Santa Barbara Chocolate Review/Giveaway and Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake!

Happy Monday, fans!  Oh my do I have an absolute TREAT for you today!

About a month ago I was contacted by a cool dude named Justin at Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.  He had stumbled across one of my old blog posts featuring this Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt and was wondering if I'd like to partner with them.  There was the promise of free organically grown, ethically traded chocolates to be had.  If you've been following me on facebook at all you'll know that I've been going dairy free for several months now because my little nursling son is sensitive.  Chocolate is often off the menu because many brands contain milk or milk ingredients.  My heart sunk at first because I thought "Why?  Why NOW do these companies find me when I cannot taste their delicious products and want chocolate sooooo badly???".  But then I went to their website and found that they offered many dairy free options!  Score!  So I shot an email back to Jason explaining my situation and asking that they please send at least one dairy-free option for me to personally try (and my husband Chris - the real sweets lover in this family anyway - could call dibs on whatever else they sent).

Let me just say that Justin is a real SoCal guy who was so much fun to "talk" to and Jason their Maitre Chocolatier BLEW ME AWAY with how fast and personalized he made my package.  Not only was there a personal hand-written note but they sent me nearly TEN POUNDS of assorted chocolates to try.  Each was even labeled "dairy free" where applicable!

So like kids at Christmas time Chris and I tasted each of the samples.

I started with the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%.  It was smooth and rich.  The perfect balance of dark and a touch of sweet just like you'd expect from a high quality dark chocolate.  It's a very classic dark chocolate so would be very versatile for baking, creating candies, or eating straight out of the bag.  Having not had any chocolate in quite some time, it was pure bliss to eat and I knew it would be hard to beat...but there were still seven more samples to go!

Going a little bit darker I found myself trying the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% next.  Visually it was a few shades darker than the previous sample and that's to be expected since there's 15% more cacao.  My first taste impression was confusion because it was not as smooth as I'm used to and dare I say even a touch gritty.  At first I thought perhaps it was just due to the higher cacao content but I have had dark chocolates as much as 90% cacao and not had the textural impact before.  So I gave Justin and Jason a shout.  It turns out that Jason designed the chocolate to be this way.  The cocao solids (fibre in this case) are not ground as long so that they retain a higher percentage of cocao antioxidants.  Sounds healthy to me!

Santa Barbara Chocolates from Left to Right: Belgian White, Belgian Milk,  Manjo Rainforest Dark, Belgian Dark, 100% Pure Cacao, 100% Pure Cacao Organic

Similarly, I'm not sure that I have ever tasted 100% Pure Cacao.  Though I love dark and extra dark chocolates, these ultra dark unsweetened chocolate chunks were too bitter for my personal taste.  As for Chris?  Forget it!  That kid LOVES all things sugar.  Jason told me that they're wonderful for those on paleo diets or with low glycemic concerns such as diabetics because they contain no added sugar.  He even enjoys them as a fondue or with a cup of hot green tea.  I might try melting these down and adding dried fruit and nuts to create a chocolate bark.  As an aside, Chris said he had a co-worker who gave their kid 100% pure cacao when they asked to try chocolate.  As one would expect, it was not very palatable to a child and thus the parent's scheme to get the kid to not like chocolate worked ;).

The Belgian Dark 64% was good and I think would be excellent for candies but when compared to the rest of the dark chocolate samples, not particularly memorable.

The Manjo Rainforest Dark 66% woke my tastebuds right up!  There was a subtle fruitiness to it which I wasn't expecting.  You could tell that this was high quality stuff!  I had to stop myself from eating the medallions straight from the package.   I basically have been eating a chocolate medallion...or two...or three...of the Manjo everyday since receiving the package.  It contains 100% cocoa butter so it's velvety smooth and ready to eat.  I loved just popping them in my mouth and letting them slowly melt.  Frankly I was a little bit sad that Jason and Justin only sent me a smaller sample of this variety.  But now I know what I'll be buying to get my dairy-free chocolate fix!!  It was my favorite sample by a hair (followed by the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%).

The Belgian Milk Chocolate and  Belgian White were taste tested by Chris alone since he is the only one in our family that can eat dairy right now.  He happily snacked on them but couldn't really give me a detailed analysis other than that the Belgian Milk Chocolate was his favorite.  Go figure since it has the least cacao (40%) of the chocolates we sampled and therefore is sweetest!  When I used the Belgian White chocolate in my baking application, it was my father-in-law's favorite of the three layers.

After sampling everything I was left with the difficult decision of how to feature the high quality chocolate varieties.  With Jason's guidance that the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% was designed with pastry applications in mind and in particular, flourless chocolate cakes, I knew exactly what I wanted to make because I remembered a cake which I bookmarked from years ago.

This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake features three of Santa Barbara Chocolate's finest Couverture chocolates.  I intentionally chose two different dark chocolates because the texture of the dark layers is different.  The cake is more dense and could stand up to the heartier texture of the Peru Rio Tigre whereas I wanted the dark chocolate mousse layer to be silky smooth so used the Manjo Rainforest there.

While you could use any chocolate to create this cake I cannot stress that the quality of the chocolate you choose to use will impact your final product.  In this case, why not give Santa Barbara Chocolate's high quality products a try?  You won't regret buying from these guys and after trying their chocolates, you'll wonder how you ever thought those waxy, off-tasting chocolate chips and bars qualified as "chocolate".  Plus, your conscious will rest easy knowing that many of the products are organically grown, fair-trade, and formulated with over 100 years of chocolate making experience.

Christine's Kitchen Chronicles readers get 10% off your total order by using the code: chrisseskitchen or enter the Rafflecopter contest at the bottom of this post to win up to NINE POUNDS of your own!  There are four different winners in this contest so be sure to be in it to win!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

For the bottom layer

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan) 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75%)
• ¾ tsp. instant espresso powder 
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract 
• 4 large eggs, separated then allow whites to come to room temperature
• Pinch of salt 
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 

For the middle layer

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed 
• 5 tbsp. hot water 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 
• Pinch of salt 

For the top layer

• ¾ tsp. powdered gelatin 
• 1 tbsp. water 
• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Belgian White)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 

For garnish

• 1 can of Pirouette chocolate hazelnut rolled wafer cookies, cut into thirds (there will be some leftover)
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Manjo Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. To make the bottom layer: Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 325˚ F. In a large glass bowl set over simmer water, combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add half of the brown sugar and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Whisk in one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
3. Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Do not remove the cake from the pan. (If not making the second layer right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to proceed.) 
4. To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes. 
5. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into the springform pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula. Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer. 
6. To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand at least 5 minutes to soften. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
7. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Return the cake to the refrigerator (leaving uncovered) and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
8. To decorate, press cut cookie pieces around the edge of the cake.  Bring 1/3 cup of cream to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand about 1 minute.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Allow the ganache to cool until it is spoonable and can hold its texture.  Transfer to a piping bag and decorate the top of the cake as desired.  I decorated mine with a cornelli lace pattern using a Wilton #2 Round Tip.  If desired, garnish top of cake with additional cookies.

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November/December 2009

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Disclaimer: Santa Barbara Chocolate Company graciously offered to sponsor this giveaway. I received complimentary samples of chocolate to try and review. All words and opinions are my own.

SRC: Ginger-Pear Skillet Cake

After a two month baby hiatus I'm back to my monthly Secret Recipe Club!  It's crazy to think that the last time I completed an assignment in July I had no baby and now, I have an absolutely adorable two month old baby boy.  I shared a picture of him with his "month birthday" cupcake on Saturday and let's just say that this mama has a new favorite photography subject :).

This month I received Kristy's blog, Gastronomical Sovereignty.  I'll admit that now that I'm a mommy, I don't always have a ton of time to browse blogs and read the content that goes along with each post but Kristy is gosh darn funny.  I truly enjoyed reading through her commentary.  Another thing I found in common with her was that we both partake in CSAs (community supported agriculture).  If only I had known about her blog when I was still getting my weekly boxes and standing there wondering what to make with my umpteenth bunch of chard...

What's wonderful about a CSA besides supporting a local farmer is that you know you're getting food that's fresh and in season.  When food is in season and not shipped from thousands of miles away, it's fresh and at its peak.  It's better tasting and full of nutrition...the way that Nature had intended.

This is why I chose a seasonal recipe from Kristy's blog.  I went straight for the "Fall" tag and was excited to make a cake in my cast iron skillet.  It's something that I've always wanted to try.  When I was baking this cake, my house smelled like Autumn.  Warm spices that taste like gingerbread and juicy pears.  It was heavenly.

Top it with some vanilla ice cream and your life will be complete...

I had to wait until supper time to make it a la mode and enjoy this beauty because I was bringing it to my in-laws' house.  I'm always fascinated by how natural light (see the third photo on this post) versus artificial (first two photos) makes a huge difference in the quality of the photo.  That's one down side to Fall's arrival is shorter days = less light = uglier food photos.  Sorry about that!

One Year Ago: Cinnamon Sugar Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Two Years Ago: Apple Pie Cookies
Four Years Ago: Christine's Fried Rice

Ginger-Pear Skillet Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 1/3 C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves (optional)
• 1/4 C Canola, Grapeseed, or Other Neutral Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 C Gently Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 C Unsulfered Dark Molasses
• 1/2 C Plain Whole Milk Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1 TBSP Fresh Ginger, finely grated
• 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 C Hot, Fresh Brewed Strong Coffee (recommended) or Boiling Water

For the Topping

• 4 Firm-Ripe Pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices (Bosc or Anjou are good)
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 C Gently Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Place rack of oven on the lower third and preheat to 325F. Generously grease a 10 or 11 inch cast-iron skillet. 
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, ground ginger, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves (if using). Set aside. Whisk together the oil, brown sugar, molasses, yogurt, fresh ginger, and egg in a large bowl until well blended and smooth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in half of the flour mixture. Stir the baking soda into the hot coffee until dissolves, then add to the batter and stir until combined. Stir in the remaining flour. Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet and spread evenly. 
3. Arrange the longer slices of pear in a circle along the edge of the pan, overlapping them slightly and with the narrow ends pointing toward the center. Arrange the shortest slices in a second circle in the center to cover the batter completely. Dot the pear slices with the butter along the outer circle only. Mix together the brown sugar and salt and sprinkle evenly over the top.
4. Bake until the top springs back when you press it lightly in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes up clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the skillet to the stove top to cool for at least 20 minutes. 
5. Cut cake into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Source: Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht as seen on Gastronomical Sovereignty

SRC: Cherry Cake

This is my last Secret Recipe Club entry for at least a month if not two since Baby Boy could be arriving at any moment now.  The fact that he could come anytime between today and 5 weeks from now and still be considered "normal term" baffles my mind.

This month I was assigned The Avid Appetite.  I love how personal she makes her blog as it's not just about food but also about her family (what a cute little one!) and travels, too.  I could have spent hours perusing but with limited time on my hands, focused on the recipes where I debated the Pretzel Crusted Brownies with Fluffy Buttercream Icing (and we all know that it would have become PEANUT BUTTER buttercream in this house!), the Banana Bread Smoothies (because I've been craving frozen treats with this baby!), and a Cherry Cake which was made as a SRC swap.

Ultimately the Cherry Cake won...but only because the sweet allure of cherries in July.  I try not to make a swapped recipe because I want to highlight something from the assigned blog but I just *really* love cherries and so it was calling me.  I substituted 0% Fage Greek yogurt for the buttermilk.  Also, I don't own an 8" springform so used a regular cake pan and just made sure to grease and flour it generously but otherwise stayed true to the recipe.

I brought this sweet little cake over to my friend Emily's house where we three women literally killed this cake.  To be fair, we were two nursing and one pregnant ladies :).  This is justifiable, right??  To satisfy my frozen treats craving, we served ours a la mode with Cincinnati's best...Graeter's  brand vanilla ice cream.  Soooo delicious together!

One Year Ago: Cold Avocado Soup with Sweet Corn and Bacon and Pineapple "Ice Cream"
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Four Years Ago: Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

Cherry Cake

Ingredients

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 c non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12 oz. frozen whole sweet cherries, pitted
• powdered sugar for dusting
• vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" springform pan with butter or generously butter and flour a regular 8" cake pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add Greek yogurt and mix until blended.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix in the vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Place cherries on top of the cake batter and then lightly press them into the batter.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool completely.  If using a springform pan, remove the sides and then dust with powdered sugar.  If using a regular cake pan, simply dust with powdered sugar.   Serve at room temperature and with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Source: Barely modified from The Avid Appetite

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

Behold!  Another deliciously sinful dessert baked courtesy of my husband and photography courtesy of me (I had to redo the photo shoot as I was not satisfied with his initial photos...).

Every time we go grocery shopping and he passes the bakery section he drools over the cookie cakes.  He swore to make one at home.  The only problem was that as a family of two (okay..maybe 2.5 right now with Baby Boy on the way!), we really don't need a giant cookie to eat by ourselves.  So, when the opportunity finally arose when we had our Restaurant Copy-Cats themed Dinner Club he jumped on it with this IMPROVED cookie cake.

Why is it improved, you ask?  Just take a deeper look into this picture...

It starts with not just a regular chocolate chip cookie but rather one in which the cookie dough is infused with peanut butter (of course!).  The use of a springform pan results in a thick cookie that is crunchy on the outside and soft and even a bit gooey on the inside.  But it doesn't stop there.  It's enveloped in a layer of fluffy peanut butter frosting and then finished with peanut butter cups held in place by a rich dark chocolate ganache.  Excessive?  Probably.  Delicious?  Yes.

Chris was in a hurry and so he skipped the chilling step of the ganache before piping.  This resulted in a sloppier than desired execution of the peanut butter cup decorations which ended up sliding towards the dip in the center of the cake.  He deemed it "not good enough to serve for dinner club" and considered keeping it hidden away in the refrigerator.  I'm pretty sure had he done that our guests would have revolted.

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

Two Years Ago: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Guacamole, Spicy Lime and Honey Wings, Shrimpo de Gallo, and Tres Leches Cake
Four Years Ago:  Blonde Brownies and Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (220g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar (plus up to 1/4 cup more, if needed)

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 6 oz. (170g) dark chocolate (50% cocoa), roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

For Topping:

• 12 Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer beat together the butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat untilcombined. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients the wet ones and mix on low until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the prepared springform pan.
4. Bake for about 24-26 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool at room temperature.
5. Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Using a mixer, beat together the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in by starting on low and then increasing the mixer speed to high as it gradually becomes incorporated. If needed, add up to another 1/4 cup powdered sugar to bring the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Frost the tops and sides of the cooled cookie cake.
6. Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache: In a small saucepan over low heat melt the dark chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the whipping cream.  Put the ganache in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill so that it will be easier to pipe onto the cake.  Transfer ganache to an icing bag fitted with a wide frosting tip (or just use a plastic bag with one corner cut off). Pipe 12 evenly spaced dots of chocolate frosting around the edge of the frosted cake.  Top each dot of ganache with one mini peanut butter cup. 
7. Serve cake immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Source: Barely modified from Inquiring Chef

4th Blogiversary Giveaway and Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Four years ago today I started this blog.  Honestly, I can't believe it!

Cooking for me started in college about six or seven years ago (eep!) when I was living on my own without a meal plan and I needed a way to feed myself.  A few years later I started this blog as a way to collect and share my favorite recipes with friends and family.  If you want to read the full story about me, there's a link called "About Me" (how about that!) at the top of the page.

I'd say it was only in the past one to two years that I started taking this blog more seriously and began to network with other food bloggers and try to make my photos prettier.  Honestly, that's tough when you work full-time and are racing to get dinner on the table and have a hungry husband not patient enough to get that food photo staged justttt right.  I'm making a better effort but realize I will never be a professional photographer and that's okay by me :).

So back to my celebration.  Today I'm sharing a super simple cake.  Seriously, anybody can make it.  And that's kind of the point I want to make is that even the most inexperienced person can be inspired to pick up a recipe and follow it to create something delicious.  Heck, that's how my husband got started with his now infamous Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake!

It's not my best food photography and that's to be expected because it was taken inside of a dimly lit restaurant when I brought it for my brother's birthday dinner in the dead of Winter.  I know that the days when I feel like I've created better pictures are ones where there's good light - on the weekends or in the Summer evenings.  I'll even admit that the recipe is really just doctored cake mix.  But no one has to know that because all they'll taste is how extremely delicious and moist it is :).

Now for the giveaway part. Four years of blogging means four prizes to celebrate!  I have one grand prize: a custom Tastebook filled with 100 recipes that have been featured on my blog. This was suggested by a number of my facebook fans so I hope that you enjoy it!  I'll also have three second prizes featuring some of my favorite local foods.  This was also a suggestion by my fans.  See, I really do do all of this for you!!

You can enter to win below and then next week, I'll pick second prize winners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The grand prize winner will be announced on Friday!  So don't delay and join in my celebration!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
• Oreos, roughly chopped (you’ll need almost an entire package)
• 1 large packet instant Oreo pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small tub Cool Whip 

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Prepare the devil’s food cake as directed on box; stir in a large handful of the chopped Oreos. Pour batter into a prepared dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
3. Combine the milk and Oreo pudding mix in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth.
4. While the cake is still warm, use a chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.  Quickly pour the pudding over the cake and spread evenly so it will soak into all of the holes. Top with more chopped Oreos. 
5. Allow cake to cool completely. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake and sprinkle with more chopped Oreos. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Source: Sing for Your Supper 

Recipe Swap: Almond Mocha Cake

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll love today's recipe swap theme which is dessert!  This recipe comes from Nicole of Cookies on Friday and I submitted the super addicting Macadamia Lemon Bars.

When I read the ingredients list, I was concerned by the use of amaretto, an almond liquor.  Now, I know that it's not much and alcohol supposedly "cooks off" but in my experience, you can usually still taste it pretty prominently in baked goods and so I wasn't convinced that it would be the best thing for my baby.  Thankfully, Nicole confirmed it would be okay to substitute almond extract and so that's what I did.

This cake is EXTREMELY tender.  The crumb is very delicate and I found that it fell apart as I tried to enjoy its deliciousness.  The prominent flavor is the chocolate, which is enhanced by the coffee and studded with almond flavoring and pieces.  My husband was completely delighted to see it sitting on our kitchen counter after he came home from the gym.  He approved :).

Thanks to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for running the swap and make sure you check out the rest of the recipes in the link hop below!

Two Years Ago: Handheld Breakfast Two Ways (French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples; Savory Breakfast Muffins)
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Shells and Grasshopper Cookie Bars (an easy St. Patrick's day treat!)

Almond Mocha Cake

Ingredients

• ½ cup sliced almonds 
• 1-1/4 cups strong coffee 
• ½ cup butter 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1 cup sugar 
• ¼ cup amaretto (I used 1 Tablespoon almond extract)
• 2 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs 
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the almonds into the pan and gently press to the bottom of the pan. 
2. Warm your coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the butter and chocolate chips and stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixer bowl. Add the sugar and amaretto, stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool 5 minutes. 
3. With the mixer at low speed, gradually blend in the flour and baking soda into the chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and eggs and mix on medium speed about 30 minutes, or until well blended. Carefully pour into prepared pan. Be careful not to disturb the nuts too much by pouring quickly. 
4. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan about 25 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Source: Recipe from Debbie Russell, 33rd Pillsbury BakeOff, Pillsbury Best of the BakeOff Cookbook as seen on Cookies on Friday

Guest Post: Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Happy day after National Peanut Butter Day!  In retrospect, I should have shared this post yesterday but it wasn't until it was too late that we realized this day even existed.  How in the world my peanut butter loving husband missed the "celebration" of his favorite food beats me!

Regardless, here's a recipe in honor of that special day.  It's a guest post by my husband and there's both photo documentation and me vouching for the fact that he indeed made this cake ALL BY HIMSELF.  Yes, even the decoration of the cake!

Chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and Reese cups, oh my!

One of my Facebook fans asked if he cleaned up his own mess, too.  And the answer is YES!  In fact, my husband is so sweet he often cleans up after me while I'm cooking up a storm in the kitchen.  Am I a lucky gal or what?  Sorry ladies, he's taken ;).

I followed the original directions to the ganache which yielded wayyy more
drizzle than was needed.  And hey, you can't let good ganache go to waste!

Here's Chris' post and review.  He's pretty excited to be in charge of desserts now because it means he gets to make what  HE likes.  Which...of course is all things peanut butter and chocolate!

My two favorite flavors are: peanut butter and chocolate. Combine them - and it becomes exponentially better! That's also what makes Reese's my favorite candy. Combine Reese's with chocolate brownies, peanut butter cheesecake - that's what I call a dessert! I found this recipe and decided to venture into baking some of my favorite desserts since at some point Christine might get sick of making them! I made this for our friend's Christmas get-together. There was a dessert competition and I won "Best Presentation"! Everyone also agreed that it was very good tasting as well. It was quite a bit of work but it was worth it!

For those that are wondering, you don't actually want to know how many calories are in this thing.  Just close your eyes, eat, and ENJOY!  But then again, did you REALLY think it would be remotely healthy given the name and ingredients?  Yeah didn't think so.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Ingredients
For the Brownie Crust

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted + Extra for greasing
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
• ⅓ cups Unsweetened Cocoa
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 whole Peanut Butter Cups, Cut Into Quarters

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 2 pounds Cream Cheese, Softened
• 5 whole Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

For the Decoration

• 1/4 cups Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 7 Peanut Butter Cups, Cut In Half

Directions
For the Brownie Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9-inch Springform pan with extra butter. (We use this one from Wilton.  It is 9" diameter and nearly 3" tall.  If you use one any smaller, you'll need to reduce the cheesecake filling or it will overflow!  It's a tight fit to begin with...ours barely fit!)
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see step #1 below).
4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325° and continue with cheesecake filling step #2 below.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour filling into prepared crust.
2. Double-wrap Springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in. To do this, cut a large square of foil and place the pan in the center.  Wrap the foil up the sides so that the seam of the pan bottom and springform side is covered.  Leave the top uncovered. Place Springform pan into a larger baking pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the Springform pan.
3. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating. I tend to make cheesecakes a day ahead to let things set.
5. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.

Chris' Cheesecake tip: to get the cake off you just need to heat up the bottom of the pan a bit and the cake should come off easily. I remove the sides, then hold the pan over a burner on my stove – set to LOW – for about 15 or so seconds. Then run a long cake spatula under the cake and it should slip easily off the pan. Just be careful – the bottom of the cake is now very slippery.

For the Decoration:

1. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.
3. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

Chris' Decoration tip: I dipped the cut edge of the peanut butter cups into the ganache before placing it on the cake.  This served as a sort of "glue" to hold the decorations in place!

Source: Slightly modified from Erika at Tasty Kitchen

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

In honor of the US Elections on Tuesday I offered my facebook fans the option of voting on the recipe that I would share on Wednesday.  The results were unanimous.  As I'm typing this blog post, I'm watching the results of the election come in.  No matter what side you're on, I think we can all agree that this recipe is delicious.  And that's something we can all unite around :).

I apologize in advance for the less than stellar photo.  I brought this dish to Thanksgiving themed Dinner Club as a last minute dessert when Emily and Scott could no longer make it.  You see, they were in charge of our only planned dessert for the evening and also our regular "event" photographers.  But they had a great excuse for missing their first dinner club since we started about 3 years ago.  Emily and Scott are the proud new parents of twin girls - Paige and Claire!  They came much earlier than expected but everyone's healthy and well.

As for the cake?  It was amazing!  Moist and full of Fall flavors.  But the best part has to be the fact that it's just dressed up boxed cake mix.  You heard me!  And Shhhh!  Don't give away this little secret because no one would suspect ;).

PS: Have you shared my Macaroni and Cheese Mondays post yet and left a comment letting me know you've shared?  Nobody has yet which makes me really sad.  Remember, prizes are at stake here!  And while I wouldn't mind keeping one of these great cookbooks for myself, they're really meant for one of my wonderful readers!

One Year Ago: Strip House Potatoes Romanoff and Chicken and Roasted Root Vegetable Pot Pie
Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Pie Fudge and Marinara Magnifica

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) pureed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box (18 oz) yellow cake mix
• 1 tsp baking soda

For the topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

For the glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.  Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.
3. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and pour the batter into the pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the topping.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake using your fingers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until all the sugar dissolves.
6. When the cake is finished baking, poke holes over the entire cake surface using a fork or a skewer.  Pour the glaze all over the cake.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Heather's Dish as seen on Pretty. Good. Food.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Cake

First, a HUGE thank you for everyone that came and read the story of our angel and/or lit candles on Monday.  Having nearly 700 people be touched by our story was beyond my expectations.  Your kind notes and photos validated to me that "coming out" was worth it and I read so many inspirational stories.  Thank you again for your love and support.

Back to recipe sharing.  I am SO shamefully behind on blogging again.  This has been sitting in "draft" mode for TWO MONTHS and I only know this because that's when my husband's birthday was and that was the occasion for this cake as you'll see below.



Photo Credit: Emily H.

My husband is a peanut butter addict and every single year for his birthday, I give him several cake options to choose from.  Why I bother to include non-peanut butter options I'm never sure because inevitably, the more peanut butter in the recipe, the more likely he is to choose it!

Let's recap previous years, shall we?

• Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Fudge Cheesecake.  I thought this was decadent back then but in retrospect, this was quite tame!
• One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cheesecake.  This was basically a homemade version of his favorite Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.  It was absurd with its NINE layers of chocolate cake, cheesecake, peanut butter, caramel, ganache.  You name a rich and sinful ingredient and it was packed into this single cake.  Simply looking at it made you gain weight.

This year?  Originally after tasting last year's cake he told me that was the end-all-be-all-mother-of-all-cakes that he wanted to have each year for the rest of his life.  It was indeed a contender in this year's cake selections.  But then I think he felt bad at how labor intensive and caloric it was.  And so came this year's simplified version.  Peanut butter?  Check.  Peanut Butter Cups?  With modifications, check.  Chocolate?  Check.  Cheesecake layers (which I didn't realize was a criteria until recapping just now)?  Check.

What's laughable about this recipe was that as originally written, it "didn't have enough peanut butter".  So, I threw some peanut butter cups into the cheesecake layer and then spread straight peanut butter between the cheesecake and cake layers.  Suddenly, we were in business.

This cake had many of the same flavors as last year's cake but with much less effort.  It had peanut butter frosting instead of chocolate, which I think might have made it better for in my husband's eyes.  (Remember what I said about more peanut butter = better, right?)  It got the approval of all of our friends and the wait staff who couldn't believe it was homemade.  Win!

Here's the very happy Birthday Boy! Photo Credit: Emily H.

One Year Ago: Pan-Fried Okra
Three Years Ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Cake

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake

• 1 1/4 pounds (20 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8 peanut butter cups, roughly chopped

For the Cake:

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good-quality cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (not natural), divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

For the Cheesecake:
(Can be made in advance)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Set a kettle of water to boil.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary.  Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.  Beat in vanilla extract and salt.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Beat in sour cream.  Gently fold in chopped peanut butter cups.
3. Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of a springform pan.  Wrap the bottom half of the pan in foil.  Pour in the cheesecake filling.  Place springform pan in a roasting pan.  Pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the springform.
4. Bake until just set in the center, about 45 minutes.  Remove pan from water and allow to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a paring knife around the edge and let cool completely.  Cover and chill overnight.  Then, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans.  Line with parchment paper then butter and flour the pans.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on low until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine.  Scrap the bottom of the bowl as necessary.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 30 minutes then turn them out on a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

For the Frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups peanut butter with a mixer on medium speed.    Reserve the remaining 3/4 cups peanut butter for assembly.  
2. Add salt and then vanilla.  Alternating, add powdered sugar and heavy cream.  Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.

To Assemble:

1. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or cardboard cake round.  
2. Heat the remaining 3/4 cups of peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until it gets melted and easy to spread.  Take 1/2 of the remaining peanut butter and spread it over the cake layer.
3. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, unwrap, and remove the metal bottom of the pan then peel off the parchment paper.  Place the cheesecake layer on top of the cake layer.  If necessary, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften and trim it with a knife to ensure it is the same width as the cake layer.  Spread remaining peanut butter over the cheesecake layer.
4. Place the top layer of the cake on top of the cheesecake.  Spread a thin layer of peanut butter frosting over the entire cake to form a crumb coat.  Be careful not to get any crumbs into your frosting bowl! 
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then frost with remaining frosting.  Top with shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, or other decoration of your choosing.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Slightly modified from Erin's Food Files as originally the Cheesecake adapted from Martha Stewart, Cake from Ina Garten "Beatty's Chocolate Cake" and Frosting from Martha Stewart

Guest Post by Mother Thyme: Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

New week, 3 new guest posters!  And today, I'm FINALLY flying back home from Asia.  But my travels don't stop there because on Sunday I'm off to drive to another US city for a couple days and then this coming weekend, it's yet another flight to New York City for a friend's wedding and visiting my grandma and other extended family while I'm out there.  Phew.  September is certainly a whirlwind of a month for me!

To start the week, I'm sharing one of my new favorite blogs, Mother Thyme. Jennifer is the author of the blog and I first discovered it through being in Secret Recipe Club Group C together. I fell in love with her gorgeous photography (lots of beautiful examples below!) and am just thoroughly impressed by the catalog of recipes that she has amassed on her blog.  Seriously, the number of her recipes I've recently bookmarked to try is out of control and I struggled with which to highlight in my post today.  

I decided on a theme of Fall flavors and comfort foods.  There's something about the weather turning cooler that makes me crave things like:

• Baked Gingerbread Donuts - Any excuse to break out my donut pan!
• Hot Caramel Cocoa - Always a cocoa drinker over coffee anyday. Add caramel? Heaven.
• How to Make Pumpkin Puree - This will be useful in the coming months.  Homemade always tastes so much better than canned and is worth the effort in my opinion.
• Lasagna with Homemade Lasagna Noodles - Speaking of homemade, I think I should give homemade noodles a try again.  I did it last year as part of my 23 Things in 2011 challenge but found it so cumbersome.  Perhaps I just need more practice.  I do feel bad only using it once so far...my husband did buy me that Kitchen Aid Pasta Roller Attachment last Christmas after all...
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - I eat soup year round and am always on the hunt for new varieties to try.  Especially ones that are for the crockpot!

Amazingly, Jennifer does this all while being a mother to two year old twins!! I can only aspire to the level of cooking, blogging, and motherhood that Jennifer has achieved. I also think perhaps I should get tips from her for my friend Emily, also expecting twin girls soon!

Today she shares a yummy looking coffee cake which will also make my "to-make" list. Some of my other favorite coffee cakes: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Berry Buttermilk Cake...both are sorta dessert, sorta breakfast!

One Year Ago: Easy Cannelini Bean and Ham Soup 

Three Years Ago: Barbecue and Chicken Pizza

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Hi I’m Jennifer, the voice behind the blog Mother Thyme.   A big thank you to Christine for inviting me to her delicious blog today.  

When I head out with my adorable twins to visit friends or family I like to bring something sweet.  And who doesn’t like to be the recipient of a sweet treat?  I often bake a warm batch of cookies, a loaf of one of my favorite quick breads or my Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  Packaging any of these goodies and taking it to someone to share can brighten anyones day.  

This delicious cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert.  It is a  classic coffee cake with a thick layer of sweet cream cheese in the center.  

Ready to dive in?

Anytime I cake justify cake for breakfast I’m happy.

Want to know the best part?

It is so easy to make!  

Now won’t this impress everyone the next time you serve this?  

Let me not forget to mention this is so good!  No.  It is actually really, really good.   

Make a pot of coffee, and enjoy a slice or go ahead and have two.  Trust me, you’ll be happy!

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Print recipe

Ingredients:

For Filling:

• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

For Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)
• For Streusel Topping:
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed

For Topping:

• ¼ cup confectioners sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour a 9” x 13” cake pan and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla and blend on medium-low speed until creamy.  Set mixture aside.
3. In separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.  
4. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl cream butter and sugar on medium-low speed.  Add eggs one at a time then vanilla extract.   Gradually add in flour mixture alternating with sour cream until it is all combined.  
5. Spread half the batter in prepared cake pan.  Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on top.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl in the batter.  
6. Add sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl and stir using a fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of cake.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool on rack.
9. In a small bowl combine confectioners sugar and milk until creamy.  Drizzle over cake.  

About Mother Thyme

Jennifer is a mom to two year old twins and the creator of Mother Thyme creating fast and easy family friendly meals that incorporate fresh ingredients with common ingredients already on hand.

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