Chocolate Mousse Cake

I LOVE chocolate mousse! I wanted to make a cake version out of it because it's pretty awesome, so I found this super easy recipe. I can't take all the credit--it is store bought cake, and very simple instructions, but it was easy and quick and had a really great flavor.

Check it out if you're looking for something different :)

Ingredients:

-1 package chocolate cake mix
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
-1/2 c. cold water
-1 package (3.9 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix
-1 c. heavy cream, whipped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions for two 9-inch layers. Cool and remove from pans.


2. In a large bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate. Gradually stir in water, then instant pudding. Mix until smooth.


Chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove the chocolate mixture from refrigerator and stir to loosen. Beat whipped cream until fluffy (if haven't already) and then fold into chocolate mixture.

Return to the refrigerator for at least another hour.

4. Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate.


Top with 1 1/2 c. of the mousse, then cover with the second cake layer. Frost with remaining mousse and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with fresh fruit & chocolate shavings, if desired.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

So, I know chicken pot pie isn't the type of recipe I usually post on my blog, but I haven't been baking a whole lot lately. I don't know if it's been my hectic work schedule or my new obsession with the TV show Gossip Girl haha, but the only thing that I've baked recently was a batch of red velvet cupcakes, which I've already posted about.

However, I did make a scrumptious chicken pot pie last night for dinner, and since you do bake the pot pie, I thought it would be appropriate to share! (Plus, after trying a bite of this dish, you'll be happy I shared it!)

I am honestly not a big fan of CPP, but after trying this homemade recipe, I am changing my colors and I definitely will be making this again--and soon too! This recipe is from the March 2012 issue of Everyday Food.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
-1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for workspace
-1 tsp. sugar
-1/4 tsp. fine salt
-1/2 c. cold, unsalted butter
-3-5 Tbsp. ice water

For the filling:
-5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
-1 med. yellow onion, diced small
-4 med. carrots, diced small
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
-4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
-1 c. frozen peas
-coarse salt and black pepper
-3 c. shredded cooked chicken
-a little dried parsley

1. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 Tbsp. ice water); do not overmix. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour or overnight (or freeze, up to 1 month.)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make filling: In a large pot, melt butter over med-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened, 5-8 mins. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add flour and stir to coat vegetables.


Slowly add broth, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 5-7 mins.
Stir in peas. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in chicken and parsley.


Pour filling into 2-qt. baking dish.

3. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Place dough over dish and fold overhang inward while pinching to crimp edge. Cut vents in dough.

Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling around edge, 40-50 mins. Let cool 15 mins. before serving.

White Chocolate Chip cookies

Made a tasty little treat the other night! These are from Martha Stewart's Cookie Book and I just was flipping through the pages for ideas and came across this!

White chocolate, oatmeal and coconut--yum yum! The recipe does call for walnuts and raisins, which I particularly thought would have been good, but most people that I shared the cookies with would not have thought the same.

It was a quick recipe (and most of Martha's do take quite a bit of time), so hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
-1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
-1/2 c. granulated sugar
-1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
-2 c. all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
-2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
-2 c. white chocolate chips/chunks
-1 c. sweetened coconut
-1 c. raisins (golden or regular)
-1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 mins.


Mix in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in vanilla.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.


Gradually stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir in oats, chocolate, coconut, raisins, and walnuts.


3. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 in. apart.


Flatten slightly. Bake cookies until golden, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 2 mins. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.