Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Mousse Filling and Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream Chocolate Shavings and Chocolate Covered Strawberries

The winter months are busy with birthdays in my family.  Last year, I had just given birth to my sweet baby G, so my husband had to deal with a bakery bought cake.   After pulling off an extraordinary 1st birthday party for my daughter, I knew my 'husbands cake' would be a simple task to pull off.

This time, I made a slight improvement:  I added homemade chocolate covered strawberries!  I also tried a new chocolate mousse recipe for the filling.  I used this filling because it didn't have raw egg in it, and a few readers have asked me for one.  This is definitely good, and a perfect alternative if you are serving this cake to small children, pregnant women, or anyone that may have a compromised immune system ;).  I have never had an issue with using raw eggs, but sometimes, you have to be extra careful.  I will say, while this is the perfect alternative, the other mousse recipe seems to be a bit more rich, chocolaty, and fluffier.

I used my go to chocolate cake recipe, in 2, 8-inch round pans.  Each layer was sliced in half to make 4 layers.  Each layer was filled with chocolate mousse.  The cake was frosted with Italian Meringue Buttercream, and topped with chocolate shavings and chocolate covered strawberries drizzled with white chocolate.  The end result?  Divine.  Just DIVINE!

Chocolate cake recipe, click here.

Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe, click here.


Dark Chocolate Mousse
recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 egg yolks, beaten lightly
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
In a small heavy bottomed saucepan, add chocolate, eggs, sugar, water, and 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Stir over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble a little along the edges.  Remove from heat and add put in a bowl.  Put bowl over an ice bath.  Cool for about 15-20 minutes.  Stir about every 5 minutes.

Beat remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks.  Fold into the cooled chocolate mixture in 3 additions with a rubber spatula.  DO NOT BEAT, this will cause the cream to break down and cause this to become soupy.  Cover with plastic wrap, touching the mousse.  Cool for about 2 hours or up to one day.

*you can use this as a simple dessert and serve with whipped cream and berries or you can fill a cake with it.  It will fill one 8-inch round cake.  It will fill approximately 3 layers.

Samoa Cupcakes

I hosted a CAbi party at my house last weekend and I knew one good way to get people over to my house was to bribe entice them with cupcakes.  It's sneaky.  Rather sneaky.

I knew that since the party was to be 'fashioned based' my cupcakes better come dressed for the party.  And did they ever!

I saw these sinful silhouettes over at Fields of Cake a few weeks ago and I nearly fell over.  THANKFULLY, I had made the deadline for hunting down a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies last minute.  And when I say, last minute, I mean checking the girl scout website for locations the night before they were set to close up shop, calling said locations, and then peeling into the parking lot at said location 30 minutes before girl scout table shut down, and knocking a few people over with my grocery cart on the way in.  It had to be done.  I meant serious business.

Meanwhile, I get home and realize I made a stupid mistake.  Stupid.  I only bought 2 boxes of Samoas.  Meaning....I only bought enough to make these once.  ONCE.  What was I thinking?  I could have thrown a few boxes of these things in my freezer.  Ugh.  Kicking my own leg....

Anyway, I will mention as a side note, since I was terribly rude to post these when you probably cannot get Samoas anywhere, that these cupcakes actually TASTE like a Samoa so there is no need to put the cookie on top.  It's for looks...and to tell the looker, "Hey, I am a Samoa cupcake, see?"  There are a few things you can do to the top that would probably really make it look like a Samoa, such as: drizzling more ganache on top with the caramel as well as drizzling a bit of coconut on top.  That should do it.

Besides the look of these cakes, I was really interested in the way she made her frosting.  It was something I have never seen anywhere and I read a lot of cake books, and A LOT of food blogs.  She used pudding mix.  I think this replaces a lot of the sugar because, well, pudding mix is basically sugar.  I must say, it creates a very dense flavor without that 'sugar in your face' flavor.  I might have to experiment with this stuff a bit more.  Plus, its super easy to make.

I changed a few of the recipes and ways this was made....so here we go.  

First, what's in this thing anyway?

Lets start with the bottom and work our way to the top:

Cookie Crust bottom

Chocolate cupcake

Chocolate coconut caramel filling

Chocolate ganache

Coconut Rum buttercream

Vanilla caramel

Samoa Cookie

Now before you freak out- yes.  This has a lot of components.  This is true.  BUT all components come together pretty quickly and you can break it down and do each over the course of a day or so.

Cookie Crust

Ingredients:

9 oz. cookies (I used TJ's mini choc chip cookies but you can use shortbread cookies and add a few tablespoons of mini chocolate chips)

2 tablespoons toasted coconut

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted

Directions:
Put ingredients (except for the butter) in a ziploc and roll a rolling pin over it to break it down into small pieces. Add the butter and mix around until all combined. Spoon about a tablespoon into each cupcake liner and tap it down with the back of the spoon. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Let cool and make your cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake for pictures, click here.

Beaty’s Chocolate CupcakesFrom: Ina Garten

Ingredients:
1 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour
2 Cups granulated sugar
¾ Cup good cocoa powder (I used Callebaut)
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. kosher salt
1 Cup buttermilk
½ Cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 Cup freshly brewed hot coffee (I used a French roast)

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl: Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt together.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla.
3. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry with the mixer on LOW.
4. With the mixer still running on low, add the coffee and mix just until combined.
5. Warning: Batter will be VERY thin (so thin you may think you are missing something)

6. Pour batter into cupcake liners or use an ice cream scoop. Fill 3/4 full.
7. Bake cupcakes for 17-22 minutes at 350 or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Caramel Filling

Recipe derived from Fields of Cake

Ingredients:

1/3 cup toasted coconut chopped (mush them up a bit with your fingers)

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup corn syrup

pinch sea salt (fine)

1/2 Cup water

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 6 chunks

1/2 Cup heavy cream (room temp)

2 teaspoons coconut extract

1 teaspoon rum extract

Directions:

Make sure all of your ingredients are measured out and sitting by the stove.  Caramel moves fast and everything need s to be ready.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, combine:  sugar, corn syrup, salt and water.  Whisk until mixture comes to a bowl and sugar dissolves. Cover pot for about 2 minutes and allow the steam to clean the sides of the pot.   Uncover and turn burner to high. Boil mixture without stirring until it reaches 315 degrees, this will take awhile.  (It took mine over 5 minutes but keep an eye on it and don't leave that stove!) Remove from the heat and swirl the pot.  (Mixture should be a light amber color).  Gently drop in the butter pieces and whisk.  Pour in the cream, and whisk again.  Stir in the extract.  Set aside about a cup of caramel (for the finishing drizzle).  Then add coconut, and chocolate chips to the caramel in the saucepan.  Don't worry, the chocolate chips are supposed to melt.  

Coconut Rum Buttercream

Recipe derived from Fields of Cake

Ingredients:

1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature

1,  3-ounce package white chocolate pudding mix

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon rum extract

2 teaspoons coconut extract

1 cup powdered sugar 

Directions:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and pudding mix on high for about 5 minutes until fluffy.  Scrape down sides and add cream and extract.  Beat on high for another 5 minutes.  Turn mixer to stir and add powdered sugar.  Beat on medium high until combined.  Taste and adjust sugar and flavorings.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

6 oz dark chocolate, chopped 

3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Put chocolate in a large bowl.  Put heavy cream in a microwavable measuring cup and microwave for about 1-2 minutes (until hot).  Pour cream over the chocolate and stir until confirmed.

To assemble:

(after cupcakes have cooled completely) cone out a nickel size hole with a pairing knife.  Pull out cupcake piece and reserve.  Fill with about a teaspoon of the chocolate coconut caramel mixture.  Put cupcake 'cork' back in.  Top with chocolate ganache. (I tipped the cupcakes over into the ganache and swirled them to stand them up).  I then put them in the refrigerator to set the ganache.  Pipe butter cream on.  Drizzle caramel on top of buttercream (the plain stuff without the chocolate/coconut).  Tip: don't put warm caramel on top it will melt the buttercream.  Top with a cookie.  EAT!

Flourless Chocolate Torte with Raspberries and Cream

My husband isn't much for celebrating Valentine's Day.  I'm sure he probably thinks it's a stupid excuse for Hallmark to make a few extra bucks.  Truthfully, I love to celebrate EVERYTHING.


I celebrate life everyday, but a holiday that is based around love?  Count me in!  I wouldn't say I go overboard with crazy gifts and expectations, but it certainly gives me a chance to remind my husband how much I care about him and of course, make a special themed dinner.

I had all these great plans to do this elaborate dinner, invite friends over and eat chocolate all day long.  But--as nature would have it, my daughter came down with croup the week before.  I came down with bronchitis.  By the time Valentine's Day rolled around, I was dog tired from not sleeping and the last thing I wanted to do was cook an elaborate meal, and secondly, entertain anyone.  I talked myself into making this cake on Valentine's Day in the late afternoon.  My daughter was napping and I was starting to feel a bit better after my z-pack, so I figured, what the heck.

I have been eying this cake recipe from Williams Sonoma in my recipe binder for nearly 2 years (I know that is exceptionally long but I have A LOT of recipes on my wish list).  This was super easy to make!  It's very very chocolaty and it is very dense (due to the lack of flour).  You need quite a bit of chocolate for this recipe.  I used one of those really large chocolate bars from Trader Joe.

The verdict:  I really enjoyed this cake.  It was perfect for Valentine's Day!  I will say I cooked it for 10 extra minutes than the recipe said to, even though it said 'Don't over cook'.  Truth is, my oven typically cooks fast; but for whatever reason the center of this was pretty runny even when I finally pulled it out.  The cake is almost pudding/mousse like but more dense.  It was the perfect accompaniment to an indulgent night (watching The Bachelor while drinking a glass of wine).

Please excuse the 'nighttime' pictures as this wasn't ready to be sliced until late evening.  Man...I can't wait until summer!

For the recipe, click here.

Alterations:  I used instant espresso dissolved in water instead of the liquor.

Triple Chocolate Cake and a Happy New Year from Cafe Coco!

Happy New Year everyone!! Do I even have any readers left??!!

The new year is a great time to renew yourself...and those long lost resolutions.

I was never big on making New Years resolutions. Maybe because I never felt I had reason to. But since becoming a mom, I've become so much busier in life that I forget about a lot of things. A lot of things I had TIME to remember! So my New Year's resolution is to make more time for myself, more time to 'love' cooking, and to make more time for my poor neglected blog!

A little update on me: Motherhood has grown on me. In the beginning, I wasn't really sure it would. It's a lot of work and leaves little time for things I once took for granted. Like making last minute runs to the grocery store when I forget something! I've grown so much as a person, and a wife in the last 10 months. I've learned to not sweat the small stuff (ok I still do, but certainly not as much). I also value the 'small stuff' my little girl does....because everything is so new and only lasts months, if not weeks. As I watch my little one grow, it's apparent that she enjoys being with me, especially when I am in the kitchen. She follows me everywhere I go. I look forward to her 'helping' me more in the near future. For now, as I make anything, I feel her pull up on my pant leg and tug at it until I pick her up. She watches my every move. I love that. She loves licking the bowl of chocolate cake batter just as much as I do. And the look on her face when I let her try frosting off the whisk was completely priceless. I don't know that she will love cooking as much as I do. But I have a good feeling she will enjoy eating as much as I do!

As for New Years Eve this year, you can imagine, it was quite laid back. Finding a sitter for the evening can be quite daunting! Besides that, I've always enjoyed spending the night at home entertaining other people. The last few years we've hosted NYE, and I've always tried a new dessert recipe. This year, as I flipped through pages of a few neglected magazines, I noticed a triple decker cake I've had my eyes on since I gave birth. I figured, what the heck. I have nothing to lose.

I'll warn you. This cake is not for the faint of heart. It's truly a chocolate lovers' dessert. It's rich, it's creamy, it's chocolaty. It's truly quite amazing. The bottom layer is a flour-less chocolate torte, the middle layer is deep dark chocolate mousse, and the top is a fluffy white chocolate mouse--which balances the chocolate quite nicely. I've never been one for white chocolate, but in this instance, it really works in this dessert's favor.

While the recipe is rather easy, it's a bit time consuming. If that bothers you, you could always break it up and make the cake portion the night before and make the mousse the following day (which actually does not take much time at all).

Overall, the effort is well worth it. As one of my guests said "Why is it that paparazzi always show up when you bring out food. That never happens at my house." Perhaps they should make this cake! It's certainly photo worthy! (Forgive my photos as I did not cut the cake until my guests came and it was dark!)

For the recipe, click here. (you will have to register on the site to see it, but it's free)

Happy New Year!

Cafe Coco

POM Italian Meringue Buttercream Chocolate Cupcakes

It's been months since I've made cupcakes.

Part because I have little time, and part because I am still working off baby weight. I have zero self control when it comes to cupcakes.

Fortunately though, the folks at POM sent me some POM juice to try in some recipes and I felt I probably shouldn't let them down. Not sure if cupcakes are what they had in mind but I guess we all need something good once in awhile.

These cupcakes are nothing short of amazing. The chocolate cake is rich, decadent, moist. The frosting is rich, creamy, and finishes with a bit of tang from the POM.

I took a few of these to my parenting group--they were definitely a hit. I mean...who doesn't like a cupcake?

Pomegranate is a super fruit--so is it's juice! It has more anti-oxidants than even Acai juice (I say that because that seams to be all the rage these days). Hey I feel better about eating these cupcakes already!! It's really easy to use in recipes, too. I found the best way to use it is to reduce it on the stove. I reduce about 1 cup in a saucepan for about 10-20 min until it reduces down to about 1/2 cup. I then add it to dressings, desserts etc.

For the recipe, click here. Just add 1/4 cup of the reduced POM juice at the end mixing the buttercream. I also added 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.

For POM ice cream, click here!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

I've been busy in babyland for the last few months. Between dealing with the holidays, over swollen feet, and setting up a nursery, I haven't taken much time to post. So now that I have finished with all my 'nesting' all I have left is to just wait for this baby to come....

Although I have cooked quite a bit throughout my pregnancy, my baking has fallen to the way side due to uncontrolled water retention! I basically work to get food on the table for dinner and consider that a success.

So when I saw this recipe for homemade peanut butter cups, I just couldn't stop myself! The good news: they are easy and I could sit in a chair while making them! The result: amazing, better than store bought anything, melt in your mouth, treat.

I followed the recipe from Martha exactly; I'm running thin on brain cells these days so the less I have the think the better it is on everyone. My advice, do not skimp on the brand of chocolate. Get the best you can find. I used both toll house chips (because that is what I had left from Christmas and was trying to get them out of my pantry) and I used ghiradelli. There was a big difference in taste. Toll house is just too 'waxy' for me. I used a bittersweet chocolate but you can use milk chocolate or any combination that you prefer.

I will tell you--this recipe makes WAY more than it says. I would say I made nearly 80 cups with the peanut butter mixture. I just needed to melt a bit more chocolate to even it out. I used small candy cups I found at a baking shop.

I took these over to my father in laws house for his birthday, and then the other half I made for my house!

If you are looking for something fun to make for Valentine's Day, these are utterly amazing!

Click here for the recipe!

Enjoy!

TWD: Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Brownie's anyone? I know, I've been absent. Way absent. I plan on giving you an explanation for all of it, when the time is right.

For now, its TWD, and its Espresso Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, in my case, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Swirl Brownies!

These were quite easy to whip up. When I think cheesecake anything, I think 'complicated'. But these really werent. In fact, I didnt make them until Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday.

The brownie part was uneventful, easy typical brownie mix. I did take notice that there was not as much butter, chocolate, and sugar I am used to. When I let the batter sit while I made the cheesecake portion, it thickened up quite a bit.

While I am not a huge fan of cheesecake, watching this mixture puff up with its creaminess made me want to eat the batter right out of the bowl. Somehow, I restrained myself. I did make some alterations from the original recipe: I added 1/2 of a vanilla bean, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla instead of the espresso.

Overall, these were easy, and looked absolutely amazing. Taste wise, I can't say I was blown away. The brownie part was a bit dry. However, I must say the cheesecake portion was rather tasty! I may have to try these with a different brownie mixture next time!

I've got some things coming so stay tuned, including more brownies. 'Ta-die-for-brownies" to be exact.

TWD: Brownie Buttons

Yes, I am still here. ;)

I think today has been the most I have baked/cooked in one day in a long time. (And it was only brownie buttons and zuccini carrot bread!

What I loved about these brownies is that they were quick. It's not like I can't spare the time for elaborate desserts, I can. But mid-summer when its 95 degrees and humid I just dont want to spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen over a hot stove!

These brownies weren't bad. They are crunchy on the outside and a tad firm in the center for my taste (I like my brownies gooey and fudgy). I didnt add the orange zest or the white chocolate to the top. I didnt feel like an orange chocolate dessert today, nor do I really care for white chocolate. I will say I think I over baked them a tad, which is never good for a brownie. this could have contributed to the lack of gooey texture. Im thinking my mini muffin pan from Williams Sonoma is bigger than average because a few tablespoons of batter didnt fill the cups 3/4 full.

These little bites are perfect for on the go with little fuss involved (including cutting). Just remember to keep an eye on them. They cook up fast!

Thank you Jayma from Two Scientists in the Kitchen for hosting this week. For the recipe--head over to her page!

Crunchy Chocolate Malt Cookies and a TWD Ice Cream Re-visit

I’ve been holding onto this recipe for awhile. I love the taste of malt as does my husband so when I found this recipe from a fellow blogger at Cooking During Stolen Moments, I knew I had to try it!

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly because I didn’t have a chocolate malt or Ovaltine (which reminds me…I need to buy some because who on earth doesn’t like Ovaltine!) . Instead, I used a plain malted milk powder, and combined cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor. Then I added crushed whoppers for some added texture and crunch.

I thought these cookies would go perfectly with Dorie’s ice cream I posted earlier this week so I was really excited to get started.

I normally have great success with cookies, and I am not sure what happened. Out of the oven, they were crispy on the outside, and very chewy on the inside (similar to a molasses cookie). Once cooled, they were very thin and very crispy (not at all chewy). Paired with the ice cream, they tasted very much like a waffle cone! So it’s not to say they were bad, they weren’t. But they weren’t what I expected, anticipated, hoped for.

Again, I blame myself for the flop. First, I realized, I added too much brown sugar (which I'm thinking is the culprate for the over crunch-less chewy cookie). It’s also possible my oven is too hot and I baked them too long, or it could be my change of ingredients because her cookies look simply divine: soft, chewy…my mouth waters every time I look at them! I think popping these in the refrigerator could help a bit too with the spreading.

I guess it’s back to the drawing board for me….and possibly a trip to the store for Ovaltine!
If you like a crunchy cookie, you’ll love this version, if not…head over to Kate’s page and try her soft and chewy version.

Crispy Chocolate Malt Cookies
Recipe derived from Kate at Cooking During Stolen Moments

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (I would only put 1/4 cup if you want these to be chewy--this was my mistake adding more by grabbing the wrong measuring cup! oops!)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups AP flour
¾ cups malted milk powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups Whoppers, roughly chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Then add eggs, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture with the mixer on low. Mix only until just incorporated. Then fold in whopper pieces with a spatula. Spoon heaping tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or wax paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

For other great malt recipes check these out:

Malted Whopper Cookies

Malted Milkshake with Whoppers

TWD: Katherine Hepburn Brownies and Cafe Coco's 100th POST!

Wow, I cannot believe I have already reached my 100th post! I cannot think of a better way to ring it in other than TWD and Brownies!

I was really excited about this week’s TWD Katherine Hepburn Brownies. I have been on a brownie crave for over a month and have not made any because of the abundance of desserts hanging around my house. So I really had an excuse…

These brownies were extremely easy to make and came together really quickly, it’s a shame I hadn’t made these earlier. I left out a few things and made some changes. First, I left out the walnuts because one I’m not a ‘nut in my brownie’ kind of girl, and two, I have 3 people in my life with nut/walnut allergies. All of which would possibly be eating these. I left the cinnamon. I love cinnamon; I just don’t like it with chocolate. And finally, I used instant espresso instead of instant coffee granules and then cut that back to ½ teaspoon per some of the other baker’s comments. Hmmm…are these still Dorie’s brownies?

Regardless, these brownies, although very thin, were quite spectacular. I liked how gooey and chewy they were and they certainly are rich so a small piece is very satisfying. I used good quality chocolate disks from Callabaut, and my prized Valrhona cocoa to top off the richness. I used a 9 inch square metal pan, which was a bit large so my brownies were even thinner. I added 5 minutes to the cooking time since a few of the other bakers mentioned their brownies were a bit too gooey at 30 minutes. They came out of the pan, no problem.



I will say, that there is a strong possibility that food photography is NOT in my future by the looks of the brownie cuts. I was in a bit of a hurry to cut these…and getting out a ruler just wasn’t going to fit into my patience. I will just call these brownies, rustic and I assure you this did not affect the taste whatsoever.

I imagined what it would be like to be lucky enough to be sitting in Katherine Hepburn’s kitchen—drinking tea and eating brownies….and talking about life. I’d imagine I would probably mention the time I watched ‘On Golden Pond’ in high school psychology class and how I secretly cried towards the end and blamed it on an eye lash caught in my eye. But then again, I might have been completely star struck and just nodded stupidly to all of her helpful advice.



I would definitely make these again! Thank you Lisa from Surviving Oz for hosting this week. So be sure to check out Lisa’s site if you would like the recipe! You can also check out how the other bakers did this week by checking out TWD's blogroll. TWD is also accepting new members…so if you would like to bake with us on Tuesdays…send an email to tuesdayswithdorie AT gmail.com. Don’t forget to pick up Dorie Greenspan’s book “Baking From My Home to Yours”.


Wondering why in the world my brownie looks like I stuck my finger in the middle? Well this is the King Arthur fool proof brownie testing method for 'doneness'. Check it out on the site...its the first time I was able to test my brownies properly.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with White Chocolate and Dried Cherries

I made these cookies for a friend of ours whose mother passed last week. I was trying to come up with something to say how very sorry I was about her loss….but the words just wouldn’t come together. I mean…are there really any words?

The truth is, I’m not really good with words. I cook…I bake and that’s how I communicate how I feel towards my family… ‘I love you’, ‘I care about you’…. ‘I’m proud of you’…and ‘I’m sorry’. Then I knew the only way I could show how much I cared, was to bake.

Then I started thinking of myself…and my relationship with my mother growing up. She didn’t bake much, but when she did, it was special. She made just the basic things, and chocolate chip cookies were one of them. Strangely, I didn’t like chocolate as a child (gasp—I know…crazy considering I would move mountains just to have it) but she would always be sure to make a few of the chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate…just for me.

So when I think of ultimate comfort and memories with my own mother, I think of those really cherished moments I spent watching her bake….and the special cookies she would make just for me.

I sought out one of Dorie’s recipes, because I was sure it would be a hit. (PLUS- I'm in TWD and that book is ALWAYS on my counter! What would you expect???)

I even added my BEST ingredients: my cherished fleur de sel, good gourmet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dried cherries, powdered vanilla, and an extra splash of my homemade vanilla extract.

The end result? Amazing cookies. Hands down, one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Soft, chewy, and full of flavor. The Fleur de Sel makes them I think...but the rest of the ingredients aren't too shabby!!

So bake away….it shows you care ;)

“My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Recipe derived from: “Baking From My Home to Yours” by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup dried cherries, chopped


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line two baking sheets with silicone mats (use parchment if you don’t have silicone mats).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and vanilla powder. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer), beat butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla then eggs one at a time letting them fully incorporate after each addition. Put the mixer on low and gradually add the flour mixture just until it’s mixed in. Fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and dried cherries with a rubber spatula.

Using a cookie spoon or rounded tablespoon to form dough into little balls then place onto the cookie sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool down for about a minute then remove with a spatula and cool on a cooling rack. Be sure to cool the baking sheets in between batches!

For best results: Refrigerate the dough for an hour before baking. They seem to spread less.

Espresso Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Mousse and Italian Meringue Buttercream

It’s seems that every time I turn around…there is another birthday in the family. And since I am the cupcake/cake queen I typically take on the task of baking the birthday boy or girl their cake of choice.

Yesterday was my husband’s Aunt’s birthday a.k.a. “Fancy Nancy”, so I wanted to make a very special cake since she always does so much for me. What is more indulgent than chocolate and raspberry?




I went out on a limb and decided to use a different chocolate cake than my “go to” recipe. Don’t ask me why, but I always feel like I need to re-create the wheel. I think I just need to realize if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Not that this recipe was bad by any stretch; it wasn’t. But it just wasn’t what I expected, make sense?

I filled the cake with a raspberry mousse, and then slathered the cake with my “oh so favorite”, chocolate Italian meringue buttercream. The cake was delicious….especially at 11:30 PM after listening to Joe Cocker live across the Canadian border. Don’t laugh…it was an awesome concert!


Happy Birthday, Nance! Love, Coco xo





Chocolate Espresso Cake
Recipe derived from Bon Appetit, April 2009

Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour
1 cup packed cocoa powder (such as Valrhona)
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in ¾ cups hot water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with Pam and dust with flour or cocoa powder. Tap out the excess. Line the bottom of cake pans with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth, add brown sugar and beat until creamy, about 4 minutes on low/medium. Add eggs 1 at a time and beat well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Add vanilla and mix. Add espresso mixture and mix together. Then on LOW alternatively add the flour mixture and the buttermilk starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined.

Split batter into 2 cake pans and place on a larger baking sheet. Put on middle rack in the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cook cakes on cooling racks until completely cooled. Using a serrated knife, gently run it around the edges of the cake pan so that it loosens the cakes. Invert cakes onto wax or parchment paper, then invert cake again so its top side up. Level cakes, assemble and frost once fully cooled.




Raspberry Mousse

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup frozen raspberries (I used frozen black raspberries)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 ½ teaspoons gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
In a small heavy bottomed sauce pot, add frozen berries and granulated sugar. Cook on medium/low until soft and liquefied. About 5-8 minutes. Put berries through a fine mesh sieve and push through with a rubber spatula. Make sure you get all the puree by running the spatula along the outside of the sieve. Do this until all the berry pulp is out. (You do this to keep the most seeds from being in the mousse.)


Pushing Raspberry Puree through the sieve

Return puree to the saucepan and put back on the heat. Add lemon juice and gelatin. Stir to combine. Cook until the gelatin is completely dissolved stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until you get firm peaks.

Put puree in a medium sized mixing bowl, add whipped cream in 3 additions, slowly folding the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Cover and chill until ready for use or serving.


Folding Puree in Whipped Cream

Serving tip: You can fill 1 two layer cake with this. Or you can pipe into fancy glasses and serve with fresh fruit.



Filling the cake

TWD Rewind: Malted Whopper Cookies!

I had to rewind TWD….all the way to September 2008.

You see….my husband LOVES malted anything. Malted ice cream to be specific. So when I was leafing through “Baking From My Home to Yours” for my Coconut Butter Thins, I found these Malted Whopper Cookies and decided…I HAD to make BOTH cookies.

These cookies are chewy…but have that crunch of the cooked whoppers in the cookies. The texture is amazing…and the taste is amazing.

Pair these up with some milk….pure heaven.

I didn’t eat these for breakfast. Nuh – uh. Nope.

Just call me Veruca Salt.

Want the recipe? Visit TWD’s host from way back when, Rachel from Confessions of a Tangerine Tart to get it!

Dark Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Mousse Filling, Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Shavings

Both my husband and brother in law had a birthday last week. I took the liberty of throwing a joint birthday party for them and since my brother in law doesn’t eat sweats…my husband…the chocoholic got to choose the cake flavor.

This was the essence of our conversation.

C: “Hey husband, what kind of cake would you like me to make for your birthday?”
J: “Um, you know that cake from the Townsend?”
C: “Yea…”
J: “Well, I want that cake. The chocolate one.”
C: “You want me to go buy you the cake?”
J: “No, I want YOU to make it.”

So there it is….the cake challenge. (For those who don’t know what the Townsend is, it’s a swanky hotel with an even swankier bakery a few blocks from our house that any celebrity, The President and the alike stay when they come to the Detroit area). I didn’t panic too much because quite honestly, I can handle chocolate cake, I can handle a meringue buttercream, and I can handle chocolate mousse. But all the components together I knew would take me at least a day to do…and maybe a few hours to assemble. Plus hosting the dinner party for 20? No sweat…

So not only could I handle all the components, I had the golden ticket….I have GREAT go to recipes for all of these…so I knew the cake was sure to be a hit as long as I didn’t drop it.

I used this ‘go to’ chocolate cake recipe in 2 8-inch round cake pans, and after baking cut each layer in half to create 4 layers of cake.

I used this ‘go to’ Chocolate Italian Meringue Butter cream to frost the outside of the cake.
I filled the cake with dark chocolate mousse and topped with about 4 oz. of chocolate shavings. You can use any mix of chocolate (Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet etc). I used a mix of chocolate bars that I had in my pantry.

The cake verdict: In addition to the cake, I made homemade peanut butter cups, chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse, berries and whipped cream so my thought was….there will be SO much cake left over. We barely had any cake left. The cake was RICH. The chocolate cake layers were deep, dark, moist and fudgy, the chocolate mousse kept the cake light, and the Italian meringue buttercream topped off the heavenly chocolate flavor of the cake. This is the ULTIMATE chocoholic’s cake…and everyone that had it made a point to tell me it was by far their favorite cake they ever had. I will take that as a success!

A bottle of Pinot Noir was being passed around to go with the cake (you know...to pour some in your glass)….my husband took the liberty of having the bottle stop with him. And as we had run out of forks from the dinner—he dug in my utensil drawer for a ‘spoon’ (AKA a pasta skimmer). That is just Klassy with a “K” honey…klassy…

Dark Chocolate Mousse
Recipe courtesy of Mirepoix Cooking School

Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 oz. coffee liquor
8oz. dark chocolate, melted
4 egg whites
1 ½ cups heavy cream

Directions:
In a double boiler, melt chocolate. Set aside but don’t let it cool too much or else it will not mix well.

In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar, coffee liquor until pale yellow and thickened, set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside and refrigerate until ready to use.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

With a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Then fold in the whipped cream. Then, gently fold in the egg whites.

If the mousse seems a bit ‘loose’, you can refrigerate for a few hours to stiffen.

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting and Another Birthday

One type of cake I don’t see too often is German chocolate cake. I am not sure if it just looks difficult to make or if it’s been locked away in some 1950’s homemaker time capsule. I have made this cake since I was young, always for my father’s birthday. German chocolate cake is his favorite (that and butter pecan ice cream).

Truth is, I haven’t made it for him in years and this year I figured it was time for me to get back on track and make him one….even when I had 7 other cakes on my February roster. Yes, I said February…and yes…I realize it is now March and I am just now getting to posting. Oops!

I don’t typically use melted chocolate in my cake batters, not sure why. I think I read in a cake book somewhere that you should only use melted chocolate in brownies. But just about every German chocolate recipe said to use the ‘German chocolate bars’, melted. So that is what I did. Despite omitting the cake flour (something I just didn’t have in my pantry that day), the cake was still positively light and fluffy. I think I would attribute that from separating the eggs and folding in the egg whites in the last step of mixing.

The only problem I had with the cake this go around was making the frosting. For some reason, the first time I made it, it turned out soupy. I think I didn’t let the egg mixture thicken enough before I added the coconut. I did a second round of it and waited for the egg mixture to thicken a bit more and didn’t have a single problem. I also provided a ‘doubled’ recipe…because let’s face it folks…it’s ALL about the frosting in my family! So, if you don’t want it on the sides of the cake, by all means, cut the recipe for the frosting in half.

It’s funny, when I brought the cake out; I got so many ‘ooohs and ahhs’. For someone who has made this cake since I was a young girl, it makes me feel good that something I think is so seemingly simple to make can still impress the ones that I love. Because after all…what’s the point but to impress them and make them happy.

German Chocolate Cake
Recipe derived from Allrecipes.com
Yields: 2, 8-inch rounds

Ingredients for cake:
1 (4-oz.) package of Baker's Sweetened Chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 eggs whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups sifted all purpose flour (The recipe calls for 2 ½ cups cake flour you can use that if you have it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Ingredients for the frosting:
2 cup evaporated milk
2 cup sugar
6 beaten egg yolks
1 cup butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cup Baker's Angel Flake Coconut
2 cup chopped pecans (toasted)

Directions for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans (There is enough batter here that you can make 2 – 9inch rounds). Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat water until boiling. Pour over 4 ounces chocolate and stir until melted. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. I usually do this on low. It may take about 5 minutes for it to really incorporate. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. The whole process of adding the flour and buttermilk shouldn’t take any longer than 60 seconds. You do not want to over mix.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (a metal or glass bowl are preferred because they are considered non-reactive. A plastic bowl will adhere to the proteins in the egg whites and inhibit the whites from forming any peaks). Gently fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, and then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
Pour into 2 - 8 inch pans Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto wax paper.

Directions for the frosting:
Begin by toasting the pecans on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. You do not need cooking spray but keep an eye on them and stir them maybe half way through. You will know when they are getting close to being done because you will begin to smell them. Keep an eye on them though, they burn fast! You can also do this on the cook top in a dry skillet…just keep a close eye on them and stir them frequently. Let them cool a bit and roughly chop them.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan combine 2 cups sugar, evaporated milk, 1 cup butter, and 6 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 12 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t look thickened at 12 minutes, do not proceed until it does) Remove from heat.

Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread.
Spread filling between layers and on top of cake. The sides are a bit messy and difficult, just stick it on with a spatula and spread it lightly.

Teddy Bear and Pansy Chocolate Butter Cupcakes

Continued Week #2 of Wilton classes!

Ok, so the directions for class were: frost a 8 inch cake or frost 8 cupcakes. Me, "the more is better when it comes to cake girl", made both.

Since I am on this 'try a new cake recipe kick', I tried a new chocolate cake recipe for this as well. The verdict: same as my white butter cake. Something was missing. Most specifically, cake that melts in my mouth. It just wasn't moist and chocolate-y enough for me. My go to cake, is still this one.

BUT, its not to say I can make some improvements on these in the future! I will say, my decorating skills are greatly improved!

We learned to make clowns, drop flowers (I think they look like pansy's) and bears. Oh my...these sweet bears were too cute! I was lazy and didnt want to change my frosting colors in my piping bag so white and pink got mixed and what came out were cute pink fuzzy looking bears. (Aren't most discoveries found by accident?). Too fun! Now, I just don't know what to do with all this cake!?

Chocolate Butter Cake
Recipe courtesy of: “Cake Love”, by Warren Brown

Ingredients:
7 oz. (1 ¼ cups) all purpose flour
2 oz. (1/2 cup) dutch processed cocoa powder, I used Droste
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz. unsalted butter
14 oz. (1 ¾ cup) extra fine granulated sugar
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8 or 9- inch round pans with waxed paper on the bottom. Or for cupcakes spray the pan with cooking spray then line 2 pans with cupcake liners. This recipe is really for two 9 inch pans, but if all you have are 8 inch, use those and make cupcakes with the extra batter. Just don’t over fill the pans!

Slowly cream the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together. Set Aside. These are your DRY ingredients.

Whisk together half and half, brandy, and vanilla extract together. Set aside. These are your WET ingredients.

Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture letting them fully incorporate between each addition. Then alternate adding the dry and liquid ingredients into the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Only mix until incorporated because you do not want to over mix the batter.

Pour batter into cake pans or cupcake liners. Fill only 3/4 full. For two, 8 or 9- inch pans, bake 25-30 minutes, for cupcakes bake 15-20 minutes. Cake is done when you insert a cake tester or toothpick and it comes out clean.

Frost with Vanilla Buttercream