Friday, April 1, 2011

Chocolate cake blob

Ok, you are thinking it, I'm going to say it. My ganache on the chocolate cake looks like mud, or *ahem* something, oozing over the edges. People, I bite at taking pictures, and I promise it is chocolate. Keep practicing, keep practicing.

Music I love to cook to.....

Self-pity cake



I am deep in the trenches of potty training, and heaven help me, I needed some chocolate. This is by far my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I could drink the chocolate ganache! I've done some tweaking that may seem odd, the cornstarch is an emergency cake flour replacement, and to help with the altitude I'm at (4,500) Also, I make sour milk, which I've included the instructions for as well. Make sure to save some for me! And remember folks, I'm still in the beginning photog stage!

Chocolate Self Pity Cake

*2 1/4 Cups flour, approximately...(Put 1 TBS. of cornstarch in each 1 cup measurement, then fill remaining with flour. Don't worry about this in the 1/4 cup.)
*3/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa
*1 3/4 Cups sugar
*2 tsp baking soda
*1 1/4 tsp. salt
*1 1/2 Cups sour milk....(in glass measuring cup, put 1 1/2 TBS. white vinegar
then pour milk to equal 1 1/2 cups. Let sit for 5 minutes.
*1 Cup canola oil
*3 large eggs, room temperature
*1 1/2 tsp. vanilla


Have I confused you? Please let me know if these directions make you lost!!

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 10 inch Bundt pan, dust with cocoa.
In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In medium bowl, with whisk, mix sour milk, oil, eggs and vanilla until blended. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk very well until smooth.

Pour into prepared Bundt pan, bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40 minutes. Do not over bake!!! Cool in pan for 10 minutes, removed from pan, let cool completely on wire rack. Spread on chocolate Ganache and enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache

1 Cup whipping cream
12 ounces chopped milk or semi-sweet chocolate. ( I use plain old chocolate chips.)

In medium saucepan, bring whipping cream just to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate, DO NOT STIR. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes, spoon over cake or cupcakes.

Cheddar and Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers


Oh baby, if you like sweet bell peppers, this is your dish. I passed on the chicken nuggets one afternoon and made these little treasures for a Mommy lunch. They would also be a great side dish.

6 Mini sweet bell peppers (these are usually sold in packages.)
1/2 Cup Light cream cheese (I'm not even going to try to pronounce the name if it.)
1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
toothpicks

Wash and dry peppers. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cream cheese, cheddar and garlic salt. Cut just the tops off of the peppers, keep them and place them aside. Stuff peppers with cheese mixture. Depending on how large your peppers are, you may need more cheese mixture, sorry! Place tops back on peppers, place a toothpick into the top, and then through one side of the pepper. This is just to keep the cheese in while baking. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is hot and peppers are crisp tender. Ohhh baby!!