This recipe is from amazing food blogger Clotilde who blogs at http://chocolateandzucchini.com/. She also has a great cookbook- Chocolate and Zucchini- Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen. This cake is super moist and chocolate-y without being too rich.
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp + 1 pat butter for greasing
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
3 large eggs
2 cups unpeeled grated zucchini, from about 1 1/2 medium zucchini (keep the remaining 1/2 zucchini for optional garnish)
1 cup good-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
confectioners' sugar or melted bittersweet chocolate (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a mixer, blend the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the vanilla, coffee granules, and eggs, mixing well between each addition.
Reserve a cup of the flour mixture, and add the rest to the egg mixture. Mix until just combined, the batter will be thick.
Add the zucchini and chocolate chips to the reserved flour mixture and toss to coat. Fold into the batter and blend with a wooden spoon- don't overmix. Pour into the prepared cake pan and level the surface with a spatula.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool for 10 minutes, run a knife around the pan to loosen the cake, and unclasp the sides of the pan. Let cool to room temp before serving. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, glaze with melted chocolate, or decorate with a few slices of raw zucchini (you don't have to eat them though!)
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dessert. Show all posts
9/24/07
Tarte Tatin
Apple season!! A great recipe from the New Gourmet cookbook...
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4 oz package), thawed
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4 oz package), thawed
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
7-9 gala apples (you don't want to be short, i always get 10) peeled, quartered lengthwise and cored
special equipment: a well seasoned 10" cast-iron skillet
Put racks in middle and lower third of oven and preheat to 425.
Roll out pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 10 1/2" square. Brush off excess flour. Using a plate as a guide, cut out a 10" round with a sharp knife. Transfer to baking sheet and refrigerate.
Spread butter thickly on bottom and sides of skillet and pour sugar evenly over bottom. Arrange as many apples as will fit in tight concentric circles in pan, standing them on end (i usually trim the edge off of one end of the slice so it will stand more easily). Apples will stick up above the rim of the skillet (see pic above).
Cook apples over moderately high heat, without stirring, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18-25 minutes. (Don't worry if the juices color unevenly).
Lay a sheet of foil on lower oven rack, to catch any drips, and put skillet on middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes (apples will settle slightly).
Remove skillet from oven and lay pastry round over apples. Bake until pastry is browned, 20-25 minutes. Transfer skillet to a rack to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Just before serving, invert a platter with a lip over skillet and, using potholders to hold skillet and platter tightly together, invert tart onto platter. Replace any apples that stick to skillet. (Don't worry if there are caramelized black spots in apples). Brush any caramel remaining in skillet over apples. Serve immediately.
9/10/07
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Margarine
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 shot any type of Liquor (I like Chambord)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Jam or jelly (your favorite)
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add Flour little by little, continuing to mix
3. Add liquor and vanilla and continue to mix until batter is creamy (no lumps)
4. Scoop out one inch balls of batter and roll into neat spheres, arranging onto ungreased cookie sheet, leaving room between each sphere
5. Press thumb into center of each sphere so that cookie is flatter, but has a nice well in the center
6. Scoop jam into the center of each cookie so that it just fills the well in the center
7. Put in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes
8. Allow to cool before trying to move cookies from baking sheet
1/2 lb Margarine
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 shot any type of Liquor (I like Chambord)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Jam or jelly (your favorite)
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350
1. Cream butter and sugar
2. Add Flour little by little, continuing to mix
3. Add liquor and vanilla and continue to mix until batter is creamy (no lumps)
4. Scoop out one inch balls of batter and roll into neat spheres, arranging onto ungreased cookie sheet, leaving room between each sphere
5. Press thumb into center of each sphere so that cookie is flatter, but has a nice well in the center
6. Scoop jam into the center of each cookie so that it just fills the well in the center
7. Put in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes
8. Allow to cool before trying to move cookies from baking sheet
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients:
Graham Cracker crust (either premade or use the recipe on the side of the graham cracker crust box)
6 oz. key lime juice
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
Directions:
*preheat oven to 350
1. Whisk Eggs
2. Add in milk slowly as you continue to whisk
3. Add in Key lime juice as you continue to whisk
4. Pour mixture into pie crust
5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until solid
Graham Cracker crust (either premade or use the recipe on the side of the graham cracker crust box)
6 oz. key lime juice
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
Directions:
*preheat oven to 350
1. Whisk Eggs
2. Add in milk slowly as you continue to whisk
3. Add in Key lime juice as you continue to whisk
4. Pour mixture into pie crust
5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until solid
9/6/07
Coconut Cream Pie Time
This recipe is not original but it is AWESOME!!
Time: 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours for chilling
For the pastry cream:
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
For the macadamia nut crust:
8 ounces macadamia nuts, toasted and cooled
1 cup flour
9 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
For assembly:
4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted and cooled.
1. To prepare the pastry cream, combine in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan 2 1/2 cups of cream and scrapings from the vanilla bean; discard the bean. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks with remaining 1/2 cup of cream.
2. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk sugar and cornstarch mixture into egg yolks when cream is about to boil. (There will be slight movement in the pan.) As it starts to boil, whisk a few hot spoonfuls into the yolk mixture to temper it. Reduce heat under pan to medium-low. Pour yolk mixture into the pan, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick. (If mixture separates, transfer it to a mixer with a whisk attachment, and beat until it is blended.) Transfer to a shallow container, and cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
3. To prepare macadamia nut crust, combine nuts and flour in a food processor. Process until nuts are finely ground, pulsing to keep them from becoming pasty. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with sugar. Add yolk, and mix thoroughly. Add nut mixture and salt, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. Divide dough in half. Roll out a half between two sheets of plastic wrap to make a 10-inch disk. Repeat with remaining dough. Line two 9-inch tart pans, and chill in freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie weights in shells, and bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights, and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool.
6. To assemble, in bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine heavy cream, sugar and 2 cups of pastry cream. (Reserve any remaining cream for another use.) Whisk at high speed until soft peaks form. Add coconut, and continue whisking mixture by hand until very stiff. Spoon into cooled tart shells. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to chill.
Yield: Two 9-inch pies.
Time: 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours for chilling
For the pastry cream:
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
For the macadamia nut crust:
8 ounces macadamia nuts, toasted and cooled
1 cup flour
9 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
For assembly:
4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted and cooled.
1. To prepare the pastry cream, combine in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan 2 1/2 cups of cream and scrapings from the vanilla bean; discard the bean. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks with remaining 1/2 cup of cream.
2. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk sugar and cornstarch mixture into egg yolks when cream is about to boil. (There will be slight movement in the pan.) As it starts to boil, whisk a few hot spoonfuls into the yolk mixture to temper it. Reduce heat under pan to medium-low. Pour yolk mixture into the pan, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is thick. (If mixture separates, transfer it to a mixer with a whisk attachment, and beat until it is blended.) Transfer to a shallow container, and cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
3. To prepare macadamia nut crust, combine nuts and flour in a food processor. Process until nuts are finely ground, pulsing to keep them from becoming pasty. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with sugar. Add yolk, and mix thoroughly. Add nut mixture and salt, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. Divide dough in half. Roll out a half between two sheets of plastic wrap to make a 10-inch disk. Repeat with remaining dough. Line two 9-inch tart pans, and chill in freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie weights in shells, and bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights, and continue to bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool.
6. To assemble, in bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine heavy cream, sugar and 2 cups of pastry cream. (Reserve any remaining cream for another use.) Whisk at high speed until soft peaks form. Add coconut, and continue whisking mixture by hand until very stiff. Spoon into cooled tart shells. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to chill.
Yield: Two 9-inch pies.
9/2/07
The Very Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!
My mom's famous cookie recipe! It is huge and makes a ton of cookies. I have halved it before a couple times- sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Best just to make the whole thing and give some away! (In the pic above, we dipped half in chocolate)
6 Cups Flour
1 LB Butter
2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
4 Cups Chocolate Chips (good ones like girhadelli, or even better get a big chocolate bar around 60% and chop into chunks)
2 Cups Nuts (I use Pecans- roughly chopped)
2 tsp. Vanilla
Cream Butter and Sugars, then add Eggs and Vanilla. Beat 3-4 minutes.
Mix Flour, Salt and Baking Soda in a separate bowl, then add gradually to sugar mixture.
Stir in Chocolate and Nuts.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. I usually bake longer til lightly browned.
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