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Tag Archives: Chocolate

Recipe: Nutella Swirl Pound Cake

17 May

Nutella Swirl Pound Cake

 

Love Nutella? Welcome to the club! Not a fan of Nutella? I’m not even sure what to say to you and this recipe isn’t for you.

If you are part of the club, you’ll love this recipe for Nutella Swirl Pound Cake. Talk about delicious, rich and decadent.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 TBSP cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 jar of Nutella (13 oz.)
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
    2. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
    3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with vanilla extract.
    4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Who doesn’t love Nutella?

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy.
  2. Gradually beat in the egg mixture until full incorporated.
  3. In three batches, beat in the flour mixture until incorporated.
  4. Spread 1/3 of the batter into the loaf pan then spread half the Nutella on top. Repeat with another 1/3 of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining 1/3 of the batter.
  5. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a knife. Careful not to overmix.
  6. Bake the cake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
  7. Invert the cake onto a wire rack or plate, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

Letting the Nutella Swirl Pound Cake cool for those two long, grueling hours while you salivate and smell the deliciousness is going to be the hardest part.

This is one of the best pound cakes I’ve ever had. I had two servings on the spot. You don’t need to garnish it with anything. It’s good enough to devour all on its own.

 
8 Comments

Posted by on May 17, 2017 in Cookin', Desserts, Recipes

 

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Recipe: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

15 Oct

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

The perfect dessert for all the leftover Reese’s from Halloween.


I can’t take credit for this dessert. This one was made by my dear friend Annie Flettrich for one of our Sunday movie nights. She made this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Trifle and it was amazing so I’m sharing with the world.

My love of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is well-known and this dessert satisfied my love of Reese’s. It’s so light and airy that you totally forget about all the calories.

Ingredients:

  • 1 store-bought angel food cake
  • 2 (3-ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 16 ounces Cool Whip
  • 8 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (crushed)

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Trifle


Directions:

  1. Crumble the angel food cake and set aside.
  2. Beat the chocolate pudding mix and milk together until blended.
  3. Beat together one cup of Cool Whip and all of peanut butter.
  4. In a large trifle bowl, layer 1/2 the crumbled cake, half the chocolate pudding and half the peanut butter mixture.
  5. Smooth half of remaining Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with half of crushed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
  6. Repeat with another layer of cake, chocolate pudding, peanut butter mixture, Cool Whip and Reese’s.
  7. Chill for four to six hours or overnight then serve.

Chocolate and peanut butter is a food lover’s dream combo. At least, for me, it is. So this dessert is perfect for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers.

If I could serve it to trick or treaters by plopping a spoonful in their bags, I would, but I guess I’ll have to buy some other candy this year. This is great for adult trick or treaters though.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on October 15, 2012 in Cookin', Desserts, Recipes

 

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Recipe: Beet Brownies

25 Feb
Beet Brownies

Beet Brownies

I can’t say I’m a big fan of beets, but I usually try to make best of the ingredients I have on hand. So rather than centering a dish around the beets, I chose to integrate them in to Beet Brownies.

The chocolate masks the earthiness of the beets really well — so well, you don’t really taste them.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup beets, peeled and chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 sticks (8 oz.) butter
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
    2. Beet Brownie Batter

    Beet Brownie Batter

  2. In a small pot or saucepan, cover beets with water and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Drain, puree and set aside.
  3. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 TBSP butter.
  4. In a medium pot or saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add sugars and stir until dissolved.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for 1-2 minutes. Add cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate.
  6. Add pureed beats and butter-sugar mixture and mix all ingredients together. Add whole wheat flour and chocolate chips and stir until all ingredients are blended.
  7. Grease a 9×13 baking sheet and pour in batter. Bake 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick pulls out relatively clean. Enjoy warm or let cool in the pan.

This recipe should yield at least a dozen medium-sized brownies. You can cut them into larger or smaller pieces based on how long you want them to last.

I recommend serving them with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on February 25, 2012 in Cookin', Desserts, Recipes

 

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Review: Sucré

31 Jan
Santiago at Sucre

Santiago at Sucr&eactue;

Sucré is THE place to go in New Orleans for all things sweet. Executive Pastry Chef Tariq Hanna has many tricks up his sleeves that even Willy Wonka couldn’t have fathomed.

Sucré’s bread and butter item is the macaroon, a sweet meringue confection similar to a cookie. The macaroons at Sucré are plentiful and the flavors change regularly. Some of my favorites (and I’ve tried just about all of them) are Pecan, Bananas Foster, Salted Caramel, King Cake (seasonal to Mardi Gras) and Peppermint (seasonal to the holiday season).

But Sucré didn’t build its house on macaroons alone. They also have top-notch chocolates in unique shapes and flavors. I’ve never had one that disappointed, and I’m not the world’s biggest chocolate fan. Each one has its own unique flavor profile that is more than a taste, it’s an experience.

Both the macaroons and chocolates from Sucré ship out of New Orleans. Fortunately, living in New Orleans offers me the opportunity to order off the boutiques dessert menu (can’t ship those).

Smores Skillet

Smores Skillet

My favorite things to order are the adult milkshakes. Delicious gelato is mixed with chocolate or caramel syrup and liqueur to create perfect shakes. No burger and fries necessary.

Aside from the shakes, my favorite dessert at Sucré is the Smores Skillet. Served in a mini iron skillet, chocolate cake is layered between graham cracker crust and a marshmallow topping. This dessert beats camping any day. It also comes with a scoop of Sucré’s vanilla gelato.

The Red Velvet Cake is also a delicious treat, especially if you get it warmed.

If you’re looking for cooler (temperature-wise) desserts, the gelato and sorbets will hit the sweet spot. They frequently rotate, but my favorite by far is the Coconut Basil sorbet. The Cookies and Cream gelato is also solid. All the gelatos can be turned into a sundae as well including some of Sucré’s signature sundaes.

Sucre Cupcakes

Cupcakes at Sucré

Sucré also receives a lot of attention for its king cake. It’s covered with an edible glitter icing that makes it one of the prettiest king cakes in town. That said, the flavor is just ok for me. I read an interview where Hanna said he didn’t want it to be a sweet version, so he succeeded in his vision. After eating it though, I do wish it was sweeter, but it’s not bad by any means.

I could go on and on about Sucré and still fail to cover just all of the sweet stuff this place offers. It’s best you go in and experience this New Orleans candyland for yourself.

Your sweet tooth and taste buds will thank you extensively for treating them to Sucré. There are currently two boutiques in the New Orleans area. One on Magazine in New Orleans, the other near Lakeside Mall in Metairie.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2012 in Eatin'

 

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Recipe: Whole Wheat Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

19 Dec
Milk and Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

What Santa Really Wants for Christmas

Mint and chocolate make an awesome team. Probably only second to chocolate and peanut butter in my book. These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with whole wheat flour. Trust me when I tell you, you won’t miss the white flour.

The green mint chips pack a lot of minty flavor, but it’s balanced out well by the semisweet chocolate morsels. I happened to find the mint chips at World Market by accident, but I’m sure chopped Andes Mints will work just fine.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

    Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup mint chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk or mix together the eggs, butter, sugars and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in two batches, adding in the milk between batches.
    5. Whole Wheat Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Whole Wheat Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

  5. Use a flat wooden spoon to work in the mint and chocolate chips.
  6. Scoop the batter onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet in about 1-inch rounds. Pat down gently then bake for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove cookies from oven to cool for approximately 3 minutes. Serve.

You can make the batter in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to two days before baking. Just make sure to wrap it in parchment paper so it doesn’t dry out.

Even though I’m not a big chocolate fan, these cookies are great for the holidays and the green in the mint chips give them a nice pop of color. If mint’s not your thing, you can substitute any flavor of chip you can get your hands on. I’m thinking peanut butter chips would go well with this batter.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on December 19, 2011 in Cookin', Desserts, Recipes

 

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