Popcorn Bark

3-4 cups of lightly salted popcorn
4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup lightly salted mixed nuts

Spread the popcorn out in an even layer on a large piece of parchment paper.  Melt your semi-sweet chocolate using a double boiler or the microwave.  Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate evenly over the popcorn.  Finally, sprinkle the nuts, trying to get them into the areas where the drizzled chocolate is heaviest so that they will stick.  Allow the chocolate to harden for approximately 2 hours.  When the chocolate is set, break pieces apart and store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Pretzel Bark

3-4 cups of lightly salted pretzels
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 cup lightly salted mixed nuts

Spread the pretzels out in an even layer on a large piece of parchment paper.  Melt your semi-sweet chocolate and your white chocolate separately, using a double boiler or the microwave.  Use a spoon to drizzle the white chocolate evenly over the pretzels.  Next, sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, trying to get them into the areas where the drizzled chocolate is heaviest so that they will stick.  Finally, drizzle the semi-sweet chocolate over the top.  Allow the chocolate to harden for approximately 2 hours.  When the chocolate is set, break pieces apart and store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Well, dear readers, this is a *first* for me.  I am loathe to share any recipes with you here that involve cake mixes, pudding mixes, and the like – even if they are doctored up quite a bit.  I don’t know why, but I just tend to be of the mind that these creations cannot compare to a from-scratch style of cake.

With that disclaimer, I will tell you that the recipe I am about to share with you is a wonderful family recipe that comes to me from aunt, through my lovely cousin, the Meat Lady.  And I must admit, the cake she made for us was surprisingly delicious.  It is moist. tender  and flavorful, and the topping is absolutely to-die-for!

So without further ado, I give you . . . Devil’s Food Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting!

Devil’s Food Pound Cake
from my cousin, the Meat Lady

1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease well a bundt pan.

Blend all ingredients together for 2-3 minutes, and pour in the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then flip pan, and cake should fall right out. Frost as desired.

Peanut Butter Frosting
also from the kitchen of my cousin, the Meat Lady
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Using an electric mixer, blend all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Next, put the mixture in a small saucepan over very low heat, until it becomes slightly runny.  Remove from heat and spoon over the cake.  Garnish with crumbled pieces of chocolate-peanut-butter cups!

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.

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 8×8-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!

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 8×8 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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 9×13 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.