Company Chocolate Cake

Recipe from The Mother Huddle

1 Devils Food cake mix

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat eggs until frothy. Add oil and water and mix until well blended. Add cake mix, sour cream and vanilla. Beat until well blended and then add pudding mix and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon batter into a well greased bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes. Test center with toothpick, it will come out clean when the cake is done. Serve with whip cream and strawberries if desired.

Frosty Orange Dream Squares

40 Nilla Wafers, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding (see note below)
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed, divided
2 cups orange sherbet, softened

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix wafer crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan; set aside.

ADD milk to dry pudding mixes in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Spoon evenly over crust. Refrigerate 10 min. Add remaining whipped topping to sherbet; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Spoon over pudding layer; cover.

FREEZE at least 3 hours. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftovers in freezer.

Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake

from Martha Stewart Living

FOR THE STREUSEL
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
6 ounces ( 3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter

FOR THE CAKE
5 Meyer lemons, cut into paper-thin slices, ends discarded
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest (from 4 to 5 lemons)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

FOR THE GLAZE
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Make the streusel: Mix together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter into the flour mixture until small to medium clumps form. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 3 days).
Make the cake: Cook lemon slices in a medium saucepan of simmering water for 1 minute. Drain, and repeat. Arrange lemon slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch angel food cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, then the vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream.
Spoon 1/2 of the batter evenly into cake pan. Arrange 1/2 of the lemon slices in a single layer over the batter. Spread remaining batter evenly over the top. Cover with the remaining lemon slices in a single layer. Sprinkle the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
Bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and remove outer ring. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the center tube. Slide 2 wide spatulas between the bottom of the cake and the pan, and lift cake to remove from the center tube. Let cool completely on rack.
Make the glaze: Just before serving, stir together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Drizzle over cooled cake, letting excess drip down the sides. Let glaze set before slicing, about 5 minutes. (Cake can be stored for up to 3 days. The lemon flavor will intensify with time.)

Next time I make this cake, I won't put the cooked lemon slices in the middle of the layers. None of us wanted to eat them because of their texture. I'll just increase the lemon zest, and it will save a lot of time, too.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cupcakes

via Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Stir in chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula.
Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Add a few more chips on top just before baking. Bake until pale golden and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire racks; let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze

From Erika at Peapod Pink

1 box Swiss Chocolate (or other chocolate) cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup or more semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Allow to cool. Glaze with Vanilla glaze.

Vanilla glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 TBSP milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 TBSP butter

Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy. You may need to add more milk slowly to get the consistency that you want.

Banana Choco Tacos

from Country Home Magazine

6 8–9-inch flour tortillas
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. cinnamon-sugar* (or a mix of 3 parts sugar, 1 part ground cinnamon)
2 large ripe bananas, sliced
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 cups tiny marshmallows

Stack tortillas and wrap in a piece of heavy foil; grill directly over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until warm and pliable, turning packet once.

Remove tortillas to a work surface. Lightly brush each tortilla on 1 side with butter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar. Top half of the buttered side of each tortilla with some of the banana slices, chocolate pieces, and marshmallows. Fold the other half over the filled half, pressing lightly. Use a spatula to place each taco atop the grill rack and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned and chocolate and marshmallows start to melt, flipping over halfway through grilling time with the spatula.

If desired, fold each taco in half again and serve in a paper napkin or parchment paper.
Makes 6 servings.

Berry Buttermilk Sherbet

from Cooking Light

2 1/2 c. blackberries (I used raspberries; I think any berry would do.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 c. low-fat buttermilk

Combine blackberries and sugar in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Strain blackberry mixture through a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Stir in buttermilk.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sherbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 4 hours or until firm.

Banana Pudding Parfaits

from Everyday Food Magazine

Serves 5-6 people

2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 c. milk
4 large egg yolks
2 T. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 t. vanilla extract (I doubled it. Yum.)
2 bananas, sliced at last minute. Plus more for garnish.
12 shortbread or other vanilla-flavored cookies
sweetened whipped cream, for garnish

1. Have ready a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time), whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch; whisk in egg yolks.
2. Whisking constantly, cook mixture over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low; whisking constantly, cook 1 minute.. Remove from heat, and immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding. Let pudding cool slightly; meanwhile, slice bananas.
3. In six 8-ounce glasses, alternately layer warm pudding with cookies and bananas, ending with pudding and covering bananas as completely as you can to prevent discoloration. Refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour, and covered with plastic wrap, up to 2 days.
4. To serve, top with whipped cream and more crumbled cookies and sliced bananas.

Banana Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Magazine

MAKES 1 quart

1/2 c. plus 2 T shredded sweetened coconut
2 pints vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 small bananas, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven, tossing about halfway through, until pale golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Let cool completely.

2. Mix ice cream, chocolate, banana, and 1/2 c. toasted coconut in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment until combined, about 1 minute.

3. Press mixture into a 1-quart airtight container; freeze until firm, about 50 minutes. Serve scoops of ice cream sprinkled with remaining 2 T coconut.

"Better than You-Know-What" Cake

Courtesy of Paula Deen

1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 (3.4-ounce) box French vanilla pudding, plus ingredients to prepare
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup flaked, sweetened toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. While cake is baking, combine the pineapple and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into cake. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.
Prepare pudding according to package directions. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Whip heavy cream and remaining sugar until stiff. Cover top of cake with whipped cream and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.

Caramel Layer Cocoa Squares

Courtesy of Melinda Masters

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a heavy saucepan, combine caramels and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, melted butter and a little less than 1/3 cup of evaporated milk by hand until dough holds together. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan, reserving the rest.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust, pour the caramel mixture evenly over the chips. Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel layer and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool in refrigerator to set the caramel before cutting into bars.

Crème Anglaise with Brown-Sugared Strawberries

Courtesy of Leslie Horn

3 c. halved strawberries
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 large eggs
2 c. whole milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. almond extract
fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

1. Combine strawberries and brown sugar; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Combine granulated sugar, salt, and eggs in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Heat milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180 degrees, or until tiny bubbles form around the edge (do not boil). Gradually add milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until a lightly thick mixture coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in extracts. Strain through a fine sieve. Serve warm or chilled over strawberries. Garnish with mint, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings

Berry Buckle

Courtesy of MSL Everyday Food Magazine

1 cup flour
1 stick butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
3 eggs
2 containers raspberries (or other berries such as blueberries or strawberries, or a combination)
confectioners' sugar for dusting
whipped cream or ice cream for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; with mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.

Spread batter in baking dish. Scatter raspberries on top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes; dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. With a large spoon, scoop out onto serving plates; serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Warm Chocolate Puddings

Courtesy, Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food Magazine

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 eggs, separated (keep whites and yolks)
4 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla extract

vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375. Place four 6-8 ounce ovenproof bowls on a baking sheet. Set aside.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in 2 tablespoons sugar, then egg yolks and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Still beating, gradually add remaining 2 T. sugar; beat until mixture is stiff and glossy.
4. Using a rubber spatula, mix about 1/3 egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture just until combined. Divide among bowls. (Puddings can be prepared in advance up to this point; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
5. Bake until tops are puffed and cracked but insides are still quite soft (a toothpick inserted in center will come out gooey), 20 to 25, or 25 to 30 minutes if puddings were previously refrigerated. Serve, warm or at room teperature (puddings may sink as they cool), topped with ice cream, if desired.

Gateau au Citron

Courtesy of the CuisinArt Recipe Book

1 lemon
½ c. sugar
½ c. butter
2 eggs
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 8” cake pan or egg shaped muffin cups.
Zest the lemon.
In food processor, add lemon zest to sugar and process about 20 seconds.
Add cuts of butter, one at a time.
Add eggs, one at a time, then process until smooth.
Mix baking powder and flour together in a separate bowl.
Add flour mixture to food processor, all at once. Pulse a few times until flour is barely incorporated.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and springy to touch.
Mix juice from the lemon and powdered sugar. Spoon over the top of the cakes while they are hot.

Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Courtesy Ann Harris

1 large can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves

Mix well and pour into a 9x13 cake pan.
Then combine the following ingredients and crumble over the top of pumpkin mixture:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup melted butter or margarine

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then serve warm with whipped cream on the side.

Best Pumpkin Pie

Courtesy Better Homes and Gardens, November 2006

Use the lower amount of spice for a golden, mildly spicy pie. The larger amount yields a more robust flavor.

1 single-crust pie shell (I used a frozen one)
1 15-oz can pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1 to 1 1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 to 1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. salt
1/4 to 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 t. ground cloves
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/4 c. milk

Sweetened whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add milk; stir until combined.
3. Carefully pour filling in pastry shell. To prevent over-browning, cover edge of pie crust with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25-30 more minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream. YUM!

Fruit with Cannoli Cream

courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

(when I made this, I used only strawberries - so reflects the photo)

1/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
12 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 dry pint fresh raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 kiwi, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Stir the ricotta and 2 tablespoons of cream in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/3 cup of cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl until semi-firm peaks form. Fold the ricotta into the whipped cream. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to stiffen and yield a creamier filling. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Toss the strawberries, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl to combine. Let stand until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the kiwi.

Spoon the fruit mixture into 4 dessert bowls. Dollop the ricotta cream atop the fruit. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

courtsey of Giada De Laurentiis

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
1 1/3 cups water
3 large eggs whites
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (6-ounce) containers fresh raspberries, cut in half or 1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for dusting

Line 18 muffin cups with muffin papers. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well blended. Using about 1/3 cup of batter for each cupcake, spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake the cupcakes until they are very pale golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack.

Using a fork, coarsely mash 1 1/2 containers of raspberries in a medium bowl. Beat the cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold the mashed raspberries into the whipped cream.

Remove the muffin papers from the cupcakes and cut the tops off of each cupcake. Spoon the raspberry whipped cream atop the cupcake bottoms. Place the cupcake tops on the cupcakes. Dust with more powdered sugar and serve with the remaining berries.

Blackberry Grunt

courtesy of Alton Brown, Food Network

9 1/2 ounces all purpose flour, approximately 2 cups
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 cup buttermilk
1 pound 3 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries, approximately 4 cups (we've also used mixed berries in any combination - every time it is fabulous)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drippings.

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into the bowl of a food processor and process for 3 to 4 pulses. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, work the butter into the flour mixture until about half of the fat disappears and the rest is left in pea-size pieces. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until it comes together. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper that has been lightly dusted with flour, shape into a ball and wrap and store in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Combine the blackberries, sugar, water and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Pour the mixture into a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place over medium heat. Bring this to a simmer decrease the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Retrieve the dough from the refrigerator and gently drop it on the fruit mixture using a 1-ounce disher or large spoon, evenly distributing it over the top. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow the grunt to cool for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.