Double Chocolate Pudding Cake

This cake is so so yummy!  And it was so quick to make.  My husband came to the kitchen after putting our 3 year old to bed (it only takes about 15 minutes), and he saw me cleaning up my Kitchen Aide mixer.  He was surprised that I just last minute decided to whip up a cake.  But, when you  need chocolate….you need chocolate. 
I had a box of yellow cake and a box of chocolate pudding in pantry.  I found a recipe that used both….and some other ingredients I didn’t have.  So, I doctored it and whipped up this delicious chocolate cake.  I dare say, it is my new favorite chocolate cake.  It tastes like the kind of cake you make for Sunday dinner when family and friends come over. 
Double Chocolate Pudding Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
12oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Enjoy your time in the kitchen:
1. With an electric mixer, mix the yellow cake mix, the instant pudding mix, eggs, oil, and sour cream.  Mix until smooth.  Doesn’t take long at all.
2. With a spatula, fold in 3/4 cups chocolate chips. 
3. Spoon half the batter in to a well greased Bundt pan.  Sprinkle on 1/3 cup chocolate chips and top with remaining batter.  Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
5. Let cool about 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Enjoy!

Knock You Naked Brownies

I finally did it.  I bought the new cookbook by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman).  I love her first cookbook…..I equally love her second.  I found these brownies in the back of the book, and after laughing about the name, I knew I had to try them.
My sister really loves brownies.  I think I better make these for her when I visit this week.

Don’t those look drool worthy.  Trust me…they are THAT good.  I shared with my family and my aunt was still talking about them today at work.  If you need to win over your boss, or suck up to a co-worker for some help on a project, make these brownies.  I think I could even get my 12 year old brother to call me princess for the rest of my life if I promised to make him these brownies.

When I cook one of The Pioneer Woman’s recipes, I imagine what it must be like to live on a ranch.  My husband has family who are ranchers.  I really need to go visit during branding season one year and cook out of the wagon.  Can you imagine how much all those cowboys would love me if I made them some of the recipes from her book?!!  Ree’s recipes will win you instant friends. 
Knock You Naked Brownies  *From Ree Drummond: The Pioneer Woman*
Gather your ingredients:

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (Duncan Heins and Pilsbury make this size. Betty Crocker only makes a 15.75oz size) *and it HAS to be German Chocolate Cake*
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Now, enjoy your time in the kitchen:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 8 X 8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.
These brownies might not knock you naked, but if you are worried about it, eat them at home. 

Best Ever Brownies

I found this recipe for brownies about 4 years ago when I was getting really frustrated with boxed brownie mix. I would get a hankering for a really amazing brownie, whip up a box mix like my mom used, and then be disappointed with the results. They never seemed to be “just right”
So, enter this little gem of a recipe. I cannot remember what magazine I found this in. But I do know it was from a magazine. I don’t even remember what the recipe was called. I just call them “THE best ever brownies.”

Don’t you just wanna lick the beater? Oh yum!

This is a nice thick batter. You can see what I mean when I say “spread it in to the pan”. The thick consistency is what keeps is so yummy and rich in the middle, yet creating a nice cracked top.

Trust me, you will want to eat these for breakfast with your coffee. I know. I’ve been there.

I bake them in a foil lined pan so that I can cut them easily once I pull them out of the pan and let them cool. They keep longer if you store them in a Rubbermaid container.
The Best Ever Brownies
1 cup butter, melted (use the real stuff )
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (DO NOT use more...I promise, it will only ruin the texture….I have tried it)
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line 9X13 baking pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray
3. In a large bowl, combine butter and cocoa. Mix well
4. Add sugars and salt. Mix well
5. Add eggs. One at a time and mix well each time in between eggs. Do not add all at once, and really mix well. You don’t want a bite of chocolate cooked egg bit. Gross!
6. Add flour. Mix well
7. Gently stir in chocolate chips
8. Bake 30-35 min until the edges pull away slightly from the pan and center is done.
*If you are needing to make a goodie for a Christmas party or guest, drizzle some melted white chocolate over these delicious babies and serve them with a very proud smile. I have even drizzled melted Andies mint candies over them. OH.MY.Heavens!!

Cookie Exchange: Perfect Chocolate Crinkles

My twin sister made these!  And I must say, she is getting pretty good in the kitchen. 
These are truly the perfect chocolate cookie.  The powdered sugar outside, the chocolate chip inside.  The love just pours out of them.  I may or may  not have eaten all 5 of them at nap time.
Perfect Chocolate Crinkles (recipe from The Small Things Blog) *This is an awesome blog to browse*
Mix together:
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

In separate bowl, mix:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Add dry ingredients to wet ones & mix well
Pour 12 oz bag of chocolate chips in mixture, & stir together
Refrigerate at least 2 hours
Roll into balls, then roll in 1/2 cup powdered sugar (really coat these little guys in sugar)
Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not over bake.
This recipe will make about 3 dozen.
Enjoy!

The Best Ever Brownies

I found this recipe for brownies about 4 years ago when I was getting really frustrated with boxed brownie mix.  I would get a hankering for a really amazing brownie, whip up a box mix like my mom used, and then be disappointed with the results.  They never seemed to be “just right”
So, enter this little gem of a recipe.  I cannot remember what magazine I found this in.  But I do know it was from a magazine.  I don’t even remember what the recipe was called.  I just call them “THE best ever brownies.”

Don’t you just wanna lick the beater?  Oh yum!

This is a nice thick batter.  You can see what I mean when I say “spread it in to the pan”.  The thick consistency is what keeps is so yummy and rich in the middle, yet creating a nice cracked top.

Trust me, you will want to eat these for breakfast with your coffee.  I know. I’ve been there. 

I bake them in a foil lined pan so that I can cut them easily once I pull them out of the pan and let them cool.  They keep longer if you store them in a Rubbermaid container. 
The Best Ever Brownies
1 cup butter, melted (use the real stuff )
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (DO NOT use more...I promise, it will only ruin the texture….I have tried it)
1.  Preheat oven to 350
2. Line 9X13 baking pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray
3.  In a large bowl, combine butter and cocoa.  Mix well
4. Add sugars and salt. Mix well
5. Add eggs.  One at a time and mix well each time in between eggs.  Do not add all at once, and really mix well.  You don’t want a bite of chocolate cooked egg bit.  Gross!
6. Add flour. Mix well
7. Gently stir in chocolate chips
8. Bake 30-35 min until the edges pull away slightly from the pan and center is done.
*If you are needing to make a goodie for a Christmas party or guest, drizzle some melted white chocolate over these delicious babies and serve them with a very proud smile.  I have even drizzled melted Andies mint candies over them.  OH.MY.Heavens!! 

Hot Chocolate Truffles

I originally got this recipe from one of my friends.  She posted it on facebook and literally, I was out the door in 10 minutes to gather up the needed supplies from the store.  I knew I would love it as soon as I saw the words “heavy whipping cream” and “semi-sweet chocolate chips”.  I mean really, how can that be bad?!!
Here is the original recipe  I of course modified to to my taste.  I only switched the regular sugar for powdered sugar. 
Hot Chocolate Truffles
1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Melt together in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Do not try to speed up the process by turning it to high.  Nobody likes scalded dairy or burnt chocolate.  YUCK!
(Now, pour this goodness into a container and let it cool on the counter for about 15 min.  If you are like me and cannot wait to sample it, just scoop out 1/4 scoop and plop it into a mug.  Fill the mug with milk and heat for 2 min in the microwave. )
The instructions really tell you to then refrigerate the mix for 2-3 hours.  I made this at bedtime and let it be in the fridge over night.  Then I used my favorite ice cream scoop (1/4 cup) to scoop out rounded balls of truffle mix.  I let these freeze in a muffin tin for one our before wrapping them up with saran and storing them in a freezer bag. 
All I can say is WOW!  This is the hot chocolate your grandma used to make on the stove, now in single servings.  NO MORE POWDER for me!





You will notice in the next two pictures, the label on the bag and the light color of my hot chocolate.  I decided to get creative and modify the recipe and make a “black and white” version.  This is so good!!  It was a huge hit and my husband was trying to steal drinks of mine. 
So, here is the ingredient list for the “black and white” hot chocolate
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
*note, you do not add any extra sugar to this*
Melt in a sauce pan over MEDUIUM heat (you really don’t want to scald this or burn the chocolate)
Do the same cooling steps listed above and store them in the freezer.  I am loving my delicious treat at the end of the day.  And we have snow falling as I type.  Makes this stuff taste magical.