Individual Upside Down Black Forrest Cake

This recipe was in Everyday Food a couple months ago and looked awesome, so I added it to the menu for our dinner party this weekend. The photo is awful. It was dark outside, and I was in a hurry, but I promise, they looked really cute! I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 so I would have enough for 6 4-ounce ramekins.

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup(s) unsalted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
* 1/3 cup(s) plus 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
* 1 1/2 cup(s) drained jarred sour cherries (1 teaspoon juice reserved)
* 1/3 cup(s) all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarse salt
* 1 large egg yolk
* 3 tablespoon(s) whole milk (I used half and half)
*If jarred sour cherries are not available, frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained, may be substituted. Substitute 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice for the cherry juice. (Which I did)


Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cherry juice in the bottom of each of two 8 ounce ramekins. Microwave ramekins until butter and brown sugar are melted and bubbling, about 1 minute. Arrange cherries in a tightly packed layer in the bottom of each ramekin.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in egg yolk, then flour mixture and milk. Divide batter between ramekins.
3. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out with only a few crumbs attached, about 30 minutes (Mine only took about 20 minutes since they were smaller ramekins). Let cool on a wire rack, 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

When it comes to cake, I love a light and moist white cake with a fresh strawberry filling and fluffy whipped white icing. Carl would rather have a decadent chocolate cake with something just as rich for the frosting. It's his birthday week, so guess what kind of treat I made. Yep, Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting, Ina style. They are for dessert tomorrow, but I had him taste test one. He's impressed. Perfect!

Ingredients


* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup good cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows
* Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:


* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Chocolate Ice Cream

I got an ice cream maker attachment for my birthday back in March, so I deserve a slap on the wrist for waiting this long to use it. But I think knowing what I've been missing out on all this time is punishment enough! Wow. I don't think I'll ever have the need to buy ice cream in a carton. This is just too good to not go through the extra effort. I used the "Easy Ice Cream" recipe out of the newest Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine.

Ingredients:
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream

Steps:
1. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Add in cocoa powder. Gradually whisk in milk.

2. Cook over medium stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon. (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10-12 minutes.

3. Pour custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker for 30 minutes. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 7 hours. It will keep up to 3 months....yeah right. Trust me, it won't last nearly that long!

Puppy Chow

No, I'm not making my dog homemade food...just yet. But I AM making delicious treats for my friends. I also made this for the Halloween party (hangs head in shame again for being so late). I got this recipe from cooks.com.

CHEX MIX PUPPY CHOW

9 cup Chex
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put cereal in large bowl. Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour over Chex cereal, put into a large plastic bag with powdered sugar and shake well to coat.

Spread mixture evenly on wax paper and allow to cool.

I swear I'm not behind.....

Ok, so now I realize my blog is totally outing me. Yes, I'm way behind on updating, but these turned out so cute, that I'd rather admit to my lateness than not show you at all! I got the idea from Semi-Homemade with Sandra on the Food Network. There aren't too many instructions, but here goes:


Jack-O-Lantern Strawberries

White Melting Chocolate
Orange Food Coloring (or obviously red and yellow)
Black gel icing (the kind in the small tube)
Fresh Strawberries

Clean and dry the strawberries. Melt the chocolate and add food coloring until you get a satisfactory orange. Dip each strawberry and lay on wax paper to cool. Once they dry, draw jack-o-lantern faces with the black gel icing. Put them in the fridge for about an hour and the black icing will harden up pretty well.

I served these at our Halloween party and everyone loved them. I'll definitely do them again, and I'll probably do some Christmas related ones as well!