Cousin Kristi's sharing the "mug cake"

FIVE MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE


(for those "splurge" moments)

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar (or other)
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg (or substitute)
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil (olive, etc....olive is actually very good in cakes)
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well . Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Can be shared if you want.
EAT!



And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate Fondue

1/4 lb good bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup crème fraiche

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, espresso, brandy, orange oil, fruit syrup, or liqueur

In a small fondue pot, combine the chocolate, crème fraiche, butter, and flavoring. Place over the fondue burner, using the tea light, and allow the chocolate to melt. Stir until fondue is smooth.

Your chocolate fondue keeps up to a week in the refrigerator. Reheat over very low heat before serving.

Makes 2 cups, serves 8 to 12.
To serve, keep warm while guests dip any of the items below.
good dipping ideas
Strawberries (may be seasonal)

Pineapples (may be seasonal)

Bananas

Apple slices

Marshmallows

Maraschino Cherries

Pretzels

Potato chips

Cream Puffs

Assorted Cookies (especially butter cookies)

Rice Krispy Treats

pound cake

or drizzle over homemade ice cream scooped balls that have been refrozen after scooping and brought out just before its time to serve in a well chilled fancy bowl.

Yummm, these were great!

They were and I emphasize "Were" delicious. I made them and others as my annual cookie gifts (Our edible Christmas card) for the Mr.s customers. They are so going to love these. Of course they must go through great scrutiny, mine and the Mr.s taste tests first. They'll be lucky if they make it to the customer I seen the "man these are great cookies" in the Mr.s face when he tried them.
They are tender yet crispy, and chocolatey but with great finish. They'll make you crave a glass of milk to dunk them in. I'm scandinavian, we dunk everything :)

Double Chocolate Sable Cookies (France)
From Food Network Kitchens 12 days of cookies

Sable in French means "sandy" — these are a classic French cookie, made out of crumbly chocolate shortbread. To keep them nice and sandy, be extra careful not to overmix the dough. The hint of salt brightens the flavor and underlines the chocolate.



For a special holiday treat, sandwich two of these together with a small scoop of peppermint ice cream.


3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, frozen for 10 minutes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 1/4 ounces (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

Grate the chilled chocolate with a fine grater or rasp and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt.

Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Mix in the yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat lightly together until just combined but still crumbly. Fold in grated chocolate with a spatula. Bring the dough together by lightly squeezing in your hands; but don't knead or overwork, as the secret to these cookies is their delicate, sandy texture.

*(I eliminated this step below and just used a mini cookie scoop the kind similar to an ice cream scoop but smaller and it worked great) YaY, less work and great result.

**Divide the dough in half. Lay half the dough on a long sheet of waxed paper and shape into a log along the width of the waxed paper, leaving some space at each end. Pull the paper over the top of the log. Grip the edge of the top piece of paper, and use a straight, firm edge, like a ruler or the edge of a pan, to press gently against the edge of the dough where the papers come together to create a solid, firm round log. Repeat with remaining dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (To keep logs round store inside an empty paper towel roll.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds with a sharp, thin knife. Divide rounds onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies smell fragrant with a full cocoa aroma and set on the outside, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans, about 5 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. Serve.

LAYERED CHOCOLATE BARS

RECIPE: LAYERED CHOCOLATE BARS
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 c. finely crushed thin pretzels
3/4 c. (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
4 bars (4 oz) Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces
2 c. Campfire miniature marshmallows
1 c. Mounds Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1 c. coarsely chopped pecans
4 bars (4 oz) Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces
1 Tbsp. shortening

DIRECTONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pretzels and melted butter
in small bowl; press evenly into bottom of 13x9-inch baking
pan. Place sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened chocolate
in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 to 1-1/2
minutes or until mixture is melted and smooth when stirred.
Pour over pretzel layer in pan. Top with marshmallows, coconut
and pecans; press firmly down onto chocolate layer. Bake 25
to 30 minutes or until lightly browned; cool completely in
pan on wire rack. Melt semi-sweet chocolate and shortening in
small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 1 minute or until melted
when stirred; drizzle over entire top. Refrigerate 15 minutes
or until set. Cut into bars.

Luscious Low-Fat Chocolate Cheesecake

Luscious Low-Fat Chocolate Cheesecake
Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
16 oz fat-free cottage cheese
3/4 c frozen egg substitute;
-thawed
2/3 c granulated sugar; plus
2 tb granulated sugar; divided
4 oz fat-free cream cheese;
-softened
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 ts vanilla extract
2/3 c nonfat plain yogurt
*optional
sliced strawberries or
mandarin orange segments for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2. In food processor, combine cottage cheese, egg substitute, 2/3 cup
sugar, cream cheese, cocoa powder and vanilla until smooth.

3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes, until edges are set.

4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together yogurt and the remaining 2
tablespoons sugar until well blended. Carefully spread topping over top of
warm cake. Return cake to oven; bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling
rack. Cool completely. Remove side of pan; refrigerate. Serve with
strawberries or oranges.

Makes 12 servings. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Baking time: 40 minutes.
Chilling time: 3 hours.

Per serving: About 109 cal, 9 g pro, 18 g car, 1 g fat, 8% cal from fat, 2
mg chol, 221 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

This is my favorite cake, Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This brings back many good memories for me. My Mom used to make this for me and my Dad for birthdays and special occasions. Yummmmm!
It has that deep chocolate taste and not to sweet. Mom always made homemade butter cream frosting. Either vanilla or chocolate was good.

CHOCOLATE MAYO CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Lightly grease
two 9 inch layer pans.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and sugar
into a large bowl. Stir in mayonnaise. Gradually add water
and vanilla and blend until smooth. Pour batter into pre-
pared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Cool,
remove from pans.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

2 C. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C. shortening
1-1/4 C. sugar
1 egg unbeaten
3 ounces chocolate melted
1-2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C sour Cream
3/4 C milk

Sift or gently wisk together flour, salt and soda. Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy, Add the egg beat well, then add the chocolate and vanilla and blend. Add 1/4 of the flour and beat well then add the sour cream and beat well. Add remaining flour and milk alternately in small amounts till gone.
Pour into greased pans (Layer Cake pans)and bake in moderate oven 350 degree for 30 mins.

Peppermint frosting between layers and over cake. Decorate with a border of chocolate flakes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peppermint Frosting

1/4 C. crushed Peppermint Candy
1/2 C. milk
1 pound or box of powdered sugar

Heat milk and candy over hot water until melted add enough powdered sugar to make frosting thick enough to spread. Will cover tops and sides of 2 8" layers.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

For Ann
Happy Birthday!

2 C. sifted cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 C. Shortening
1 C. sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 ounces chocolate melted
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. sour cream
1-2 tsp. Vanilla

Wisk together gently the dry ingredients, Cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and chocolate and beat thoroughly. Add flour mix alternately with the liquids in small amounts, beating well after each addition. Pour into a greased or sprayed with pam bundt pan bake in a moderate oven 350 degree oven for approx. 35-45 mins. or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool slightly and turn out unto serving plate.

Drizzle the cake when cool with Chocolate Ganache Icing
For the ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Serve with very Vanilla Ice Cream and Enjoy!

Rich Chocolate Brownies and Crème Anglaise Sauce

I recently catered an event with desserts only and this was part of the desserts I brought. Triple chocolate brownies, 3 kinds, Plain and don't let that mislead you. They are in no way shape or form just plain. Some with pecans and some with Walnuts. All have a wonderful richness that is only completed by an under lying blanket of Creme Anglaise sauce freshly made to order just for the event.

I also catered in 2 of my Blackberry Tapioca cobblers made only hours before the event for optimum freshness and goodness and by the way the Creme Anglaise could also marry very well with the cobblers too, as a few tried and raved about. 

Chocolate Caramel mini cheesecakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 18 minutes
(Makes 12 individual cheesecakes)



Ingredients

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 1/4 cups (7 1/2 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED Milk Chocolate & Caramel Morsels, divided
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup NESTLÉ CARNATION Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1 teapoon vanilla extract
Caramel ice cream topping

PREHEAT oven to 300º F. Paper-line 12 muffin cups.

COMBINE crumbs, sugar and butter in small bowl. Press rounded tablespoon of crumb mixture onto bottom of each cup. Divide 1/2 cup morsels between all cups.

BEAT cream cheese in small mixer bowl until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, egg, cocoa and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture into each cup.

BAKE for 18 to 20 minutes or until centers are set. Remove from oven to wire rack. While still warm, top cheesecakes with with remaining morsels. Morsels will soften but will retain shape. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

SERVE drizzled with caramel topping.

Courtesy of http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/

Enjoy!