Tag Archives: chocolate

Baking with B: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cake

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Back in college when my ex-boyfriend’s mom was visiting we knew it could only mean one thing- she was going to be bringing this famous cake that I dubbed “Mama B Cake”. It earned its fame mainly because it was the only thing that “Mama B” could (or would) bake. When she made it for you, you knew it was something kind of special. The cake was its own kind of love so I imagine that’s why it always tasted so good. Try as I might, my version will never be delicious as hers. (I’ve searched around for the original recipe for ages, but this one I found here was the closest I could get.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cake

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c. overripe bananas, mashed (about 3)

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, banana, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla until thick and yellow. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, one spoonful at a time, until well combined. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Add cocoa to the remaining batter, stirring until combined. Dollop the chocolate batter onto the peanut butter batter, then swirl to combine using a wooden skewer.

B’s Tip: If you don’t have skewers lying around, use a chopstick, a cake tester, a knife, the handle of your mixing spoon- anything that’s long and thin!

Bake for approximately 50 minutes until knife comes out clean in the middle. Cool for approximately 10 minutes in pan before turning out onto wire rack. Let cool completely before serving.

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Chocolate? Beer? Lime? I know what you’re thinking- how could these ingredients possibly go together?

Here’s the answer: I don’t know. But believe me, it works. The beer gives the chocolate a rich, deep flavour and the lime zest brightens things up so the cake doesn’t feel as heavy Even if you’re not a fan of Guinness (or beer in general), this is still a great cake for any chocolate lover and is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day (And no, that’s not some leprechaun trick!)

Chocolate Guinness Cake (serves 12)

1 c. Guinness beer

1 c. unsalted butter

¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 c. white sugar

2/3 c. regular sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp baking soda

icing sugar for garnish (optional)

lime zest for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 9-inch pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Pour Guinness into large saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and heat until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder and sugar. Set aside. In a bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add sour cream mixture to Guinness mixture, and whisk to combine. Whisk in flour and baking soda, then pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes, at 350F, until tester comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool and serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar and lime shavings on top.

B’s Tip: Yeah, yeah I know it sounds weird, but go with the lime shavings! It’s honestly one of the best things about the cake.

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Chocolate Beet Cake

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Aarrggh! I gave the secret ingredient away in the title already. You may wish to be less forthcoming than I have been- beets have a bad rap for being so red, so earthy-flavored, so…beet-ish. However, when they’re mixed with chocolate for some reason it just works. (I’d like to know more about the person who came up with that idea.)

I don’t often foray into baking with vegetables (except this time) that but that lonely can of beets in my cupboard (plus my friends’ insistence that it could not be done) inspired me to make a Chocolate Beet Cake and honestly? It’s kind of marvelous. Don’t trust me? Try it yourself! It’s been loosely adapted on this recipe I found here.

Chocolate Beet Cake (makes 2 9-inch round cakes)

3/4 c. butter

2 c. white sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c. milk

1 14-oz. can of beets, drained and rinsed, with 1/2 c. of beet juice for reserve

1/2 c. reserved beet juice

First, you gotta puree those beets. Use your blender, slap-chop, whatever- just get ‘er done. Me, I went the old-fashioned way, simmering the beets in a saucepan on the stove until super moist before going at them with my hand-blender. Set aside beets aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar before adding eggs. Beat until thick and frothy. Slowly start adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a bit at a time, alternating with the milk until fully combined.

Remember those beets? Stir them in last, then the beet juice you’ve saved from the can. Grease and flour two 9-inch round or square baking pans and pour batter into pans. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or a knife comes out clean when inserted.

B’s Tip: You know what they say about buying good-quality cocoa powder? Yeah, I laughed too, but I wasn’t laughing after a friend gave me some of hers to use in this cake. It honestly makes a world of difference so if you can afford it (or if it’s a special occasion) I highly recommend using the best you can find for this recipe.

Happy baking!

B

Baking with B appears (usually) every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Chocolate Spice Cookies

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Do you ever get tired of making the same thing, over and over again? (I used to feel that way about birthday cakes.) I was searching for something to serve during a recent family visit and none of my old standards were really grabbing me. Trying something new didn’t really appeal to me either- I didn’t have the time or energy for experimenting.

I was beginning to feel discouraged until I thought- hey, why reinvent the wheel? You know a lot of great classic recipes, B. Why not spice one up so you can have the best of both worlds?

I took my own advice. Literally. I whipped together the ingredients for my favorite butter cookie recipe (also featured here) and turned things up a notch. I’m pretty pleased with the results, too- these Chocolate Spice Cookies melt in your mouth just like a butter cookie, but taste like a gingersnap, with an extra splash of chocolate to keep things sweet.

Chocolate Spice Cookies (makes 28)

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips, melted

Cream together butter and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift together spices and flour and mix with wet ingredients, adding one spoonful at a time until ingredients are fully combined. Divide the dough and shape into two flat discs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Use your hands to shape dough into desired shape, before placing on a parchment-lined cookie sheet approximately one inch apart. Press down each cookie with a fork before baking 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cookie rack until fully cooled.

Melt chocolate in a double-broiler or microwave until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate before placing on waxed paper. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

B’s Tip: Just because I used chocolate chips doesn’t mean you can’t use your favorite baking chocolate or chocolate bar to make the melted chocolate! You may want to drizzle the chocolate over the cookies instead, or skip that step altogether and throw your chocolate chips into the dough before baking.

The best thing about making over a classic recipe like this is that the variations don’t have to stop there- you can change up the chocolate, switch out the spices, or add nuts or your favorite dried fruit for even more flavor. Your cookies don’t even have to be the same shape- I tried molding mine into logs before squashing with a giant serving fork, instead of the usual circular cookies I make. See? Spicing up your old routine can be addictive. I highly suggest you try it too. You never know what you might come up with!

Happy baking!

B

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Chocolate Pudding Brownies

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Isn’t it awesome when you can take something from your cupboard normally used for one thing and then make something completely different using that same thing?

If you don’t follow, then you obviously haven’t made these Chocolate Pudding Brownies where the secret ingredient is (not surprisingly) chocolate pudding. They’re super-soft and moist and honestly do kind of taste like chocolate pudding- if you bake them right, they have that soft, smooth pudding texture that gives the recipe its name. Apologies to brownie purists everywhere-my favorite brownie recipe is still this one-but for people that are short on time and looking for simple baking solutions, this is definitely one you should add to your roster.

Chocolate Pudding Brownies (makes 25 squares)

6 tbsp butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 box instant chocolate pudding powder (4-serving size)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth before beating in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and chocolate pudding powder. Combine with wet ingredients just until moistened. Spread evenly in a greased 8×8-inch pan and bake for 30 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out moist, not wet, with batter.

B’s Tip: Depending on how hot or cold your oven runs, you may want to check up on these babies frequently to make sure you don’t over-bake them. They’re still pretty tasty if you do, but the texture comes out kind of gummy and spongy instead of cake-y and moist.

These brownies are so ooey, gooey good that you should wait until they cool before cutting and serving, but if you just can’t wait why not pair one with your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt for a brownie-licious sundae? Just add whipped cream and chocolate sauce and you’re good to go! Brownie points if you top it with a maraschino cherry. (See what I did there?!)

Happy baking!

B

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Rocky Road Sour Cream Brownies

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I confess I used to be one of those people that scoffed at the idea Valentine’s Day. Like those other haters, I believed it was too commercialized, and I resented feeling excluded all of those years I was single on February 14.

As I’ve gotten older and found it more difficult to keep up with all of my personal relationships, I’m starting to realize those greeting card companies might be onto something. There just aren’t a lot of opportunities for romance amidst today’s hustle and bustle unless you make the time for it. Sure, ideally you’d like to show your partner your appreciation every day, but now I think there’s something to be said for putting aside a day once a year for doing something special.

That’s why I’m starting to think Valentine’s Day is really for those in long-term relationships- those relationships that are filled with chores and kids and bills and all those other wonderful things life throws your way as an adult. Those couples need a day like this. They need a way to make things extra-special.

Kind of like these brownies. My chocolate brownies are kind of a staple in my household, and yet when do I ever get the opportunity to jazz them up a little? Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect excuse to bake this ooey-gooey, junked-up version. The result? A brownie that’s perfect for your favorite chocoholic, or for anyone that you want to feel special.

Rocky Road Sour Cream Brownies (makes 25)

Brownie Base:

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. sour cream

Rocky Road Topping:

1/2 c. milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. mini marshmallows

1/2 c. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time until frothy, then use a spoon to add sour cream and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined. Bake in a greased 8-inch pan for approximately 35 minutes.

Remove brownies from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips, marshmallows and almonds (in that order) over top, taking care to distribute evenly. Return to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until marshmallows get puffy and golden. Let the brownies cool at least 10-15 minutes before cutting.

B’s Tip: The sour cream brownie base makes these treats really soft at first, so it’s based to wait until brownies are just about cool for the cleanest, neatest cuts. But who am I kidding? Chocolate is chocolate, and these taste good pretty much any which way.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Marshmallow Roll

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I loved making this cookie simply because of the way it looks- the marshmallow inside reminds me of a little snowball and the coconut coating gives this cookie a light dusting of faux snow.

Just because these marshmallow rolls look so sweet doesn’t mean they actually taste that sweet- using unsweetened chocolate gives this recipe a fudgey flavor and the graham cracker crumbs give it a salty undertone (even if you do opt to go without the nuts).

Marshmallow Roll (makes approximately 24 slices)

2 squares of unsweetened chocolate

10 oz. sweetened condensed milk

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. walnuts, finely chopped

large colored marshmallows

coconut

Melt in chocolate in large saucepan over low heat or hot water. Remove from heat. Stir in milk, crumbs and nuts. Divide into 2 portions. On piece of wax paper press out 1 portion 1/4-inch thick. Form into wide enough shape to go around marshmallow. Place various colors of marshmallow end to end and bring up batter to go around, pinching dough to join.

B’s Tip: Do make sure that you’re generous when measuring out the graham cracker crumbs- this dough is incredibly sticky and hard enough to handle as it is! P.S. Wax paper is also a must for easier rolling and clean up.

Coat with coconut. Repeat for other half. Wrap in wax paper. Store in plastic wrap in refrigerator. Cut with knife dipped in water. Clean knife between cuts. Slice thinly to serve.

B’s Tip: These recipe can be stored up for up to a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you can stand it, wait another 24 hours after slicing to try for an even chewier treat.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Chocolate Roll

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Take it from me- there is no way that you can mess this recipe up. It feels like taking everything that tastes sweet and good in your pantry and throwing it all into one fudgey slice of a cookie. The sheer amount of stuff in it makes it tricky to roll-putting it together just feels like throwing lumps of dough onto a pan- but once you’ve molded it into a nice shape, it looks pretty no matter what. I bet this would be a blast to make with kids.

Chocolate Roll (makes approximately 24 slices)

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg, beaten

1 c. icing sugar

1 1/2 c. small colored marshmallows

1/2 c. maraschino cherries, well-drained and quartered

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

coconut for topping

Melt chips and butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add beaten egg, icing sugar, marshmallows, cherries and walnuts. Stir to mix. Cool if very warm. Form mixture into a roll. Sprinkle some coconut over countertop, in space big enough to move around to coat with coconut. Wrap in either wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill well before attempting to slice. Slice thinly with clean, sharp knife.

B’s Tip: I ended up using glaçe cherries instead of maraschino cherries and they ended up working just as well because of their ooey-gooey sweetness.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Midnight Mints

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Someone just told me that Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian thing (supposedly they were originally named for the place where they were invented- Nanaimo, B.C.). Am I a bad baker for not knowing this? Or a bad Canadian? Is this actually true? (Someone on the Internets please confirm. I’m dying to know.)

I’ve also read that Nanaimo Bars may also be called Millionaire Bars in the U.K. Is this also true? Are they the same thing?

No matter. I’ve always loved nanaimo bars and I love this minty version even more, especially because it was the one my mom used to make for the holidays when I was younger. Chocolate and mint is definitely a winning combination, which is why these bars win the award for baked goods that flew out of my house the fastest. (Thank goodness for hungry neighbors! They were gone in less than an hour.)

It sparked an interesting conversation among a few of us in the building on which families grew up eating the minty kind, and which families veered towards the more traditional recipe. I think both taste great, but you be the judge. Obviously, in this case, I’m very biased.

Midnight Mints (makes 36)

Bottom Layer

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 tbsp cocoa

1 egg, beaten

1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

3/4 c. fine coconut

 

Middle Layer

1/3 c. butter or margarine

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp peppermint flavoring

2 c icing sugar

green food coloring

 

Top Layer

2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

 

To make the bottom layer, combine butter, sugar and cocoa in saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil. Stir in egg to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Pack very firmly into greased 9×9-inch pan.

To make the middle layer, combine butter, milk, flavoring and icing sugar in bowl. Beat together well. Tint a pretty green. Spread over first layer.

To make the top layer, melt chocolate chips and butter in saucepan over low heat or hot water. Spread over second layer. Chill and store covered in refrigerator. This will keep well and will also freeze well. Cut into squares.

B’s Tip: These bars keep up to a week in the fridge but are probably best eaten within 2-3 days (if there’s any leftover!)

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Butterscotch Bars

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Do you find yourself scrambling to figure out what to make leading up to the Christmas holidays? Me too. It’s not so much a mater of not knowing what to serve- it’s having to pick and choose! There are so many tasty ideas for holiday foods out there- but what really gets me going is all that Christmas baking.

Part of my background is Swedish so holiday baking is a huge must in our family. It’s a tradition every year around Christmastime to bake seven different kinds of cookies. Why this is a tradition I have no idea but I can’t complain- I love to bake and I love to eat, so everybody wins as far as I’m concerned!

As we begin our countdown to Christmas, I’ll be sharing seven of some of my favorite cookie recipes so that you can get some ideas on what to bring- and what to eat- at your upcoming holiday dinner.

First up are these nummy butterscotch bars which I’m convinced should be a staple in every baker’s repertoire not just for the holidays, but all year round. Definitely a crowd-pleaser!

Butterscotch Bars (makes 36)

Bottom Layer:

whole graham crackers

 

Middle Layer:

3/4 c. butter or margarine

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

 

Top Layer:

1 1/2 c. icing sugar

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1 1/2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp vanilla

Line ungreased 9×9-inch pan with whole graham crackers, trimming to fit. Combine butter, sugar, milk and vanilla in large saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in crumbs before pouring over crackers in the pan. Cover with layer of whole crackers, trimming to fit.

While the squares are cooling, beat together ingredients for icing in a small bowl. Add more water or icing sugar until mixture is spreadable, not runny. Use to ice squares once fully cooled. Cut into 36 squares and enjoy!

B’s Tip: This recipe keeps up to one week in the fridge and tastes even better once you’ve let it sit for a couple of days.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.