chocolate

Candy Cane Oreo Truffles

by Lisa on December 23, 2012

Psst….I picked a winner for the Harry & David pears. From random.org the winner is #14. Congratulations, Jess! Please e-mail me at thesplatteredapron@gmail.com so I can get the pears to you!

Christmas is practically here. Can you believe it? I sure can’t. I think we’re ready, but just in case you’re like me and you’ve waited until the last minute to do some baking, I want to share this really easy, yet awesome recipe with you. My Oreo Truffles have received a lot of attention from Pinterest lately {Hello, pinners and new readers! I’m so glad you’re here } so I thought I would holiday them up a bit for you. With candy canes. And let me say, quite objectively, this is the best batch of truffles I have ever made. I strongly suggest you make them, especially if a big man in a red suit will be visiting your house with toys on Christmas Eve. He will definitely appreciate them.

Candy Cane Oreo Truffles

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: freeze dessert Christmas truffles winter

Ingredients (30 truffles)

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate {squares or chips}
1 box Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s or Candy Cane Oreos, full package minus 7
1 8 ounce bar light cream cheese
candy canes or peppermint candies, crushed to powder form

Instructions

In a food processor, grind up the cookies until large pieces are all gone and it consists of small crumbles.

Cut the cream cheese bar into 4 pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse until a ball begins to form.

Roll the cookie and cream cheese mixture into 1 inch balls and lay out on a lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer while completing the next two steps.

Crush the peppermint candies or candy canes into a powder {I used a nut grinder}.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate for one minute and thirty seconds. Stir, then continue heating in fifteen second increments, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Take the truffle balls out of the freezer and set up an assembly line. Dip one ball into the melted chocolate, use a spoon to get a good coating, then scoop it out with a fork, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off. Place back on the baking sheet. After rolling 4 or 5 in the chocolate, sprinkle the truffles generously with the ground up candy canes. Repeat until all of the truffles are covered in chocolate and candy.

Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least one hour and up to overnight.

Store the truffles in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

These truffles are smooth and rich and chocolately and perfect. I love them so much that I gave almost all of them away.

Like I said, almost all of them.

Time for me to get back to baking.

We hope the next few days are full of the magic of the Christmas season for you and the ones you love. Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

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{ 3 comments }

Dad’s Chocolate Birthday Cake

by Lisa on July 3, 2012

Growing up in my family, we each had a specific dessert for our birthday. Our favorite dessert. For me, it was the yellow cake and chocolate frosting that my mom made from scratch. For my sister, it was the store bought cookie cake. For my mom, it’s chipwiches—ice cream sandwiches made with two chocolate chip cookies. For my dad, it’s this cake.

This year, my mom had to have surgery on her foot on my dad’s birthday. Luckily, we also were flying in for a wedding on Jeromy’s side of the family the next day. So my parents put off celebrating my dad’s birthday until two days later when we were all together. For the first time ever, I baked my dad’s birthday cake.

Now, you know how I cook. I make pretty much everything from scratch. We hardly buy any packaged or processed foods {I’d say we’re 90% clean, 10% convenience}.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that two of the main ingredients to this recipe are processed foods. But I hid my disdain because it is my dad’s favorite. If there is one thing you deserve on your birthday, it is to have your favorite cake, no matter what.

Dad’s Chocolate Birthday Cake

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 20 minutes {15 inactive}

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Keywords: bake chocolate cake

Ingredients (1 Bundt cake)

1 box dark chocolate cake mix
1 package chocolate pudding mix {not instant}
2 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag {12 oz.} chocolate chips

Instructions

Prepare the pudding according to the package. Allow to cool on the counter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep a film from forming on the top.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a stand mixer {or in a large bowl using a hand mixer}, beat the eggs and vanilla. Add the cake mix and cooled pudding. Mix until smooth, about 3-4 minutes.

Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan. Since this is a chocolate cake, instead of flour feel free to use cocoa powder.

Pour half of the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle with half of the bag of chocolate chips. Repeat with the second half of the cake batter and the rest of the chocolate chips.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

To remove, invert the cake pan onto a wire rack then flip it immediately onto a separate wire rack so that the chocolate chips are on top.

Somebody needed her mama while I was trying to bake the cake.

This may be my dad’s birthday cake, but it’s no secret that our whole family loves it.

The pudding keeps this chocolate cake nice and rich and the chocolate chips melt slightly into batter. It’s a perfectly delicious chocolate cake.

My sister and I didn’t think ahead and pick up candles, so we grabbed the random four my mom had in the house.

The best way to eat this cake is with a big glass of milk. The fork is optional.

Enjoy!

{ 2 comments }

Almond Butter Chocolate Strawberry Bars

by Lisa on June 26, 2012

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One of the things that Jeromy and I love about our new house is the neighborhood. Not just the area but our neighbors. There are so many other young {can I still call us young?} families and we have truly enjoyed getting to know all of them. We end up having dinner with our neighbors almost once a week. Sometimes, like this past weekend, we have dinner with our neighbors three nights in a row. Like I said, we love our neighbors.

For one of our neighborhood cookouts I made tabbouleh and I wanted to bring a dessert. Given that it was rather hot, I didn’t want to turn on the oven, so I looked for a no bake option. After I asked Twitter, Cassie suggested this recipe. Naturally, I had to put my own spin on it!

Almond Butter, Chocolate and Strawberry Bars

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 15 minutes {60 minutes inactive

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: raw dessert almond butter oats chocolate bar

Ingredients (1 9×13 pan)

1 stick of butter
2 cups almond butter {I used creamy, but if you prefer crunchy, go for it}
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2-3/4 cup dried strawberries, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Put the almond butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to one minute, until the butters are melted. Stir them together to combine well.

Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir to combine.

Add in the oats and stir until the mixture forms into a dough. It should pull away from the sides.

Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper {I did not use the parchment paper. Trust me when I tell you it’s a good idea.}

Spread the almond butter mixture in the baking dish and press evenly.

Put the dish in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the chocolate chips for 1 minute. Stir, then continue to microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cook slightly.

Once slightly cooled, stir in the chopped dried strawberries.

Remove the baking dish from the freezer and pour the chocolate and strawberries onto the almond butter layer. Spread evenly, then sprinkle the coconut flakes on top. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Using the parchment paper, remove the whole bar from the baking dish. Carefully slice into 1 inch squares. Store in the refrigerator

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Let me assure you, what these bars lack in looks, they make up in taste.

almond_butter_bars_3

Trust me on the parchment paper. You don’t want your bars to look like mine!

almond_butter_bars_4

After one bite, you won’t care what they look like. Your biggest concern will be how to keep all of the bars for yourself.

almond_butter_bars_5

These are very rich—a small piece goes a long way. Especially if you eat several small pieces just to make sure they’re okay.

Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Bake Your Day.

{ 16 comments }

Earl Grey Chocolate Cake

by Lisa on May 8, 2012

Whenever I use a Bundt cake pan, I can’t help but think of that scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

As a girl from a half Greek and half Lebanese family, I can very much identify with the characters in this movie. The first time I saw it, I fell off my seat in the movie theater because I was laughing so hard. I really did, ask my mom.

Anyways, last month there was a water leak in my office and three floors of people were displaced for three weeks while it was cleaned up and remediated. My entire team was spread throughout the building and some of us worked from home for the duration. I wanted to bake something for my coworkers to celebrate being back on our floor all together and seeing as my team is kind of obsessed with chocolate and tea, this cake seemed like the perfect thing.

The cake seemed like it would be very rich, so I added a sweet glaze to cut the richness. It worked, but I would have liked to add orange zest to the glaze and I would have liked to make it a little thicker. Next time!

Earl Grey Chocolate Cake with Orange Glaze

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate Greek yogurt cake

Ingredients (1 Bundt cake)

For the Cake

6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey
1 cup water
1/2 cup {1 stick} butter
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

For the Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

For the Cake

To prep the ingredients, melt the chocolate and steep the tea for 3-5 minutes. In order to melt the chocolate, place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave again for 15 seconds. Stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt and mix with a fork. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, eggs and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the chocolate and blend.

Finally, beat in the flour mixture, Greek yogurt and tea.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning out the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Glaze

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice and almond milk. For a thicker glaze, use 1 tablespoon less of the almond milk.

Pour the glaze over the warm cake. Allow the glaze to set in the refrigerator before serving.

It’s funny, I’ve always thought that chocolate cake was okay, preferring to get my chocolate fix from brownies, cookies or straight up chocolate, but after being pregnant, I discovered a love for chocolate cake that I didn’t even know existed.

This cake? This cake is good. I mean really, really good. I love that the spiciness of the earl grey tea subtly plays against the chocolate and is enhanced by the orange glaze.

I was glad to have my team at work to share this with, otherwise Jeromy and I would have been in some serious trouble. In a face off, I am pretty sure this cake would win.

Make this cake. Serve it with milk. Your coworkers will thank you.

And remember, it’s a BuuuunndT.

Recipe adapted, just barely, from Real Simple.

{ 4 comments }

Celebration Cupcakes

by Lisa on April 19, 2012

DSC_8521 (800x534)

A few years ago, I made cupcakes for my friend Christina’s birthday. I couldn’t attend the celebration, so I sent baked goods in my place. This particular birthday was pretty early on in Christina and her now-fiancé’s relationship, and he went about 45 minutes out of his way to get these cupcakes and make sure she had them for her birthday. I knew that day that there was something special about these two and I cannot wait to see them get married in June.

This weekend, we celebrated Christina’s bridal shower and it seemed fitting to bring these cupcakes back.

Celebration Cupcakes

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22-24 minutes

Ingredients (12 cupcakes)

For the Cupcakes

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

For the Frosting

15 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature {Greek yogurt would work too}
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour a muffin tin pan, or use paper liners {I rarely use liners}.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment {or a handheld mixer} beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.

Add each egg one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the bowl with a spatula.

Turn the mixer to low and beat in the buttermilk very slowly, until just combined. The mixture will appear to be curdled but it’s not, don’t worry. Add a third of the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, then add the second third until just combined then the last third.

Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full of batter. Drop the muffin tin onto the counter from an inch or two to get rid of air bubbles.

Bake in the center of the oven for 22-24 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting.

Melt the chocolate. You can use a double boiler but I preferred to use the microwave method this time. Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 15 seconds. Stir, then put it in for another 15 seconds. Continue to do this until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, until it’s only warm to the touch.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream {or Greek yogurt}, corn syrup and vanilla extract. Slowing add in the chocolate, whisking to combine. Once combined, if you would like the frosting to be a bit sweeter, add more corn syrup.

Let the frosting cool in the refrigerator until it’s at a spreadable consistency, about 30 minutes or less.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish as you wish! I used strawberry slices that looked like hearts since we were celebrating a love at a bridal shower.

I love these cupcakes. I accidentally baked mine for too long so they were drier this time than the first time around. I should always look at my notes from the first time I use a recipe. Lesson learned.

To me, the best part is the frosting. This recipe makes A LOT of it. I halved the original recipe for the cupcakes but did a full recipe for the frosting so that there would be a lot leftover.

The frosting is rich in flavor but light in texture, thanks to the sour cream. I didn’t have enough sour cream on hand and used some Greek yogurt as well. Next time, I think I will use all yogurt.