Chocolate Truffle Cake

adapted from a recipe found in a now-forgotten cooking magazine.

Cake:
2-1/2 cups 2% milk
1 cup butter, cubed
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
6 Tablespoons butter, cubed
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ounces dark chocolate (or dark cocoa)
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Ganache:
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large saucepan, cook the milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture (batter will be thin). Transfer to three greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. (OR ~ do this the day before you need the cake; store wrapped in saran wrap with wax paper between the layers.)

For filling: in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Sift in powdered sugar; pour in cream and stir until smooth. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers, ending with last cake layer.

For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreadable consistency. Using an offset metal spatula, dirty ice the top and sides of cake first, then let ganache harden. Use the same spatula and use remaining ganache to frost the entire cake.

Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

Lemon Dessert

Jerod calls this giraffe vomit. But he likes it!

1 angel food cake - pre-made
1 large box of COOK & SERVE lemon pudding
1 large tub of Cool Whip, thawed

Tear apart angel food cake in a large bowl

Cook pudding according to pie directions on box

Let cool 5 minutes, then pour over cake bits in bowl (yes, while it's hot)

Let cool (I kept it out on the counter for a while)

Spread thawed Cool Whip over top

Refrigerate until ready to serve

Orange Rolls

I came up with this recipe using the recipe for Cami's Rolls and adding a hefty amount of orange zest to the dough, then tying the dough into knots instead of balls and drizzling with orange glaze while still warm.

Set aside:
1/3 cup warm/hot water
½ teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons yeast

Add to Bosch mixer with dough hook:
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons dough enhancer (if using white flour – for wheat flour add 4 Tbsp)
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
zest of 3-4 oranges

Add the activated yeast mixture.

Add Milk:
If using powdered milk:
Add 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp powdered milk to small saucepan and add 2 cups water
Heat to “warm” stage

If using regular milk:
Add 2¼ cups warm milk

Mix together on setting 1 until well mixed. Add ¼ cup flour at a time until sides of bowl are “cleaned”.

Turn on setting 2 for 10 minutes

Turn out onto counter and cover with towel for 10 minutes

Pinch off chunks of dough – bigger than a golfball – roll into ropes and tie into knots, then place on pam sprayed cookie sheet.

Let rise 1-3 hours depending on the warmth of your home, or until almost doubled.

Bake at 375ºF for 11-12 minutes.

During last 2 minutes of baking, make glaze:
Combine:
powdered sugar
milk
a little orange juice
orange zest

if you have a squeeze bottle (mine is from Wilson) with a narrow tip, combine ingredients in there and then squeeze over warm rolls (orange zest can tend to get stuck in the tip. just bang it out). Or combine in a ziploc bag and cut a SMALL corner off, then squeeze over rolls.

Cheesecake Layered Chocolate Cake

from www.Picky-Palate.com

1 box devils food cake mix
½ Cup oil
½ Cup water
8 oz sour cream
1 box chocolate instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
4 eggs
1 bag chocolate chips
1 Sara Lee Frozen New York Style Cheesecake (30 oz)
24 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
½ can of vanilla frosting
16 oz powdered sugar
3 chocolate wafer cookies (the long cylindrical ones)
½ Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, mix cake mix, oil, water, sour cream, pudding mix, eggs and chocolate chips for 1½ minutes. Pour into 2 greased 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cooked through. Remove, cool and refrigerate for a few hours.
2. Slice cheesecake into ½ inch cubes once it’s thawed; set aside. Place cream cheese, butter and pre-made frosting into a stand or electric mixer. Beat until well combined. Slowly add powdered sugar until nice consistency. Refrigerate frosting for ½ hour to firm it up slightly.
3. Once cake has been chilled, remove from pans and slice each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Spread layers with ½ Cup frosting then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cubed cheesecake pieces. Repeat this procedure until all 4 layers are on cake, leaving the top layer without cheesecake pieces. Frost top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting.
4. Arrange cookie pieces in center of cake for garnish. Place chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds or until melted and smooth. Place chocolate in the corner of a ziplock baggie and snip the corner edge. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of cake. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Beef Stew

adapted from Campbell's Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds potatoes, cut into cubes
2 cups sliced carrots
4-5 stalks celery, cut into pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf

Place potatoes, carrots, celery and garlic into crock pot. Top with beef. Add broth, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on Low for 10-11 hours or until beef is fork tender. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Serve.

Breakfast Casserole

adapted from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen

2 tubes refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 cups crumbled bacon
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 whole large eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish.

Lay out the two containers of crescent roll dough in bottom of dish. (Just pat it all out.)

Spread crumbled bacon over top of dough, followed by cheese.

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl, then add salt and pepper. Pour mixture over top of cheese.

Cover casserole dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes or until eggs are set.

Chocolate Cookie Bark

adapted from KraftFoods.com

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
12 ounces white chocolate
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
20 Oreo cookies

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate bowls until completely melted, following directions on the back of the packages. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well-blended. Crumble half the cookies over each bowl of chocolate; mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates. Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.