Chocolate Orange Biscotti

December 9, 2010 at 9:29 pm | Posted in baking, Cookies, dessert, Food, Holiday cooking, Home Decorating, Italian food, my life, photography, Recipes | 5 Comments
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Oh my goodness, it’s almost Christmas.  I am not as prepared as I’d like to be, because Mother Nature decided this is as good a time as any to send the Mother of All Life Changes and give me the gift of, a somewhat early, menopause!   (As if dealing with a spinal nerve cyst and surgery wasn’t enough in one year!)

I think the Universe gives me more credit than I deserve, by thinking I can handle so many changes at once.  Oh well, it is what it is and life is too precious to whine and complain (not that I haven’t), so now you know why I’ve been absent for so long, and I thank those of you who have missed me and expressed it in email or by phone.

I haven’t been doing a whole lot of cooking or baking.  My husband has been forced to learn to cook, and I must say, he is doing quite well.  As a matter of fact, I’m feeling a bit threatened by his ability to make spaghetti sauce that tastes so much like mine.  It’s a good thing I didn’t tell him how to make the cassata.   That cassata recipe is going with me to my grave.  ;)

Life is a mystery, kind of like the box of chocolate Forrest Gump talked about.   It’s also like trying a new recipe.   Sometimes you get a prize winning dish, sometimes it’s mediocre, and other times it’s an absolute disaster.  That pretty much sums up my year.  The thing to remember, is when you get the disaster,  you must never forget that a prize day is sure to follow.  It always does.  Always.

Speaking of a prize–I found an amazing recipe for biscotti, on Epicurious.com.  I made a few changes, and now I have the best biscotti I’ve ever made in my life!  I want to share the recipe, and the changes I made, with all of you.

 

Chocolate-Orange Biscotti RECIPE

Click on link above for recipe.

The following are my ingredient changes:

I added 2 Tbsp coarsely grated orange zest, instead of 1 Tbsp

3 Tbsp Orange Contreau- instead of 2 Tbsp Orange Liqueur

1/2 tsp orange extract

6 ounces Chocolate Chunks (60%), instead of bittersweet chocolate

Angelnina’s NOTES:

I do not like my biscotti rock hard. I baked the first baking for 20-25 minutes and the second baking about 15 minutes.  My family prefers them lightly toasted on the outside, but still tender.

Bon Appetit hit the jackpot with this recipe!

Toasted pecans cooling

I love how pretty the dough looks with the orange zest, chocolate, and pecans!

Pre-shaped dough ready for first bake

After first bake

The flavors of this cookie take me back to when I was a child, visiting my Italian grandparents in upstate New York.  Orange and chocolate in a cookie, is like a bit of heaven, or nirvana, or whatever blissful place you wish to visit!

 

Happy baking and Happy holidays!

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Sausages

May 6, 2010 at 8:24 pm | Posted in cooking, Flexitarian, Food, Italian food, Pasta Dishes, photography, Recipes, Weeknight Dinners | 17 Comments
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Have you seen this beautiful Farfalle pasta by Torino?  I was shopping at World Market’s Cost Plus, when this jumped out at me!  Look at the beautiful colors.

It cost more than what I like to spend on pasta, but I couldn’t pass this up.  They call it “designer” pasta.  I’m not into designer fashion, but apparently I’m a sucker for designer pastas now.

The recipe on the back of the box made my final decision.   It’s SO simple to make and it tastes so fresh and earthy!

Farfalle with Mushrooms and Sausages

Adapted from Torino pasta recipe

8.8 ounce farfalle pasta

6 ounce mushrooms (possibly porcini or 2 ounce dry porcini put in water to soften for 2-3 hours)- I used a package of wild Italian mushrooms I found at World Market

6 oz fresh sweet sausage-I used Italian sausage from Whole Foods

5 oz white wine

1/4 white onion

1/2 clove garlic- I used whole

1 oz extra virgin olive oil

2 oz light cream — I used whole milk

3 oz grated pecorino or parmesan cheese- I used both

pepper and salt to taste

In a skillet, sautee x-tra virgin olive oil with garlic and onion–finely chopped.  Add the sausage without skin, and cook for 5 minutes to color.  Add the mushrooms and cook slowly and add the white wine.   When it looks ready, add the salt and pepper and light cream.

Cook the pasta al dente in plenty of salted water.  Drain pasta and place in the sauce skillet mix on top of stove for 2 minutes and then serve with cheese.

The mushrooms are SO earthy!

I served it with chardonnay

ENJOY!

Simple enough for a weeknight meal, and flavorful enough to impress company.

Spanakopita and Gardening in April/May

May 2, 2010 at 6:48 pm | Posted in baking, cooking, Flexitarian, Food, gardening, photography, Recipes, Vegetarian | 9 Comments
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Spanakopita or Spinach Pie

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Adapted from a recipe posted online–years ago–by Jack Roemer

14 Phyllo Pastry sheets

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbsp olive oil + 4 Tbsp melted butter

spray olive oil

40 ounces frozen spinach, chopped  OR 2 – 16oz pack

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian(flat leaf) parsley

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion

3  Tbsp fresh chopped dill

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup cottage cheese –I use lowfat

1 egg

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

a light sprinkling of white wine vinegar- approx 2 tsp

Instructions:

Thaw and drain the 2- 16oz packages of spinach.

Crush the garlic and drop into the olive oil and butter. Set aside.

To make the filling, squeeze the spinach between your hands to remove most of
the liquid.   Place in a bowl or in a food processor.   Add the parsley, onions,
dill, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the cottage cheese, egg and
feta.  –NOTE- I do it all in the processor except for the feta. — Combine well. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the dish and drape the edges overthe
sides of the dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray and cover with another sheet of phyllo dough.   Brush that sheet with the garlic-olive oil mixture.

Layer a total of four sheets, coating each alternately with nonstick cooking spray and olive oil. Spread half the filling over the prepared phyllo dough. Lay another sheet of dough over the filling and coat lightly with cooking spray.   Lay down another sheet and lightly coat with olive oil mixture. Continue alternating spray and olive oil for a total of four
sheets. Layer remaining spinach filling on dough.  Sprinkle on the vinegar-as evenly as possible.

Continue layering phyllo dough over the filling, spraying the first sheet and alternately brushing with olive oil and spraying subsequent sheets.  The last layer has 6 sheets.

When finished, brush the surface with olive oil mixture and roll the edges of the doughin ward to create an attractive rim around the outside.  Score the surface with a sharp knife into 12 portions.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40 minutes until golden.  I turn on the broiler at this point for 1-2 minutes (keep pan in center of oven) WATCH IT,  or you will burn the top layer!  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 12 portions.

Test kitchen notes: Phyllo means “leaf” in Greek. The dough is usually available in the frozen food section of most supermarkets or in Greek or Middle Eastern markets. For best results, allow dough to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.   Keep it covered with wax paper and a damp towel while making pie.

The Gardens in April and Early May

I’ve decided to post my gardens once a month.  I want to document the stages of growth.

This is the time of year I start to get excited about gardening.   I love my flowers, but I especially love the vegetable and herb gardens.

That said, I planted an assortment of flowers from seed this year.  I rarely do this, but my cousin , MaryAnne, who lives in upstate New York, sent me seeds from her own flower gardens and a packet of Honey Bear Sunflower seeds, which means I might have a new passion.  I’ll post on those as soon as the seeds germinate.

The terracotta pot above is my husband’s great find.  It is from Mexico, and I thought a few coral colored begonias,  double pink impatiens, along with a few chicks from my Hens and Chicks plants, would look lovely in this pot.

The portable greenhouse is filled with starts and seedlings:

Tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, artichoke, basil,  and squash are waiting to go under the cloche of the front gardens.

Flowering seeds are in their little seed pots too.

As you can see, the backyard garden has plenty of cool weather plants:

lettuce, radish, beets, onions, spicy mixed lettuces, carrots, broccoli,  and several herbs.

Continue Reading Spanakopita and Gardening in April/May…

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake w/ Faux Ganache~ My dog’s birthday party cake!

April 21, 2010 at 9:07 am | Posted in baking, Cakes, dessert, Desserts, Family Fun, Food, Giovanni the Yorkie, photography, Recipes, Uncategorized | 7 Comments
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I’ve been out of commission for a while.  Back surgery.  Needless to say, before my surgery I was a bit stressed.   Rather than lie around and worry about the outcome, I decided to do something cheerful.  My little dog, Giovanni, turned 6 years old on March 1st.  What better way to cheer myself than to throw a party?

Yes, I know I’m running the risk of being labeled “Crazy Dog Lady”.   I’ve been called worse names than that, so I set out to give Giovanni a party.   I invited a few close girlfriends and family members.

I baked a chocolate bundt cake, and Mark made a huge pot of his famous Turkey Chili.

Giovanni’s party invitation was posted on Face Book because everybody seems to check their Face Book page more often than their telephone messages.   The invitation made it clear that this wasn’t going to be one of those “do gooder” parties where people tell you not to bring a gift.  I mean, a dog’s life is limited and this boy loves a new toy.

I was expecting people to tease me, but instead I was a little taken aback by how quickly people replied to the invitation, and everybody sounded so excited.

“We wouldn’t miss it!”

“We’ll be bringing more than one gift!”

“OH! Can’t wait to see little Gio!”

Maybe dog really is man’s best friend.  All of a sudden I realized how much power I have as the owner of a cute little dog that my friends and family seem to adore.  What if I told people Giovanni is now into Le Creuset cookware?  It’s possible, right?

Some of the guests arrived with fancy decorated gift bags filled with tissue wrapped toys and dog apparel.  A few others just kept the toy in the store bag–Gio didn’t care.  He isn’t picky.  Toys that squeak, chew toys, soft fur covered toys, fancy doggy sweaters, and then some!

It was all going swimmingly, until….

Giovanni looked more excited than I had ever seen him before.   He had opened every single gift—all 19 of them.  Yes, that’s right, 19 toys!  I never knew squeakers could be so loud.

I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.  We all sat in chairs circling the panicky, shaking, drooling, panting, now extremely hyper-active Giovanni!

He was out of control and looked like he was going to pass out at any minute.   Giovanni was now the center of our Universe, and he knew it.   This was just too much for a little five pound pooch.    When I saw his eyes start to roll back into his head, I moved the party guests into the dining room for dinner and tried to hide a few of his toys .

Greedy boy that he is, he followed me staring longingly at each “hiding place” I stuffed a toy in.   He glared at me with his piercing brown eyes.  I knew he was asking, “Whose party is this anyway?”

People, this went on for days, until Mark finally hid the toys in the garage.  I was happy to make Mark the heavy.

The chili was a hit, the cake was a huge success, and  when the guests left, I felt as though I had just thrown a party for a very spoiled toddler.   I was exhausted.   We went to bed early that night.

I’m four weeks out of surgery.  Still recovering from the back surgery itself, but doctor could not remove cyst because it is inside the spinal nerve.  He removed some bone and stitched me back together.    In my heart of hearts, I believe all will be well.

CLICK BELOW TO CONTINUE TO RECIPE FOR BUNDT CAKE

Continue Reading Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake w/ Faux Ganache~ My dog’s birthday party cake!…

Banana Blueberry Raspberry and Pecan Bread (low fat)

February 25, 2010 at 7:00 pm | Posted in baking, Breads, dessert, Desserts, Flexitarian, Food, photography, Recipes | 10 Comments
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Quick post to share a wonderful recipe I found online.   With only 3 Tbsp of oil in 2 loaves, I thought for sure this would be too dry, but it wasn’t!  I did add an extra banana that I had frozen.  I only had a cup of blueberries, so I threw in a cup of raspberries.  I forgot to add the pecans to the batter, so I spread them over the top and pushed them down a little.

They baked much faster than the time in this recipe, so check them super early

Delicious!  Lowfat!  YUM!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL RECIPE

Keep in mind I made several changes and you can find them

behind the cut, so click below to see mine…

Continue Reading Banana Blueberry Raspberry and Pecan Bread (low fat)…

Julia Child’s “Poulet au Porto” (Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms)

November 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm | Posted in baking, Cakes, cooking, dessert, Desserts, Food, French Cooking, photography, Recipes, Uncategorized | 9 Comments
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I love it when I prepare a meal and people rave over the results.

Julia Child wrote , “It is the kind of dish to do when you are entertaining  a few good, food-loving friends whom you can receive in your kitchen.”

…and Julia should know!

I wasn’t prepared to photograph the ignited cognac, but trust me, it adds a bit of excitement to the room.

Poulet au Porto

(Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms)

PRINT RECIPE

Adapted from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume One”, by Julia Child

WINE SUGGESTIONS

Serve very good, chilled, white Burgundy such as a Meursault or Montrachet, or an excellent, chateau-bottled white Graves.

For 4 people

A 3- 4 lb., ready-to-cook, roasting or frying chicken

The original recipe calls for roasting the chicken according to the instructions in her book, but I really like to butterfly and pan roast my chickens.  I learned to do this from a Wolfgang Puck  recipe for “Pan Roasted Chicken with Port and Whole Grain Mustard”.   You may roast your chicken any way you choose, but I find butterflying and pan roasting gives me a crispy crust and a very moist chicken.  Plus, it cooks much faster!

I followed these instructions for my pan roasted chicken:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the chicken over high heat. Add a few Tablespoons of clarified butter ( or oil and butter ) and swirl it in the skillet.  Carefully place the chicken skin side down in the skillet. Sear the chicken, undisturbed, while reducing the heat little by little to medium, until its skin has turned golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully turn the chicken skin side up.

Put the skillet into the oven and cook until the chicken is deep golden brown and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, 20- 30 minutes, depending on its size. When the chicken is done, remove it to a carving board and let it rest at room temperature while completing the sauce.

1 lb. fresh mushrooms (I mixed white and crimini)

Meanwhile, trim and wash the mushrooms. Quarter them if large, leave them whole if small.

In a  2 1/2-quart enameled or stainless steel saucepan-

1/4 cup water

1/2 Tb butter

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

Bring the water to boil in the saucepan with the butter, lemon, and salt. Toss in the mushrooms, cover, and boil slowly for 8 minutes. Pour out the cooking liquid and reserve.

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 Tb cornstarch blended with 1 Tb of the cream

Salt and pepper

Pour the cream and the cornstarch mixture into the mushrooms. Simmer for 2 minutes. Correct seasoning, and set aside.

1/2 Tb minced shallots

1/3 cup medium-dry port

The reserved mushroom cooking liquid

The mushrooms in cream

Salt and pepper

Drops of lemon juice

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan. Stir in the shallots and cook slowly for 1 minute. Add the port and the mushroom juice, and boil down rapidly, scraping up coagulated roasting juices, until liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add the mushrooms and cream and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the liquid to thicken slightly. Correct seasoning and add lemon juice to taste.

A fireproof casserole or a chafing dish

1 Tb butter

1/8 tsp salt

Smear the inside of the casserole or chafing dish with butter. Rapidly carve the chicken into serving pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and arrange in the casserole or chafing dish.

1/4 cognac  (I bought one of those tiny bottles at the liquor store)

Set over moderate heat or an alcohol flame until you hear the chicken begin to sizzle. Then pour the cognac over it. Avert your face, and ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole slowly until the flames have subsided. The pour in the mushroom mixture, tilting the casserole and basting the chicken. Cover and steep for 5 minutes without allowing the sauce to boil. Serve.

(*) Chicken may remain in its casserole over barely simmering water or in the turned-off hot oven with its door ajar, for 10 to 15 minutes, but the sooner it is served, the better it will be.

Julia Child  recommends serving this chicken with

“Pommes De Terre Sautees” (Potatoes Sauteed in Butter) and peas

and so I did!

frites

These are quite satisfying.  Cooking the potatoes in clarified butter made them extra flavorful!

I’m not sure I cut them up the the book advised, but I we all enjoyed them anyhow.

I will make these again and again.

 


Dessert was served hot out of the oven.  One of my favorite cakes.  You can get the recipe by clicking on the link below the photo.

pearcake

The Upside Down Pear Cake baked while we ate, and I pulled it out and served it nice and warm.

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Chipotle Grilled Chicken With Avocado Sauce

November 7, 2009 at 5:07 pm | Posted in cooking, Food, Mexican Food, photography, Recipes, Uncategorized, Weeknight Dinners | 8 Comments
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fall leaves

Fall weather makes me crave spicy foods!

I found a wonderful recipe for Baha Mexican grilled chipotle chicken.

The chipotles give the chicken a smoky and  “call the fire department” fiery flavor that makes this anything but a ho hum grilled chicken dish.

I use a  4 lb chicken, but the original recipe calls for 3 small chickens.  I prefer more heat–if you do not, use more chicken.

The avocado adds coolness to balance it out, so be sure to make the salsa to go with.

chickeserv

You can cut up the chicken and serve it in a tortilla with the avocado salsa, or simply serve it as is–I ate it both ways.

We served our chicken with the avocado salsa, homemade pinto beans, and Spanish rice.

I really love this chicken!  It was nice and moist.  This will probably become part of my weekly menu.

chicken1

First you let it marinate in the sauce for hours (at least 2, but better overnight)

chickgrill

Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

(Greatly) Adapted from “!Baja! Cooking on the Edge” by Deborah  M.  Schneider

SERVES 6

7 oz can chipotles in adobo
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1- 4 lb chicken, quartered

Avocado Salsa
3 ripe Haas avocados  pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt
1 juice of one lime
1/4 cup finely diced white onion
3 fresh cilantro stems, stemmed and chopped  (I did not use)

In a food processor, puree the chipotles, garlic, oil, and salt. Wipe the chicken pieces with paper towels. Thoroughly coat the pieces on all sides with a layer of the chipotle paste.
Place in a non-reactive baking dish or in re-sealable bags and refrigerate for 2 hours, or as long as overnight.
Heat the grill to medium. With the lid open, grill the chicken on both sides until well marked – about 7 minutes per side. Turn the heat to low, close the lid, and cook the chicken, skin side up, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees. (Alternatively, bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 40 minutes.).
NOTE: we place a drip pan under the chicken to prevent flare-ups–we learned the hard way.
Serve with tortillas and salsa.
Avocado Salsa: Place the avocados in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and lime juice; mix gently with the onion and cilantro (don’t mash; it should look diced).
Note: this salsa should be served within 3 hours. To help it keep its color, press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the avocado and refrigerate until needed.

ANGELNINA’S  NOTE: Original recipe calls for 3 small chickens, cut into halves or quarters.  I prefer it with one 4 lb chicken.  Obviously this adds to the heat, so if you don’t want it too spicy, use more chicken.

Light Pumpkin Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

October 28, 2009 at 7:43 pm | Posted in baking, Cakes, cooking, dessert, Desserts, Food, Holiday cooking, photography, Recipes | 13 Comments
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pumpkincaksl2

My good friend gave me a subscription to “Cooking Light” magazine this year, and I have enjoyed combing through all of the light recipes inside each edition.

In the November issue, I spotted this recipe from a woman in Eagle, Idaho (A  quick SHOUT OUT to my Idaho friends!)  for a Frosted Pumpkin Cake.

Autumn brings with it a craving for all things pumpkin and spice.  Throw in a light cream cheese frosting and I’m all over it.

Still, if I’m being honest, I worried about a low  fat cake.  At least it wasn’t non-fat, and the recipe looked like it had all the necessities needed to meet my yum factor.

So, it is my pleasure to share with you, the lower in fat,  Pumpkin Cake.

I rate this cake a 4 out of 4 stars.  I’m rating it as a “light” cake.  I can’t really say this is a 4 out of 4 star cake in the same way I would rate a Hummingbird Cake, because lets face it, it’s not a Hummingbird Cake.   Hummingbird Cake rates a 10 out of 4 out of 4 stars :)

Seriously, I think this is a fabulous cake.  It has the flavor of autumn, it’s dense and moist–all the more reasons to bake her up!

pumpkincake

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Adapted from November’s Cooking Light Magazine


Cake:

  • 10.1 oz all purpose flour (2.25 cups)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon ( I used more)
  • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 15 oz can pumpkin puree (Pure–check ingredients)
  • Cooking spray

Frosting:

  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuirng cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, other spices,and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
  3. Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 tsp vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, to sugar mixture, beat well after each addition. Add pumpkin puree; mix well. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13×9 inch baking ban coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
  4. To prepare frosting, combine 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Spread frosting evenly over top of cake. 

Yields 24 servings; serving size: 1 piece

Calories  178, Fat 5.5, Protein  3 g, Carb  30 g, Fiber  .09, Chol 32 mg, Iron 1.2mg, Sodium 135 mg, Calc 62 mg

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Buttercream Frosting

October 14, 2009 at 6:58 pm | Posted in baking, Cakes, Desserts, Food, photography, Recipes, Uncategorized | 18 Comments
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Finding  for the perfect chocolate birthday cake has always been a challenge for me.  There are so many chocolate cake recipes that I can quickly feel overwhelmed.  For her 66th birthday, my mother requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting .

Flour-less chocolate cakes are all the rage, and although I’m quite fond of the dark fudge-like cake, it is simply too much for a birthday cake.   Then there are the “too dry” chocolate cakes, the “not chocolate enough” chocolate cakes, the “too crumbly”, etc.

I think Grand Central Bakery’s cookbook nailed the chocolate birthday cake!  I opted not to use the ganache frosting, and found an easy buttercream frosting  that wouldn’t take over the very chocolatey cake.

cake2

Let me start with a warning here:  This cake is HUGE! The layers are so thick it looked like a three layer cake.  I don’t know about you, but I think more chocolate is always a good thing!

You can easily split each layer into two layers to make a 4 layered filled cake.  I simply used the two layers and layered with buttercream.

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Adapted from “The Grand Central Baking Book”

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE


4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into chunks

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into chunks

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( i use Dagoba)

1 Tbsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup  (8 ounces or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar (1 pound)

6 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups (16 ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or flour two 9″ cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.

Melt semi sweetened and unsweetened chocolate chunks in a double boiler”lower pan filled with an inch of lightly simmering water.  Set aside melted chocolate and cool slightly.

Combine the dry ingredients.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into bowl.

Cream teh butter and sugar.  Using a standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on med-high for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy, scrape bottom and sides of bowl with spatula to evenly incorporate the butter.

Add the eggs into a liquid measuring cup with the vanilla.  Mix on low speed, slowly pour in the eggs, let fall one at a time making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.

Add the melted chocolate all at once and mix on low speed until slightly combined.  It isn’t important to fully incorporate at this point.

Alternate additions of dry ingredients and buttermilk.  With mixer on low add one-third of the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk, mixing just till combined after each addition.  repeat using half of the main dry ingredients, and the remaining buttermilk.  Add the remaining dry ingredients and stop the mixer before they’re fully incorporated.  Finish mixing by hand using a sturdy spatula.

Bake.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.  Run a paring knife through the batter in one smooth motion-onei nch from the edge of the pan.

Bake 30 minutes, then rotate the pans (carefully) and lower the temperature to 325 degrees and bake 25-30 minutes more.  Check with wooden skewer for doneness.  Skewer should have a few crumbs sticking to it but no gooey batter.

Let cakes cool for 15 minutes before turning them out of their pans.  Wait until completely cool before splitting or frosting.

EASY Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Viet World Kitchen


Makes enough for a 9-inch 2-layer cake or the equivalent

1 3/4 – 2  sticks  unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2- 5 cups powdered sugar
1 cup dark cocoa powder (use a good quality cocoa)
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Approx.  7-8 Tablespoons heavy cream

Put the butter into a mixing bowl and sift 2/3 of the powdered sugar and 1/2 c cocoa powder into the  mixer bowl.  Mix at low speed till crumbly.  When crumbly, sift the remaining powdered sugar and cocoa into the bowl. Continue creaming the ingredients.

Once combined – it’s fine of the mixture is crumbly and dry looking – add the vanilla and cream. Increase the mixer speed to medium and then medium high to create a fluffy and darkly colored frosting. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Taste and add extra sugar if more sweetness is needed. The chocolate flavors will deepen as it sits. Add more cream to make a soft, spreadable frosting. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Return to room temperature before using.

cakeslice3

Sorry for the wrinkly frosting–I didn’t get around to photographing a slice until the next morning when I removed the saran wrap and had a slice for breakfast :)

Angelnina’s Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

September 26, 2009 at 7:45 pm | Posted in baking, Cookies, Desserts, Food, photography, Recipes | 4 Comments
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cocnutchocookies

These are my new favorite cookie.

Apparently my family likes them too because these cookies sure didn’t stick around in the cookie jar for very long :)

I just love coconut!  No, I mean, I really really love the stuff.  I know some people hate coconut, and I’ve heard people complain about certain foods tasting like the 1970s suntan oils.  Well, I’d like to confess that when I was a kid, I slathered that stuff all over me–I have the wrinkles and moles to prove it too.  If it was edible, I would be making 1970s coconut scented suntan oil cookies SPF 15.  I’m serious.

Yes, I’m a coconut nut.  Throw chocolate into the mix, and my eyes start to roll back into my head.  I’m afraid everything tastes better with chocolate.  So, I give you my version of the coconut chocolate chip cookie.

Angelnina’s Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 x-lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cups oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp Kosher salt

2 cups unsweetened coconut –I use the large shavings-processed in food processor

1 3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

-Cream butter and sugars with mixer

Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Add vanilla.

Mix dry ingredients together and Stir into wet mixture

Stir in chocolate chips

Scoop dough by tablespoon (or use medium scoop) onto parchment lined or silicon baking mat lined cookie sheet .

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes

PS These do not taste like suntan oil ;)

DSC_6366ABOVE: Giovanni lounging while I bake

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