CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE OH LALA

 I have posted this cake on this blog many times but here it is again because frankly, it is really delicious so I baked one today.

I am going to just copy the recipe

 from an old post and

paste it down below.

 

While the cake was in the oven,

 it started

to snow lightly.

I love this little Sadler Valentine teapot too.

Here is what you need for your

Chocolate Fudge Cake Oh LA La:

5 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick of butter, 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup plus 4 TB water-boiling

1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot water -2. grease and flour 2 size 9" cake pans either square or heart shaped

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl

4. Beat soft butter in large bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat with mixer at high speed until light and fluffy about 5 minutes

5. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until batter is smooth. 

Do not boil water too soon as it evaporates fast- stir in boiling water and batter will become thin Pour into cake pans

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes- check with toothpick (my convection oven took 25 minutes)

7. Let cool 10 minutes - cut around edge to loosen

Turn onto cake platter...I like to put Cherry pie filling between the layers before icing

Fudge icing: 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 stick of butter, 7 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 tsp vanilla 

Melt chocolate in small saucepan with butter - remove from heat

Combine other ingredients in bowl and then add chocolate mix- beat till ready to ice cake!

CHOCOLATE PIE MAKES US HAPPY!

Sometimes chocolate is 
what makes
us happy!

I have shared this pie before here
because I make it every once
and a while.  It is a bit of a
knock off to the old Bishops
Cafeteria Chocolate Pie.
We are suddenly getting
some snow today so it is a nice 
day for life in the kitchen.

Here is what you will
 need to make this pie.
A store bought or easily made
graham cracker crust.

 To make your own I take 9 rectangle
 pieces - which is one pkg of
cinnamon graham crackers and
smash them into crumbs.  I heat
1/2 stick of butter and mix all 
together and mash into the
bottom of a buttered large pie plate.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes 
till it starts to turn brown!  Cool

I put the rush on cooling mine today by
putting it out in the cold garage while
I prepared the filling!

For the pie filling:  You will need 
1 quart good quality vanilla 
ice cream, 2 small pkg of jello
 instant pudding,   2 square of 
unsweetened chocolate and 
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping
 cream.  I put the ice cream in
 my mixing bowl and let it melt. 
 Then beat the ice cream and heavy
whipping cream and add the pudding
mixes.  Then I melt the chocolate and
add it mixing well.  Pour into the
cooled pie shell and refrigerate.

For a nice decorated edging around
the pie I beat together 1 cup of heavy
whipping cream and 1/4 cup of
confectioners sugar.  You can spoon
this into a pastry bag and decorate
with the tube of your choice on the tip!

Enjoy and stay warm!

THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS

While some have already decorated for

 Christmas this is the last week to

enjoy the fall decor at our house:

We are excited about bringing the smell

of roasting turkey and pumpkin pie

into the kitchen here this week as

our son and daughter in-law and

two "grands" come for Thanksgiving.

On Sunday I had a tea downstairs
 for some new friends from the church
 we attend.  It was a "Thankful For
 Friends" tea and it was a beautiful
 day to just relax and enjoy the
 calm before the busy week.

That little sign read "Gluten Free"!

So today we are enjoying a
 few leftover

treats from the tea:

Two recipes here at the bottom

are for the Pumpkin Cookies and

the Chocolate Peppermint Brownies. 
 I made the brownies in another
 batch using gluten free flour for 
some of the ladies so you can just 
substitute the flour in the recipe.

Pumpkin Raisin  Cookies:  350 degrees for 15 min MAKES ABOUT 60 medium or 46 large cookies

Combine ½ cup (1 stick) soft butter, 2 eggs ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar, 1 Tsp vanilla, 1 Tb lemon juice

Combine: 2 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ginger,

 ¾ tsp baking soda, ½ Tsp salt, 1 tsp Cinnamon,   Next add these first 2 groups together and then mix in this: 1 ½ cups of canned pumpkin, (recipe  uses not quite a 15 oz can – rest will be for icing)  ¾ cup nuts and ¾ cup of raisins

TIPS:  I like to use parchment paper on my baking sheets to keep them clean.  Chill cookie sheets before dropping dough on them and also chill again in between batches - putting more on them.  Remove them to wax paper on counter/table to cool and get ready to ice them:

 ICING FOR COOKIES:  ¼ cup pumpkin, 4 Tb melted butter, 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar,  ½ Tsp lemon juice, pinch of salt and add ¼ cup of milk (or little more if dry) 

Chocolate Peppermint Bars 
This recipe will make about 4 dozen small rich bars:
#1  You will need for brownies base:    4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, 2 sticks butter, 4 eggs, 2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour,1 cups of nuts
#2  You will need for the mint filling:  1 lb.confect. sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), 1 stick butter, 3 Tb milk, 2 Tb imitation peppermint extract, ½ tsp vanilla extract, green food coloring
 #3  You will need for the glaze on top:  2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate and 3 Tb butter
 Get started on the brownies base:  melt the 4 squares of chocolate with the butter in a small pan. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar.  Add the flour to the egg mix and beat well.  Beat in the chocolate, and then fold in the nuts.  Bake 350 degrees in a greased and floured pan 11” x 16” or 2  8” square pans for 25-30 minutes.
 For the filling:  combine ingredients and beat till smooth. Spread as smoothly as possible on warm brownies.
 Melt the glaze ingredients together and brush on top of the filling.  Chill well.  Cut into small squares as these are rich,   You won’t be able to stay out of them!                  

BROWNIES AND FLOWERS

Do you need some yummy brownies this weekend?  Maybe some extra chocolate energy needs to come your way.  The truth of the matter is that many people buy those expensive box mixes and brownies are so easy - we are talking about flour, eggs, cocoa, sugar and butter.  You can do this!

I have the same lilies I have been keeping for 2 weeks.  I have realized that as long as you cut off the "overly ripe" ones - the unopened ones keep opening.  It seems to me, lilies are a better value when you are perusing the flower stall at the market.

And now on to the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9 x 12 pan

Brownie Ingredients: 2 sticks of butter, 6 Tb cocoa, 2 cups of sugar, 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, dash of salt, 2 Tb milk and 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Icing ingredients:  1/2 stick of butter, 4 Tb milk, 2 cups confectioners sugar, 3 Tb cocoa and 1/2 cup of walnuts to sprinkle on top at the end.  Cut when totally cool for best results.  We can never wait that long!

Melt the butter and the cocoa and mix with all other ingredients in a large bowl.  Spread evenly in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes.  Let cool...make the icing by melting the butter and cocoa in a saucepan on the stove on medium, - add confectioners sugar and milk till creamy.  Spread on top and sprinkle nuts!

Have a great weekend....I'm guessing you aren't like to 

Dowager who asked:

"What is a weekend?"

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S PIE FOR THE WEEKEND

Every once in a while we crave a Chocolate  Pie.  I remember the one like the former Bishop's Cafeterias in the midwest offered many years ago.  That's our favorite type so last night I made one.  I have featured this in the past on this blog.

Either buy an premade graham cracker crust or make one yourself by smashing up 1 1/2 cups of graham crackers mixed with 1/2 stick of melted butter and pressed into a pie shell and baked at 375 degrees for 7-8 minute.  I like using the cinnamon crackers better but had the plain ones on hand.  Either work.  Cool completely.

Here is what you need for the pie:  1 quart of vanilla ice cream, 1 1/2 cups milk ( I actually used heavy whipping cream from the carton - unwhipped) 2 - 3.9 oz pkgs of jello instant pudding and my tweak here was 1 square of unsweetened chocolate melted.  (For a darker chocolate - you could use 2 squares.)  Beat these together in a deep large bowl.

Also: Beat (until stiff) another 1 cup of whipping cream with 1/4 cup of confections sugar and set aside for the topping when the pie is done.   I didn't have a chocolate bar to shave pieces off for embellishing which would have looked lovely!

CHOCOLATE TEXAS TURTLES

With Valentines Day just around the corner, you will want to make some wonderful chocolate item!  Yum......and these Chocolate Turtles (or Texas Turtles) are so easy to make.  You see them in all the chain chocolate shops - I'm sure you have purchased one before!

First of all....do you have one of those double boiler pot sets?  They even have them in the discount stores.  I have had one of mine since the 1970's and recently bought another.

Here is what you will need for the inside of the candy:  14 oz pkg  Kraft Caramels, 2 Tb water and 3 cups of chopped pecans.  For the chocolate outer coating you will need:  1 14 oz pkg milk chocolate chips and 1 oz paraffin. 

Directions:  Melt the caramels with 2 Tbs water in top of the double boiler over boiling water.  Now add the chopped pecans and stir.  Drop by loaded teaspoons onto a butter cookie sheet.  Chill these for 1/2 hour in the freezer or overnight in the refrigerator.

Using the cleaned up double boiler, melt 14 oz pkg milk chocolate chips over boiling water with 1 oz paraffin.  Dip the caramel pieces in the mix one at a time and return to cookie sheets -  Cool and store in airtight container...makes around 40 pieces.

BISHOPS CAFETERIA CHOCOLATE PIE KNOCKOFF

Do you remember Bishops Chocolate Pie?

Back in the 1960's to 1980's you may have visited a Bishop's Cafeteria in the Midwest....

This was our favorite place to go for lunch and the line went clear out the door. No matter what I put on my tray, I always got that great slice of chocolate pie! Last Sunday, my friend Julie Brockett gave me this recipe. You must try it!

Here is what you need: 1 quart vanilla ice cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 small packages of instant chocolate pudding, and my tweak here for a darker chocolate was : 2 SQUARES unsweetened chocolate melted.

Beat together and set aside 1 cup of whipping cream and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar...this will be for the edging around the pie

You will also need a nice graham cracker crust pie shell and milk chocolate curls for decorating. If you want to save money a graham cracker crust is so easy as it is 1 1/2 cups of crushed cinnamon graham crackers mixed with 1/2 stick of melted butter and pressed into a pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees about 8 minutes.

Mix and beat the softened ice cream and milk for 2 minutes, add 1 package of the chocolate pudding and beat 2 more minutes, add the second package and beat 2 more minutes and the melted chocolate mixed through ........pour into the graham cracker crust. Decorate the edge of the pie with the whipped cream and embellish with chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR VALENTINES DAY

Isn't Chocolate Wonderful?

Here is a delicious cake which you might

like to try:

BERNIDEEN’S  recipe for

 Chocolate Fudge Cake Oh-la-la: 

5 Squares unsweetened chocolate,

 2 1/4 cups sifted flour,

 1 cup sour cream

2 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2 ¼ cups firmly packed

light brown sugar

3 eggs

1     ½ tsp vanilla

1 cup water – boiling to be added last

1.  Grease and flour 2 size 9 x 1 ½” layer cake pans, tap out excess flour.

2.  Sift flour, baking soda and salt into bowl.

3. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan with the butter.

In a large bowl beat brown sugar and eggs; beat with mixer at

High speed until light and fluffy, 5 minutes.  Beat in vanilla and chocolate.

4. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until batter is smooth.

     Do not boil water too soon as it evaporates fast – Stir in boiling water – batter will

Now become thin.  Pour into cake pans.

5. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (less if convention oven – watch!)

6. Let cool 10 minutes +, cut around edge of cake with knife and turn onto cake platter

Fudge icing: 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 stick of butter, 3 ¾ cup of powdered sugar,  1/4 cup milk, 1 tsps vanilla

Melt chocolate in small saucepan with butter…remove from heat

Combine other ingredients in bowl and then add chocolate mix…….beat till ready to ice cake

 If the icing is too thick- add more milk

*****sometimes I put cherry pie filling between layers

 

After the cake is iced I like to cover the center top with maraschino cherries!

I often bake my cake in 2 heart shaped cake pans and sometimes 3 pans…..it only takes 20 minutes if using 3 pans.

 

·       For cupcakes – bake 15-20 min