Flourless Chocolate Cake of Sustenance

As I'm writing this it is snowing pretty heavily outside and I am wrapped up in a blanket. So what better sort of day is there to make a deliciously warm, dense chocolate cake? So here we go!

Kitchen Dog Optional

What you Need

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter (sliced)
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 6 oz of Bittersweet Chocolate (chopped) *
• 2 oz of Semisweet Chocolate (chopped) *
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• Confectioners sugar
• pinch of cocoa powder for dusting the pan
• A helpful kitchen Dog!

* You'll notice there are two different types of chocolate. Well Bittersweet and Semisweet chocolate can be used as substitutions for each other. However I've found that if this cake uses all of one sort of chocolate it can be a little too bitter or a little too bland. So if you don't have either of both it's not a big deal.

Lets Get Started!

First off preheat the oven to 350* and get a 9 inch round pan, preferably a spring-form pan (trust me, you're going to want it).  Butter the pan and lightly coat the now buttered pan with cocoa powder.

Buttered and dusted pan

Now, get out a medium sauce pan and throw in the heavy cream and the two sticks of butter.  Melt over medium high heat, until all the butter is melted and then add all of the chopped chocolate and fully melt that into the mixture. Once the mixture is smooth remove from heat.

   Chocolate almost fully melted

Once chocolate is added

Fully incorporated delicious Chocolate!

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder and whisk together. Once that is all combined whisk in the chocolate, cream, and butter. Make sure everything is fully combined.

 Okay, now you have a wonderful, delicious chocolate mixture. Don't eat it yet!! Pour it all into your buttered and powdered pan and pop into the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until it puffs up.
 

After the oven, the edges are rounded and puffed more

Before the oven

Take out of the oven and let cool for an hour, then run a knife around the edges and unmold the cake. Once you're ready to serve it sift some confectioners sugar over the top! Since my cake won't be eaten until tomorrow here is a wonderful picture from Food Network. Thank you!

Food Network

                       
Now an update! (I'm sorry guys, super long post today)  I will be including some crafting and artsy things I have made and might be starting an Etsy store!

Have a Great Thanksgiving everyone! And don't eat too much of that turkey!

May your d20s always roll high!

The Return of the Chef

Hello all,
I'm sorry for such a long hiatus, life caught up with me and between school, work and life in general I didn't find enough time to do a post justice.  So here we go!

There are some recipes that I had promised you all before but this one is perfect for cool fall, winter days while we all have an excess of apples in our bags of holding and we are all getting that craving for apple pie.  But apple pie is time consuming and sometimes we all want instant gratification!
So... Why don't we try a Fast Baked Apple Pie Filling!

Quick Apple Pie Filling

What you're going to need-

• 1 apple for each serving (medium or large) peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract (optional, depending on your preference)
• Dash of granulated sugar
• Whatever other spices your heart desires
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• Walnut pieces (optional)

Direction-

      Peel and cube the apple and place in a microwave safe bowl.  Add your dry ingredients and toss the apple cubes so they are evenly coated in the sugar mixture.  Add the splash of vanilla, or leave out if you don't want it to be syrupy.

       Cover your microwavable bowl lightly with saran wrap, leave space for the air to vent.  Pop into the microwave for 1 minute or until the apples are soft all the way through.  Pull out and check the pieces with a fork under they are tender enough for your liking.

   

       Add a scoop of ice cream or some walnuts, or both! And enjoy!!

I added vanilla and walnuts, delicious!

    

The end results, you could tell it was well received and everyone stole a bite

This is a perfect, quick snack when that pre Thanksgiving pie craving hits you or a quiet, cold day while you're out on exploring and rescuing important people, kingdoms, or treasure!  I hope this inspires you all for a Fall food adventure.  

May your d20s always roll high

New Posts Updates

Hey Everyone,
I'm so sorry I haven't been updating recently. I just started school and a new job, on top of my old job. So not a lot of time for baking or cooking or blog updating. In a few weeks I'll be back. I'm aiming to be updating every week starting October 1st.
Sorry again for the delay guys! Just bare with me.

May your d20s always roll high

KT

Return of the Desserts!

Hey guys, I'm terribly sorry for being away for so long. I've just had a lot to do lately. But last night I finally got around to making something I've wanted to try for awhile!

Sugar cookie cups!

My boyfriends birthday party is coming up and I am making dessert. I had hoped to try and make ice cream cupcakes but I made these and they are just amazing!

I filled two for my mom and I with a quick mousse, using no eggs! They were delicious but now I have plenty of left overs to play with. 

Also using the left over cookie batter I made double sugar cookies topped with little chocolate chips 

Recipes to come!!! I have to go to work now, just wanted to update everyone!

Schedule update

Hey guys,
So sorry, I know that I haven't been posting frequently, sorry about that. between work and vacation it's hard to find the time but I want to keep you more updated on my activities. Next week I will be going off for vacation for a week. I'll have very limited computer access but when I get back, hopefully Sunday the 10th. I'll be settling into a regular schedule. baking or cooking something at least once a week and posting. I will try my best to stay on that schedule.
Talk to you all then!
KT
May your d20's forever roll high

Brownies: A Dungeon Master's Fuel

So a few weeks ago I got a request for brownies and was provided box brownie mix, however a years ago I used to make homemade brownies out of an amazing cook book by Maida Heatter. They were called "All American Brownies" with melted chocolate and all of the ingredients subsequently mixed in. Which is mildly difficult, as the first time I made it (a few years ago) I just made chocolate covered scramble eggs. These, luckily turned out much better.

           

                               (Walnuts included!)                                          (I got the DM to help with the dishes!!)

Maida Heatter's All American Brownies

- 1/4 lb (1 stick) butter

- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate

- 1 cup granulated sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 eggs (large)

- 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

- pinch of salt

-2 oz (generous 1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

Prepare and 8X8 inch cake pan, first lining the bottom and sides with foil and then butter the foil.

Place butter and chocolate in a heavy 2, or larger saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until all melted or smooth. Set aside to cool while you measure out the rest of your ingredients.

Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, stirring until completely incorporated each time. Add the floor and salt and stir until all incorporated. Mix in nuts

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but not dry. They will be moist.

Set aside to cool and then remove from pan, cut and enjoy! I would advise a nice glass or milk.

Comments-

"Delicious and Moist!"

"So chocolately..."

Stay tuned for my Chicken Parm dinner!!

May your d20 always roll high and your stomachs hunger for adventure!

Oh Dear

Okay, so I just read my last post on here and I am making a mental note to myself, never post after midnight. I just get way to sleepy to function coherently and no one needs a picture of me in a squid hat. That being said I will be cooking for the DnD group every other weekend.

In the past few weeks I have made a few different dishes which I will be talking about in the next post, I promise.

I will talk about Chicken with Provencal Herbs and crispy potatoes and Chocolate Lava Babycakes.

Homemade Cookies of +2 Comfort

I haven't made these recently but since I posted the ice cream sandwich post I felt it only fair to share with you the recipe for my chocolate chip cookies. These are different from the cookies I used in the ice cream sandwiches however, those were gluten free and from a Betty Crocker box mix.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) softened butter
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Stir together flour baking soda and salt in a small bowl
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy
4. Add eggs and beat well, until they are completely incorporated
5. Gradually add flour mixture while mixing
6. Manually stir in chocolate chips
7. Drop walnut sized drops of dough, using a spoon, onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart
8. Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown
9. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet
10. After 2 minutes remove cookies to wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing

High Flying Session

So today, for our players, Eli and I decided to throw a challenge at them. We set them up on a sky scraper (yes there's a lot of story leading up to this point but I'm giving you the short story) and had them zip line from one sky scraper to another as a way to infiltrate a powerful corporation. I surreptitiously took some pictures of them and wanted to share them.

Eli, Aaron, and Alex

Jess, Tommy, Nathan and Katherine

Thank you guys for being awesome!! And next time I promise to have some better pictures.

May your d20s always roll high

KT

For the Love of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream

Dinner of Champions:

So I realized, as I'm writing this entry that I should probably take pictures of the food I make, however since the food I made for the session was consumed in less than 20 minutes I really didn't get a chance. So I tried to find pictures that best represented the dishes.

Caprese Salad

Source

Now if anyone has ever made caprese salad maybe you could provide me with advice on how small to cut the ingredients, as mine was pretty chunky. I used golden grape tomatoes, and vine ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (which I highly recommend using if you can get your hands on it, my local grocery store makes it everyday), and fresh basil. A dash of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to finish it off, I chilled it until we were ready to eat.

Breaded Chicken

Source

This was my first time making breaded chicken outside of my family's dinners and it went rather strangely. The first chicken strips I put in the frying pan turned out beautifully, they were crunchy and golden and beautiful (I'm sorry you'll have to imagine what it looked like because it was eaten so quickly). The second batch I forgot that the pan was already really hot. The coating almost immediately burnt and the chicken inside didn't cook through all the way. I popped it the oven and it cooked through completely. And well the 3rd was almost perfect. But all in all it tasted great!

Mint Choco Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Source

To finish off the meal Betty Crockers gluten free chocolate chip cookies (Amazing!!) and mint chocolate chip ice cream. I don't know why mint chocolate chip, it just seemed the best and honestly I'm glad that's what I choose. Even Aaron, who couldn't remember if he liked mint ice cream was quick to eat it once he got a taste. As soon as the ice cream sandwiches were presented silence descended and mouths were filled with cookie with ice cream! An event I am quite proud of.




This was a meal the was greeted with great gusto, very little talking, however after I received many compliments and during groans of joy and much lip smacking. This dinner seemed to be a perfect dinner for a hungry group of adventurers who have been faced with double crosses and intrigue.

Thank you to my Kitchen Full of Nerds tasters for this meal- Eli, Katherine, Nathan, Tommy, Jess, Alex, Aaron, and Sean! I hope your bellies are full and your hunger for adventuring lives on!

Best quote for today-
 "KT, you're the best mom ever."- Aaron

May you d20s always roll high!
KT


A special thanks to Jane Spice, Genaw, and Candy Stilletos for pictures


And just incase you would like the recipes-

Caprese Salad-

• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb mozzerella, sliced
• Approx. 10 golden grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped coursly
• Dash of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• Dash of balsamic vinegar

    Mix it all together in a bowl and serve cool with a spoon.

Breaded Chicken

• Plain flour (leave out if gluten free)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons cheddar or parmesan cheese
• 1.5 cup breadcrumbs
• Dash of salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme (or any other spices you'd like to experiment with)
• 24 chicken tenderloins (the original recipe I got the inspiration from called for 16, however it was a large party and you can adjust other measurements to fill the need, it doesn't have to be exact)
• Olive oil, for cooking
• Barbecue sauce or ketchup

• Take 3 bowls or small pans and place the flour in 1, egg in another
• Place cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings in 3rd bowl or pan and mix together
• Working in batches dip one chicken strip in flour, then the egg and then to bread crumb 
• In breadcrumb pan, bury chicken strip and pat breadcrumbs down to coat each one well
• Repeat with all chicken strips
• Place enough oil in a non-stick frying pan to cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat. Cook the chicken in two batches (or more depending on how many strips) for two minutes on each side or until golden brown
• Remove and place on plate covered in paper towel to drain excess oil

Ice Cream Sandwiches

• Cookies, any flavor you'd like, I enjoy chocolate chip the most (mix or from scratch, my recipe to come)
• Quart of any flavor ice cream

• Make up cookies and then let cool thoroughly
• Once completely cool place in freezer for 10-15 minutes
• Remove ice cream and allow to soften a bit
• Using a large spoon, spoon a generous amount of ice cream on to a single cookie and sandwich with another one of equal size
• Stick back in the freezer for about 10 minutes or until ice cream is hard again and serve

       Makes as many servings as you have pairs of cookies.

Session Tonight!

Hey guys there's a session tonight! And the dinner menu is:

Main Course: Breaded Chicken, half are gluten free
Salad: Caprese Salad
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie Mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich


I will update with the response from the Nerds tomorrow!

May your d20s always roll high!
KT

Up coming post

Hey guys! I made a lava cake today and my own whipped cream, updates will be coming up tomorrow or as I can.
Talk to you soon!

First blog entry!

Hello World! This is my first post and I regret to say I don't have anything too interesting to add yet.
I will be trying to make French macarons (again) and I have a lot of things planned for the future, so just bare with me as I learn to grow as a blogger!