The cake doesn’t really soak up the sauce… it is more like the sauce swathes the cake in a rich, sticky blanket of yumminess. Between the hot sauce, the crunchy pecans, and the velvety cake you have a major  convention of flavor and texture going on in your mouth.

If you cook it a little less (like I will next time) you will also have the gooey middles of the cakes. I am not sure that you can find something a whole lot better for the time and effort it takes to make these (hardly any). You can start them just before you serve the main course and have them on the table by the time the bread is gone. Seriously. This one’s a keeper.

Make these in muffin cups that have been sprayed with baking spray or individual custard cups.

Chocolate Cakes with Praline Sauce

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa
• pinch of kosher salt
• 12 oz chocolate, chopped. Mix bittersweet, dark, semisweet, or milk in any combination.
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melt one and allow to become golden brown
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Melt the chocolate and the one stick of butter together, whisking often
3. Remove from heat and add the browned butter
4. Sift the dry ingredients together three times
5. Beat the eggs and yolks until light
6. Beat in the sugar
7. Carefully whisk in the chocolate and butter combination
8. Divide between 8-10 muffin cups
9. Bake for 12 minutes (gooey) or 15 minutes (moist and rich)
10. Cool for no more than 2-3 minutes and unmold onto dessert plates

Praline Sauce

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tbs heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Melt the butter, salt, and brown sugar together until no longer grainy, stirring often.
2. Add the cream and stir well
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla
4. Sprinkle pecans over the cakes and pour the warm syrup over all

Makes 8-10 servings

images: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

I like sticky brownies not cakey ones. They have to be intensely chocolate. They have to cause your tastebuds to jumping around and screaming for milk or coffee. They absolutely have to be worth eating. Seriously!

The trick to really intense chocolate brownies is the darkest cocoa powder you can find. Cocoa gives a much richer flavor than melting chocolate and adding it, however in these you are going to use both. Yep. And then… ready? You are going to add toasted pecans (remember that the toasting intensifies the flavor…)  AND chocolate chips…AND white chocolate chips.

In a sugar coma yet?

These are fantastic. I think they will keep for several days… I say think because honestly they have never lasted more than an hour or two here. You can’t use the toothpick method to test these and see if they are done. In order to maintain the complete awesomeness that they are these brownies will always test raw.  Just follow the cooking time, and then cool them in the fridge long enough for them to set.  You can top them with ganache if you like extra chocolate.

Toasted Pecan Brownies

• 3/4 c unsalted butter-melted and allowed to brown
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 c cocoa (the darkest you can find…do not substitute baking chocolate)
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped and melted in 2 tbs heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c chopped pecans, toasted in a 375F oven for 5 minutes. Watch carefully!
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Cream sugar, melted butter, and chocolate until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. beat well. add flavorings.
2. Stir in dry ingredients, nuts, white chocolate chips, and chocolate chips
3. Spread into a greased 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Leave slightly under done.
4. Allow to cool long enough for the center to set.

Makes 12 or so depending on how big you cut them.

Post from: Baking Delights

I dislike modern society. We have lost the ability to relax in a hammock in the back yard with a book, because it is too hot to do anything in the house. We don’t relax as all anymore. We have created a year ’round climate that allows us to work ourselves to death.

Today make a decision to put it aside for a bit. Enjoy your kids. Enjoy your family, savor the last few weeks of summer as much as you can. Make a choice to learn to relax more, live more, work less. I know that I am right there with ya.

In light of that, here are some recipes that I found that are quick and support our new, kicked back lifestyle!

• Double Tomato Bruschetta just serve it with a slice of honeydew and a salad
• Garbanzo Bean Salad with Red Onion, Parsley, Cilantro and Feta and a loaf of black olive bread and some sliced tomatoes.. Just have yogurt over fresh fruit for dessert
• Green Tea Blueberry Smoothie This would be a great quick breakfast or afternoon refresher
• Homemade Toaster Strudel – Make up a batch of these in the cool of a morning and breakfast all week.
• Cheddar and Gruyere Gougeres -   Serve with your favorite  salad and have ice cream for dessert

Have a great weekend!

Post from: Baking Delights

This is a moist, dense, chewy dark chocolate brownie with a smoky-spicy-sweet raspberry swirl.  I would say it is a great combination but it is more than that. It is just so good.

The chipotle makes these have a little “bite ya back” in the after taste and the smoke flavor adds an interesting layer of flavor.  It sort of deepens the chocolate and gives it an extra layer and depth of flavor.Fischer and Weiser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce is available at Tom Thumb/Safeway stores and I think my daughter says it is available at Wal-mart.  It is a little expensive (6.95) but the sauce is so good, and you use so little of it, that it is worth it.

Raspberry Chipotle Intense Chocolate Brownies

• 3/4 c unsalted butter-melted
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 c cocoa (the darkest you can find…do not substitute baking chocolate)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Fischer and Wieser Raspberry Chipotle

1. Cream sugar, melted butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. beat well. add flavorings.
2. Quickly stir in dry ingredients.
3. Spread into a greased 9 inch pan.
4. Using the back of a small spoon, drag it through the top of the batter to make indentations.  Think of it as dry creekbeds.
5. Now fill the indentations with the raspberry chipotle and swirl lightly
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Leave slightly under done.

Image: Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

If you will recall I said that I made two cakes for Ethan’s party.  The peanut butter mousse cake…and a chocolate French Silk cake.

Everything is the same on this cake except the layer over the cake is creamy, velvety, chocolate-y French Silk…

This one was actually more popular than the peanut butter mousse  version.  So…try them both, see which you like.

This French Silk is perfect.  Very rich, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth.  Use it to fill a pie crust for French Silk pie.  I also use it as the filling in my Yule Log cakes, as well as any chocolate rolled cakes that I do.  It only takes moments to make (although you have to chill it for about 4 hours) and tastes extravagant.

French Silk Filling

(makes on 9 inch pie, double this recipe for the 13×9 inch cake)

• 1 cup unsalted butter (need I say organic?)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup good cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs

1. Cream the butter and sugar until very fluffy and well combined.  Carefully blend in the cocoa and vanilla.
2. Beating at highest speed add one egg.  Beat for about 2 minutes.
3. Repeat with each egg, beating very well after each addition.  Whip until very fluffy.
4. Chill for 4 hours before serving.

image:maryeaudet

Post from: Baking Delights

I love chocolate pudding.  Chocolate mousse is nice, but for pure home comfort food chocolate pudding has to be right up there on the list.

It amazes me how many people grab a box of Jell-o instant when they could so easily have the real thing. Darn Bill Cosby anyway!  If I promise to give you a no fail, super easy, incredibly fast pudding recipe will you swear, once and for all, to never touch a box of powdered toxic chemicals in chocolate flavor again? Good. I knew you would.

If you really want to streamline the creation of this just keep the dry ingredients mixed in a ziploc.

You can use it for pie filling or pudding, and if you refrigerate it uncovered it will get that nasty skin on it that my family finds to be the best part of the pudding.  In fact, ::::shudder::: My daughter has been known to pour it in a saucer to cool so that it is mostly……skin.

If you don’t want that, just butter a piece of wax paper and place it on top of the pudding as it is chilling.   I like to make a streusel with equal parts of butter, sugar, and flour to sprinkle on top of the finished pudding.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup organic cornstarch (no GMOs!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5-1/2 cups half and half…you can use whole milk if you must but do not use low fat or skim…
•  1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients together until there are no lumps of cocoa or cornstarch.  Add half and half slowly whisking smooth as you add the cream.  Whisk it until smooth.  Now…put in the microwave and cook, stirring every minute, until mixture is thick and coats a spoon…This will take 6 to 9 minutes.

Remove from microwave and add butter in small pieces, whisking it in to blend.  Finally add vanilla.  Cover (or not) and chill until ready to serve.

8 servings, or one pie.

image:Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

I was really surprised at how quickly this cake went together.  You can have it baked and cooling within an hour, and on the table in less than two.  The thing is, it just looks incredible and fancy and people will think that you have been working all day.  Now THAT is my kind of dessert!

Yesterday when I was trying ot figure out what to do with my unexpected time I found an old Bon Appetit magazine from 2005 that I had bought and not read yet.  That probably sounds silly but sometimes that happens to me, and in 2005 we were in the midst of trying to make the tea room work.

Anyway, so I started paging through and found a recipe that was just beautiful.  Remember I said I was going to practice my genoise skills? It seemed the perfect moment to do it.

The only thing was this cake was topped with coffee flavored whipped cream only and i was craving something rich and chocolate.   No worries! Just adapt the recipe!

What resulted was pure bliss.  The cake is rich with walnuts, and given a rich coffee flavor from my inspired idea of grinding coffee beans up to add with the walnuts. I added a thick layer of coffee infused ganache between the cake and the whipped cream.

This made 8 servings for us, but my family eats even the richest cakes like they were potato chips.  I would think most people could get 10 or even 12 servings from this cake.

After it is baked, while it is cooling, the top will sink down some.  It is supposed to do that and gives the ganache a place to nestle.   I think I may do this again and try it with a chai infused ganache…

Walnut & Coffee Genoise with Coffee Infused Ganache

cake:

1 1/3 cup walnuts

2 tablespoons espresso coffee beans

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs separated, room temperature.

1/2 cup sugar

ganache:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon ground espresso beans

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

topping:

1 cup of heavy cream, whipped and sweetened to taste

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Butter the bottom only of a 9" springform pan. Set aside.

Grind the walnuts, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 2 tablespoons of espresso beans in a food processor or blender.  They should be ground fine but not pasty.   Set 2 tablespoons aside for garnish.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.  Slowly add in the 1/2 cup sugar continuing to beat until thick and a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted.  Carefully fold the coffee and nut mixture into the yolks.  Be careful not to deflate the mixture. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, but the eggs are not dry. Fold half of the whites into the nut  and yolk combination.  Fold in the rest of the whites, again, be careful to work quickly but gently.

Spoon batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5  minutes. Run knife around the sides to loosen the cake and then remove springform.  Finish cooling while you make the ganache.  Middle will drop slightly.

Add the 2 tablespoons ground coffee to the 1 cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes.  Strain out coffee grounds.  Bring the cream back up to a simmer, remove from heat and add chopped chocolate.  Stir  until the chocolate is melted. Cool.

Spoon cool ganache onto the top of the genoise.  Set int he freezer to firm up while you whip the cream for the topping.

remove from freezer, cover with a layer of whipped cream, sprinkle with the reserved nut-coffee bean mixture and serve.

Images: Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

I don’t like to use cake mixes because, for one, they use a lot of genetically modified foods in them and I just am not comfortable with that. I mean, glowing in the dark would be cool and all but I am afraid of growing an extra foot.  My mouth might not be able to handle three of them.

Finding a cake recipe that is good, quick, and moist is one of life’s challenges.  I really liked this one.  It is from my vintage copy of  Farm Journal’s Country Fair Cookbook.  It was easy, delicious, and moist.  The only problem I had was that it said it made 24 cupcakes and it only made 12.  Which was not a problem because 12 was all I wanted.

 Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c buttermilk (I used sour milk)

1/2 c hot water

sift dry ingredients together.

Add water to milk

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.  beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with milk and water  mixture.

Spoon into cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Cool and frost.

Frostings you might like:

Dorie Greenspan’s Buttercream

Cream Cheese Frosting

Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting 

Wilton Classic Decorators Frosting 

Post from: Baking Delights

I think I inherited a passion for chocolate from my dad.  He was a chocolate freak. His favorite besides chocolate cake was Hershey’s with Almonds.  Oddly, he disliked chocolate ice cream and chocolate pudding.  Go figure!

He was such a chocolate fan that when we lived in Pennsylvania he used to buy cocoa hulls (that came from Hershey, I think) to use as mulch in his garden. The entire yard smelled like Willy Wonka’s place.  I don’t know if you can still do that but if you can…you should!  It is amazing.

To me there are few desserts I like more than chocolate meringue pie.  Creamy and rich, piled miles high with fluffy, sweet meringue; chocolate pie just is the perfect make ahead dessert for summer.

Review how to make a perfect pie crust with the tutorial.  Prick holes all over the crust with a fork and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake it at 425 until  golden.  Now you are ready to go!

The filling can be made with heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk.  It can be made with a combination of them but do not make it with skim milk.  You will lose the texture completely.

Filling for Chocolate Meringue Pie 

3 c milk

1 c sugar

4 egg yolks, beaten

1/3 c cocoa

1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c unsalted butter

Whisk milk and sugar until smooth.

Mix the flour, salt, and cocoa and then carefully whisk into the milk mixture.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.  Add some of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and then quickly stir the egg yolks into the pudding mixture and heat for approximately one more minute.  Mixture will be quite thick.

Remove from heat and add the butter.  Stir until melted and add the vanilla.  Pour into baked pie shell.

Rinse a mixer bowl and balloon whisks with vinegar.  Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until frothy. Slowly add 1/2 c sugar and continue to beat until stif, glossy peaks form.  Spread thickly over hot filling and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is golden.

Serves 8 (one 9 inch pie)

Image:Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

One of Marc’s favorite desserts is Boston Cream Pie. He isn’t the only one. Boston Cream Pie has been a favorite dessert for many people since it was created. The Parker House Hotel says that it has served Boston cream pies since it opened in 1856.

In 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was proclaimed the official Massachusetts State Dessert.A civics class from Norton High School sponsored the bill.

So, see? Boston Cream pie is important stuff. We are not the only ones that think so.

I wanted to do something just a little daring though. See, Marc is the reserved New Englander and I am the wild and fiery Texan. I had to do it folks. He needed some stirrin’ up.

What better way than to introduce some spice? And that is how I came up with ….

Chai Cream Cupcakes with Bittersweet Ganache Glaze

Cake:

I used an old recipe for a cake made with oil. It is called Lovelight Chiffon Cake. The oil keeps it moist and allows the chai custard to really take center stage.

2 eggs seperated

1 1/2 c sugar

2c flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c oil

1 c milk

2 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 c of sugar and beat until stiff, glassy peaks form. Set aside.

Mix remaining sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl.Add oil, half the milk and the vanilla. Mix one minute on medium speed. Add milk and egg yolks and beat one more minute. Fold in egg whites.

Spoon into silpat lined cupcake cups and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cakes test done.

Chai Custard

2 c half and half

1/4 c flour

2 eggs

pinch salt

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 chai teabags

Bring half and half to a simmer. Steep chai teabags in the half and half for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess. Discard bags.

Add sugar, flour, and salt to chai mixture. Bring just to a simmer, stirring constantly. Whisk the eggs until mixed well, and then add a little of the custard mix to temper them. Add the tempered eggs to the custard beating all the time. Continue to cook, stirring until mixture gets thick and coats a spoon. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla. Chill covered so that a skin does not form.

Using a pastry bag and decorator tip squeeze filling into each cupcake.

Ganache Glaze

4 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 c cream

Bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir chopped chocolate in until mixture is smooth. Cool until slightly thickened. Spoon over filled cupcakes.

Store in refrigerator

Makes 12

image: Marye Audet 

content:Marye Audet for baking delights

Post from: Baking Delights