Sour Cream Chocolate Bit Cake

Nathan loves this cake.



So much that when I first confronted him a couple weeks back about what kind of cake he would like for his big birthday, he replied "hmmm I don't know".  Then, the day before The Day, I asked once more and was yet again met with the same response. 

Now how does this prove that he loves this cake?  After making it my mission and pondering over and perusing through a couple of mouth-watering baker cookbooks to come up with something creative that I know he would love, I suddenly recalled this cake- a tried and true and previously requested almost weekly sweet treat that hasn't been made in far too long.  So after last years banana cake with maple cinnamon icing, and the marbled gooey butter cake I made the year before, both of which he obligingly ate the evening of his birthday and which I proceeded to polish off in the following nights single-handedly, I opted for this safe cake- a tender cinnamon cake sprinkled with chocolate chips and sugar.  Not exactly what you'd call a traditional birthday cake but once you stick some candles in it no one will ever know the difference.

Happy birthday, Nathan!

Sour Cream Chocolate Bit Cake

Makes one 8x8-inch pan

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix butter with 1/2 cup sugar until blended, then beat in the egg.  Stir flour with baking powder, soda, and cinnamon, then blend with creamed mixture.  Mix in the sour cream.

Pour batter into a greased 8x8-inch baking pan.  Scatter the chocolate bits evenly over the batter, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cake just begins to pull away from sides of pan. 

Adapted from my mom's 80's Sunset cookbook. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

It's time for my [belated] annual post on resolutions...

Learn a language, get more sleep, organize my family recipe album, refinish the office desk, invest in a new computer, read every day, walk the dog, exercise, create wall photo collage, blog more, pray more, love more, call home more, hold hands more, travel more, laugh more. 

Now I didn't exactly make any resolutions, per se.  I made more of a long (and on-going) list of things to change and improve within myself.  Projects I want to tackle, purchases I need to make, emotions I need to express.  Just a hodge podge of self-improvements.  I've always been a list-maker, goal-setter, go-getter  (although, sometimes I wish I could forgo the pen and paper reminders and allow myself the spontaneity and freedom away from the post-it), however, that will never be me, and that's ok.  I'm a planner.  I am who I am- yes, this phrase came from a much loved quotes list stored in my phone.  And this recipe came from a much neglected goals list stored on my blog. 

I've had Flourless Chocolate Cake on my Kitchen Bucket List for quite some time now, and what better reason to bake this sinful chocolate beauty than for Valentine's Day (or simply for a chocolate lover, if nothing else).  It's rich and fudgy and gooey with a delightfully simple list of only five ingredients.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Makes one 8-inch round

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate  Dust cake with additional cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

Adapted from Epicurious.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding Cakes

We've decided to have children.

Whoa whoa whoa, we're not having kids yet, ....mom, we just broached the subject at lunch today.  (heck we're not even married yet (officially, anyway)).  Truth be told, we've never really had this conversation.  Yes, in five and a half years we haven't exactly talked about having kids (we've talked more about not having kids), but then my sister went and got knocked up fours years ago by my brother-in-law and now I want one too (thanks Mel, thanks). 

So today, over tacos the topic came up.  I'm not exactly sure how... somewhere in between chips and salsa we landed on talking about our house- what we like (location, location, location) and what we dislike (two-story, layout, floors), and what we'd like in a future home.  This is the part where I [casually] mentioned I still want the three bed/two bath plan- two extra rooms- one for a guest, one for an office-later-turned-children's-bedroom.  Oh yes I went there, and we had The Talk. 

Later when we got home, I was checking email and saw I had a comment on a blog post.  This is HUGE people.  I had an actual comment from an actual stranger who actually made a recipe and took time out of her day to tell me how wonderful it was.  (comments on my blog usually take form during my weekly Sunday night phone call with my parents where my mom then tells me she enjoyed my blog post the other day.  Thanks mom, thanks).  Anyway, this little comment put me on a little high and I decided to come back from my blog vacation and share something I've had stashed away.  I have tried to write many posts but sometimes I have trouble with my words- I have a lot I want to say, but at the same time I feel I have nothing to say- and end up hitting "delete" before I hit "publish".  So today I said screw it.  I will ramble today.  About tacos, and children, and Sunday night phone calls, and comments from strangers.

And I will probably ramble later this week too.

Oh, and another reason for my absence?  I blame Dexter.

Banana Butterscotch Pudding Cakes

Serves 4

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/3 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.  Add the sugar.  In another bowl, mix together the egg yolk, mashed banana, milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour into four small ramekins with enough room to pour the sauce over top.  These pudding cakes have a habit of overflowing their goodness so place the dish on a baking sheet. 

To make the sauce, place the brown sugar, corn syrup and boiling water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil then drizzle over the cake (this could also be done in the microwave, just cook until boiling).  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly firm in the center.  Allow the cake to sit for 5 to 10 minutes then serve.

Adapted from Anecdotes and Apple Cores.

Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie

Are you ready?

Are the gifts wrapped, the cookies baked, the halls decked? 

Me?  Nope.  I pretty prepared, I'll admit, thanks to a lot of online shopping (the result of our little ice storm a few weeks back) and a bit of proactive holiday decorating before the season kicked into full swing.  But no sweet treats have been made in my kitchen yet (I'm currently tackling about a thousand plus cookies every morning at the bakery so baking anything at home right now isn't exactly making it to the top of my to-do list), however, I fully intend to bring a few dozen on our upcoming Christmas vacation. 

But today I must share with you this pie.  I made it for Thanksgiving (ok, Nathan made it for Thanksgiving- I fetched ingredients and told him what to do.  I'm good at that.), but it would suit any holiday meal just fine.  It's essentially your classic pumpkin pie doused with a cranberry pecan crumble and it's a nice twist on the traditional version.  And it's easy as...pie, so you can tell someone else to make it. 

Pumpkin, Cranberry, and Pecan Pie

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 single pie crust

For the Cranberry Pecan Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold butter
4 ounces fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup chopped pecans

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, zest, salt, and all of the spices (nutmeg through cardamom). In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, cream, and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and lightly beat by hand until well combined. Pour the pumpkin mixture into a pie shell. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the brown sugar, flour, and salt, and butter to a small food processor and chop until it resembles a coarse mixture. Stir in the chopped cranberries and pecans.

Remove pie from the oven and sprinkle the cranberry mixture on top. Return the tart to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pie is set, topping is golden and bubbly, and the crust is golden. If the crust starts getting too brown, you can add strips of foil around the edges.  Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Adapted from Beantown Baker.

Quick and Easy Small Batch Chunky Marinara

I'm getting a little stir crazy.

The ice has me stuck inside.  Which means I don't have to work (woo hoo!), but it also means no Target runs, no Christmas shopping, no lunch dates (boo hoo).  I've slept in, I've cleaned the shower, I've washed the linen, I've attempted to defrost my windshield, I've succumbed to the fact I'm not leaving the driveway.  I had grand plans for the weekend like knocking off all my gift shopping, a trip to California Pizza Kitchen, and a little stop in Ikea but nope, not gonna happen.

Nothing left to do but throw on my grandma sweater, light up the tree, step in the kitchen and make a little pot of marinara (and knead up some fresh bread, but that post is for another day).  I've made this sauce a few times before, usually when I've had a busy day and am in a hurry to serve dinner (which was not exactly the case on this lazy afternoon, but it also works well when you're limited to what you have on hand).  If you can chop up an onion and open a couple of cans you can make this sauce.  Then serve up a romantic pasta dinner to the one that loves you even when it's just the two of you trapped in the house with a couple of dogs, who will tolerate your random outbursts of Christmas carols, and kind of likes your grandma sweater. 

Quick and Easy Small Batch Chunky Marinara

Serves 2-3

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 5 to 6 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, oregano, parsley, basil, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring frequently.

Adapted from AllRecipes.

Pecan Pie Brownies

Got leftovers?

Ok now I'll admit we actually did not have a pecan pie this thanksgiving (we opted for pumpkin and apple this year), but that didn't stop me from purchasing one on discount at the grocery store a few days later.  I dug in and had a slice that evening, but the next morning I chopped up half and tossed it in some brownie batter.  I use the term "chopped" loosely here.  Have you ever tried to chop up a nutty, crusty, gooey pecan pie?  Mutilate may be a better word.  It's gonna get messy people. 

Just rip that pie apart- cut with a knife, tear with your hands, throw it in the batter and let the mixer mash it up.  I even used a gasp! boxed brownie mix.  Cheater cheater pumpkin eater. 

It should be noted that the combo of chocolatey boxed mix plus sugary chunks of pecan pie results in one super sweet, uber gooey brownie.  (Nathan describes them as "too gooey".  I don't know even him anymore.  Ha!  More for me.)

Got milk?

Pecan Pie Brownies

Makes one 9x13-inch pan

1 18.2-ounce boxed brownie mix (or you can always do homemade!)
1 (8 or 9-inch) pecan pie, chopped

Prepare brownie batter according to package (or recipe!) instructions.  Fold in pecan pie pieces.  Spread mixture into lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Bake according to package directions or until center is just set.  Let cool before slicing. 

Adapted from Cookies and Cups.

Cheesy Chicken Corn Chowder

This is by no means a sexy soup.

But it got cold so I made it and I ate it and I loved it so now I share it.  Yup it got real cold.  Cold enough to put me in the mood for a little pre-Christmas-in-Colorado boot shopping.  Too bad I spotted these and now I find myself daydreaming about owning them but I just can't justify the price when a) I live in Texas where b) there's no snow so I'd basically c) look like a fool.  No sexy mountain boots for me.

Once old man winter kicks in though, I make a lot of soup (and I wear a lot of sweatpants.  and I drink a lot of chai).  Usually my soup consists of whatever I've got lying around the house: a can of diced tomatoes, the remains of a green bell, a handful of onion, a dash of cumin, a pinch of salt.  I just pull stuff out of the fridge, off the spice rack, and bam!  soup du jour.  Then I eat my non-sexy soup in my non-sexy sweats while I browse sexy boots.            

Cheesy Chicken Corn Chowder

Serves 2

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Melt butter in medium-sized pot over medium-high heat on the stove.  Add onion and garlic and sprinkle with pepper; cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add corn and cook another minute.  Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.  Stir in chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer, cooking until slightly thickened.  Add chicken and cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and blended.  Add salt to taste, if necessary.  

Chelsea Original :)