Chocolate Cake

 This chocolate cake is adapted from Add a Pinch's "Best Chocolate Cake Recipe{Ever}"

It definitely lives up to its name. A previous post that Mom(Alana) posted, "Completely Chocolate Cupcakes" is okay, but this is much better. We adapted it by omitting espresso powder and using melted butter instead of oil. It makes one 9x13 pan.

                                                   

  Ingredients:

 2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk 

1/2 melted butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water 

Instructions

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 9x13 pan.

2.) Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with paddle attachment. You could also use a large bowl and stir with a whisk.

 3.) Add milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and add boiling water. On this step, the batter will get very thin. This is normal.

4.) Pour the batter into prepped pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until firm to the touch.

 This cake can be frozen easily. Just double-wrap it in saran wrap and put it in the freezer.

Update

Life has been busy and I haven't had a chance to post in years.  But, Liana is taking over the blog!  These are still my (Alana's) recipes but Liana will be taking photos, and posting updates.  We look forward to collaborating on bringing you deliciousness!  See below for her first post--Molasses Sugar Cookies.

Molasses Sugar Cookies

1. 

2. These delicious sugar cookies have molasses, ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. They’re perfect for autumn and winter evenings. They develop a cracked top while they bake.   This recipe was originally developed by Grandma Carol, and we have enjoyed it for years.

The picture below is of the finished dough before rolling into balls. The picture above is of dough ready to go into the oven.

           

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients: 

½ + ⅓ a cup of brown sugar.

½ cup butter

1 egg

¼  of a cup of molasses (I used unsulphured organic molasses, but anything works)

2 cups all-purpose flour (or for gluten-free I recommend cup4cup gluten-free flour)

1 ½  teaspoons of baking soda

½ teaspoon of salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp of ground cloves

A small bowl of white sugar to roll the dough in.  

 

Instructions:

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer equipped with a paddle.
2. Add the egg and molasses and mix again.
3. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix on low, and when they’re mixed in, speed up. 
4. Use a 1 ½ inch ice cream scoop or tablespoon to form a ball. Roll in the small bowl of sugar until lightly covered all around.
5. Make 12 balls and put them onto a 13 x 18 cookie sheet. Put 3 in each row, and 4 in each column
6.  Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.

These cookies can be frozen in rolled balls and enjoyed at any time. Just follow steps 4-6, and extend the baking time to 13-15 minutes.

1. 
   

Three Layer Bars

Mom has been making these at Christmas time for as long as I can remember.  This makes a pretty big batch--enough to pass around on cookie platters and still eat them for weeks.  She usually cuts them into small 2 inch squares since they are pretty rich.

Three Layer Bars
Makes two 8 x 16 pans

First layer:
2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 teaspoon vanilla
80 graham crackers (one 2 lb box), ground into graham cracker crumbs
14 oz flaked sweetened coconut
3 cups finely chopped walnuts

In a large saucepan melt butter, and stir in cocoa and sugar until smooth.  Add milk.  Bring to a boil. Blend a little milk mixture into the eggs, stir, and return all the eggs to the milk mixture, stirring until slightly thick.  Add vanilla.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts.  Press into two 8 x 16 pans.

Second layer:
1 1/2 cup butter
6 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons vanilla

In a bowl cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.  Blend in the milk and vanilla.  Spread over the first layer.  Chill 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Third layer:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
coarsely chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top

In a saucepan combine chocolate chips, butter, and milk.  Heat over low heat.  Stir constantly until smooth.  Spread over the second layer and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.  Chill.  Cut each pan into bars.

Mom's Holiday Butter Rolls

These are pretty much the perfect dinner roll, and don't need much introduction.  Mom usually makes a double batch for large family gatherings.  

Mom's Holiday Butter Rolls

Makes 24 regular or 16 large rolls.

Ingredients

2 rounded tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup water; warm (110 to 115 degrees F)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg; lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter plus 1/4 cup butter, melted; divided

Preparation

In stand mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile combine milk, sugar, 1 cup of butter in a sauce pan and heat until butter melts.  Cool this down a bit in the fridge until it is warm not hot, then whisk in egg and salt.  Pour into the stand mixer bowl with the yeast.  Gradually add 3 cups flour, one cup at a time; beating until smooth with dough paddle attachment.   (Mom says she may switch to the dough hook at some point, but couldn't remember.) Add remaining flour, beating to make a soft dough (dough will be slightly sticky).   Do not knead. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch down dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, divide dough into 2 equal portions, knead a few times times. Let rise about 10 minutes. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one dough half into a 14 to 16 inch circle.  Spread 2 tablespoons melted butter on the dough circle.  Cut circle into 12 wedges.  Roll up each wedge, starting at wide end. Place point-side down, 2-inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Curve ends to form a crescent shape.  Repeat with the remaining dough half and remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Rolls may be frozen at this point, see below for freezing instructions.  If baking immediately, cover loosely plastic wrap and let rolls rise in a warm place, until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake in the center of oven until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

Note: For make-ahead frozen rolls; mix, rise, and shape rolls as directed. Place on a nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheet that will fit in freezer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, about 2 to 3 hours. Transfer rolls to a plastic freezer bag. Freeze rolls for up to 2 weeks, but no longer, because the leavening power of the yeast will begin to decrease.

To defrost and serve freezer rolls, place unbaked frozen rolls on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, until doubled in bulk, about 2 to 3 hour. The rolls may also be thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Updates

In order to facilitate easy blog posting, I needed to move the blog one more time...which required a name change.  So from thesugaredpeach.com to thesugaredpeach.blogspot.com (which still exists but won't be updated), I am now posting here at blissedoutbaking.blogspot.com.  I kept the order of recipes the same as it has always been, and will try to add a recipe index in the near future.

Mom's Holiday Jell-o Salad

Gratitude to our midwestern ancestors for this gem.  Not the most sophisticated recipe on the blog, but so tasty! Great Grandma Millie made a version of this, as did Great Aunt Jan. My mother updated it a bit since we don't particularly want to eat Cool Whip these days.

Mom's Holiday Jell-o Salad

One large package of raspberry or raspberry/cranberry Jell-o

One 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice

One 15 ounce mandarin orange in light syrup

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tb sugar

Strain pineapple and mandarin oranges in a colander over a bowl, reserving the juices.  Set aside. There will be about 2 cups of juice from the canned fruit.  

Pour the Jell-o mix into a big heatproof bowl.  Add 2 cups of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the reserved juice from the canned fruit.  Place bowl in the refrigerator until the Jell-o is slightly thickened.  Add the strained fruit and stir.  Place back in the refrigerator until almost set.  

Whip 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with the sugar until stiff but not butter.  When Jell-o is about like thick pancake batter stir in the whipped cream.  Pour into a mold and set overnight.