling.  These would be awesome served with hot chocolate for the cold fall and winter months ahead. 

 Chocolate Pastries
1/2 C cream cheese at room temp
1 egg yolk
1 T flour
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C mini chocolate chips
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, yolk, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips and set aside.
Cut each sheet of pastry into 6 even pieces. Place pieces of pastry onto the parchment lined pans. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of filling into the middle of each piece of pastry. Fold one side down onto the filling, then using a pastry brush, brush it lightly with the beaten egg. Then fold the other side of pastry down onto the egg wash and pinch a little to be sure it stays down during baking. Brush top of entire pastry with a little egg wash. Leave the ends open. It will somewhat resemble an egg roll at this point.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Vote for my recipe so I can win!

I recently joined MixingBowl.com and entered my apple tart (see below) recipe in a contest.  If you haven't joined MixingBowl.com you should!  It's a cool place for recipes and cooking groups and seems different from some of the other cooking websites out there.  They also have contests.  So go vote for my recipe here- http://www.mixingbowl.com/group/contest/view.castle?g=2302396&pi=3  Mine is the Individual Apple Tarts by StephsBakin.  You can vote once a day.  Thanks!!

Cinnamon Rolls and overcoming my fear of yeast

I think I only made cinnamon rolls a couple of times with my mom growing up, not because I didn't like them, but because I hate working with yeast.  Making cinnamon rolls always seemed messy and fussy and I just could not get past the fact that during the whole process there is an actual growing organism sitting on my counter, smelling up the kitchen.
So have I gotten you in the mood for cinnamon rolls?  Well I think I've found my solution to a much simpler process that eliminates the whole bowl of yeast of the counter thing.  This type of recipe may not be new to you, but it had never occurred to me that it could be made with a bread machine (probably because I don't own one).  I borrowed the breadmaker from my friend down the street and dove in.  They turned out absolutely wonderful.  I can't stand dry cinnamon rolls, but these were moist and delicious.  Besides using a bread machine, there is one other trick that sets this recipe apart- pouring a little caramel in the bottom of the pan before placing the rolls in to rise.  It just seems to take them to a whole new level.
For the icing I made up my own with a combination of a little cream cheese (only a little, I don't like a total cream cheese frosting) butter, whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Turned out great.  They were devoured my the class I teach each morning.  So if you're looking for a simpler, absolutely awesome cinnamon roll- give these a try!

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

1 egg

3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons instant powdered milk

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened (for spreading)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

Place water, egg, bread flour, white sugar, powdered milk, salt, 5 tablespoons butter and yeast in bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select DOUGH setting, and turn machine on. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt 1/3 C butter.  Add 1/2 C brown sugar and ice cream; bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes.  Pour caramel into the borrom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees When machine has finished cycling, remove dough from pan and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat dough into a rectangle.  Spread with softened butter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.  Crumble 1/2 C brown sugar over the top.  Roll up lengthwise and seal edge.  Cut into 12 rolls, and place in prepared pan of caramel.  Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Use your favorite frosting!

Pastries!

Jared and I went to Spain for a week at the beginning of the month and had a wonderful time.  It seems like when I travel my experience can be influenced a great deal by the food I enjoy while I'm there.  I had been very excited to eat tortilla espanola, and paella because of my childhood memories of making them with my mom.  But I was pleasantly surprised by the pastries we got to enjoy every morning.  I generally associate pastries with France, and for some reason had not expected all the wonderful pastries that would be tempting me in all the shop windows.  Most mornings we would get a chocolate croissant and an apply pastry and devour them with fresh squeezed orange juice or hot chocolate.  If only we Americans ate breakfast like that on a regular basis! So much for cereal.
So the other night we had a few visitors, Jared's aunt and a couple of her friends.  I decided to make a big paella and follow it up with some wonderful dessert.  When I think of dessert, my mind automatically goes to chocolate.  So I made my favorite flourless chocolate cake.  But after some consideration I decided that not everyone likes to inject chocolate directly into their bloodstream.  So I decided to make the apply pastries as a nice second choice.
I have to say, not only were these very easy to make (the hardest part was peeling the apples) but they were received with way more enthusiasm than I expected.  I kind of felt sorry for the cake sitting there being overlooked, because no one could get enough of the apple pastries.  So, here is a really simple recipe that everyone will be absolutely amazed you actually made it yourself!

Apple Tarte Fine
2 medium size firm sweet apples (golden delicious)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 T butter, cut into small pieces
2 T sugar
3 T melted butter
3 T sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  ThawPeel and core the apples, cut into four quarters.  Slice into about 7 slices per quarter.  On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the puff pastry slightly.  Cut with a sharp knife into 6 even pieces.  Place the pastry onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper leaving an inch or so between pieces.  Dot the pastry with the small cut up pieces of butter, then sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over all the dough.  Then layer the slices of apple, overlapping slightly .  About 6 slices per piece of puff pastry is right.  Using a pastry brush, brush the tops with the melted butter.  Then finally sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on how brown you like the edges.
While they are baking, boil on the stove- 1/3 C apricot jam and a couple tablespoons of water until it is nice and runny and smooth.
After they have been removed from the oven, using the pastry brush, brush the apricot jam over each individual pastry.
These are delicious both warm and cool.

These are so perfect for the fall season which is finally here!  So enjoy!

Buckeye: Ohio State mascot, delicious dessert

It's that time of year.  Back to school?..you're thinking.  Fall maybe?  No, it's the time of year for those of us in central Ohio where we start seeing scarlet and gray everywhere we go along with OSU's mascot- the buckeye.  On the radio today I heard the Ohio State fight song, in the grocery store throughout football season they play the fight song all day on Saturdays.   Yesterday at the grocery store bakery the free cookies they were giving out to kids were...scarlet and gray sugar cookies.  Yes, Ohio State football season is in the air. 
But I have a confession to make:  I never even knew what a buckeye was until we moved to the Columbus area  a couple of years ago.  Now I know that although the plant is actually poisonous, this die hard Ohio State area has created a variety of foods involving the name 'buckeye'.  Out here if something has the word 'buckeye' in it, you can assume that means a combination of peanut butter and chocolate.  The most popular is of course a chocolate created to resemble an actual buckeye.  It's a delicious ball of sweet peanut butter yumminess, dipped in chocolate.  Who can say no to that?  It's like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in a different shape.  They are incredibly easy and everyone loves them. 

 Chocolate Buckeyes
1/2 C butter, room temp (I prefer sweet cream unsalted, and don't you dare use margarine)
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 C Peanut butter (I prefer chunky)
1 t vanilla- please, I'm begging you, use the real stuff!
2 C ghirardelli chocolate chips
1 T white shortening (optional, only do this if you aren't up for tempering your chocolate)

Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and the vanilla together and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper. 
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening, stirring constantly. You can do this in a double boiler, or if you're lazy like me, I use a heavy bottomed sauce pan over low heat on the stove and keep a vigilant eye on it stirring constantly. Use a toothpick to dip balls into the melted chocolate, leaving a small uncovered area so balls resemble buckeyes. Place balls on waxed paper. Use fingers to blend in toothpick holes. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Enjoy! 

The Cooking Book Club

I just wanted to let everyone know about another blog I've started called The Cooking Book Club.  It's for those who love to read as well as cook.  I enjoy book clubs and when I go to our monthly meeting I often try to bake or cook something to bring along that I was inspired to make from the book.  So check it out if you're interested.  www.cookingbookclub.blogspot.com

Not Your Typical Birthday Cake- Lucious Lemon and Raspberry Cake

This week was Jared's birthday.  To tell you something about him, let me just say...we're a bit different when it comes to food.  When we met and got married he was very into Body For Life.  He ate things like tuna on rice crackers and rarely ate dessert.  Soon after we got married he was somewhat banned from the kitchen.  If he thought there was butter in something he wouldn't eat it, but if he didn't know...  I on the other hand could dedicate an entire blog to my love of butter.  I'm proud to say that I have slowly worn him down over the last eight years.  But in a surprise turn of events, last week Jared got out the Body For Life book and announced that he was going to go for it again.  So when his birthday came up a few days ago I wasn't sure what he'd want.  I knew he want something that appeared to be really healthy.  So he asked for a lemon cake, and this is what I came up with. 

But really when you compare it to a typical cake, it's much lighter.  The Recipe only uses 1/2 C veg oil, which keeps it moist.  And if you use light whipping cream, you can cut some calories there too.  Although I of course prefer Heavy Whipping Cream.  :)

This turned out really delicious and the only thing I would change would be to use more raspberries.  The lemon cake isn't as heavy as a pound cake but not quite as light as an angel food cake. 

Lucious Lemon Cake

1 3/4 C Cake Flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C veg oil
6 egg yolks
1/2 C lemon juice
1/4 C water
1 T lemon zest
6 egg whites
1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 C white sugar
Whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Raspberries

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Stir to combine and get any lumps out.  Add the oil, yolks, juice, water, and zest then mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they start to thicken.  Then slowly add the white sugar and beat until thick and shiny and stiff peaks begin to form.  Fold egg whites into the batter. 
Pour into a prepared pan ( I love Pam for Baking with flour).  I used a typical angel food cake pan for this, but you can experiment with others if you like.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Keep an eye on it towards the end, you do not want to overbake this.  If it's overbaked, it will be dry and you want to be sure this cake is nice and moist because it's not going to be covered with frosting.  Cool on wire rack completely. 

Once the cake is cool, beat the whipping cream for the layers.  A good rule of thunb for whipped cream is to use about 1/4 C of powdered sugar for each cup of cream.  I used two cups of cream and beat until nice and thick.

Cut the cake into three even slices.  Place the bottom layer on your cake plate and top with about 1/3 of the cream.  Then cover this with raspberries.  Don't worry about making things look perfect.  I really like the rustic look of this cake.  Add the next layers and repeat until you've added the top layer.  I like to leave it here, but if you prefer you can top it with a little more cream and raspberries. 

Hazelnuts, Caramel, Chocolate...need I say more? Yes, actually, I have a lot more to say.

I don't know why, but hazelnuts are a bit difficult to find around here.  I guess they're just a bit too European for this Ohio suburb.  But I finally found a nice big bag of raw hazelnuts by going across town to Trader Joes.  Oh how I love Trader Joes.  It reminds be of being back in Portland.  I'd been wanting to try out a recipe I saw on TV a while back (I really love Rachel Allen).  But making this recipe turned out to be more of a learning experience than I expected.

Lesson #1- be prepared before you start.  So, this was supposed to be a tart.  But once I'd rolled out my favorite sweet tart dough, I couldn't find my tart pan anywhere!  I know these sort of things sometimes happen after a move, but it was frustrating.  So I settled on a round cake pan.  I patted the dough into place and popped it into the oven...which led to...

Lesson#2 I really know better, I do.  So why would I bake pastry dough without placing parchment filled with dry beans on top?  Maybe not having the right tart pan had just thrown my judgement momentarily, but really there's no excuse.  If you don't line your pie or tart dough, the sides will shrink right down!  You can check out my picture to see exactly what it looks like when this happens.  But I decided to keep going because I had already started.

So then I made the delicious and wonderfully easy caramel then stirred in the hazelnuts.  If you only have raw nuts, definitely take the time to roast them.  Nothing beats the crunch and flavor you get in roasted nuts.  I also like to salt mine.  I'm all about savory and sweet. 

Once that has been poured into the crust, make the ganache for the top.  By now, everyone is well aware of my love for ganache.  :)  But there was one little problem...

Lesson #3 - certain recipes should be made at the right temperature and humidity.  It had been very hot in Ohio and our poor air conditioner just couldn't get this house cool enough.  So, after pouring the ganache on the top for the final step, it never set properly.  I tried putting it in the fridge to harden up a bit, but it would melt again quickly once I brought it out again.  This is pretty clear from my last picture.

But you know, despite these learning experiences, this still tastes really delicious.  And the way the ganache ran down the sides ended up looking rather elegant I like to think.  The hazelnuts have a nice soft crunch and subtle flavor.  
Give it a try, but try to learn from my mistakes! :)

Caramel-Nut-Chocolate Layered Tart
for the full recipe (and a better picture) click on this link...
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/573910

Blogging and Pie

My friend Rachel has mentioned my blog to me a couple of times recently and it's made me think...hmmm I should do something about that.  I just looked at my last post and honestly didn't realize it had been since February.  Life has been interesting lately between my mother passing and our move, and I just haven't had room in my life for other things. Of course I've been baking, just not blogging about it.

As you can see I'm playing around with the template a bit.  I didn't really like how dark it felt before and wanted to change it up.  I'm still not done, so more changes to come.  I should really just make up my mind already and stick with it!

So I have a few recipes that have been on my mind.  First off, for the fourth of July I made a raspberry pie.  I usually make a mixed berry pie because that was my mom's favorite, but I decided to be crazy and do just raspberries.  Radical, I know.  Most berry pie recipes are very similar, but I wanted to try out a recipe I found online that used brown sugar instead of the traditional white sugar and I thought it turned out really nicely.

As a decorative tip, to make pretty or interesting cut out top crusts, it's really easy to use a refrigerated (gasp!) roll-out crust and go to town with your cookie cutters.  I thought it looked really cute.

Raspberry Pie
3 C Raspberries
3/4 C Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Use your favorite pie crust recipe (mine is technically a tart recipe) then place raspberries in the crust.  In a bowl mix together the sugar and cornstarch to get out all the lumps.  Pour evenly over berries.
Now from here you can leave it untopped, add a second full crust, or play around with cut-outs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
I like to let my pies sit for at least a few hours so it gets a little more set up.  I don't like to eat it too runny.  And of course it's not complete without a healthy dose of freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Although this pie is not mixed berry like my mother loved, it's still a tribute to her in my way, by using her favorite pie plate and topping it with hearts.  It's a Pie O' Love.  Miss you mom!

My love of Ganache

Having  polished off the last dark chocolate brownie after lunch, a few hours later I was wandering through the kitchen wondering if I could get away with making a batch of ganache and eating it straight out of the pan with a spoon.  Hmm, that would be a little embarassing to admit to, I thought.  Then I remembered that I have a package of store bought mini graham cracker tart shells in my cupboard.  Perfect.

Ganache is one of my favorite things in the world.  Chocolate, heavy cream, and butter.  How can you not love that? It doesn't hurt that it's ridiculously easy to make.  It's also one of those recipes you come across that is included in so many things.  Refrigerate it, roll it into balls, and you've got Truffles.  Let it come to room temp and beat it with an electric mixer briefly, you've got decadent frosting for a cake.  Let it cool slightly and pour it over a cake for a perfect glaze.  Use it for a cake filling.  Pour it into store bought small tart shells for an elegant and easy individual dessert.  Or Pour it into a large prebaked tart crust for dessert to share.  Top with berries and cream.  Perfect.  You can also change it up a little by adding a little flavoring (mint is my favorite).

One rule for Ganache to stick by- use your favorite chocolate.  You want something that you enjoy eating out of hand because the chocolate is exactly what the Ganache will taste like, only richer.  So Toll House chocolate chips aren't going to cut it for this one.  Lately I've been using Lindt Swiss Bittersweet chocolate.  I've found it in the candy isle of the grocery store.  With three kids in tow I just try to make due with what's in the normal grocery store, and I think this turns out nicely.  Not all recipes for ganache include butter, but I think it's a perfect addition.  Doesn't butter make everything better?

Ganache

8 ounces dark chocolate
1 C heavy whipping cream

1/4 stick butter, cut into pieces


Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.  Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate.   After 5 minutes, put the butter in and stir with whisk until smooth and well shiny.  

Cream Puffs!

Don't Cream Puffs just sound fun?  I first tried these a few years ago when I was living in Portland.  I served them for a girls-night-out we were having and filled them with a silky chocolate filling (the same one I use for my french silk pie).  I've tried different variations by using different fillings (lemon custard, whipped cream) and sauces (chocolate, vanilla).  You can also play around with the shape itself.  Because of all the different ways to make them, it seems like there's one to suit just about anybody.  The cream puffs themselves are surprisingly easy to make, as long as you have decent upper arm strength. 
Cream Puffs
1 stick butter, cut up
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 C water
1 Tbs sugar
dash of salt
1 C flour
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 425.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In  medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, bring the butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt to a boil.  Then dump the flour all at once into the pan and mix quickly with a wooden spoon to form a dough.  Continue stirring constantly over the heat for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition.  The dough will be smooth and shiny.
You can use a pastry bag or a baggie with the tip cut off to pipe the dough onto the parchment.  Play around with the shapes.  But make sure they're consistent in size.  My dough was about 3 inches in diameter.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake for about another twenty minutes.  Use your judgement on this, if you made them small, bake for less time, and vice-versa.  They should be puffed and well browned.  If they're only slightly brown, they will still be wet in the middle so be sure to give them enough time.

Once of the things I liked about making these this time is that I split it up into a two day project.  I made the filling (this time I went with a classic chocolate pastry cream) the day before and refrigerated it.  Then I made the cream puffs the next day.  It seemed a lot less labor intensive that way.  I could hardly wait for them to cool!

Molten Lava Cakes, revisited

You would think that one posting on Molten Lava Cakes should be sufficient, but I have been hooked on a new recipe and have to share it.  Who can say no to Molten Lava Cakes?  If you can, then I'm sorry, we can't be friends.  :)  This is one of those things that people assume you can't make at home, and if you can then they must be difficult.  Well as long as you have ramekins ( even muffin tins work), then yes, they can be made at home and quite easily too.
I have made these for company multiple times and everyone always Oohs and Ahhs.  Although I did have one guest who didn't know what it was and proceeded to smash and stir it up, then eat it with a spoon.  He got teased a lot after that.  I have also made these for myself on several occasions when Jared is gone for the night for a conference or camp out.  He is always impressed (shocked?) by just how many I can eat all by myself.  Most people can only handle one, but I've built up a tolerance over the years I think.
So what makes this new recipe so great?  I think it's three things- less sugar, a little salt, and the addition of cocoa powder.  I love the salt in this recipe, I think it really makes it, so don't leave it out.
So here's the recipe, so simple, so delicious.

Molten Lava Cakes
1/3 C flour
3 T cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick butter, cut up
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk, at roomp temp
6 Tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare 6 ramekins (mine are about 4 .5 ounces) by spraying with baking spray (the kind with flour in it).
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat until just melted.
In large bowl, whisk eggs, yolk, and sugar until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and salt) and stir them in.  Then, slowly, stir in the melted chocolate.
Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins, I use a 1/3 C measure for this, and they come out perfect.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes.  The sides will have risen, but the center will still be sunken and look a little wet.  Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before overturning onto plate.  Serve with whipped cream. 

Extra Tip!!  If you don't have ramekins, just use muffin tins!  Regular size is fine.

Coming Soon: Cream Puffs!

Toot Toot!

Not to toot my own horn or anything...but my Hot Mulled Apple Cider recipe was just published in this week's Food section of the Columbus Dispatch.  Every week readers request recipes they're looking for or would like to try, then other readers submit a recipe as an answer.  The editor then chooses the best one as the answer.  So...it's not like it's a big deal, but I smiled when I saw my name in print this week.  :)

Chocolate Covered Caramels

The first Christmas after Ann was born, I started dipping my own chocolates.  They make a wonderful gift and are a lot of fun to make.  Some of my friends and family know of my obsession with See's Candies.  Their chocolates are my absolute favorites ( I turn up my nose at Godiva and others that try to be fancy, but just don't taste as good).  But sadly my closest See's is in Chicago, a quick 5 hour drive away.  So I try to make a couple on my own.  Jared's and my favorite are the vanilla caramels with almonds in them.  They so yummy and chewy, I can sit down and eat them all.  This recipe in and of itself can explain my holiday weight gain so far this year.  So this recipe is my attempt to make something delicious for my family.  I've discovered that Ann isn't a fan of the caramel if it has nuts in it, but loves them plain.  Evelyn will eat anything if it's covered in chocolate. 
Learning how to do my own chocolates has been a work in progress and I feel like I've learned a little more each time I do it.  I think the best piece of advice I can give is to use the best ingredients you can.  That especially goes for the chocolate you dip them in too.  I have been using Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate, but would use Guittard if I coud find it out here.  Using good quality ingredients makes a surprising difference. 
Things you will need- Candy Thermometer, and if you want, a Chocolate Thermometer, and Parchment Paper.

Vanilla Almond Caramels
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 C light corn syrup
1 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1/4 t salt
2 t vanilla
1 C almonds (roasted, salted, I prefer Diamond brand)
Tempered dipping chocolate

Place parchment paper in 13x9 in pan and spray with pam.  Set aside.
In a heavy 4 quart saucepan, combine milk, corn syrup, sugars, butter, and salt.  Place over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil.
Clip on candy thermometer.  Stirring constantly to precent scorching, cook to 242 degrees or soft ball stage.  remove from heat and immediately pour in vanilla and nuts, stirring quickly.  Pour into prepared pan.  Cool at room temperature until firm. 
Remove from pan and cut with a good strong knife into squares.  Dip into tempered chocolate.
For an extra touch, sprinkle on a little kosher salt before the chocolate cools.

Store in a cool dry place or else they will 'bloom' (when they get streaky or grey).

Holiday drinks

Well, obviously I have taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging recently.  I've been taking a class online this semester which required me to post to a class blog three times a week.  So I've been all blogged out, which is a shame because this time of year is such a great time for baking! 

So let's see if I can catch up a bit and to start things off, I'm going to share a couple of my favorite drinks.  There's nothing better than enjoying a hot cup of something delicious when it's cold outside.  Hot Mulled Apple Cider makes the whole house smell amazing and couldn't be easier.  I've also recently discovered a new hot chocolate recipe that I'm really enjoying.  It's a bit untraditional, but I love it.  Having a drink like one of these just seems to make any evening or get-together that much more special.  The girls love it and have been very spoiled with excellent hot chocolate, no water and carnation instant packets for us! 

Hot Mulled Apple Cider
3 whole cloves
2 strips of orange peel
2 whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece (1/2 in) peeled fresh ginger
12 Cups of apple cider
1/2 C apple jelly
1/4 t nutmeg

Place first five ingredients in a piece of cheesecloth and tie to close.  Add everything to a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.  Tastes wonderful and serves a crowd!


Nutella Hot Chocolate
1 1/3 C whole milk
3 T Nutella

Yup, that's it.  Heat the milk until almost boiling( I will also often use half and half) then add the Nutella and whisk until creamy.  To make it even more decadent add a handful of dark chocolate chips, such as Ghiradelli 60% cacao.  Let them sit for a few minutes in the hot milk, then whisk together. 

The Nutella adds a great hazelnut flavor that I'm really loving lately.  Just try not to think about the calories!
This recipes serves one or two.

Also, I know I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love to use a blender or immersion blender when making hot chocolate.  It makes it so creamy and frothy, it seems like you got it at a cafe.  Just put the nutella or chocolate chips in the blender, then when the milk is fully heated, pour it over the chocolate and turn on the blender for a full minute.  Simple, but makes a huge difference!

Eating Nutella makes me think of when Jared and I were in Paris.  After going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, we found this great crepe stand and got a huge banana-nutella crepe.  It was amazing, and became a great memory.  A lot of my favorite memories are attached to food...

Apple Turnovers

Although they're mostly considered a breakfast food, apple turnovers are good as a snack pretty much anytime.  Growing up we used to 'make them' with the Pillsbury can we bought at the store.  You unroll the dough, squeeze on the fruit filling, seal, and bake.  Well, this recipe honestly wasn't very difficult. The only time consuming part was peeling and cutting the apples. 
This also gave me an opportunity to use one of my favorite store bought products- frozen puff pastry dough.  I love using this stuff because it tastes great and looks impressive.  This with the combination of the homemade apple filling made a delicious turnover.  And don't forget the icing! I also love the combination of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg which makes it very fallish.  Perfect for the weekend.

Apple Turnovers
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
2 T butter
3/4 C brown sugar or dark brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 t lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
1 T cold water
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Icing
1 C confectioners sugar
1-2 T heavy cream (or milk if you prefer)
1 t vanilla

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, then put the apples in.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cook and stir for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice.  Stir together cornstarch and water, then pour it into the skillet and mix well.  Cook until sauce has thickened.  Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Unfold puff pastry sheets.  Mine are the shape of a large square, so I cut mine into 4 smaller squares.  You can cut them into 8 if you prefer mini turnovers.  Spoon the apples into the middle, then fold over and seal.  Putting a little water around the edges with my finger helped seal it together nicely.  Place turnovers on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about an inch of space in between. 
Bake for about 20-25 minutes until puffed and lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack.
TO make the glaze, mix the sugar, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Drizzle over turnovers.

Chocolate Almond Tart

When I think of fall foods and flavors, things like pumpkin, apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg come to mind immediately, but I think that nuts also definitely have a fall feel to them.  I'm severely allergic to pecans and walnuts (which sadly often leaves me out of a delicious dessert) so my go-to nut of choice is obviosly almonds.  But hazelnuts are also on my okay list, and when I came across this recipe I had to try it.  You can use either nut (almonds or hazelnuts) for this recipe without any changes though hazelnuts can be harder to find. 

It came out beautifully with this awesome crispy crust on top, while the middle stayed soft and chewy.  Perfect texture, and very decadent.  Be sure to wait until it's mostly cooled ( I know it's hard to wait, but with this one it's a must), otherwise it will be too runny and gooey.  You can pop it in the fridge if you're too impatient!  I'm told that this is a bit similar to a Pecan Pie, but seeing as how I've had to run away screaming from that type of thing for most of my life, I'll just take their word for it. 

Also, I feel like I say this about most of my recipes, but this was seriously easy with no skill required.  Anyone can whip this up quickly and it's sure to impress if you have guests.

Chocolate Almond Tart

1/2 C sugar

2 T flour

3 eggs, beaten and at room temp

1 1/2 C chopped hazelnuts or almonds

1 C semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate is just too sweet for this recipe)

3/4 C light corn syrup

2 T melted butter

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt (if your nuts are salted, you can skip this)

pie crust (store bought or home made, your choice)

In large bowl mix together the sugar and flour.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir together until blended.  Pour into crust and bake at 325degrees for 1 hour.  Cool on wire rack.

Fall is here!...at least for the moment

Well thankfully the heat has passed and the leaves are falling.  It is beautiful outside, but I'm suddenly reminded of just how much fun it wasn't raking an acre of leaves last year.  Oh well, my pumpkin bread makes up for it!  I love pumpkin recipes.  I have more than I can post on here, but I will start this week by posting my favorite pumpkin bread.  I made it last night (2 loaves) and by late morning, we were down to one.  I can't think of anything better to make my house smell wonderful.  I have had this recipe for a long time.  I can't remember if I got it in high school or college, but it's always been a hit.  And thankfully, it's ridiculously easy (anyone who knows me well, knows I have an odd aversion to yeast).

Pumpkin Bread

1 can pumpkin (16 oz)

1 2/3 C white sugar

2/3 C veg oil

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

 3 C flour

2 t baking soda

1 t salt 

1 T cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t apple pie spice or ground cloves

1/2 t baking powder

Blend together the first five ingredients.  In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients to be sure there aren't any lumps.  Then stir into the wet ingredients.  Grease two loaf pans ( I use Pam with flour, it's awesome) and separate the batter.  I use a measuring cup to be sure of even distribution. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. 

To make it a bit healthier, you can substitute in some whole wheat flour.  As a general rule, you substitute a third without a big difference.  I also suggest using Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.  It's ground much finer and it's even less noticable.

No-Cook for a Hot Day

Hot day, no cooking recipes were not exactly what I had planned to post on this time of year.  I was so excited to get into my fall recipes, but then our airconditioning went out, no big deal right?...then here comes an unusual heat wave for this time of year in Ohio.  So I won't dare do anything that would heat up the house.  I'm so eager for pumpkin cookies, rich hot chocolate, and apple tarts, that I'm definately dissapointed.  But I can't just not make anything!  That's not an option.  I remembered a recipe I saw on the food network a few months ago, and decided to try it out with a couple of substitutions.  It's easy, yummy and requires no 'cooking' aside from the microwave.  Perfect for a hot day. 

It's called Cookie Candy, and is very rich (everything I make is rich).

2 sticks butter, softened

1 C crunchy peanut butter
3 C confectioners sugar
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Line 13x9 in pan with foil, then spray with pam.  In mixer combine butter, peanut butter, sugar, graham crackers crumbs, and peanuts until it starts to form a ball.  Press into foil lined pan with spatula.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave (I use 30 second intervals, stirring in between).  Spread evenly over cookie layer in the pan.  Refrigerate for a few hours.  Cut into peices.  Enjoy!

With that list of ingredients it has to be good right?