TWD gooey chocolate cakes...

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
(4 ounces coarsely chopped,
1 ounce very finely chopped)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
6 tablespoons of sugar
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. butter (or spray – it’s easier) 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.
Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.
Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the coarsely chopped chocolate and the butter in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted – you don’t want them to get so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogenous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle the finely chopped chocolate over the batter.
Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.)
Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.

This weeks recipe was chosen by Leigh of Lemon Tartlet (GREAT site!). Check out other TWD bakers for their take on Gooey Chocolate Cakes...

I have to say I was really excited to see this recipe last week...chocolate, gooey, "best served with ice cream," what's not to love? In the end, though...not a favorite. The center wasn't quite as gooey as I had hoped (I even baked with the convection setting on my oven which tends to undercook the center of things) I used semi-sweet chocolate which I highly recommend, maybe even milk chocolate...even if you love dark chocolate...(the dark chocolate lover in this house still thought it was a little bitter) On the up side it was really easy to put together, it made just the right amount, and it gave me an excuse to buy good vanilla ice cream. However, the next time I want a chocolatey, gooey, serve with ice cream dessert...I'll probably stick to my fav brownie recipe. I did love the choice of this recipe, though...that is why I joined TWD...to bake things I had never baked before! Thanks!!

terriyaki chicken bbq...

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6-8 chicken breasts

6-8 pineapple rings

6-8 green pepper slices

2 tsp corn starch

Combine soy sauce, honey & garlic. Reserve half of marinade. Add chicken and marinade for a few hours. Brush pineapple & green pepper slices with a little olive oil and grill with chicken. Combine remaining marinade with cornstarch and cook over med heat until slightly thickened. Serve along side chicken.

So I haven't posted any "real" meals lately...we've had a lot of repeats & quick dinners (I could post pics of cereal & dino nuggets but I'll spare you...) I am always looking for new ways to cook chicken or turkey. This is a great marinade for poultry or pork. The longer the meat marinades, the better. Serve it up with a baguette & call it a meal! This would also make fabulous shish kebobs...mmmm...

TWD caramel topped flan...

For the Caramel:

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

squirt of fresh lemon juice

For the Flan:

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

1-1/4 cups whole milk

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.Put a metal 8-x-2-inch round cake pan-not a nonstick one-in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel.

To Make the Caramel: Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes an amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes-remove the pan from the heat at the first whiff of smoke.Remove the cake pan from the oven and, working with oven mitts, pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.

To Make the Flan: Bring the cream and milk just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart glass measuring cup or in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the hot cream and milk. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam that you worked up.

Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the setup into the oven. Very carefully pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (Don't worry if this sets the cake pan afloat.) Bake the flan for about 35 minutes, or until the top puffs a bit and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the cake pan to a cooking rack and run a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan to loosen it. Let the flan cool to room temperature on the rack, then loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, once more, run a knife between the flan and the pan. Choose a rimmed serving platter, place the platter over the cake pan, quickly flip the platter and pan over and remove the cake pan-the flan will shimmy out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.

Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

This is one of those recipes that makes me so happy to be a part of "Tuesdays With Dorie." This is not a recipe I would have tried on my own, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to try it!?!? (Does that make any sense??) This weeks recipe was chosen by Steph from a whisk and a spoon. I did double the caramel recipe (based on the TWD reviews) and I'm glad I did, however...as you can tell by the pics I didn't let it get dark enough. It still tasted good! This got mixed reviews from my panel of judges (two 9 year olds, a 4 year old, a 2 year old & my hubby)...seemed to be more of a texture thing that was the problem more than a taste thing...STILL, a fun recipe to try!

butter cream easter eggs...

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 lb. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 lbs. powdered sugar
12 oz. dark chocolate melts, dark chocolate coating or semi-sweet chocolate chips

chopped nuts, if desired

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until well blended. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. Using the palms of your hands, roll the mixture, a small amount at a time, into small egg shapes. Refrigerate again for at least 1 hour. Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Using a large toothpick, or spoon dip each cream egg in melted chocolate to coat, then lay on a waxed paper lined tray and allow the chocolate to harden. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve or give away.

I wanted to post these earlier in the week, but time just got away from me...these really are easy to make and soooo worth it! The filling tastes like a thick butter cream frosting...YUM! You could certainly decorate these with names, dots, flowers, etc. out of icing or extra melted chocolate.

Happy Easter!

cinnamon heaven...

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

***

1½ cup sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

These are to die for...they taste like a cinnamon sugar doughnut, seriously...I made them into mini muffins (cuz, you don't eat as much or feel as guilty if they are smaller, right?) This would make a fantastic Easter morning breakfast. You could make the batter the night before, then the next morning just let it get to room temp before baking. There is an obscene amount of butter and sugar used...just don't think about it. Work out extra hard at the gym the next day...whatever.

recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman

cranberry orange scones...

No "Tuesdays with Dorie" for me this week. I admire the rest of the TWD gang for tackling the "Brioche Raisin Snails"!! Way to go guys! Click here to check out the TWD blogroll for some pretty fabulous takes on this recipe.

My offering this week, instead is another amazing Barefoot Contessa recipe...cranberry orange scones...

4 cups plus 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp grated orange zest

2 sticks cold butter, diced

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cold ½ & ½

1 cup dried cranberries

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and 1/2 & 1/2 , with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10-15 min, until golden brown. Drizzle with icing when cool.

chocolate chip cookies...

2/3 cup butter; room temp (no margarine)

2/3 cup veg shortening

2 eggs, room temp

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 cups flour

chocolate chips

With an electric mixer, cream butter and shortening really well, about 2-3 min. Add eggs, sugar and vanilla and mix well, almost whipping mixture. Combine flour, salt & soda in a separate bowl and add a little at a time to wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a small ice cream scoop, or two spoons place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 min.

Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, this is mine. I got this recipe years ago from my sis in law, Angie (I'm starting to think she should be the one with the recipe blog...). If you are in to cookie dough, and seriously, who isn't????...this one is for you. But, they are just as good baked up. This is a pretty fool-proof recipe. They turn out every time. No flat cookies, hurray! (the only place you could go wrong is by accidentally melting the butter to try to soften it...just leave it out on the counter for a few hours). Instead of sifting the dry ingredients (I rarely do that) I stir them together with a whisk (serious bakers are cringing right now...). I didn't put an exact amount of chocolate chips to use because that is totally up to you. I tend to like more cookie and less chip so I only use half a bag, but, I know that most people like more chocolate. I also under cook mine a little...again, just my preference. Really, try these...you will not be disappointed!!

bbq chicken pizza...

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & diced

1 store bought, pre-made pizza crust

1 bottle bbq sauce

1/2 red onion

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Slice onion and caramelize in 1-2 Tbsp butter and a dash of salt. Cook over med heat until brown in color. Spread bbq sauce on pizza crust. Top with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees 10-12 min. or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

I was having a huge craving for this!! I sometimes make my own pizza crust, but for this particular pizza I just love the pre made crust. The red onions really make this particularly fabulous. The little people around here weren't hip on the whole chicken pizza thing...so they got plain old cheese. I just used the same type of crust with tomato paste, cheese & a little dried oregano. Both pizzas were devoured...bummer...no leftovers!

TWD apple pie cake...

I joined a baking group called "Tuesdays With Dorie"!! Once a week a member picks a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook "Baking, From My Home To Yours" and we all post our results on the following Tuesday. Fun, huh? This weeks recipe is "Russian Grandmothers' Apple-Pie Cake, chosen by Natalie from Burned Bits.

This pie/cake is amazing. It is two layers of dough that is a cross between cookie dough and pie crust...that sandwiches cinnamon apples...need I say more? It was really fun to make, and tastes spectacular.

For The Dough
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 1/4 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For The Apples
10 medium apples (I like to use Fuji)
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

Sugar, preferably decorating (coarse) sugar, for dusting

To Make The Dough: Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes more. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the baking powder and salt and mix just to combine. Add the lemon juice - the dough will probably curdle, but don't worry about it. Still working on low speed, slowly but steadily add 3 1/4 cups of the flour, mixing to incorporate it and scraping down the bowl as needed. The dough is meant to be soft, but if you think it looks more like a batter than a dough at this point, add the extra 1/4 cup flour. (The dough usually needs the extra flour.) When properly combined, the dough should almost clean the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or for up to 3 days. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator.)

To Make The Apples: Peel and core the apples and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick; cut the slices in half crosswise if you want. Toss the slices in a bowl with a little lemon juice - even with the juice, the apples may turn brown, but that's fine - and add the raisins. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together, sprinkle over the apples and stir to coat evenly. Taste an apple and add more sugar, cinnamon, and/or lemon juice if you like.

Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 9x12-inch baking pan (Pyrex is good) and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Remove the dough from the fridge. If it is too hard to roll and it cracks, either let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or give it a few bashes with your rolling pin to get it moving. Once it's a little more malleable, you've got a few choices. You can roll it on a well-floured work surface or roll it between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. You can even press or roll out pieces of the dough and patch them together in the pan - because of the baking powder in the dough, it will puff and self-heal under the oven's heat. Roll the dough out until it is just a little larger all around than your pan and about 1/4 inch thick - you don't want the dough to be too thin, because you really want to taste it. Transfer the dough to the pan. If the dough comes up the sides of the pan, that's fine; if it doesn't that's fine too.

Give the apples another toss in the bowl, then turn them into the pan and, using your hands, spread them evenly across the bottom.

Roll out the second piece of dough and position it over the apples. Cut the dough so you've got a 1/4 to 1/2 inch overhang and tuck the excess into the sides of the pan, as though you were making a bed. (If you don't have that much overhang, just press what you've got against the sides of the pan.)

Brush the top of the dough lightly with water and sprinkle sugar over the dough. Using a small sharp knife, cut 6 to 8 evenly spaced slits in the dough.

Bake for 65 to 80 minutes, or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the juices from the apples are bubbling up through the slits. Serve warm or at room temp.

I cut the recipe in half and omitted the raisins.I served it up warm with a little vanilla bean ice cream. It was fabulous. This will definitely grace my kitchen many, many more times! Thanks for the great recipe choice Natalie!

pie crust cookies...

I had leftover pastry from the pot pies, so I took a trip down memory lane. My mom used to make pie crust cookies for us at Thanksgiving with the excess dough from her pies. YUM! It's pretty simple...just roll out remaining pastry dough, cut into squares (I use a pizza cutter), "dot" with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, or until golden brown. I enjoyed every bite!!

chicken pot pie...

*filling*

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and diced

6 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced

2 med potatoes, peeled & cubed

3 carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 -3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup green peas; frozen

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steam carrots & potatoes until almost fork tender. In a med saucepan cook butter & onions until onions are translucent. Add flour and cook about 1 min. Add milk and chicken broth. Cook over med heat, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add chicken,vegetables, parsley, salt & pepper.

*pastry*

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/4 pound cold butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

salt and pepper

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter. Pulse 10 times, or until the butter and shortening is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place filling in desired baking dishes. Paint egg wash around edges of dish(es), so pastry will stick. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and cut pieces that are a little larger than baking dish (allowing it to drape over the sides). Carefully transfer dough to cover filling. Try not to pull or stretch dough, just pick up, or wrap around rolling pin and place down. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt & pepper (if desired). Cut a few slits in dough to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 min until golden brown and bubbly.

I usually don't cook such a time consuming meal, but this is one I have wanted to try for a while. I had a little extra time this weekend, so I did what I love to do... cook! THIS WAS FABULOUS!! The filling recipe is adapted from the pot pie recipe that was served in the Marshall Fields restaurant for years. I changed it up a little to fit my tastes. The pastry is a recipe from Barefoot Contessa. I know, it is a lot of work...but if you have the time/desire...give it a try. It seriously is the best I've tasted. And...the family loved it!

southwest chicken tenders...

1/2 cup cracker crumbs (Ritz, Townhouse, etc.)

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 pound (about 12) boneless chicken tenderloins

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

Combine crumbs, flour, chili powder, salt and cumin in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg whites; coat with crumb mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 min or until golden brown, OR fry in a shallow pan with 3 Tbsp oil, 5-6 min, turning once.

*black bean salsa*

1 15oz can black beans; drained and rinsed

1 15oz can corn; drained

1/2 red onion; diced

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

juice of one lime or lemon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and marinade at least 1 hour before serving.

This was a big hit. The chili powder and cumin add a very subtle flavor that is not spicy at all, just good! I never fry food...but I gave it a try on this one. I actually fried half of them and baked half of them. Everyone in the family got one of each and had to tell me which one they liked better...I don't think I need to tell you the results...however, the baked chicken was fabulous, too. Next time, just for health purposes, I will bake them...but if you want to taste something exceptionally wonderful...fry 'em up!

The black bean salsa is so easy and excellent with chips. The longer it marinades, the better it is. The onion was a little strong the first night, but the next day it was just right. Obviously, you could add anything you like to this recipe...tomatoes, avocado, olives, cilantro...mmmmm!

crispy potato wedges...

4-5 med baking potatoes, cut lengthwise into wedges

nonstick cooking spray

1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parm. cheese, salt & pepper in a medium sized bowl. Spray cut sides of potatoes generously with cooking spray. Toss potatoes 1-2 at a time in bread crumb mixture, tossing to coat generously. Place on baking sheet. Bake about 20 min until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown. Serve with dipping sauces (ranch, honey mustard, etc.)

YUM!!!

chicken & rice soup & butter dipped squares...

*chicken & rice soup*

4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced

2 cups cooked rice

3-4 carrots; diced

1-2 stalks celery; diced

1 small onion; diced

2 Tbsp butter

5-6 cups chicken stock

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

(extra stock or water can be added to desired consistency)

Sautee vegetables in butter until tender. Add cooked chicken, cooked rice, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Simmer 30-40 min. Add soup and sour cream and cook 10 min, or until heated through.

*butter dipped squares*

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (NO margarine); melted

flour

Place 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a measuring cup. Add flour to measure 1 cup. In a bowl, combine flour mixture, sugar and milk; mix well. Turn onto a floured surface; sprinkle with flour. Pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness. With a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut into 3-in. x 2-in. pieces (approx). Pour butter into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Dip one side of each piece into melted butter. Carefully turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 10 min. or until golden brown.

OK, yummy dinner! For the soup I actually used fat free cream of chicken soup and fat free sour cream...I had to counteract the butter in the bread somehow...Anyways, it was fabulous. I think it would be great with brown rice, too. I got this recipe from my friend, Jennie :), she also suggests making it with wild rice. My kids loved this soup. It makes a lot, but the recipe could be easily cut in half. However, we just had the leftovers the next night...with no complaints!

The bread is a buttery, biscuit-like, crispy edged perfect companion to this or any soup. It comes together really quickly, which is always a bonus! Don't be put off by the baking powder & flour measuring step...this is just a substitute for self-rising flour, which I never have on hand. The dough is really wet and sticky, so don't be afraid to use flour when patting it out on the counter. Also, mine rarely end up looking like squares...you could just cut/slice them any way you like...breadsticks come to mind...

some favorites...

I am a salad girl...I love, love, love salad! I don't love bagged salad, though. In a pinch, it's not that bad...It's just definitely not as fresh, and goes bad too soon. So, I buy whatever salad greens I'm in the mood for and wash them, cut them, and keep them in my handy dandy salad spinner. Seriously, I love this thing. It not only spins all of the water out, but it is a great place to store greens so they stay colorful and crisp. It is also convenient to have the lettuce already washed and ready for a quick lunch or dinner salad.

And...if you have never before tried an English Cucumber (sometimes called Hot House, or seedless)...you are missing out. These little babies don't need to be peeled, and they have the yummiest, freshest flavor. They are definitely more expensive than regular garden cucumbers, but so worth it.