dessert recipe

Black Magic Cake

August 5, 2014 by Amy 7 Comments

I think I’ve found a new favorite cake.

When I saw this recipe over at My Baking Addiction, I knew that I had to try it. You can’t go wrong with Hershey’s!

Moist and chocolate-y, decadent and rich, this is not your average chocolate cake. Made in several layers, it looks fancy enough for a party, yet it’s actually quite simple to make. My Big Helper actually played a big part in the creation of our version!

To make this yummy confection, you’ll need these ingredients:

Hershey’s Black Magic Cake Ingredients:

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. white-wheat flour
3/4 c. Hershey’s cocoa
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk or sour milk
1 cup hot chocolate
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla

Faux – Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c. powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ready to pull this cake together? It’s just this easy:

Preheat your oven to 350 and line two round cake pans with waxed paper.
Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
Add the eggs, milk, coffee or hot chocolate, oil, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Cool cakes completely.
While cakes are cooling, mix the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar.
When cakes are cool, remove from pans. Spread cream cheese mixture on the bottom of one cake layer.
Top with the second cake layer, right side up.
Put the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl (I like to use a good batter bowl) and pour the cream into a small saucepan. Heat the cream over medium heat until bubbles just begin to form – do not let it boil! Pour hot cream immediately over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.
Let ganache cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the assembled cake.
Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.

How much chocolate can you handle?

Linked up at Grammy’s Grid.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

August 5, 2014 by Amy

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Years ago, at a family reunion, one of my cousins brought these cookies. They were big and beautiful, and nobody could believe that he’d really made them himself. He happily shared the recipe, though, and while you must have the ingredients down exactly and mix them by hand, they really are the best. Thick and chewy, these cookies are very rich. They’re perfect with a glass of milk or dipped half in melted chocolate. Enjoy!

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

2014-08-04 21:50:21

Yields 5

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

353g

Yields

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1658

Calories from Fat 756

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 85g

131%

Saturated Fat 29g

144%

Trans Fat 8g

Polyunsaturated Fat 19g

Monounsaturated Fat 31g

Cholesterol 127mg

42%

Sodium 1204mg

50%

Total Carbohydrates 207g

69%

Dietary Fiber 5g

19%

Sugars 129g

Protein 19g

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Calcium

21%

Iron

21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. shortening
3 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
3 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking soda
2 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

Cream sugars and shortening - completely by hand.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Blend flour, salt, and baking soda and add gradually to the wet mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll into balls the size of walnuts and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Notes

This recipe is not the same if mixed with a mixer! Be sure to do it completely by hand.

By Bruce Buffington

beta

calories

1658

fat

85g

protein

19g

carbs

207g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

What’s your favorite cookie?

Apple Pie Enchiladas

August 5, 2014 by Amy

A few days ago I was thinking about all the things I’d like to do with a few bushels of apples – but I only had two Granny Smiths in the fridge. After thinking over my options and our need for a quick, yummy breakfast, I came up with this dish.

The kids and I loved the cinnamon sugar snowflakes we made out of tortillas last winter, and crepes stuffed with cinnamon apples make a great treat, so I combined the two to get these breakfast enchiladas. They’re quick and healthy but “fancy” enough for company, too.

Apple Pie Enchiladas

2014-08-04 21:38:58

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

574g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 734

Calories from Fat 178

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 20g

31%

Saturated Fat 9g

47%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 31mg

10%

Sodium 552mg

23%

Total Carbohydrates 134g

45%

Dietary Fiber 14g

56%

Sugars 56g

Protein 11g

Vitamin A

11%

Vitamin C

28%

Calcium

10%

Iron

25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples
2 T. honey
1/4 c. water
3 T. butter, softened & divided
1 1/2 t. cinnamon-sugar mixture
2 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 t. cinnamon

Instructions

Peel and slice your apples into thin pieces.
Place them in a small frying pan with the cinnamon, honey, and half of the butter.
Saute the apples over medium heat until they are caramelized and cooked through.
Spread a thin layer of the remaining butter over the tortillas.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tortillas. I keep a shaker of this in my cupboard, and I don't measure how to make it. Just mix a few teaspoons of cinnamon with a few tablespoons of sugar until it's a happy soft brown color.
Place half the apples into a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place it in a baking dish. Repeat with the second tortilla.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until tortilla begins to get crispy. Watch carefully - you don't want it to burn!
Enjoy plain or with whipped cream.

Notes

This would be a super fun dessert with ice cream, too, and lots simpler than making an apple pie - though those are fun, too.

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

734

fat

20g

protein

11g

carbs

134g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

What’s your favorite way to eat an apple?

Whole Wheat Pinch-Me Cake

August 1, 2014 by Amy

I remember helping my mom make Pinch-Me Cake as a little girl. I loved rolling the yeasty dough into balls and covering it with cinnamon and sugar. It smelled wonderful while it was baking and tasted even better later when we ate it.

There was something special about the eating of it, too. Once, for a special family celebration, we made it and when the women had settled down at the table to talk, the Pinch-Me Cake went in the middle. Everyone pinched off pieces as they caught up with what was happening in each other’s lives. It was, at least for me, the social centerpiece of the party, and I’ve never forgotten it.

I don’t think my kids are likely to forget it, either. They LOVED making this cake – every aspect of it. We made it for a special breakfast, served with fresh fruit, and we sat around the table on an icy Saturday morning enjoying a breakfast together. With only four of us, we had leftovers the next day, which made everyone happy again.

This cake’s specialness doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye, though. It takes time to put together – not just concentrated time, but slow, take-a-big-part-of-your-day time. The bread needs to rise and roll and rise again and bake, so this is a great project for an at-home day. It does most of the work itself, but it does require frequent checks – and kids love to help make it.

Pinch-Me Cake is worth the effort, though. It’s definitely one of those meals that makes people appreciate something done well. If, however, you really want to speed up the process, you can use frozen bread dough, and that will allow you to skip several steps.

We chose to make this now as part of our Amish studies unit – for in central Pennsylvania where I’m from, you often see a treat of this sort at Amish roadside stands. We’ve lightened it up a bit here with a yummy whole wheat dough, but there’s still plenty of cinnamon-y sweetness. Amish or not, this makes a fun treat for the whole family.

Whole Wheat Pinch-Me Cake

2014-07-31 19:46:21

Yields 1

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

1806g

Yields

Amount Per Serving

Calories 5264

Calories from Fat 1007

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 115g

177%

Saturated Fat 69g

343%

Trans Fat 4g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7g

Monounsaturated Fat 29g

Cholesterol 297mg

99%

Sodium 5070mg

211%

Total Carbohydrates 956g

319%

Dietary Fiber 25g

100%

Sugars 355g

Protein 104g

Vitamin A

80%

Vitamin C

Calcium

102%

Iron

63%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

5 3/4 - 6 1/4 c. white-wheat flour
2 1/4 c. milk
2 T. honey
2 1/4 t. active dry yeast
2 t. salt
1 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar + handful

Instructions

Combine the flour and yeast.
In a small saucepan, heat milk, honey, butter, and salt until just warm, stirring constantly.
Add to dry mixture and beat at low speed for 1/2 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl.
Beat for 3 more minutes at high speed.
Slowly stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
Knead for 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Shape into a ball.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.
Cover; let rise in a warm place 'til double, about 1 1/4 hours.
Punch dough down.
Divide dough in half.
Combine 1/2 c. sugar with enough cinnamon to become a warm brown color in a small bowl.
Pull off dough the size of a walnut and roll gently into a ball. Roll in the cinnamon- sugar mixture. Place into a buttered Bundt pan. Repeat until you have used half the dough.
Sprinkle a handful of brown sugar over the dough balls in the Bundt pan.
Repeat rolling process with second half of the dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until 1 inch from the top of the pan, about 30 - 45 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter and stir in the brown sugar to make a 'goo.'
Pour 'goo' over the dough in the Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.
Turn out onto a foil-covered pan.
Serve warm.

By Amy Bradsher

beta

calories

5264

fat

115g

protein

104g

carbs

956g

A Nest in the Rocks http://anestintherocks.com/

The picture of only a partial cake above? That’s because people started eating it as soon as I flipped it over – there was never a whole cake to photogragh. Pinch-Me Cake is always a hit.

What’s your favorite special occasion dish?

“Lamb of God” Cupcakes

July 19, 2014 by Amy

I recently saw a picture in passing of fluffy cupcakes decorated as lambs for Easter, and since My Little Man loves to bake, I knew this project would be right up his alley. I don’t remember where we saw the picture, so we decided to make up our own ‘recipe.’

These cupcakes are not exactly a low-sugar treat, but they’re definitely fun to make – and to share. We took them to our weekly playgroup meeting and shared with our friends, and then shared more with several neighbors. Spread out like that, it makes a much more reasonable treat – and it’s a great way to spread the Good News, too.

During our school time, we read about how Jesus is the Lamb of the World, taken from John 1:29. We talked about how that means that Jesus paid for all of our sins when He died on the cross, just like the Israelites used lambs to pay for their sins before this. For his daily writing practice, My Little Man wrote, “Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.”

To create your own flock of Godly lambs, simply:

We started with our basic Goofy Cake recipe and baked them as cupcakes (20 minutes at 350 for regular sized ones.) Note: Most of our recipes work well with white-wheat flour and are already fairly low in sugar, but this recipe is not conducive to these changes. It works best with white flour, though it isn’t bad with white wheat, and the full amount of white sugar. This recipe makes about 24 regular sized cupcakes.
When cool, ice each cupcake with a thin layer of Mom’s White Icing (See recipe below.)
Stick a large marshmallow near one edge to be the head. Ours were turned every which way, and we thought as a whole it made the ‘flock’ look pretty interesting.
Cover the rest of the top with mini-marshmallows.
Near the edge opposite the head, place a black jellybean between marshmallows as a tail.
Create a face. Slicing another black jellybean in half gave the sheep an interesting bug-eyed look, but for most we opted for simple gray dots made out of icing. We piped pink crescents for smiles, and voila! you’ve got a herd of Godly lambs.

To make Mom’s White Icing, mix the following until well blended:

2/3 c. shortening
3 c. 10X sugar
1 t. vanilla
dash of salt
5 T. milk

Field Work Friday – Ice Cream in a Bag

July 18, 2014 by Amy

June is National Dairy Month, and with the heat we’ve been having, I’ve been craving ice cream! We decided to head to a local park and make some.

First, though, we had to get some energy out and work up a good sweat. Who can eat ice cream when they’re as cool as a cucumber?

Next, we had to hike over to the new dock and throw a few rocks and pine cones in the lake. Really, who could possibly concentrate on cooking when all that cool water is beckoning?

Finally, we were ready to make ice cream. This recipe is super simple and can be prepared in about 20 minutes. You can make it one of two ways: in nested freezer bags, or in nested coffee cans. The cans are my favorite because you can then roll the cans back and forth and make the work into a game – but the bags work just as well.

First, in either your small can or one quart freezer bag, pour 1 cup of whipping cream (or any non-homogenized cream), 1/2 cup of sugar, and a splash of vanilla. Seal it tightly and put it into the larger container – either the larger coffee can or a 1 gallon freezer bag.

Layer ice and rock salt in the outer bag or can and then seal that. If you are using the cans, start rolling them back and forth. If you’re using the bags, turn on some music and have a dance party! The idea is to keep that cream moving, moving, moving, until it thickens up into ice cream. Don’t let the cream stop moving!

This guy turned his bag over and over and over and … well, you get the idea.

When it has reached the consistency you like, open the bags very carefully – you don’t want to get the salty water from the outer container in the ice cream! – and scoop out your ice cream. Add any toppings you like – but it’s really great plain, too (and I don’t even like vanilla ice cream!).

I meant to take a picture of the finished product … but we were too busy eating it. I forgot. It was really yummy.

Next time your kids are hot and a bit bored, get out some bags, crank up the music, and make some ice cream!