Chocolate Bundt Cake w/ Ganache

I must admit everytime I make a BUNDT cake,

I can't help but think of MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING,
and laugh while making!

Thank you Sanda Lee for this recipe... I make often and it is ALWAYS a hit!

Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix (I like dark chocolate cakes)

1 box (3.9 oz) chocolate instant pudding

1 cup water

4 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cake

• preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


• spray bunt pan with a non-stick spray


• combine cake mix, budding, water, eggs, and oil in large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes


• Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips


• Transfer batter to Bundt pan


• Bake for 45 min or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean.


• Cool cake in pan on cooling rack for 15 min.


• Invert cake onto cooling rack, cool completely

Ganache (my favorite thing EVER)

• Heat cream in small saucepan over low heat until small bubbles appear.


• remove from heat and add the chocolate chips to cream and stir until smooth


• cool ganache just until slightly warm


• Pour ganache over cooled cake


• Transfer cake to serving platter


• Garnish with additional chocolate chips

I like to use the extra ganache for serving, (I warm up for 30 seconds in microwave) you can drizzle the plate or even better, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the cake and drizzle warm ganache over the ice cream!

Pizookie

I’ve learned that if I find a recipe that I like, I should blog about it. If I post it, I know where to find it next time I want to use it. Anyways, it was my girl’s birthday… big 20! YIKES, that makes me officially old. So I decided to make her a pizookie instead of a cake. Here is what I made….
2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 package of instant vanilla pudding: small package (3.4 oz) ( I used Coconut Cream Pudding!)

1 cup (two sticks) of butter room temp*

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 package of chocolate chips.



preheat oven to 350 degrees.



*if you don't plan ahead ( like me) and don't have your butter at room temp, you can always put your butter in the microwave for a few seconds till it's super mushy.



in a large bowl place your butter, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, vanilla pudding, extract, and eggs.



Mix till creamy.



Gradually add flour.



Keep mixing till all flour is in. add choc chips.



Mush (nice English...ha) in a big pan.



Bake for 15 minutes (keep checking, all ovens bake differently). Do not over bake.



Reheat 10 min before you want to serve so it is nice and warm, serve with ice-cream

Which leads me to the ice cream story....

I went to pick up some at the store. I noticed that all the ice cream containers have become quite small.... and I found a original 1/2 gallon. I laughed when I read what was written on the seal (read for yourself). Really??? It should be the other way around... on NEW containers "new smaller size!"

Heaven Squares (toffee, almond, chocolate)

Heaven Squares... I don't know exactly what they are called, but since I've been trying to watch what I will be eating this next month, and had the stupid idea to make these after seeing on The Martha Stewart Show. I've decided to call them Heaven Squares. I figured I can eat anything I want in heaven and not gain a pound... So there you go! Good thing I've been working so hard at the gym this week... thanks Martha! When my son ate one he said, "OHHHHH, I LOVE YOU".


Ingredients:
13 graham crackers
1 bag (8 ounces) toffee bits
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted natural almonds
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup...it tasted great)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (I used one...it was plenty! I'm trying to lose weight)
3/4 cup (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place graham crackers in a single layer on sheet (I broke them in 2 in. squares at this time to avoid having to cut when done), edges touching. Sprinkle toffee bits and almonds over graham crackers.
2. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and butter to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, 2 minutes. Immediately pour over graham crackers. Bake until sugar topping is bubbling, 12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate and salt over graham crackers. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares (or break before like I did). Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Lavender/Lemon Biscotti

I had bought some culinary lavender from http://lavenderbundle.wordpress.com/and thought I would try some different recipes. My first try was lavender/lemon biscotti. This biscotti has a light blending of lemon and lavender – which makes a great combination. I will package up with cute tags to give to friends, and I will enjoy with hot tea, or for dessert, or maybe for breakfast with my coffee...oh yum!

Lavender/Lemon Biscotti
(You may double the recipe to make extra for gifts)

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. dried lavender blossoms

2 large eggs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Lemon Drizzle:
2 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Cup Powder Sugar

1 tsp dried lavender blossoms (to sprinkle on top of drizzle)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine sugar and lavender blossoms. Process until lavender is finely chopped.

Transfer sugar mixture to a large bowl and add eggs. Beat until thick (about 2 minutes). Add butter, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until combined.

Slowly add flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Dough will be soft and sticky.

Take half the dough and place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Shape into a 10-inch long log that is 3 inches wide (I doubled recipe so mine was about 12 inches long, and 5 inches wide…I want big biscotti!). Repeat with the other half of the dough on another parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake both logs 20 minutes or until crisp and golden (center will still be soft).

Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Cool logs 10 minutes and then slice with a serrated knife into 3/4 inch slices Place slices (cut side up) onto cookie sheets and bake another 15-20 minutes or until crisp and brown.

Remove cookies, let cool. Drizzle with lemon drizzle and sprinkle the 1/4 tsp. lavender on top, let drizzle harden. Store in an airtight container and eat within two weeks. Serve with tea or coffee.

so good... so EASY... Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are the BEST and I love that they are SO easy to make! here we go:

2 Cups Bisquick (low fat works too)

1/3 Cup Sugar

2/3 Cup Milk

2 TBS Oil

1 Egg

3/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries

heat oven to 400.

spray muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT BLUEBERRIES) in a bowl until moistened.

Fold in blueberries.

put into pan/bake for 15-18 min or until golden brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Let everyone THINK you are a master chef.

easy homemade granola!!!

If you have walked down the cereal isle of the grocery store, you shouldn't be surprised at how expensive yummy granola is. So while reading my April 2010 copy of Real Simple they had a recipe for making it. So I did! It took about 2 minutes to prep, and only 25 minutes to cook.

Here we go...

• 4 Cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
  
• 1 Cup sliced almonds


• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut (I didn't have any, I guess I'll have to make more this week w/coconut)


• 1/4 pumpkin seeds
  
• 1/2 Cup pure maple syrup


• 2 TBS canola oil


• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt


• 1 Cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins,blueberries)

Heat oven to 350. On rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, pumpkin seeds with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.

Bake, tossing once (oops, I did... like 5 times-ha, and it still worked) until golden and crisp, 25-30 minutes.

Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

Granola will keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 weeks. Put in mason jar with a cute label... I'm thinking great gift idea for any holiday, birthday, teachers gift, etc.

Panettone Bread Pudding...Paula Deen would be proud, 1 stick of butter!

Some of the greatest inventions ever... Panettone Bread (sweet Italian Bread) and Panettone Bread Pudding! This is great to make for the holiday's when the bread is easy to find. However, it has a long shelf life for bread. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 pounds panettone, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray . Toast the panettone on the oven racks for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden; cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (you will not be able to control yourself from eating a few pieces) and transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a saucepan, cook the butter over moderately low heat until nutty and the milk solids are brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Toss the butter with the panettone.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed until pale and thick, 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then beat in the heavy cream and evaporated milk. Pour the custard over the panettone; let stand for 1 hour, gently tossing now and then, until the custard is absorbed.

Preheat the oven to 400. Bake the bread pudding for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the custard is set. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

This pure yumminess can be made a head of time!
The pudding can be refrigerated overnight. Rewarm before serving.
Serve With Vanilla ice cream.