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This flourless cake is deceptively simple to make, and is great for serving (I am not kidding) 10-15 people with one eight-inch cake. Very rich, kind of a middle ground between true fudge and a true cake. It’s dense and rich, but something you eat with a fork instead of your fingers. This is also a good choice for those with gluten intolerance.
On the more amusing story side, I was about to take a single photo of this when my older brother stopped me and said “WAIT! You need garnish!” Well, I am far from trying to argue with him since our mother would have been very disappointed had we not had garnish. Originally it was going to be a fluted strawberry, but after a trip to the grocery store, there was not a single out-of-season strawberry to be had in any of the three nearest grocery stores. So we ended up making “holly berries” with sliced maraschino cherries and mint leaves instead. Then he fluted a cherry half to use for the “slice” picture. Moral of the story – never get between a caterer’s kid and garnish 
To make this confection, you will need:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) of semisweet or dark chocolate. Chocolate chips or baker’s chocolate (the semi-sweet, NOT the unsweetened) both work equally well. If you have the option, use higher quality chocolate, because that is the essence of this cake.
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(another 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar for dusting if you’d like)
You’ll also want an 8-inch round pan, pan spray (or butter) and waxed paper.
For this recipe, you’ll want to use or create a double boiler. If you have one, great. If not, easy fix. Put a saucepan with a few inches of water in it on the stove over low heat. Put a Pyrex (or heat-resistant glass) bowl that is large enough to sit over the saucepan and not fall in over the water. When the water simmers, you’ve got a double boiler. The idea here is to heat what’s in the bowl (or top of the double boiler) very gently, using steam rather than direct heat. This prevents the water in the chocolate from entirely evaporating and “seizing” (creating little unmeltable balls of cocoa butter).
Set up your double boiler or pan and bowl and turn the stove on low. While you’re waiting for water to simmer, cut a circle of waxed paper to fit in the bottom of your pan. Spray or butter the pan very well, set the waxed paper in, then spray or butter the paper.
In the bowl or top of the double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring reguarly until they’re almost entirely melted. Turn off the heat. Use a whisk or a fork to stir in the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 375 for 20 – 25 minutes. The cake will not rise very much, and will become bubbly on top. When there is a crust and it no longer jiggles when you shake the pan, it’s done. Pull it out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Turn the cake out of the pan. Do this by setting your serving dish across the top of the pan, then turn the whole thing over so the cake slides out onto the dish. If this doesn’t work, run a small knife along the edge of the pan. If even this doesn’t work, dip the pan into hot water for a few seconds to melt the edges. Remove the waxed paper.
Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Sprinkle cocoa and / or powdered sugar over the top. Serve with whatever garnish you choose- whipped cream, ice cream, raspberry sauce, and fresh berries all go well.
Once entirely cooled, you can store this cake in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!). For easier cutting, try dipping your knife in a glass of hot water. This will melt the cake as you cut it, and help get cleaner-looking edges. Or just have everyone dig in with a fork. Either way.
So these ended up looking like some sort of 2nd grade art project – this is what happens when I bake at midnight while having wine and conversation with friends. However, they are really tasty and a great little surprise. I made them for my office for Solstice, because “this means summer is on its way” but other suggestions have included making these a 4th of July treat with a sparkler in the top or as a unique way to do birthday cake for a kid. However you choose to make them, Ice Cake Cones are much more simple than they seem.
You’ll need:
Your favorite cake recipe or boxed cake mix (and the ingredients the mix calls for)
12-18 basic ice cream cones
Frosting (premade or make your own)
Toppings (sprinkles, food dye, etc)
Heat the oven to 350.
Fill a 9 x 13 baking pan, muffin pan, or medium cookie sheet with a layer of dry beans or dry rice. Nestle the ice cream cones into these (this will hold them up as you move them into and out of the oven). Fill each ice cream cone about 3/4 of the way with cake batter. You’ll be able to fill 18 or so ice cream cones, but if you only have 12 put the remaining batter in a small pan or muffin cups and bake along with the cones.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 1/2 an hour.
Frost and decorate, then enjoy!
As a “Day Job,” I work in the creative department of a mediumish company in Spokane. More often than not, we end up having conversations that may as well be titled “Cooking With Creative” – because to some extent and at different levels, all of us in the department are foodies. Today the question of seasoning a wood bowl came up.
Wooden dishes, unlike glass or metal, do need a small amount of attention and care to get the longest possible useful life out of them. This is also true of wooden cutting boards and butcher blocks. Because wood begins as a living plant instead of a static material (such as metal ore or sand), it’s cells continue to react to the environment it’s placed in. Wood will warp, expand, contract, crack, and absorb odors, especially if kept in a kitchen. However, an easy way to protect against this and extend the life of your woodware is to season it.
Much like you would season a cast-iron pan, seasoning wood is about filling the pores with something of your choosing, rather than allowing the cells to absorb whatever they come in contact with. Oil repels both odors and liquids while helping to maintain a moisture balance in the wood, preventing warping and cracking. However, please, as someone speaking from unfortunate experience, do not use your usual cooking oil! Olive oil, vegetable oil, and most cooking oils all go rancid after time, and you end up with a very sour, fairly bacteria-filled substance that has seeped through your woodware. In the end, your options are to either grind it down and basically start again, or throw it away and buy a new one – neither option is very inexpensive or fun.
So what do you use? There are several schools of thought out there as to what, exactly, to season the wood with, but I have always (and continue) to prefer mineral oil. This is a food-grade oil that does not go rancid, has no taste, and no smell. There are some who say walnut oil is another option, and it is – however, I am hesitant to use it because there are those with very severe nut allergies, and should they eat something prepared on or served in a walnut-oil seasoned dish, it could be dangerous. Walnut oil is also significantly more expensive.
So, start by heading to your pharmacy section at the grocery store. You’ll find the mineral oil in with the laxitives. Now don’t get scared! You won’t get the runs from seasoning your wood with this oil – it takes several tablespoons for that effect to be noticed, and a very tiny percentage of the oil, if any, will actually get on your food.
Throughly wash and dry your woodware. Let it dry for a day or two. Then gently spread a very small amount of the mineral oil in and on the wooden surfaces. Let it dry for a few hours, and if it’s your first time seasoning it, then add another layer or two, letting it dry between each layer. Re-season the wood every month or two.
This, of course, is the not-fanatical-about-it method. There are those who season every week. There are also those who refuse to use soap on seasoned wood. While it’s true that most of the time your salad bowl needs little more than wiping out with water, I am a HUGE fan of actually washing your cutting boards – too much nasty bacteria to kill if you cut meat or unwashed greens on those puppies.
The other option you have is mineral oil with a bit of beeswax mixed in. While this will add some water repellency to your wood, the extra expense and effort doesn’t really outweigh the barely-noticeable benefits. Beeswax also leaves a slightly sweet smell, which could transfer to foods.
Once your woodware is seasoned, be sure to keep it out of water unless you’re washing it (store cutting boards on their side so the bottom doesn’t soak in dishwater as it’s drying). Re-season it occasionally – the wood will slightly darken and the grain will stand out more as you go, but this is entirely natural.
And above all, enjoy! Having beautiful (or even “just functional”) utensils for serving and preparing food is no good if you don’t actually use them!
Why can’t I add pineapple, kiwi, gingerroot, papaya, figs, oranges, or guava to my Jell-O?
Because carrots are too darn tasty.
OK, I kid. Kind of. I grew up very close to the Green Jell-O capital of the world (Utah, for those of you playing at home) and was sadly exposed to the “we can put anything in Jell-O and it qualifies as a dessert!” mindset. Thus we had green Jell-O with carrot shreds and marshmallows on top (because mini-marshmallows make anything a dessert too).
Enough, however, about my childhood torture. Despite those inauspicious beginnings, I actually rather enjoy the jiggly wiggly gelatin treat, be it brand name or otherwise. I even like it without alcohol mixed right in! As carrots taught me, however, there are some things that simply could not or should not go into gelatin, because it ruins the wonderfully odd texture.
The way gelatin does its work comes from the protein it is constructed of. The structures of the protein are easily broken down and rearranged, mostly based on temperature. Thus hot water melts the powder and breaks down the protein structure, and when the gelatin is cooled, the proteins grab onto one another again and create the gel – like substance that we call Jell-O.
Gelatin is made from collagen (not the hooves and horns of cows, although it is an animal-based product – vegetarians and vegans beware). Collagen is very sensitive to acids, because the protein structure is so fluid, they are easily broken down. All the fruits listed are very acidic, and so the proteins won’t be able to find each other and form bonds, no matter how long you leave them in the fridge. However, if you *do* want to be able to add fruit to your Jell-O, try sliced bananas, apple chunks, or grapes. Basically any fruit that doesn’t make you slightly pucker when you put it in your mouth (it’s the acid that does this) should be OK to at least try.
On a slightly related side note, having a box of gelatin around is not a bad idea. Just the unflavored stuff – it will do amazing things for the texture of your meatloaf. Don’t believe me? Here’s the deal – collagen is that gristly stuff in most meats – the stuff that, other than fat, makes up the white marbalizing streaks in full cuts of non-ground-up meat. Pot roast (rump… cow butt) cuts are famous for this. When you cook collagen for a long time at a low temperature (as you are supposed to do with pot roast) the gristly stuff turns into gelatin, which gives roast beef and pot roast that smooth, almost creamy fall-apart texture. So don’t turn up the heat, and don’t force it, and you’ll love the texture.
Of course, cooking meat loaf for a long time at a low temperature would lead to a brick for dinner. However, a teaspoon or so of unflavored gelatin in your meat loaf recreates this effect. Don’t go overboard, or you’ll end up with what appears to be Jell-O with meat. Even worse than carrots.
Oh, and for those of you who imbibe and are still stuck on my “alcohol mixed in” comment a few paragraphs above, try the college-student thing and make flavored gelatin according to box directions, but replace the cold water with cold liquor – rum and vodka make good choices – pour into small once-sized cups, and refridgerate for the classic Jell-O shot.
What is a potato bar and can I go there to pick up chicks?
“And I knew, as I gazed into her deep green eyes from the other side of the chafing dish full of beef stroganoff, that I could ask her something I’d been dying to ask for hours… if she could please pass me the sour cream.”
OK, so this probably isn’t quite what will happen to you this holiday season (or maybe it is, who knows) but potato bars really are one of the best solutions for a busy ChrismHaunaSolstiKwanzzaka season – or anytime you need to feed a large, fairly varied group of people. They tend to be a favorite of catering services because they’re fairly easy to set up, everyone gets an option as to what they eat, and the preparation can be as complicated or as simple as you want to make it.
The basic idea of a potato bar is baked potatoes with a wide variety of toppings, set up so each person – even vegetarians – can choose what goes on their spud. Usually the toppings will include some combination of butter, sour cream, bacon bits, cheese (or cheese sauce), steamed vegetables, chili, and beef stroganoff.
Of course, the most important element of a good potato bar is a good baked potato. Now, I admit, I’m an Idaho Girl. And at some point, I will probably go off on every different potato type and what they are perfect for (because even I admit russets aren’t the ideal spud for every use). However, for a good, basic baked potato, a russet really is one of your best options. It doesn’t have the waxiness of Yukon Gold or New Red potatoes, and is exceptionally easy to prepare and bake without paying too much attention to. The 16% (average) starch content makes them nice and fluffy, and the relatively low water content means they bake easily. I won’t even say that you have to use Idaho taters (the tuber cops are on my door for this), but a good russet is the way to go.
So, how to bake them? Two options – oven and microwave. I recommend the oven for this – you’ll get more than 2 taters done at a time, and the skins will be much much more tasty. Save the microwave for your one-or-two spuds for breakfast or a weeknight dinner.
Wash the spuds. Use a veggie brush if you’ve got it, or the roughest, scratchiest washcloth you own. You don’t have to scrub off the skin, but you do want to get the dirt off. Pat the taters dry. Now comes the fun part – pull out your can of vegetable shortening and spoon out a few teaspoons into a separate bowl. Get a very small amount of it on your hand, then rub it all over each potato until they are coated. Then stick them in a 400 – 450 degree oven for about an hour, or until you can easily stick a fork in one. The grease provides a very thin layer of protection for the skin and helps keep it soft during baking, without hindering the ability of the potato to evaporate water. DO NOT wrap potatoes in foil to bake them! When you do this, you seal in all the steam, and you end up with a wet, mushy, soggy potato instead of a light, fluffy potato.
If you are microwaving, just wash the potato, stick it with a fork a few times (to allow the steam to escape) and microwave on high for 5-10 minutes (10-15 for two, 15-20 for three), or until you can easily stick a fork through it.
To set up your own easy potato bar, bake a bunch of potatoes, heat up some of your favorite (even canned) chili, microwave some frozen vegetables, and set out pre-shredded cheese, sour cream, and butter. Spend the remaining 45 minutes while you wait for the potatoes to bake actually enjoying your own party!
After dinner, save any leftover baked potatoes. After a night in the fridge, they are practically perfect for *real* hashed browns the next morning! Just shred them with a cheese grater (or cut them into chunks) and cook in a frying pan with butter, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Yum!
Today kicks off a new feature on Food Fascination – Make Five. The basic idea is that with fewer than 20 ingredients (all of which are fairly inexpensive and easy to get) and one afternoon or evening of cooking, you can get five dishes, most of which can be frozen and quickly made into a weeknight dinner. It’s an easy way to maximize your time, effort, food dollars, and freezer space – without paying through the nose to go to one of those “make your own meal” places.
We’ll kick of the Make Five feature with chicken recipies. These range from super easy (chicken salad) to easy-but-takes-some-time (chicken pot pie). To make all five and freeze four of them, it will probably take you about 3 – 4 hours – less total time than you’d spend cooking every night for a week.
All five of these recipes are very forgiving on ingredients. You can adjust up or down the amounts in most all of them, so if you don’t have the exact amount of chicken or sour cream or vegetables or whatever, don’t worry too much about it, just use what you have.
Some hints:
~If your store has cheap rotissire chicken, and you’re uncomfortable with cooking your own, by all means, buy those and shred the meat right off the bones. Otherwise, just poach all the chicken in a few big batches at the start of the cooking marathon and use it as you wish. More in recipies you want extra chickeny, less in those you don’t.
~The chicken salad should be made last, to use up whatever chicken you’ve got left. If it’s not much, then make a smaller amount. If it’s a lot, you’ve got a good lunch for a few days.
~Add extra veggies to the pot pie! If you’ve got leftover broccoli, cut it small and throw it in. Pot pie is where you want to use up leftover veggies or small amounts you’ve had sitting in your freezer.
~While the shopping list includes wine, don’t feel obligated to use it. It can just as easily be replaced with chicken broth or milk. If you do want to use it, use whatever white wine (NOT pink – white zinfandel and white shiraz should stay in your glass) you like to drink. The inexpensive brands that still taste pretty darn good that I tend to keep around and use are Banrock Station and Barefoot. Try chardonnay or pinot if you’re not sure.
~You can usually pick up chicken fairly inexpensively in the “Manager’s Special” section of the butcher block in your grocery store. Or wait for the “buy one get one free” deals and stock up. Usually chicken in the larger packages is cheaper. Chicken thighs are usually cheaper than breasts, but the meat is a bit fattier and darker. Perfectly fine to use, still, though.
Make Five Chicken Shopping List:
8 – 11 pounds chicken – either chicken thighs, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or precooked rotissire chicken.
1 pound container Sour Cream
4 – 5 cups Shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
5 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small can diced Chilis – you can find this by the salsa or Hispanic foods
2 bunches fresh or about 20 ounces (2 packages) frozen Broccoli
1 cup Bread Crumbs
2 small bags of your favorite frozen Veggie Mix
1 or 2 medium white onions
2 – 6 cloves Garlic, or a small jar of the pre-chopped garlic
1 package prepared Biscuits, pie crust, or croissants
2 – 3 cups Miracle Whip / Salad Dressing or Mayonnaise
1 stick Butter
1 bottle (at least 2 cups, if you have an open bottle) White Wine
8 – 10 “gordita” sized Tortillas
3 cups Milk
1-2 boxes Long Grain and Wild Rice
Bonus items (if you want to spend an extra few dollars)
Chicken stock or bullion
Parmesan Cheese
Olives
Basil, thyme, rosemary, chili powder
Lemon Juice
Red pepper or pimento
Make Five Recipes:
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Divan
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken and Creamy Wild Rice Soup
Basic Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is probably one of my all-time favorite go-to dishes. It is quick to make, can hold a huge variety of ingredients, and is easy to make up into sandwiches or a single-plate lunch. Start off with the basics, try a few variations, and then let your imagination (and taste buds) run wild. This is a perfect recipe to use up leftover chicken you have from other recipes, last night’s dinner, or the cheap rotisserie chicken at the store.
1 – 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 1 pound shredded chicken
1 – 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing / miracle whip
1 box Long Grain and Wild Rice
In a deep frying pan or wide saucepan, cover the chicken with water (if you have it, add a cube of bullion or teaspoon of chicken stock). Place over medium-high heat. Let the water reach a boil, and poach chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until cutting into the thickest part of the meat reveals no pink.
Set poached chicken on a plate and allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it. (In the fridge, if you’re in a hurry) Shred or roughly chop the chicken – don’t worry about making it look pretty.
Prepare the wild rice according to package directions.
Combine shredded chicken, mayonnaise, and wild rice in a bowl. Refrigerate – serve alone, on a tortilla, on bread, with crackers, however you care to try it.
Try adding:
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced red or green grapes
1 small red apple, sliced into small chunks
1/4 cup feta cheese
This is a great mix-up of your traditional cream of chicken soup. Like all soups, it’s a great way to get rid of the little bits and pieces of leftover vegetables you’ve got sitting in your fridge – and makes a wonderful wintery lunch.
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 1 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-3 cloves garlic
1/2 a medium onion or 1 small onion (optional)
2 cups milk
1/2 to 1 cup white wine (optional – just replace with milk or chicken broth if you don’t have or want to use wine)
1 small box Long Grain and Wild Rice
In a deep frying pan or wide saucepan, cover the chicken with water (if you have it, add a cube of bullion or teaspoon of chicken stock). Place over medium-high heat. Let the water reach a boil, and poach chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until cutting into the thickest part of the meat reveals no pink.
Set poached chicken on a plate and allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it. (In the fridge, if you’re in a hurry) Shred or roughly chop the chicken – don’t worry about making it look pretty.
Prepare the long grain and wild rice according to the package directions.
Chop the garlic and onions into small pieces. In a medium soup pot, saute them together with a small amount of oil, until they’re softened. Add the cream of chicken soup, milk, white wine, shredded chicken, and rice. Heat through and serve.
There are plenty of things you can add to this soup. Try adding corn for a more hearty meal. Or throw in a few teaspoons of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat. Small amounts of rosemary or thyme make great seasonings. This also freezes well – just pour into freezer-safe containers, let cool, uncovered in the fridge, then seal and pop into the freezer. To reheat, just put in a pot over very low heat.
Pot Pie is one of the classics of winter and / or “homey” cooking. Smooth, creamy sauce, flavorful vegetables and chunks of chicken are all combined into a bowl full of happiness. There are many, many approaches to making this dish – if you have a favorite vegetable to throw in, or prefer a flaky pie crust to a biscuit crust, then go for it. I’ve put a few of the possible substitutions and/or possible ingredients – really any combination of them should work well. If an ingredient line has an “OR” just choose one of the options. Make this your own!
2-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR 2-4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs OR 3-5 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 medium onion, chopped OR 1 small package pearl onions
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped OR 2-4 Tablespoons processed garlic OR 3-6 Tablespoons garlic powder
1-2 packages frozen vegetable mix OR 3-4 cans vegetables OR 4-6 cups fresh, chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, corn, red pepper, etc)
2 cans cream of chicken soup – OR 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, and 2-3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup to 1 cup white wine (OPTIONAL)
Any combination of basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and pepper that sounds good to you. (Approximately 1-5 teaspoons each)
1 package pre-made biscuits OR 1 package pre-made roll-out pie dough OR 1 batch baking powder biscuits (try Bisquick if you don’t want to make your own) OR 1 package pre-made croissant dough
In a deep frying pan or wide saucepan, cover the chicken with water (if you have it, add a cube of bullion or teaspoon of chicken stock). Place over medium-high heat. Let the water reach a boil, and poach chicken for 8-12 minutes, or until cutting into the thickest part of the meat reveals no pink.
Set poached chicken on a plate and allow to cool until you can comfortably handle it. (In the fridge, if you’re in a hurry) Shred or roughly chop the chicken – don’t worry about making it look pretty.
In a large frying pan, combine the onion and garlic (and celery and carrots if you are using them) with a small drizzle of oil or 1-2 teaspoons of butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
In a large, deep, pot (a thick-bottomed “dutch oven” works well, if you have it) start the sauce.
If you are using the cream of chicken soup, combine that with the milk and white wine. Stir well.
If you are using the butter and flour, melt the butter in the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour in with a whisk or fork. Slowly add the chicken broth, then the wine (see this post for more information on roux, which is what you just made.) Add the spices to taste.
To the sauce, add the chicken, onion/garlic mix, and vegetables (just dump frozen veggies into the mix. Drain and dump the canned). Heat this on the stove over medium-to-high heat, stirring occasionally. While the filling is heating, preheat the oven to whatever temperature is recommended on your bread package. If you are using baking powder biscuits, this is usually 400-ish.
Open the topping package and / or roll out your topping dough.
If you have been using an oven-safe pot (this means NO PLASTIC, even on the handles) and have at least 3/4 of an inch of room between the filling and the lip of the pot, use that. Otherwise, dump the filling into a casserole dish. While the filling is still hot, place the topping dough on it and pop it in the oven. You want to do this while the filling is still hot so the bottom of the topping cooks as well – otherwise, it will be a doughy mess with a cooked top crust, no matter how long you bake it.
If you want to freeze pot pie, simply ladle the filling, without the topping, into freezer-safe containers. Allow to cool, uncovered, in the fridge. Once it’s cold, seal up and freeze. When you’re ready to make dinner, reheat the filling over medium-low heat in saucepan. Once it’s hot and bubbly, top it with your dough of choice and bake as usual.
Bake until your topping is golden brown. Wait a few minutes for it to cool, and enjoy!
