Hot Fudge Cake

I meant to post this sooner than now, but misplaced the recipe. Until today. Because I'm a forgetful bonehead with eleventy-billion recipe cards and notebooks floating around, full of recipes I will possibly never make. Or find. Moving on.

This recipe is one I came across in a Taste of Home cookbook of casserole and slow cooker recipes. I've heard of cakes from a slow cooker before, but never attempted one. I have made hot fudge/lava cake previously, and it did not turn out well at all, due to the low sugar content of the recipe. So much for dispelling the belief that healthy dessert recipes are a waste of time...and I'd say that one wasn't as healthy as its creator intended, as we had to dump copious amounts of powdered sugar all over it to be able to eat it. We could have gone without, sure, but where's the fun in that?!

My results with this cake were on the generally positive side of mixed. I enjoyed it, overall. It was gooey, fudgy, chocolatey, and everything I think I could have expected from a cake made in a crockpot. Brian's take? "It was the cake equivalent of frozen fish sticks; too gooey in parts, too burnt in others." In truth, there were a few small parts that were overdone. Not burned, just a little well done. Possibly because I suck at not uncovering food in a slow cooker, and possibly because the one I used was not the same size as the one used in the recipe. He was right on about the gooey part, however, as that was kind of the point. So if you are not one for gooey, molten foods, this is not the cake for you. It's also not so much a "dump-everything-in-and-go" type of cake. But enough about mine. Here's the goods!

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar, divided
1 cup all purpose flour
6 TBSP cocoa, divided (I used Nestlé)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chips
1 3/4 cups boiling water

In a bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar, flour, 3 TBSP cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Spread evenly into a 3 quart slow cooker coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. In another bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar and cocoa. Stir in boiling water. Pour over batter (do not stir!) Cover and cook on high 4-4.5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. (I failed to write down the servings yielded, but I would imagine it'd be in the 6-8 neighborhood.)

It's kind of puddingy, but with a bit more texture. I would not really want to eat this cake cold, but piping hot, with a scoop of vanilla Blue Bell, maybe a squirt of magic shell, and you've got yourself a fine dessert that you didn't really have to bother with for four hours. I would make this again. I would serve this to guests. I would stuff it into my face gladly, and probably not share with Brian, because I'm pretty sure he has no idea what good is.

*Final note- I did add some extras to mine. Cinnamon, ginger, and a hint of cayenne, for a Mexican chocolate flavor. I think a blob of raspberry jam would be great, too.

Happy (late) Valentine's Day!

I normally don't give a crap about Valentines day. It is my late aunt Rhonda's bday, and she loved all the hearts and teddy bears and reds and pinks associated with February 14th...she really was how you would expect someone born on that day to be :) and my grandma always said she was the only little girl born in that hospital on that day, which was kinda cool. So happy (late) birthday, aunt Rhonda, I hope you are having a fun day wherever you are!

I've never received flowers, candy, stuffed animals, or fancy cards (beyond school party ones) for this day. So I told Brian this year, I want a big heart full of chocolates. He'd brought home a little box of mixed Rochers a couple weeks ago, which I happily shared, and would happily consume at any time. I love those things. So, when yesterday  passed, sans candy, I was let down. Especially after I shared my pitiful sob story about how never once did a guy give me jack for Vday. I can't actually recall if I ever had a boyfriend for the day, honestly. Now that I think about it, there's only been him, as he's my longest relationship. Which lends a new level of sadness, because in the nearly 8 years we have been together, I have only been taken out to dinner maybe once. When he arrived home today, with sinus medicine and seemingly no heart full of candy, I was more than a little hurt. Then, he whipped it out-

Exactly what I've always wanted :) I think the raspberry caramels are my favorites. I know it's cheesy to care about Valentine's day, but sometimes you just want some chocolate. I'm not the red roses, stuffed animals type, but chocolates, they are the way to go. Italian food doesn't hurt, either. Hope you had a lovely Valentine's day, filled with the tokens of your liking! <3 p="">

Sugar Cookies....Sort of

Madalyn came to visit today, which was a perfect reason to make cookies. She's been waiting to make them since Christmas, about two years ago, and is all about being in charge of frosting. Or sprinkles, she isn't picky. She is also dying to decorate a gingerbread house, which, should stars, space-time continuums and schedules align, we should hopefully do this December.

As Katie (my sister) and I have had plans to make tons of Christmas cookies practically since birth, we tend to go a little overboard buying supplies every holiday season. "Red and green sprinkles? Yes, please!" "Multi-colored sanding sugars? Don't mind if I do!" "Edible glitter?!?! Where can we find this greatest invention of the last 1200 years?" This extends to cookie mixes. We have quite a few. So many, one might think we are rolling in dough (*snicker*) every weekend, cookies up to at least our ankles. Truth is, they are pretty much just taking up prime cabinet real estate. Enter Mady.

Now, our grand cookie plans would have been much, much grander if A) there had been any clean, unoccupied counter space in the kitchen at the time and B) my parents ever kept real butter in the fridge. I have to work with what I've got, because I'm pretty sure it's in the Bible, if you promise to make cookies with a 4 year old, and then don't, you're going to hell. I'm not an expert, but if it's also a meme, it must be true. Right? Armed with our pack of sugar cookie mix, we headed to the fridge to make our fortunes cookies. I have seen many times on Pinterest, in magazines, and just online in general, you can substitute healthy things for fats/eggs in baking. I have used applesauce in brownies previously, to pretty decent results (unless your name is Brian and you have a sugar problem), so I decided today was the day I use Greek yogurt to replace butter. And now that I think about it, I think yogurt might be one of the suggestions to replace eggs, not butter, and these cookies call for butter, not eggs, so possible oops on my part. But what is baking without throwing a little caution to the wind, and throwing a little yogurt into your cookie dough? I'm not entirely sure. Ignore the rhetorical lady on the laptop.

Yogurt Sugar Cookies
1 package Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix (the smaller package, possibly also labeled "snack size")
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used honey Greek, Greek Gods brand)
2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 375F.
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or use tinfoil without it) and drop by rough tablespoon sized blobbys (trust me, they will be blobbys! This is not a firm, roll-out-and-cut kind of dough!) Add sprinkles, if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes. Et voila, sugar cookies. Sort of. Yield varies.

One day, I will have a nicer camera. But I love how festive the sprinkles are and how they pair nicely with the plate. Kind of reminds me of the circus. But way nicer, no animals were harmed during the making of these cookies. Except Ralph. His tail got in the way of my foot. Sorry, Ralphie!

Note the biscuit-like texture. The too-brown bottom. The unpolished sausage fingers. 

Verdict? If you are looking for a pretty cookie, move along, bub. If you are looking for the next taste sensation, take a hike. If you want a cookie that is also kind of like a biscuit, in that it is light and fluffy, and not super sweet, welcome home! You are among friends. I would also say they have a somewhat toothsome bite. These cookies remind me a little of those frosted sugar cookies you can get at any Wal Mart- they are light, soft, slightly dense somehow, but not as crumbly (not that those WMSCs are crumbly, just slightly more so than these.) They do get way browner on the bottoms than the tops, which led my mom to claim they were under baked. I think she's ready for Shady Pines, she claims everything is either undercooked, under baked, still mooing, not enough mayo...it's never right. But she also never cooks, so I'm curious where her frame of reference hails from. I would make these again if I had no butter but did have yogurt. If you have ever dreamed that you, too, could have a cookie that was also like a biscuit (and you aren't confusing American and British versions of the word) then try these! A pretty decent little cookie for when you kind of feel like having a cookie. Sort of.

Double Chocolate Muffin Loaf

I have been promising Brian muffins for days now. It all started the night/morning I looked up strawberry muffin recipes online. Well, ok, it all really started the night/morning I ate an entire pan of Martha White Wildberry muffins all by my lonesome. Though they may not be his favorite flavor, Brian was marginally upset by this event, so I promised him new muffins. Better muffins. Chocolate chip muffins. I am not a fan of straight-up chocolate chip anything (save cookies), especially muffins. So, I decided they should be double chocolate. It was also a cheap ploy to get a canister of cocoa powder, which I promised to put into a pot of chili at some point. Don't laugh, it's good.

So, this recipe is from the Tasty Kitchen Blog, but I added a teaspoon of vanilla, a dash of salt, changed the chips from bittersweet to milk, and they aren't actually going to be muffins. My muffin pan is rusted, and rusty muffins are no bueno. So, a muffin loaf it is, which is actually our preferred way to eat them (no wrappers to compete for muffin with, you get a substantial chunk without the "I just ate an entire pan of muffins!" guilt.) Muffin loaf just might change your life, if you let it.

Taste Verdict- I like it. It's not too sweet, it's dense, pretty moist, and for breakfast, you won't feel like you're eating a big chunk of cake. And it could be gussied up for dessert, too, with the addition of ice cream or whipped cream or whatever topping tickles your tastebuds. I would also suggest adding nuts. I like nuts in my baked goods.


Double Chocolate Muffin Loaf

2 whole Eggs
¼ cups Canola Oil
1-¼ cup Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Granulated Sugar
½ cups Cocoa Powder
dash salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour 
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Add the cocoa powder, followed by the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note- I baked mine a hair over 50 minutes, and part of it was still gooey in the middle. Perhaps my oven was not hot enough or retaining enough heat; I used a toaster oven. I will try again using our regular, gas, heats-up-the-whole-dang-kitchen oven next time! 

*Something I learned recently, did you know you should heat your pan slightly after you spray it with non-stick spray? I did this last week when I baked a bundt cake. I'd never actually read the back of the can, but it's right there, silently instructing us to do so. It worked fine, no better or worse than not heating it. I do have a theory it helps cut down on that post-baked pan stickiness (hate that!) but only time and further baking/experimentation will prove me right or wrong.*