Triple Chocolate Cake

I just made the most wonderful chocolate cake. I am big on baking/cooking simply, which in my book, means to purchase food items that do not contain a lot of processing or preservatives. I enjoy making my own Alfredo, mac and cheese, cookie dough...and now....homemade cake and frosting! This is by far the most amazing cake I have tasted. (I made a little sample one for myself with the extra dough so I was able to sample it before I gave it away...not proud to say...but I had to talk myself into putting my fork down!)

It is called Chocolate Wasted Cake, but for a better name I now name it...Triple Chocolate Showdown! or Death By Chocolate Cake! Basically it is a chocolate batter, with chocolate chips in the cake, then chocolate frosting with chocolate chips on top!!! :o)

cake:
3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda 
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 cup butter, melted
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips


frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1/3-1/2 cup milk. Start by adding 1/3 and add more milk to get the consistency you desire
1 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease and dust two to three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with cocoa powder or flour. Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk/butter mixture. Mix until combined.  Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour in the batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and wait for about 10 minutes to remove from cake pans and place on a cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely before decorating.To make the frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, slowly mix together at a low speed. Once all the ingredients are combined, increase the speed and beat till fluffy. 

To assemble the cake:

Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake circle.  Spread an even layer of frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting.  Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting.  Cover the sides of the cake with semi-sweet chocolate chips and cover the top with assorted chocolate candies or chocolate chips. 

-sunshine

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

I have never been a big fan of cookies, well maybe my grandmas snickerdoodles and maybe only if they are right out of the oven....but I will take cookie dough anyday!!! My grandma always slapped my hand when I asked for a bite because of the raw eggs. I thought to myself I will always chance eating cookie dough and not have any cautions about what would happen later...I wanted my moment! SO, when I stumbled across this recipe I HAD to do it! It is cookie dough, without the egg, wrapped in a chocolate candy coating. ohmygawsh these are delicious and just like yesterday, for the sake of photography I had to eat a couple in order to photograph them....maybe I ate a little to many.... but for a minimum donation of $1 you can have your cookie dough bite!
Click here to read more about our trip and mission to Nicaragua.

Chocolate chip cookie dough truffles

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

directions:

Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate candy coating  in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week (though good luck making them last that long).

-sunshine

Desserts with POP!

I have been seeing a lot of recipes using a box mix and a can of pop.

I have been waiting to try them, and what a better time!

Here is the first recipe....2 ingredients!

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Voila you have a low calorie dessert!

 Its funny, for the sake of food photography,  I had to prepare them for you to see...then, of course they could not go to waste...so these are also pictures of my supper tonight! but hey...for 200 calories and a day of playing racquetball, I will now go to bed a happy women! (Already feeling my shoulders and back sore!)

The second pop recipe I tried was cupcakes with Diet Cherry 7 Up!

All it was:

1 box white cake mix

2 egg whites

12 ounces/or 1 can of 7 Up

You can make the cupcakes without the egg whites, but it gives the cupcake a fuller, more "put together" cake! 

Minimum donation of $1, and ALL proceeds go towards buying uniforms for the children of Nicaragua. 

-sunshine

Herb Marinated Chicken

I love to buy fresh chicken rather than frozen, but I am unable to eat it all without getting tired of it, or at the risk of it going bad! So, I have been researching some marinades where I am able to marinade the chicken while it is freezing, and then again while it is being thawed. I found this marinade on foodnetwork.com and added my own changes to it. And I must say, that all these spices together make for a perfect, tender chicken!

I also cannot wait until I start my own herb garden and I am able to explore more marinades! My Parsley and Basil are growing fantastically! It takes 10 weeks from a seed until a plant before you are able to cook with it, I am about 4 weeks in...its so hard waiting! :)

Herb Chicken Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar, like cider, or balsamic
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or crumbled bay leaf
• 1 to 2 teaspoon garlic or onion powder, optional
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces

Directions

Put the vinegar, herbs, powders if using and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag, drop in the chicken breast in the bag. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, under cold, running water, or in the microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute at a time.

Heat a grill or grill pan. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. You can also bake the thawed chicken in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

I love wraps! and I made this one with the herb marinated chicken

for the wrap:

1 whole wheat tortilla

1/4 cup black beans

1/4 cup tomatoes

2 Tbsps low fat mozzarella cheese

4 strips chicken

Heat the tortilla, with the cheese for 20 seconds in the microwave. I added some crushed red pepper flakes. Layer on the beans, tomatoes, and chicken.

!Disfruita! (enjoy)

-sunshine :o)

Carmelitas

Thursday Treats!

Carmelitas

I appreciate all the support! We have raised over $200!! That's 10 students with full uniforms! All the support is so overwhelming and I will be forever grateful! I will take many pictures of the students in their new school uniforms wearing their smiles! :o)

and those of you have wanted the recipe....

here it is.....

and only, only because I am leaving Killough and someone has to uphold the tradition! :)

You will need:

1 1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup oats

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2-1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups caramel ice cream topping

optional-- 1 cup pecans or walnuts

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Press half of the batter into a greased (and maybe floured) 9x13 pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Add chocolate chips, caramel and nuts on base. Sprinkle on remaining batter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Chill for 2 hours, or enjoy warm from the oven! :)

Champagne Cupcakes

Tuesday's Treats!

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

I appreciate ALL the support, and I hope you enjoy these today! :o)

Some baking blogs I follow!

Some people get lost in pinterest, facebook, or angry birds...I get lost in food blogs...they inspire me so much!

I enjoy..rather....LOVE baking! like I always say, I am an artist in my kitchen! I get a lot of my baking ideas from these blogs,

browneyedbaker.com
sixsistersstuff.com
whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com
IowaGirlEats.com
cookiesandcups.com
www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
www.ourbestbites.com
http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/

I hope you like searching them to! They have awesome ideas and pictures! :o)


Enjoy your Sunday evening


-sunshine