Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I've been working on my Planner, trying to get the year completed so my cards have taken a back burner (for now).
I needed to make something chocolate for a Family celebration and I don't usually make chocolate frosting but I decided that double chocolate was the way to go for these light and airy cupcakes...

So much tastier then the canned frosting and takes no time to whip up.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter, soft
3 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 Tbsp heavy cream

Whip butter, add vanilla, alternate cream with dry ingredients. Makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

KISSES Hot Cocoa Cookies

It's been so long since I logged onto the Blog, I almost forgot my password. There always seems to be something more pressing to do than sitting down and typing out a post. I DO know there are still a few people that like to look up recipes, myself being one of them so I'm going to keep putting out my hopefully more frequent posts.

I was scrolling through Instagram(another time waster) and spotted this recipe. Every year I do a lot of Christmas baking and I always like to try a new recipe or two. Well I had a helper coming over to hang out for the day (Thanks Kate) and since this recipe involved a few more steps, it was the perfect time to try it.

Hot Cocoa Cookies

3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
36 Kisses (approx)
18 marshmallows
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cut each marshmallow in half. Set aside. Take wrappers off Kisses. Preheat oven to 350F

Beat butter and sugars,add eggs and vanilla, then dry ingredients. Chill dough.(They suggested 10 min in Freezer but I would chill it longer in fridge)
Roll dough into balls about an inch and a half. Flatten slightly.
Bake 6-7 min: top with marshmallow half and bake an additional 3-4 min( I didn't think the marshmallow was cooking so I went with 4 but I think I would bake slightly less next time)
Remove from oven. Cool one minute and top with KISS.
Allow cookies to cool completely.

These cookies were delicious! and the dough even better!  They are a soft cookie and the topping was yummy. A great addition to your cookie tray

Butterscotch Rice Krispie squares

Look at me go. Blogging several times in one month. Nice to have a bit of free time to try some new things like these squares. This was on the Rice Krispie Website. When I first tried them I thought they were brutally sweet but I must admit, they have really grown on me. Crispy with a chocolate layer and a hint of peanut butter. A great combination and no bake.

Butterscotch Rice Krispie squares
1 cup Butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 cups Rice Krispies
6 oz. Semi-sweet chips (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp water

Melt butterscotch chips with peanut butter in heavy saucepan until melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies. Press half the mixture into a 8x8 coated with cooking spray. Combine other ingredients after melting chocolate chips and spread over chilled first layer. Then press gently the remaining mixture. Chill a bit and then cut into squares before they get too hard.

Girl's Getaway

Another great time of scrapbooking and hanging out with the best girlfriends at a lovely cottage with ALL the amenities. We had such great weather it was really hard to stay indoors and crop but we had some lovely times sitting out watching the day drift by. AND I got almost all  my bee cards done for the upcoming fundraiser.

I didn't have a lot of time to prep my food as I had been quite busy with a family wedding so I pulled out this old faithful that is so rich, it doesn't even require frosting plus its easy to make and keeps fresh for a long time.

Chocolate, Chocolate Cake
1 package Devil's Food Cake
1 6 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix (dry)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix everything together. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into a well-greased 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes or until top is springy to the touch.
Cool thorougly in the pan then turn out onto a cake plate. Could be iced or dusted with icing sugar. 

Fudgy Brownies

Yikes! Loonies for Lindor registration opened this week and its been Cra-Cra!  SOLD OUT within hours with our biggest group yet. I'm excited yet a little stressed. The support is incredible and I can't wait to lay out our raffle table.

In the midst of all this, I was asked to make a few squares plus I'm starting to bake for the wedding of this special girl.

So I pulled out a reliable brownie recipe that I've been using for years. Sometimes I use the Company's Coming recipe which is a really popular post on my blog but I like this recipe as well.

Fudgy Brownies
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2/3 cup cooking oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine flour, sugar and cocoa,baking powder and nuts. Set aside. Combine oil, eggs and vanilla.
Add to dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until pick is clean.

Hint - I find they look slightly undercooked but when you take them out they tend to firm up, while remaining fudgy in the middle.

Frost with chocolate frosting if desired.

Chocolate cake

We are getting ready to celebrate our family Easter and I can't wait. My cousin is a fabulous cook and always surprises us with delicious menu items. I'm usually down for desserts so I decided to go a different route this year. This doctored chocolate cake is rich and dense and comes together quickly with a cake mix and prepared frosting if you're in a rush. I bake it in a Bundt pan but you could make 2 layer cakes and ice them together.It's very yummy!

Chocolate Cake
4 eggs
1 instant chocolate pudding mix
1 pkg chocolate chips ( I used about 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup oil
1 chocolate cake mix

Mix and bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

I feel like I have posted these cookies before but they didn't show up in a search of my blog so maybe my memory isn't as faulty as I think. These are absolutely the easiest and fastest cookies that you could ever make and there are really tasty.
All you need is a box of cake mix and a few other basic ingredients and you are good to go.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
1 package chocolate cake mix (do not prepare)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips or other add ins (optional)

Mix.

Bake at 350F 8-10 minutes.

Super quick and easy.

Conversation Heart Bark

Here's another quick Valentine confection that you can try. It's just an easy bark (I used chocolate chips and white chocolate melting wafers) with Rice Krispies and conversation hearts.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Melt about 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread it out in a thin layer on the cookie sheet. Let harden for about 20 min. then in another saucepan or carefully in the microwave, melt the white chocolate. Stir in about 3/4 cup Rice Krispies and spread over hardened chocolate layer. Sprinkle on conversation hearts and break into pieces when hardened.
This is a yummy combination and the hearts add that extra Valentine cuteness.

Cute Christmas candy wreath

I've been having problems with my computer so I haven't been able to blog lately. Hope its sorted out now because I have lots to show you.
I went to a meeting for work the other day and the Consultant for our group had left these adorable Lindor wreaths at our places. I already knew she was a talented baker and decorator but I didn't know she was crafty, also, AND she has a Shilouette. I recognized it right away from the tags. I always appreciate a hand-made gift. I know the caring and thoughtfulness and time that goes into each one plus as you know, I have a particular weakness for Lindors.
Thanks Jenn.

She also made these adorable Red Velvet cupcakes. I'm a sucker for holly. These were made from rolled fondant. I think I may have to beg a few lessons down the road.

Mocha Torte Dessert

I pulled out a recipe from days gone by from Enjoy- More Recipes from the Best of Bridge. I hadn't made this cake for awhile and it didn't disappoint. My only problem was that my whip cream didn't firm up. I think possibly I overwhipped it but it still held together not too bad. Looks like you did a lot of work and you really only use a cake mix and cut it into layers to make the torte part. So easy.

Mocha Torte Dessert
1 chocolate cake mix (try a Dark Chocolate)

Mocha Cream Filling
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbsps. hot water
4 tsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup white sugar
500mL of whipping cream

Prepare cake according to directions. Bake in 8 inch pans which have been greased and lined with circles of waxed paper. Bake and cool, then split each layer in two horizontally.
Prepare mocha cream by combining chipits, water, coffee and sugar in small saucepan. Heat until smooth and cool. Whip cream until it starts to thicken, add cool chocolate mixture and spread on layers and frost top and sides of cake. Decorate with shaved chocolate or sprinkles. Chill at least one hour.

After Easter Sales

One of my favourite times of year is right after Easter when all the candy goes on sale. Then I tend to forget that I'm trying to whittle down my stockpile and I'm out looking for the best deals.
Of course, who doesn't need a Star Wars Yoda egg basket? I HAD to have it!

Then of course, there is the requisite Easter lily. They go on sale right after Easter and that's fine by me.

Wasn't sure if it would open but one bloom is on it's way. Isn't that Nature's perfection?

Then I had to do something with the candy so why not bake? AGAIN!
Here's my latest square/bar cookie featuring Cadbury Mini Eggs. I found a similar recipe on withsprinklesontop but I made a few changes.

Doesn't that look delicious??

Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1-2 cups milk chocolate mini eggs

Melt butter. Cream in sugars. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until creamy.
Slowly add flour mixture and other dry ingredients.
Fold in mini eggs.
Spread batter into a greased 9 x 9 pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean. Let the bars cool for about 30 minutes before slicing.

It is not too late to make these beauties. There is still candy to be found. Good luck!

Company's Coming Brownies

Well, I almost forgot about my Cookbook challenge. I made this recipe from another great series of cookbooks called Company's Coming Squares. I make many recipes from this cookbook but I had never tried the brownies until I had them at my Great Aunt's house when I went for a visit. The intro says..."not only is this the easiest and fastest brownie to make, it is also the best tasting ever."
It WAS very good but I'll confess I made it in a 9 x 9 pan and it was a little thinner then I would like.

So if you don't have this book....

here's the recipe.

Brownies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1/8 tsp salt

In a small saucepan, melt butter and cocoa, stirring as it melts.
In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, flour, nuts and salt. Don't stir yet!
 Then pour cocoa mixture over top and stir all together. Scrape batter into greased 8 x 8 pan.
Bake at 350 F for about 30 min or until edges start to pull away from pan. Cool and frost.
I used a can of chocolate fudge frosting for an easy way out.

Chocolate cookies with an Irish twist

Even though I'm not Irish and have absolutely NO connection to anything Irish, I thought I would jump on the St. Patrick's Day bandwagon and use it as an excuse to bake. Chocolate and mint, a perfect combination to celebrate with the Emerald Isle.
This cookie is so easy, you will want to celebrate too!

Chocolate Cake Mix cookies
1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks and Mint M&M's)
Mix
Bake for 8 - 10 min at 350F.
Be careful. They burn easily.

Chocolate Log

With the holiday season coming up, many of us are asked to contribute something to a potluck meal or even bring dessert for a special dinner. This quick and easy dessert looks and tastes good and doesn't take hours to prepare. The recipe is on the box of chocolate wafers but basically you just whip up some whipping cream, add a little icing sugar and a dash of vanilla and ice each wafer then stack them in logs side by side. Slather everything with whipping cream and let it sit for at least 6 hours.

You can sprinkle with some decorations but word of warning, do this just before serving or the whipped cream will make it bleed. Cut on a diagonal to get a nice looking slice.

A very tasty dessert that you can throw together in minutes. Sure to impress.