Molten Chocolate Bread Pudding.

I adapted this recipe from the Purple Chocolate Home.  Check out the link where you can find two divine looking sauces to pour over the bread pudding for an even more decadent dessert.

10-12 cups French bread, dried out and chopped into 1 inch pieces.  (I used 1/2 of a round French country loaf from Costco.)
1 quart heavy cream
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup orange juice

additional 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1.  Cut up bread and place in large bowl.
2.  In a separate bowl whisk together cream, sugars, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon.
3.  In a microwave safe bowl stir together chocolate chips and orange juice.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth (I melted for a total of 1 minute 30 seconds.
4.  Stir melted chocolate into the cream and sugar mixture. 
5. Pour over bread and toss.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
6.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray grease a 9x13 pan.
7.  Pour bread into pan and sprinkle additional brown sugar and chocolate chips on top.
8.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Pudding will be gooey.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Another way to dress up this dessert would be to serve with a berry syrup and/or fresh raspberries.

Baked Tacos + Homemade Taco Seasoning

I've been cooking a lot from the "A Year With Six Sister's Stuff" Cookbook.  I decided to try the Baked Tacos recipe and it was delicious. I did adapt it a little bit since I don't like black beans and home-make my own taco seasoning.  See the original recipe here.

Baked Tacos:

1 lb ground beef
1 diced medium onion
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 packet of taco seasoning or 1 homemade batch of taco seasoning (see below)
1/2 cup salsa
1 can fat-free refried beans
shredded cheddar cheese
12 hard taco shells (can also make as soft tacos with tortillas)

sour cream
fresh guacamole (I used my friend Vivian Thu's recipe found here)

1.  Sautee onion and garlic in a skillet with a bit of oil.  When onions become translucent, add beef and taco seasoning mixture. Cook through.
2.  Once beef is cooked, reduce to lower heat and stir in salsa and refried beans, allow to simmer.
3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spoon beef mixture into taco shells and top with shredded cheese.  Line them up in a 9x13 pan so they are standing up.  If using tortillas, roll up as soft tacos and line up in pan.
4.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Top with sour cream and guacamole.

Taco Seasoning:

2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Stir together.

2 recipes I can't stop making.

I am a major fan of easy dinners that are also delicious. Here are 2 dinners I have been making a lot lately for myself, my family, and for a crowd.

1.  Cornbread waffles.  This recipe is from Dessert Now, Dinner Later!  I actually didn't alter this recipe in any way.  It is good topped with any type of chili from canned to homemade.  We had it with Antelope chili at work and it was a major hit.

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted

Top with chili, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

I made mine in a hotel-style Belgium waffle maker, so this recipe yielded 4 large waffles. Just mix dry ingredients together, whisk in the wet ingredients and bake in the waffle iron at a low-medium setting as these cook quickly.  For the original recipe click here.

2.  Honey Lime Taquitos.  This recipe is from Six Sister's Stuff.  I learned how to make it at their quick and easy dinner class during Pinner's conference.  For this recipe I altered it slightly by brushing to tops with butter and broiling after baking for a minute to make them extra crispy.  I also always double the recipe which makes 14-18 taquitos depending on how much you fill them.  You can find the original recipe here.

Doubled recipe:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded  (I boil 12 frozen chicken tenderloins, until cooked through, allow to cool a bit, and then shred with a fork).
3/4 cup honey
10 Tbsp lime juice (this is just over 1/2 cup of juice; if using fresh limes, each 1/2 of a lime is equivalent to 1 Tbsp).
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder

14-18 medium Tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar or mixed cheese
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 container sour cream

Shred chicken breast.  In a ziplock bag mix honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder.  Add shredded chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes but the longer the better.  Scoop chicken into a line on top half of each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese.  Roll tight and place face down in a sprayed 9x13 pan (this double recipe uses one 9x13 and one 8x8 pan).  Brush with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turn to broil and broil for 1-2 minutes.  Stir together sour cream and enchilada sauce for a fun dipping sauce.

Baked Potato Soup

It rained a couple of inches today in Salt Lake so it seemed like a good day to play around with a Baked Potato Soup recipe...

1 cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
16 oz of chicken broth
1 lb potatoes, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (2 large baking potatoes of 4 small ones)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 few dashes of Franks Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup half & half

Toppings:  Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped chives, sour cream, bacon bits

Chop potatoes, and onion.  Sautee onion in butter, in a stock pot, until translucent and browning. Add flour and stir into a paste.  Slowly add chicken broth while stirring continuously.  Add potatoes and all seasonings.  Simmer approximately 20 minutes until potatoes soften, stir occasionally.  Pour in half & half and stir until bubbling.  Remove from heat.  Serve with garnishing of choice.

Better Than Sex Cake

My sister requested Better Than Sex Cake for her birthday and due to poor planning and believing in keeping the Sabbath Day holy by not shopping on Sunday I ended up scavenging to make it all from scratch.  And probably to no ones surprise if you like to cook, it was absolutely better.

The basics:
Chocolate Cake mix (and cooked)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (poke holes in warm cooked cake and poor over)
Caramel topping (drizzle over warmed hole-poked cake, then put in refrigerator to cool)
Whipped topping (spread on top of cooled cake, you can use coolwhip)
Health Bar (crunch bars or use health bits and sprinkle on whipped topping, also drizzle more caramel and refrigerate until served)

What I ended up making:

Chocolate Cake 

 

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot water

 

 

Stir together dry ingredients. Incorporate in eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Stir in hot water, this will make a very thin mix.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back at a touch, or toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then poke holes in cake with a wooden spoon handle.  Pour over can of sweetened condensed milk and some of the caramel and refrigerate.

 

 

Caramel Sauce

 

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar


Stir together in pot on medium heat and constantly stir.  Heat until mixture reaches 200 degrees on candy thermometer (bring to boil and boil approximately 2 minutes). 

 

Whipped Topping

 

1 small container whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

 

Whip cream and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until peaks can form.

 

 

Homemade Toffee

 

(you only need 1/2 of this recipe to top the cake, recipe yields 1 lb toffee)

 



1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Combine butter, sugar, and salt in heavy saucepan.  Stir continually over medium heat until butter melts, and mixture turns a dark amber color (285 degrees on a candy thermometer).

 

Pour onto cookie sheet covered in Aluminum Foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture and spread into a thin layer.  Allow toffee to cool and set (30-60 minutes) and then break into small pieces.  Sprinkle on top of cake.  Drizzle more caramel.

 

 

 



French Toast Sticks.

I don't know why I had never thought of making these.  They are super easy, delish, and fun.

4 slices of bread
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon and sugar mixture

Cut bread into thirds.
Beat together eggs, milk, and vanilla.

Heat and butter a griddle.
Soak bread in egg mixture to coat both sides.

Cook on hot pan, about a minute per side.















Toss in cinnamon and sugar mixture and drizzle with syrup.















Yum.

Homemade Waffles

I love waffles.  So much so that I bought a Belgium Waffle maker, like the kind they have in Hotels.  This waffle recipe is from my roommate Anne.  I love the flavor, and while it isn't quite fluffy enough to make those giant Belgium waffles it still works in that particular waffle maker as well as any regular one.

 

Anne's Waffles:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat together eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Make a well in the flour mixture.
Pour in wet ingredients and whisk all together, there will be lumps, don't over mix.
Pour in waffle iron and enjoy!

Anne makes a lot of really good waffles, here are some other recipes:

 

Coconut Rice Waffles with Mangoes and Lime Cream:

Waffles:
2 eggs
1 can(13.5 oz) coconut milk, well shaken
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup cooked rice

Whisk together eggs, coconut milk, oil, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and rice.  Make a well and whisk in wet ingredients.  Cook and serve with toppings.

Toppings:
2-3 ripe mangoes, sliced and diced as desired to top
Lime Cream

Lime Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. lime zest
2 tsp. lime juice

Whip together heavy cream and sour cream for 3-4 minutes.  Add powdered sugar, lime juice, and lime zest and blend.

Sour Cream Orange Waffles:

Orange Cream sauce:
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp Orange Juice (fresh)
1 1/2 Tbsp honey (orange blossom honey is best)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Can warm up.

Waffles:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. Orange zest
2 Tbsp. Orange juice (fresh)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk together eggs, milk, sour cream, butter, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well and whisk in wet ingredients.  Cook and serve with Orange Cream sauce.

Lemon-Ricotta Waffles with Blueberry Citrus Syrup

Waffles:
2 eggs, seperated
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup ricotta
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk egg yolks, buttermilk, and butter.  Add ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice.  In a separate bowl beat egg whites and sugar into soft peaks.  In a separate bowl mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, nutmeg.  Mix all ingredients together and cook. 

Berry Citrus Syrup:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
6 strips of lemon peel

Stir all ingredients over stove top until bubbly  and thickened.  Remove lemon peel before serving on waffles.