Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

We had to buy a new TV last week - our TV of only four years died on us....

Both of us were really upset because we didn't want to spend money on a new TV, we would like to spend our money on a trip or maybe new boots.....  But since it would cost just as much to fix the TV with used parts as buy a new one, off to Costco we went.  We ended up with a wonderful new TV that makes me feel like I'm at the Laker's game and couldn't be happier with our purchase.

To celebrate we invited the in-laws over to watch the Laker's game and check out our newest addition to the family.  I made my delicious Middle Eastern chicken, hummus and yogurt sauce to snack on during the game and this unbelievable cake to help ease our pain over the loss.

I had to work during the day and needed something easy to pull together, so I finally tried out the Trader Joe's Chocolate Cake Mix that I had in my pantry.  I added a center of cream cheese mixture and topped with chocolate ganache.  This was an idea that I got from my Aunt in a cupcake form but I decided to make it in a no-fuss, bundt cake.  

The result was a wonderfully moist and rich cake that was impressive enough to serve when company comes over!  In total it took about 10 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of bake time.    This would be a wonderful Valentine's Day dessert - sure to make your love think you slaved away!  

Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache

1 prepared recipe of chocolate cake, enough for a 10 cup bundt cake

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour prepared chocolate cake into greased bundt cake pan.  Set aside.

Mix together cream cheese, egg and sugar until creamy.  Mix in mini chocolate chips.  Drop evenly on the top of cake mix in bundt pan.  Bake 40 minutes or until cake is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then turn out of pan.  Cool completely.

Heat cream in small saucepan, add in chocolate chips and stir until smooth.  Pour evenly over cake.

ENJOY!

I shared this post on Sweets for a Saturday.

Peach Shortbread

I happened to see a recipe for these Peach Shortbread bars on Smitten Kitchen last week, right when I had two peaches that were getting VERY ripe and knew what I needed to make!  My hubby loves my peach cobbler and I thought that these would have a similar flavor without as much work and I was right!  The shortbread bottom is deliciously rich and crumbly which I loved and the peaches balanced this out wonderfully.  I am always a fan of a crumble topping and this one didn't disappoint!   Overall this was a great recipe and it easier to share than cobbler because you are able to cut them into bars that store and travel nicely.  I do think that next time I will add more peaches as my bottom was a bit thicker than the one that Smitten Kitchen made and I would like more of the sweet peachy goodness!

Peach Shortbread

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1 cup softened butter
1 large egg
2 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced (between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 375°F


Butter a 9×13 inch pan, or spray it with a nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips, blend butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. In a separate bowl mix the peaches with vanilla paste and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Tile peach slices over crumb base in a single layer. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over peaches and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

ENJOY!

Blackberry Pie Bars

Growing up  we would go blackberry picking at the end of every summer.  Either taking a 4-wheel drive truck up into the woods or taking the trail closer to home, but still in the woods, we would spend the day picking blackberries.  Armed with our milk carton, converted into blackberry storage we would collect enough blackberries to make multiple pies and to freeze enough to satisfy our blackberry craving throughout the year.  Of course your belly would be so full from the stolen berries, one for the bucket, two for me, that you didn't think you would be able to enjoy a single bite of pie.  However when that first delicious slice was placed before you, it was all that you hoped it would be, sweet with a wonderful bite.  This is still my favorite pie and I wish that I could have it every day!

This recipe is a good pie fake out and reminds me of the tapioca balls that my mom used to put in the bottom of the pie to absorb the extra juice.  Give it a try and see if it reminds you of summer!

Blackberry Pie Bar
Recipe from Joy The Baker

CRUST

Zest of two lemons

1 1/2 cups of sugar

3 cups of flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of butter, chilled and cubed

FILLING

4 large eggs

2 cups of sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup flour

6 cups blackberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan.  

Combine zest, sugar and flour in a large food processor.  Add butter and pulse 10 - 12 times.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups of for the topping and press the rest into the pan.   Bake until golden 15 - 20 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk eggs.  Whisk in sugar, sour cream and flour until well mixed.  Fold in blackberries.  Spoon over crust and make sure that the blackberries are in an even layer.  Sprinkle with remaining crust.  Bake 45 - 55 minutes.

Let cool 1 hour so that the filling can set.  Cut and ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Once I find a recipe that I want to try I look for any reason to make it!  So when my bosses 25th Anniversary with the company came up I knew that I needed to make this Coffee Cake!  It was a must!  It was a wonderfully moist coffee cake, but I wish that the peanut butter flavor had come out just a little more.  Everyone in the office LOVED it and I had no complaints from them!  I will try this again - I think I want to try a Nutella version!

Peanut Butter Coffee Cake

Recipe from Jif & Mr. Breakfast

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup butter, room temprature

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teasppon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 13x9" pan with non-stick spray.  

Mix together, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter and melted butter until crumbly.  Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup softened butter, cream together.  Beat in 1 cup brown sugar.  Add in eggs one a time, incorporating well.  Beat until fluffy.  Add in dry ingredients alternately with milk, begining and ending with dry ingredients.  

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and top with chocolate chip mixture.  Bake 30 minutes.  Cool in pan and serve warm.

The Best Vanilla Buttercream EVER!

You will never need another Vanilla Buttercream recipe!  This is so delicious, just look at those wonderful vanilla bean flecks!  I won't be telling my trainer about this one - ha ha!

I made these for a Birthday in the office and they were a hit!!!  The cupcake was the same recipe as they vanilla cupcakes I made for St. Patrick's Day, they have become my favorite go to cupcake!  They are easy to make and the results are fabulous.  I spruced them up by adding food coloring in four different colors.  I then layered the batter into the cupcake liner and swirled with a toothpick to create a groovy finish!  This would be a lot easier to make in regular sized cupcakes but I really enjoyed this look.

Now for the new recipe that had everyone asking for more - Vanilla Bean Buttercream!  I even converted a non-frosting lover!  Try this today - make something that needs this frosting!

Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

2 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 vanilla bean, split
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons heavy cream

With a whisk attachment, beat butter until smooth.  With paring knife scrape seeds out of vanilla bean and beat into butter.  Add powdered sugar and salt gradually.  Once fully incorporated add in vanilla and heavy cream.  Beat until fluffy and light - ENJOY!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

My husband is obsessed with this Dulce de Leche that I made in the slow cooker.  He has been eating it by the spoonful from the jar!  Every time someone comes over he tells them about it and brings out the jar so that they can have a taste...... of course he has to take a small taste along with them so that they don't feel singled out - ha ha!  I knew that if I wanted to make anything out of this first batch I needed to do it quickly before it was all gone!  


I decided I either wanted to make an ice cream or a cheesecake, hubby voted for cheesecake so the search began.  I found this recipe on a couple of different sites and decided to try this out.  The end result is very rich and delicious!  The Dulce de Leche mixture gets swirled into the cheesecake, which means that you get luscious bites of this rich caramel throughout.  This is a wonderful recipe but I would have liked the Dulce de Leche to be a more prominent flavor.  


Don't worry we have a new double batch of Dulce simmering in the crock pot right now - about half of that will be eaten straight from the jar and I think I will try making some traditional Dulce de Leche cookies ( Alfajor) next!


Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Adapted from Diana's Desserts


Crust: 
1 cup graham cracker crumbs 
3 tbsp. butter, melted 
Combine and press into a 9 inch springform pan.  Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.
Filling: 
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (24 oz. total) 
1 cup superfine granulated sugar 
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 
2 tsp. vanilla extract 
3 eggs 
1/3 cup whole milk 
1/2 cup ready-made or homemade Dulce de leche sauce
Preheat oven to 325°F. 
Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Add milk and mix until well blended. 

Measure 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add Dulce de Leche sauce and stir until well combined.  Pour plain batter over crust. Top  batter with with Dulce de leche batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula. 

7. Bake for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator.  Cool for 4 to 6 hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Dulce de Leche - Slow Cooker Method

Our good friend just went to Argentina a couple of months ago, along with some strange herbal alcohol he brought back Dulce de Leche.  The best Dulce de Leche ever made!  Since having a spoonful - I have been obsessed with making some.  After looking around the internet, I decided that I would try the Slow Cooker method.  It seemed to be the method that was least likely to explode all over my kitchen or take hours in the oven.  You just plop it in and wait, although I won't lie - every time my husband and I heard any noise from the kitchen we both wondered if the can was on the verge of explosion!

Simply take a can of sweetened condensed milk, remove the wrapper.  Place the can in your slow cooker and cover with water.  Cook on low for 6 - 7 hours.  I left mine to cool in the slow cooker overnight and once I opened it was met by this wonderful thick caramel.  Delish!

I will admit that I have had a couple of spoonfuls straight from the can/jar!  I am debating what I want to make with this - I think a Dulce de Leche ice cream would be delightful, maybe a cheesecake!  Stay tuned!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

This recipe is DELICIOUS!!! Run to your ice cream maker right now and make this immediately! It is hard to believe that with only about 10 minutes of prep and a good amount of patience (waiting for the mixture to get cold enough for the ice cream maker!) you can have what tastes like a peanut butter cup with the volume turned way up!

This recipe came from Annie's Eats, which is a wonderful blog that I drooled over! I feel like I marked about a million recipes from this site to try - if you haven't checked it out yet, set aside a couple of hours and take a look thru the beautiful pictures and yummy recipes! She got this recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

2 cups half and half

1/4 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Whisk together half & half, cocoa, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Heat mixture, whisking frequently. (Take my advise and DO NOT leave for a moment to get some water, and watch the ice dancers on tv! My mixture bubbled over and left me with a big mess to clean up!). Mixture will come to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter until completely combined. Chill mixture. (This is what takes A LOT of patience!)

Process as directed per your ice cream maker and enjoy!

Blackberry Almond Thumbprints

These are delightful little cookies that are easy to make using ingredients that I already had at home! I got these from the great blog, The Feast Within and after a quick look in my pantry to make sure that I had the almond extract I began softening my butter! I didn't add the glaze cause I have been sick, which equals lazy and I didn't want to run to the grocery store for powered sugar. I can image that these would be even better with the glaze, I'll probably do that next time!

Blackberry Almond Thumbprints

Adapted from The Feast Within

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup softened butter

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup blackberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper - this is helpful in case your jam runs over like mine.

Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add all of the flour at one time. Beat until well mixed. (At this point feel free to eat about half of the dough - it is amazingly delicious!)

Shape dough into 1" balls and place 2" apart on the baking sheet. Press thumb into center to create a well. Fill each well with jam.

Bake 14 - 18 minutes. Let rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack. Once cool drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

2 - 3 teaspoons water

Stir together sugar and almond extract. Add enough water to make a stiff medium glaze. Zig zag glaze over cookies and ENJOY!

CEiMB - Chocolate Mousse

This weeks recipe was a low-fat Chocolate Mousse that used tofu as the main ingredient. This wasn't a dessert that worked for our house. I think that if I tried this again I would increase the amount of chocolate - this had too much of a tofu taste.

Check out the others who had a better result!

Barefoot Bloggers - Croissant Bread Pudding

So this is my very first Barefoot Bloggers Post!!! :) I decided to get involved as a way to ensure that I keep this blog up! In addition Ina is one of my favorite chefs and I always want to try out her recipes, so it was a win-win!

My husband and I have never been huge fans of bread pudding so I cut down the original recipe so that I we wouldn't have a ton of this left over. I also didn't have any raisins but I had a HUGE Costco size bag of dried cranberries that I decided to use. I also added some chocolate to mine and white chocolate to my husbands. I swear he is constantly going to cupboard to steal some white chocolate chips and since it is our 2 month anniversary I decided to be nice and include some! :) Another change I made was that I did these in individual ramekins so that I could easily customize them with the different chocolates.

The flavor was wonderful, but next time I think that I would add some orange zest to the custard to give it something different. If you like bread pudding this is one that you should try!

Cranberry Croissant Bread Pudding

2 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

2.5 cups of half & half

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 croissants, slice in cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I mixed white and milk chocolate)

Preheat to 350 degrees.

Whisk together eggs, half & half, sugar, & vanilla. Layer the croissants into ramekins, making sure the cranberries and chocolate chips are dispersed between the layers. Fill the ramekin with the custard mixture and let sit 10 minutes, pushing down slightly.

Place the ramekins in a large baking dish and fill with an inch of water. Cover with foil, cut some steam holes in the foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for 30 additional minutes. Make sure the custard is set and it is puffed.

Let cool for a few minutes, and serve warm or room temperature.

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Ice Cream

They say that ice cream sales go up in the winter, not sure they are but that's what my mother in law told me the other when we sitting outside of Golden Spoon bundled up in our coats! This isn't exactly the case in our house where my husband hasn't met a quart of Ben and Jerry's that he hasn't liked - and devoured in one sitting! Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors year round so when I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Ice Cream I knew that I would be making it soon.

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Ice Cream
Makes 1 Quart

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 cup pureed pumpkin

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

(I added about a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon because I always feel like you can't have enough!)

Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar until completely blended. Add in cream and milk and whisk.

Put about 1/2 of the milk mixture into a bowl and whisk in the pumpkin and spices. Add back to the pumpkin and mix until combined. Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. This filled up my ice cream maker almost to overflowing which meant I needed to run it a little longer.

I also added some mini chocolate chips to half of the ice cream just to try it out and loved it!

I made this today and it totally made me forget the 2 1/2 hours at the Dentist!