chocolate cake w/ raspberry filling and espresso buttercream

I haven't made a cake in a while. It was time. This cake was so good. It was the kind of cake that when you take your first bite you pound your fist on the table and say "damn! that's a good cake!"
Yep.
I need to get back to making cakes. This one was fun. Cake making is fun. Cakes are not fun with fondant...I have a fear of fondant. I also have a fear of homemade croissants :::shudder::: I wonder if it's a fear or lack of confidence. Let's just say both since it's easier to push your fondants and croissant fears under the carpet.

The middle raspberry filling? Money (and it was just jam....shhhh don't tell anyone)

It's fairly easy to make. Just bake your cakes. Let them cool.

Spread some seedless jam over the middle, not too close to the edges thought. Top cake with other half.

Then spread the frosting over the top and around the sides. Let set up in fridge.

Prepare and pour a thin layer of ganache over the top and let it run down the sides.

It's really a rich cake. You may not be able to finish a slice. If so, call me and I can help you out.

chocolate cake with raspberry filling & espresso buttercream
from vanillasugarblog.com
(chocolate cake base from “butter sugar flour eggs” by gale gand)
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Cook Notes: I love this chocolate cake recipe and swear by it. If you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe then by all means please use whatever works for you. Devils Food would also work nicely too. Please note this recipe calls for using 3 9-inch pans. I have 2 10-inch pans and used that just fine. If you have 8-inch pans you might have some leftover batter, which you could easily use for cupcakes. If you don’t have a Starbucks Via I guess you could use other espresso granules. Which ones I don’t know, I haven’t tried any others yet. Just taste test as you go along. Also, I use flour in my frosting, if this does not appeal to you then DON'T DO IT. I just like to use a little bit to help my frosting hold up to room temps better and become a thicker frosting. You won't taste it, trust me :-)

For the chocolate cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in.
In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 35 minutes. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven. I let my cakes cool in the pan at least 2 hours before using.

raspberry filling
½ - ¾ cup of red raspberry (seedless) preserves/jam, room temp

espresso buttercream
2 sticks of salted butter, room temp
4 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temp
2 ½ - 3 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted
½ packet of one Starbuck Via (Columbia roast)
2 TB all purpose flour (optional)
Tiny pinch of salt

chocolate ganache
1/2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces high quality (60% or higher) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
(if you want really shiny ganache add in 1 scant tablespoon of corn syrup)

make the espresso buttercream:
In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter with the sifted confectioners sugar until well combined. Add in the flour and the Starbuck Via. Do a taste test and see if it needs the salt—mine did; it’s up to you if you want to add it. Recipe from vanillasugarblog.com The frosting is set to spread. If you do decide to wait and frost later, keep in mind the frosting will set up to be very hard in fridge. Just let it come to room temp (about an hour or more) before using later. Stir the frosting really well before using if you did let it sit in fridge.

for the chocolate the ganache:
In a medium saucepan melt the chocolate with the heavy cream over low heat, stirring constantly. Don’t let this burn. Stir until nice and glossy, take off heat, let it rest a bit (about 10 minutes). Stir up again and pour over cake.

to assemble:
Take cooled cakes, spread a thin layer of the seedless raspberry jam over the bottom half of a cake. Top with other half and begin to frost. Once you’re done frosting, put cake in fridge to set up and get a bit firm before pouring the Ganache over. When you are ready to serve cake, make the Ganache and simply pour over the top of the cake (in a thin layer), using a spatula pushing the Ganache to the sides to let it run down.

Storage:
This cake does well in the fridge for a couple days. It does harden up, so if you need to serve it again, just let it come to room temp for an hour or so before using again.

wordless wednesday (brownies w Oreos!)

:-x

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chocolate covered strawberries

Isn't this the best spring/summer treat? I mean besides fried clams, greasy hamburgers, and ice cream? OK, they're all the best really. Who doesn't love a good chocolate covered strawberry? And with spring here that means the jumbo sized strawberries are in abundance! They are truly perfect for dipping in chocolate. Every year I dip strawberries in high quality dark chocolate and then have one or four with ice cold champagne. What a good combo!
I prefer mine in a dark chocolate. You? Pineapple is also good dipped in chocolate. Marshmallows too, apples, pears, grapes (the dark ones are really good), blueberries are hard to dip, I just get all kinds of messy trying to fish out my blueberries--not a good scene.

And how cute is this one?

quick and easy bacon, pb, cream cheese cinnamon rolls

Love finding creative ways to kick up even the most simplest of ingredients/products at Trader Joe's. It seems every time I go there there is always some new product. For those that follow me on Twitter, you know that when I do go there I'm always sharing photos of the latest finds. One of the latest finds that I had to finally give a try was the cinnamon rolls. They are next to the buttermilk biscuits in the refrigerator section, usually close to the dairy products.
The rolls are ok. They are very light, not heavy at all which is good. I like a lighter cinnamon roll especially if I'm going have a lot of stuff on it. Gotta balance the stuff to bread ratio. It's strange that there are only five rolls in a pack (why 5 I don't know, where did the 6th one go? To trader joe himself?). It also says "jumbo" on the package--I just don't think they are jumbo, certainly not small, but rather med-large size. They taste good when I added the extra flavors; I just wish there was more cinnamon filling inside the rolls of dough--just wasn't enough. Would I buy them again? Sure. Very easy to put together, and the best part very easy to kick up a few notches.

quick & easy pb, bacon, cream cream cinnamon rolls
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1 pack of Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Rolls (in the can)
2-3 TB of Trader Joe’s peanut butter-cream cheese
3-4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
A few dashes of cinnamon, optional

Cook 3 – 4 strips of bacon until crispy. Crumble into small pieces, set aside.

Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Take the sugar topping in the cinnamon pack and mix with 2-3 TB of the Trader Joe Peanut Butter-cream cheese in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until well mixed and melted.
When rolls are done baking pour the pb-cream frosting over the rolls, top with the bacon, and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

homemade crunchy peanut butter eggs

This idea came about one sleepless night when I woke up at 2am, turned on my iphone, wrote down in my 'to make recipes': a really good crispy pb egg for Easter.

 Knowing I was going to use the same theory/recipe I used when I made the chocolate-pb cups, AND I wanted to factor in a more powerful crunch than what I originally used in the cups. So after much mulling I thought why not panko crumbs? Panko crumbs have a wonderful crunch and texture, plus it holds up very well to moisture. After much experimentation I think I nailed the filling just right. Taste-testing the filling as I went along I just knew these were going to be stellar. And let me tell you, they are fabulous. Very rich, decadent and perfect for upcoming Easter treats.
I'm pretty sure I nailed the pb filling down pat. Crispy, crunchy, not too sweet, with just a hint of salt. I was going to try a couple eggs dipped in the white chocolate but clear forgot.




Can I just say the middle filling is to die for good...again?
You have to make these......go...now!

chocolate peanut butter eggs w/ crunchy filling
from vanillasugarblog.com
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cook notes: 
I used Whole Foods brand organic crunchy pb (it's taste is just perfect), make sure to use plain panko crumbs, use a good quality milk chocolate since you want a good taste and one that will be easy to temper. Always do a taste test and make sure you like the filling before shaping them. If they get to have large chocolate spillage bottoms, don't worry, let them harden up and you can trim them with a sharp knife.

12 oz high quality milk chocolate
1 ½ cups crunchy peanut butter (I used whole foods brand organic crunchy)
2 TB confectioners’ sugar (if you want it sweeter add more)
¼ to ½ cup plain panko crumbs (add as much or as little as you like depending on level of crunch you want)
Giant pinch of sea salt

In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and panko crumbs. Do a taste test. See if it’s sweet enough for you or needs more salt. Cover bowl very well so no air gets in and place in fridge to harden up (at least a few hours or overnight).
Form dough into oval shapes (or whatever shape you want), place on parchment lined tray and chill again.
While the eggs are chilling get the chocolate melted and ready for dipping.
In a double boiler, carefully melt the chocolate (set a metal bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water).
When you are ready to dip the eggs in the chocolate use a fork to place them in the melted chocolate, turn them over, coating all sides of the egg and then place back onto the parchment paper to set. It’s ok if you get chocolate drips or lines on the sides of the eggs; once they are hard you can just trim the edges off with a sharp knife.
I let mine harden at room temp. If it’s warm out you might want to place them in the fridge to harden..
Once the chocolate is set and hard, take a sharp knife and trim off the chocolate drippings or lines on the bottoms of the eggs, if desired. This just give it a nice look.
Makes about 12 eggs, depending on how you shape them.

chocolate pistachio fudge (my way)

Do you like fudge? I don't, really. I find it too sweet. Those fudge shops that you see in the malls and outlets, I cringe when I get near one because of that overwhelming smell of corn syrup. It's just so strong for my nosebuds. And here comes the second part: I do like a lighter fudge, a less sweeter fudge. Let me explain. For me, I think the whole purpose of a good fudge should be a good balance of butter (yes butter), sugar, vanilla (or chocolate or whatever flavor you are making), cream, and some sort of texture. I firmly believe fudge should always have some texture, if not then it's just a block of sugar. Ick. So, with all that said I think I have found a "lighter" version of fudge with a buttery, milky taste; not over-powered by sugar. The consistency is NOT creamy like standard fudge, but more flaky/airy which is perfect for the melting-in-your-mouth factor. Rest assured once you taste it you won't really care that the texture is different because this fudge literally melts away in your mouth. (that was the best part after all this experimenting).
So where do you stand on fudge? Love it hate it? You might want to give this a go if you are on the fence--this might change your mind about all that corn-syrupy fudges. I can tell you this does NOT taste like a block of soft, chocolate sugar. I think you'll love this kind of fudge.

Note: I did NOT get this recipe off a Hershey's can; it's a bit different than that one. I played around with my molasses-peanut chew recipe and came up with this fudge recipe.

chocolate-pistachio fudge
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5 TB salted butter
1 TB butter to grease ceramic/glass dish
5 and ½ ounces high quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cream
1 & ½ cup white sugar
1 ts high quality vanilla extract
Giant pinch of sea salt
1 or 1 ½ cup of salted, roasted pistachios (use as much or as little as you desire)

Remember this is hot sugar, never touch the hot sugar, never be tempted to taste test, and always use oven mits.
Butter an 8-by-8-inch or 8 x 9 baking dish, set aside. Get out a candy thermometer and clip onto pot.
In a large heavy duty pot (with high sides preferably) combine the butter, chocolate, cream, sugar, and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir constantly and CONSTANTLY scraping the bottom of pan. (You will be doing this for a while). Let it boil and cook until the temperature reaches around 247 -249 (soft ball stage). Once it hits this temperature remove from heat
And add in the vanilla extract (it will make a lot of noise and sizzle, just add in and stand back then stir in)
Once mixed, add in the pistachios, stir, then pour the hot mixture into your prepared buttered baking dish.
Let cool off at room temperature. Should take a couple hours to harden up.
Gently lift it out of baking dish and transfer to a wooden board or plastic cutting board. It might be hard to lift out, I just turned the dish upside down and let gravity pop it out.
Using a sharp knife to cut into little squares. You should get about 20-25 little squares?

sweet potato fries w/ cheeseburger

OK not the most glamorous dish I know. Don't click away. At least think of this dish as meal that you can create/customize to your own liking. If you don't like what I put on it, think about putting your own types of proteins on it. This can easily be a meal; a tasty and creative meal when you break it down and think about the endless toppings that go with sweet potatoes: be it sweet or savory. Still with me? Good.
So lately, with this head cold I've been craving all kinds of foods and creations. Plus I am addicted to sweet potato fries--who isn't? Sweet potatoes are so good for you; nutritional powerhouse, loaded with Vitamin A, and have anti-inflammatory properties which I didn't know. Click here for more info. This dish is really tasty, fast to put together, and almost carb-less. Other inspiration came about from a comment I received when I made the infamous "cheeseburger & sweet potato fries pizza". A person said how they wished they could have this pizza, but are off carbs for a while. Of course that got me thinking why not try and make a "almost" carb-less version of that pizza, but just as tasty? And the best part with this dish is the no carb crash & burn later (which I hate). I know sweet potatoes have some carbs in them, the good carbs. The first round of this I made for breakfast, topping it with cooked sausage and eggs. GOOD stuff! I craved it again and made this version with the cheeseburger.
If you do make this, and I know I will again and again, try it topped with a fried egg or two. And yes, those are pickles on there, but they are bread & butter (sweet). Dill pickles do NOT go too well with this. Also, you all know I have a fussy hubby that hates vegetables and fruits BUT he eats this, all of it. And his dad loves me for that and gives me kisses for it too. Gotta love that right? :-)
The show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" is that an excellent show or what? Well one episode they had sweet potato fries loaded with chili, and then another they had Chef Cat Cora giving us her favorite way. So glad to see and hear that sweet potatoes are quickly becoming popular, and even made into restaurant-like chains and food trucks. Wouldn't that be fabulous to have a food truck that serves up sweet potato fries topped with various fresh toppings, themes, and trio's of dipping sauces? I would get my fries topped with a taco salad or maybe a good thai style peanut sauce. If I was in a sweet mood, maybe some warm melted peanut butter with a hint of maple syrup and raisins. How would you top your sweet potato fries?

sweet potato fries w/ cheeseburger
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1 pack of frozen sweet potato fries
1 pound of ground beef
salt & pepper
couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 - 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
bread & butter pickles, optional but amazing
ketchup, optional but wonderful

Other ideas:
a couple fried eggs on top
caramelized onions

Bake fries according to package direction.
Brown ground beef.
In the last few minutes of browning the beef add in the Worcestershire sauce, then add in the cheese. Take off heat.
Layer fries on a plate, then add the cheeseburger mixture, and pickles. Or whatever else you fancy.

a good sugar cookie

The perfect sugar cookie, a good sugar cookie--hard to find isn't it?
Well it's hard to recreate too.
What is the perfect sugar cookie? Is it taste, texture, creaminess, the right amount of sugar to butter ratio?
For me it's not being too sweet, with more butterness taste over sugar taste.
What about you? What do you look for?
We all have different likes, wants & needs in a sugar cookie.
I love a light airy cookie with real buttery taste, crisp edges and just a hint of chewiness (a hint!).
Need to have the right sugar sprinkles on my sugar cookies for texture and eye appeal.


Some sprinkles really stink--too corn syrupy tasting or too chemically tasting. Who likes that? Not me. But I have found some really good sugar sprinkles made with pure sugar, no chemicals, and colored naturally. In of all place, my second home: Whole Foods. Yes indeed. They have the best sugar sprinkles. They are a bit pricey, but the flavor is spot on--what one would think a sugar sprinkle should taste and look like: like sugar and like big old chunks of glistening sugar crystals. No dyes, or chemicals either. Best part? The sugar crystals stay crunchy "after" baking. A lot of good bakers look for that. So give these a go, you can find them at any Whole Foods in the baking section, next to the jimmies, in the same area as the extracts, herbs, and spices.

This recipe, if you do make them try using the European butter.
It's just a better grade of butter with a better flavor; a richer flavor of butter.
So if you like light sugar cookie with a hint of chewiness, gentle crisp edges and incredible pure butter flavor, then give these a go. I promise you will love these. When I made these for friends they were not only gone in a matter of minutes but everyone wanted the recipe. That good! These are perfect for any Easter functions you have coming up; way better than store bought.

perfect sugar cookie

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2 sticks unsalted butter, grated & kept cold (use European butter if you can, makes all the diff)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 TB pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all purpose flour (13 ½ oz)
1 ts sea salt
1 and ¼ ts baking powder
1/2 ts baking soda

course sugar sprinkles, for decorating

In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix butter and both sugars until just mixed. It won’t be creamy because butter is so cold—that’s ok. Add the egg and vanilla, mix till just incorporated.
Add in the dry to the wet and mix till just incorporated—never over mix. The dough should be a little dry. We want to mix as little as possible as we don’t want the butter to get too warm nor do we want gluten to start forming—this will give us a nice light, airy, crispy cookie. Place bowl in fridge to chill/firm up. At least an hour, longer if its warm weather.
When ready to bake preheat oven to 375 degrees. You can divide dough how ever you like; I wanted large cookie so I made “almost” golfball sized balls and kept them round as they will spread when baking. Roll the balls in the sugar sprinkles on one side (or both if you desire). Place onto parchment lined cookie trays or non stick cookie trays. Do not press flat.
Bake for 18-22 minutes—all depending on your oven. Look for almost golden brown edges.
I got about 15-17 large cookies; if you make them smaller maybe you will get about 25-30 cookies, I don't know haven't made them small yet.