Death By Chocolate

Death By Chocolate

Yield: 12 servings.

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) dark semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)
2/3 cup (140 g) butter
1 cup (210 g) sugar
4 eggs
4 heaped tablespoons (1 dl) all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoon baking powder or 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons sour cream

Ingredients for frosting

2/3 cup (1.6 dl) heavy cream or whipping cream
9 oz (260 g) semisweet chocolate (40-50% cocoa)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a circular 10 inch (25 cm) cake tin (3 inches tall) with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin. (Please note that the cake will rise to 3 inches and collapse somewhat when cooled. If your cake tin is less than 10 inches wide and 3 inches tall we recommend that you use two cake tins.)
3. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with butter over hot water.
4. Beat the eggs with sugar, mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract.
5. Slowly fold in the melted butter and chocolate and the sour cream.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40 to 50 minutes (if using 2 cake tins 20-30 minutes may be sufficient).
7. Cool the cake completely. When it has obtained room temperature place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before removing the cake from the tin (the cake is sticky and difficult to cut when it is warm!) Remove the crusted surface on the top of the cake, and cut in half, horizontally.

Frosting

1. Heat 2/3 cup (1.6 dl) of heavy cream or whipping cream in a sauce pan.
2. Remove from heat, add 9 oz (260 g) of finely chopped dark semisweet chocolate, stir until smooth, and let it cool until in thickens.
3. Use one 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake. Put the cake into the fridge for one hour or more to harden the frosting.
4. This cake should have room temperature when served.

Variations

1. You may use your preferred chocolate frosting.
2. You can add chopped walnuts and decorate with whole walnuts.

Thai Chicken and Rice

"Tastes like a restaurant"This really is SOO good! I got the recipe from 365 Days of Slow Cooking and just changed a few things. Enjoy!!

1 1/2 lb chicken cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into short thin strips

1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/3 cup chunky peanut butter

White or brown rice, cooked

3/4 cup peanuts or cashews chopped

3/4 cup cilantro chopped

Directions: Place chicken, bell pepper, 1 cup of broth, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup broth in small bowl until smooth. Turn slow cooker on High. Stir in green onions, peanut butter, and cornstarch mixture. Cover and cook 30 minutes or until sauce is thickened and chicken is no longer pink. Stir well. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with peanuts or cashews and cilantro.

*Can also be served over noodles.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

*I will get a picture next time we make these. They are sooooo good and we make them at least once a month so there will be a picture soon:)

1 C flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 C buttermilk

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (or buy the chicken strips)

1 jar Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce (if unable to find Frank's, use your favorite buffalo wing sauce)

1 cube butter, melted

10 inch flour tortillas or wraps

shredded lettuce

chopped tomato

grated cheese

Blue Cheese dressing *recipe follows

In a shallow bowl (I use ziplock bags) combine the flour, salt, and pepper. In another shallow bowl, place buttermilk. Dip chicken strips in buttermilk then roll in the flour mixture.

In a large skillet heat oil and cook chicken for 8-10 minutes or until done. Drain chicken on paper towels.

In a bowl, combine the Frank's sauce and melted butter.

Place chicken in center of tortilla and layer with cheese, tomato, and lettuce. Drizzle with the hot sauce and dressing, roll and enjoy!

Blue Cheese Dressing

3/4 C mayo

1/2 C buttermilk

1/3 C crumbled blue cheese (I use more:)

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in electric mixture.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pie

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
3 eggs
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oats
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1 c. mini chocolate chips

Beat eggs. Add butter, brown sugar, karo syrup, and vanilla and mix. Add remaining ingredients and combine. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Let it cool for a few hours or it will be too gooey.

Raspberry Peach Crumble Pie

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

2 c. frozen raspberries

2 c. peeled, sliced fresh peaches (or thawed frozen ones)

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3/4 c. sugar (use 1 c. if you use fresh raspberries)

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca

2 tbsp. butter, softened

Crumble topping

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine fruits in bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. In small bowl, combine sugar, salt, cinnamon and tapioca. Sprinkle over fruit and gently stir. Spoon into crust and dot with butter. In Bosch, mix together crumble topping until sandy crumbs form. Sprinkle crumble topping on top of fruit. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 45 minutes more, until topping is golden brown. Bake on a cookie sheet, because the filling will ooze and bubble over! Allow it a couple hours at least to set up or it will be a mess! I LOVE THIS PIE!

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 packages (24 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chocolate chunks (or chopped chocolate)
additional chopped chocolate bar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a large, heatproof (metal or pyrex) bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

4. In a large bowl, with electric mixer beat eggs, brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and beat in the melted chocolate mixture. Then mix in dry ingredients and blend just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks, but leave out candy bar chunks.

5. Drop heaping Tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets, keeping a round shape as much as possible- 2 to 3 inches apart. If you’re using the extra chopped chocolate bar, place 2 to 3 chunks on top of each cookie.

6. Bake until cookies are shiny and crackly, yet still soft in the center, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack with a spatula.

Yield: About 4 dozen

http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/05/31/triple-chocolate-chunk-cookies/#ixzz0JUAM3B9Y&D

Banana Bread

This is my new favorite recipe for Banana Bread! DIVINE!

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 bananas)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two MEDIUM (not large) bread pans. You can buy disposable ones that are perfect (they come in packs of 3). Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and soda, stirring just until combined. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 45 min (or till toothpick comes out clean). I checked mine around 40 minutes and put some tinfoil over it for the rest of the time, because it wasn't quite done but was browning quickly on top. (from allrecipes.com)

P.S. It's even better with mini chocolate chips!