Bruce Bogtrotter's Cake

In case you've forgotten, Bruce Bogtrotter was the little boy that stole a piece of chocolate cake from the Trunchbull in Matilda. As punishment, he then had to consume an entire cake in front of the whole school! 

I've made this cake twice now and it falls under the same category as Mim's post "Death by Chocolate Cake;" incredible chocolate deliciousness...probably insane amount of calories...but you just must ignore that thought and enjoy the rich, chocolate perfection!  Seriously, this is really, really yum.  I did add my comments and helpful suggestions.  The cake isn't super sweet so I preferred a little sweeter frosting.  Sorry for the terrible picture; the cake had been DEVOURED before I realized I should have gotten a picture!

SERVES 1 TO 8!
YOU WILL NEED:
9–inch round cake pan
wax paper
large Pyrex bowl
large mixing bowl
sauce pan
wire rack
8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted butter once and actually liked it better)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup all–purpose flour
6 eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten

ICING: **I halved this and it made plenty**
8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate (one time I didn't have enough so I used half semi-sweet choc chips and half melted Hershey kisses!  It worked fine.)
8 ounces heavy cream (I've used half-n-half and whole milk instead; makes it more liquidy so maybe add slightly less)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line the cake pan with wax paper and spray the bottom and sides of the paper with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Melt the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl set in a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave on low heat. Mix in the butter and stir until melted.

4. Transfer to a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, and lightly beaten egg yolks. (I think this step is silly; I beat egg yolks in my Kitchenaid, then poured the yolks into the Pyrex bowl with melted chocolate along with the sugar and flour.  Fewer steps and less mess.)

5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff (I beat these in my Kitchenaid for 10ish minutes--make sure the egg whites are truly stiff for best results). Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, blending thoroughly, then fold in the remaining whites.

6. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes. There will be a thin crust on top of the cake, and if tested with a toothpick the inside will appear undercooked (don't worry, the cake will get firmer as it cools). Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan on a wire rack.

7. While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Melt the chocolate with the cream in a heavy–bottomed saucepan over lowest heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted and blended with the cream. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

8. When the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and discard the wax paper. The cake is prone to sinking slightly in the middle, so flip it upside down before icing by placing a plate on top and carefully turning over the cake pan and plate together.

9. Carefully spread the chocolate icing all over the cake with a spatula.

What is pain? French bread

That line is from 'Remember the Titans'.  Except that there is nothing painful about this French bread, except waiting for it to get out of the oven so you can stuff it in your face.

This recipe is from my friend Laura Lewis in St. Louis.  She made amazing bread, and today, ladies, you've got her secret.  Josh and the kids LOVE it, and Josh has asked me to never buy store bread again because it's the best bread he's ever had in his life.  Lucky for me, this is also the easiest bread.  Read the tips before you start.

6 cups warm water (I use a thermometer to measure 110-115 degrees)
3 Tbs yeast (I use Fleishman's RapidRise yeast, haven't tried others--post if you do)
3 Tbs sugar

Let this sit for 5-10 min

Then add;
2 T  salt
5lbs flour (I use bread flour, haven't tried regular--post if you do)

Knead for 15 min. Rise for 1 hr 15 min.. Put 1 Tbs butter in hands and knead into risen bread. Cut large dough ball in half. Then cut each half into 3 loaves. Knead and roll sides in to form loaves. Cut 3 slits on top.  Lay dough on greased pans. Brush with 1 beaten egg to help brown. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min turn and switch racks bake for 14-15 more mins.

Tips:
I do everything in my (6 qt, 1 HP motor) Kitchenaid, fitted with the dough hook.  It is a big batch.  I have also done a 1/2 batch, which I think would be much more manageable in a smaller
(or less powerful) Kitchenaid. A full batch wore my other kitchenaid out (temporarily) and I had to finish kneading by hand.

*This bread does not last very long.  If you don't think you're going to use it in the next few days, then freeze it.  Otherwise it will start developing mold.  Which is very sad.

I have successfully frozen baked loaves of bread. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's close enough to pumpkin season to post this right?!  I got this out of a children's fall crafting book and it is now my favorite way to roast pumpkin seeds.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Rinse and dry pumpkin seeds.  Toss seeds in 1-2 T olive oil (or butter).  Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with garlic salt and worcestershire sauce (to taste).  Bake 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until they start to brown.

Variation: Use cinnamon, ginger, and all-spice to make spiced seeds.

Death By Chocolate Cake

I know you are thinking two things:
Man, that looks delicious.
I couldn't make that! How many calories would be in ONE piece?

Just ignore that second thought. Highly too logical for this kind of decadence  When it comes to chocolate, go with your gut. If you are going to make something with chocolate, go big or go home!

Ingredients:
1 package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 oz.) package chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 c. warm water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan before inverting onto a plate.

Spaghetti with Garlic-Shrimp Broccoli

Spaghetti with Garlic-Shrimp & Broccoli 
Fantastic recipe from Kraftfoods.com, received 5 out of 5 stars from reviewers.  We LOVED it.  Easy, quick, flavorful! I used chicken instead of shrimp.

1/2 lb.  spaghetti, uncooked

4 cups  small broccoli florets

1/2 cup  KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing (I just used the Italian dressing I had mixed up)

1 lb.  uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp or I used 1 lb. chicken

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1/4 cup  grated Parmesan Cheese

*1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

(Can also add red onion and green pepper not cooked, or asparagus, top with feta cheese instead---best ever)

make it

COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the cooking water for the last 2 min.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir 3 to 4 min. or until shrimp turn pink.

DRAIN spaghetti mixture; return to pan. Add shrimp mixture and cheese; mix lightly.

kraft kitchens tips

SPECIAL EXTRA

Add 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper to the hot dressing along with the shrimp and garlic.

VARIATION

Prepare using thawed frozen cooked cleaned large shrimp, and reducing the cooking time for the shrimp and garlic to 2 to 3 min. or until the shrimp are heated through.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Tasty reicpe from allrecipes.com.  We add chocolate chips and serve it with whipped cream, and we can hardly call it 'breakfast'.  So delish, a new favorite.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1.In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Chevy's Corn Mush

1 can corn, undrained
1 can creamed corn, undrained
1 Jiffy cornbread mix (8.5 oz)
1/2 c sour cream
1 stick melted butter

Stir ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until the top is cracked and browned.

Cook in deep dish because it rises.

Great for a side dish with Mexican food.

Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, when we stayed at the Doubletree we just LOVED their cookies.  I looked for a knock off recipe when we got home, and I found this one.  I will say it is not the same texture as the Doubletree cookies, but is still super yummy. 

Prep time: 30 min   Total time: Overnight

 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup rolled oats
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet, chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.

For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.

Spoon rounded 1/4 cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven for 16-18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft

Makes 20 cookies

Baked Ziti

Just got this recipe off the back of the San Giorgio Ziti pasta box and loved it.  Seriously was able to throw this together in 15 minutes, get it into the oven and wa-la!  Fast and easy and tastes like yummy lasagna (but without all the stinkin' work and time required of lasagna).

Makes 10 servings (1 cup each)

1 package (1 lb.) ziti pasta, uncooked (or really any tubular pasta)
3 cups (about 26-oz jar) spaghetti sauce, divided
1 3/4 cups (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 T dried parsley flakes
1 egg
1 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
3 T grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375.  Cook pasta according to package directions for 9 minutes.  In large bowl, stir together hot pasta, 1 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  In 13 x 9" pan, spoon pasta mixture, top with remaining 1 1/2 c. sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; cover with foil.  Bake 30 min. or until hot and bubbly.

Make ahead direction:  Prepare recipe as directed, but do not bake.  Cover with plastic wrap, then foil.  Refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 2 months.  Thaw frozen version in refrigerator overnight.  Remove plastic wrap; replace foil.  Bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes to baking time.

So I don't know if anyone has trouble with sugar cookies, but I sure do.  My friend Hayley brough James Valentine cookies from her daughter, Kate, (James is 14 months and Kate is 20 months - how cute is that?) and they were yuuuummmy - so she kindly shared the recipe adding that they always turned out.  THAT is what I am talking about.  I have yet to make them myself, but plan to very soon.  =) 

Sugar Cookies (Old Fashioned Butter Cookies)

Hayley Bahr

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. butter (must be real butter)

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 T. milk

1½ tsp. vanilla

 

Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add the dry ingredients and the milk and vanilla. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour for easier handling if you have time. Roll out thick. Cut dough with favorite cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes. Cookies may not look done but do not overcook.

 

Note: We usually 3-4 times the recipe for Valentines and Christmas. One batch makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

Hayley Bahr

Melt in a small saucepan:

1/2 c butter or margarine

1/4 c. evaporated milk

Heat but do not boil. Take off cook top and add:

1 tsp. vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar, about 4 cups

Beat until the right consistency to frost cookies. Frosting thickens as it stands, so you will need to thin it with more milk as you frost cookies.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

I made these for Christmas treats--YUM!!

6 T butter
3/4 C peanut butter
1 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C. powdered sugar
1 C chocolate chips

1- Melt pb and butter - blend until smooth
2- Add crumbs and powdered sugar
3 - Mix well and presesinot 8x8 pan fitted with waxed paper
4- Melt chocolate until smooth and spread on top
5--Chill 30 minutes until firm
6--Let stand at room temp 10 min before cutting into bars

Magleby's Chocolate Cake

I made this for Jared's bday cake and it was yuuuuummmmmy!  Perhaps those of you who are true Magleby's die hards will be able to taste the difference of home made and Magleby's made, but  for me, there was none.  Heaven on a plate. 

PS-  I got this from the blog of a girl who used to work there...

Magleby's Chocolate Cake

1 C butter
1 C boiling water
5 T heaping cocoa
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp soda dissolved in a little water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C. sour cream

1. Mix butter, water and cocoa, add dry ingredients
2. Mix eggs, soda,  and vanilla in a seperate bowl and add to mixture
3. Gently mix in sour cream - do not overmix

Bake in two 8" or 9" floured cake pans 50 min at 350*
Remove from pans and chill (freeze - Magleby's freezes so I did too)
Cut edges off and frost

Frosting
1 can of milk chocolate frosting - add 1 cube of butter, 2 C. powdered sugar, 1 t vanilla, 1/3 C milk and mix it all - ta da!!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

For all those soup lovers out there. This is the delicious one I made at Christmas.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or substitute tenders)

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (14 oz) fat-tree chicken broth

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with mexican seasoning, undrained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (4 oz) chopped mild green chilies

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

Optional (and highly recommended) toppings: sour cream, sliced avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips, lime

Directions:

1. Coat Crock Pot with nonstick spray. Add all ingredients except toppings. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is done.

2. Remove chicken with slotted spoon. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Return to Crock Pot and stir well. 

3. Top as desired. 

Note: I am generous with the seasonings when I make it, but I like it a little spicier. You can add a bit of taco season for an extra kick. Also, I don't add the can of mild green chilies and I haven't missed a bit of the flavor, so I would say chilies are optional.

Lemon Brownies

I'm back with more sweet treats! If you have a lemon craving, this is it! Usually I'm quite disappointed with lemon flavored recipes because they don't have a strong enough lemon taste but these little gems are FANTASTIC! Enjoy!

The "Brownie" Batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour {King Arthur All-Purpose Flour}

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt {Sea Salt}

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tart Lemon Glaze 

1 rounded cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon lemon juice 

8 teaspoons lemon zest 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter/cooking spray and set aside. 

Zest and juice two small/large lemons; set aside. {whatever you have}

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. 

Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing.  Do not overbake, or the bars will be dry. {even with the yummy glaze}

When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze...sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice, and whisk together all three ingredients. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula.  Let glaze set.  Spread the remaining glaze over the bars, and let it set.  This glaze does not harden like most.  Cut into bars, and serve!

Panera Broccoli Cheese soup

This soup was SO delicious!!  It is doubled below, since I only cook in large quantities nowadays. :)  If you want the original recipe, click HERE.

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups half-and-half
4 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1 pound fresh broccoli
2 cups carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (I left this out)
16 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.