Chocolate Cream Pie

My family came down from Gainesville to spend Sunday with us a few weeks ago, and I really wanted to make dinner special. We made pulled pork in the crock pot and Bubba’s Beer Biscuits (a recipe from the great Paula Deen). But the the best part was supposed to be a chocolate cream pie. I followed the recipe word for word (I usually just focus on the bold words), and one hour before their arrival it was still a soupy mess, concealed beneath a perfect meringue topping. Oh well...it was a good try. If anyone can tell me what I did wrong, I would appreciate it.

 

 

 My chocolate cream pie.

I ran out to Publix and picked up this perfect chocolate cream pie from their bakery.

My daughter loved the chocolate crumb topping.

 

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe:

 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 C sugar
• 3 TB cocoa powder
• 1 TB all-purpose flour
• Pink of salt
• 3 eggs yolks, beaten
• 2 C milk
• 1 TB butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• one 9-inch backed pie crust

Filling Directions:

• In a sauce pan, stir together sugar, cocoa, flour and salt
• Slowly stir on beaten yolks and the milk
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens
• Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla
• Pour filling in to a bowl to cool
• Put waxed paper on the surface of the filling to prevent a crust from forming
• When cool, pour the filling into the pie crust

 

Meringue Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 TB sugar

 

Meringue Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until soft peaks form
• A 1 TB of sugar at a time, beating constantly, until the whites form stiff peaks
• Spoon meringue over the pie filling
• Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown

Craving Chocolate?!?

Ok...so my hubby and I were just sitting here watching our Gators get their butts kicked by Alabama, and I suddenly got a major chocolate craving (must be depression...I've always been an emotional eater) so I pulled out my trusty Paula Deen cook book and whipped of some gooey chocolaty brownies called Lady Brownies. I cut the recipe in half because if I made a full-sized pan of brownies, guess how much would get eaten this weekend? Answer: the WHOLE pan. The other modification I made was to add chocolate chips because, as I mentioned before...everything is better with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

I took the brownies out of the oven early because we love it when they are super gooey.

I also topped it with whipped cream...cause that's just how I roll!!! Go Gators!

Lady Brownies Recipe:

What You Need:

• 13x9 pan
• 2 C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 6 TB cocoa powder (I used a combo of light and dark cocoa)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-1/2 C self-rising flour (if you only have all-purpose flour, add 1/2 tsp baking powder)
• 1 C chopped nuts (I left this out because hubby hates nuts)
• 1 C chocolate chips

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Grease and flour pan
• Blend sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa and vanilla
• Mix in flour
• Add nuts and/or chocolate chips
• Spread into pan
• Bake for 25-30 minutes

Pumpkin Bread

I can’t believe that it is already October and, as usual, I don’t feel in the “Fall spirit”. It still feels like Summer to me….although the days are getting shorter.  But down here in Florida, the leaves aren’t changing, we’re still going to the pool on the weekends and the temperature still creeps up to 90 degrees by mid-day. In order to get into the spirit of fall, this past weekend I decided to bake pumpkin bread.  I got the recipe from my favorite celebrity cook, Paula Deen. The only thing that could have made it better was if I had added chocolate chips…of course everything is better with chocolate.

This recipe makes two full-sized loaves of pumpkin bread. I made one regular-sized loaf and three mini loaves so I could give some away to family.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

What You Need:

• 2 loaf pans
• 3 C sugar
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 C canned pumpkin
• 2/3 C water
• 3-1/3C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and lfour two loaf pans
• Mix sugar and oil.  Add eggs and blend
• Combine remaining ingrediants and add slowly
• Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown

Healthy Variation:

• For the oil, substitute 1/2 cup oil and add 1/2 cup apple sauce

Savannah - Day 4

     We decided that we couldn't leave Savannah without visiting "Aunt" Paula Deen, so on the last evening in town, we had dinner at The Lady and Sons, famous for its low country southern cuisine. Mike, my husband, started the morning by walking to the restaurant. In order to get a table, you have to be in line at the hostess podium when they start taking names at 9am. The wait can be anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour, just to get a reservation to come back and eat...but I think it's worth it. The hoe cakes and cheese biscuits alone are worth it.

Our reservation was for 5pm, so we arrived at 4:45 to find the sidewalks that line Congress Street overflowing with people, all waiting to get into Paula Deen's restaurant. It was so busy, you would think there was a famine and The Lady and Sons was the last restaurant in Savannah serving food. We didn't have to wait long before we were called..."Mike, party of three and a highchair."

When we entered the restaurant, it was already bustling with people. It is a three-level restaurant and we were told to take the elevator to the third floor. Keep in mind that the dinner service started at 5pm, and it was only 5:15. It's VERY popular to eat at The Lady and Sons.

When we got seated, I ordered sweet tea, and it was some of the best sweet tea I've ever tasted. It comes in a big glass with a sprig of real mint, so with every sip you get the cool, sweetness of the tea mingling with the fresh scent of mint.  We all got the buffet so we could sample as much southern greasy goodness as possible. There was fried chicken, collard greens, fried okra, baked mac-n-cheese, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, BBQ ribs...so much to choose from.

With the buffet, you get to choose one dessert from the menu, so we each got something different so we could try them all. There was ooey-gooey buttercake, chocolate gooey buttercake and banana pudding. We were so full when we left there that I vowed never to eat again! I only made it a few hours. :)

Me with my husband, mom and daughter

at The Lady and Sons

Our desserts

Savannah - Day 3

Monday September, 13th

We started the day by wandering across LaFayette Square, and over to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It's an enormous Catholic church...the first and largest in the state of Georgia, and it's a must see in Savannah.

Lunchtime came quickly and, after hearing rave reviews about Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House, we decided to go see what all the hype was about. Mrs. Wilke's is located on Jones Street (named the most beautiful street in America by Better Homes and Gardens). They don't take reservations, they only take cash and they are only open for lunch (11am-4pm). We wandered the oak-shaded sidewalk of beautiful Jones Street until we crossed at the intersection of Jones and Whitaker, but stopped our quest when we discovered that the line paraded all the way down the block. With a hungry baby in tow, and nearing her nap time, we decided to forgo Mrs. Wilke's for Clary's Cafe, on the corner of Abercorn and Jones.

I think Clary's Cafe is known more for their history (they've been a fixture in Savannah since 1903), and their appearance in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil rather than for their food. The atmosphere was that of a typical diner, but with a little something extra. Maybe it's just that I half expected John Cusak to come walking in the door at any moment. In any case, it was a quaint look at the local life of Savannah, with fewer tourists and more down-home folks.

After lunch, we took a walk, and ended up at a little bakery called the Cupcake Emporium. I was pretty full, but I was determined to take a picture of a dessert for this blog, so I ordered a strawberry cupcake with buttercream frosting. It was ok. I mean, it was a cupcake...how bad could it be. I've never had a cupcake I didn't like, some are just better than others. Personally, I think I could have baked a better cupcake. The cake part wasn't as moist as I'd expected, but the buttercream icing was thick and sweet.

That evening, my mom offered to baby-sit so we could have a "date night," and we happily accepted. To be honest, it took us a while to decide what to do that night. Mike wanted to save money, while my motto is "why? we're on vacation!" We finally came to an agreement and decided to wander down to the river and check out the night life...maybe grab a slice of pizza.

It was Monday night and it wasn't exactly hoppin' down by the river, but we managed to have a good time anyway. First stop was Wet Willy's, a daiquiri bar much like Fat Tuesday, but their daiquiris are stronger, in my opinion. I had a banana daiquiri called "monkey shine," which was enough to give me a slight buzz and make our little night out that much more fun. The river has a strip of tourist-style stores with the typical gift and t-shirt shops, but the best thing is the candy stores. There are two of them...River Street Sweets and Savannah Candy Kitchen...and they each offer free samples of homemade taffy and pralines. We made sure to go to each store and get samples on the way in, and on the way out. There is nothing like a fresh praline, still warm from the oven. The sugary confection literally melts in your mouth.

We never did find any pizza-by-the-slice places, so I convinced Mike to go to the Pirate's House for dinner. Built in1753, it is also a must-see in Savannah. The house has several different dining rooms...little nooks and crannies, updated, yet so antique, its hard not to imagine the pirates, sailors and scalawags that have walked the same old floor boards. The dining room we sat in was very small - just three tables - but quaint and cozy.

Part of the reason we chose the Pirate's House for dinner, is that they serve Chatham Artillery Punch...the official drink of Savannah, or so I thought.  I actually asked several bars on the river if they served the punch, and each one gave me a look like I was either crazy, or a total dork. Chatham Artillery Punch is a crazy drink concocted by women in the 1800's. It's got a real kick...and everyone makes it a little bit different. It's like they threw a whole bunch of left over alcohol into a bowl, added some juice, tea and champagne, and gave it a cool name. I nursed one glass of the punch all through dinner, and I didn't know it had even affected me until I got up to go to the restroom and tried to navigate my way across the 200 year old, slightly unlevel floor of the restaurant. I only stumbled once...not too embarrassing.

For dinner, we ordered their famous Honey Pecan Fried Chicken. It was huge (a half chicken) and came covered in sweet and gooey pecans. We actually shared it and still ended up so full. But not too full to order dessert. Earlier in the evening, before we got our table, we were sitting at the bar next to this woman who ordered the banana bread pudding, and I knew right then and there that we had to try it too. I am, again, ashamed to say that I forgot to take pictures of this meal. This time, I'm going to blame it on the alcohol.

Savannah - Day 1 and 2

Wow! Four days in Savannah and I want to talk about a lot more than the food I ate. I’m not even sure where to begin. Since this is a blog about food, particularly dessert, I guess I’ll begin with my first notable meal.
My mom rented an apartment with a kitchen, so we were able to save some money by eating “at home” for several meals. Having had a busy day, that was to continue with a ghost tour later in the evening, we decided to eat dinner "at home" on Saturday. This decadent dinner consisted of an array of appetizer-style foods that paired perfectly with the red wine my mom bought. She was determined to pamper us, and she didn’t disappoint.
                                                          Saturday, September 11, 2010

Coffee cake

Brie, salami and cheese roll, sea salt and pepper crackers,

olives, sun-dried tomatoes, hummus,

bleu cheese, wasabi peas...

Exotics like star fruit and cactus fruit

And...what's a vacation without Cabernet and dark chocolate!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

(Photo courtesy of Lulu's Chocolate Bar)

Sunday night found us at an Italian restaurant serving some of the best lasagna I’ve ever had. But for me, the best thing about this restaurant is that it is located right next to a little place called Lulu’s Chocolate Bar. The name alone is enough to send your sweet tooth into overdrive. It's a chic little place with eclectic décor...velvet-covered seats, chandeliers and exposed brick walls. Walk through the door and you immediately come face to face with a decadent display of cookies, cakes, brownies and cheese cakes. Pair this menu with the long list of dessert martinis and…heaven…I’m in heaven!

I’m ashamed to say that in our feeding frenzy, I forgot to take pictures of the desserts we ate. But I can tell you that the raspberry chocolate cheesecake and the honey citrus cheesecake was to die for! I also indulged in the Lulutini, the chocolate bar's signature dessert martini. All I can say is YUM!

The "Lulutini"

(Van Gogh™ Chocolate Vodka, Godiva™ Liqueur,

Crème de Cacao, and Real Chocolate)

Savannah here I come!

Get ready for some Southern treats and decadent delights from the heart of the south...Savannah, GA. We will be visiting places like Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House - known to offer some of the best low country southern cuisine in Savannah. I can't wait!

Football Cake

This past weekend, my brother-in-law, turned 32 years old. He is a Gator football fanatic, so my sister asked me to make him a Florida Gator cake for his birthday. I decide to go to Joanne's and check out their cake supply section for inspiration. Wilton makes a cake pan called the First and Ten Football Cake. I found it at Joanne's, and it was perfect for his birthday. Also, the football cake pan can be used to make other things...like football-shaped bread, and as a mold for a giant rice crispy treat, so I knew it would get used a lot during football season.

His favorite cake is red velvet with cream cheese icing. I used a recipe I found in a book called The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. She uses store-bought cake mixes as the base in all of her recipes to make delicious semi-homemade cakes. I dyed some of the icing orange and used it to frost the cake. Then, I dyed a smaller portion of the icing blue, and used that to decorate the cake.

The red velvet cake was so moist and delicious, and the cream cheese icing was creamy and sweet. It got rave reviews and was literally annihilated in about 10 minutes, leaving me wishing I had made two cakes because I don't think everyone got a piece.

Red Velvet Cake recipe:
1 box of German chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 ounce Wilton red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

*Blend all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees until the sides of the cake just start to pull away from the pan. The time will vary depending on the size of your pan(s).

Cream Cheese Icing recipe:
8 ounces cream cheese (room temp)
1 stick butter (room temp)
3-3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

*Blend all ingredients and spread on cake

Blueberry Cobbler

I made this blueberry cobbler as a breakfast treat for my co-workers, and everyone raved about how delicious it was. It is a very simple "southern" recipe with plenty of butter. Paula Deen would be proud! I got a few tips from my sister, who is continually learning new tricks about cooking from her sweet, southern in-laws...some great cooks!

When I first decided to make cobbler, I couldn't remember the recipe, as simple as it is, so that's when I called my sister. Before she married into a southern family, she couldn't even fry an egg. But, before I knew it, she was making yummy dinners from scratch without even using a recipe. "You've become so domesticated," I tell her all the time. That being said, I knew she was the one to call to make sure I was going to get the recipe right. She even made the suggestion to add baking soda because I didn't have any self-rising flour. And, she said her husband's granny told her to cut the butter, melt half of it and leave it in the bottom of the pan so that when you pour the batter over it, it bubbles up around the edges and makes them almost caramelize...or something like that...yum!

I actually made two cobblers that night because I was afraid I used too much butter in the first one. When I took it out of the oven, the melted butter was bubbling up around the edges and pooling beneath the crust. In the second cobbler, I cut the butter by half. When morning came, with the two cobblers side by side, I did a taste test and the first blueberry cobbler won, hands down. After sitting out over night to cool, the butter had soaked into the cobbler to create a rich, moist, gooey masterpiece. I decided that was the cobbler to take to work for two reasons. One, because it tasted better...and two because it was more fattening. If I was going to have a whole cobbler to graze on all weekend, it was probably best that it was the low-fat cobbler.

Blueberry Cobbler:
1 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
1tsp baking soda
2 cups blueberries (but you may substitute any other kind of fruit)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Put half of the butter in the pan and place in the oven until the butter melts
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and the rest of the butter (softened)
4. Pour into the pan (over the melted butter) and bake until golden bubbly

Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

I recently had the privilege of being introduced to a place called Mochi. It is a Japanese frozen yogurt chain with locations in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Orlando, FL. Let me just say, this is what frozen yogurt is supposed to taste like. Mochi frozen yogurt even has active yogurt cultures, and it's fat-free  It is a tart, sweet taste sensation. A burst of fruitiness...like summer in a cup.
Mochi frozen yogurt comes in a wide variety of fruity flavors, with traditional options like strawberry and vanilla, as well as more exotic options, such as lychee, poi and coconilla.

One of the coolest parts about Mochi is that you get to serve yourself. Just pick up a cup, fill it with as much frozen yogurt as you want, then choose from dozens of toppings...as many as you want. Then, the cashier weighs your creation. Mochi charges 45 cents an ounce (but be careful, it adds up quickly). Mochi frozen yogurt is so good it's almost addcitive. You'll crave the tart taste and cool, creamy goodness. Enjoy!

(Photo courtesy of Mochi Facebook)

(photos courtesy of mymochi.com)

Pink Leopard-Print Rainbow Pound Cake

Laura, my little sister, recently turned 31 years old, and for her birthday she requested that I make her a cake, to which I replied, "sure!" Laura then went on to describe what kind of birthday cake she wanted. "I want a pink leopard-print rainbow cake." "You are really testing my skills," I replied. But, I'm not the type of person to back down from a challenge, and let me tell you...it was not without challenges.

It is actually pound cake. I figured the layers would hold up better with a dense cake. I got the recipe from a co-worker and it is really good. I frosted the cake with cream cheese icing that I dyed pink using Wilton icing color.

To make it a rainbow cake, I separated the batter into five bowls and dyed each bowl a different color with McCormick food coloring. I then put scoops of each color in the pan and used a knife to gently swirl the colors through each other, creating a tye-die effect. I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the cake...we were too busy eating it! Here is a picture I found on the internet that resembles the inside of my cake. Click on the link to see a step by step pictorial on how to create a rainbow cake...

One-Step Pound Cake:
Blend together...
2-1/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter (softened)
8oz yogert (any flavor) or sour cream
3 eggs

Pour mixture into pan that has been greased and floured.
Bake at 325 for aprx 60 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing:
Blend together...
4 ounces butter (softened)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Delicious Fiber...No Cardboard In Sight

I highly recommend these Fiber One apple cinnamon muffins from Betty Crocker. They are so good, and one muffin has five grams of fiber...that's 20% of the recommended daily allowance! Although the sugar content is a little high (14g per serving), I still love them. For breakfast or a quick snack, I grab a muffin, maybe spread on a little peanut butter, and I'm out the door.

One box makes 12 muffins. I baked them in a Wilton muffin tin. I works great...with a little non-stick cooking spray, they slide right out.

Here's what you need:

1 box Fiber One apple cinamon muffin mix

3/4 cup water

2TB vegetable oil

2 eggs

non-stick cooking spray

1 medium bowl

1 spoon

muffin tin

Fresh-Picked Blueberry Pie

My husband and his brothers inherited some land from their father, and on that land are two small blueberry fields. On a good year, big, fat blueberries hang in bunches like grapes, making the task of picking them all too easy. Just hold your bucket under the heavy, berry laden branches...a little shake and some gentle nudging is all you need. And they are so good for you...full of antioxidants.

I received this recipe from my mother-in-law who has a great appreciation for blueberries. There is nothing like the taste of a juicy, sun-ripened blueberry, fresh off the tree. This pie is the epitome of that taste sensation.

I veered slightly from the recipe by substituting orange juice for lemon juice, and 1/4 cup tapioca for corn starch (but only because I didn't have either on hand). The end result was still delicious! Enjoy!

Fresh-Picked Blueberry Pie Recipe

What you'll need:

4 cups of fresh blueberries (not frozen)
1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 TB corn starch
1 TB butter or margarinr

2 TB lemon juice

1 small sauce pan

1 med/large bowl

1 spatula or spoon

1 pre-made pie crust

whipped cream

Instructions:

Wash and drain blueberries. Chill 3 cups of berries and put 1 cup of berries aside. Mix together sugar and tapioca in a sauce pan. Add water, orange juice and 1 cup of unchilled berries. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Pour cooked mixture into a med/large bowl with the remaining chilled blueberries. Let stand for aprx 30 minutes. Pour into pie shell and refridgerate for at least 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and serve.

Patriotic and Delicious

Every year for the fourth of July, I make a rectangular cake and decorate it to look like an American flag by using strawberries and blueberries. This year, I used the same "red, white and blue" theme, but I created a round cake with a less obvious nod to our country's flag. I think it turned out just as patriotic...and just as delicious!

The cake is a yellow cake mix by Betty Crocker. It is two layers, with a thick layer of homemade cream cheese frosting in between. The whole cake is topped with more cream cheese frosting and decorated with strawberries and blueberries.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together...
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

A Touch of Fairytale Charm

I created this cake for my niece who was performing in her first ballet recital. I knew that I wanted to theme the cake after her costume, so I dyed the icing this beautiful blue to match her dress. Then, I topped the cake with white feathers and silk peonies. I think it gives the cake the perfect touch of fairytale charm.

And yes, the cake is riding atop the center console of my husbands Ford F-250. It rode like this for 100 miles and luckily managed to remain intact for the party.

I actually cheated on the cake and used a Betty Crocker box mix, but I frosted it with homemade icing. Each cake tier has two layers that alternate between chocolate and yellow cake. Between the cake layers are layers of chocolate buttercream icing. The whole cake is topped with traditional buttercream icing, dyed blue. The dots, edges and writing are done with buttercream icing.

A Sweet Ending To A Perfect Day

My husband and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and fell in love with the beauty of the islands. So, for our daughters first birthday, we wanted to recreate that feeling of Aloha Spirit by throwing a luau in her honor.

Feeling very optimistic I decided that, rather than purchase a pre-designed cake from Publix, I would make this a birthday to remember...and make her cake. But not just any cake. It had to be special...and it had to be fit for a Hawaiian princess.

The cake is actually banana bread. When we were in Hawaii, one of our fondest memories is of the "road to Hana", on the island of Maui, where we bought the most delicious banana bread from a young lady who managed a quaint roadside stand. Although I've never been able to recreate that banana bread, this recipe is pretty darn good.

The cake is two tiers, and each tier has two layers. Between each cake layer is a thick layer of the best cream cheese frosting you've ever tasted. After stacking the layers and tiers, and icing the cake with cream cheese frosting, I placed the chocolate-filled cookies around the edge of the bottom layer. Then, I sprinkled brown sugar "sand" atop the bottom layer, added a few seashells and a few more cookies to frame my daughters name. The grand finale is the bouquet of hot pink hibiscus that tops the cake. It was truly a sweet ending to a perfect day.

Here are the recipes...

Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - Bake for aprx 60 minutes (the time will vary depending on the size of the pan)

***The recipe calls for mixing dry ingredients separately, but I just throw everything into one bowl and it always turns out delicious.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (and cooled)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
*optional - chocolate chips, chopped nuts, shredded coconut (I've tried all of these optional ingredients and they are all fabulous!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix together...

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Would a cake by any other name taste as sweet?

The same friend who inspired me to create this blog suggested the title "let them eat cake" and I immediately loved it, having fantasized many years ago about owning a French patisserie of the same name.

Testing...testing. A blog is born.

Testing...testing...
I created this blog after becoming inspired by a coworker who currently manages three blogs. One about food, one about travel and one about wedding planning...all three of which spark my interest on many levels. But, not wanting to completely plagerize her creative ideas, I began to think about other things I enjoy. It took only a few seconds for me to remember my newly rekindled fondness for baking...and thus a blog is born.