Sunday, July 02, 2006

Nibblers

I'm feeling inspired by Tracy to share a few favorite, nearly fool-proof recipes that I love to pieces and use all the time. Pardon the abundance of chocolate.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
(I like to cover this with chocolate ganache... but that is too much chocolate for some people)

6 TBSP butter
8 oz semisweet baking chocolate
6 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar (granulated works fine)


Preheat oven to 275 F
Butter a 9" springform pan
In a large microwave safe bowl mix 6 TBSP butter with 8 oz semisweet chocolate.
Microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stir well after each increment
Separate 6 large eggs (keep all whites and all yolks)
Use a balloon whisk to whip the egg whites until they peak
Add 1/2 cup of sugar to egg whites (still whisking in)
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture (fold in)
Whisk the egg whites again, until shiny peaks form
Fold 1/4 egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Once mixed well, add the rest of the egg white mixture and mix until smooth
Pour combined mixture into the springform pan and smooth the surface.
Bake 45-50 minutes.
Let Cake cool, take off the pan's sides.
Dust with Powdered sugar just before serving, serve with light whipped cream.

Here's the basic recipe for German Pancakes I once promised.
You can add all sorts of things to make these fun... but make sure you have a small child watching them raise in the oven and then deflate once they are out, that's the best part!

6 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons Butter

Heat the oven to 450 F
Put the butter in a 13" x 9" pan
Put the pan in the oven until the butter is melted.
Meanwhile, beat (or put in the blender) the remaining ingredients
Pour into the pan and bake 18 minutes (until the bubbly parts are golden brown)
DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR UNTIL DONE!


Creamy Cilantro/Tomatillo Salad Dressing

3 fresh tomatillos, cut into quarters
1 package ranch buttermilk dressing mix*
1 cup mayonaise
1/4 tsp crushed cayanne pepper
1/3 cup buttermilk*
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed
*(regular ranch dressing mix and milk can be substituted...and it's almost as good)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and refrigerate at least one hour. For thicker dressing reduce mayo to 1/2 c. and add 1/2 c. sour cream.


Avocado Corn Salsa

1 can white shoepeg corn
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 small onion diced (optional)
2 large avacados diced
2-3 roma tomatoes diced
4 sprigs cilantro, chopped
lime juice from 1 lime
1 pkg dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing (made according to package instructions)

Combine all ingredients and serve. You can add onion powder or garlic salt to taste


Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
(serves 12 to 14)
Cake Release
1 TBSP Butter, melted
1 TBSP cocoa
Cake
3/4 cup cocoa
6 oz bittersweet/semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup water, boiling
1 cup sour cream (room temp)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 TBSP unsalted butter (room temp)
2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 TBSP vanilla
5 large eggs (room temp)

(for the pan) Stir together the melted butter and cocoa in a small bowl until it forms a paste. Using a pastry brush, coat all the interior surfaces fo a 12 cup bundt pan.
Adjust the oven rack to a lower/middle position and preheat to 350 F
Combine the cocoa and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; whisk in sour cream.
Separately, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
In a mixer with flat beaters, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high until pale and fluffy (3 min). Reduce spead to medium and add eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl sides with a spatula between eggs.
Reduce to medium-low speed; add about 1/3 of flour mixture and 1/2 of the chocolate mixture, mix until incorporated (20 sec)
Scrape the bowl and repeat using 1/2 of remaining flour mixture and all the remaining chocolate mixture.
Add the remaining flour mixture and beat about 10 seconds.
Scrape the bowl and mixe on medium-low until mixture is entirely combined
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, careful to to pour any batter down center or onto the top-sides of the pan (really anywhere you haven't coated with cake-release is a bad place to spill)
Bake until a wooden skewer/toothpick comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wax-paper lined cooling rack.
Cool about 3 hours before serving.
(Really good dusted with powdered sugar and/or served with raspberries and whipped cream)


Molten Chocolate Cakes
4 squares baker's Semi-Sweet baking chacolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup thawed Cool whip Whipped Topping
preheat oven to 425F. Butter 4 (3/4cup) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet. Microwave chocolate and butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whish in eggs and egg yolks. Stir is flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups. Bake 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, each topped with 1 Tbsp. whipped topping. makes 8 servings 1/2 molten cake each.

1 comment:

Em said...

It's just such a heavy dessert that it doesn't need any sweetness or heaviness added. I prefer to make my own whipped cream and only do 2/3 the regular amount of sugar... just to keep it from being too sweet.

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