Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles

This past weekend I hosted Bunco at my house and wanted to come up with a new, bite sized dessert. After all, there are twelve of us and by the time dessert rolls around, we're generally full from picking on snacks and drinking our favorite beverages. I was already making a batch of the Oreo Truffles to give to my friends husband who helps plow my driveway when my hubby is away on business, but I've made those before and you know me....I have to make something new! So I used the same concept as the Oreo Truffles and made these Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles. 

If you LOVE peanut butter and chocolate, you will LOVE-LOVE-LOVE these! This recipe is so simple too. All you have to do is chop the cookies (I used my food processor, but if you don't have one put the cookies in a Ziploc bag and pound them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass. Hey...maybe I'll try that anyway next time I'm feeling a bit stressed! haha), blend in the cream cheese, freeze, dip them into the melted chocolate and top with the chopped honey roasted peanuts. 

I opted to use dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate as it's not only healthier for you, but that deep, rich color is certainly more appealing. The nuts just gave it an extra layer of peanut-y goodness. I have to say, these Dark Chocolate Nutter Butter Truffles were a HUGE hit and everyone enjoyed them. These would make a great dessert for your Valentine, but you can show the love any day of the week. I dare you to eat just one! ~Enjoy! 

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Today is World Nutella Day so of course I had to find a new way to experiment with this chocolaty, hazelnut goodness. My kids just LOVE Nutella and a jar really doesn't last very long in our house. They love it on toast, combined with peanut butter on sandwiches or just eaten out of the jar with a spoon.

For today's recipe I mixed the Nutella in with the batter from my Banana Chocolate Chip Bread (which is in my cookbook) since my youngest was craving some banana muffins for breakfast. The Nutella really added another delicious layer of flavor to these muffins and there is nothing better than fresh baked muffins to start your day. ~Enjoy!

Chocolate Carrot Bundt Cake

So technically, this Chocolate Carrot Bundt Cake is a quickbread; however, I was being lazy and decided to pour all of the batter into one pan. I also had a TON of carrots to use up. I usually never have a lot of carrots on hand, but I forgot I had already purchased a bag when I was food shopping then bought another one. I used the base recipe for my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and this really came out well. The kids liked it, but said they would have preferred it better if I added some mini chocolate chips to it. Maybe I will next time and make muffins out of these instead!


Chocolate Carrot Bundt Cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 50-60 minutes    Yield: 16 slices

Ingredients

• 4 Large Eggs
• 2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 c. Canola Oil
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 3 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 c. Cocoa Powder
• 3 c. Grated Carrots
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well blended; then whisk in the oil and vanilla extract. 
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt. baking and cocoa powder. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture with a spoon. 
4. Next, mix in the grated carrots until they are well blended. 
5. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top springs back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let cool before slicing. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts per Half

Calories 318, Carbs 47.6g, Fat 13.4g, Protein 3.8g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 26g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Chocolate Carrot Bundt Cake Shopping List

Chocolate Avocado Bread

Remember yesterday when I mentioned that I had a lot of avocado to use up? Well today I'm going to share with you what I created with the remainder of those avocados...Chocolate Avocado Bread. I have a go-to banana bread recipe that is so versatile, you can add the ingredients in just about any order and it comes out perfectly every time. I've also used this recipe over the years and adjusted the measurements or added other items and still...perfect every time. So I decided to use my base recipe and add some of the avocado to it. The only difference is that I didn't have any granulated sugar. You see, I don't use any sugar in my tea and don't bake very often. In fact, if the kids want cookies, they tend to just make it themselves. However being kids, they never tell me when they use the last of an ingredient and I have no idea I need it until well...I need it!

The Verdict: Rachael LOVED this bread. The rest of us, not so much. It just wasn't sweet enough for me; however, it was extremely moist. One note to make is that my loaf pan is approximately 9" x 5". If your pan is smaller/larger, adjust the cooking time and check the bread before the 50 minutes suggested. The bread will be done when the top springs back when touched or if a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Chocolate Avocado Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes                     Yield: 24 slices
Cook Time: 50-60 minutes               Serving: 1 slice
Total Time: 65-75 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 c. Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c. Canola Oil
• 4 Egg Whites
• 4 Avocados
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp. Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 3 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 3 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 c. Mini Chocolate Chips
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and egg whites until well blended. 
3. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and place the fleshy green part in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and pulse until the avocado is creamy; then add to the sugar mixture. 
4. In a separate small bowl combine the vanilla pudding, flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix well. 
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well until all combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. 
6. Spray 2 loaf pans (approx. 9"x5") with cooking spray; then evenly distribute the batter between the pans. They should fill half- to three quarters- of the way to the top. 
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top springs back when touched. Let cool. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 227, Carbs 34.6g, Fat 9.7g, Protein 2.9g, Fiber 2.6g, Sugar 19.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Chocolate Avocado Bread Shopping List

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

WARNING! The following recipe is NOT healthy in any way, shape or form, but it taste darn good!

Sometimes a girl just needs a chocolate fix. And being there are three of us under one roof, it's bound to happen from time to time. I don't usually keep sweets like cookies and candy in the house so when the chocolate craving monster rears it's ugly head, we have to think twice before getting in the car to go to the store to satisfy our cravings.

This time my oldest needed a chocolate fix the night before I made these and of course, we had nothing she wanted. So the next day while surfing Google+, I saw that Christie from Food Done Light made some Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Her muffins looked incredible; however, they were made "healthier" with flax seed, yogurt, and egg whites which I LOVED, but my kids, not so much. Every time I try to give them a healthier version of a dessert/sweet type item they cringe. So I used my own zucchini bread recipe (which is in my cookbook!) and tweaked it a little to make it extra chocolatey.

I have to say that I was shocked that they were only 205 calories each considering what went into these beauties, so even I indulged in a muffin or two over the course of their existence. Which by the way, only lasted three days since I sent them into work for my nieces to enjoy as well and then the younger one and her friend devoured most of what was left during a sleepover.


Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Prep Time:  15 minutes              Yield: 30
Cook Time: 20 minutes             Serving: 1 muffin
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 2 c. Granulated Sugar
• 1 c. Canola Oil
• 3 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 3/4 c. Cocoa Powder
• 2 1/2 c. Grated Zucchini
• 1/2 c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 oz. Dark Chocolate, chopped 
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Combine the eggs, sugar and oil in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. 
3. Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and mix well. 
4. Next, add in your grated zucchini and both kinds of chocolate. Mix well
5. Spray standard size muffin tins with the cooking spray and fill them 3/4 of the way to the top with the batter. You should get approximately 30-32 muffins depending on the actual size of your pans. (I got 30 with mine). 
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Remove from oven and cool. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 205, Carbs 29.1g, Fat 9.6g, Protein 3g, Fiber 1.5g, Sugar 15.9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Shopping List

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake (Guest Post-That Skinny Chick Can Bake)

Happy Valentine's Day! Today I'll be flying the friendly skies with the hubby to go see Rachael perform in the National Cheerleading Competition in Atlanta this weekend. I didn't want to leave you all empty handed so I have entrusted my foodie friend Liz Berg from That Skinny Chick Bake to help me out today and boy, let me tell you she never disappoints. In her blog she not only shares delectable desserts, but mouth watering savory meals as well and I'm honored to have her here with us today. 

Without further ado, I give you Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!

It’s my honor to be guest posting for my foodie friend, Carrie, today. She and I met on Foodbuzz and continue to keep in touch via Google+. When she asked me to share something on Valentine’s Day, I immediately decided it MUST be chocolate. Triple chocolate, in fact. I belong to a volunteer organization that raises funds for our county hospital...and we do this by putting on an annual Decorators' Show House. Local interior decorators and landscapers work their magic on a stately home, and then it is open to the public for two weeks in the spring. In late January, our members spend an evening touring the undecorated house while enjoying nibbles for dinner. 

Crazy me volunteered to bring in something chocolate to serve 75! This cheesecake was one of 3 desserts I made. Thank goodness hubby Bill was invited to this party...I would be in deep trouble taking all this chocolate goodness out of the house without letting him have a taste. 

Since the desserts were supposed to be finger food, I cut the cheesecake into squares and placed them into paper cupcake liners with a fork…and it was the first of all the donated desserts to disappear. More than one guest came up to me, swooning…such a boost to the ego when one of your baked goods garners such rave reviews. And an excellent endorsement of this recipe! This dessert starts with a thick chocolate cookie crust, followed by a chocolate cheesecake using both cream cheese and sour cream, and finally a rich chocolate ganache topping. 

Here are a few tips I’ve learned from making 

cheesecakes over the years:

1. Have your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs at room temperature. This will allow for a smoother cheesecake and easier blending. 

2. Do not overmix your cheesecake batter. Using a paddle attachment will prevent unwanted air from being whipped into batter. Mix in eggs till just incorporated. 

3. Bake your cheesecake in a water bath or bain marie. This keeps an even baking temperature and minimizes cracking.

4. Make sure to wrap your springform pan with a double layer of foil to prevent any water seepage from the bain marie. 

5. Do not open the door of the oven till near the end of the baking time. 

6. Cool the cheesecake slowly.

7. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge about ½ hour before serving to take the chill off.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Adapted from Bon Appetit

To make crust:

1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies (I used Nabisco Famous Wafers), crushed

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

For filling:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 large eggs, at room temperature

For ganache:

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Spray bottom of pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix cookie crumbs, sugar and melted butter till combined. Pat into bottom of prepared pan and refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. Combine cream and coffee powder in microwave safe bowl or large Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave cream till just shy of boiling. Stir to mix in coffee, and then add the 12 ounces of chopped chocolate. Let sit a few minutes till chocolate melts. Whisk till smooth. Set aside for about 10 minutes to cool.

 4. Using stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix cream cheese and sugar till blended. Add cornstarch and mix. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing till just blended.

5. Whisk about 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture into chocolate, then add chocolate back into the remaining cream cheese mixture. Mix until just combined, stopping and scraping bowl a couple times to ensure chocolate is well incorporated.

6. Pour mixture into crust. Place the pan into a large roaster and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake till cheesecake is slightly set and puffed around the perimeter. Turn off oven and do not remove cheesecake for 45 minutes. After that resting time, remove pan to cooling rack…remove foil when cool enough to handle. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill overnight.

7. To make ganache, microwave cream till it almost boils. Add chopped chocolate and let rest a couple minutes. Whisk till smooth. Pour over top of chilled cheesecake and spread evenly with off –set spatula. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

8. To serve, remove sides of springform pan and place cheesecake on serving plate. If you have a large spatula, you may want to remove cake from bottom of springform pan.

Serve with berries and whipped cream if desired. Serves 12-16.

Thanks so much, Carrie! And Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Thank you once again Liz for being a guest today and for sharing this delicious recipe and those wonderful tips!  You can find Liz on her site That Skinny Chick Can Bake, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. 

Have a Happy Valentine's Day! 

Honey Roasted Peanut Chocolate Cookies

When my dear foodie friend Ally from Ally's kitchen came out with Ally's Kitchen eCookbook Holiday Series Sweet Treats, I just had to download it right away. For only $1.99 you get so many wonderful recipes all written in her Bohemian style.

I didn't have a chocolate cookie to make on my list, but when I saw hers it looked so easy, I just had to give it a try (especially since she's a lot like me when it comes to baking...if it's not a straight forward recipe and easy, I'll move on!)

These cookies were INCREDIBLE and she gives you several options of toppings, but I chose to use one of my own by adding chopped honey roasted peanuts because that's what I happened to have on hand and thought they would taste pretty darn good and boy was I right! Here is Holiday Baking Recipe #6 for these Honey Roasted Peanut Chocolate Cookies. 

Chocolate Walnut Bars

I hope you are all enjoying my Holiday Baking theme so far. This week, I'll have four more desserts for you to try.

I can't tell you how long I've had today's recipe in my recipe box or even where I originally got it from, but I can tell you that I never even made them! You know how it goes. You copy a recipe down, think to yourself "Self, I'm going to make these next year for sure", and then, Christmas comes and goes and you forgot. Well, at least that's what happens here (or maybe it's just because I'm over 40!) Anyway, for the longest time, especially when my kids were younger, I went YEARS without baking for the holidays at all...who had time! I was lucky enough if I had time to buy a 5lb. tub of refrigerated sugar cookie dough so that I could roll it out for the kids to decorate the cookies they leave for Santa on Christmas Eve (a yearly tradition in our home). 

So here is #5 on the list--Chocolate Walnut Bars. Like I mentioned last week, I like to cut my holiday cookies smaller than usual so this does make quite a bit, but they are so rich and chocolatey and nutty that a small taste is all you need! 

Chocolate Walnut Bars
1-13oz. Box Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 1/2 Sticks Salted Butter, melted
1-14oz. Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
24oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 c. Walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1. Combine the graham crackers with the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture firmly onto a non-stick baking sheet; then bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the edges start to turn a light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. 
2. Next, add the milk, chocolate and vanilla to a pot and melt; stir constantly so that it doesn't stick. 
3. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crumbs, carefully spreading it out without releasing the crumbs from the pan. 
4. Top the chocolate with the nuts and gently press down on them. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. Makes 4 dz. 

Enjoy!

I put pan in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes after the pan was cool enough to make sure they were really cooled as the first time I made these, I don't think I used enough butter or my pan was too deep and the crust never set. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Did you ever have one of those days (who are we kidding...weeks, months, years!) where you just can't handle the stress of other people putting demands on you and your personal time so you bake...I like to call it "stress baking". Well it's been a little stressful around here since I've come back from vacation. You see, I'm the ultimate planner, list writer, and schedule keeper. I hate to be late and I hate it even more when I make plans that I have to keep canceling or changing because Joe Blow from So and So company can only come on THAT particular day/time. Well isn't that convenient for you...hello, my name is CUSTOMER! Ok, I think I'm done ranting now. 

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars

On Facebook last week, I had posted a picture of those Feta and Sage Mini Chicken Meatloaves and had people guess what it was. One guess was for some sort of homemade granola bars, which got me thinking. So the next day, I decided to try my hand at making homemade granola bars, since I buy the boxed kind for my kids a couple of times a month anyway. They were REALLY good and the kids LOVED them! 

*Tip: Place the pan in the freezer once it has cooled enough. It makes them cool quicker and also made it easier to cut. I also found that they stayed together better if you store them in the refrigerator. 

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars
3 c. Old Fashioned Oats
2 tbsp. Butter (I used salted)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 c. Dried Cherries, chopped
1/2 c. Nestle's Chocolate Chunks (you can substitute carob or regular chocolate chips or dark chocolate)
1/2 c. Blue Agave Syrup
1/4 c. Honey

Add the butter, vanilla, agave syrup and honey to small saucepan and heat over low heat until butter has melted. In the meantime, combine the oats, cherries and chocolate in a bowl. Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and mix well. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and add the oats, spreading evenly in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to cool then cut into squares. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Nutritional Information for 12 Bars: Calories 226,  Fat 5.4g, Fiber 5g, Protein 2.7g

Enjoy! 

Coffee & Rum Dark Chocolate Mousse

While at the food bloggers conference a few weeks ago, there was a company there called Raaka Chocolate that participated as part of the panel of speakers. They also distributed some samples of their raw or virgin chocolate. They have unique flavors like Blueberry Lavender, Chile, Bourbon and one with Black Coffee. I took a few to try and let's just say it wasn't really my cup of tea, though I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate. My kids, however, LOVED the Blueberry Lavender version. I now had this chocolate and I can't let good chocolate go to waste, so I created this chocolate mousse with one of the bars. It was pretty tasty, though adding the sugar, rum extract and raspberries certainly helped bring the flavor along. If you don't have the Raaka chocolate, simply use regular dark chocolate along with 1 tsp of ground coffee mixed with 1 tsp hot water. 

Coffee & Rum Dark Chocolate Mousse
1.2oz. Raaka Black Coffee Virgin Dark Chocolate
1/3c. Fat Free Half and Half (I used Skim Plus)
1/2 tsp. Rum Extract
2 Egg Yolks
4 Egg Whites
1 c. Confectioners Sugar (aka 10x Sugar or powdered sugar)
Raspberries, garnish


In a double boiler, add the chocolate, half and half, and rum extract. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then set aside and allow to cool slightly. Once lukewarm, whisk in the egg yolks and set aside and allow to cool thoroughly. Next, add the egg whites and sugar to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks have formed. Fold in a spoonful of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites until blended, then add the remaining chocolate into the egg whites. (Careful not to mix too hard so that the egg whites loose their stiffness). Place in dessert cups and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so it has time to set. Garnish with fresh raspberries (or other fruit). Serves 8. 


Nutritional Information: Calories 92, Carbs 16g, Fat 2g, Protein 3g

Enjoy!

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into MyFitnessPal and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy!


Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen 6/4/12
Shared on Amee's Savory Dish 6/8/12

Guest Blogger-Mia Reiter

Today I'm honored to have Mia Reiter from Mia's Domain here to share one of her recipes with us today. Mia resides in TX with her husband and daughter and was also one of my first foodie friends. Her recipes and photography inspire me each day. Please join me in welcoming Mia as our Guest Blogger today! 

As a young girl I frequently visited my beloved grandma who lived in a small village, in an even smaller home. Out of a tiny kitchen with no refrigerator and an old, makeshift, outdoor stove, she enjoyed cooking everything from scratch, with lots of love. She had her own vegetable garden, raised her own animals, and was VERY resourceful! If there was one lesson I learned from her, it was that in order to create great tasting dishes you don't have to have much…and her food was always gourmet! I've long since traveled extensively with my own family, sampling a wide variety of unique foods from around the world, but my inspiration, passion, and LOVE for food STILL comes from Grandma. I try to buy everything from local farms when possible, use mostly fresh, organic ingredients, and prefer to experiment, making everything from scratch. That doesn’t always result in the best outcome – but I believe the journey is well worth the effort! I'm not a professional chef, nor do I claim to be a photographer. I am simply sharing my joy of food with you.

Walnut Raspberry Chocolate Bark
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
12 ounces milk chocolate
1 cup chopped raw walnut
2 cups fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons orange zest

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small pot of hot water on a low heat. Line a 10 by 10 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate over and spread a even layer over the cookie sheet. Sprinkle with walnut, raspberries and orange zest and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). Cut bark into 3 inch square pieces to serve.