Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

Ingredients:For the cake:
1½ cups (4½ oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. espresso powder
1½ cups boiling water
¾ cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 sticks (12 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (18¼ oz.) sugar
3 large eggs
1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp. (9¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt

For the raspberry filling:
16 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the raspberry frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry puree*
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pink gel icing color (optional)

For the chocolate glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Additional fresh raspberries

*For best flavor, use fresh organic raspberries.

Directions:To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour the edges of three 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Add in the boiling water and whisk together until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; stir together to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl in three additions, alternating with the cocoa-sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans about 15 minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the raspberry filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained berries with a spatula. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, thick ganache is formed. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated. Let the ganache sit to thicken a bit so that it is suitable for spreading and piping. (To speed thickening, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure even cooling until the desired consistency is reached.) Transfer about ½ cup of the thickened ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Reserve another ½ cup of ganache in a small bowl or container. (This can be used later for decorative detailing, if desired.)

To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ½ cup of the ganache in an even layer over the cake. Using the reserved ganache in the pastry bag, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake layer. This will act as a well to help hold in the raspberry filling. Spoon some of the raspberry filling inside the ganache border in an even layer. Top with another layer of cake and repeat this process, layering with another ½ cup of ganache and additional raspberry filling. Top with the remaining cake layer.

To make the raspberry frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (I use my mixer bowl here to dirty one less dish.) Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.) Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, tint with pink icing gel to achieve your desired shade.

Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the raspberry buttercream, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.) Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides. Let the glaze set about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the remaining reserved ganache to a consistency for piping. (You can microwave in 5 second intervals on low power – it won’t take long to rewarm. If you overshoot and the ganache becomes too thin, simply chill again in the fridge or freezer until it is thick enough to pipe.) Transfer the ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe swirls of ganache around the edge of the top of the cake and top each swirl with a fresh raspberry. Chill the cake until ready to serve

Balsamic Chicken

I found this recipe on Melissa's bargain blog. I love all things balsamic and I love food cooked in the slow cooker because it makes dinner time so much less stressful. Everyone in my family loved this chicken. This will definitely become a regular at our house.

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves – approx. 1.5 to 2 lbs.
½ C. Olive Oil
½ – 1 C. Balsamic Vinegar – depending on how tangy you like the recipe
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
3-4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 t. crushed dry oregano

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in Crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and serve chicken and sauce over rice or angel hair pasta. The consistency and taste of the sauce is sweet and tangy like an Italian barbeque sauce.

Strawberries n Cream mini muffins

I saw this recipe in People magazine and immediately wanted to try them. They were in an article that went along with Will and Kate's Royal wedding and included English recipes. So when my niece and I decided to have a Royal wedding viewing party this is what I wanted to contribute. They were very good. I don't know if it's an issue with all mini muffins or this recipe but half the muffin stuck to the muffin cup. I'd like to try these as full size in the future.

Ingredients:1 cup strawberries diced into quarter-inch pieces
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper baking cups.
Put diced strawberries into a bowl, spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.
In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder.
In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon. Fold in strawberries.
Divide batter evenly among the paper cups in the mini-muffin tin. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Place tin on a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes. Take out the muffins and continue cooling them in the paper cups on the wire rack. When muffins are completely cool, place the powdered sugar in a small sieve. Shake sieve lightly to dust the muffins with sugar. Serve.

Note: If making regular sized muffins it makes 12 and will have to bake for about 17 minutes

Pani Popo (Hawaiian rolls)

My niece, Lia, made these roll for our Hawaiian themed New Year's party. I don't like coconut but all the food at that party seemed to have a bit of coconut in it so I gave it all a try. Even though these rolls are covered in coconut milk, they were sweet enough that I still loved them. When a friend of mine had her own Hawaiian themed party I knew just what to bring! The best thing about them is how completely simple they are to make.

Ingredients:
Rhodes Rolls (or any dinner roll recipe)
1 can coconut milk
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup sugar

Directions:You can just use any dinner roll recipe you want, or use the frozen rhodes rolls (but thaw them and let them rise). Once the rolls are risen to how you would usually bake them, mix 1 can coconut milk, 3 tablespoons sweeten condensed milk, and 3/4 cup sugar, and then pour this mixture over the rolls and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (I found that my rolls only needed about 20 min to bake)

Hawaiian Haystacks

We recently had these at a church activity. Super easy to make and tasty too. It's easy to customize to everyone's taste with the different toppings you can put on top. My favorite toppings are the chow mein noodles, green onions, cheese, and pineapple. Yum.

Ingredients:1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sliced mushrooms
6 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces

Directions:Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and salt and stir. Add milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms and chicken. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Serves 8.

Serve over sticky, white rice with the following toppings:

grated cheddar cheese
chopped celery
chowmein noodles
pineapple tidbits
chopped tomatoes
coconut
toasted sliced almonds
chopped green onions
soy sauce

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
optional: chocolate chips

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together. If you want chocolate--I always do add the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Easy.

Sesame Green Beans

Ingredients
8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions1.Place the green beans into a steamer insert and set in a pot over one inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover and steam for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer beans to a serving bowl.
2.Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, miso paste, red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger. Pour over the green beans and toss to coat. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Lemon Bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
3.Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
4.Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Sweet Potatoes

I've been trying to figure out how to make a healthy sweet potato french fry. I have yet to figure out how to make crispy baked sweet potatoes. Even though these weren't crispy, they were delicious and I couldn't get enough of them.

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.Place the sweet potato chunks into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle the brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, chili powder, and cayenne pepper overtop. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated with the seasoning. Spread onto a baking sheet.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn the potatoes over with a spatula, and continue baking until the sweet potatoes are golden and tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Bunny Buns

My 11 yr old wanted to make these as soon as she saw them in The Friend magazine at the beginning of the month. On Easter weekend we finally got around to it. Actually she finally got around to it, she made them mostly by herself and they turned out great. I love that my kids cook.

Ingredients:
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk, warmed not quite to boiling
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp grated orange peel
5 1/2 cups flour, sifted
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, 1 tsp butter

Directions:
Sprinkle yeast in warm water and set aside. In another bowl, blend milk, sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool until lukewarm, then add eggs, water with yeast, orange juice, and orange peel. Stir in flour a few cups at a time to make a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes. Knead dough 5-10 minutes on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover with a clean towel and put in a warm place. Let dough rise for 2 hours, or until double in size. Punch dough down and let stand for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into strips 1/2 inch wide and 14 inches long. Roll between hand to rounded snake shapes. Cut one strip into pieces 1/2 inch long and roll into balls. Place one long piece of dough on a greased cookie sheet. PLace one end of the strip over the other to make a loop; bring the end that is underneath up and cross it over the other end. Place a ball of dough on the top of the bottom loop. Cover bunnies and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes until nearly doubled in size.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

For the glaze stir powdered sugar, water, and butter together. Frost bunnies with the glaze while they are still warm.