French Chocolate Molten Cake

A french girl in Jeremiah's section at HBS came over a few weeks ago and made these cakes for us. If you are a chocolate lover then you will LOVE these. So so goodand perfect with some vanilla ice cream. I've never been a huge fan of molten chocolate cause I feel like it had weird ingredients but this is simple and rich. But mostly I'm posting it to keep a record of it.

Ingredients (for 5/6 ramekins):

200g (7 oz) of dark chocolate (I use 70% in general of Lindt if available) 

120g (1/2 c) of butter

90g (~1/2 c) of sugar

5 eggs

2 tablespoons of flour

Recipe:

1.       Preheat the oven (400F)

2.       Brake the chocolate in pieces and put 5/6 pieces aside (one per ramekin)

3.       Slowly melt the chocolate with the butter (putting metal bowel in pot of hot water and heating up on stove)

4.       Mix the eggs with the sugar and mix it until the batter becomes a little clearer and foaming. Then add the flour. Mix again.

5.       Add the melted chocolate and mix well.

6.       Fill each ramekin with the batter. Add one piece of chocolate per ramekin, and push it down slightly so that it will ‘disappear’.

7.       Bake for 9 minutes exactly. The test if it is done is if the middle doesn't jiggle.

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Chocolate Frosted Brownies

I made these a few weeks ago when I was craving a BYU brownie. These were fabulous via mels kitchen cafe. The only thing I would change is a little less butter in the frosting and more powdered sugar to make it a bit more fluffy. Also Maybe a tad less salt in the frosting and brownie itself. Regardless, these were heaven and the company was in love as well!

Chocolate Frosted Brownies

YIELD: MAKES 12-16 BROWNIES

Note: This recipe can be doubled for a 9X13-inch pan. Bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states below and increase as needed while you check for doneness (cause there's nothing worse than an overcooked brownie).

INGREDIENTS

For the Brownies:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped (about 1/2 cup)- I just used semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-5 tablespoon milk or cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges (this helps to make "handles" for lifting out the brownies after they have cooled). Lightly grease the foil; set aside.
2. In a medium-size microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter for the brownies. Microwave for 1-minute increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in the eggs and the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a thin knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, using an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar. Add the vanilla and milk, starting with a couple tablespoons and adding more as needed to adjust the consistency. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, beating until smooth and fluffy.
5. Spread the frosting onto the cooled brownies. Store the brownies in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, at room temperature or in the refrigerator (I highly, highly, highly prefer my brownies chilled in case you care) for 3-5 days.

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Rocky Road Brownies

This makes a great gift that was recently given to me by a friend as a mix-in-a-jar.  And they were hands-down the best brownies I've ever eaten.  I mean, c'mon, they're made with buttermilk.  How can you go wrong?  Move over, Ghiradelli Brownie mix, I found my new favorite.

Rocky Road Brownies
recipe from Deer Lake Cookie Recipes 

If giving as a gift, add these dry ingredients to a tall Mason jar in this order (bottom to top):

1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Recipe Note: put the marshmallows in a resealable plastic food storage bag; seal bag. Use marshmallows as the final layer in jar.

Wet Ingredients (include a note with your jar to add these ingredients):

1/2 cup butter
1 egg (lightly whipped with a fork in a small bowl)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 355 degrees. Lightly grease 8X8-inch baking pan.  Remove marshmallows from plastic food storage bag in jar; set aside.

In a large bowl, add in Rocky Road dry mix from jar. Next, add in egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla; stir until blended.
Spread batter evenly into your prepared pan. Bake 25 to 32 minutes or till it sets up. While hot; sprinkle miniature marshmallows over brownies. Now bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed and slightly melted. (Watch those rocky road brownies close, nobody likes burnt brownies.) Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

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S'mores in a Pan

We had these for a quick FHE treat the other night.  They were delicious and something that most of us would just have the ingredients sitting around in our pantry for.  Perfect last minute treat.

S’mores {in a pan}

Recipe from brownsugartoast.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows (or large marshmallows cut in half)
• graham crackers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Evenly spread chocolate chips in a greased, oven-safe pan.
3. Pour marshmallows on top of chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 8 minutes, or until marshmallows are lightly toasted.
5. Serve immediately with graham crackers.

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Browned Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you're thinking..."we really need another chocolate chip cookie recipe on Peachtree Cooking".  Right?  This one is different from your regular cookie because of the browned butter- it gives the cookie a rich, caramel flavor that is beyond delicious.  David White's cute wife, Bonnie, brought these over when we had them to dinner, and the plate was cleaned before any of us had enough.  Seriously amazing.

actual picture

Browned Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bonnie White

2.5 c flour

1.5 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp sea salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1.5 c packed brown sugar

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs. Greek yogurt

1/2 c semi sweet choco chips

1/2 c milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Brown your butter in a skillet on your stovetop until it turns a golden brown, but before it burns (don't leave it).  Pour into mixer and blend with sugar until well blended.  Add remaining wet ingredients.  Mix in dry ingredients until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Chill in freezer for 30 minutes.  Scoop onto baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt (optional).  Bake 8-10 minutes.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 picture courtesy of Southern Living 

I always make the same two cookie recipes. So when Jana passed this recipe along to me I thought I would try it. I don't think you can go wrong with chocolate chip cookies. This recipe is good. I will have to factor it into my rotation. Especially since I was out of lemon juice, so I am curious to see how that taste in these cookies - Jana swears that is what makes them so good!


Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
by: Loni Ponce

1/2 - 3/4 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup gradulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grind oats in food processor or blender. Combine the grounded oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. (important to grind the oats for this recipe)

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Add eggs. Mix until smooth. Stir in the dry mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips. Spoon desired sized balls onto a cookie sheet.

Bake 350 for 9 - 13 minutes. Watch the cookies the first time you make these so you will know the exact time. My cookies took 10 minutes.

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Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

We had a dessert recipe exchange for  young women's the other night and we all brought the dessert for everyone to try. Another leader brought these chocolate chip cookies which are the copy cat recipe from the Levain bakery in NY. I don't remember the last time I bit into a cookie and thought.. "this is the best cookie i've ever had" but i sure did with this one. They are amazing! I made them last night and they were again..amazing! i know there are a lot of chocolate chip recipes on here but this one is worth a shot.

i didn't want to make giant cookies like it calls for so i made them smaller and adjusted the time. but i also learned that you can't do them too small either. they don't spread out very much so be generous in their size. also they taste better when they're a little bigger rather then little bite size cookies.

Ingredients

·         2 sticks ‘cold and cubed’ good quality unsalted butter

·         3/4 cup granulated sugar

·         3/4 cup brown sugar – not packed too hard. Just spoon it in the cup(s) and press down lightly when full, sweeping off any extra that runs over.

·         2 eggs (room temperature)

·         3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups All Purpose flour – Spoon and Sweep method. (feel the dough, it should be moist, kind of like cold cookie dough in a tube . . . but not super sticky, so you can portion the cookies with your hands)

·         3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

·         3/4-1 teaspoon baking powder ( I don’t fill the tsp fully, hence the 3/4 tsp)

·         1/4 tsp baking soda

·         1 T cornstarch

·         1 cup Guittard brand milk chocolate chips

·         1 cup Guittard brand semisweet chocolate chips

·         1 cup walnuts (Toast the nuts for more flavor, if desired and/or use any kind of nut you like.)- i usually don't like nuts in my desserts but they add an amazing flavor and there are already enough chunks that it doesn't ruin the texture either. add them!!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.        In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy.

2.        Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.

3.        In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch. Add slowly to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

4.        Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts

5.        Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions, **about 4 oz each.

6.        Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 16-23 minutes depending on how gooey and raw’ish you like the middle. Bake until lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat, in an airtight container. To freshen them after a few days (if they last that long), give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

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Texas Sheet Cake

This recipe is another original from our sister's cookbook- submitted by Jessica. I've made it twice now and its amazing! It feeds a crowd and is great warm or cold- with or without ice cream. Plus, you should have most of these ingredients in your pantry/fridge. Next time you need a crowd-pleaser for a big crowd, put this one on your menu.

courtesy

Texas Sheet Cake

Jessica Sedgwick

For the Cake:

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 cup butter

4 Tbs. cocoa

1 c. water

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour and sugar in large bowl. Mix butter, cocoa, and water in saucepan. Bring to boil. Turn off heat and stir into flour and sugar mixture. Add buttermilk, eggs, soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well mixed. Bake in greased jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips (see below) evenly over cake. Let stand about one minute- don't spread. Pour frosting evenly over all. Enjoy!

For the Frosting:

1 stick butter

4 Tbs. cocoa

6 Tbs. milk

1 lb. box powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 bag chocolate chips (use 1/2 milk or 1/2 semi-sweet, or 1 whole bag of each)

Melt all ingredients, except sugar and vanilla and barely bring to boil. Shut off heat and add sugar and vanilla. Consistency should be to pour, not spread over chocolate chips.

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brian's favorite cookie is an oatmeal one...he doesn't even like the chocolate chips. This cookie is where we compromise. :) Its a delicious, chewy, chocolately cookie that goes perfect as an ice-cream sandwich (we made them last Sunday and they were delicious...ice-cream recipe below too). There is something about oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough that really is satisfying...yeah, we make these just for the dough sometimes.

courtesy

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (and Ice Cream!)

Adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats (I've used regular oats too, with great results)

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time and then stir in vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just blended. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

1 cup milk (the fattier the milk, the creamier the ice cream)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (the real stuff, please!)

Whisk together milk, sugar and salt until sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or overnight. Put in ice cream maker for 15-20 minutes; add mix-ins for the last 3-5 minutes, if desired. Freeze and seal tight the ice cream for additional 1-2 hours, if you want it more solid.

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Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake

Photo from realmomkitchen.com

Eek! Just look at this and try not to drool! Jake made this for me for my birthday back in July and it was way too good not to share... all of my favorite things wrapped up in a very pretty package.



Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake

Recipe from realmomkitchen.com

1 pkg chocolate cake mix (I used triple chocolate)

Ingredients needed to make the cake (check the back of the box)

Filling:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups Cool whip (I used the extra creamy kind)

12 oreo cookies, coarsely crushed

Frosting:

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

5 to 6 Tbsp milk (or more if needed)

Prepare cake mix according to package directions for two 9-inch cake rounds. For easy removal, grease the bottom of the pan, then line it with a piece of parchment that has been cut to fit the bottom of the pan. Place the parchment in the pan and then grease the parchment and sides of the pan. Bake cake according to package directions. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Allow cake to cool completely.

Once cakes are completely cooled, prepare the filling by beating the cream and sugar together with a hand mixer until well blended. Fold in the cool whip until almost blended then fold in the crushed oreos. In another bowl, make the frosting by whisking together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Then add the butter, vanilla, and milk. Blend with a mixer until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, to make the frosting a spreadable consistency.

Now it’s time to assemble the cake. With a serrated knife, cut off the domed top off each of the rounds to make the cake even and level. Save the parts you cut off for another use. Place one round on your serving platter or cake plate. Top with half of the filling mixture; spread evenly. Place the other cake on top. Now use the remaining filling to fill in the center filling section of the cake so that the filling layer is completely even with the cake layers. You may not need all of the filling. Then cover the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting.

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Aunt Elisabeth's Hot Fudge Sauce

This is the hot fudge that we grew up on. Its creamy, rich, and delicious- whenever you need a chocolate sauce for your ice cream that includes ingredients you have in your pantry, look no further.

picture courtesy google images

Aunt Elisabeth's Hot Fudge Sauce

1 stick butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you use milk chips, it will not thicken!)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter on low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add milk and sugar, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil on medium-low heat (still stirring constantly). Once boiling, allow to boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Sauce will thicken upon standing.

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{A Little Like Martha} Granola Bars

Yeah, I felt a little like Martha (Stewart, that is) the first time I made these. They are the prettiest little granola bars and the tastiest ones too. Granola bars are a huge staple in our house and I was sick of eating ones that tasted like a cardboard box. So, I went on a hunt to find the best. My search is over people...this is it.

Homemade Granola Bars

Adapted from 337 Greenwich

2 cups old-fashioned slow-cooking oats
1 cup sliced almonds (I got whole almonds and did a rough chop on them)
1 cup shredded coconut (don't get scared here- its not a huge flavor in the end)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2/3 cups honey
3 tablespoons butter, plus a bit for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate chips (or any items you prefer in your favorite granola bar)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x9 baking dish and line it with parchment paper. I also spray the parchment with cooking spray because my granola bars stick to the paper after cooling.  Toss the oats, almonds, and coconut on a sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Toast your wheat germ in a skillet on medium heat on stovetop (watch carefully- this will burn if not tended) until golden brown- about 3 minutes. Transfer oat mix to a large bowl and add the wheat germ. In a saucepan, over medium heat bring the butter, honey, vanilla, and salt to a boil. Cook while stirring for another minute. Then add the liquid to to the bowl of dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan by layers, adding chocolate chips to each layer as desired. I have used both mini and regular size chips- my favorite is the regular size...and I used semi-sweet (yum). Sprinkle some on top too! Bake at 300F for 30 minutes until lightly browned. Allow it to cool for at least 3 hours (or overnight) and then cut into bars or squares. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container.

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