Double Chocolate Mousse Torte

You guys!!  This mousse torte thing is amazing! I saw the recipe at melskitchencafe.com and didn't change a thing - and after making it I'm not sure there's even anything that you'd want to change, it's kinda perfect. I made it for our "Pal-entine's" dinner thinking it'd be safe because I don't like chocolate therefore I wouldn't be tempted - but after trying a tiny little sliver I might be changing my mind about chocolate hahahah. I have a little leftover in the fridge and it took all my willpower to not eat it for breakfast. You want to make this, I promise.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

CAKE:

•  8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (see note)
•  1 cup (8 ounces, 2 sticks) butter
•  1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
•  5 large eggs
•  1 tablespoon vanilla extract
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 cup (1.25 ounces) all-purpose flour

MOUSSE:

•  2 tablespoons unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
•  5 tablespoons hot water
•  8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate , chopped fine
•  1 tablespoon butter
•  1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
•  1 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on desired sweetness
•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  pinch of table salt

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:

•  3/4 cup cold heavy cream
•  2 tablespoons powdered sugar
•  Grated chocolate, for garnish (optional)
•  2 cups fresh raspberries (or other fresh fruit)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the cake: preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan; dust with sugar (optional).
3. Combine the chocolate and butter in a saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt over low heat (on the stovetop) or on 50% power in the microwave at 1-minute increments, stirring in between.
4. Cool the mixture to lukewarm. Whisk in the sugar to combine.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake until the cake just rises in center (a tester inserted into center will not come out clean) and springs back lightly to the touch, 30-35 minutes.
7. Cool completely in the pan (the center of the cake may fall slightly). Cover and chill while making mousse.

1. For the mousse: whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power, stirring often, until smooth (don't overheat!). Whisk the cocoa/water mixture into the melted chocolate until smooth (if there are little lumps, you can press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl). Let it cool to room temperature (just slightly lukewarm is fine, too, as long as it isn't warm or hot).
3. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip the cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted (I often use my Blendtec blender to whip cream - only takes a few seconds).
4. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain.
5. Spoon the mousse over the cooled cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.
6. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the torte if it hasn't pulled away from the sides of the pan while cooling.
7. Release the springform pan sides. Transfer the torte to a platter, if desired (often, I just leave it on the base of the springform pan).

1. For the whipped cream topping, using an electric mixer, beat the cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the torte. Dust with grated chocolate, if desired.
2. Top with raspberries. Chill for up to an hour or serve immediately.

click here for original source

2.19.19: tt: deviled egg cover 

2.19.18: macrame wall hanging (and Sarge "helping me")

2.19.17: cornmeal crusted chicken

2.19.16: kid craft - decorate notebooks

Tiger Fudge

I packaged this and gave it away without
taking a picture! You get the idea tho...

This is the easiest fudge I've ever made! Not sure it should be called fudge, it's more like buckeyes in bar form -  but it's so good and easy that I don't care what it's called. Delicious is what it should be called!


3 ingredients:

8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) white chocolate chips
8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups peanut butter, divided

• Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place the white chocolate and 1 cup of peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Place the semi-sweet chocolate and 1/3 cup peanut butter in a separate microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave the white chocolate mixture until melted and smooth, stirring after every minute. Repeat this same procedure with the semi-sweet chocolate mixture.
• Pour the white chocolate mixture in the prepared pan, then drizzle the dark chocolate around on top trying to not glop it too much in one spot. 
• Take a small knife and drag it thru the chocolate a few times to swirl the two chocolates together - don't do too much or it'll get too mixed together. I went up and back 3 or 4 times and then went the other way a couple of times. Just do it until you like how they are combined.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours. Once set remove it from the pan and cut into small squares to serve. Store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. 

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

Dave is going to a potluck Christmas Party today and didn't want to take anything because "they always have SO much food"...but I worry that makes him look like a loser guy whose wife didn't send anything hahahah - so I made him easy dipped pretzel rods and wrapped them in pretty bags so people can just take them home if there is too much food and they don't want to eat them right away. Super easy, a tiny bit time consuming only because when you dip them in the chocolate it takes a minute to shake all the excess chocolate off - if you leave too much on then it pools weird after setting up.

I didn't take pictures as I was making them, really you don't need any. Simply melt white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate; dip about 3/4 of a pretzel rod in it (use a spoon or knife to help with the coating) and shake off until pretty smooth; then immediately sprinkle on whatever you want - I used some Christmas sprinkles, little red balls, green and red sugar...all of it looks good so just use your judgement. You can mix things together, or stripe the sugars, roll them in the toppings or just sprinkle on.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

I have 2 BFF's that are September babies and both happen to love german chocolate cake  - L. always manages to visit me around her birthday so I make it for her, but M. hasn't figured out that I can't ship this cake very easily and if she wants it she will need to come see me haha!! I'm not even going to question if L. only visits for her cake fix...and M. this is a bribe for you to come see me, there will be cake!

I usually make this as a multi-layer cake with layers of filling but this time I decided to experiment and put the filling inside of cupcakes instead - judging by L. eating these for breakfast this morning I'm thinking it was a success!

I doctor a german chocolate cake mix with sour cream, an extra egg, less water, and mini chocolate chips in the batter; the filling is coconut-pecan (see below for recipe); the topping is basic chocolate ganache. I make the filling pretty thick so it's easier to spread and stays between the cake layers instead of squishing out.  For the cupcakes I put 2 T. of cake batter in each cup, topped it with 1 T. of filling, then added another 1 T. of batter on top - this picture is what they looked like with filling on batter and then batter on top. Bake for approx 18 minutes, cool, then drizzle ganache over top. Delish!

COCONUT-PECAN FILLING

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 package (7 oz) sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Place the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened and golden brown in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool the filling to room temperature before spreading, 20 minutes.

*I've used this recipe for years, I think it came from the Cake Mix Doctor. I don't use all of the cooked milk mixture so the final product is a little thicker - it's easier to spread and fill. I usually use a 2 cup bag of larger pecan pieces (chop up 1 1/2 cups of the bag for the filling, use the other 1/2 cup pecans to decorate the top of the cake), for the cupcakes I used pecan chips instead.