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.
Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Carrot Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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The thought of going a full day without posting something sweet just makes me crazy. When I found this in the same old Tea Time  Magazine that the Bittersweet brownie recipe came from, I saved it for when I had the energy to shred 2 cups of carrots, but now that you can buy them in the store already shredded, I love to make any type of carrot cake. This one combines the flavor of cream cheese in the cake. So…when you are thinking, “I need to eat more veggies” hiding them with cream cheese is a great way to eat healthy. At least in my world.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 ( 8oz) cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teas ground cinnamon

6 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 teas lemon extract (or orange extract) (I used the orange because I added orange zest to the batter)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325. (I added orange zest along with orange extract) Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, combine flour and cinnamon. Add 1 cup flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs, beating just until yellow disappears. Repeat procedure with remaining flour and eggs.

Stir in vanilla and lemon (or orange) extract, carrots and pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon orange juice

Add enough powdered sugar to make glaze spreading consistency.

In small bowl, combine sugar and orange juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes (or Cauliflower)

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As I was writing that title, I’m thinking to myself, if you are not eating potatoes, why not substitute cauliflower. Taken from a November 2001 Southern Living, this is a favorite side to all meats.

Since getting quite a few emails telling me that I needed to post something besides desserts 95% of the time. I listened. So for the remainder of this week, I will post great holiday sides, meats or salads. (I know I can’t stand to not post a few desserts, so might have to post a couple of times a day to get in my 95% desserts, plus the other foods I have promised. So here it is; the first of the commitments:

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or cauliflower)

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided

2 tables butter

1 tables olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teas chopped fresh or 1/2 teas dried rosemary

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup half & half

3/4 cup Gorgonzola or blue cheese

3/4 teas pepper

Garnish: fresh rosemary springs

Bring potato or cauliflower to a boil with 1 teas salt with enough water to cover in a Dutch oven; cook 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.

Melt 2 tables butter with oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring often, 12-15 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary, remove from heat.

Mash potato or cauliflower with a potato masher, stir in 1/2 cup butter, half & half and cheese until blended. Stir in onion mixture unto a lightly greased baking dish.

Broil 3″ from heat 5 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Garnish, if desired. You can just sprinkle paprika and dried parsley if you don’t have fresh rosemary sprigs.

Serves 6-8 people

Now can I post the new carrot pound cake recipe that I found?

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Crab Streudel

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I am not a big seafood lover, but this streudel sounded really different and good. The fact that it is made with phyllo dough makes it a recipe that I will try. This will be an awesome appetizer for the holiday open houses.

1 (16 oz) package phyllo dough

Filling

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

1 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley

1 tables Dijon mustard

1 cup white bread crumbs

Juice of two lemons

Salt and Pepper

Melted butter

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine lump crab meat, chopped chives, parsley, Dijon mustard, bread crumbs and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Using a French bread pan or two 9×5″ loaf pans, line pan with individual sheets of phyllo pastry that have been brushed with melted butter, making three layers, (each loaf pan with use 3 sheets)

Place filling into center and completely wrap with phyllo pastry.

Trim edges to make streudel neat. Brush top of phyllo with melted butter. Place on baking sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Serve with Red Wine Butter Sauce

2 shallots, minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

3 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups red wine

6 tables red wine vinegar

2 tables heavy cream

6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 2 lemons

In saucepan, combine shallots, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, red wine and red wine vinegar.

Bring mixture to a boil and cook until nearly dry (approx. 3/4 volume is reduced away)

Add heavy cream and stir. Over low heat, begin to slowly add butter into sauce a few cubes at a time until all butter is incorporated.

Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and strain mixture through fine sieve.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Nut Brownies

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Since going to storage a few weeks ago and being “forced” into going through old cooking magazines to pick out the good ones so Mr. Bah Humbug can rid our lives of some of our treasures, I have found some great ones that I cannot believe I had never noticed; like these brownies. I made them last night so we could have something good to eat while watching The Voice. At the first bite, we looked at each other and knew that these were ones that would go down in our “must have chocolate tonight” recipe favorites. The bittersweet chocolate and the nuts give them such a great deep chocolate flavor, very different from just brownies made with cocoa. Next time, I am kicking them up a notch and soaking the nuts in almond liqueur before adding them to the mixture. I am going to also experiment with soaking them in raspberry liqueur when I am wanting the chocolate raspberry flavor.

1/2 cup butter

4 (1 oz) squares bittersweet chocolate ( I used Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bar Bittersweet Chocolate (60% cacao)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans  (to toast nuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 5-7 minutes, stirring halfway. Taste one after 4-5 min to see if they still need a minute or two. Cool before adding to mixture)

Preheat oven to 350.

In heavy saucepan, melt butter with chocolate over low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

In medium bowl, combine chocolate butter mixture and sugar, stirring well. Stir in eggs, vanilla, flour and nuts.

Pour mixture into a well greased 8″ pan. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool completely. We didn’t do that, we cut into them immediately and aren’t going to apologize one bit for doing so.  Randy told me to just give him one since sometimes chocolate gives me heartburn. He ate 4! He said they were worth dealing with heartburn.

Next time, I am going to soak the nuts in the almond liqueur instead of toasting them and all almond extract instead of vanilla.

Daily Thoughts

Thumbies Arrived & Ready

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IMG_1328

IMG_1381

Make individual cheesecakes, peanut blossoms, brownie bites easier with a Thumbie. Not having to use your thumb, the indentions are even, no crumbs under your nail and prep time is shorter.

Instructions for care is included.
I have been using the same Thumbie for over 4 years. Handwash only!

When making your yummies, always use your Thumbies!

Thumbkins Used for mini muffin pans $6.00 Shipping is $1.99 (If ordering 5 or more, shipping will be $2.99)

Thumbos Used for regular size cupcake pans $7.00 Shipping is $1.99 (If ordering 5 or more, shipping will be $2.99)

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Poppers

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

Yesterday Peter & Penelope Pumpkin wandered around the Americana, stopping to have lunch and then to the movies to see Gravity. Afterward, we wanted just to sit outside with Starbucks and people watch, which is free and we enjoyed that much more than Gravity. Guess we aren’t sci-fi people, we are more people watching people. We are sitting there just enjoying the cool Fall air, watching all the people walking by when I look over to see a bakery called Deluca’s. I immediately grabbed my Saturday allowance out of hubbies wallet and headed over. When I entered, the nice little boy of 12 asked if he could help me. I told him that I wanted the lemon meringue bars that I fell in love with in New York. He informed me that they were not even associated with Dean & Duluca’s in NY but told me to follow him over to their dessert section and proceeded to show me their great desserts. One was a Whoopie Pie with a Nutella Whip filling. He actually gave me a sample of the filling and whoa, it was really good. Am going to have to make those. Then he showed me their Pumpkin Poppers.   Only 99cents each and I could have eaten a dozen.  There were miniature pumpkin muffins rolled in a heavy coating of cinnamon sugar mixture.  All I had taken with me was $2, so I got two. Bringing them back to Peter, I told him what I had got, hoping that he would say, “oh that’s ok, you eat them both, that doesn’t sound very good to me.” But the opposite happened. He grabbed the last one and scarfed it down, like he hadn’t had sugar in a week. He looked at me and said, “these are amazing”, when are you going to make us some?” So guess what I am doing today? Making mini pumpkin muffins and rolling them in cinnamon sugar.

What a great little coffee break goodie.   Wanted to give you a fresh idea of how to take your favorite pumpkin muffins to a new level. A sugar level.  Easy to pop in your mouth with one hand, as you are playing Candy Crush. An really, how fattening can a little popper be?

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Apple Cake

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I didn’t realize that I apparently had forgot to post this recipe when I made it the last 100 times. it is a keeper!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 3 cups finely chopped raw apples (or grated)
  • .
  • Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup butter (4 ounces)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons milk
  • 1 box confectioners’ sugar (1 pound), about 4 cups

Preparation:

Measure vegetable oil into large mixing bowl.  Add sugar and eggs.  Beat on low speed until creamy.  Sift flour and measure.  Sift again and add salt, soda and baking powder.  Add a small amount of the flour mixture at a time to the creamed mixture.  Beat well after each addition.  When all flour has been added, or when batter becomes very stiff, remove electric mixer. Fold in chopped pecans and chopped apples with a wooden spoon.  Spread evenly into a 9″x13″ pan (or 2 – 9″ pans) lined with lightly greased  wax paper.  Bake in 350° oven for 45 to 55 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen edges and turn onto cake rack, remove wax paper, cool and frost.    

Make Frosting: Cook butter and sugar together until well blended and sugar is dissolved.  Add 3 tablespoons  milk and 1 box of confectioners’ sugar.  Beat and add just enough milk to spread.

More Recipes Shirl’s Apple Cake Tennessee Apple Stack Cake Sour Cream Apple Cake

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin, Caramel & Pecan Cheesecake

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What better way to celebrate Fri than with a new recipe! It has been a very stressful morning. Decisions, decisions. We are going to some friends home for dinner and guess who volunteered to bring dessert? Knowing that I wanted to make something “fallish” two different recipes came to mind. This new recipe from Philadelphia Cream Cheese or one of my fall favs, fresh apple cake with brown sugar frosting.

Peter Pumpkin and I seem to load up on apples each and every week, thinking that what better time to begin eating healthy? Each time we come back from the grocery determined to load up our bodies with fresh fruit; thus the apples and bananas that we take out of the reusable bags. The only problem with this new resolution (actually it isn’t new, it’s something we’ve resolved to do since January, 1996, but never find the right time to begin) is that as the week goes by with the fruit still sitting there, staring back at us, it becomes apparent that it is no longer “fresh fruit” and is begging to be used in some delicious baked good that thrives on over ripe fruit to make it moisturie (I know I know, but it just seems to be the right word). So since I had apples laying out looking ever so “please use me, please use me” I decided to make a fresh apple cake tonight. But because that recipe is already on the post, I wanted to give you the other dessert that was the 2nd option for tonight. Will make it when I have used up all our over ripe fruit. Will start again on Mon with new fresh fruit. Who knows, maybe by next Fri, I will have found new recipes that use really ripe apples and bananas? In the meantime…..

Makes 16 Servings

Prep Time: 15 min (now that should catch your eye)

1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided

18 Nabisco Ginger Snaps, finely crushed

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 packages ( 8 oz ea) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teas vanilla

1 teas vanilla

 4 eggs

25 caramels

1/4 cup milk

Heat oven t0 325. Chop 1/4 cup of the pecans very fine in a bowl. Add ginger snap crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 13×9″ pan. Set aside.  Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. With hand mixer, beat until blended. Add pumpkin, spice and vanilla, mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 45 min or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Microwave caramels and milk in microwavable bowl for 1 1/2 min or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Add the other 1/4 cup chopped pecans and spoon over individual servings of cheesecake. Top with whipping cream if desired.

 

Casseroles · Chicken · Meats

Butter Baked Chicken & Gravy

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If the first word in the title doesn’t hook you, I bet the last one will. Butter and gravy…two of the best things ever! This dish is such a comfort food it will warm your hearts and satisfy the most fussy eater.

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

11/4 teas salt

1/2 teas black pepper

1/2 teas garlic powder

1/2 teas onion powder

1 (15 oz) can evaporated milk, divided

1 (4 1/2 lb) chicken, cut into pieces

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken or celery or mushroom soup (your preference, I prefer the celery or mushroom, as it is not such a over powering chicken flavor)

1/4 cup water

Hot cooked rice

Asparagus or Fresh Green Beans

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour melted butter into a 13×9″ lightly greased baking dish

In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt

In another separate shallow dish, pour 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Coat chicken pieces with evaporated milk; dredge each in flour mixture. Place chicken, skin side up, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn chicken.

In a small bowl, combine soup, water and remaining evaporated milk; pour oven chicken. Return to oven for 35 minutes longer. Remove chicken from baking dish; whisk gravy in baking dish until smooth. Serve chicken and gravy with rice or mashed potatoes and green veggie.

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Baguette Pot Pie

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First of all, thanks to so many who responded to helping test recipes for my cookbook. Recipes are distributed and already in the mail. So appreciated your response.

In an old Southern Living magazine I was leafing through, (I used “leafing” as it goes so well with Fall) I came across this idea. It caught my eye because I am not a biscuit person, but love different pot pies. This gave the idea to use baguette’s to top your pies. Simply melt butter with garlic and brush one side of bread slices. Top pot pie of your choice evenly with bread slices, buttered side up.  Place the bread slices on your pie the last 15 minutes of cooking. Watch to be careful bread slices don’t over brown. If they are getting too dark, cover loosely with foil.

1 French  baguette (12″) cut into 1/2″ slices

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tables butter

Melt butter with minced garlic. Brush on one side of each slice of bread.