sour cream chocolate cake

Only the best thing to satisfy a chocolate craving!

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen i used the chocolate cake in my birthday cake this year! I used my favourite chocolate frosting" recipe too!

This is and has been my new favourite moist rich chocolate cake recipe!!

The reason behind making this is my husband had a chocolate cake craving at around 10pm.....and considering we had all the ingredients to make this delicious recipe i thought, ah what the hell. I'll do it! I didn't really think about it though, i was up til midnight with all the baking and waiting to cool, then icing =) BUT hubby was a happy chappy when i brought him up the first slice. I have to admit, it's an easy recipe and turns out great every time!!

no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies

When you have a husband who gets sweet cravings late at night and a 5 year old who likes a "treat" every now and then, but keeping in mind he doesn't like 'actual' chocolate....you have to keep something at hand. Something they both like and will eat and don't fuss about! haha!

I was browsing as i always do and came across Brown Eyed Baker's No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies! Perfect! No baking is great as it is SO HOT this summer here in Southern Ontario, and it is made with cocoa so no "real" chocolate as our little one says.

Now i made these once a couple of weeks ago and found them a little too sweet and a little too chocolatey SO here is the adjusted recipe i made for the second time round, in bar form, and they turned out a really nice slice,nutty, chewy and not too sweet! =) Thanks again BEB!

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups quick-cooking oats
4 cups rice krispies

1. Add the butter, sugar, cocoa and milk to a large saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats and rice krispies until they are thoroughly coated and mixed in.

5. Press into a baking pan or rectangle glass dish.

6. Refrigerate until set, then slice into bars.

peach cupcakes

These were scrumptious! Thankyou again to Smitten Kitchen's fabulous recipe!

I used canned peaches as the fresh ones are a bit out of my budget range right now, they still tasted pretty great, although i imagine with fresh peaches they would be just simply amazing! Such a nice subtle flavour with the spices and using the vanilla yoghurt gave it that moist slightly sweet taste. Overall a bit hit in our house!!

Apologies for being absent lately, we have my husbands five year old with us permanently now and i'm becoming accustomed to being a fulltime MUM!! I hope to be able to start baking and blogging soon, when he gets off to Grade One i'm sure..i hope...i'll have more time!!??

We are also moving house, we currently rent a room and a half in a house with younger fellas and it isn't working out, so we are on the lookout for our own home!!

I am still stopping by and checking all your delicious recipes, stories and photos daily (on the minutes i get for breaks!) You keep me inspired and happy!

boston cream pie cupcakes

My husband always gets a Boston Cream Pie doughnut from Tim Hortons when he really feels like a super treat. I'll say this now, they are amazing! I always wondered what exactly a Boston Cream Pie was.....and after finding out it was actually a cake, was even more puzzled by the "pie" part. So i did a little research and found a recipe that makes the most delightfully soft, light, fluffy cake and a scrumptious custard filling.....and a chocolate topping that brings them all together!

chewy chocolate chip cookies

Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies. The thing is, do you like them thin and crunchy, thick and chewy, lots of chips or just a few, with nuts or without?

I like mine chewy, thick and soft with LOTS of chocolatey chips, the melt in your mouth kinda chocolate. So i went searching for a recipe that fit that description!

The recipe i used is from Annie's Eats Another favourite food blogger of mine!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3/4 cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325°F(165°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Personal Notes:- I used two whole eggs, to save waste, and therefore had to add an extra 1/2 cup flour. I also used full 2 cups of chocolate chips that were in the packet....c'mon, you all know you want extra chocolate in them =) These are hands down and awesome cookie, this ones going in the books as a definate favourite!

fudgesicle

Sometimes i think about all the different food and treats we buy from the store and wonder if i can duplicate it. One of the treats my husband LOVES in summer is his fudgesicles.

The first thing that came to mind is how good that chocolate pudding pie tasted i made back in May.

So i switched out the milk for half and half cream and put in a little less cornflour and whipped up a batch to see what would happen when i froze it!

3 cups Half & Half cream
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup cornflour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together cornflour, cocoa, sugar in a large saucepan.
Gradually add the cream until the mixture is thoroughly mixed.
Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over a low to medium heat.
Once the mixture thickens a little and becomes velvety smooth, take it off the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Pour into your popsicle moulds and pop into the freezer.
If you use cups, let them freeze for 2-3 hours then stick in your popsicle sticks.

This made 12 popsicles for me using average sized moulds.

They turned out a treat! A bit melty but very chocolately, creamy and super summer sticky!
I think these will be a hit in this house! =)

chocolate brioche

OK. I saw THIS photo yesterday and could NOT get it out of my mind! So i decided to bake again today! I thank Tania from Dulcis in Furno for sharing the recipe and creating such a beautiful product and taking such gorgeous tempting photos!

fresh strawberry cupcakes

My husband and i currently rent a room in a house with a couple of guys in their mid 20's. It's only temporary until i get work and we can afford our own place. They have no idea about cooking, cleaning, laundry....need i go on!! Hehe. So in lieu of some of our rent i do the housework which works out for everyone! But i seriously cannot wait to get a job!! Ugh!

Cleaning out the fridge on a regular, almost daily, basis is one of the fun jobs >.<.
One of the boys mum's left a big bowl of fresh strawberries from her garden...and as a surprise to me they didn't eat them, ok i nicked a couple, i mean who can resist? SO i thought this morning i would salvage the "un mouldy" ones, wash them off, cut them up, drizzle with vanilla and throw them into some cupcake batter. I bet they eat them now!!

lemonade scones

I love Devonshire tea, big fluffy fresh out of the oven scones with fresh whipped cream and homemade strawberry jam! ....a nice hot cuppa tea of course. Mum always made the best scones, and we used to sell them at work, date or spinach and cheese..mmm...a perfect snack or treat!

carrot cake cookies

In my every day perusal of flickr and foodie websites....searching for something new and delicious (trust me i find SO much i don't know where to start!) i always learn new ideas, recipes and techniques and always new flavour combinations! I'm a big fan of carrot cake, hummingbird cake....anything along those lines.