Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake, a favorite recipe, for no good reason.

This cake is deep and dark. Use good coffee (it's an Ina recipe, after all). You will love this cake all kinds of crazy. Try a piece as soon as it's ready but really, it's even better after a night in the fridge.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Barefoot Contessa At Home
Serves 8

butter, for greasing pans
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 Recipe Chocolate Buttercream, follows

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 2 (8 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, butter again and flour both pans.

Sift and combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla. With a mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer flat side up on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Buttercream
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
1/2 pound (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted icing sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder (omit if not looking for a lot of coffee flavor)

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat butter on medium high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the icing sugar then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.

Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.
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Beef and Broccoli

I made something epic for dinner last night. And I swear, my stomach just growled in thinking about it.

Don't over cook the broccoli! The slight crunch contrasts beautifully with the tender beef.

Beef and Broccoli
Rainy Day Gal
Serves 4

marinade for beef:
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs steak, sliced thinly

for the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
2 heads broccoli crowns

Whisk together marinade ingredients and toss with sliced steak. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, brown sugar, garlic, and flour until smooth. Set aside.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and diced onion and quickly saute 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove to a plate.

Cautiously add remaining oil to the hot pan. Add marinated meat and half the sauce mixture and saute 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink. Add broccoli and onion to the pan with remaining sauce, and saute 1 minute till heated through.

Serve over rice, if desired.

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Candied Orange Peel

As long as you plan one day ahead, these candied orange peels make an easy, but classy, gift.  So pretty!  And they taste like summertime (aka, delicious).

Candied Orange Peel
Saveur 

3 navel oranges
1 cup sugar, plus more for coating
1/2 cup water

Wash oranges well; section and separate flesh from skin.  Trim any excess pith from each section of peel.  Julienne peel thinly, place in bowl, cover with water and refrigerate overnight.

Transfer strips to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil 5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In the same saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.  Add orange peel strips and simmer till soft and glazed, at least 30 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and let dry till tacky.  Toss in sugar until well coated.  Dip in melted chocolate, if desired.

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Super Simple Cranberry Sauce

Easiest cranberry sauce ever, that doesn't come in a can. Toss all of the ingredients into a pan, simmer, and it's done. Fresh, all natural, and at the risk of being repetitious, so easy.

Super Simple Cranberry Sauce
Makes 2 cups

12 oz fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

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Candy Cane Cookies

Remixing an old blog post today...hope you don't mind but these are too cute to skip!

Today's cookie? A retro cookie straight outta the aluminum tree and color wheel (ooooh I want so bad), Andy Warhol, go go boot and Elvis era - the Sixties, of course! Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, published 1963, showcased this funky cookie with it's twisted strands and when I first saw it via Cakespy, I knew it was going on the must-bake list this year.

The only changes made to the recipe was going the all butter route as suggested by Cakespy (the original recipe calls for a shortening and butter blend) as well as skipping the almond extract in favor of using all vanilla.

Candy Cane Cookies
Adapted From Betty Crocker's Cooky Book
Makes 4 dozen

1 cup butter
1 cup sifted icing sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
red food coloring

Preheat oven to 375F.

Cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla. Blend thoroughly.

Spoon and measure flour, stir in salt. Add to butter mixture and combine.

Divide dough into two parts; blend red food coloring into one half until desired shade.

Taking small bits of dough from each color, roll each into 4 inch strips on a lightly floured surface. Place strips alongside one another, press gently together and twist. Very important - shape cookies one at a time or dough will become too dry to twist.

Place cookies on parchment lined baking sheet and curve the top of cookie down to form the handle of the candy cane. Bake approximately 9 minutes or until bottoms are just lightly browned. While still warm, remove to cooling rack and if so desired, sprinkle with sugar. Allow to cool completely.

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Christmas Collation

In less than two weeks, Christmas will be here.  Two weeks!  Best get to baking...

Need a bit of inspiration?

Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing

Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

Rumballs

Caramels

The Best Sugar Cookies Ever

Gingerbread Bears

Peppermint Patties

Chocolate Dipped Candy Canes

Chocolate Peppermint Roll 

Chocolate Dipped Ripple Chips

Gingerbread Houses

Soft Molasses Cookies with White Chocolate

Rumballs

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Vintage Look Christmas Cookies

The next week is going to be busy in my kitchen.  I've got the usual Christmas treats planned, including a few new recipes to try.  Here's hoping I'm able to photograph and post about a few of them!

Do you have any traditional recipes for the holidays?


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