My sister Teresa is quite a baker and this recipe is her signature one.
It shows up at every family gathering and can only be cut when the entire family has assembled.
I adore the frosting on this delicious cake! So do many other family members -which is why the end pieces are always fought over! Yum! All that frosting!
This cake looks so fancy, but the directions are quite simple and straight forward. I do need to admit that this is one recipe I have yet to master. But at least Teresa is good to share!
Chocolate Chip Torte
Recipe from Aunt Teresa
Cream together:
1 cup soft butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
Add 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add 2 cups flour. Mix well.
Stir in 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Spread into a greased jelly roll pan (15 .5 x 10.5 inch), lined with waxed paper.
Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool completely. Turn out on a lightly floured cloth. Remove waxed paper and cut into 4 sections each 3.5 inches wide. Spread 3 teaspoons of frosting on layer. Top with 2nd layer and repeat . Frost the remaining torte.
Frosting:
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.
Cream 3/4 cup of butter and 1 -1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar.
Add melted chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix well.
Enjoy!
It’s spring in the country – finally!
The south wind is blowing, the laundry is on the clothesline, the birds are singing outside my window, and my refrigerator is full of eggs!
Our chickens go into a molt during the cold dark winter months. They loose their feathers and stop laying.
And I have to <gulp> buy eggs. Colorless, tasteless, store bought eggs.
Then as the days grow warmer and the daylight increases, the chickens slowly start laying again.
The first fresh egg of spring is an Occasion with a capital O! The bright yellow yolk just smiles at you from the skillet!
But as the daylight continues to increase, so does the egg production. One dozen a day, then 2 dozen.
We have eggs for breakfast, lunch and supper.
We pull out all the egg recipes: angel food cake, pudding, egg casseroles, egg-chiladas.
My refrigerator is now full of eggs. We can’t keep up. It’s time to start selling.
We’re not the only ones, all over the countryside you see the hand-printed “Eggs for Sale” signs at the end of the farm lane.
It’s a sign of spring in the countryside and for a little while, we country folks feel very rich!
I will confess that the it was the name of these cupcakes that caught my attention. (We all know I have a truffle addiction!)
But it was the simple instructions that sold me on these little gems!
After a very busy day, we were able to whip these up in a few minutes.
The ganache frosting was fast and easy and made for delicious licking! (and yes I shared – a little bit!)
Truffle Lover’s Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 package chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
In large bowl beat together cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.
Fold in the chocolate chips and almonds.
Pour into 24 regular sized muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Ganache
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips
In a heavy saucepan heat whipping cream over medium high heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and smooth.
Let this sit for about 5 minutes. Then dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or slivered almonds for garnish.
Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
I did it again.
I researched a cook book for eBay, even took a picture of it, and was starting to list it when I made the mistake of opening it.
Half an hour later the book was in my cupboard with post-it notes stuck on several pages to mark recipes I wanted to try.
I am a recipe addict.
Actually, my addiction is light compared to some of my friends. D’s family claims that she has never fixed the same recipe twice. B has so many cookbooks she needs to keep some boxed up and periodically exchanges the ones in her cupboard for a new box.
When we moved I tried to purge several cook books from my collection, but it was like losing old friends and I couldn’t bear to part with them.
My addiction began innocently when as a child I would watch both of my parents clip recipes from newspapers and magazines. As a teenager I started clipping recipes myself. My own recipe file soon filled up.
My addiction took a turn deeper when as a newlywed with the responsibility of keeping my new husband fed, I turned to cookbooks.
As the children started coming, the pressure to keep everybody fed economically but creatively led me to cooking magazines and cooking shows, finally to the Food Network.
I am addicted to recipes.
I wonder if there’s a 12 step program for this addiction. Couldn’t you just hear me introduce myself, “Hello, my name is Melinda, I have a recipe addiction….What to come for dinner?!”
After a recent walk with my husband to survey the damage done by the neighbor’s wandering pigs, I can say with all honesty…