Double Frosted Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is a universal love.  Who doesn’t yearn to stick a fork into a large slice of moist, delectable chocolate cake with just the right amount of frosting?  I could eat chocolate cake everyday and still long for more.

I often hesitate to try newly created recipes on my guests, so I thought that I’d play it safe and use a recipe from King Arthur Flour.  KAF’s readers gave it 5 stars, so I knew it would be a crowd pleaser.  Chocolate and espresso are a classic combination, and the picture of the cake on the KAF site looked divine.  Oh yes, I can get weak in the knees over a beautiful photograph of cake.

Alas, my rendition of the KAF cake didn’t really thrill me.  It looked so bare, even with the frosting.  KAF calls for a chocolate ganache -- a simple icing made from chocolate and cream that’s poured over the cake and allowed to drip down the sides.  It’s quite delicious, but it looks more like a glaze than a traditional frosting.  I suppose that I could have whipped it before pouring it over the cake.  Too late!  So what’s a girl to do when faced with a totally boring cake?  Frost it again!  With a different, but complementary, frosting!  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!

I decided to throw together a quick salted Kahlua buttercream frosting -- with more chocolate, of course.  Now the cake finally had all of my favorite notes: Kahlua, chocolate, espresso, sugar and salt.  Yum!  (Admit it, they’re your favorite flavors, too.  And if you really love Kahlua be sure to check out my post about Kahlua Blondies!)  The contrast of two frostings was so delicious that I think that I’ll do double frostings on almost all of my cakes from now on.  A happy (and delectable) accident indeed!

The cake recipe is available via King Arthur Flour.  I followed the full recipe, including the frosting/ganache.  After chilling in the refrigerator, I frosted it again with a buttercream frosting (below).  In the buttercream frosting you can easily adjust the ratio of confectioners' sugar to butter to achieve your desired consistency and sweetness.  The Kahlua could also be substituted for any liquor or extract of your desire: vanilla extract would be a good choice; and if you’re feeling wild how about Frangelico or Chambord!

Easy Salted Kahlua Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough to frost the outside of a layer cake.  Double recipe to use as filling between layers.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
½ cup cocoa powder
1 Tbs Kahula
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ Tbs flaked sea salt
2 to 3 Tbs milk

Beat the butter until creamy.  Add the cocoa, Kahlua and salt; mix until incorporated.  Add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.  If the frosting seems too thick, add a tablespoon of milk (or two or three) to thin it a bit.  Too thin?  Add more confectioners’ sugar, one tablespoon at a time.  Frost your cake, grab a fork and dig in!

Starbucks Knockoff: Cranberry Bliss Bars

I’m a sucker for almost anything labeled “Limited Edition.”  I’m looking at you, Limited Edition Mint M&Ms.  You, too, Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale.  And same goes for you, Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars.  Why must you only exist during the winter holidays?  You would be the perfect dessert on a summer afternoon.  If only I could dig into your cranberry goodness and cream cheese deliciousness all year ‘round.  Hooray, now I can!

Knockoff recipes for some of our favorite indulgences are nothing new.  I’ve always hesitated to make a knockoff because it usually doesn’t taste as nearly as good as the original.  Disappointment almost always abounds -- but not here, thankfully!  A quick Google search led me to this recipe for Cranberry Bliss Bars from Food.com.  The result?  Absolutely delicious, and truly every bit as tasty as the original from Starbucks.  So pshaw to the limited edition moniker for Cranberry Bliss Bars.  They’re here whenever you crave them!  Huzzah!

Cranberry Bliss Bars
For the bars:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I recommend using both!)
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup white chocolate chips

For the cream cheese frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract

For the drizzled chocolate finish:
1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Begin by making the bars: Beat the butter and sugars until light.  Gently blend in eggs and extract(s), taking care not to overbeat eggs.  Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly.  Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just until incorporated.  Spread the thick batter in the prepared pan.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown at the edges and a toothpick in the center tests clean.  Be careful not to overbake or the bars will be dry.  Let cool completely.

While the bars are cooling, make the frosting: blend the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add  extract and confectioners’ sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (add 1 teaspoon of milk to thin slightly, if needed).  Spread evenly over cooled bars.

Drizzled chocolate finish: Sprinkle the orange zest and chopped cranberries over the frosted bars.  Next, mix the white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup.  Microwave 1 minute; stir until melted.  Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the white chocolate diagonally across the bars.

Now for the tough part, allow one hour for the white chocolate to set before cutting.  Starbucks cuts their bars into triangles; for the authentic touch you could do this, too.  I usually dive right in with a knife and fork -- so delectable.  Enjoy and laugh in the face of "limited edition!"

Kahlua Blondies

Oh my gosh, is there anything better than an ooey, gooey blondie fresh from the oven?  How about a drunken blondie!  No, no, I’m not referring to the latest LiLo scandal.  The brownie’s lighter, sweeter cousin, the blondie, is my favorite cookie bar -- the perfect marriage between a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie.  Jazzing it up with the kiss of Kahlua adds a wonderfully subtle sweetness and meshes well with the chocolate chunks.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Excuse me while I get another piece…

Kahlua Blondies
8 Tbs (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs Kahlua
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan and set aside.  In a large bowl mix the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined.  Add the egg, vanilla and Kahlua; mix well.  Add the flour and salt; stir to combine.  Pour into the greased baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Slice into bars, serve with a tall glass of cold milk and enjoy!

Peppermint Patty Brownies

It’s a new year!  New dishes to conjure, new recipes to try and the continuing quest for the perfect brownie.  A coworker recently brought a batch of mint brownies to an office function and I couldn’t stop marveling at how gooey and delicious they were.  I simply had to bake a batch right away.  The recipe below is modified from Hershey’s Kitchen.  After all, who knows how to showcase the York Peppermint Patty better than Hershey’s?

These brownies are truly gooey and fudgy, but the mint flavor and firm yet sticky texture develop as the brownies sit for a day.  This is a really good example of those rare foods that are better with time.  Grab a bag of peppermint patties and bake a batch tonight.  You’ll love them tomorrow!

Peppermint Patty Brownies
16 small York Peppermint Patties
¾ cup cocoa (preferably dark chocolate cocoa)
½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted
½ cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa and baking soda.  Stir in 1/3 cup of the melted butter  Add the boiling water and stir until thick.  Add the sugar, eggs and remaining melted butter and mix until smooth.  Add the flour, vanilla and salt and combine well.  Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan.  Arrange the peppermint patties in a grid pattern on the batter.  Pour the remaining batter over the patties.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done.  These are even better the next day when they firm up a bit, if you can wait that long!

Chunky Monkey Cookies

 

Cookies!  Is there anything better than a warm, chewy round disk of goodness bursting with chocolate chunks and nuts?  Yes, if the answer includes bananas!  These cookies are so hearty, yet delectable, that you could eat them for breakfast without feeling guilty.  I did!  Though, truthfully, I could probably eat cookies for any meal.  I’m guessing that you’re the same way, too.

I was inspired to throw bananas into cookie batter while staring at a rather sad looking bunch that had long since passed their prime.  Sure, I could freeze ‘em to make a smoothie.  Or maybe throw together a quick banana bread.  Fine options, but really quite boring.  Ta-daaaa… banana cookies, or more appropriately, really chunky banana cookies.  The monkeys at the zoo would go nuts for these babies.  I know you will too!  Slightly sweet, equally savory, hearty and comforting… bananas have a new best friend.

Chunky Monkey Cookies
¼ cup butter, softened
1 banana, mashed
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp baking soda
¾ cups flour
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup walnuts, chopped (or your favorite nut)
1 cup chocolate chunks (or chips, if you don’t have chunks)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the baking soda, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter and banana until thoroughly combined.  Add the egg and beat again.  Next, add the sugars and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  Add the oats, nuts and chocolate chunks and mix well.  Drop by rounded tablespoons (or use a small ice cream scoop) onto the lined baking sheet.  You should get about 18 cookies (not all on one baking sheet, of course), depending on size.  Bake for 12 minutes or until moderately browned.  Go bananas!

Speedy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The mood to make cookies might strike at any moment.  This can be rather inconvenient when you’re craving freshly baked cookies but your butter is still in the refrigerator, stiff and cold.  So what’s a girl with a hankering for cookies to do?  Sure, I could wait a few hours for the butter to soften on the counter, or maybe try my luck and pop it in the microwave without making it melt.  Neither option is a good one.  I choose option number three: remove butter from the equation entirely!

A friend of mine introduced me to the convenience of making cookies with vegetable oil.  Yes, I was aghast when I first heard this suggestion, too.  After all, it’s the butter that makes a cookie truly delectable.  But you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you taste these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  The oil keeps them moist and most importantly, it makes these cookies very fast and easy to make.  Feel like a cookie right now?  In just a few minutes you’ll be savoring the melty chocolate and the chewy oatmeal, piping hot from the oven.  I make these with an equal measure of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour, because I try to get little health benefits wherever I can.  The whole wheat flour also adds a subtle but pleasant nuttiness, and a slightly chewier texture.  Try it and let me know what you think about these.  I’ll definitely make them whenever I get a sudden yearning for cookies without pre-planning for softened butter!

Speedy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the salt, oil, sugars, egg and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  Mix in the oats and chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded tablespoons (or use a small ice cream scoop) onto the lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Enjoy!

My Quest for the Best Brownies Volume 3: Magical Fudge Brownies

It has been a while (almost one month) since the last Delectable Kitchen post.  Shameful!  But the time away has yielded another step in my continuing quest to find the best brownies.  A friend sent me a link to this recipe, originally posted by Food and Wine Magazine, and I was daring enough to serve it to another friend without trying it first.  This recipe employs a mysterious alchemy.  After cooling, the brownies go into the refrigerator to chill, followed by a rewarming to room temperature.  These last two steps seem to be crucial.  We tried the brownies soon after they came out of the oven.  Verdict?  Meh.  But after we chilled them and tried them again – oh boy!  Talk about a fudgy brownie!  Even better, the sea salt plays so nicely with the not-too-sweet chocolate.  I used more sea salt than the recipe called for (I covered the entire surface with salt flakes), and it made a wonderful difference.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.  Just make sure to leave enough time for the magic to transform these from average to delectable!  You won’t be disappointed.

Magical Fudge Brownies
via Food and Wine Magazine
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.

Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about 1 hour.  Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.  Delicious!

Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars

I recently made coconut ice cream which called for a massive quantity of egg yolks.  Tonight I found myself staring at the bowl of leftover egg whites, wondering what to do with them beyond an omelet.  Add to that quandary some leftover coconut and I was in a true puzzle.  By good fortune, I stumbled upon a recipe at a blog recommended by a friend and used the recipe for Low-Fat Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie Bars as a springboard for my own version.

Admittedly, my version is not quite low in fat.  With significantly less oatmeal, slightly more eggs, and a smorgasboard of mix-ins, these Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars are more of a mid-afternoon snack and less of a healthy treat.  But the clearly discernable whole wheat flour in every bite easily fools me into believing that I’m eating something good for my body.  Join me in the illusion.  The delectable taste, however, isn’t fiction!

Nutty Coconutty Whole Wheat Cookie Bars
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated white sugar
5 egg whites
2 tbs whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
¾ cup old-fashioned oats
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips  
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the oats, flour, baking soda, chocolate chips, almonds and coconut in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In another large bowl mix the oil, brown and white sugars, egg whites, milk, vanilla and salt until very thoroughly combined.

Add the oat mixture to the egg mixture.  Stir gently, just until combined.  Pour into a greased 9x9 inch baking pan.  Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until done.  Cool, slice  and enjoy!

The Greatest Cookie. Ever.

I love chocolate chip cookies.  I could make an entire meal of nothing but chocolate chip cookies.  Three square meals?  Pshaw.  Give me three round meals of gooey chocolate, soft buttery cookie and a hint of nuttiness.  Heavenly!  Throw in an unexpected twist and it’s sheer bliss.

I found nirvana in this cookie.  After several (tasty) attempts with different ratios of sugars, I finally found the perfect sweetness and texture.  A modification of the cookie variously known as a Cowboy Cookie or a Kitchen Sink Cookie (among others), this recipe combines the chewiness of an oatmeal cookie with the soft bite of hazelnuts coupled with a smooth chocolate finish to every bite.  I literally craved this cookie before breakfast, after breakfast and every minute of the day until the cookie jar was very quickly empty.

The recipe easily lends itself to substitutions.  I purchased a large bag of unshelled hazelnuts recently, and I couldn’t wait to crack them open.  Of course, I didn’t realize how far hazelnut shells can fly under the pressure of a nutcracker!  I’m still finding tiny bits of shells underfoot in the far corners of the kitchen.  But if you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, try this recipe with macadamia nuts, walnuts or your favorite.  Similar to the mint brownies made earlier in The Delectable Kitchen, sea salt is the secret ingredient that knocks this off the charts of deliciousness.  I guarantee you’ll find bliss with your first bite.

The Greatest Cookie. Ever.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened, if you can find it)
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in vanilla.

Slowly add the flour mixture in small batches, mixing after each addition just until combined.  Be careful not to overmix.  Then, stir in the oatmeal, chocolate chips, hazelnuts and coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoons (or use a small ice cream scoop) onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until brown.  Eat to your heart’s delight.

My Quest for the Best Brownies Volume 2: Mint Frosted Brownies with Sea Salt

I love brownies.  Who doesn’t?  I have never met anyone who could turn down the offer of a brownie.  Have you?  Impossible!  Alas, my quest for the most delectable brownie continues.  As you may remember from Volume 1 of this saga, what was promised to be a super fudgy brownie wound up being only moderately fudgy.  How disappointing!  So it was time to take the quest for brownie perfection in a new direction… frosted!

To celebrate the season, I whipped up a mint frosting.  Spring always puts me in the mood for mint.  Much to my dismay, I didn’t have any fresh mint on hand, so I substituted mint extract.  Sure, the lack of green specks of fresh mint in the frosting isn’t as visually appealing or as bright in flavor, but still satisfying nonetheless.  But the special twist that makes these brownies especially good is the sprinkle of sea salt on the frosting.  I recently discovered how a light touch of salt can enhance the flavor depth of almost any sweet dish.  Try it!  Add a dash of sea salt to your next batch of chocolate chip cookies just before baking.  Or take a chance with these minty brownies.  I promise you’ll never look at salt the same way again.  And while these brownies are quite good (and easy to make – all in one large pot), I still believe that the ultimate brownie remains out there, waiting to be discovered.  What do you think?

Mint Frosted Brownies with Sea Salt
Brownies
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder

Mint Frosting
4 tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
1 tsp pure mint extract

To make the brownies, begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Remove from heat and add the sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder.  Spread into a greased and floured 8-inch baking pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

For the frosting, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.  Feel free to adjust the amount of confectionars’ sugar to achieve the appropriate consistency of frosting.  Add the vanilla and mint extracts and stir until thoroughly incorporated.  When the brownies are cool, slice and frost.  I used a round biscuit cutter for a fun kick.  Delicious in any shape!

My Quest for the Best Brownies Volume 1: Super Fudgy

Brownies rank high on the list of perfect desserts, second only to chocolate chip cookies (and closely followed by its delicious cousin, the blondie).  I am always on the quest for the ultimate brownie.  I have a recipe folder bursting with yet-to-be-tried recipes that I’ve ripped out of magazines or printed from websites.  Today I opened the folder and came across a recipe I printed from Everyday Food in May 2008 for "Super Fudgy Brownies."

The recipe is wonderfully easy to make, and it uses minimal ingredients.  I didn’t have semisweet baking chocolate, so I used chocolate chips instead.  Chocolate chips are alright to use in a pinch, but are best suited to cookies because most chips contain stabilizers to retain their shape.

Alas, this recipe didn’t fulfill my hope of finding the best brownie recipe.  So my quest continues.  These brownies were rather thick and cakey, and didn’t quite live up to the title of Super Fudgy.  At best, I'll consider these Moderately Fudgy.  They crumble easily and didn’t taste very sweet, despite the 1.5 cups of sugar.  But for those that prefer a cake-like brownie with a deep chocolate flavor, this may be a good choice for you.

Super Fudgy Brownies
8 tbs butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.  In a large heatproof bowl, add the butter and chocolate.  Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water.  Heat, stirring frequently, until smooth.

Remove the bowl from pan.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Next, add the eggs.  Finally, add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  (I wrote about the downside of overmixing in my post about muffins.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Let cool, slice and (if you like a cakey brownie) enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Muffins

Muffins are the underdog in the world of baked goods.  Can one cute little cake serve as a savory breakfast, an tempting afternoon snack and a delectable dessert?  The mighty muffin is up to the challenge.  Case in point: these delicious Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Muffins which satisfy not only your sweet tooth, but also put you on your way toward the five servings of vegetables we're all supposed to eat daily.  I made these for an office potluck and received rave reviews (I know you will, too).  Everyone was surprised that they contained zucchini!

These muffins make a hearty breakfast, thanks to the walnuts.  As a dessert, the chocolate adds just the right hint of sweetness; and who would have guessed that shredded zucchini is the secret for keeping these muffins moist?  For an even healthier twist, try substituting whole wheat flour for the white flour.  Just as delicious!  And remember, over mixing is the downfall of almost any baked good.  Keep the muffin light and airy by mixing the wet and dry ingredients just until combined. 

Chocolate Chip Walnut Zucchini Muffins

3 eggs
1 cup oil

1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or substitute your favorite nut)
1 cup chocolate chips (for sweeter muffins try milk chocolate chips)

Begin by assembling the dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nuts and chocolate chips).  In a larger bowl whisk the eggs; then add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix again. Now add the zucchini to the egg concoction until thoroughly combined.  Next, slowly and with minimal mixing, add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture.  Be careful not to over mix, which will lead to denser, tougher muffins -- so not delectable.

Portion the batter equally into 24 muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.