Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I was concerned that the children wouldn't like the cheese cake I made for Scott's Birthday, so I made this cake as well.  The frosting was really good and the cake was a classic chocolate.  It is three days later and that pan is clean and back in the cupboard, I guess everyone liked it!

12-16 Servings
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Miniature semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla;
beat for 2 minutes. Stir in coffee (batter will be thin). Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For frosting, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl until
smooth. Beat in sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over cake. Sprinkle
with chocolate chips if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 365 calories, 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 35 mg cholesterol, 308 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Taste of Home:  Winning Recipes

Coffee Toffee Cheesecake

My husband's birthday was this week and I wanted to make him some special desserts.  He loves coffee, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.  It was so delicious!  The coffee flavor wasn't overpowering, but was just right.  I did make two mistakes, however.  I made the cheesecake on the day of his party, thus it didn't have 24 hours to set and it really should have.  Second, I removed the foil after cooking the crust and when I placed the cake in the pan of water, the water seeped into the pan with the cake.  Even with those errors, it tasted great and looked beautiful!  A definite must try for coffee and cheesecake lovers!

I have never had luck melting chocolate bars in the microwave, so I placed the bar in a glass measuring cup  propped in a pan of boiling water, this worked great and ensured the chocolate wouldn't burn.

12 Servings
Prep: 45 min. Bake: 55 min. + chilling


Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

FILLING:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 teaspoons instant coffee granules
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped
1 dark chocolate candy bar (1.45 ounces)

Directions:

Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. In a small bowl, combine wafer crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire
rack.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chips and cream; stir until smooth.  Stir in coffee granules until dissolved. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla and salt; gradually beat in chocolate mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place
springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1-1/2 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a
wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Heath bars. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

Chop the dark chocolate candy bar; melt in a microwave and stir until smooth. Drizzle over top of
cheesecake.

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 716 calories, 48 g fat (29 g saturated fat), 165 mg cholesterol, 445 mg sodium, 64 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Taste of Home Magazine, April-May 2010

Coffee-Molasses Marinated Pork Chops

This had a very sophisticated and robust taste to it.  Definitely something you might have in a nice restaurant.  Not a big hit with the children, but the adults thoroughly enjoyed!  Very easy to prepare.

4 Servings
Prep: 10 min. + marinating Grill: 10 min.


Ingredients

1 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup molasses
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the pork chops.  Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining coffee mixture until ready to cook.

For glaze, place remaining coffee mixture in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.  If grilling the chops, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Spoon glaze over chops.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pork chop with 2 tablespoons glaze equals 370 calories, 18 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 111 mg cholesterol, 415 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 36 g protein.
 
Taste of Home Magazine, April & May 2010

Crispy Fried Zucchini

Since Zucchini and Summer Squash are so readily available in the summer months, I am always looking for new ways to cook them.  I found this recipe in my Gooseberry Patch Almost Homemade Cookbook and it was very easy and quite good.  I realize fried foods aren't the best for us, but once in a while is okay, right?

Ingredients:

1 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 4 zucchini or summer squash cut into slices or strips
2 eggs, beaten
oil for frying

Directions:

Combine crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large Ziploc bag; set aside.  Dip zucchini into beaten egg, then put in bag and shake until coated evenly.  Heat oil in a skillet; fry zucchini a few at a time until tender and golden.  Serve plain or with sauces for dipping.

Servings: 6 to 8

Macaroni and Chili Skillet

We are still eating a soft diet because of Hannah's braces.  I threw this together tonight.  It tasted almost like a goulash.  It was actually very good.  We ate it all which is always a good sign.  It reminded me of a home-made hamburger helper, quick and easy!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 red sweet pepper chopped
15 ounce can baked beans
8 ounce can tomato sauce
8 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup elbow macaroni (uncooked)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup colby/jack cheese

Directions:

In a skillet saute onion and pepper until tender.  Add ground pork and cook until meat is brown.  Drain fat and add baked beans, tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, macaroni, chili powder, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until noodles are done, stir often.  Top with cheese.

Best Cake Brownies

These are the kind of brownies you dream about at night and have a hard time stopping at one.  Absolutely delicious!  The toffee topping was SO good!  I am already craving another batch.

36 Servings
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

GLAZE:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup milk
2/3 cup Heath English Toffee Bits
2/3 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in
chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and salt until blended.

Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at
350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
center comes out clean (top of brownies will still appear wet).

Cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes.

For glaze, combine sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a
boil; boil until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir
in toffee bits and marshmallows until melted. Pour over the
brownies and spread evenly.

Refrigerate for 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: about 3 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 154 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 35 mg cholesterol, 91 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Taste of Home: Winning Recipes

Corn Chowder and Carrot Raisin Muffins

Hannah got braces on her teeth, so we needed a soft meal.  I decided to try a new corn chowder recipe which was very good and the muffins were a nice side, also delicious!

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups potatoes, diced
1 cups water
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet, saute onion and pepper in butter until onion is translucent. Add potatoes and water; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Stir in creamed corn, undrained whole kernel corn, and evaporated milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer 15 minutes and remove from heat. May serve warm or cool.

www.cooks.com

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400* F.  Grease or line muffin tins with paper cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and sugar until smooth.  Stir in carrots, raisins, and 1/2 cup nuts.

In another bowl stir together remaining ingredients except nuts.  Add flour mixture to carrot mixture and stir well to combine.

Spoon into muffin cups and sprinkle tops with remaining nuts (I sprinkled with cinnamon sugar instead).  Bake about 25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Makes 10

Totally Muffins Cookbook

Pigs in a Blanket

Hannah's Home and Careers class prepared this fun pigs in a blanket recipe, so Hannah wanted to make them for us.  I have often seen these at weddings, but never realized how easy they are to make.

What a cute and yummy finger food for a party!

Ingredients:

1 package crescent rolls
1 package small hot dogs
cheese slices

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* F.
2. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Make a slit halfway through the hot dog - in long direction.
4. Place a strip of cheese in the slit.
5. Put hot dog at the shortest point of the crescent roll and roll up.
6. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.
7. When rolls/hot dogs are done, take the cookie sheet out of the oven
and place it on stove top to cool.