Dark Chocolate Texas sheet cake: sin on a plate...

This has been yet another crazy week, filled with graduations, parties, illnesses, and a proliferating laundry pile. I attacked it today, wrestled it to the ground, and tried to beat it into submission. A whole lotta good that'll do, though- it only laughs in my face and starts multiplying again. It's pure evil in a basket...



Why laundry makes me crave chocolate though, I'll never know. But crave it did, and that's when the ingredients started flying on the counter. It had to be quick and easy. A rich chocolate Texas sheet cake. The recipe I based it off of was given to me by a gal I had worked with years ago, and even though it was a very good one, I wanted an even richer, more moist, cake. So over time I have adapted this recipe to cure my cravings, and send me into a blissful chocolate coma... be very careful though. One slice can lead to another, and you could end up with thighs like my great aunt...

Dark Chocolate Texas Sheet cake

2 c sugar
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 heaping c sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 c water
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder

Dark chocolate glaze

1 stick unsalted butter
5 Tbs heavy cream
4 Tbs Dark cocoa powder
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp Bourbon Vanilla (tastes best but regular ok)
1 lb box powdered sugar, sifted

In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, eggs, and baking soda. Set aside. In a 2 qt saucepan add 2 sticks unsalted butter, water, and 4 Tbs dark cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add to flour mixture, blending well, then add the sour cream mixture, making sure all is combined. Spray a large jelly roll or large rimmed baking sheet pan with non-stick spray, and pour all batter into pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and keep cake in pan.

While cooling, add remaining stick of butter, heavy cream, and dark cocoa powder into a 2 qt saucepan. Bring to a slight boil and remove from heat. Add in cream cheese, whisking well until melted, then add bourbon vanilla, and lastly, powdered sugar in small increments until well blended and smooth. Pour all on top of cake (if cake is still warm that's ok) , spread and smooth with an offset spatula. Let cake cool until glaze is set.

Cake should serve many... but depending on your mood, could be a large serving for one :-)

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Guess what?! I lost 20 lbs!! So let's celebrate, and make a cheesecake, y'all! I know, my last post was my Easter pie, but I had some left over ricotta and Lord knows, you never let good ricotta go to waste. So, I figured I'd get the cheesecake thing out of my system, and then move on to losing my next, and final, 20 lbs before my weight loss challenge ends.

Funny name for a cheesecake, huh? I just couldn't think of any other name for it, so, since the recipe came from mom, moms name (maiden) to it I gave. She's going to kill me. She hates her middle name. I think it was her baptismal name, or something like that... she never uses it. She won't be reading this probably for a few weeks or so, so I'm safe for the time being. I love picking on my mom...

Marian Antoinette DeCicco's cheesecake

Pasta Frolla (Pastry Crust)

2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
pinch salt
1/4 c unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 Tbs (or more, if too thick) milk

Sift flour, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture resembles small peas or crumbs. Stir in the yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Add milk, and mix with spoon (or hands) until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, adding more milk if necessary. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough till smooth. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, thin and large enough to fit the bottom and sides of a 12" spring form pan.

Cheesecake filling

2 lbs ricotta (I used Polly-O), WELL DRAINED
2 -8 oz pkgs cream cheese

2 c sugar
1/2 c sifted flour
8 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c heavy cream, whipped
8 egg whites

Beat ricotta and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar, and egg yolks, beating after each addition. Beat in the sifted flour, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with the remaining 1/2 c of sugar, until slightly stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten heavy cream into the egg whites, and then fold into the ricotta mixture.

Pour the batter into the pastry crust- lined spring form pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 1 hour. Turn off heat, and let cheesecake cool, in oven, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours.

Prior to serving, lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

***The whole idea of letting it cool in the oven is so that the top of your cheesecake doesn't collapse, like mine did, by cooling down gradually in the oven. I only have one oven, as do most, and needed to bake other things that evening. So I sacrificed a pretty and smooth cheesecake top by letting it cool outside the oven- but it does not affect the taste. I still think it looks kind of pretty, cracks and all...

Oh, and mom, you know I love you, right..?

Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano

I had thoughts of elegant pictures, and a post rich in history to accompany my recipe today. But as the evening progressed, I find myself giving in to the aches and pains of today's double workout.

Our daily work out is at 9:30 a.m., and then one at 3:00 p.m. for those in our Get Fit Challenge, where we go above and beyond what our morning class does. OMG... I am a hurtin' girl. It hurts to type. It hurts to sit. It hurts to walk. It hurt to stir the batter in my pan today! I seriously think my friend, and instructor, Kelly, giggles like crazy when she plans these routines, because she loves hearing us moan as we do them. And we do. But I really wanted to share this with you before the weekend, so if you'll pardon my lack of holiday history, I think you'll enjoy this recipe none the less. I'd also normally post the prettiest of lattice crusts, but I was seriously, so sore, that I couldn't get the strips to cooperate with me, so that will explain the "slapped together" look.





To have an Easter without and Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano as it is also known, in an Italian family, is a rare one. When I was younger, I had it with rice rather than wheat, as it was much quicker to assemble that way. What I hear from other's is that the wheat grain wasn't available in many areas, necessitating the use of rice or barley. It's delicious though, whichever grain is used. I prefer to buy the hulled grain myself, soak, and cook, a few days before I make the pie. The pie also calls for the use of Orange Blossom Water, which if you can't find, can use Orange Extract, or Orange Oil in a pinch.

Easter Pie, or Pastiera Di Grano

Pasta Frolla (crust)

2 c AP flour
1/2 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
12 Tbs unsalted butter
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 Tbs milk

Ricotta filling

1/2 c hulled wheat (or prepared jarred or canned wheat grain from an Italian specialty store),
with enough water to cover wheat in pan
1 c whole milk
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
2 c whole milk ricotta cheese
5 egg yolks
1- 1/2 Tbs Orange Blossom Water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c candied Citron, chopped
4 egg whites
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Sift together the flour and sugar. Add in the lemon zest. With pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in the butter until it is like the size of peas. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks and milk. Gradually mix the flour into the egg and milk, just until combined. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and put in fridge for at least an hour, or overnight.

In 2 qt saucepan add wheat with enough water to cover top. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, until grains are tender, and water is mostly gone. Then add milk, salt, 2 Tbs sugar (of the 2/3 c), and the zest of both the lemon and the orange. Bring to almost a boil, then let simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Let cool.

Mix the ricotta with the rest of the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, cooled grain mixture, Orange Blossom Water, and cinnamon. Add in the chopped Citron. In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Fold into the ricotta mixture.

Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Take 2/3 of the crust and roll out big enough to cover the bottom and sides of pan. Pour in the filling, and smooth. With the remaining dough, roll out and cut into 3/4" strips, and weave into a lattice top crust. Bake at 350 for about 50- 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then gently run knife around edge of pan. Un-latch springform pan and remove outer pan. Let cool completely on wire rack before serving. Dust with confectioners sugar just prior to serving.

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream

The day I opened my copy of Chocolate Epiphany , by Francois Payard, I knew I had to make this cake. While there are so many amazing recipes inside, this one just spoke to me. I love layers- and this one had 20 mouth watering layers of chocolate crepes, infused with orange zest, filled with a luscious green tea (Matcha) pastry cream. Not something this dieting gal could just make and leave lying around though ~*sigh*~ . A perfect opportunity presented itself though, with the celebration of both my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-laws birthday yesterday.

I enjoyed this so much better than a traditional birthday cake. Despite its use of chocolate and pastry cream, this cake was light in texture, the green tea and orange zest a perfect pairing.

I was a very good girl, you'd all be proud- I only had a sliver. Even with all of the baking I've been doing this past week, I've still managed to lose 16 lbs so far since this get fit challenge began. But I have to admit, I battle thoughts daily of immersing myself in pastry cream, painting myself with chocolate and sprinkling myself with bacon bits... an odd combination, I know, but when you go without for so long, the combination just sounds so irresistibly sexy.

Gâteau de Crêpes with Green Tea Cream
by Francois Payard

Chocolate Crêpes
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (220g) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Pinch of salt
8 large eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500g) whole milk
Grated zest of 2 oranges
10 tablespoons (5 oz. or 150g) unsalted butter, browned
1 cup (250g) heavy cream
Vegetable oil, for the pan

Green Tea Pastry Cream
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (500 g) whole milk
2 teaspoons (10g) powdered green tea
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (120g) sugar
5 tablespoons (40g) cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons (2oz.; 60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (250g) heavy cream

Make the crêpes: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and orange zest. Incorporate them gradually into the dry ingredients, whisking constantly with one hand as you pour them with the other. Doing this slowly will prevent lumps from forming. Whisk in the butter, then the cream. Strain the batter over a bowl to make sure that it is smooth, then whisk it again so that it is thoroughly combined. Cover the batter, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Whisk the batter well. Place a small crêpe pan or nonstick skillet (about 8 inches in diameter) over medium heat. Pour about 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in the pan to grease it. Once it is hot, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a small ladle to pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the pan. There should be just enough batter in the pan to coat the bottom in a thin layer. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter is evenly spread in the pan.

After about 2 minutes, the edges of the crêpe should start firming up. Use a spatula to lift a side of the crêpe and flip it over. Cook on the other side for about 1 minute, then remove the crêpe to a plate. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used, piling the crêpes one on top of the other as they are cooked. If the crêpes start to stick to the pan, add a little more oil. Cover the stack of crêpes with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool, up to 1 day.

Make the Pastry Cream: Line a shallow pan, such as a 9-inch square cake pan or a small rimmed baking sheet, with plastic wrap. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the green tea powder.

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl, and whisk in the yolks. Continue whisking until the yolks turn a very pale yellow. Slowly pour a fourth of the milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Once the milk is well incorporated, return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot with the whisk to prevent lumps from forming, until it becomes very thick and bubbles start popping from the center of the pan for at least 20 seconds. You need to bring it to a boil so that the cornstarch gets activated.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the pastry cream in the prepared pan and cover it with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let it cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it until it is completely cool, up to 1 day ahead.

Whip the heavy cream at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it holds soft peaks. Whisk the pastry cream to a creamy texture, then gently fold in the whipped cream with spatula.

Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cooled crepes on a serving platter. With a small offset spatula, spread a very thin layer (about 1/16 inch) of the green tea pastry cream over the crepe, going all the way to the edges. Place another crepe on top and repeat the process until the cake is 2 to 3 inches tall. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving, up to 6 hours ahead, so that the cake has time to set.

Makes one 8-inch cake; serves 8

18, already..?!

A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter turned 24. That, for some reason, was easier to swallow than my oldest son turning 18 this past weekend. Wow. Come August, he'll be getting settled into his dorm room, loving his new found freedom, and starting the next chapter in his life... excuse me while I cry...

For reasons we haven't quite figured out, he requested MC Hammer's Greatest Hit's emblem to adorn his cake. He doesn't listen to him. He doesn't even like him. He just thought it would be a cool thing to have on a cake. If any of you out there have any clue's, please, fill me in, because I am seriously lost... Still, I started coloring fondant and tried my best at recreating the emblem he so desired. He was happy, and that's all that mattered.

One thing we are clear on, though, is his love of Architecture. He has a natural, God given gift- amazing artistic talent, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.
This kid's gonna be big... he's gonna go far... everyone's gonna know his name.

For now, though, his baby sister is going to finish off his cake, hoping no one will notice...


On another note, I was over at Patsy's blog- Family, Friends, and Food. She had a post with THE most scrumptious looking brownie, titled "Brownies to Rock Your World". How can you possibly ignore something like that?! Now, I trust Patsy's judgment completely, and felt that our family needed some good "world rocking" this weekend, as we have a potluck party to attend tomorrow, so I followed the recipe link included in her post, and spent the day baking away. I'm glad I did. These are OMG good! As I plated them up for tomorrows party, I shared some with my hubby (and I stole a bite!), while he just rolled his eyes in his head and gave a contented ~*sigh*~. Yup, Patsy, worth every dirty dish!

If you don't want to follow the link above, here is the recipe I followed, from Nosh With Me.

Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars

Brownie Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients
7 ounces mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup Jif peanut butter
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.

While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.

Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.

Makes 12 3×3-inch bars.

Gorgonzola and Butternut Squash Pizza

I have a nice collection of cookbooks- over 120 at last count. In the past, I used to read them like novel's. It seems though, that since so many recipes have become available over the internet, my cookbooks have gathered a little bit of dust. Sad, since there are so many amazing recipes available in them.

So, I sat down the other day and looked through some of my "least popular" books, and was happy to find this recipe for Gorgonzola and Pumpkin Pizza in a cookbook called Greatest Ever Baking by Parragon Publishing . I know, pumpkin is obviously different than my post title. Well, I don't know about you, but after the holiday season, I get a little burned out on pumpkin... So I substituted some butternut squash that I already had in my freezer, and was very happy with the results. While my photo doesn't quite show it, this pizza did brown well, and was quite pretty when finished.

This was a healthier alternative to traditional pizza. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it had rich flavor, and a nice chewy texture- perfect when your sick of "rabbit food" while dieting!

Gorgonzola and Pumpkin Pizza

Pizza dough:

1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups whole wheat AP flour
1 1/2 cups white AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping:

14 ounces pumpkin, peeled and cubed (I used Butternut Squash)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pear, cored, peeled and sliced
3 1/2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
1 sprigs fresh rosemary,for garnish

Place the yeast and sugar in a measuring cup and mix with 4 tablespoons of the water. leave the yeast mixture in a warm place for 15 minutes. Mix both of the flours with the salt and make a well in the center. Add the oil, the yeast mixture and the remaining water. using a wooden spatula, mix to form a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with an oiled sheet of plastic wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Remove the dough from the bowl. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to form a long oval shape, then place it on an oiled cookie sheet (I used my pizza stone sprayed with Olive Oil cooking spray), pushing out the edges until even. The dough should be no more than 1/4 inch thick, as it will rise during cooking.

To make the topping, place the pumpkin (or Butternut Squash) in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and cook under a preheated broiler for 20 minutes. Top the dough with the pear and the pumpkin, brushing with the oil from the pan. Sprinkle over the Gorgonzola. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 15 minutes or until the base is golden. Garnish with rosemary.

Asian Pears With Vanilla Poached Kumquats- Bookmarked Recipes

I was visiting over at Patsy's blog- Family, Friends, and Food, and saw the invite to participate in Bookmarked Recipes. She is hosting this coming Mondays event (where all recipes will be shown), and I thought it a great opportunity to try this recipe I've been thinking about for some time now.

I was looking through a small, free newspaper I had gotten on my way out of our local farmer's market, and was just about ready to throw it in the recycle bin, when I came across this recipe for Asian Pears With Vanilla Poached Kumquats. It sounded light, unique, and fit perfectly into my healthy eating of late- 14.7 lbs lost so far on a totally satisfying healthy eating plan, and daily exercise.

Another thing I liked about this recipe was that I already had most of the ingredients- I only needed some Kumquats, which were easily found at my local Trader Joe's. I called ahead, asking if they had any in stock (so that it wouldn't be a wasted trip), and mentioned that I had my 2 year old in tow, and they kindly put aside the amount I needed by the registers for an easy check out. I love that store!

This was such a refreshing alternative to traditional dessert items. The tartness of the kumquats, paired with the mellow vanilla- lime syrup, and the crisp bite of the Asian pears, left me feeling like I wasn't missing a thing at all in my quest for health. Now, I'm not saying this wouldn't be good over some rich vanilla ice cream, I'm just saying I didn't go there...

Asian Pears With Vanilla Poached Kumquats
1/2 vanilla bean pod, halved lengthwise
1/2 c water
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
1/2 c sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 lb kumquats, about 20, ends trimmed, seeded, and sliced crosswise, 1/3 inch thick
4 large Asian Pears, peeled, cored and sliced lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick

Combine water and lime juice in a small, heavy saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean pod and add beans and pod to the water, along with sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer for three minutes.

Add Kumquats, cover pot and simmer until they just begin to soften, three to four minutes. Arrange pears in a heatproof bowl. Pour kumquats and syrup over pears and toss gently, then cool. Chill fruit, covered, at least two to six hours. Serves 6.

Kids

Did you know that you can record your own cell phone ringer..? Nope, neither did I. I've had the same ring tone for quite some time. Of course, when you recognize your ring tone, you respond by answering, But when you hear something that is obviously not your ring tone, you don't. Such as when a muffled noise comes from slightly behind you, and you think, oh my God, who would do that in public?!! That's when you realize your 12 year old son is in the next aisle, laughing hysterically, calling your cell phone, which is ringing in your purse, after he recorded a fart and made that your default ring tone!! God, I love that kid...


That was the start of our weekend. But it ended on more of a flavorful, and more mature note, with the cake you see above. It was a birthday request from my oldest, who turns 24 tomorrow. ~*sigh*~ Because she has youth on her side, and a size 3 to boast of, I was happy to indulge her request by using every last bit of butter I had. I was good though, and only had a sliver.


With inspiration from Bakerella, my daughter decided that this was the cake to commemorate the occasion. While the recipe she used called for round aluminum pans, we could only find square, which in the end provided a more elegant presentation, in my opinion.




The cake, despite its large quantity of sugar, did not taste very sweet. Which was fine since the icing more than made up for that. While the recipe may seem lengthy, it comes together fast- the most time consuming part was preparing the pans, as I buttered, floured, and used parchment paper to line the bottom. I also used Bakerella's Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting rather than the frosting included with the below recipe, as I wanted something a bit richer. After making the buttercream, I warmed it in the microwave until it was of pouring consistency, to get the effect I desired. You know though, when a cake comes out like this, and it makes your first born smile, it doesn't seem to matter how long it takes.



The Smith Family 12 layer Cake (made with 14 layers)

* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
* 2 1/2 cups sugar
* 6 large eggs , at room temperature
* 3 cups milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 3 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , preferably Dutch process
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut up
* 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* Pecan halves, for garnish


Recommended technique: If you buy inexpensive aluminum foil cake pans at the grocery store (they can be saved for another time as well), you will be able to knock out layers in no time. And no washing between baking!

Position racks in the center and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375°. Lightly butter four 8 1/2- to 9-inch cake pans (you will bake the cakes in three batches) and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Flour the pans and tap out the excess.

To make the layers, sift together the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the mixture one more time, and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle blade on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and be sure the mixture is well-blended. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Using a scant cup for each layer, spread the batter evenly in the pans. It will make a thin layer.

Staggering the pans on the racks so they are at least 2 inches from each other and the sides of the oven and not directly over each other, bake the layers until they feel firm when pressed in the centers and are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert the layers onto cake racks, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely. Wash and prepare the pans. Repeat the procedure until all 12 layers have been baked and cooled.

To make the icing, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and evaporated milk to a full boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the icing has thickened slightly (it will resemble chocolate syrup but will thicken as it cools), about 3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Let the icing cool until thick enough to spread, but still pourable.

Place a layer of cake on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan. Spread with a few tablespoons of the icing, letting the excess run down the sides. Stack the remaining cakes, icing each layer. Pour the remaining icing over the top of the cake. If you wish, smooth the icing on the edges to cover the sides. Place pecan halves around the top perimeter of the cake. Let stand until the glaze sets. (The cake is best served the day it is made. To store, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)



Bakerella's Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer. Add the cocoa and vanilla. Add the confectioner's sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

Wow, 100th post today! Giveaway, too!

Wow, I can't believe it- my 100th post. I look back to my first one and just laugh. I had no direction and just a stock blogger template. Now, a custom blog design, and everything I see has the potential to be a post, so I snap pictures of everything these days.

I am also amazed, no, stunned, that I actually lost 4 lbs this past week! There is truth to diet AND exercise, and it seems when you find the right plan of action, it doesn't feel like diet and exercise. It just feels good. I have energy. I'm not hungry. I eat at least 1000 less calories a day than what I was prior to beginning my journey, but now, eating the right foods, feel like I am cheating every day. This feels good.

I've relied a great deal on the recipes from the Hungry Girl cookbook. It is not gourmet by any means. It is, however, simple everyday fare that leaves you content, and not feeling like you have been gypped- you know- when you buy a box where the dessert looks like this
and what you really end up with is this


That is just wrong. Purely sale-intended evil in a box.

Hungry Girl, however, delivers. When you see a photo in the book that looks like this:

You can feel confident that yours will look like this:

and this:

and this:



At only 108 calories and 2g of fat per cupcake, that's pretty sweet (pun intended).

Caramel Pumpkin Pudding Cupcakes

• 2 cups moist-style yellow cake mix (1/2 of an 18.25-ounce box)
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for topping

• 3 cubes (about 1 ounce) chewy caramel
• 2 teaspoons light vanilla soymilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl with 1/3 cup of water. Whip with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes until well blended.

Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter into muffin cups.

Place pan in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes (until cupcakes have puffed up but still appear a little gooey on top- I actually cooked mine for 20 minutes).

Once cupcakes are cool enough to handle, arrange them closely on a plate so that the edges are touching. Place caramel and soymilk in a tall microwave-safe glass or dish (mixture will bubble and rise when heated).

Microwave at medium power for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir mixture vigorously until smooth and thoroughly blended. (Return to microwave for 30 seconds at medium heat if caramel has not fully melted.) Immediately drizzle caramel sauce over cupcakes.

** Be VERY careful with caramel topping in microwave- I burned my first batch! I'd do 30 second increments until thin and pourable!

ENJOY!

Oh yeah, I forgot, there is a giveaway! One lucky winner will receive their very own HungryGirl cookbook!

Just leave a comment with your favorite diet tip or trick. Remember to LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS! You have until Wednesday, the 18th of February, 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, to win! Good Luck!

Winners will be chosen using Random Integer Generator

King Arthur Flour

I had such an enjoyable day today with my mom and dear family friends! King Arthur Flour Company had Glendale, Arizona as one of their stops on a National Baking Tour, and we were lucky to have front row seats! The class was interesting, informative, and I definitely learned a few tricks, as well as finally understanding why I had some failures in the past. Our Instructor, Carolyn Hack, had a wealth of information to share. I just wish I had had the extra time to stay afterwords and bombard her with questions... another time I suppose.
For those of you not familiar with King Arthur Flour, it has been around for over 200 years, and I have to say is THE best flour I have ever used, especially when it comes to my breads and rolls. They never add bleach, bromate, or chemicals of any kind, which results in a pure, natural, and consistent product. I have used their Classic 100% whole wheat bread recipe for years (the recipe is on the back of the bag), and it is the only 100% whole wheat recipe I've ever used that has amazing flavor, rises perfectly, and has a wonderful texture. For those that have children that don't care for whole wheat, they have an amazing White Whole Wheat Flour that can be used instead.

They have thousands of fabulous recipes listed right on their site. Everything from baked goods to appetizers, family dinners to Super Bowl Treats. They are easy to follow recipes, and if you find yourself a bit challenged or simply have a question, you can email your questions to the baker and you'll be certain to get a response.

Every time I bake breads or cinnamon rolls as a gift I like to bake them in these Bake-and-Give pans. They always seem to add more of a special touch to something you've already put your heart into making. They aren't terribly expensive, and I usually buy a ton after Christmas when they have their wonderful clearance sales.

Sadly, we were not able to try any of the breads made today... something about the board of health not allowing them to do so. All of the ingredients smelled heavenly though, and I did manage to get a picture of the dough they used.

This is the Almond Filled Braid:

This is the Monkey Bread:
And these were the heavenly smelling Cinnamon Rolls:

They did have a tremendous amount of raffle prizes that sadly, I didn't win.

But they made up for it by giving everyone a small, pamphlet sized cookbook, a package of Red Star Yeast (with whom King Arthur has partnered with and who makes the baking classes free!) a dough scraper, and a $10 King Arthur gift card! It was definitely worth going to see. Check out their site to see if they are going to be in your area.

Just following orders...

Usually, every morning when I get up, I get the kidlet her sippy cup of milk, fix my coffee, and while she watches Caillou, I check to see whose posted what on their blogs that morning. I'll make note of which recipe I want to make next, mostly because of the delicious looking photos everyone takes. It is usually weeks, and sometimes months before I get around to it, there are so many fabulous ones out there! This morning, the first photo and recipe to show up in my blog reader was this from over at Stacey Snacks, with the directive of, "Make These Sticky Buns!" Well, after heading over there, seeing the full size pics, and drooling, I HAD to make these! I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and thought that I had better make these and get that puff pastry out of my freezer before "D" day begins! Thanks Stacey, a fabulous breakfast treat that was quick, easy, and so sticky delicious!

A "Skinny" Mojito

The time is drawing near... my deadline. I joined a Get Fit Challenge through my exercise group, Stroller Strides, that begins on February 7th, and lasts for 3 months. On that day, myself and 5 others in our group, in addition to many other moms across the country, begin our journey to not only lose weight, but to become physically fit. We will be weighed by water immersion so that our fat ratio can be accurately calculated, and the national winner will be the one who loses the most fat, not weight, so that it will be fair to all. Physical activity is essential to this, and I thank God every day for being part of the most amazing group of women, and for THE most amazing fitness leader on this earth, Kelly. She is the most positive, motivating instructor, and is the only one I have ever felt accountable to. With her help, I WILL succeed.

I have been trying to not only address the food that I eat, but the social drinking as well. While it's not that often, I don't want it to be something that gets me completely off course. How easy and awful would it be to go hang out with friends, and blow what you've worked so hard on all week with just one drink! One of my favorites, the Mojito, has a range from 150 to 220 calories in just one 8 oz glass- Oh my!

My favorite cook book of late, Hungry Girl, by Lisa Lillien, has an excellent low cal (only 104!) Mojito that is sure to satisfy your craving, without breaking the scale. It is easy to make, and incredibly refreshing.

Ingredients:

• - 6 ounces of diet lemon-lime soda

• - 12 mint leaves

• - 1/4 lime, cut into slices

• - 1 1/2 ounces of rum

• - 5 to 8 ice cubes
  

• - Optional: additional mint leaves & lime wedges (for garnish)

Directions:

Muddle (smash or pulverize) the mint and lime in a glass. I used the end of a small rolling pin.

Add the soda and rum, stir well.

Add ice and enjoy! Garnish your masterpiece with mint and lime. If you like a sweeter Mojito, I suggest adding Stevia to sweeten it without adding to the caloric intake.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Per Serving:
104 Calories
0g Fat
19mg Sodium
2g Carbs
0.5g Fiber
0g Sugar
0g Protein

Diet Margarita's!!

Well, you don't have to tell me twice! Diet Margarita's that are so good, you won't mind the switch!

One of my favorite cookbooks these days is by Lisa Lillien, aka Hungry Girl. I've subscribed to her site for a couple years now, receiving daily emails with tips and tricks , as well as fabulous recipe "makeovers". When her cookbook came out a few months ago, it was a must have. The recipes are simple, the ingredients easy to find, and really delicious. It was fantastic to be able to have a low-cal, low-fat version of my restaurant and fast food fav's show up in my inbox every day!

I made these this afternoon, tripled the recipe over ice in a large pitcher, and shared them with my Sister-in-law and Mother-in-law... it was a happy afternoon!



So get the book, and drink one of these fabulous Margarita's while you're perusing the recipes!

HG's Magical Low-Calorie Margarita

(Entire recipe: 105 calories, 0g fat, 58mg sodium, 2g carbs, 0g fiber, 0.5g sugars, 0g protein = 2 Points)

Ingredients:

6 oz. Sierra Mist Free (or Diet Sprite Zero, or your other fave no-cal lemon-lime soda)

1.5 oz. tequila

1/2 tsp. Crystal Light powdered drink mix, Lemonade

1 oz. lime juice
Optional: lime slice for garnish and salt or no-calorie sweetener for rim of glass

Directions:

If desired, run some lime juice along the rim of the glass and dip into a dish of salt or sweetener. Mix all ingredients together. Pour over 1 cup of crushed ice. Optional: Garnish with lime slice. Enjoy. Serves 1!

Fall is coming!

Fall is coming~ Eat like an Italian!!

Fried Pumpkin Ravioli (need vegetable oil for frying, and powdered sugar for dusting)

Ravioli Dough:
1 c. Flour
2 egg yolks
2 Tbs butter, softened
2 Tbs milk
1 Tbs sugar
1Tbs Sambuca
zest of 1/4 lemon

Filling:
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. sugar
2 Amaretti cookies, finely crushed
1/2 tsp vanilla

Dough: Combine all ingredients in food processor until soft dough forms. Put dough in small bowl and cover. Let sit and rest about an hour.

Filling: Mix all ingredients at once.

Puttin' it togetha: Roll out dough in two long sheets, about 4" wide and 1/4 " thick. Put big 'ol teaspoons full of filling all the way down the middle of the sheet, at least one inch from each end and 2" apart. Cover the pasta & filling with the other sheet of pasta. Make sure you push around each mound of pumpkin into the dough, so that it sticks together. You can use a pretty pasta cutter to roll & cut each square of ravioli, or you can use a knife to make your ravioli squares. Just make sure you seal all sides of the squares with a fork. Deep fry the ravioli's in hot oil until very light brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Hot or cold, they are Yum~O!!