Truffle Cookies

Oh my! I have had this recipe for a long time, but just made them for the first time today. Almost five years ago I was wandering around this fun street in Portland with Jared (I was still pregnant with Ann) and we stumbled across a cool little bookstore. Of course, I was checking out their cookbooks and found this collection of pamphlet type cookbooks for only $4. I of course chose the one all about chocolate (It's called 'Anne Wilson, Classic Essentials, Chocolate' and totally worth it), and it has turned out to be an all-time favorite with some of the best recipes. The kind of stuff that's truly indulgent and feels gourmet. Well Yum. These cookies were kind of like a dark chocolate brownie, and pretty easy to make. If you like the brownies on the edges of the pan, then you'll love these. Each cookie is like getting a corner brownie. They were nice and chewy and especially good while warm. Give em a try!

Triple Chocolate Cookies
3/4 C butter
5 oz semi sweet chocolate ( I use chips)
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder, then stir in the sugar. Set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat until smooth. Stir into the flour mixture with the eggs. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonfuls (I am loyal to my cookie scooper, like a mini ice cream scoop) then flaten slightly with hands.
Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool on pan for about 5 more minutes before cooling on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Brownies!

I haven't updated in a while, but that doesn't mean I haven't been baking at my usually rate. The other day at school, one of the residents asked Jared how often I bake something. He told them that I probably make 7 things a week, that I may not bake every day, but some days I bake multiple things. I'd say that's about right. I try to make some old favorites, and try out new recipes too. But I'm usually happier with the old favorites...they're favorites for a reason.

So one of the new things I tried out was a recipe from the food network called Smores Brownies. They were touted as one of the most popular recipes on the website, so I was excited to make them. They turned out looking just as delicious as the picture, but they didn't really taste like anything special to me. So that was a little disappointing. So I'm going to share my favorite brownie recipe that I've been in love with for the last few years. I use bittersweet chocolate, but for some that can be way too intense (I think I've been desensitized over time) so you can substitute in semi sweet chocolate instead. I used to think that scratch brownies weren't as good as a box, but these definately changed my mind!

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken up

1/2 C butter

1 C brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 C plus 2 T flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Prepare an 8 in square baking pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Stir the brown sugar and vanilla into the chocolate. Add the eggs and mix well.

In a bow, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir it into the chocolate mixture until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pour batter into pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes until done.

I know it's hard to resist, but I think these taste best once completely cooled. Yum!

Stake Visitor's Cake...What? You've never heard of it?

Stake Visitor's Cake is a family recipe that I think originated with my Grandma (Bonga) Eastin. I don't know the whole story behind the recipe but I know that when she lived in downtown Salt Lake City on the same block with many of the Apostles at the time, she served this anytime they or any other stake visitors came over. Hence the name 'Stake Visitor's Cake'. My mom made this all the time growing up and us kids always loved it. It's basically a chocolate snack cake, but calling that doesn't seem to explain just how yummy it is. Any time I make it, it gets gobbled up in a day, easy. I suppose I only have myself to blame there.

Stake Visitors Cake

1 1/2 C Boiling water

1 C oatmeal (not quick)

1 C brown sugar

1 C white sugar

1/2 C butter or margarine

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 T cocoa (I often throw in an extra Tablespoon)

1 1/2 C Flour

1/2 C chocolate chips (plus extra to sprinkle on top)

In a large mixing bowl pour the boiling water over the oatmeal. Add sugars and margarine or butter and let sit for ten minutes. Stir to combine well. Stir in eggs. Combine remaining dry ingredients and then stir into oatmeal mixture. Stir in 1/2 C chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9x13 pan then sprinkle some extra chocholate chips over top.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until cake just comes away from edges and springs back in middle when you touch it. It can be hard to toothpick test this cake because of the chocolate chips.

I dare you to make it and not love it!

Molten Lava Cakes

Jared bought me a set of ramekins for Mother's Day last year, but because we moved just a couple weeks later I didn't get the chance to use them right away. Unfortunately they sat in a box for a while and finally emerged recently after Jared pointed out that I had never used them. So I decided to try out these cakes. I've always wanted to make these, but put it off because I didn't realize how easy they were. I decided to test out a few recipes so I could keep one in my regular recipe rotation. I tried one from Paula Dean, one from the internet, and one from a cookbook. Each recipe is surprisingly easy and quick to throw together, for awesome results. yum! Who doesn't love a molten lava cake?
2 sticks butter
4 t sugar
12 oz bittersweet chocolate (use semisweet if this is too rich for you)
1 C flour
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
6 eggs
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour 8- 6 oz ramekins. Melt butter and chocolate togehter. In large bowl combine dry ingredients wiht eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Pour evenly into ramkeins.
Bake 12-14 minutes. They will look puffed on the edges but still jiggly in the middle. Let sit for 5 minutes before turning out onto plate.
This recipe is very easy to half as well.

The cool thing about ramekins is that they create a nice individual dessert, and they're perfect portion control! This way I don't just eat and eat and not realize that I've eaten half a pie or something. I also used my ramekins also on Mother's Day this year and made some awesome little berry crisps. Everyone loved them, so check out the recipe here... http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/individual-berry-crisps-recipe/index.html

The Story Behind the Pie

I think it's true that sometimes what you're denied is what you want the most. I think this is how French Silk Pie became my absolute favorite pie. Growing up in Chicago, my parents would sometimes stop by Bakers Square and pick up one of these amazing pies. They looked so good to us kids, with all those chocolate curls covering the top. Unfortunately, looking is about as much as we got to do with it. My dad believed that we were too young to really appreciate it and should just have ice cream or something instead. So they would bring the pie home and it would sit in it's box in the fridge, and one by one each of us kids would open the door and steal a chocolate curl. We assumed that our parents would never notice, even when there were very few curls left. Looking back, I'm pretty sure they caught on but humored us anyway.

So when I started getting into making desserts, I decided that I had to master this recipe since it's difficult to find at most restaurants or stores. Besides, it's always better when you make it yourself. I discovered that it's really not that difficult to make, and that since there's only a few ingredients in it, what makes the real diffierence is using really good quality ingredients. Use a chocolate that you really love, because that's what it's going to end up tasting like. Also, using superfine sugar makes the texture so smooth, it's definately worth it. So here is the recipe to one of my absolute favorite desserts...enjoy!

6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

3/4 C butter, room temp (sweetcream, unsalted)

3/4 C superfine sugar

1 t vanilla

3/4 C refrigerated egg product

Sweetened whipped cream

Chocolate curls

Melt chocolate, set aside. Beat butter and sugar for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in egg product 1/4 C at a time until well mixed inbetween each addition. Pour into previously baked pie crust. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Before serving top with plenty of whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Tips for whipped cream- Always start with a very cold bowl and beaters. I usually put the bowl with the beaters and whipped cream in the freezer for about 5 minutes before whipping. Using a whisk attachment makes it go a lot faster too. Fresh whipped cream doesn't keep well for more than a day so, so if you make the chocolate for the pie a day ahead, don't put on the cream until before serving.

Tips for chocolate curls- I usually place some foil on a plate, then melt the chocolate and pour it onto the foil. Then I freeze it until set. Using a sharp knife or potatoe peeler, scrape off curls at an angle. You can cheat and use a store bought chocolate bar too.

Sunday Cookies

At the beginning of January I was called to teach Sunday School to the 12-13 year olds. There are about 12 of them and they're a fun group, but I quickly discovered that they need a little additional motivation to participate and answer questions. So I started baking cookies each week and they get one if they answer a question, read a quote, etc. It certainly does the trick, plus it's one extra excuse each week for me to bake. So I decided to share three of my favorite cookie recipes, two were a big hit, and one...was not so big a hit. But I'm still sharing it because it's one of my favorites (and my mom's), but I guess it's more of a grown-up's cookie than a teenager's cookie.

A few thoughts on the way I make cookies...

In the past few months I've been trying out dark brown sugar a lot more and loving it. I don't know why I never tried this before, but I love the rich molasses flavor. The only thing about it is that the dough is a little darker, so it's harder to tell by sight when the cookies are done, because they're just going to be more brown. So be careful not to underbake them.

Another thought about cookies...I like a softer cookie, chewy but not crisp. In order to get this I tend to take them out right when the edges are getting brown, then leave them on the pan for a while until they're getting cool. Then I remove them to a wire rack. I think the texture is what makes the difference. If you prefer a crisper cookie, leave them in a little longer, obviously.

Also, I only bake cookies at 350 degrees. I know most recipes say 375, but I think this makes the outsides cook too quickly. I just think they bake more even at a lower temperature, this goes for cakes too.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are sooo good and Jared's favorite. I don't remember where I came across a version of this recipe a few years ago, but they're really great and I only had to tweak the recipe a little bit to get it where I wanted it.

1 C butter, room temp

3/4 C dark brown sugar

1/4 C white sugar

1 package (small) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 bag chocolate chips (I do half milk, half semi sweet if I have both on hand)

Beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in pudding mix until well mixed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and chocolate chips and mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.

These would be great with nuts, but as I'm allergic to walnuts and pecans, I haven't tried...

These also make great big cookies, try a 1/4 C measure or large cookie scoop.

Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookies right now. This is also probably my most asked for recipe. My mom got this from a college roommate forever ago. With this recipe I am very brand loyal for the margarine and peanut butter, I have noticed a real difference when using other brands, I don't know why. Also, be sure to use milk chocolate chips, if you use semi sweet or dark, it overpowers the peanut butter flavor.

1 1/2 C (3 sticks) margarine (Imperial) don't use butter, they'll be too crisp

1 1/2 C chunky peanut butter (Skippy)

1 1/2 C white sugar

1 1/2 C brown sugar (sometimes I use dark)

3 eggs

3 3/4 C flour

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 t baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

milk chocolate chips to taste

Beat margarine, PB, sugars, and eggs. Blend in flour, soda, powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Spoon onto baking sheet (this recipe traditionally says to refrigerate, roll into balls, etc, but I skip all that and just use a cookie scoop and put it right on after mixing and it works great).

Bake 350 degres 10 - 12 minutes. Makes 9 dozen.

I usually bake half the recipe, and refrigerate the rest to bake a couple days later.

Tart Cherry and Oat Cookies

I was so excited to discover a great bakery, or should I say 'dessert boutique' while wandering around German Village a few months ago. I've really missed all my favorite bakeries from Portland, so I was so happy to find a replacement in Columbus. I don't usually go for this sort of cookie (meaning one without chocolate), but I tried it out and loved it. So I started searching for a recipe I could make at home. These aren't an exact replica, but they're very good and my mom loves them. These were not a big hit with the twelve year olds, but I still stand by them. The base of this recipe is so good, you could take out the cherries and replace it with chocolate chips or something else.

1 stick of butter

1/2 C dark brown sugar

1/4 plus 2 T white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 C flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 C oats

3/4 C dried tart cherries, chopped

Beat butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, powder, salt, and oats. Mix in well. Stir in cherries. Bake 350 degrees 11- 12 minutes. yum! This only makes two dozen, so you might want to double it.

Easter Baking

A holiday for me is pretty much an excuse to bake something special. So in addition to making easter cookies with the girls, I decided to make a few other things. We started off the day with French Toast Kabobs. They girls loved them. You just have to cube the bread before dipping it in the batter. I have a great recipe that is pretty sweet, so you don't even need to use syrup.

2 eggs
3/4 C sugar
1 C 1/2 and 1/2 or whipping cream
1 t vanilla
It's best with sourdough bread. Yum!

Now on to the Easter Baskets. I love to dip my own chocolates. So I thought it would be fun to make all of the chocolates for the girls' Easter baskets myself instead of buying it. I made praline eggs, rice crisp bunnies, whole hollow bunnies, and white chocolate pretzel rods with sprinkles. These were all really easy and the girls thought they were really fun.

When I was trying to decide what to bake, the first thing that came to mind was my favorite flourless chocolate cake. Sometimes I think I should try something new, but I always come back to this recipe. I think one of my favorite things about this is how imperfect it looks. I think it makes a striking presentation. But best of all it is sooo rich and moist. I've tried several flourless chocolate cake recipes but this is my favorite by far.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
12 ounces Ghiradelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 large eggs, separated
1/2 C white sugar
1 t vanilla

Glaze
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 T unsalted butter
1 T whole milk
1 T light corn syrup
1/4 t vanilla
1/3 C chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 9 in springform pan, and line with parchment paper, then butter the paper(I also love Pam with flour).
For the cake, melt the chocolate and butter (I usually use a pan on the stove on very low, use a double boiler if you have it). Stir until smooth, remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, 2 T of the sugar, and the vanilla. Beat lightly until well combined. Add egg mixture to chocolate, whisking together until well combined.
In a separte bowl, beat the egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar with an electric mixture until soft peaks form. Pour in the chocolate mixture and fold to combine. Pour batter into pan.
Bake on lower shelf for 30-35 minutes. Watch towards the end and when it just begins to crack on top, then it's done. Don't overbake or it will be dry. Cool on rack, once cooled, then remove sides of pan.
For the glaze, melt the chocolate and butter (again, I usually just do this on the stove on very low heat). Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and add the milk, syrup, and vanilla. Pour over cake and let it run down the sides (for this I leave the cake on the rack and put the rack over some foil to catch what drips off). Then sprinkel the top with the chopped almonds. (I use salted almonds because I'm allergic to other nuts, but just use your favorite nuts). Put in refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the glaze.

I also thought I should add something more springish, so I made an old favorite of my mom's, a lemon pound cake. This was a first for me since I I've never made a pound cake at all. First we hunted around for a recipe similar to one my mom used to make. It was really pretty easy and I could tell just from the batter how good it was going to be. It was a big hit! Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sour-Cream-and-Lemon-Pound-Cake-2121