Chocolate Overload

It’s my sons Birthday this week and when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said Chocolate, chocolate and ice cream!!! So here is what I came up with……

2 Days Ahead
Bake 2- 9inch round chocolate cakes.

CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 2-9inch round cake pans
In mixer bowl add
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Stir until combined.
Add
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 veggie oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Mix with mixer for about 3 minutes.
Add
1 cup boiling water stir by hand.
Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes till toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes flip out of pans and cool completely.
Place 1 cake, frost top with chocolate frosting place second cake on top. Place in freezer.

ICE CREAM LAYER
line 1-9inch round cake pan with wax paper.
Let 1 gallon of ice cream flavor of choice soften till pliable. I used Breyers triple chocolate peanut butter swirl. Place softened ice cream in lined pan and mold flat In pan. Place in freezer overnight. Pull wax paper and ice cream out of pan and gently set on top of cake layers. Run spatula around sides to even and smooth. Place back in freezer for a few hours.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

Place mixing bowl, attachment and spatula in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.

2 tsp vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup heavy whipping cream at least 35-40% butter fat.
Place vanilla, sugar and cocoa powder in cold mixing bowl. Stir in 2 Tbsp cream and make a paste. Then add rest of cream and beat until stiff peaks.
Frost cake and place back in freezer for a couple hours.
Decorate as you like place back in freezer until ready to serve. Let sit out 10-15 minutes before serving to make it easier to cut!!
ENJOY!!:)

Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour 2-9inch round cake pans

In a mixing bowl add
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Mix together until all combined.
Add
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 cup veggie oil
2 tsp vanilla
Mix with mixer on medium for about 3 minutes.
Add
1 cup boiling water
Mix in by hand.

Bake 30-35 minutes. Until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in Pam for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan and let cool completely.
ENJOY!!;)

Custard Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter 9inch pie pan

1/4 cup margarine
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
2 cups 2% milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1 shot of brandy (optional)
Nutmeg for sprinkling on top
In a blender place all ingredients and blend for 30 seconds. Pour into buttered pie dish. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake for 45 for minutes. The flour will settle and make its own crust.
Recipe adapted from just a pinch.
Enjoy!!;)

Apple Dumpling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and cored
1 roll of crescent rolls
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz of mountain dew soda

Grease 9×13 baking dish

Cut apple into 8 sliced. Separate crescent rolls. Roll 1 slice of apple in each dough triangle. Pinching ends. Place in baking dish. Set aside.
In a sauce pan melt butter with both sugars, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over dumplings. Pour mountain dew over. Bake 35-45 minutes.
ENJOY:)

Cheater French Dips

1 pound sliced, lean deli roast beef
1 tub of mushrooms
1 sliced yellow onion
1 pat butter
1 splash white wine
1 package of ajus
4 slices cheese (Swiss)
4 crusty French rolls

An 1 hour or so before you are ready to serve make ajus according to manufactures directions. Place roast beef in crockpot and pour ajus over. Turn to low.
Place pat of butter in pan and melt and onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, add mushrooms, drizzle with white wine and a 1/8 of cup of ajus. Continue to cook to desired softness.
Lightly butter rolls and place under broiler 2-3 minutes. Spoon a little ajus on to roll. Place cheese, then roast beef and then veggies. Slice and enjoy with a side of ajus!

Jalapeño Poppers

First, I need to start with this was NOT my recipe originally!!:) This came from my Bestie Dra awhile back. We have been making this for probably close to 10 years!! So, all the credit must go to my girl!!:) That said here’s the recipe…..

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 block cream cheese, room temperature
10-12 large fresh Jalapeño, tops cut off(saved) and hulled
1 roll of breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
10-12 slices of bacon

Cut off tops of jalapeño’s set to the side, hull and seed.
Fry sausage, crumble. In a bowl mix cream cheese and sausage place in a ziplock bag. Cut corner of bag and pipe cream cheese mixture into Jalapeño’s. Replace tops. Wrap each jalapeño in a piece of bacon. Fold bacon over to tops to hold top on. Bake for 35-45 minutes until bacon is nice a crispy!!
ENJOY

Stuffed Portabella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2-4 portabella mushrooms, stem and gills removed
5 Tbsp melted butter
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
5 cooked rashers of bacon, crumbled
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/8-1/4 cup garlic herb bread crumbs
1/8-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus a little for sprinkling on top

Remove stems and clean gills from mushrooms. In a 13×9 pan, melt butter, add wine and garlic, place mushrooms open side down and spoon butter over caps, flip mushrooms over and spoon a little butter mixture inside of caps. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
In a bowl mix cream cheese, bacon, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Spoon into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Broil for 3-4 minutes at the end.
ENJOY!!!:)

Bacon French Toast Bake

Night before-
1 loaf french bread, cut into 20 slices
8 eggs
2 cups 1/2&1/2
1/2 cup French vanilla creamer
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of cinnamon and nutmeg, each
8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
Arrange bread slices in a 13×9 baking dish, overlapping.
In a large bowl mix eggs, 1/2&1/2, milk, creamer, sugar,vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour over bread, let sit in fridge covered overnight.
Next morning-
In a bowl combine
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Blend well spread on top of bread evenly before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crumble bacon over top of French toast. Bake 40-50 minutes!
ENJOY!!!:)

Stuffed Shells

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Boil 1 box of jumbo shells, al dente 10-12 minutes.
1 tub ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1/8 cup pesto sauce
In a bowl mix ricotta, cheeses, eggs, and pesto. Place in a ziplock bag cut corner and stuff cooked shells.
In 9×13 pan place a small amount of sauce just enough to cover. Place stuffed shells in 9×13 on top of sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce and shredded cheese of choice.
Bake at 375 for 40 minutes covered. Remove foil and continue to cook 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!:)

Warm Blueberry Lemon Topping

1 pint fresh blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp Sugar
In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, place blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar. Heat on medium until berries begin to burst about 5 minutes. Let cool! Top and garnish!!
ENJOY!!
I used this on top of a my New York Style cheesecake but it would be excellent on pancakes, French toast,ice cream or whatever you wish!!:)