Recipe: German Chocolate Cake

Image by Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer via Flickr

From Denny: Here is another goodie from the folks over at Best Chocolate Recipes. We love our desserts in Louisiana, especially various chocolate or lemon cakes!

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 package (4-oz.)sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1 recipe Coconut-Pecan Frosting


Directions:

In a small heavy saucepan, or better yet a good double boiler, heat chocolate and water over low heat till chocolate is melted, stirring to blend. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

In a small mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and shortening on medium speed of an electric mixer till fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed till combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Beat in chocolate mixture. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk or sour milk, beating on low speed after each addition just till combines.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pans. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes for 9 inch pans; 35 to 40 minutes for 8 inch pans, or until toothpicks inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

Assemble

Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half of the Coconut-Pecan Frosting on top; repeat layers. If desired, frost the sides with Chocolate Butter Frosting. Store in the refrigerator till ready to serve. Makes 12 servings.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter -- 18 tablespoons

17 ounces evaporated milk

6 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups chopped pecans -- toasted

10 1/2 ounces sweetened coconut flakes -- toasted

12 pecan halves -- for garnish

Directions:

Remove 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans and 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut and set aside for garnish.

In a sauce pan on medium heat, mix evaporated milk and 2 1/4 sticks butter. Whisk and melt until thoroughly blended. Add sugar and whisk to blend and cook down the sugar. Whisking briskly so as not to cook the egg, add egg yolks one at a time.

Add vanilla and mix well. Cook over low-medium heat for about 12 minutes to cook it down and until it has a rich caramel color. Cool slightly. Stir in the coconut and toasted pecans; blend well.

Assemble Cake

Stack layers, using your frosting as filling. Frost top and sides. Use remaining pecans as garnish.

Recipe: Easy Baked Ziti

Image by SoxyLady via Flickr

From Denny: Here's an easy versatile basic version of Baked Ziti that is kid-friendly too! Sometimes, you want to cook easy, fast but tasty and here is one of those comfort food recipes that answers the call! :) With a strong Italian population in Louisiana for centuries now, everyone has learned how to cook a wide variety of those fabulous and easy dishes.

You can do a lot of variations, so add your personal touch. Try changing it up with ground turkey or ground sirloin for less fat. Add your favorite white cheddar cheese or regular yellow Colby cheddar cheese as cheddar is packed with flavor.

Add mushrooms and some more spices like extra garlic, a little curry powder (especially good with beef), basil, and thyme, yes, even on top of the Italian seasoning already in the spaghetti sauce. A little smoked red chili pepper also makes it good for adult palates!

I like to make my own marinara sauce in place of the jarred spaghetti sauce that includes a little dark brown sugar to balance the sourness of the tomatotes. (Some Sicilian friends showed me that yummy little trick though they used white sugar. I prefer the dark brown sugar as it adds to the background depth of the sauce, providing another layer of taste.)

We like Louisiana heat in our spaghetti sauce so we add that too. Really this dish hinges on the quality of your sauce, the meat used (bits of smoked pork chops from your local grocery store would be good too as a way to use up leftovers!) and the flavors of the cheeses.

Make sure you undercook any pasta. Why? Undercooked pasta doesn't make you swell or turn to fat quickly like overcooked soft pasta does. It also tastes fresher! And when you bake a dish it absorbs the flavors more: win-win!

You can always divide this dish into two baking dishes and place one in the freezer for another meal.

Baked Ziti

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8


Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or ground sirloin or ground turkey

3 cups ziti, or your favorite pasta, cooked and drained (about 6 cups cooked)

1 (26-ounce) jar your favorite spaghetti sauce or your own marinara sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, brown meat and drain. Stir in ziti, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon into 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake 20 minutes.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 556 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 26 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 30 grams fat, 81 milligrams cholesterol, 792 milligrams sodium.

Recipe: Chocolate Pound Cake

From Denny: Awesome cake! You could bake this up, cut into fourths, freeze most of it, enjoy the rest baked fresh! Make the glaze as you need it. Something easy to keep on hand for unexpected guests or some cake required for your child's school function - just slice, glaze and arrange on a wonderful paper doily and disposable paper plate! What could be easier and more delicious?


Chocolate Pound Cake

Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 large eggs, at room temperature

2 egg large yolks, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

12 ounces unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped


Chocolate Glaze:

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 tablespoon honey

Equipment: 10 cup bundt pan

Directions

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bundt pan.

Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs, yolks, vanilla, and espresso powder together into a bowl and set aside.

In a heavy duty mixer, beat the butter with the paddle attachment, on medium speed for 1 minute, or until smooth. Gradually pour in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until the butter begins to lighten, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat, on medium-high, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes more.

Adjust the mixer's speed to its lowest setting. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until completely absorbed before adding the rest. Scrape down the sides of the mixer then beat on medium-high for 30 seconds more.

Adjust again to low speed and add half the egg mixture, mix until blended and smooth. Add the remaining egg mixture and beat until almost blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and fold in the chocolate by hand. Take care not to over mix the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan, and cool right side up on a rack. If not serving the same day, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Glaze just before serving. Cake can be frozen for 1 month.

For the glaze: Put all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more. Remove from the microwave and whisk until fully combined, smooth and glossy. While warm, pour glaze over cooled cake and do not spread. Serve as desired.

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Video: Cajun BBQ Shrimp on Cornbread Squares

From Denny: Can I tell ya that we LOVE BBQ shrimp here in Louisiana? Everyone has their version of this easy dish. Here's a good video from NBC's The Today Show and a great recipe for you to try today. The video was developed to promote this chef's latest New Orleans cookbook during Marti Gras season.

"Big Easy Cocktails, Jazzy Drinks and Savory Bites from New Orleans" by Jimmy Bannos

Serves: 6-8 people

Cornbread: Makes 36 squares

Angel Dust: Makes 1/2 cup

Roasted garlic puree: Makes 1 cup

"Here is one of our favorite discoveries. We take the buttery-peppery barbecue shrimp that have become such a modern classic in New Orleans — and then we serve them atop squares of wonderful cornbread. Talk about a marriage made in heaven!

Now, a couple of notes on authenticity. Barbecue shrimp are traditionally cooked in the sauce with the shells and heads still on, thus upping the flavor through the roof. But doing that makes this dish too messy to eat, we think — though you’re welcome to do it your way and keep a hose within reach. And while many traditional barbecue shrimp recipes are made without cream, we really love the lush richness a little cream brings to the table here." - Chef Jimmy Bannos

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Barbecue Shrimp

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8-by-8-inch pan Cornbread (see recipe below)

• 36 raw (U-15) shrimp, peeled

• 3 teaspoons Angel Dust (see recipe below)

• 6 sticks unsalted butter

• 1 1/2 cup Abita Turbodog or other dark beer

• 3 teaspoons black pepper

• 3 teaspoons white pepper

• 3/4 cup Worcestershire

• 3 tablespoons Garlic Puree (see recipe below)

• 3/4 cup heavy cream


Cornbread

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely ground corn flour

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 5 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 1/3 cups milk

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon bacon drippings, optional


Angel Dust Cajun seasoning

• 3 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Spanish paprika

• 5 teaspoons salt

• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder


Roasted garlic puree

• 1 cup peeled garlic cloves

• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil


DIRECTIONS

Prepare the cornbread recipe without cheddar or jalapeno and slice into 36 squares. Season the shrimp with the Angel Dust.

Cornbread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, then whisk in the milk, butter and bacon drippings. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake 50 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly before cutting.

Angel Dust Cajun seasoning: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Store in an airtight container. The spice mix keeps its best flavor for about two months. It is also available from Heaven on Seven’s Web site, heavenonseven.com.

Roasted garlic puree: Place garlic cloves in an ovenproof container and pour in the olive oil, making sure all cloves are covered. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a preheated 300-degree oven until light brown, about 1 hour.

Strain the garlic and puree in a blender, adding a little of the strained oil if necessary to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a container and pour in enough oil to cover. Use as needed, storing the remainder in an airtight container in a refrigerator. Refrigerate and store the garlic-infused oil in a separate container.

Shrimp: Melt the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the beer, peppers, Worcestershire, garlic puree and heavy cream. Reduce over high heat until thickened and creamy, 5-7 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook in the sauce just until pink, about 4 minutes.

Serve, spooning one shrimp and plenty of sauce over each cornbread square.

Video: Foolproof Easy Chocolate Souffle

From Denny: Mark Bittman, food writer at the New York Times, shows us how easy it is to make this female favorite! This video was done for Valentine's Day but my opinion is that chocolate souffle should be available year 'round! :)

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Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Soufflé

From: Mark Bittman

Time: About 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• About 1 tablespoon butter for the dish

• 1/3 cup sugar, plus some for the dish

• 2 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted

• 3 eggs, separated

• Pinch salt

• 1/4 teaspoon tartar

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 2-cup or one 4-cup soufflé or other deep baking dish(es). Sprinkle each with sugar, invert it, and tap to remove excess sugar.

2. Whisk the egg yolks with the all but 1 tablespoon of sugar until very light and very thick; the mixture will fall in a ribbon from the ends of the beaters when it is ready. Mix in the melted chocolate until well combined; set aside.

3. Beat the egg whites with the salt and tartar until they hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding the remaining tablespoon of sugar, until they are very stiff and glossy. Stir a good spoonful of the whites thoroughly into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it; then fold in the remaining whites, using a rubber spatula. Transfer to the prepared soufflé dishes (at this point you can cover and refrigerate the soufflés until you're ready to bake them).

4. Bake until the center is nearly set, 20 minutes for individual soufflés and 25 to 35 for a single large soufflé. Serve immediately.