Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

Cucumber & Carrots (Adapted from Martha Stewart Hors d'Oeuvres ) 1/4 c carrot juice 2 cardamon pods (freshly ground) 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 English cucumber In a small saucepan, simmer carrot juice and cardamon until reduce. Set aside to cool. Strain juice and add to softened cream cheese. Pipe cream cheese mixture onto cucumber slices. I used homemade cream cheese and I think some of the flavor of the carrot and cardamon was lost to the tang of the cream cheese but it was still very tasty. Definitely learn how to use a piping bag. These would be less impressive if there were just dollops of cream cheese on them. They really took little time to make but look like they took FOREVER to prepare.

Well I told you I had a lot of cream cheese. There was no other choice but to make another cake. I had already made the baked pierogies . That only used 1/3 c but they were delicious. I must plan better next time when I made homemade cream cheese. Well I had some bananas that were getting a little past their prime... Banana Chocolate Cake (adapted from JoyofBaking ) (with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting adapted from my brain) 2 c sugar 1 3/4 c flour 3/4 c cocoa powder 1 1/2 t baking powder 1 1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 2 eggs 1 c mashed ripe bananas (about 2) 1 1/2 c milk 1/2 c canola oil 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 t chocolate extract (optional) Frosting 1 1/2 c cream cheese 1 1/2 c chocolate chips (bittersweet or semi) 1 t vanilla 1 t chocolate extract Grease a 9x13 pan. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl mash the bananas. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and extracts. Whisk together.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry an...

So I made cream cheese again . Boy does that make a lot of cream cheese. I needed to figure out a way to use some of it up. Well this was one way. I have to say the homemade cream cheese is a little thinner than the store-bought stuff. Probably because they have stabilizers in theirs. I found that I used less sugar than the 2 1/2 cups for the frosting. I don't know if that was because the homemade has a very good flavor and it didn't need the additional sugar. The directions for this cake were not that clear or I just didn't read carefully enough (probably the latter). But I mixed all the liquid ingredients sugar and butter then tried to mix them. What a mess. I thought it was a rather strange direction. In order to save the recipe, I ended up straining out the liquid and trying to beat the butter until smooth. UGH - like I said a total mess. I ended up with some pretty large tunnels in the cake and I'm assuming this was the result of the error of my ways. Hopefull...

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY! Remember way back to last week when I had that disaster flag cake and I had two extra layers of red cake that I stowed away in the freezer - well here's what I did with it: When the world gives you lemons, make... Not too shabby huh? Here the cake recipe (adapted from Art & Soul of Baking ) 1 1/2 sticks of butter 3/4 c sugar 3 eggs 1 T vanilla 2 c sifted cake flour 3/4 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1/3 c buttermilk 30 drops red food coloring (optional) Grease and line 2 9" round baking pans with parchment paper rounds (or use silpat). Cream butter and sugar together. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs to creamed butter one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Add 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of flour, remainder of buttermilk and then remainder of flour.  Mixing well after each addition.  Add 30 drops of red food coloring. Pour batter into p...

When I was a kid, pierogies were something that we always made for a special occasion-at least the homemade kind. We usually made them for Christmas Eve.  I remember it always being such a project with perhaps a little bit of yelling involved. But now I don't think they are such a project (hey I make my own cheese right?). They are well worth the work. I can usually knock them out in less than an hour, as long as the mashed potatoes are cool. Potato/Cheese Pierogi For the dough: 2 c flour 1 egg 2 T sour cream 1 T butter 1/4 t salt approx 1/2 c water 1/2 c cold mashed potatoes Potato/Cheese Filling: 1 T grated onion (or shallot) 2 T butter 2 c cold mashed potato 1 c cottage cheese salt/pepper Mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside. Mix the dough ingredients and knead - do not knead too much or dough will become tough.  Divide dough in half. Cover and set aside 1/2 of dough.  Roll dough thin on a floured surface.  Cut into 2" circles ...

OK now I know I really need to find a job. I'm making cheese now. I've made mozzarella, I've made ricotta so why not try something a little more complicated.  Why not try to make cream cheese?  It really is not that much more complicated than mozzarella or ricotta. It's just as easy. You just have to source the ingredients - and like I've said before I've got nothing but time to source ingredients. Off to the web of knowledge (aka the internet). I found the ingredients here . All the ingredients except for a pot, strainer, cheesecloth, and a bowl Of course I already had the recipe from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese. It is a book that gives you recipes for all sorts of things that you would never think of making (that's where I got the Worcestershire recipe from). Or if you look at it in another way-all sorts of ways that you could potentially kill off your loved ones by making a mistake with one of the recipes. Perspective - you k...