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Tuesday, 14 January 2020

Chocolate Mud Cake with Ganache


Tonya wanted a cake with tonight's supper.  So, being the super nice guy that I am...  I thought I would oblige.


Ingredients

4 oz / 125 g dark chocolate chips (not milk chocolate chips)
6 tbsp / 100 g butter 
1 1/4 cups / 275 g white sugar
1/4 cup / 65 ml oil (vegetable, canola)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup / 17 g cocoa powder
1 cups / 150 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup / 250 ml boiling hot water
1 tbsp coffee granules , optional

GANACHE
1 cup / 250 ml heavy / thickened cream , 30%+ fat
8 oz / 250 g dark chocolate chips (not milk chocolate chips)


Instructions

Preheat oven to 150C/300F (standard). 

Grease a 22 cm / 9" springform cake pan and line with parchment / baking paper. 

Melt butter and chocolate: Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 3 x 30 seconds on high, mix in between, until melted. Mix.

Oil, vanilla & Sugar: Add oil, vanilla and sugar, mix to combine (this brings down batter temp).

Eggs: Add eggs and mix until combined.

Dry Ingredients: Sift cocoa, baking powder and flour (and coffee, if using) directly into the bowl. Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Some small lumps is ok.

Hot water: Add hot water. Mix until incorporated.

Bake: Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out moist but clean. 

Check at 50 minutes. The surface will crack (sometimes badly!) but sill subside when it cools and gets covered with frosting so don't stress!

Cool: Remove sides from the cake pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Cool completely before carefully handling to remove base.

GANACHE (NOTE 8)
Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 3 x 30 seconds, mixing in between, until chocolate melts. DO NOT let cream come to boil.

Stir chocolate until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until thickened to a spreadable consistency like peanut butter.

Spread over the cake - tops and sides. Use a teaspoon in a swirling motion to achieve the textured surface.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

Pepperoni Bread Roll


Tonya was on Facebook again, looking up recipes.  Floyd, Mylynne, Colby and Aurora are going to be dropping by for supper.

Now...  you would think, she found this, she should make this.

But I don't mind.


Ingredients

1 Can pizza crust (or homemade)
6 oz of sliced Pepperoni
1 1/2 cup of shredded Pizza Cheese or Mozzarella
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Italian Dressing
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Egg White
Pizza Sauce


Stuff you will need

Cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Rolling pin if using homemade dough
Sharp knife
Cutting board

Directions

Roll out the dough into a large rectangle and brush it with Italian dressing or the Pizza Sauce.

Top with as many pepperonis as you can fit on the dough.

Sprinkle with cheeses and Italian seasoning and roll up tightly, starting with the longest side of dough.

Fold sides under, and place on pan, dough seam side down.

Brush with an egg white and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Saturday, 11 January 2020

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting




Tonya found this recipe on Facebook and wants me to make this for her birthday vice a Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate cake with a Chocolate Icing.  Yea, that would be 4 layers of chocolate and she wants this instead.  

Who am I to argue?  Could she be wrong?  Should I make both?  First world problems...  they are real...


Ingredients

3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp instant yeast
⅓ cup butter
¾ cup milk
¼ cup water
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup white sugar

Filling

 1 can Strawberry pie filling
 2 teaspoons cinnamon
 ½ teaspoon sugar

Lemon cream cheese frosting

4 ounce cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered (icing) sugar
lemon zest from two lemons, approx 2 tablespoons
fresh squeezed lemon juice, approx 2 to 3 tablespoons (from the 2 lemons you just zested)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Stuff you will need

Stand mixer
Lots of mixing bowls
Whisk
Lemon zester
Citrus squeezer
Rolling pin
Baking pan about 9 x 12 inches
Crisco lard to grease the pan
Can opener
Patience & Love


Instructions

To make the dough: In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and milk for approx 90 seconds.

Transfer the milk and butter mixture to your stand mixer with the dough hook.

Let stand (about 5 to 7 minutes) until luke warm temperature. You don't want to burn your yeast.  Sprinkle the yeast on top, until the yeast proofs.  About 5 more minutes.

Whisk egg and water and add to stand mixer.

Mix the flour sugar and salt together. Add about 1 cup of flour mixture at a time, until the dough starts to form and become smooth. 

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large 9 x 15 inch square. About 1/2 inch thick. 

Spread strawberry pie filling evenly on top of the dough. 

In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top of the strawberry filling. 

Roll up the 15 inch side into a log and pinch the seams. 

Cut into 9-12 slices depending on how thick you want your cinnamon rolls. Pro Tip: I use dental floss to cut the rolls.  Just slide the dental floss under the roll, cross over the top and pull in either direction.  Voila and perfectly cut roll.

Place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan and cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until just golden brown on the tops.

To make the glaze, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest until combined. 

Spread frost (unevenly) over warm cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Pro Tip: if it has been sitting in the refrigerator, put the roll into the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds.  If you love them cold, you will be absolutely astounded when they are warm.

Pro Tip: I used a "thunder stick" to blend the contents of the pie filling.  That way, no chunks to be concerned with.

Pro Tip:  Although the recipe calls for strawberry pie filling, apple pie filling is a wonderful substitute.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.