After 3 hours in the air and descended into San Antonio, I walked into the terminal from the plane, I knew what I would be having. Tex Mex. that makes 3 times this week I have had variations of Mexican food, each wonderful in its own way. The tacos that were served to me were as good as the tacos that Randy and I use to drive down the Tollway to get. Our friends thought we were crazy when we would tell them that we would drive downtown on Sat mornings, pull into a truck stop which sat right smack dab in the middle ( sorry, but I’m in Texas so I have to used Texas words, like smack dab, as it makes me feel so at home) of bail bond buildings, which surrounded the jail. You never knew who would be pulling up next to you at this truck stop. You might find yourself looking straight in the eyes of someone just released from jail, hungry for street food, or a fancy dressed lawyer who might have been just the guy who had defended or prosecuted the drug dealer who was now eyeing either my wedding ring or my shredded beef taco. It was hard to tell. One Saturday evening, we got the urge to head down to get some tacos. As we pulled into the truck stop, Randy,my brave little protector, said, since it is almost dark, maybe we should at least park under the light which shone over the parking lot. He told me that if I felt really brave, I could go inside the truck stop to get us a drink while he got our tacos. I told him that I was dressed to nice to do that. After all, my shorts actually matched my blouse. I would stand out too much and they would know we were outsiders. We would just have to order the mild sauce since I was afraid to get out of the car for our drinks. Since there is no inside seating, you eat in your car. When he went up to the window to order our tacos, he first reminded me to lock the car doors as soon as he got out. As I sat there waiting for him to come back, wait let me rephrase that, praying that he would make it back to the car, with tacos in hand, I decided that this might be our last trip to our truck stop. We were getting to old to fight or run. the next time we craved these delightful little taco gems, we would just have to settle for El Fenix. At least they had more parking lot lights and you could eat inside. The clientele wasn’t as diverse, but at least I didn’t have to worry about losing my wedding ring or someone snatching our tacos out of our hands. If they did, we could ask the waiter to go chase them for us! He would get a really nice tip!
Author: Chocolate Castles
Welcome to Chocolate Castles, a blog about food, family and stories that hopefully will bring a smile to your heart.
Thanks for reading chocolate castles and may the recipes and stories help bring your family and friends a little closer around the table!
Remember that Princess On The Porch is still available on Amazon! Makes a great gift for anyone who enjoys being in the kitchen and needs a little laughter in their lives.
Traveling To Texas
Headed to Texas tomorrow. Land of the best Mexican food, Diet Dr Peppers and Blue Bell ice cream. Will be home November 1st, but will be posting whenever possible. Between trying to fit in all my favorite restaurants, visiting family and friends, I will be scouting for new recipes. Keep cooking, keep smiling and share a baked good with someone. It will bless your heart.
Black Magic Cake
Years ago when I was working at a title company, one of my coworkers would bring this cake to the office quite frequently. It was always a hit. Today I came across the recipe he had given to all of us and thought it to be the perfect chocolate cake for those Halloween parties or fallish dinners, or when you are just craving a deep chocolate-coffee flavored dessert. Easy and quick to put together.
1 3/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
2 teas baking soda
1 teas baking powder
1 teas salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee (allow to cool before adding to ingredients
1 cup sour milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teas vanilla
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, coffee, sour milk (buttermilk) oil and vanilla.
Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be thin.
Pour into 2 greased and floured 9″ cake pans. Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes. Five minutes longer if baked in a 13×9 pan.
Frost when completely cooled.
Glazed Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate, chopped up
dash salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tables butter
1 teas vanilla
Mix sugar, cornstarch; add chocolate pieces and salt. Pour boiling water over this mixture and cook in a medium sauce pan until mixture thickens. Add butter and vanilla. Stir will. Allow to cool slightly before spreading on cake. If you made the cake in the two layers, pour half of the frosting on top of a layer. Allow to set a few minutes. Place top cake layer on top of frosted bottom layer and pour remaining frosting onto top of cake. Allow to drip down sides of cake.
*If you used the 9×13 cake pan, double the ingredients for frosting and when cake is cool, pour frosting over top of the one layer cake.
English Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
A friend and I just went to Beckham Grill for lunch. They ask if we would like to see the dessert menu. Why do they even bother to ask 2 women that question when they know the answer. We decided to get out of our comfort zone of always ordering chocolate molten cake or crème brule and opted for the English Toffee Sticky Pudding cake. Since this was new to both of us, we decided, why not. Oh boy, were we in for a surprise. The waitress assured us that we would like it. She didn’t lie.
This is the most delectable yummy, amazing, wonderful, delish dessert I have had in a long time. When we ask what it was, she went to ask the ingredients, but came back telling us that they had a company make it just for them. We immediately Googled (are we not the most hip women in Pasadena) English Sticky Toffee Pudding cake. This one popped up and it looked just like the one we were having. When I read the list of ingredients, my lunching friend was shocked. “You mean I loved something that had dates in it?” She couldn’t believe it, since she said that she hated dates. Apparently she doesn’t. I had to fight tooth and nail to get my half of the cake. But the waitress assured us that it did, in fact have dates in it. So I am home and headed to the kitchen. I have got to make it tonight. Truly a great Fall, Winter, (Spring, Summer) Holiday Dessert that will knock your Christmas stocks off! (or your Easter Bonnet)
INGREDIENTS
Pudding
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pitted dates (about 6 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Sauce
- 1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon brandy (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Pudding
-
Preheat oven to 350 °. Butter and flour Bundt pan. Bring dates and 11/4 cups water to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan with tall sides. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will become foamy). Set aside; let cool.
-
Whisk 11/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend (mixture will be grainy). Add 1 egg; beat to blend. Add half of flour mixture and half of date mixture; beat to blend. Repeat with remaining 1 egg, flour mixture, and date mixture. Pour batter into mold.
-
Bake until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 40 –45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert pudding onto rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
Sauce
-
Bring sugar, cream, and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in brandy, if using, and vanilla. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm gently before using.
Cheese Stuffed Chicken Roll Ups
Having some test done last week, I had to fast from liquids and food. Why is it that during those times, every food magazine that I subscribe arrives during those fasting hours. Every recipe looks divine and you promise yourself that as soon as the test is over you will head to the kitchen and bake up some of the fancy foods that you drooled over a few hours before. I was so hungry that even the horrible bottles of white liquid that I had to drink , was beginning to appeal to me. It is bad when you are so hungry that you can’t wait till it is time to drink the stuff you are required to drink. I found myself looking at the clock to see if it was time to start drinking. Well, the tests are over but all I could think about was a greasy hamburger and French fries. Never mind the delicious looking recipes that had looked so amazing just the night before. Give me grease and carbs….but, it is now a few days later and the new recipes that I found last week are beginning to conjure up great visions of family and friends sitting around the table just waiting for me to walk out of the kitchen with a dish that will make their mouths water. Here is the first of the many dishes that I cannot wait to try this season.
8 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
1 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tables olive oil
1/2 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened and cut in cubes (in other words, 4 oz)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tables flour
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas cumin
16 frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
Melted butter
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and flatten to 1/8″ thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. (I usually have this done at the meat market)
Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper, set aside.
Saute spinach and onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese until blended. Stir in mozzarella cheese and next 6 ingredients.
Spoon 1/4 cup spinach mixture on center of each chicken breast half, and roll up, jellyroll fashion.
Unfold phyllo sheets on a lightly floured surface. Stack 2 phyllo sheets, brushing with melted butter between sheets. (keep remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.)
Place 1 chicken roll on short side of phyllo stack; gently roll up, folding in long side. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry sheets, melted butter and chicken. Place rolls in a shallow pan and brush one more time with melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done. Serve with a mushroom gravy or atop salad greens.
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
YUM!!!!
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Filling
2 packages (8 oz each) softened cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk (not sweetened condensed)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup (6oz) Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels
Preheat oven to 325.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan. Set aside
For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
Microwave morsels in medium bowl on medium high power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 15 second intervals until most morsels are melted. Stir to melt them completely until smooth. Stir 1 cup cream cheese mixture into the peanut butter chocolate melted chips.
Pour the remaining cream cheese mixture over crust. Pour chocolate mixture over cream cheese mixture. Swirl mixtures with knife pulling the plain cream cheese mixture in swirls with the chocolate mixture.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Cool completely on wire rack and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Cut into bars.
Makes 15 bars
Chocolate Praline Cake
What a gorgeous creation, just perfect for a dessert centerpiece. To save time and energy, bake your favorite chocolate cake mix in 2 (9″) cake pans. Let cook completely. Set aside while making Chocolate Ganache and Praline Frosting
Ganache
1 (12 oz) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a glass bowl at medium power 2-3 minutes or melted. Stirring at 1 min intervals. Whisk until smooth. Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth. Cool, whisking often for 15 min or until spreading consistency.
Place one chocolate cake layer on a serving platter. Spoon half of ganache over layer. Let sit for about 10 min to allow ganache to set up on cake layer. Place 2nd cake layer on top and use remaining ganache. While this is setting up, make the praline frosting.
Praline Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teas vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in toasted pecans, stirring gently 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thicken slightly. When frosting is of spreading consistency, pour immediately over top of cake. If you wait to long, the frosting will harden and you will not be able to spread over cake. Decorate with whole pecans. Pr
Babysitting With Candy Crush
It is getting serious. My daughter just called for our morning visit. As always, I ask how her night went and what they did. She reminded me that she babysat her friends two children, which told me that son-in-law kept her kids, while she went to keep the other small children of her friend. So when I ask about how Eric did with staying home and keeping their kids while she was down the street babysitting, she told me that she took Jaden, 11 and Caleb, 3 with her, leaving the 1 yr old, Noah with Eric. That way she could be sure that Jaden got his homework done and use Caleb to help entertain the other 3 yr old. When I expressed that that was a great idea, she finally confessed. Her friends children began to chase Jaden around the house, so that also kept Caleb busy. When she noticed that all 3 kids were then occupied with chasing Jaden, she took advantage of this and sat back and played Candy Crush. She said that her only job then was to look up every once in a while and yell, “quiet down a little, you’re getting a little to loud.” Apparently they were distracting her from being able to complete a new level. She was finally able to complete 2 new levels. She was so proud. Of course, the kids had a great night. Jaden didn’t have to do his homework, and the younger ones were late getting to bed, but that was insignificant to the fact that she was able to play CC without interruption. She convinced herself that it was good for Jaden to learn responsibility of taking care of younger children. I guess she will begin to use him to entertain Noah, giving her more time to complete lever 70. Honestly, I thought I did a better job of raising her. Note to self “write a little note to Jodi encouraging her to seek help for her CC addiction.”
I am so glad to I know that I could quit CC any time I wanted. I only play while watching tv, relaxing or in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. I’ll get that note written to her as soon as I finish this next level.
Blue Cheese & Bacon Puffs
What a great appetizer for those holiday parties. This recipe makes 6 dz! You will have plenty to snack on while putting the finishing touches to your table, while waiting for guest to arrive, still having plenty for the party. Taken from a SL magazine, 2001. The dough is like the dough you make for cream puffs, but used as appetizer with cheese instead of cream filling.
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas black pepper
1/4 teas ground red pepper
6 large eggs
8 oz crumbled blue cheese (Stilton is a good brand to use)
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
4 green onions
Bring the water and butter to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and next 3 ingredients; cook, beating with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a smooth ball of dough. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Mix in cheese, bacon and chopped green onions.
Drop by rounded teaspoonful 2″ apart onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Puffs will be moist in the center. Serve puffs warm or at room temperature.
Puffs may be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat at 350 for 5-7 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
Kitchen Addiction
I don’t know what is happening, but the past few days, I cannot walk through the kitchen without baking. Is it the weather? Is it that I know I am getting older and there are so many recipes out there and so little time, or is it that I am just a sugar hoarder? Last night I found myself making the carrot cream cheese pound cake that I posted yesterday and it is absolutely amazing. Then this morning, I headed to the kitchen, still in jammies and pulled out the Pillsbury Pumpkin cake mix and proceeded to bake Pumpkin Poppers that I talked about the other day. I just followed the directions on the box except that I added 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Baked them in mini muffin pans (made 60) and then rolled them in cinnamon sugar while still hot out of the oven. Have eaten 5. Then our daughter sent us a picture of Kenley our grandaughter we are headed to see at Thanksgiving. They were making acorns out of miniature Nutter Butter cookies, Hershey Kisses and chocolate chips. A little melted chocolate holds the 3 items together, as you can see in the picture. So open those windows, celebrate this gorgeous autumn weather and get those baking pans out. Baking time is here.
Chocolate Castles 