Molten Chocolate Cakes

Decadent! And so easy!

4 oz. Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 c. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2eggs
2egg yolks
6 Tbsp. flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 4 (3/4 cup) custard dishes. Place on baking sheet. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwave bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter between prepared custard cups. Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream if desired.
 
I just realized I used unsweetened chocolate. They were good. I wonder if chocolate chips would work since it's just semi-sweet chocolate.

Brazilian Lemonade

We had this drink with our "fancy" Valentine's dinner this year and it was SO delicious! You should definitely try it. It tastes just like the Brazilian Lemonade from Tucanos or restaurants like that. Try it. Buy some limes and sweetened condensed milk the next time you are at the store. You won't regret it.

4 juicy limes
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
Wash limes thoroughly with soap; you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.
Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.
Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk. You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance).

Healthy Applesauce Cookies (somewhat healthy)

I got this recipe from a roommate and we love them! Becca asked for the recipe so I thought I would share with all!

Combine

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

3/4 t salt

3/4 t cinnamon

Cream

3 T butter

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

Add 

1 egg and 1 egg white

Add

1/4+1/8 c applesauce or mashed banana

3/4 t vanilla

Add

3 c oatmeal 

1 c choc chips

Flatten each cookie and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 min.

Enjoy :) 

Cauliflower Fritters

These little fritters were delicious! Our kids loved them! I think Jasher ate FIVE of them! The sauce and pomegranate are not necessary but were a very nice touch...especially the pomegranate! If you're looking for something a little different, give them a try!

Cauliflower-Feta Fritters with Smoky Yogurt, Pomegranate
Makes 18 2-inch fritters

1 small head cauliflower (1 pound florets), cut into generous 1 to 2 inch chunks
1 large egg
1 garlic clove, minced
Few gratings of fresh lemon zest
3 ounces crumbled feta (about 1/2 cup) - (I don't have feta sitting around so I used good old colby jack cheese - still delicious, probably less strong)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes; less if using regular red pepper flakes, which are hotter (Left out for the kid's sake)
3/4 teaspoon table salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil for frying

To serve
3/4 cup yogurt (I didn't have any so I used sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful pomegranate arils

Cook cauliflower in simmering salted water, uncovered, until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, until firm but tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well. Spread on towels to dry as much as possible.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together egg, garlic and lemon zest. Add cauliflower florets and mash with a potato masher until they’re crushed into an average of pea-sized pieces (i.e. some will be bigger, some smaller, but most will be little nubs). Sprinkle in feta and stir to combine egg mixture, cauliflower and feta. In a small dish, whisk flour, salt, pepper and baking powder until evenly combined. Sprinkle over cauliflower batter and stir just until combined.
Heat oven to 200 degrees F and place a tray inside. On the stove, heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add a good slick of oil, about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot (you can test it by flicking a droplet of water into it; it should hiss and sputter), scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then the tray in the oven to keep them warm until needed. Once all fritters are cooked, mix yogurt with cumin, salt and pepper. Spread fritters on serving platter. Dollop each with cumin yogurt and sprinkle with pomegranate arils.

Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup

I love this soup from Olive Garden.  It was almost as good when I made it myself!! And it's so easy!

3 T olive oil
5 T butter
4 T flour
1 pint heavy cream or half and half
2 c milk
1 c red onion, finely diced
2 T minced garlic
1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
1 c carrots, grated
2 c chicken (cooked, diced)
1 package gnocchi, halved and cooked
1 T salt
1 t thyme
1 t parsley
1 T pepper

Sauté garlic and onion in oil and butter until onions are translucent. Add flour to make a roux.

Add milk and heavy cream.  Add chicken, carrots. Add chicken broth.  Cook until thick consistency you like.  Add gnocchi and spices.

Caramel Sauce

Remember when Mom would buy that caramel to dip apples in? Was it Marzettis or something? That always made my day and I'm sure I ate more than my share. Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this sauce is better! It is SO GOOD! The recipe says it is syrup but I'm not sure what you would put it on as syrup...it's practically candy. But on apples...it is amazing! 

Caramel Syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk (I just put a little vinegar into regular milk)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a large pot.
Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it’s still bubbling, you’re okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes (mine took more like 12-15)

When it’s done, it should take on this luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

There will be foam on top but just give it a good stir.

Baked Oatmeal

My mom gave me this recipe and I love it.  The kids love it too!  We eat oatmeal a lot so it is fun to have it made a little differently.  (It is practically a dessert)

2 Cups Oatmeal
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce or mashed bananas
2 Tbls butter


Mix together in 8x8 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 min.