Flourless Chocolate Cake

Need a gluten – free cake for this weekend?? Hummm….need a wonderfully rich delicious cake for this weekend?? EITHER was give this “cake” a try.

I say “cake” BECAUSE it. is. nothing. like a cake. Really, I challenge you to take a bite AND NOT try to figure out what it reminds you of. Impossible. It reminds me of fudge. No, no. I ment it reminds me of cheesecake. Oh, wait, I ment fudge. How about cheesecakey fudge??? Yum.

This is insanely rich. A small slice will do you. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries. Did I mention you can enjoy this EVEN if you are not gluten – free. FACT. I know.

Flourless Chocolate Cake    

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares (found in the baking isle)
4 oz. semi – sweet chocolate
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 c. butter
5 eggs

Butter a 9″ round cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper (I actually used wax paper and it was fine).

Chop the chocolate up a bit and place in a food processor or blender (if using a blender you may need to process the chocolate in a few batches). Process till finely chopped, teeny tiny pieces.

Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar, stir to dissolve sugar. Slowly pour into the food processor, with it running. Next add the butter, 2 TB. at a time (still with processor running). Next, add the eggs 1 @ a time. (Yep, processor running…..) Process till well blended.

Pour into prepared pan. Place pan in a large roasting pan and pour hot water (carefully) around the 9″ pan, till about 1/2 way up the side of 9″ pan. Carefully put in oven (better YET, put pans IN oven and pull rack out and pour water in. No chance of water getting in your cake).

Bake @ 350° for 25-30 minutes.

When the cake was cool, I sprinkled with powdered sugar. Very optional. It just dressed it up a bit.

Serves about 16, at least. Seriously rich.

Thanks Aunt Sher for sharing, she clipped this out of a magazine a few years ago.

That is all I have for gluten – free recipe so far. I have a few more recipes in mind that I hope to share as well. How about YOU? Do you have any gluten-free recipes that use average pantry staples. If you do and want to share, send it to favoritefamilyfoods@hotmail.com. Or include it in the comment section or “Readers” Page.

THANKS and have a GREAT weekend!

“I Love You” Cookies

(Want to be part of an e-mail recipe exchange?? Send an  e-mail  to favoritefamilyfoods@hotmail.com and we will include YOU too! Should be a good time of recipe sharing and collecting! Thanks!)

Happy Birthday. Merry Christmas. Happy Anniversary. Happy Valentines Day to ME. YEAH!!! I finally have a Wilton Cookie Press.  (THAT made it seem like it was expensive….IT IS NOT, I was just THAT excited to get one!!!!) I have been wanting one for some 10 odd years. OK.  So not wanting or thinking about it everyday, just every once in a while I would think about getting one. Then I would forget. Then I would want it again. Silly. Now I have one of my very one. FUN FUN!! Do you have one? Do you enjoy it?!?!?

This cookie was fun. I cannot lie ~ it IS time-consuming. No, I did not say hard, I said time-consuming. But, please, don’t let that frighten you. They are delish and oh so fun for Valentines Day!

The taste of raspberry is nice and subtle,  adding the chocolate to it takes it up about 500 notches. Yum. PLUS they get better and better each day. Which is good, cause they make a lot.

I wondered if it would be good with raspberry jam instead of cake/pie filling. I tried it. It didn’t set up as nice and really, the pie filling is just better. I think I went heavier than I was supposed too, being that I had to open another can of pie filling. So go a bit sparingly or BETTER YET, have an extra can on hand?!?!? Serve extra raspberry pie filling over pancakes or waffles with powdered sugar maybe?? JUST an IDEA.

Anyone have a recipe they care to share that uses a cookie press?? I WOULD really enjoy hearing about it!! I really don’t have any recipes for the cookie press. THANKS!!! (E-mail is favoritefamilyfoods@hotmail.com)

From what I have read (on the cookie press box….) the dough + cookie press do not work so well together when the dough is cold. Just tellin’ you want I read.  I am a dough chiller usually, so I took note of this. SO, DON’T CHILL THE DOUGH 1ST.

♥HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!! To you all. (A bit early…..) Enjoy and give those you love and extra hug and an “I love you” on Valentines Day!  ♥

“I Love You” Cookies 

1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks)
3 oz. pkg. raspberry jello
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 tsp. milk
1 tsp. baking powder
4 c. flour
12 oz. can of Solo Raspberry Pie filling (I used 1 1/2 cans…)
2 (12 oz.) bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TB. shortening

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Beat the butter, dry jello and sugar together till creamed. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour mixture and beat well.

Force dough through a cookie press (choose the heart-shaped disk ~ well, it actually looks like a “Y”, but that IS the one you want) and  onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350° for 9-10 minutes till JUST barely browned on the bottom, watch carefully!

Cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and shortening in a double boiler.

Spread just a bit of pie filling on one cookie and top with another. Dip 1/2 of the cookie into the melted chocolate. Let set on wax paper to set.

Yield about 85 cookies.

ENJOY!

Recipe adapted from “Prized Recipes to Cook and Savor” Cookbook, page 144.

This recipe is linked to Six Sister’s Stuff.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes

“Pancakes…please?” I hear this often, I am “accidentally” raising non-cereal breakfast eaters. I like granola, egg sandwiches, pancakes, muffins, omelets, etc. THAT means that the kids want to eat it too! That is fine, though, we DO need to have cereal a few times a week…….anyways….. I saw these pancakes at Minimalist Baker, and they caught my eye. They looked SO good.  I had to change it up just a bit cause I did not have a few of the ingredients. Oh yeah, and her picture is a bit more appealing then mine, guess I  don’t have “that touch” with my camara or my stacking-food-ability. Most of the time you are looking at one of my family members plate of food…..or a plate of snacks ready to go out to the kids. Oh, lets not forget this ~  I made up a “cookie dough butter” ~ I know… but trust me, it was good and no need for syrup! OR go the syrup route if  you so choose! Yeilds 8-10 (FILLING) pancakes.

* Be sure that your butter is soft for the cookie dough butter. If it is cold it will look lumpy and unappealing when it is all mixed up.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes  
1 large banana, mashed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 TB. butter melted
6 TB. milk
3 TB. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 c. flour ( I use 1/4 c. of wheat and 1/4 c. white flour)
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
Cookie Dough Butter  
1/4 c. soft butter
1 TB. brown sugar
1/2 TB. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
(if using unsalted butter then add a pinch of salt, if using salted butter skip salt OR you will have a salt lick!)
Mini Chocolate Chips for garnish…..good excuse…yep, garnish!
Mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour and vanilla for the “cookie dough butter” and set aside.  Mash the banana in a large bowl and add the eggs, vanilla, butter (let it cool a bit 1st) and milk ~ whisk together.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, baking powder, salt, oats, flour and chocolate chips ~ mix and add to the milk mixture.  Mix just a bit, there will be some lumps remaining. Heat your griddle to 350* and grease if necessary, pour batter onto hot  griddle and cook 3-4 minutes till lightly browned, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes till lightly browned.  Serve with a dollop of “Cookie Dough Butter” and additional chocolate chips.  Enjoy.

Recipe adapted from Minamalist Baker.

“Twix” Bars

Baking Day makes me giddy. It is fun. I go to bed thinking, “YEAH, I get to bake tomorrow!” I know, I KNOW! I may be making dinner and suddenly there are bars in the oven instead. I sometimes put banana bread ingredients together when I should be heading to bed….. Oh well, there are worse things, right? Here is a simply lovely bar. It will make you smile. It comes together quick and disappears fast. Chocolate and caramel, ANOTHER wonderful combo! Twix bars, I don’t really enjoy the real candy bar, but so enjoy these….. If you LOVE shortbread (I do), then you will love these. If you LOVE caramel (I do), then you will love these. If you love chocolate (do I really need to say it….) then you will LOVE these!!!

* The original recipe (I changed up the caramel and milk ingredients, just a bit and the amount of chocolate called for), found here at King Arther Flour, shows how you can cut the cooled bars into a ”Twix” bar shape (you will need more chocolate then) ~ I was planning on doing that, but not sure what happened other than the chocolate just ended up spread on top, guess I forgot my original plans…..or didn’t have enough chocolate or something, either way would be fantastic.

* Butter IS better when it comes to shortbread, I am generally a margarine user, but NOT for shortbread! 

* I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, well, really like dark chocolate ~ but use the semi-sweet. But you can use whatever your chocolate preference is ~ dark, bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk chocolate.

“Twix” Bars 
1 c. butter, soft
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 (14 oz.) bag of caramels, unwrapped
4 TB. milk
2 c. chocolate chips
1 TB. shortening
Combine the flour, powdered sugar, vanilla and butter and combine till a thick batter forms. Press into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Bake @ 300* for 35-40 minutes till light brown. Meanwhile melt the caramels with the milk, either in a double boiler on the stove top or in the microwave, for 45 second intervals, stir after each time, till melted. Pour the caramel over the baked crust and chill for a little while till set up. Melt the chocolate with the shortening, either in a double boiler on the stove top or in the microwave, stirring after each 45 second intervals. Spread melted chocolate on set up caramel. Let chocolate set up and then cut into bars. ENJOY!!

Recipe adapted from King Arther Flour. 

Chocolate Cake with Fudgey Frosting

SO I my house, we have entered the season of BIRTHDAYS!!!! Yeah and fun. This is the time of year  I get to make loads of cakes and cupcakes OR at least have a liget excuse to make loads of goodies!  This cake bakes up beautifully, though I only have 8″ cake pans so that is what I use, I think 9″ may be better. Just remember  it will rise QUITE a bit, so bake on a cookie sheet just in case of spillovers (though hasn’t happened to me yet…..)  The crispy bits on the edge, no need to worry ~ break it off and nibbles go to the chef! (My rule.) I then just trim it up nicely to be flat.  This is a very “not dry” cake, a very rich cake ESPECIALLY when paired with this “fudgey” frosting. If you want to go more the “buttercream”  route, you can use this recipe, just scroll down a bit and you will see it.  IF you like milk….ugh….this would be a real good cake to have with a glass of cold milk! Oh, by the way, we like a little cake with our frosting AS you can tell! (My cake “deflated” a bit because of ALL my frosting,I will go less next time ~ I was distracted talking about pot roasts and went a bit over board WITH the frosting…though, I am not complaining!)

*Try to avoid opening your oven door too much, just turn the oven light on so you can check on it that way, do the toothpick test when it looks to be about done. Don’t want to deflate your lovely risen cake. (I know cause I recently deflated cupcakes…..)

* This frosting will harden up a bit  as it “sets” so don’t leave it uncovered on the counter TOO long, IF you do, just micro like 10 seconds to soften it up.

*Have no fear if you do not have instant coffee granules, just use 1/2 c. of your leftover morning coffee.

*The vinegar and milk it taking the place of buttermilk, IF you have buttermilk, by all means use 1 c. of it! That is just not something that I usually have.

Chocolate Cake
1/2 c. soft butter
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 TB. vinegar
milk
1 TB. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
1/2 c. hot water
1/2 c. sour cream
Put the vinegar in a 1 c. measuring cup, add milk to make it 1 cup.  Let set a few minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the butter and sugars for 30 seconds or so. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda,  baking powder, salt, eggs, “buttermilk”, and vanilla and beat 2 minutes. Combine the coffee and hot water, add that and the sour cream and mix just till combined. Pour into 2 ~ 9″ pans that have been greased and lined with parchment. (Be sure to put pans on a cookie sheet to AVOID a messy oven ~ IF spill overs do happen!!) Bake @ 350* for 28-35 minutes DEPENDING on your oven. Cool. Frost one cake layer, then put the other on top and frost top and sides.

Fudgey Frosting
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
4-5 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
milk to reach good “frosting” consistency
Melt the chocolates with the butter, let set till cooled. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, touch of milk (1-2 TB’s to start), and powdered sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat 1-2 more minutes till nice and fluffy, adding a touch milk IF needed. ENJOY!!!!

“Hostess” Cupcakes

1st off, I need to ask you to click here and check out the new Recipe Index and let me know what you think!! Hope this is a help. I did not get a chance to check them all to make sure I linked it up right SO if you click on Brownie “Buckeye” Cupcakes but get Kid’s Favorite Green Beans, by all means LET me know so I can get it fixed up lickity split! 

Here is my version of a “hostess” cupcake. Take the name lightly, I was never a fan of those things, but wanted to make one. I am thinking that next time I am going to make a ganache for a lovely drizzle on top OR dip the top  IN ganache THEN drizzle with white chocolate, yum……we’ll see. Let me know if anyone tries that!  I really have a thing for cupcakes. I love to make ‘em and love to eat ‘em! They are fun. Easy. I cannot make them ALL the time because leftover cake/cupcakes can easily be mistaken for ”breakfast” food in this house! So we save it for special occasions….like FRIDAYS!!! oh. I made these when we had family from out-of-town over for dinner, that was fun!

*IF you are not a fan of making “from scratch” cake, by all means ~ use a boxed mix, you can still fill it with the cream filling and frost it, etc. It will still be DELISH!

Cupcakes
1/2 c. + 1 TB. cocoa powder
1/2 c. + 1 TB. hot water
2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks + 1 TB. soft butter
1 2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 TB. vanilla
3/4 c. sour cream
Whisk the cocoa and hot water together till smooth. Set aside. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Melt the butter, then add the sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 @ a time, beat a bit after each addition. Add the vanilla and the chocolate mixture. Mix till combined. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Put into cupcake tins lined with liners . (2/3 full) Bake at 350* for 18-20 minutes. Cool.

Filling
2 TB. flour
1/2 c. milk
Shake this together till nice and smooth. Cook in small saucepan on medium heat till thick, stirring constantly. Cool thoroughly. Set aside.
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat these 4 ingredients at a fast speed till nice and creamy. Add the cooled mixture and beat till fluffy.  Put in ziplock baggie and set aside.

Frosting
1/4 c. cocoa
1/4 c. milk (may not need it all….may need more….depends on the weather, no joke)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. soft butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
Beat the butter and add the cocoa, 1/2 the milk, vanilla, and 1/2 the powdered sugar. Beat till smooth. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, and if it is  not ”frosting” consistency, then add more milk, bit by bit till it is just like frosting.  Set aside.

White Chocolate Drizzle
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
2 tsp. shortening
Melt these together in micro for 30 sec. Stir, repeat till melted. Set aside and cool a bit.

And now….the assembly.  Easy. When the cupcakes are cooled, take the bottom end of a wooden spoon and poke a hole in each cupcake. Snip the corner of the filling bag and squeeze just a bit in each ~ about 1 tsp. or so ~ there  may be extra, add more IF you want. See picture.

Frost with frosting. Drizzle with glaze. Serve and ENJOY!! (I stored the leftovers in the fridge, cause of the “whipped creamy” filling.

 

Cupcake recipe from Annie’s Eats.
Filling and frosting recipes adapted from Prized Recipes to Cook and Savor.

Brownie “Buckeye” Cupcakes

Have I mentioned my LOVE for chocolate and peanut butter ~ oh, wait! I mentioned my love of chocolate AND mint…….I am noticing a lovely  pattern here and CHOCOLATE is the common factor! YUM. Here is a delicious cupcake ~ a take on a Peanut Butter Ball, the bestest candy EVER!!! That FROSTING, OH that frosting. It should be its own food group. (Extra ~if there IS any after my kids and I  get our spoons in it~ is GREAT on a graham cracker!) I have had a couple friends  request this recipe so here it is! I hope you all make it and enjoy it! We do……

* These freeze GREAT! I like cupcakes because of that, I can take out 1 OR 6 at a time!

Brownie “Buckeye” Cupcakes
12-16  mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups PLUS 8 or so, set aside for the tippy top of cupcake
1 boxed brownie mix
3 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. oil
Prepare muffin tins. This yields 12-16. I like to use muffin liners OR else grease the pans REALLY WELL! Combine the brownie mix, eggs, water and oil. Mix about 50 strokes. Fill tins about 2/3 full and press 1 Reese’s into each one. Bake @ 350* for 20-25 (more or less depending on your oven!)  minutes. Cool.

Icing: 1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. soft butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3 TB. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of  salt
Beat the peanut butter and butter together till smooth. Add the rest and beat till nice and fluffy.

Prepare glaze. (The original recipe here, calls for bittersweet chocolate If you do not have bittersweet chocolate, don’t worry about buying it ~ here is an easy recipe for a nice glaze with things you probably have in your house! (It is actually the one I usually use, I REALLY like it with dark chocolate chips, is it a great drizzle.))
Chocolate Glaze
3/4 c. chocolate chips
3 TB. butter
1/2 TB. vanilla
1/2 TB. corn syrup
Melt the chocolate and butter together, in a double boiler or microwave. Take off heat and add the rest. Let cool a bit before drizzling on top of cupcakes.

Pipe the frosting on the cupcake, drizzle with glaze.  Top with a halved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. ENJOY!!!

 Recipe from Six Sister’s Stuff.

Polka Dot Mint Cookies

 Mint and chocolate, chocolate and mint…..what a lovely combination! Mint chocolate chip ice cream has ALWAYS been my favorite ice cream so when I saw these mint cookies on Amy’s Aliments I just knew that I would make them. I bought the mint chips (Guitterd Brand) around Christmas  time and just now got around to making them, wow how time FLIES!! I went to get the bag and realized that 1/2 the bag was eaten  used, so I did not have quite the full 2 cups. BUT what I did have some Frango mints (thanks mom!) so I chopped a couple of those up and added them in, yum. If you love the combo of mint and chocolate OR if any one in your family loves that combo ~ you and/or they will LOVE these!

* The chilling part is VERY important. It may look like the dough needs more flour or something, but don’t add it! It just needs to “firm”up a bit in the fridge. I let mine chill for a couple of hours and it was just fine….oh wait, it chilled a whole day and night and was still fine ~ at least give it the 10 min. in the chiller.

* IF you do not have the mint chips (TRY to HAVE them though because they pack a lovely mint punch that makes this cookies SO tasty!), you may add any mint candy you have! Andes Mints, Frango mints, mint kisses. Just chop them up into little “chocolate chip” size pieces. 

Polka Dot Mint Cookies

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. green mint chips (found in the baking isle by chocolate chips)

Melt the chocolate and butter together, set aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. To this add the eggs, sugar and vanilla. When this is all mixed up nicely, add the cooled down chocolate and fold in the mint chips. Chill AT LEAST 10 minutes. Bake @ 350* for 8-10 minutes. They will look a bit soft in the centers but will stiffen up a bit while cooling.

Recipe from Amy’s Aliments.