Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Adapted from Food Network
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 packed cups grated zucchini (don’t peel it)
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven at 350 F. Spray two 9×5 inch pans with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients along with the zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir just until combined, and divide between the loaf pans.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and springy to the touch. Makes 2 cakes.

From: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/08/23/chocolate-chocolate-chip-zucchini-cake/

Strawberry Napoleon

Easy Strawberry Napoleon Recipe:

(Recipe from All Things Delicious)

1 sheet (half of a 17 oz. pkg) frozen puff pastry*
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipped topping
2 cup stemmed and sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw folded pastry sheet for 20 minutes. Open sheet and cut along folds to make three equal strips; halve each strip to make six rectangles. Space apart on baking sheet. Bake in center of oven about 15 minutes until well browned and baked through. Remove to rack to cool.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk pudding mix, milk, and extract for 2 minutes; fold in whipped topping and blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.

Carefully split each piece of pastry in half horizontally. Cover bottom halves with almonds, then pudding mixture and sliced strawberries, dividing equally. Cover with pastry tops. Dust with powdered sugar.

*You could double the pudding mixture and use both sheets of puff pastry for more Napoleons. I ended up using all of my puff pastry to be able to have additional layers for each Napoleon.

This recipe makes 3 servings.

From: Six Sisters Stuff

Pudding Cookies Chocolate Chip

Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1-1/2 c butter (3 sticks) softened

1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. white sugar

2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

4 eggs, room temp

2 t. vanilla extract

4 c. of add-ins

( like chocolate/butterscotch/peanut butter/white chocolate chips, candy bars, m&m's, nuts, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour and baking soda in seperate bowl and set aside; in a large bowl, cream butter, brown and white sugar. Beat in pudding mix until well blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture. This can take a little while, but make sure it's well incorporated into mix.

 

from: http://www.sundaybaker.net/2008/05/snack-thatll-last-you-all-week-pudding.html

Caesar BLT Pasta Salad

Caesar BLT Pasta Salad
(adapted from Food Network)
16 oz. mini farfalle (bowties)
1 lb. bacon
1 pint sugar plum tomatoes, sliced
1 c. Gardini’s Caesar dressing
1 c. sliced black olives
1/2 c. parmesan
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice of one lemon
4 c. chopped romaine lettuce

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente, then drain. (I cooked mine the night before and tossed it with the olive oil and lemon juice and marinated it in the refrigerator overnight.) This keeps the pasta from sticking together.

Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and cook in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard the bacon grease; leaving just a tablespoon or so in the skillet. Add the sliced tomatoes and garlic and toss in the skillet for just a couple of minutes to cook the garlic and soften the tomatoes. Then let sit until cool.

Since the pasta is nice and cold from being refrigerated overnight; just mix in the Caesar dressing, bacon, tomato mixture, olives and Parmesan, then toss in the chopped lettuce at the end and it’s ready to go! Serve at room temperature.

**Add avocado, and lose the romaine.  And only add a "splash" of Caesar dressing.

From: http://bigsislilsis.com/2012/08/05/caesar-blt-pasta-salad/

Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: makes 2 1/2-3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 6-7 minutes per batch
Total Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

To brown butter, add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, whisk constantly until brown bits start to appear in the bottom of the pan - about 5 minutes. Remove immediately from heat and continue whisking for another 30 seconds or so. Let cool COMPLETELY.
In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt.
Once cool, add sugars to a large bowl with butter, whisking until smooth. Add in vanilla extract then whisk in egg and egg yolk until combined. Using a large spoon, add in dry ingredients and mix well until a dough forms - using your hands if needed. Fold in chocolate chips until they are scattered throughout the dough. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough into balls slightly smaller than one inch around. Place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 6-7 minutes, then remove and let cool completely. Do not overbake!

From:http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/09/mini-whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Pumpkin Bread with Pumpkin Butter Cream

Here are the recipes for the Pumpkin Loaf and Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting. Makes one 9 x 5″ loaf.
PUMPKIN BREAD (adapted from Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (I substituted light brown sugar)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (I omitted this)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (I left this out, too)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts, optional (I didn’t add the nuts to the batter, but sprinkled them on top of the frosted loaf instead)

Position your oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5″ loaf pan; set aside.
Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In another bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs on medium-high speed for two minutes or until lightened in color. Add the brown sugar, mixing for about 2 minutes, then the granulated sugar, mixing for about 1 minute. Add the orange and lemon zests, if using, and beat for another minute. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Drizzle in the canola oil with beater on medium-low. Reduce speed to low and add the pumpkin puree. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients in two additions and blend for 10-15 seconds just until incorporated. Fold in the pecans using a rubber spatula.
Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
If you’re going to frost the loaf, you can make the frosting while the loaf is cooling…
PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING by NancyCreative

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons half & half or milk
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional, for sprinkling on top

Cream the butter, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla, blending well. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add half & half or milk and blend well. NOTE: This makes a very thick buttercream frosting. If you want a thinner, creamier frosting, add more half & half or milk until you get the desired consistency.
After frosting the cooled pumpkin loaf, sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.

From: http://nancycreative.com/2011/12/06/pumpkin-bread-with-pumpkin-buttercream/

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 chocolate pie crust (like Oreo)

Melt 3/4 cup of of the white chocolate chips in the microwave (30 second intervals)for about 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Set aside.

Beat the heavy cream, vanilla extract, & 1/2 cup of the confectioners sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until it becomes thick.

In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, the other 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, & the cup of melted white chocolate.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Spread the cream into the chocolate pie crust. (I recommend not putting all of the cream in the crust at first. There is a lot of cream and it will overflow as you stuff in the quart of strawberries.) Then, press the sliced berries into the mixture ALL over it. Find every single available nook & cranny, and shove a berry in it!

Melt the remaining white chocolate in one bowl & melt the milk chocolate in another. Drizzle the melted milk chocolate on first…then the white chocolate. Make sure the drizzles are thin and spread out because if you pour the chocolate on top (like i did) it is impossible to cut when the chocolate chips harden again.