National Chocolate Week Recipes

Extra Moist Chocolate Lava Cakes

Happy National Chocolate Week!

I’ve been doing my best to eat a lot of chocolate to celebrate.  However, I wasn’t able to bake anything this week because of midterms in my 16 week classes and finals in my 8 week classes.

No worries, though, because I’ve been stalking some of my favorite blogs for their chocolate recipes.  Check them out!  (All of the following photos belong to the owners of each website.)

Chocolate Snickerdoodles by Baked Bree:

Chocolate Velvet by Love and Olive Oil:

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes by Your Cup of Cake:

Sweet Chocolate Kiss Cookies by Cake Spy:

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Brownies by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen:

Chocolate Ice Box Cupcakes by Two Peas and Their Pod:

How have you been celebrating National Chocolate Week? Leave links!  I would love to see your chocolate creations.

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Bread

What’s your favorite dessert?

Because, whatever it is, I guarantee this will be your new favorite.  I can’t tell you how good this bread is.  Honestly, it shouldn’t be called bread because it’s more like brownies and cookie dough.

The cookie dough part stays gooey because there’s no baking powder/soda or eggs.  The bread part is fudge-like.  Just try it…I promise you’ll like it.  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

But really, what is your favorite dessert?

Cookie Dough Filled Chocolate Bread

Adapted from: Kavita’s Kitchen and Mrs. Regueiro’s Plate

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup chocolate chips
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

For the cookie dough:

• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cream
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¾ cup flour
• Dash of salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
3. Add in sour cream and olive oil and stir them together.
4. Add in the rest of the liquids and fold in with the dry ingredients until it forms a smooth consistency.
5. Add in the chocolate chips.
6. Grease a bread pan and pour half of the in the mixture into it.
7. Prepare the cookie dough mixture. Cream together the sugar and the butters in the bowl of the stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla, and combine.
9. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
10. Spread on top of the first half of the chocolate bread batter.
11. Top cookie dough with the other half of the bread batter.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for an 40-45 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.

Extra Moist Chocolate Lava Cakes- Muffin Tin Chef Review

If you’re looking for quick, from-scratch, appropriately sized meals, then I highly recommend you get the cookbook Muffin Tin Chef.  Who knew that a muffin tin is the most versatile piece of cookware in our cabinets?

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Muffin Tin Chef, and to be honest, I put it aside for a while during the last busy weeks of my college semester.   When I moved back home and was finally able to read the book, I was kind of surprised at how much I liked it.

It really is clever how many dishes Matt Kadey was able to downsize into the size of a muffin tin.  I think I liked the book so much because:

1. Easy portion control.
2. Quick cooking time.
3. All from scratch.
4. Small batches.
5. Variety of desserts, dinners, lunches, breakfasts, appetizers, and snacks.
6. Easy to follow instructions.
7. Simple to make a 3-course meal quickly.
8. Well.. anything muffin tin sized is just cute.

So, if you don’t have this book, I suggest you buy it… even if it’s just solely to get the recipe for these chocolate lava cakes.  These are like flour-less cake, except for a minor addition of flour.  They taste so good though.. the gooey chocolate had me at hello.

Muffin Tin Chef- Extra Moist Chocolate  Lava Cakes

Found on page 122.

 

Vanilla Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Vanilla brownies? Whaaatt?

I was feelin’ creative when I made these and thought, “Why not?”

So yes, brownies made with vanilla pudding mix = vanilla brownies.

Add some peanut butter frosting on top and you’ve got yourself a vanilla/chocolate/peanut butter masterpiece. They’re ooey and gooey and awesome.  You really just can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.  One of my friends who doesn’t like brownies told me he loved it.

I thought I’d give you guys this recipe before I start going crazy with pumpkin/fall/Halloween recipes.  So enjoy it because they’re coming soon.

Vanilla Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

·         3/4 cup butter

·         3/4 cup white sugar

·         3 eggs

·         2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 package vanilla pudding

·         3/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

      1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
3. Beat in cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, vanilla pudding, and baking powder. 
4. Fold in chocolate chips. Spread batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
6. Frost with this frosting.