Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is a deliciously tender and flavorful muffin studded with rich chocolate chips. I made up this recipe for the little cafe. It is already a favorite with my dad, who makes sure to pick up extras every time he comes by!

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whipping cream, beaten until soft peaks form
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners, and set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients well, and set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, buttermilk, and oil, mixing well.

Use a spoon to make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Then pour the liquid ingredients into the well.

Use the spoon to stir together JUST until the dry ingredients are almost moistened. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Finally, fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to over-mix.

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden brown. Remove to racks and cool.

Chocolate Pudding Scrummie

Uuuhhh, looks a little scrummie if you ask me . . .

Here is my Auntie Moo Moo Chocolate Pudding Scrummie. Back in the 1950s, she would make this dessert for her three daughters so that they could have a special treat when they came home from school.

This dessert is like the fudgiest brownie with a built-in chocolate syrup! The consistency is half-cake-like, half pudding-like. The crispy toasted top gives way to tender cake and steamy chocolate goo underneath. Top it off with some freshly whipped cream, and you have . . . well . . . scrummie!!

Disclaimer: This dessert is very, very sweet - hope you have a sweet tooth!! :-)

Chocolate Pudding Scrummie
from my Auntie Moo Moo

1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup cold water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8-inch square pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, baking powder, walnuts, milk, butter, and vanilla. Spread evenly in the bottom of your prepared pan.

Next, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder and sprinkle over batter in pan. Pour the cold water over the top, and do not stir!

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold - topped with whipped cream or ice cream!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

I discovered this recipe when I was in college - it is the perfect comfort food. It will make you feel cozy and warm with just one bite. I've tweaked it over the years to make it a bit softer, more chocolaty, and more delicate - sublime.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake
adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
A pinch of cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 8x8 inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, butter, and boiling water. Set aside to cool.

Beat together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla; add to cooled oat mixture, mixing until completely combined.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

What's a girl to do?

O, mon dieu, chers lecteurs. This is a fab find!

I'm at home alone (with the dogs) tonight - hubby's away at a leadership conference. I decided to make dinner easy - boiled gnocchi with Newman's Own tomato sauce . . . garlic toast on the side.

What do you crave after eating Italian? My mom and I always have a taste for chocolate! But here I am, all alone. It would be wasteful (right?) to make brownies, to go out and get a pint of ice cream, to open a new box of Oreos . . . What's a girl to do in this kind of emergency???

Enter . . . Emergency Chocolate Cake.

Moist, fluffy, chocolaty heaven. A mug full of cupcake. Satisfaction, in two minutes flat.

I think I may have another . . . this time with a pinch of cinnamon perhaps?

Emergency Chocolate Cake
I got this from the Rookie Chef, who got it from One Particular Kitchen

2 tablespoons cake flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 (slightly heaping) teaspoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons oil

Spray the inside of a microwave-safe coffee mug with nonstick spray. Measure the ingredients into the mug and stir with a fork until smooth and no lumps remain. Microwave on high for 60 seconds.

That's it!!!

You can eat it with a fork straight out of the mug (as I did) , or turn it out onto a plate and top it with chocolate syrup or whipped cream. Perfection!

Dad's Birthday Cake

My dad loves chocolate. My dad loves whipped cream. My dad's birthday cake for years and years has been a classic chocolate cake iced with fresh, unsweetened whipped cream. This year, though, he had a brilliant idea. Why not add a raspberry filling in the middle? Brilliant!!

The whole family raved about this cake. It was such a festive birthday cake, super easy, and a really great combination of raspberry, cream, and fluffy moist chocolate cake!

Raspberries 'n' Cream Chocolate Cake
based on my favorite Betty Crocker's Cookbook Chocolate Cake recipe

2 1/4 cups flour
1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup shortening

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
3 cups whipping cream
8-10 fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 round 9" cake pans.

Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into cupcake tins until 2/3 full. Bake for 23-35 minutes. Cool on racks.

Whip the cream until it reaches a good spreading consistency. Spread the raspberry preserves over the top of the first layer of cake. Gently place the next layer on top. Ice the outside of the cake with the plain whipped cream. Decorate the top of the cake with the fresh berries, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips

This wonderfully moist zucchini bread was a staple in our house growing up. My mom got the recipe from a friend who she used to volunteer with about 30 years ago. I decided to add a bit of pizazz to to this tried-and-true recipe by adding some chocolate chips. Delicious!!!

Zucchini Bread with Chocolate Chips
from my mom's friend Val

3 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups finely grated zucchini
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional)

Grease 2 loaf pans and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, soda, powder, and cinnamon. Add to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the zucchini, 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the nuts, if desired. Pour mixture evenly into the prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chips on top.

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. Watch carefully and test for done-ness with a toothpick. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on racks. Also freezes well.

Tex-Mex Sundaes

When brainstorming for a great dessert to compliment our Cinco de Mayo feast, I was reminded of a recipe I'd seen Paula Deen make on the Food Network a few years ago. Here is my version!

Tex-Mex Sundaes
Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe

Vegetable oil
8-10 flour tortillas
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
Turtle Tracks ice cream
Chocolate Syrup
Caramel Syrup

In a heavy skillet, pour vegetable oil until about 1/2 inch deep. Turn on medium heat.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Using tongs, add tortillas one at a time, frying for about 45 seconds per side until puffed and golden brown. Remove the tortilla to paper towels to drain, and sprinkle on both sides, while still hot, with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat until all tortillas are done.

For each sundae, place one tortilla in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Top with ice cream. Then drizzle with chocolate and/or caramel syrup. Serve immediately.

The Alpha-Bakery: F is for Fudge Brownies

Christmas gift exchange in elementary school when I was in Third Grade. We all brought in small, generic gifts. Then we drew the name of a classmate and exchanged gifts with them. I still have the gift that I got: the Gold Medal Alpha-Bakery Cookbook!

There is a recipe for every letter of the alphabet from Apple Crisp to Zebra Cookies. Well, F is for Fudge Brownies, and my go-to brownie recipe for the past 20 years has evolved from the recipe found in this fun cookbook.

I make these all the time - they are so delicious and turn out perfectly every single time. They are rich, fudgy, and oh-so-satisfying when you need that little chocolate fix! The tops and edges are crusty, crumbly, chewy, and sweet, the insides are gooey, rich, fudgy heaven. Studded with white chocolate chunks and toasted walnut pieces? Oh, yes please! The perfect combination of textures and flavors for the most amazing brownie ever. In my humble opinion. :-D

Click here for the Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

Fudge Brownies
Adapted from the Alpha-Bakery Children's Cookbook

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips (I prefer Tollhouse in this recipe)
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
2 tablespoons milk or half-and-half
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Melt chips and butter in a pot over low heat. Remove from heat, add sugar, flour, salt and baking powder - the dough will be stiff. Then add vanilla and eggs. Add nuts or more chips if desired and then bake in prepared pan for 25-30 minutes.

Perfectly Chocolate Birthday Cake

For a dear friend's birthday cake, I decided to try out the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe. I had been hearing a lot of buzz about it online, and wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. It certainly did! This is a great, moist, and easy-to-make chocolate cake. And I especially liked the chocolate frosting.

The big question: has this recipe replaced my favorite, go-to. basic chocolate cake recipe? Hmmm. Almost. I still think my old-time fav is super-easy, fluffier, and more chocolaty . . . so it's not going anywhere!

That said, this is a great recipe that definitely deserves its place in the rotation!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake
from Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegeetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round baking pans.

Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting (see below).

Perfectly Chocolate Frosting
also from Hershey's

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stirring in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating with an electric mixer until the frosting reaches spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Frost your cake as desired.

Celebrating Earth Day with Flower Pot Cake!

Happy Earth Day, dear readers!

In celebration of this special day, my hubby and I made a fun Flower Pot "Cake" - ain't it purty? Okay, so you're supposed to make it in an actual flower pot, but I thought it would be so much fun to be able to see all the pretty sedimentary layers of sweetness.

I remember having this deceptive dessert when I was in elementary school. I made up this recipe based on what I remembered and what I thought would be delicious!

Flower Pot Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 cups vanilla pudding (instant is fine, or cooked pudding that has cooled)
1 12-ounce tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed (recommended: Cool Whip)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped fine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, crushed fine with a food processor or blender
1/4 cup butter, chilled
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, crushed fine with a food processor or blender
4-6 gummy worms
2-3 plastic flowers
1 clean small plastic shovel

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, fold in the whipped topping into the vanilla pudding. Then fold this mixture into the butter and cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecans and graham cracker crumbs. Use a pastry blender to cut in the 1/4 cup of cold butter until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.

Line a clay flower pot with tinfoil, cutting the excess off around the top. Sprinkle a layer of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom, pressing it down. Next, spoon a layer of the pudding mixture on top. Then sprinkle in an Oreo layer. Then spoon a pudding layer on top of that. Continue alternating (graham-pudding-oreo-pudding-graham-pudding-oreo-pudding), and end with the Oreo mixture on the top.

Arrange your gummy worms so that they are peeking out of the "soil." Then gently push your plastic flower arrangement into the pot. Chill until you are ready to serve. Serve with the plastic shovel!

Edit: I'd like to note that one reader expressed an opinion that my plastic flowers were un-earth-day-ish. You are welcome to use fresh flowers instead, in the spirit of Earth Day. I used plastic because I had some on hand that came with a wedding gift. If you choose to use fresh, I would suggest waiting until the last minute to insert them into your pot so that they don't wilt.

Amish Baked Oatmeal, with a Modern Twist

I always eat breakfast, every morning. You've got to. Mom says. But I usually eat it on the run.

I'm weird. I don't get hungry until about 2 hours after I wake up. So it makes the most sense for me to take breakfast with me to work in the morning and enjoy it with my travel mug of coffee when I get there. (Those of you who know me "in real life" know that I have one heck of a commute.)

So my favorite weekday breakfasts are muffins, granola bars, and Greek yogurt. I love oatmeal with raisins in the winter, fruit smoothies in the summer. But this recipe is perfect for any time of the year.

Baked oatmeal is a traditional Amish dish, but this version uses some modern ingredients to update a classic. The oatmeal is packed with fiber, and the protein-rich soy milk will keep you full until lunch time. The cherries, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips add those extra anti-oxidants and fatty acids that keep your body healthy. And it's a super hearty, super tasty accompaniment to your coffee, to boot!

This is also a super-versatile recipe. It would be great with mashed-up banana and walnuts, with dried apricots and pecans, or even raisins and almonds - yum!

Amish Baked Oatmeal, With a Modern Twist
Inspired by a variety of online sources, and by my favorite flavors

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups light vanilla soy milk (recommended: Silk)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grease a 8x8" baking dish.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Bake for about 30 minutes, until oatmeal is golden brown.

This stuff is best served warm, but you might want to cool for easier slicing. Then you can store the squares, freeze them, microwave them, toast them - they're ready and on-the-go!

Summary of My Day

Ever wonder what it's like to have 6 dozen mini-cupcakes on your kitchen counter? In addition to about 4 dozen cookies, 2 dozen mini lemon meringue pies, and 8 dozen mini-muffins?

Yeah, me neither!

Here is the recipe for the chocolate cupcakes. Here is the recipe for the icing. They sure do taste good, but I sure am tired now.

Please support tomorrow's bake sale here. Thanks, and goodnight!

Cream of the Crop

The only thing better than a fresh banana cream pie? A banana cream pie whose crust is a giant chocolate chip cookie!! This is a fun recipe, great for parties, always a hit at a summer cookout or picnic.

Creamy vanilla custard studded fresh sliced bananas, cupped inside a chocolate chip cookie shell, and slathered with luscious whipped cream. You are gonna love it!

Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust
Based on a recipe from an issue of Bon Appétit, many moons ago

1 pound semisweet chocolate chip cookie dough
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks
2 1/3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup chilled whipping cream

Spray a 9" pie dish with nonstick spray. Arrange about 3/4 of the cookie dough in the pie dish and press it evenly onto the bottom and up the sides, building a ridge over the lip of the dish. Sprinkle the walnuts, pressing them into the dough. Prick the dough all over with a fork, and freeze the dough for 1 hour.

Position the rack in the bottom third of your oven. and preheat to 350 degrees. Remove the cookie crust from the freezer. Spray a large piece of tin foil with nonstick spray, and cover the pie crust with it, sprayed-side-down. Fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake the crust for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the pie weights or beans, and the tin foil. Allow to cool completely.

In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the egg yolks, and gradually add the milk, continuing to mix until smooth. Whisk over medium-high heat until the custard thickens and boils (about 6 minutes). Remove from the heat and add the butter, rum, and vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.

Spread 1 cup of the custard into the crust. Top with the bananas. Cover the bananas with the rest of the custard. Chill the pie for 2 hours.

Next, beat the whipped cream. Spread over the pie, and chill again for 1-8 hours.

Chocolate Mint Paddies

These are the perfect chocolate cookies, made only better by the molten chocolate mint candies that nest in the center of them. I am so glad that a friend recommended this recipe to me. You can tell just by reading it that it is a true retro recipe!

These chocolate cookies are chewy, with just a slight crunch around the edge. The texture is perfectly satisfying - chewy and gooey - and the mint centers melt in your mouth to make the perfectly decadent dessert after a weeknight meal. Their colorful swirls were a match made in heaven for our St. Patrick's Day feast this week.

Chocolate Mint Paddies
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 chocolate covered mint candies (i.e. Andes Mints)

In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, the sugars, the molasses, and the water until melted and completely combined. Remove from the heat, and pour in the chocolate chips, stirring until melted and incorporated. Set the mixture aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time with the vanilla. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until completely incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least one hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 large cookie sheets. Roll the chilled dough into walnut-sized balls, and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a chocolate-covered mint candy into the center of each cookie. Allow the candies to melt for about 1 minute. Then, using a toothpick, swirl the mint portion of the candy in a decorative fashion. Remove the cookies to racks to cool completely. Yield 3-4 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

Chew on This

I think I need to start out by admitting the truth: I love Alton Brown. I have even considered going to stalk him in the finer grocery stores of north Atlanta. I've always been a bit of a science nerd, so his scientific approach to cooking and baking really appeals to me. I've been wanting to try his recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies, and over the weekend, I got my chance! They turned out beautifully - fluffy, doughy, chewy, delicious.

The only change I've made to his original recipe is to decrease slightly the amount of chocolate chips - when it comes to cookies I like to highlight the flavor of the dough so that it isn't overpowered by the chocolate.

The Chewy
from Alton Brown

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large electric mixer bowl, measure the butter and the sugars. Blend until light and fluffy. Add milk, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Blend together again until completely combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg and butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and spray the paper with cooking spray. Using a 1/3 cup scoop, drop balls of dough onto the greased parchment paper, allowing about 3-4 inches in between the cookies because they will spread while baking. Bake for 13-15 minutes. I like to cool them on a plate instead of a cooling rack so that they stay extra moist, but it's up to you. Enjoy!