Recipes – Page 2

Sexed by Chocolate – A Divinely Luscious Recipe

This cake is rich, thick and dense with chocolatey-ness. I did not frost it, because the cake itself is rich enough, however, for those daredevils out there, I’ve included a chocolate buttercream frosting recipe at the end.

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed espresso or coffee

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans, one 13x9x2-inch baking pan or a bundt pan. This is very important. Use vegetable shortening (like Crisco) and grease it well. Don’t skimp on the grease or the cake will stick in the pan and you will be sad. Do NOT use vegetable oil spray.
Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in hot coffee. Don’t worry if the batter is thin. That’s how it’s supposed to be. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan and approximately 35 min for bundt until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool EXACTLY 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frosting

3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners’ sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.

Enjoy!

Recipe Wednesday – Sweet Cornbread

I’m not much of a cook, but I do like to bake. I’d like to share one of my family’s favorites that easy to throw together and tastes so much better than the box cornbread mix. (No shade to the boxed mix, I’ve used that a time or two.)
For a less-sweet taste, of course, reduce the sugar….but who would want to do that?

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9-in round cake pan with butter OR use a 9 inch iron skillet.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.

Stir in egg, milk and olive oil until well combined. Pour batter into well-oiled pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Enjoy with butter.

Recipe Wednesday – Stewed Chicken with Andouille

My favorite is cold weather cooking – you can turn on the oven, the stove and warm up the kitchen with spicy aroma.

This recipe is taken from the Food Network site.

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 link andouille sausage (about 3 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 10-ounce package frozen whole baby okra, thawed
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Cut each chicken thigh into quarters (or 1 1/2-inch pieces, if large). Pat dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed until browned, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown all over, about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the okra and cook, covered, until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/stewed-chicken-with-andouille-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Recipe Wednesday – Chicken Kiev

On occasion, this geek gal likes to try her hand at new recipes in the kitchen. I’m not a great cook, but I know what tastes good and how to alter a recipe.

Unfortunately, I also like to pick complicated recipes that try my patience. (Don’t ask why, it’s just the way I’m built – I like a challenge.)

¼ cup butter, softened
1 tbs. chopped fresh chives or parsley
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic OR 2 tbs. chopped garlic from the jar
6 boneless, skinned chicken breast halves
12 toothpicks
3 cups cornflakes, crushed to 1 ½ cups
2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley
½ tsp paprika
¼ buttermilk or milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix softened butter, chives and garlic. Shape the mixture into a rectangle, like a stick of butter, then freeze for about 30 min. You will be slicing this later.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 pan. WITH BUTTER

Pound the chicken breast halves until they are as flat as possible – ½ – ¼” thick. I salt and pepper the meat, but that’s up to you.

Get your butter mixture. Slice it into six pieces. Place one piece on the center of chicken breast half. Fold the long ends of the chicken breast over the butter, then the short sides. Secure with toothpick.

Mix cornflakes, parsley and paprika. Dip chicken into buttermilk then coat evenly in the mixtures. Place the chicken in the pan, seam sides down.
Bake for about 35 min, uncovered. Remove toothpicks.

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Holiday Drinks

It’s Christmas Eve! Many of us are cooking with family, hanging out with friends or maybe enjoying a few days of peace. Whether you celebrate or not, it doesn’t matter – you can still enjoy these holiday-themed drinks!

Holiday Sangria

Author: Rachelle Lucas

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 8-10

A very easy recipe to make and share during holiday parties or to bottle and give as a gift.

Ingredients

2 bottles Merlot
1 bottle ginger ale
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground clove
4 to 6 oranges or tangelos
6 to 10 cinnamon sticks
½ bag of cranberries

Instructions

In a medium pot, combine Merlot, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Let simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved.
Pour immediately into a sealed pitcher or other container. Chop apples and add them along with the cinnamon sticks to the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Add ice and ginger ale to serve.
For a more carbonated punch or mimosa, add the ginger ale to the wine after it’s cooled … then it will keep the fizz.

Apple on the Rocks

Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

Ice

2 tablespoons applejack*

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chilled hard cider

Apple wedge (optional)

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. In cocktail shaker combine applejack, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Cover and shake about 10 seconds or until cold.
Fill a tall glass with ice; strain apple jack mixture into glass. Pour the hard cider on top. If desired, garnish with an apple wedge.

From the Test Kitchen

*Tip: Applejack is an apple liqueur distilled from apple cider. It provides a nice depth to this drink.

Christmas Jones

Ingredients

4 fresh strawberries
1 part vodka
2 tsp superfine sugar
5 oz pineapple juice
7-Up
mint sprigs for garnish

Preparation:

In a blender, whiz the vodka, strawberries, sugar and pineapple juice together.
Pour the mix equally into two highball glasses.
Top with 7-Up.
Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Let me leave you with this….