Chocolate Silk Pie

Please visit my new website, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the recipe for Chocolate Silk Pie!

Warm and Gooey Chocolate Cake

I believe that our New Year's resolutions for eating healthy should begin at the start of a Monday, so this is your official permission to go ahead and eat whatever you want through the end of this weekend. I am recommending that this chocolate cake be a part of your weekend festivities.

This recipe comes from the Fearless Baker cookbook, which was a Christmas present from my older sister this year. I had quickly scanned the cookbook to find recipes that looked good to me, and the warm and gooey chocolate cake definitely stood out as something that I needed to try. I celebrated my 25th birthday (again, can you believe it) on the 29th of December, and I knew that if I wanted to eat birthday cake on my birthday that I would have to make my own cake. I looked over the recipes I  had marked in the cookbook and the only one that I could make with the ingredients that I had on hand in my kitchen was the warm and gooey chocolate cake. While Wendy napped,  I made the cake. Luckily it was really easy to make and it did not take long to bake, because she did not grant me with the birthday present that I wanted from her (a super long nap). I was able to finish the cake, and then Wendy and I headed up to my parents' place in Columbia with the cake in tow. Greg met me up there after finishing his work day so he could treat me to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, the Tomato Palace. Although we could have gotten a tiramisu on the house, we decided to pass it up and we headed back to my parents' place to dig into the chocolate cake. Everyone in the family had a piece of the cake, and it was a major hit all around. I do not want to downplay this cake, so I will tell you that it was absolutely heavenly. Although it was totally amazing on its own, it was brought to a ridiculous level when topped with fresh whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and strawberries.

The nice thing about this cake (besides it being the best thing on this planet) is that it is super easy to make, and it can be made in under 45 minutes. Chocolate is the shining star in this cake, as it should always be. If you are a chocoholic like I am, you will definitely fall head over heels in love with this warm and gooey chocolate cake. Enjoy!

*I have made this 2 times and still haven't taken the time to take a really good picture. I will surely be making it again soon, so if it isn't devoured before I get a fresh picture, I will probably be replacing the one that is in this posting. I just was really eager to share the recipe with YOU!

Recipe for Warm and Gooey Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces of dark chocolate, 58% - 62% cacao (I used Scharrfen Berger semisweet 62% cacao baking chocolate), chopped into 1-inch pieces
8 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, divided
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar), divided
3 eggs
Large pinch of kosher salt
2 Tbsp. of unbleached all-purpose flour

For topping
Fresh whipped cream
Chocolate Sauce
Strawberries or raspberries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare an 8 x 8 round metal cake pan. Use 1/2 Tbsp. of the unsalted butter to generously butter the bottom and sides of the pan (you may not use all of the butter). Then add 1 Tbsp. of the sugar to the pan and coat the bottom and sides by shaking and tapping the pan over the kitchen sink. Add another tablespoon of sugar to the pan and repeat until the pan is coated with sugar. Find a larger baking dish that will allow the round 8 x 8 pan to fit inside of it (you will use it during the baking process). Set aside.
Put an inch of water in the bottom pan of a double boiler and bring it to a simmer over medium high heat. Put the chocolate and the remaining 7 1/2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in the top pan of the double boiler and set it over the pan with the simmering water. Stir, almost constantly, until the butter is melted and the chocolate is smooth. Remove the pan with the chocolate from the heat and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, use a fork to whisk together the eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, and kosher salt until well blended. Pour the chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl and mix well. Add in the flour and stir until just blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Set the pan into the larger baking dish. Fill a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with hot water from tap. Pour the water into the larger baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the pan with the chocolate batter in it, being sure to be careful so water does not splash into the batter. Then very carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick or tins of a fork are inserted into the cake and it comes out a bit fudgey. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then lift the cake pan out of the pan with the water.
Cut into 8 slices and serve immediately, or cover with foil and keep at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you don't serve right away, reheat in oven at 325 degrees for five to ten minutes, being careful not to heat for too long.
Serve each slice with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and berries (or if you have to choose just one, do the fresh whipped cream)!

Recipe makes 8 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Fearless Baker Cookbook 

Outrageous Brownie Truffles

Please visit my new blog, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the brownie truffles recipe.

Creamy Nutella Pie

World Nutella Day occurred last week! Did you know that such a day even existed? It seems like there are days to celebrate anything and everything, so of course Nutella would be on the list. February 5th was declared World Nutella Day and Nutella lovers united! I have to be honest, I think that every day should be World Nutella Day. I want you to know that if you missed it last week, it is definitely not too late to celebrate! I made this delicious pie made with an oatmeal crust and a filling of Nutella, whipped cream, and mascarpone. Yum yum yum yum - you know you want some. So go ahead, open up a jar of Nutella and make some Creamy Nutella pie. Enjoy!

*For less prep work, you can use a pre-made crust if you want. I made an oatmeal crust but a graham cracker crust would work well here too. You and I both know it is really all about the filling.

Recipe for Creamy Nutella Pie

For the crust
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup of quick oats (Quick oats are finer than rolled oats so you won't need the food processor)
5 Tbsp. of light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
8 Tbsp. of butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the rolled oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt into a mixing bowl and then pour the melted butter over. Then use your hands to gently incorporate all the ingredients and form into a ball. Press the mixture down onto a buttered glass pie pan so that the bottom is covered evenly and then use your hands to push the mixture up onto the sides so an edge is formed.  Put it in the oven and bake for 9 - 11 minutes. Remove from oven, place on wire rack, and let it cool completely. You don't want the crust to get too hard; so watch it carefully as it cooks. If any of it comes down from the edges while it cooks, you can push up after it cools a little.

For the Creamy Nutella Filling
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of Nutella
1 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
7 ounces (about 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) of Mascarpone cheese
 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:
Put the Nutella, sugar, Mascarpone and heavy whipping cream into a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer set on medium speed to mix until ingredients are well incorporated. Then increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Then spoon the filling into the cooled pie crust. Put the pie in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set before serving. Serve chilled.

For serving: Top pie with fresh whipped cream and grated dark chocolate. 

Pie crust adapted from: Show Food Chef
Nutella filling inspired by: A Cup of Joe, originally by Alania Pouliot of Fabtastic Eats

Read about some handy dandy Nutella facts here! 

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Whipped Cream & Cacao Nibs

Okay, warm chocolate pudding cakes are seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life. For real. If you are a diehard chocolate lover, you really need to make these.

Maryland was hit with a snowstorm on Tuesday, and even though we only got about 5 - 6 inches, my county school system was shut down for 2 days. And, since I work for the school system, I was off for 2 days. Yippee! It was way too cold to even go outside (single digits during most of those two days and the high was a balmy 14 degrees), so I stayed in and was as lazy as humanly possible. I hung out in sweats, played Scrabble with Greg, updated my Facebook status several times, and went through cookbooks. One of the cookbooks I went through was the Scharrfen Berger "The Essence of Chocolate" cookbook. I came across the recipe for warm chocolate pudding cakes and thought "I NEED to make these!" I ended up making them last night while Greg was out shooting an event. The warm chocolate pudding cakes are rich and chocolatey but not too sweet - and they are the ultimate comfort dessert. So much for my plan of eating healthy! It is really hard to eat healthy when it is so cold outside. Seriously - resolutions to eat healthy should be made in the Spring, not in January. Starting tomorrow though I am challenging myself to not eat sugar for five days (yes, only five days, I set realistic goals for myself). If I don't do this I'm sure my baby will be born addicted to sugar! Healthier posts on the blog will be coming soon. But for now, here is the recipe for these amazingly scrumdiddlyumptious warm chocolate pudding cakes. Enjoy!

Recipe for Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Whipped Cream & Cacao Nibs

INGREDIENTS:
For preparing the ramekins/oven safe bowls
Unsalted butter
Cocoa powder (about 2 tablespoons)
For the pudding cakes
3.5 ounces of 99% unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. of cornstarch
1/4 tsp. of salt
2 eggs
For topping
1/2 cup - 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
Cacao nibs

DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven so that a rack is in the middle position and then preheat to 325 degrees.

Butter 4 - 5 ramekins or oven safe bowls that hold at least 6 ounces. Dust the bottoms and sides of each one generously with cocoa powder, making sure to tap out the loose excess powder.

Put the heavy whipping cream and cubed butter into a medium-sized pan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once it simmers, immediately add in the finely chopped chocolate. Remove from heat and allow it to sit for one minute. Then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is nice and smooth.

In a large bowl, sift the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together. Add in the eggs and whisk. While whisking, add in the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Place a fine mesh strainer over top a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour the mixture through the strainer. You will get about 3 cups of batter in the measuring cup. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins/oven safe bowls. Place them onto a baking sheet and put into the oven. Cook for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the tops are puffed up and slightly cracked. Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

While the pudding cakes are cooling, make the whipped cream. Place 1/2 - 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream into a metal bowl and use an electric hand mixer set on high speed to mix until stiff peaks form. Top each pudding cake with a couple tablespoons of whipped cream and some cacao nibs.

*These are best when warm. If you save them, cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in fridge. Place in microwave for about 25 - 30 seconds before eating.

-This recipe is EASY to make-

Recipe Source: The Essence of Chocolate, by John Scharrfenberger and Robert Steinberg

The Best Ever Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Sunday I had some friends over for another baking day. We made cinnamon rolls and these chocolate chocolate chip cookies. One friend brought the dough for the cinnamon rolls, and I was in charge of the chocolate dessert. I was torn between brownies with a ganache topping, salted caramel brownies, chocolate cupcakes with Nutella frosting, and the cookies! I decided on the cookies because the recipe made more than any of the other treats and because they are easy to transport. While making the recipe, I realized that I have actually posted this recipe on the blog before - it was one of my first posts. At first I didn't think I would post them again, but after they came out of the oven, I knew they deserved another spot on the blog. They are SO amazingly yummy! My friend's nine-year old son came to help us out in the kitchen, and he went crazy over the cookies. He said they taste better with the sugar rather than the sea salt, but us adults preferred the sea salt topping. On Monday morning I served Greg some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and he told me that they were way too sweet. I of course loved them, because nothing is too sweet for me, but I told him that he did not have to eat them! He went on to ask why we didn't do a healthy baking day and that we shouldn't put sugary things into our bodies, yada yada yada, and I told him because obviously that is no fun. I let him know that I could give away the cinnamon rolls if he did not want the sweets in the house, and he told me he thought that was a good idea. So I then said "do you want me to give away the cookies too?" And his response was "no, you can leave the cookies." Haha! Anyways, these cookies are rather delicious. They are rich and chewy and chocolatey and gooey and heavenly and better than you ever imagined that they could be. Enjoy!

Recipe for the Best Ever Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies 

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
14 ounces of semisweet (62%) baking chocolate, chopped
4 eggs
2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. of instant coffee powder
10 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
Chunky decorative sugar (optional)
Coarse sea salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized bowl and mix together. Put the eggs, vanilla extract, and coffee powder into a small bowl and mix well. Put the softened butter into a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed to beat until the butter is smooth. Add in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat again until well combined. Set the hand mixer on low speed and gradually pour in the egg mixture and beat until combined.

Prepare the bottom pan of a double boiler with water and set over medium heat. Put the chopped chocolate in the top pan of the double boiler. When the water simmers, set the pan with the chocolate over the water and stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

With the hand mixer set on low speed, beat the  butter, sugar and egg mixture while pouring the melted chocolate into the bowl in a steady stream. Beat until the chocolate is well combined into the mixture. Add in the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated. Pour in the chocolate chips and fold in. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1 3/4-inch cookie dough scoop to scoop the dough up into balls and set on the baking sheets. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of space between each ball of cookie dough. Sprinkle a little coarse sugar or sea salt over the balls, if using.

Put in the oven. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

*Recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies*

Recipe source: Annie's Eats, originally from Baking Illustrated 

Who Wants More Truffles? (Recipe for Sweet Cream & Walnut Truffles)

I really love truffles. I also really love to make truffles, and I sometimes find myself brainstorming new truffle recipes...

When Greg and I sailed to St. Michaels back in the beginning of June, we visited a cute cupcake and ice cream shop. I ordered sweet cream ice cream because it's my favorite, and as we were walking around I started thinking about how delicious a sweet cream truffle would be. I thought about how I would make them, and I decided that adding walnuts to the mix would be a good idea.

A few days after we got home, I tried out the truffle recipe. I dipped the truffles in milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate - because I really wasn't sure which one would taste the best. In my opinion, the dark came in first, with the white not far behind, and the milk taking third place. However, they all tasted really yummy to me.

I tested the truffles out on a few of my friends, and in the end, the dark won. But, there are no rules here - so dip them in your favorite kind of chocolate! I just made another batch last night with the dark chocolate.

The filling for the truffles is a bit like a cream cheese frosting. You will get a bit messy when you shape the truffles, so have an ample supply of paper towels close by. These truffles are sweet, indulgent, and decadent. Someone said that they kind of taste like a chocolate covered cherry, but better. You'll only need to eat one in order to fulfill any dessert cravings after dinner! Enjoy.

Recipe for Sweet Cream & Walnut Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, but still cool
5 oz. of regular cream cheese
1 Tbsp. of almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts
9 - 10 oz of baking chocolate, coarsely chopped (white, milk, or dark). I used SCHARFFEN BERGER.
Walnut pieces, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, almond extract, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed until the mixture is fluffy (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add in the powdered sugar, and beat on low speed until well incorporated. Pour in the walnut pieces, and use a spoon to fold them into the mixture.  Cover the bowl with a lid and put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

After chilling the mixture, line a freezer-safe container with parchment paper. Use a cookie dough scoop to scoop up the sweet cream mixture, and roughly shape into 3/4-inch to 1-inch balls with your hands (it will be messy - have paper towels nearby)! You can dust your hands with powdered sugar before shaping each one to reduce the amount of stickiness. Place each ball on the prepared container. Cover the container with foil, and place in freezer for a few hours, overnight if needed.

Put chopped chocolate in a pot. Prepare a double boiler by filling it 1/4 full with water and place the double boiler over medium heat. Once water begins to lightly simmer and steam forms, place the pot with chocolate on top of the boiler. Stir almost constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Once chocolate is almost melted, remove balls from freezer. Prepare a baking pan or plate with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop one or two balls at a time in the chocolate and fully coat. Place on prepared pan or plate, and if using the walnut pieces, immediately place a walnut piece on top of the truffle before dipping the next one.  When each one is dipped, place the pan/plate in the fridge so chocolate can harden, about 30 minutes. Store truffles in fridge until ready to serve. ENJOY!

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen truffles. 

**Original Recipe**

Looking for more truffle recipes? Check out the recipes for cookie dough truffles & coconut truffles!