Brownie Strawberry Trifle

Ingredients:

Servings:
8-10
Units: US | Metric
1 (20 ounce) box brownie mix (I use Betty Crocker)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 quart strawberry, thinly sliced, save one whole for decoration
2 (3 1/4 ounce) packages French vanilla instant pudding
8 ounces Cool Whip
hershey's shell chocolate syrup, as needed
Directions:

1 To make brownies:.
2 Heat oven to 350°F.
3 Grease bottom of a 13x9 inch pan.
4 Stir brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until well blended.
5 Spread in pan.
6 Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean; let cool.
7 While brownies are cooling slice the berries and set aside.
8 Mix pudding with 2 cups of milk and whisk until thickened.
9 Fold in Cool Whip.
10 To layer, put brownie for first layer, add strawberries for second layer, drizzle with chocolate shell and the pudding mixture layer.
11 Repeat layers ending with the pudding mixture.
12 Decorate with the whole strawberry, cool whip and drizzle with the chocolate shell.
13 Chill until serving about 3 hours at least.
14 Enjoy!

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

16 oz. solid dark chocolate (use your favorite GF dark chocolate bars) 

1 cup organic light brown sugar, packed 

1/2 cup organic white cane sugar 

3/4 cup very hot strong coffee (or use espresso powder in very hot water) 

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces 

2 tablespoons unsweetened organic cocoa powder 

8 large organic free-range eggs, at room temperature 

1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract- yes, a tablespoon!

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 10-cup Springform pan by lining the bottom with a circle of buttered parchment. Wrap the outside of the whole pan (underneath, to catch any leaks) with a big piece of foil. 

Break up the dark chocolate into pieces and pour the chocolate into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the chocolate breaks up into small bits. Add the sugar. Pulse until the chocolate and sugar turns into an even, sandy grain.

Pour the hot water or coffee slowly into the feed tube as you pulse again. Pulse until the chocolate is melted. Magic!

Add the butter pieces and the cocoa powder, and pulse to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process till smooth. The batter will be liquid and creamy. 

*Note for cooks across the pond: One stick of butter here equals 8 tablespoons, or one half cup, 4 oz.

Pour the batter into the lined Springform pan.  

Bake at 350º F in the center of the oven, till puffed and cracked and lovely - about 55 to 65 minutes. (Note - it took an hour plus 15 minutes when I baked this at high altitude.) Use a wooden toothpick to check the center of the cake; pick should emerge clean, with maybe a crumb.

Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool. The cake will deflate. Don't worry! When cooled a bit, press down on it gently with a spatula to make it even, if you wish. Or not.
When the cake is completely cooled, cover, and chill it for at least three hours (best up to eight hours), until serving. Overnight is even better.

Serve thin slices with drizzled chocolate sauce or a sprinkle of sifted powdered sugar. Garnish with a fresh berries or mint leaves.

Yield: 12 to 15 slices

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Healthy Choc Mini Muffins

They actually include a cup and a half of green vegetables! You can slightly smell the broccoli when taken out of the oven but after that they tasted just like a choc muffin to me. Of course they still have sugar in them so not an all the time snack but really so clever!

2 Eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup broccoli finely grated

1/2 cup zucchini finely grated

1/2 cup white self raising flour

1/2 cup wholemeal SR flour

3Tbsp Cocoa powder 1 teasp baking powder

1 Tblsp low fat milk.

Whisk eggs, oil and sugar together in large bowl. Add vegetables, flours, cocoa, baking powder and milk and mix well. Spoon into greased (or paper lined) mini muffin trays and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes.

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Grilled angel food cake

Dietitian's tip:Angel food cake is a low-fat, airy dessert that is the perfect finish to a summer meal. If you're using the grill for dinner, grill the angel food cake after you finish your meal. Or, if you prefer, broil the angel food cake until it browns. 

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
3/4 cup chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 prepared angel food cake, cut into 6 pieces
3/4 cup reduced-fat whipped topping

Directions

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

To make the sauce, in a saucepan, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat until the mixture just starts to boil, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.

Place the angel food cake toward the edge of the grill rack where there is less heat or on the broiler pan. Grill or broil until each side turns brown, about 1 to 3 minutes.

Place the angel food cake on individual serving plates. Top each piece with 1/4 cup of the strawberry-rhubarb sauce and 2 tablespoons of the whipped topping. Serve immediately.

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Chocolate bar cake

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time:25 minServes: 6-8

Ingredients

Sponge cake:
• 3 eggs room temperature, medium size
• 75 sugar (1/3 cup)
• 40 ml vegetable oil (1/5 cup)
• 75 g flour (2/3 cup)
• 1 tsp baking powder
Whipped cream:
• 125 ml whipping cream, very cold (1/2 cup)
• 1 tbs sugar
Chocolate frosting (two ways):
First option (hard chocolate cover)
• 350 g dark chocolate (12 oz)
Second option (fudgy chocolate cover)
• 200 ml heavy cream (4/5 cup)
• 50 g butter (3,5 tbs)
• 250 g dark chocolate (9 oz)
Equipment:
• This mold

Directions

1. Start by making the cake. Preheat oven to 180 º C (350º F) and grease the mold (I used cake release spray). Place eggs and sugar in a medium bowl, and beat on high speed until thick and pale.
2. Beat in the oil
3. By hand, stir in the sifted flour and baking powder, and mix well
4. Pour the mixture in the mold (fill 3/4 capacity) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes, and then unmold carefully and let cool completely.
5. Then prepare whipped cream to fill the cake. In a bowl, place cream (very cold) and sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Slice cake in two, and fill with the whipped cream. Then choose if you want a crunchy chocolate frosting, or a smoother one
7. For a hard chocolate cover, choose “first option” ingredients.
8. Clean the mold we used for baking the cake. Melt chopped chocolate (using a double boiler or the microwave)
9. Pour it in the mold, until the bottom of the mold is completely covered with chocolate. Cut off the borders of the cake using a sharp knife, and place it inside the mould. Then fill the mold completely with chocolate, and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to set. Once set, remove the mold from the refrigerator, and unmold
   carefully
10. For a creamier chocolate cover, choose the “second option” ingredients. Pour cream on a medium saucepan, bring to boil, remove from heat, and add chopped chocolate and butter. Allow to rest for a few minutes, and then stir until dissolved.
11. Place cake on a wire rack, and pour frosting over it, being careful to cover the cake completely. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours to set

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Neapolitan cup cakes

neapolitan cakes

Yield: 24 servings

Prep Time: 45 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 1 hour 30 min

Ingredients:

For the Strawberry Cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and pureed, or 3/4 cup frozen strawberry puree
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup whole milk

For the White and Chocolate Cakes:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot coffee, or 1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

For the Frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
3 strawberries, hulled and pureed
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the insides of 24 4-ounce jars with cooking spray.
2. Make the strawberry cake batter: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter and strawberry puree. Starting slowly, mix together. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, or until you have a thick batter. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are frothy then add the milk. Add one third of the egg/milk mixture to the batter then mix to combine. Repeat twice until all of the egg/milk mixture is incorporated. Set aside.
3. Make the white and chocolate cake batters: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl in between additions. In a small bowl, combine the milk and the cream. Add one-third of the milk mixture into the butter mixture, then one-third of the flour mixture. Continue until all of the ingredients have been incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Divide the batter evenly into 2 bowls. In a small bowl, mix the hot coffee or water and the cocoa powder together. Add the cocoa mixture to one of the bowls and mix until incorporated.
4. Working with one flavor at a time, scoop 2 tablespoons of each of the batters into the prepared jars. Place the jars 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the centers bounce back when touched. Remove and let cool completely.
5. Make the frosting: Cream the butter, then add in the confectioners' sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Divide the frosting evenly into 3 bowls. Add the strawberry puree to one, the bittersweet chocolate to the second and the vanilla extract to the third. If needed, add more cream to get the right consistency.
6. Transfer the frostings to 3 disposable icing bags. Cut off the tips, the place the 3 bags into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cakesina swirl shape before serving.

Tips:

*My three batters weren't even, but it didn't matter with the final product. You couldn't tell!
*Make sure the melted chocolate is fully incorporated into the chocolate frosting. I wasn't careful enough and ended up with chunks of chocolate in the frosting. That would have been fine, but it kept getting stuck in the tip, making it hard to pipe the frosting evenly.
*If giving away as gifts, you may want to put a little less batter in each jar and make a few extra so that you will be able to put the lids on the jars.

Source : http://www.culinarycovers.com/2013/05/neapolitan-cakes/

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Carrot Cake Smoothie

by AMY FLANIGAN on JUNE 7, 2013 · 4 COMMENTS

I’m always seeing different types of sandwiches converted to pizzas and soups. Like the Rueben, or BLT, or Cuban. And I thought, why couldn’t I take some popular pies or cakes that I love, and convert them to smoothies? Like carrot cake. 

I thought the ingredients would translate really well. And it did!

Is this breakfast? Is it dessert? I’ll leave that up to you. Either way, it’s delicious! And you don’t need to wait an hour for it to bake ;-)

Carrot Cake Smoothie
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 cup low fat vanilla frozen yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 (4 ounce) jars carrot baby food
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 10 baby carrots, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup ice

Directions
Place frozen yogurt, milk, carrot baby food, vanilla, both sugars and spices in a blender. Process until combined. Add in the pecans, carrots, and ice. Blend until smooth.

Print this recipe • Save this recipe

Source: http://veryculinary.com/2013/06/07/carrot-cake-smoothie/

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Sweet and sunny, with all the things we love about lemon meringue pie — but in cupcake form. A microwave version of traditional lemon curd saves you time, but doesn't skimp on flavor. Let's hear it for Lemon Power!

lemon meringue cupcakes

(1)	rate this recipe »
Hands-on time:	25 mins. to 35 mins.
Baking time:	15 mins. to 18 mins.
Total time:	45 mins. to 60 mins.
Yield:	12 filled cupcakes
Published:	03/21/2012

ingredients

1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor (optional, but adds that signature bakery taste)
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

lemon curd

• one batch Easy Microwave Lemon Curd

meringue

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon Bakewell Cream or cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons sugar
  
  
  Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/lemon-meringue-cupcakes-recipe

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