B's Birthday: Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

It seems to be a big birthday time! We celebrated my mom’s birthday over the weekend, my maternal grandmother’s birthday is this week, my friend Sunny’s son just had his second birthday and she is anticipating the birth of her twins. By the way, I ‘d like to give a huge round of applause to her for handling bedrest like a champion and making it to 36 weeks!

Last week was my colleague, “B”’s birthday. She and I began working together in September and became fast friends. It’s been a rough time at work for both of us, and to complicate things further she is now hobbling around on crutches with a broken leg! She was in definite need of a chocolately birthday treat!

I made Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake to bring in to work on her special day. This pound cake comes together easily, and gives you chocolate cake that is filled with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate sauce. A chocolate trifecta! You can dip the bread in the chocolate sauce, but I like to pour it over the top and allow it to harden for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Oh, and this makes two cakes! Eat one and put one in the freezer, because it freezes really well!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
(From Giada's Kitchen)
Ingredients
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 ¼ cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

For Homemade Chocolate Sauce:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

In a small saucepan, combine the unsweetened chocolate and 1 cup water. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool for 2 minutes, then whisk in the mascarpone until the mixture is smooth.

Beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in the chocolate-mascarpone mixture. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of each loaf comes out with no crumbs attached. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. (If you plan to freeze the cakes, wrap them well in aluminum foil once they are completely cool.)

To make the sauce:
Place the chocolate chips in a small heat-proof bowl. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until small bubbles appear at the edges of the pan. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir with a fork until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the pound cakes and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to set the chocolate sauce. Return to room temperature before serving.

Valentines Dessert: Chocolate Molten Cakes with Raspberry Coulis

Happy Valentine’s Day! My husband and I usually like to use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to indulge in a fabulous meal at a trendy restaurant. With it falling on a Sunday this year, I actually requested that we stay in and I would cook something fabulous. (Sundays are my cooking day and much needed time at home to get ready for the week.) I made my husband a steak, we opened a nice bottle of wine, and topped it off with a chocolate dessert!

Chocolate molten cakes are my very favorite dessert to make and to eat. This recipe is so easy! It takes just minutes, and uses basic ingredients. I love to make these for other people, as they’re delicious and quite impressive. You can garnish them with mint leaves, fresh berries, and a powered sugar dusting, creating a beautiful presentation. The chocolate can be rich, so serving them with a little ice cream or whipped cream balances them out. I also like to make a raspberry coulis with them, giving the dessert more color and an added element.

You can make the cake batter ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then pull it out to bake when you’re ready to serve dessert (I recommend bringing it up to room temperature before baking). You’ll have to watch them in the oven, as the size of your ramekins will and the nuances of your own oven will determine the baking time. (I use these great silicone round mini pans that my mother got for me when taking a class at King Arthur Flour.)

Chocolate Molten Cakes
Ingredients
4 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray custard cups or soufflé dishes with cooking spray. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on high for 1 min., or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter between prepared custard cups.

Bake 13-14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft (you want a soft center about the size of a quarter). Remove from oven and let stand for 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes.

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream; and raspberry coulis (recipe follows) and/or fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.). Garnish with mint leaves and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

(Batter can be made a day ahead. Pour into prepared custard cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake as directed.)

If custard cups are not available, use a 9 cupcake tin and bake for approximately 9 min.

Raspberry Coulis
Ingredients
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 cups fresh raspberries
Splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil on high; reduce to medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Add raspberries. Stir until thick and reduces by ¾ (about 5-8 min.). Remove from stove and strain to remove seeds. (To strain you will need to use a fine strainer or cheese cloth and will likely need to use a spoon to work the mixture through the strainer.) Add water and/or lemon juice if too thick. Refrigerate right before serving.

(I put the mixture in a squeeze bottle, which makes it easy for decorating plates. You can buy one at Bed, Bath & Beyond for about $0.99. Put the coulis in the squeeze bottle, drizzle it in a zig-zag or other pattern on plates, and then place molten cake and ice cream on top.)

Irish Car Bombs: Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

We have returned from our third annual ski trip. Three years ago was my first time strapping on skis, and defying everyone’s expectations – I loved it! I made my way through the green circles and enjoyed almost every minute! Last year, skiing in sub-zero temperatures, I accomplished my goal of skiing on the blue squares, and actually completed every blue trail at the resort. My 2010 goal: Black Diamond. I am pleased to report that I can now check that box. Sandwiched between my brother-in-law paving the way ahead of me, and my husband trailing behind me, I made it down a few times without any major spills, and all in one piece. The other skiers on that trail could certainly tell that I didn’t belong in their league, but with a proud grin I was the one pumping my fists at the bottom of the hill!

We had a great time with my sister and brother-in-law, and while we had some good food for most of the weekend, I had undoubtedly the worst pizza in my life last night for dinner. Seriously, how do you mess up pizza? (And I only ordered it after the waitress unwaveringly recommended it!) We made it back home today with time for me to make some warm Cioppino and a post-birthday treat for my husband to take to work tomorrow. Remember the days of bringing cupcakes to school for your birthday? This is the adult version.

While I’ve never had one myself, I’ve seen plenty of Irish Car Bombs enjoyed by others. It’s a drink where Irish whiskey is floated on the top of Irish Cream in a shot class and then dropped directly into a pint glass of stout. The drink is then consumed immediately before the ingredients curdle.

These cupcakes use the ingredients of an Irish Car Bomb, and are extremely delicious! I made these cupcakes last summer and sent them to work with my husband before we consumed them entirely ourselves. There were a huge hit at his office, and I received requests to share the recipe and send more! The Guinness gets baked out, but the Bailey’s and Whiskey do not. If you’re serving for people who cannot/do not consume alcohol, you can omit the Whiskey from the ganache and substitute milk or heavy cream for the Bailey’s. You can simply spread the frosting on the top of the cupcakes, or you can use a star tip with a piping bag to create a fun design. These are rich enough as is, but you can also decorate with colored sugar/sprinkles, or chocolate shavings.

Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

Bailey’s Frosting: (you may want to double this)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (Kate uses a plastic bag with the corner snipped off)

Directions
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to ¾ of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

They Can’t All Be Gems: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread AGAIN

Last Thursday I started out the day waking up late, but I got ready at record speed, and even had extra time to spend styling my hair. I flew threw every all green lights on the way to work. It was sunny and I had no traffic. I turned my iPod onto the shuffle setting and the perfect song came on. Just as I was pulling into my parking structure, a car that was parked in the best spot was pulling out. Jack pot! I even ended up making it to work early!

At some point during the day my luck turned.

Earlier in the week I had been notified of a breakfast party my office would be joining another department for. It was encouraged for people to bring a food item to share, and as the other office is a team of practically professional bakers, I had to bring something.

I thought all week about what I should make, and tried to figure out how I’d find the time to make something (I’ve been working long and stressful days with 3 meals a day eaten behind my desk and in front of my computer). I made a successful effort to leave work by 6:00 pm to allow myself enough time to stop by the store and make my dish. It took trips to two different grocery stores to acquire all of the ingredients necessary for the frittatas I was planning to make. When I arrived home I made a fabulous recipe for mini egg frittatas with sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed shallots and garlic, smoked mozzarella, Asiago cheese, and fresh basil.

Having left work “early”, I retreated to my laptop in another room while they were in the oven. I should mention that I’ve had a sinus-thing for two weeks and my normally keen sense of smell has abandoned me. While I was typing away at emails, I failed to smell my mini frittatas burning in the kitchen. I can’t believe that I let that happened! I pulled them out of the oven, and while my husband and I may have bit the bullet and eaten them ourselves, being the perfectionist that I am, I could not serve them to my colleagues! They sadly went directly into the trash.

I checked the clock – it was past 10:00 pm! I did not have enough of the ingredients to remake the frittatas. We do not live near any grocery stores and I had already had a glass of wine, so getting to the store was out of question. To top it off, my husband was out of town on business, and if he had been home, he would have lovingly gone to any grocery store to fetch whatever ingredients I needed. I did not want to show up to this breakfast gathering empty handed!

I began flipping through my cookbook while surveying what I had in my refrigerator and pantry. I had a couple eggs, a can of pumpkin puree that hadn’t yet expired, and barely enough sugar. I could make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread! I pulled out my stand mixer and got going, but unfortunately it had to bake for over an hour. When I pulled it out of the oven I didn’t let it rest long enough (as I was longing to get to bed for an early start for the next day!). As I attempted to put it on a cooling rack, the loaf split in two! I salvaged it with some fancy slicing and headed to bed with only a few hours left before my alarm would hopefully wake me up.

I somehow rose early enough on Friday morning to make it to the gathering with my Pumpkin Bread. When I went to retrieve my plate at the end of the day, all but one slice were gone!

Recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This went in . . .

. . . and this came out.

Merry Christmas: Crème de Menthe Pie

Merry Christmas! I just wrapped up my Christmas dinner. The leftovers are in the refrigerator, the counters are wiped, and the dishes are in the dishwasher.




For the past few years, I have hosted Christmas dinner at my house. It is a small crowd, but it is fun to have the liberty to cook whatever I want to. Since my in-laws have always had more conservative palettes, I don't make anything too prolific, but I do modify the menu each year. We start the afternoon with a few appetizers, followed by dinner, and capped off with the one constant each year - Crème de Menthe Pie.

Baked Brie with Raspberry Preserves

Crab and Cream Cheese Dip

Glazed Ham

Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas

Seasoned Corn

Green Beans with Sautéed Mushrooms, Garlic, and Almonds

Glazed Carrots with Pecans

For as long as I can remember, my family has had Crème de Menthe Pie for dessert on Christmas dinner. This was a tradition I continued when we lived in NYC and I made it for our friends for our pre-Christmas dinner. When I started hosting Christmas dinner myself, there was no doubt what I would make for dessert. Although my mother, my sister, and I are all in different places on Christmas night, celebrating with our respective in-laws, this is a dessert that we all still make. (In fact, I wound up with two pies in my freezer tonight, as my parents stopped by my house for appetizers, but forgot their pie when they ventured on to their next destination.)

There are so many memories associated with this dessert, but it is also reminiscent of my favorite hard-serve ice cream flavor - mint chocolate chip. You can serve the pie with whipped cream if you like, but I think it is perfect without.

Crème de Menthe Pie
Ingredients
3 pints vanilla ice cream
5 Tablespoons crème de menthe liqueur
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (such as Oreos)
1/3 cup butter, softened
Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions
Combine wafer crumbs (if using Oreos, crumble in food processor) with butter and press into 10” spring form pan (press throughout bottom of pan, and up to 1 inch along sides of pan). Refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.

Turn ice cream into large bowl to soften. Pour crème de menthe over ice cream and stir to incorporate. Fill chilled wafer shell with ice cream mixture. Freeze. Make chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce:
Ingredients
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
½ cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ½ Tablespoons butter
¾ teaspoon vanilla

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine chocolate with water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool thoroughly. Then drizzle over top of pie and return to freezer until firm.

A Little Chocolate A Day: Chocolate Chrunch Granola

I don’t think I’ve ever had a “sweet-tooth”, but I have definitely have a chocolate tooth. I’ve loved chocolate for as long as I can remember. I usually pass on desserts unless they include chocolate. (In attempting to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a dessert has to be “worth it” for me to indulge. Chocolate is worth it.)

I find that it’s rare for a day to pass without having a little chocolate. This is mainly because I have found innovative ways to get my chocolate fix without eating a piece of cake or a scoop of ice cream. I regularly enjoy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, but also have found Cooking Light’s Chocolate Crunch to be just what I need. It incorporates oats, dried fruit, and nuts with a little taste of chocolate for a reasonable amount of calories per serving size (168 calories for ½ cup). I’ll take this with me to work or when I’m traveling, and it’s perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Chocolate Crunch
(From Cooking Light, December, 2007)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
3 cups regular oats
1 cup oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa), finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cover a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray.

Combine oats, rice cereal, brown sugar, chopped pecans, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl.

Combine honey and canola oil in a small saucepan over low heat; cook 2 minutes or until warm. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture. Lightly coat hands with cooking spray. Gently mix chocolate mixture and oat mixture until combined. Spread oat mixture onto prepared jelly-roll pan. Bake at 300° for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool completely on pan; stir in cranberries.

Tradition: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This recipe goes back as far as I can remember. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread was always a favorite in my family around the holidays. About 15 years ago or so it turned into a fixture in my diet year-round. My mother would make it and pack it in my lunch, or I’d even snack on it for breakfast. Some things never change. Over time we have improvised with this recipe and turned it into Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, which makes it a little easier to eat on the go.

When my husband and I lived in New York, our friends became our family. A few of our friends especially played the part, as we gathered at least monthly for a 'family dinner' and board games. Those nights are some of my most treasured memories in the city. I would cook up a storm in our apartment's tiny kitchen, our friends would show up with wine, and we laughed into the wee hours of the night over Trivial Pursuit or Taboo.

After our move, I experienced withdrawal from not being able to cook for these friends. I have yet to figure out how to snail-mail them homemade sauces and soups, but I do send them one treat each year. I don’t know if they’ve come to expect it, but each Wednesday or Thursday after Thanksgiving they receive a loaf of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread in the mail, tucked inside a shoebox and wrapped in Christmas paper. This year is no different. Enjoy, ladies!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
(I usually do a double batch of this and use two loaf pans)
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (for a double batch, use a whole can of pumpkin)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits (when I do a double batch, I put in one whole bag on nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup walnuts, firmly chopped (optional)

Directions
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in separate bowl. Add this dry mixture alternating with pumpkin to egg mixture - beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate bits and 3/4 cup walnuts (optional).

Grease bottom of loaf pan (or two if doubling), and pour in mixture. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until done. (Depending on oven - baking time can be 40 - 60 min. Check browning of top of loaf, and stick knife or tooth pick in to see if done. Loaf should be nicely toasted and crisp on top.) Slice into 1-inch slices once cooled. Serve or freeze.

Staff Meeting Surprise: Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars

Based on my recent posts, you may not believe it, but I do buy produce other than tomatoes at the farmers’ market. In fact, I did yesterday. I stopped by my local market on the way to work (alright, I went there intentionally to buy tomatoes). I made my tomato purchase and started to walk away, but turned back and also picked up some bright green zucchini that were staring at me. Instead of roasting, grilling, or tossing the zucchini into a soup, I decided to bake with it.

A few weeks ago a colleague who regularly pawns off shares her baked goods at staff meetings brought in a zucchini cake that contained chocolate chips. I’m up for trying anything with chocolate. I got my hands on a copy of her recipe and gave it a whirl tonight. The recipe says that you can substitute nuts for the chocolate chips, but I don’t know why anyone would want to do that. In fact, I think it would be good with both. The frosting is more of a glaze, and while it's seasoned with cinnamon, there are several different variations you could do, or just leave it out altogether if you're looking for something less sweet.

These are quite good, and an untrained taste bud might not even notice the zucchini in these! They are a fun treat for brunch, dessert, or your next staff meeting!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
¾ Cup butter, at room temperature
½ Cup brown sugar
½ Cup granulated sugar
2 Eggs, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1 ¾ Cup flour
¼ Teaspoon salt
1 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
2 Cup shredded zucchini
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Cup mini chocolate chips (or substitute chopped walnuts/pecans)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F degrees.

Cream butter; add sugars gradually, add eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Stir in zucchini, coconut and nuts/chips. Spread in greased 15x10x1½ inch pan. (You can use a 9x13 inch pan and it will come out thicker and a bit more cake-like.)

Bake for 40 minutes (check and bake a little longer if in 9x13 pan). Cool completely and then frost.

Cinnamon Frosting
Ingredients
1 Cup powdered sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons milk
1 ½ Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 Teaspoon vanilla
½ Teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Beat until smooth. Spread on bars.