Category Archives: CHOCOLATE!

Easter Dinner Recipes

Posted on March 25, 2013 | 1 Comment

Do you serve an appetizer before Easter dinner? I never do because there is so much other food and I hate to get full before the feast even begins! (Also because I have NO will power!) If you are looking for an appetizer check HERE in my RECIPE file and you will find a list of appetizer ideas.

Most of us have our own traditional main dish for Easter so I didn’t include any in this pictorial list. Here are some of my favorite sides including some not-to-miss desserts!

Finnish Pulla Braid (As good for Easter as it is at Christmas!)

Jameson’s Lemon Bread

Make-Ahead Potatoes – a must for a busy Easter day, make the potatoes the day before!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Corn Pudding

I realize Green Bean Casserole is the traditional go-to for holiday dinners but these little Green Bean Buddies are so fun AND delicious!

Southern Squash Casserole

Are you ready for a few dessert ideas? Let’s go …

Best-Ever Banana Pudding!

Banoffee Pie 2 Banoffi Pie – a caramel and banana delight!

Sour Cream Coconut Filled Cupcakes – fun springtime dessert!

Rice Krispie Easter Egg Treats

Lemon Icebox Pie

HELP ME! I can’t stop drooling over recipes for Easter. I hope these have given you some inspirational ideas. If not, check out the RECIPE page for zillions more!

In the meantime, please tell me – what is on your menu this Easter?

~Easter Blessings, Catherine

Romans 1:4-5 And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. (NLT)

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Posted in Bread and Rolls, Cake, CHOCOLATE!, Dessert, Pie, Vegetables

Tagged Easter, Easter dinner, Easter dinner recipes, Easter recipes, Ester

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on March 18, 2013 | 23 Comments

Cookies are not my “thing”. Mostly because they just never turn out that well. You know, soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. So when, Tuesdays With Dorie baking group chose Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies for this week’s recipe I thought, “yawn.”

Then there are the ingredients … apricots (not my favorite) coffee powder – not a coffee drinker. I haven’t found any espresso powder in my travels and so I use instant coffee granules ground into a fine powder.

Oh ya, and 1 pound of chocolate. I decided to go with Ghirardelli all the way.

Cookies were made the usual way. Dry ingredients mixed into the butter, sugar, egg mixture. Stir well. Add the rest. Important step — refrigerate, a couple hours or overnight. BTW- ground coffee granules worked beautifully.

The cookies baked up stunningly delicious. I absolutely love the mocha flavor! I used 1 tablespoon of the ground coffee granules and it was just the right amount! I gave away as many as I could and had to freeze the rest to keep from eating them all! This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

The apricots added just the right amount of softness to the cookie. According to our neighbor who received the first pan full right out of the oven, “they were great with a cup of coffee!”

Rick Katz is the contributing baker who baked these cookies alongside Julia Childs on her PBS series, Baking With Julia. Dorie Greenspan is the author of the cookbook we are cooking our way through, Baking With Julia. Hosting this recipe is Peggy of Galettista. She will post the full recipe and details. Check it out there and add to your chocolate chip cookie arsenal. You will want to make these asap!
~Blessings, Catherine

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Posted in CHOCOLATE!, Cookies, Dessert, TWD:BWJ

Tagged Baking, baking with julia, chocolate chip cookies, Cookies, Julia Child, mocha chocolate cookies, tuesdays with dorie

Tuesdays With Dorie: Boca Negra

Posted on February 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

Today the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group has put together another fabulous Julia Child recipe for Boca Negra. Boca Negra actually means black mouth. That black mouth allegedly comes from eating this intensely chocolate cake. I say allegedly since I haven’t actually tasted this one yet! The recipe calls for twelve ounces of bittersweet chocolate and that doesn’t even count the 12 ounces of white chocolate that goes in the cream on the side! This picture comes from the website www.seriouseats.com. I don’t have pictures of my own because I chose not to make this dessert, at this time. But I didn’t want you to miss out on such a beautiful cake. Many Tuesdays with Dorie bakers will be posting their Boca Negra adventures and you can find their links here. The recipe can be found on the website hosted by Cathy at A Frederick Food Garden.

Cathy’s beautiful Boca Negra and her blog post is outstanding too, I hope you will check it out.

Even though I am not making the Boca Negra this time around, it is the perfect time to also share with you one of my all-time favorite chocolate-chocolate-fudgy pies. This is Walnut Fudge Pie that I served week-in and week-out at our bed and breakfast. It was a hit then and we still love it! I posted it back in 2011 and the recipe can be found here.

I hope your week is off to a warm and not too wintry start!

Blessings and Happy Cooking!
Catherine

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:11-12 NIV1984

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Posted in Cake, CHOCOLATE!, Dessert, TWD:BWJ

Tagged Baking, boca negra, Chocolate, Dessert, fudge pie, julia childs, seriouseats.com, tuesdays with dorie, walnut fudge pie

Healthified Triple Chocolate Pie

Posted on February 8, 2013 | 1 Comment

With Valentine’s Day next week wouldn’t it be lovely to make a chocolate pie to share with those you love? How about a chocolate pie that is fast and easy? How about 58% less fat and 33% fewer calories than the original recipe? Now am I talking your love language? The recipe can easily be doubled to serve a crowd, or have one pie for home and one to take to work!

I have made a lot of chocolate pies through the years. A lot. But when I made this chocolate pie my Chief Culinary Consultant said several times “great pie honey!” Now it is true, I cook for compliments. The Chief knows this and knows he will get this pie again, anytime he asks!

It is so easy to mix up the fat-free, sugar-free pudding. If you haven’t ever tried it, you should. It is surprisingly rich and luscious. Quite often I will just make the fat-free, sugar-free pudding, top with a dollop of whipped cream and dessert is ready!

This pudding is combined with softened cream cheese and vanilla. Once it is mixed well the whipped topping is beaten in with the electric mixer. By now there will be a line forming to see who gets to lick the beaters.

The pie needs to chill from 4 to 24 hours before serving. I actually hurried the process and didn’t have quite 4 hours before serving but the slices still cut pretty well. Top with raspberries, chocolate shavings and a dollop of whip cream for the crowning touch!

This incredibly delicious pie will never give away the secret that it is actually a healthified recipe, light on fat and light on calories! Enjoy with someone you love.

~Blessings, Catherine

Healthified Triple Chocolate Pie

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 20 minutes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Healthified Triple Chocolate Pie

58% less saturated fat and 33% less calories than the original recipe. A luscious dessert for just 160 calories per serving!

Ingredients

1 package fat-free, sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix (1.4 oz.)
1 3/4 cups fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 container (8 oz) light whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip)
1 Chocolate-flavored crumb pie shell (6 oz.)
1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries *Optional
1 tablespoon grated semisweet chocolate

Directions

In a medium bowl, prepare pudding mix according to package directions using 1 3/4 cup milk. Stir in vanilla; set aside.
Place cream cheese in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave, uncovered , on high for 15 seconds, stir. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add half of the pudding mixture; beat until smooth. Add in remaining pudding mixture; beat until smooth.
Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread mixture into pie shell. Chill 4 to 24 hours or until set.
Top individual servings with remaining whipped topping, raspberries and grated chocolate.

Notes

Adapted from livebetteramerica.com

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