Red Wine Chocolate Cake. Eat this!

Oh. My. Gosh. I will never waste a drop of red wine again. I swear. This cake is so good, please stop what you are doing and make it. Now. You will not regret it. The only reason someone would be mad at your for leaving work early is that you ate all of this without sharing.

This cake is moist and the flavor of the wine is pronounced, but blends perfectly with the cocoa. Although it has sugar, it is not overly sweet and you can sense the bitter taste of the cocoa. I tried two recipes for red wine chocolate cakes and this one is the definite winner. I will be making this as soon as I have another bottle of red wine to use up -that shouldn't take long, as I am a light weight and can only drink 1/2 or 1 glass of wine in an evening.

Seriously, the combination of red wine+chocolate almost rivals my love for peanut butter+chocolate+banana. This is dangerous.

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake

Unashamedly taken from Food and Wine

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups red wine

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (10 inch round). In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy (4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Add the vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine in turns, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out on a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Boston Cream Pie

So this is the dessert I chose to serve for Christmas dinner this past year. Well, my mom asked for it and so I decided to go for it. Although the 3 components (cake, filling, glaze) took a bit more time than I usually put into a recipe, it was definitely worth it. Also, I made the custard 2 days ahead, the cake the day before, and then did the glaze and assembly the morning of. Choosing to do the work over the course of a few days made it seem much less time-consuming.

Sitting here in 18F degree weather under my big feather blanket, wearing a hoodie and sweats and a hat, really makes me wish I was back in 86F degree Florida (where I was on Christmas when I ate this delicious dessert.) This is a great way to end a special dinner and is generally impressive, especially when you tell your guests that it was made entirely from scratch.

Boston Cream Pie

Custard

• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and ¼ cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don' t curdle or scorch on the bottom.

When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

Cake (from Bakerella)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups of sifted self-rising flour (or make some yourself)
• 1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• ½ teaspoon butter flavoring (in the extract section)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour (2) 8 inch cake pans, then prepare about 10 cupcake tins with paper or foil liners because there will be extra batter, or just prepare a 3rd 8 inch cake pan for the extra batter. Have fun with the cupcakes, feel free to make mini boston cream pies like I did.
Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.

Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour.
Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed. Divide batter equally into two, filling about 1/2 full cake pans, then fill whatever you want (extra cake pan, cupcake tins) with the extra batter. Bake and do with the extra batter however/whatever you desire.

Hold each cake pan about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
Cool in pans for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks. I place my cake layers in the freezer to make for easier cutting/leveling.

Glaze *Do not make until custard has chilled and cake layers are cooled/frozen and ready to be assembled, because the pie must be assembled immediately upon making the glaze.

• 1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chip
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

Assembly

Unwrap plastic wrap from your two cake layers. Place cake layers on a smooth service (I put them on a piece of parchment or wax paper on my counter) with the rounded side up. With the tool of your choice (I use a large serrated bread knife), slice the rounded portion off so that both sides are now completely level. Do this to both cake layers.

Place one of the layers on a cake stand that has a piece of parchment or wax paper cut to the size of the stand, then take custard and heap a generous portion onto the middle of what is now the bottom cake layer. Spread custard out to the sides, making sure to keep the amount of custard equal across the cake -mine was about 1/2 inch thick; you will not use all of the custard, so save the rest for a later use or for mini cream pies if you made cupcakes . Gently place second cake layer on top of custard layer.

*Now you can make the glaze*

Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides, being sure to cover the entire cake. This is why you cut a piece of paper to go underneath the cake, so that it catches the drips. There will be a little leftover, so feel free to use for the mini cream pies, or for dipping fresh fruit, pretzels, marshmallows or whatever else you on hand.

Chill in the fridge until glaze hardens (an hour or so?). I left mine in the fridge for a few hours while we prepared Christmas dinner.

Enjoy!

My ugly, but oh-so-yummy and personal-size mini Boston Cream Pies
made from the leftover batter that I put in cupcake tins. 

Christmas Dinner 2011

Christmas Dinner Menu (from top left, clockwise)
Twice baked potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Creamed spinach
Cranberry fruit gel
Rib roast
Asparagus
And for dessert, not pictured, Boston cream pie (recipe to come soon)

One of my favorite holiday recipes of all time is my family's cranberry gel. It has oranges in it, which I love. It tastes so much better than the caned stuff. Just know before you make it, it is more like a jell-o salad almost -it is not a cranberry sauce. But boy is it yummy. My sister preferred the cranberry gel over the from-scratch boston cream pie we had for dessert, actually (though everyone else helped themselves to seconds and even thirds of the boston cream pie).

Harvey Cranberry Gel
1 (6oz) raspberry gelatin mix (or two 3oz)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (or use fresh, sliced/chopped oranges, if you prefer)
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a large, pretty bowl that you wish to serve your cranberry gel in*, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, then add cold water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Fold remaining ingredients into chilled gelatin and chill in fridge until firm (2-3 hours).

*you can always prepare this in a large, normal bowl, then pour into a lightly greased mold or 8x11 dish after folding in the remaining ingredients

Pumpkin Delight

While looking through some old (1960's and 70's) cookbooks that my roommate and her mom found while antiquing, I came across this recipe. I had to try it. I mean, it's called "Pumpkin Delight." It's the perfect season to try such things, even if it means using a cake mix. This recipe ends up being almost like pumpkin pie filling, topped with something like a a thick, sweet, pecan-studded crust/shortbread. I highly recommend it if you are looking for an easy dessert to serve to a group

Pumpkin Delight

1 (29 oz.) Can Pumpkin 

1 (13 oz.) Can Evaporated Milk 

1 Cup Sugar 

¼ teas. Pumpkin Pie Spice 

½ teas. Cinnamon 

3 Eggs 

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix 

1 Cup Pecans (chopped) 

1 Cup Butter or Margarine (melted)

Beat together pumpkin, milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and eggs. Pour into a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture, then sprinkle on pecans. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Chill. Cut into squares, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast

So guess what was on sale at the grocery and what spice mix I have been just dying to use? Yup, pork roast and herbs de provence! This roast is simple and so moist. For an awesome lunch, I put a bag of frozen vegetables and potatoes in the microwave and paired it with the leftovers. Yum.

Herbs de Provence Pork Roast
From Sandra Lee on Food Network

• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 2 ½ pounds pork loin roast, rinsed and patted dry
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together herbs de Provence, onion powder, light brown sugar, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Place the pork roast in a shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and then rub with the herb mixture.

Place roast in oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Roast for 30 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (Roast will continue to cook up to 170 degrees F out of the oven.) Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Bread Pudding

So my this bread pudding was definitely my pre-run snack. Believe it or not, I actually was feeling quite good at the end of my 7 mile run through horse country. I was even rewarded with the sight of these beautiful horses at the end. Of course, I stopped in at the Windy Corner Market and got some mango peach sweet tea to help with my recovery (I really like sugar).

Anyway, here's a recipe for this deliciousness. Feel free to serve with vanilla icecream and any warm, sugary, rum-filled syrup concoction of your choice.

Also, if you cut the cream down to 1 cup, it comes out more like a baked french toast, which I highly recommend for breakfast (I accidentally did that to one my trials with this recipe.)9 large croissants

Bourbon Chocolate Bread Pudding
Adapted from Southern Living

• 9 large croissants
• ⅓ cup bourbon
• 1 ½ cups golden chocolate chips (go up to 2 if you really want a lot of chocolate)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
  Slice croissants in half lengthwise; tear bottom halves of croissants into small pieces. Layer croissant pieces evenly in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Place croissant tops, crust sides up, on top of chocolate chips.
  
  Whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in bourbon, cream, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour mixture over croissant tops (may want to do a bit at a time, allowing time for it to soak in); press bread to absorb liquid. Cover; chill 1 hour.
  
  Place dish into a larger pan. Pour hot water into larger pan, filling half full.
  
  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 15 more minutes. Remove from oven, and remove dish from water pan.

*You can halve this and make it in a 9x9 pan if you do not have a pan bigger than a 9x13 to put the water bath in.

Fearless Icebox Cake

The reason I call this "Fearless" is due to the fact that it is nothing but sugar, cream, butter, and chocolate. So if you dare to make this yummy treat, you cannot be easily scared off. Of course, even if you are easily frightened by such things as fat and calories, this dessert is kept in the freezer, so you can tell yourself that it will last for a long time (aka, despite the fact that you will be sooo tempted, there will be no using "but it's going to go bad if I don't eat it all!" as an excuse.)

Be sure to use crisp chocolate chip cookies and feel free to even add some extra chocolate chips in the whipped cream mixture if you are a choco-holic like me.

Fearless Icebox Cake

Adapted from Ina Garten

2 cups cold heavy cream

8 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 (8-ounce) packages crispy chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate's Bake Shop, or homemade

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.

To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

Brownie Cookies

I have a confession, a kind of guilty pleasure. Brownie mix cookies. They are sooo rich and then you add the chocolate chips and they are to-die-for. Believe me, if you are having a chocolate craving, this will more than satisfy. I'm slightly ashamed that it is from a mix, but it is a doctored mix at least, right? They are just so irresistible! Bring them to your next get-together and just wait for the "oooohs and ahhhhs" to begin.

I got home from work today and knew I had to make them. It was one of those long and tedious days when you want to go home even before you walk inside, and then, two hours into your shift, you end up bleeding through (thank goodness for black pants) and have no feminine items on hand. However, when I ate these cookies witch a cold glass of milk from a local farm, my day automatically became perfect. Even with the fact that I chipped my tooth last night and have a slightly exposed nerve, haha. Yay brownie cookies.

Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies!

19.5 oz Brownie Mix

¼ cup butter, melted

4oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or more, if you would give you are anything like me and would be tempted to chop off your right hand for chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in a bowl with a spoon until well blended. Dough will be sticky.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets by the tablespoon. Should make 24-30 cookiesBake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool. Enjoy!

Sunday Pork Roast

If you are at a loss when it comes to finding cook books that have recipes for real people who eat real food, I highly recommend looking into the Gooseberry Patch collection. Their cookbooks always have practical dishes that include recognizable ingredients and are fairly simple to put together. I honestly could see myself making almost every one of their recipes in my Family Dinners Gooseberry Patch cook book. (Hint: great gift for newlyweds with little experience in the kitchen).

My mom bought me a pork roast when she was up in Kentucky for my graduation and I have recently been trying to explore the world of wine, so a pork roast with white wine seemed like a great choice. I love my gas stove and oven and the kitchen is really beginning to come together. My roommate and I went out and bought an old baker's cabinet from 1950. It's in really good condition, is sturdy, and is light weight. Who knew that "sturdy" and "light weight" could coexist?

I have inherited my late grandparents' beautiful Ethan Allen dining room table.

Isn't the wood beautiful in this picture?

Sunday Pork Roast

From Gooseberry Patch

Serves 6-8

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

2-lb boneless pork loin roast

2 T olive oil

1/2 large onion

½ cup white wine or chicken broth

Suggestion: Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, yum.

Crush garlic with rosemary, salt and pepper. Pierce pork with a sharp knife tip in several places and press half the garlic mixture into openings. Rub pork with remaining garlic mixture and olive oil. Place pork in a lightly greased 13x9 pan and place slices of onion around the roast.

Bake, uncovered, at 350F for one hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155F. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 160F. Remove to a serving platter; slice and keep warm. Add wine or broth to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Serve pan drippings over pork.

First Real Meal in the new place

The past weekend was spent in a rush of family arriving, further unpacking of the house, graduation stuff, and yummy food (including a bit of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail). It was good to see my family and get my house organized, though it was a bit stressful to have people over, unpack, try to do normal household chores, and go to graduation events. Ah well, it was awesome and I can't complain one bit due to the graduation present I received from my parents: a new mac book pro! My old computer could not even support Skype, but this new one is crazy! It's so fast and sleek. Not really sure how to use it yet though.

Before my family left Kentucky, I made them my take on Giada's Chicken Carbonara. It went over very well. We were all tired from doing a bit of the Bourbon Trail and visiting some vineyards, but this meal came together easily and fairly quickly.

Chicken Carbonara

Adapted from Giada
5 servings

2 teaspoons olive oil3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
6 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt
2/3 pound spaghetti
3 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, and basil.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.