Peanut Butter Torte

This weeks Tuesday With Dorie recipe is a Peanut Butter Torte chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate are one of my favorite combinations (i love reese's peices). This recipe was simple to make and came together really easy. My biggest issue was the wait time for the peanut butter mousse to set up. My crust didnt come up high enough on the sides, so if i make this again maybe i will use more cookies.

It tasted much different than I imaginged (not like a reese's) but it was still good.

For a printable version of the recipe click here.

Click here to check out other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers.

Last Week: Fluted Polenta Ricotta Cake

Next Week: Florida Pie

Black Forest Cupcakes

I have owned the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook for quite some time, but have yet to make any of the recipes. I usually bake from scratch but I am always on the look out for new simple and easy recipes to send to school for the kids birthdays. I have heard so many good things about this book and since i have some free time right now I have decided to try some of the recipes. I have been wanting to make a Black Forest Cake for some time so when i saw the recipe for Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake, i decided to try it. The recipe couldn't be any
simpler:

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
1 - box Devils Food Cake
1 - 21oz can of Cherry Pie Filling
2 - eggs
1 - tbsp almond extract

Mix the cake mix, cherry pie filling, eggs and almond extract together in a large mixing bowl
Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute
Stop the machine and and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes more, scraping the sides again if needed.
Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

I just mixed everything together in a large pyrex with a whisk. The batter yielded about 4-1/2 cups which gave me 18 generous sized cupcakes, which were done in about 25 minutes. The result was a super moist cherry studded chocolate cake. I topped each of with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and added a marachino cherry for garnish. I have already started thinking of other ways to make this cake again - im thinking to add kirsch for an adult version:)

I have to say that based on the sheer simplicity of this recipe and the delicious outcome - i will definitely be trying more recipes from this cookbook.

Next time .... Peaches N Cream Cake.

Gooey Chocolate Cakes

This week’s TWD recipe is Gooey Chocolate Cakes and was chosen by Leigh of Lemon Tartlet

I have always wondered how to make those chocolate cakes with the oozing center, so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe. I was really happy that this was not such a large scale recipe - 6 mini cakes was the perfect amount.

I imagined my spoon breaking into the cake and warm chocolate oozing onto the plate. Well I am not sure if this was supposed to be that type of cake, but I had no such luck. They did not turn out ooey or gooey in the center. They were just a really moist, almost fudgy like. The only culprit I can think of is my tempermental oven which changes temperatures throughout baking.

For me they could have been a touch sweeter. I wish I had some vanilla ice cream to go with it but no luck, I only had green tea and sticky toffee pudding. I chose the green tea which turned out to be a really good flavor combo.

I had three left over so I ate one for breakfast yesterday (and today) still fudgy in the middle and still good.

For a printable version of the recipe click here.

Click here to check out other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers.

Last week: Caramel Topped Flan

Next week: The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

Snickery Squares

First off I just want to thank everyone at Tuesdays with Dorie for their warm welcome last week. I had so much fun with last weeks entry.

This week’s recipe is Snickery Squares was chosen by Erin of Dinner and Dessert . Initially I googled the recipe and found that quite a few other bloggers have made this recipe with much success so I was equally excited again.

After my two mishaps this weekend I was ready to make these. I got started. I grated my butter and made the dough by hand as I did not want to pull out my food processor; it was quite simple just like making a pie dough. And then it happened, things stared to go wrong.. I had to redo two components of this recipe today

The coating for the nuts: I looked and the sugar was just starting to dissolve. I went to my pc to pull up my blog. Came back. BURNT. So I had to start over. When I made the 2^nd batch I didn’t think that there was enough coating for the peanuts, so I made a little extra. Otherwise everything else went smooth.

The dulce de leche: I usually make my own by boiling a can of condensed milk. But this time I decided to buy some. When I got home I found that I had inadvertently picked up a can of? Condensed milk. Since I didn’t have time to boil it, I decided to try another method and cook it in a saucepan. I thought this would take a while, so I went back to my pc. Came back into the kitchen to check on it. Edges were BURNT. So off to the store again to buy some.

Today I learned/reinforced two simple rules. No surfing the net, while you things boiling on the stove!!!

These are really rich but sooooo good. So rich, I almost couldn’t finish my little 2x2 square.

The next time I make these I will probably tweak the following two things;

The Dulce De Leche – I think I will add some melted caramel into this mixture to give the gooeyness im used to.

The Chocolate - I might use a ½ semisweet ½ bittersweet chocolate combo, and make my chocolate layer a little thinner

Never the less they were enjoyed by all!

For printable version of the recipe click here

Next week: Russian Grandmothers’ Apple Pie-Cake

HHDD# 18 - Coconut Chocolate Tarts

This is my first entry for the Hay Hay Its Donna Day events. Even thought I am not familiar with Donna Hay or her recipes, I decided to participate. This month’s challenge was Coconut Chocolate Tarts chosen by Bordeaux of Marita Says.

Initially my intentions were to give them out to family. But given how things turned out i am not sure what i am going to do.

1st – I did not have desiccated coconut, so I used flaked coconut.

2^nd – I forgot to spray my tart shells before I pressed the crust into them

3^rd – After 20 minutes in the oven, my shells were puffed up, and STILL WHITE. Only the outer tips had browned. Not sure if this is a result of using the wrong coconut or what?

4^{th –} The tarts would not come out of the pan – hence the tart pans in the pictures. (I had to use my X-acto knife to carve them out)

I didn’t really care for the taste. The chocolate was really really rich, too rich for me. I could only eat 1/3 of the tart. Maybe with a different type of chocolate next time?

But besides all that, to me this recipe was super simple and really quick This recipe made 6 individual 4” tarts- with a little chocolate left over.

For recipe click here.