Chocolate Chunk Cookie For One

I found in this recipe in Food and Wine and had to try it.  It's  quick and simple and can satisfy your craving for something sweet without leaving you with extra temptation.  The cookie isn't as good as ones made from a traditional chocolate cookie recipe but still good enough that you will be glad it only makes one cookie.

Chocolate Chunk Cookie for One

Ingredients
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 Tbs packed light brown sugar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla
sea salt
2 Tbs all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions
1.  Prheat oven to 350
2.  In a small microwave proof bowl, heat the butter until just softened, about 10 seconds
3.  Using a fork, blend in both sugars, the vanilla and a pinch of salt.
4.  Blend in the flour, than stir in the chocolate chunks.
5.  Scoop the batter onto a parchment lined tray and sprinkle with salt.
6.  Bake for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned.
7.  Cool slightly than enjoy.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Yet another Bon Appetit recipe worth making.  This cake is almost a cross between a bread and a cake.  It is a dense but moist cake.  I have also made a half recipe and baked it as two small loaves as a banana bread.  The recipe calls for a peanut butter frosting which makes a nice combination but I have also made it with a chocolate frosting and liked it just as much.  If trying it with chocolate frosting use the recipe used with the chocolate cake recipe posted.


INGREDIENTS

CAKE
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1½ cups cups sugar
1 cup cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup cup (packed) light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cups mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup cup sour cream
1 10-oz. bag mini chocolate chips
FROSTING
2 cups cups creamy peanut butter
1½ cups cups powdered sugar
1 cup cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ teaspoon tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate kisses


PREPARATION

CAKE
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment; coat paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients; beat on low speed just to blend. Add bananas and sour cream; beat just to blend. Fold in mini chips. Divide batter evenly among pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; peel off parchment and let cool completely.
FROSTING
Using an electric mixer, beat first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until a light and fluffy frosting forms, 2–3 minutes.
Place 1 cake on a platter. Spread 1¼ cups frosting over. Place remaining cake on top. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Garnish with chocolate chips and kisses. Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

The Best Chocolate Layer Cake

I like to follow the blog Desserts for Breakfast.  I love the name and have found a number of recipes that I have tried.  This chocolate cake has become a new favorite.  It reminds me of the chocolate cake from Just Desserts.  It was a sad day when the bakery st.  I think I served one at all of my daughter's birthday parties.  

The Best Chocolate Layer Cake
adapted from The Essence of Chocolate
makes one 3-layer 8" cake or slightly shorter 9" cake

for frosting:
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
7.5 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and heavy cream to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the cream and sugar for six minutes. Be careful not to let the saucepan overflow.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate and butter until they have completely melted.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Let the frosting cool completely, whisking every now and then during cooling.  (You can do this step in the refrigerator to speed up the process)  Once completely cool at room temperature, the frosting will be spreadable.

for cake:
3 cups sugar
scant 3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup + 2 Tbspn (135 gr) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup hot coffee

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease, flour, and line the bottoms of three 8" round cake pans. 
2. In a mixer bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, vegetable oil, and milk. Stir to mix. Then, with the mixer on low, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix on low until evenly distributed.
4. Pour the hot coffee into the batter and mix on medium low until smooth. The batter will be soupy.
5. Divide the batter between the cake pans.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out cleanly, the cakes are done. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
7. Level the cakes (this is easier if they've sat in the freezer for at least one hour beforehand).
8. Stack the cakes, spreading a layer of frosting in between each cake layer. Frost the outside of the cake--for a smoother finish, use a hot knife.

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

My youngest loves anything chocolate and peppermint and even better when added together.  I've adapted a William Sonoma recipe to make this brownie like cookie mixing in Ghiradelli peppermint bark candies.

Ingredients

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 Tbs (1/2 stick0 unsalted butter
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c Dutch process cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped peppermint bark (I like mixing Ghiradelli dark and light chocolate bark)
1/2 c chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1.  Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water.  Or in a saucepan over low heat and stir constantly until melted.  Remove from the hear and let cool slightly.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium until light in color and thick, about three minutes.  Reduce the speed to low, add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until blended.  Add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.  Stir in peppermint bark and chocolate chips.

4.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls, about two hours.

5.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

6.  Roll dough into balls and place three inches apart.  Flatten with the bottom of a glass.  Bake for 13-15 minutes until tops are puffy and firm.  Cool for five minutes and transfer to a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

I've become a big fan of olive oil cakes.  They are fool proof and results in a dense yet moist cake.  They can be iced or simply dusted with powdered sugar.  It makes a nice dessert for breakfast with a good cup of coffee. It can be made with all almond meal (flour) for gluten free or all purpose flour or a mixture of both.  I found this recipe in Health Magazine.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
2/3 c olive oil, plus more for greasing the cake pan
6 Tbs good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c boiling water
1 1/2 c almond meal(flour)  or 3/4 c plus 1 Tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 c superfine (baker's) sugar
3 large eggs

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 325.  Grease a 9 inch springform pan or high sided tart pan with removable bottom with a little olive oil and line bottom with parchment paper.  Or spray with baking pam.

2.  Sift cocoa powder into a bowl and whisk in boiling water until you have a smooth chocolate, barely runny paste.  Whisk in vanilla extract and set aside to cool.

3.  In a small bowl, combine almond meal or flour with baking soda and a pinch of salt.

4.  Put sugar, olive oil and eggs into bowl of a freestanding mixer with a paddle attachment or a bowl and whisk.  Beat vigorously until mixture is pale primrose, aerated, thickened and creamy about 3 minutes.

5.  Turn down mixer speed and beat in cocoa mixture.  Slowly add almond meal or flour mixture.

6.  Turn off mixer and stir a little with a spatula.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan.  Bake until sides of cake are set and very center still looks slightly damp, 40 to 45 minutes.  A cake tester should come out mainly clean with a few sticky chocolate crumbs.

7.  Let cake cool in it pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Ease sides of cake with a small metal spatula or knife and remove cake from pan.  Leave it to cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Serve with ice cream and/or berries.