Almond Roca

Ingredients:

4 sticks Butter 2 cups Sugar (rounded) 4 Tablespoons Water 2 cups Almonds, Chopped 1 cup Chocolate Chips ½ cups Almonds, Finely Chopped, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions: Combine the first 3 ingredients and cook on high, stirring constantly through 3 stages:

1. Runny

2. “Cheesy”—it will look like melted white cheese

3. Runny and smooth, caramel brown color

Make sure you have the fan on your stove going, cause you’ll probably set off the smoke alarm towards the end. When it is runny, smooth and caramel brown in color, remove it from the heat and add the almonds. Stir until combined and pour the mixture onto greased cookie sheets. Spread it into an even layer. It will harden as it cools.

While it is still warm, sprinkle chocolate chips on top and let them melt enough to get soft. Spread the chocolate in an even layer across the candy. While the chocolate is still “wet,” sprinkle the finely chopped almonds on top.

At this point, while it is still warm and soft, you can score the candy with a butter knife to make it break evenly, or just let it harden and break it into rustic pieces.

NOTE: This was fabulous. Just don't use a plastic spatula because it tends to melt. Goodbye plastic spatula.

Rosemary Flatbread

Ingredients: 3-½ cups Flour 1 teaspoon Salt 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary 1 Tablespoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper (optional) 1 cup Warm Water ¾ cups Olive Oil 8 pieces Parchment Paper 1 cup Olive Oil For Brushing 8 dashes Medium Coarse Sea Salt Preparation Instructions: Place a large rimless baking sheet or an inverted rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, rosemary and black pepper together in a large bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in the water and olive oil until a medium stiff dough forms. Knead gently if necessary to combine. Let rest in the bowl covered with a plate or plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 6 to 8 portions, depending on the size of your cookie sheet. One at a time, roll dough out with lots of flour into a paper-thin rustic round; the thinner you roll it, the thinner the cracker will be. Experiment to find just the thickness that suits you. Place on the parchment paper and brush excess flour off the dough, then brush liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with a little sea salt. With another cookie sheet or pizza peel, transfer to the hot baking sheet and bake for 8 to 12 minutes until lightly browned on the edges with specks of brown throughout. Remove from the oven, cool and break into large pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough. NOTE: Make sure you roll the bread very flat and even. Otherwise it is more like bread than a cracker.

Buttercream

1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbs heavy whipping cream

Mix together well and enjoy!

NOTE: I actually used evaporated milk instead of whipping cream. Still fabulous. I also added some unsweetened cocoa powder

Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:

½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients:

4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
½ cups Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 whole Egg Yolks
6 Tablespoons Flour
2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!)
2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.
Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.
Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.
Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

In Case You Find Me

I have another blog that I try to religiously write on about life in general. However, I don't always have time to do that so what makes you think that I would have time for another blog?

This blog is just for recipes. Nice little treats that I have successfully cooked and need to recall. The recipes are not all my own. They are either copied or varied from an existing recipe.

I recently went through a cooking spree and trying to pull up recipes on my phone, while successful, was daunting. I decided I would rather just have one spot where I can get all my successful recipes on a moment's notice. Because baking sometimes comes up on a moment's notice.

Enjoy if you find this blog!