dark chocolate and almond bundt cake

well, i have found nirvana...in this cake. and yes, it really contains healthful ingredients that your body will love you for and yes it contains the all mighty dark chocolate. oh, and low fat too. if there is one thing to try on this blog of mine it is this! it is super light and airy with a deep chocolatey flavor.
i used sunspire brand grain sweetened dark chocolate chips...i get them a wild oats. next time i make this, and i am thinking next week, i am going to spring for green&blacks organic dark chocolate cocoa powder...to.die.for!
i adapted it from a recipe i found on cookinglight.com that was a german chocolate bundt cake...i can't imagine that recipe holding a candle to this one though. littlefoodie is out of luck tonight on this cake...bigfoodie daddy and i will be indulging once the beast is settled!

enjoy!

1/4 cup organic cocoa
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, grain sweetened sunspire brand
1/2 cup boiling water
3/4 cup organic natural cane sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 lg organic egg
1/2 cup organic quinoa flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup light coconut milk

topping:
1/4 cup organic oats
1/4 cup organic natural brown sugar
2 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds

preheat oven to 325F. grease bundt cake pan or 9x13 in baking pan.

combine cocoa powder, chocolate chips and boiling water...stir until combined. set aside.

beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. add vanilla and almond extract and egg. beat until combined.

in a small bowl combine quinoa and whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda, cardamom, and salt.

add flour and coconut milk to the butter mixture alternatley....beginning and ending with flour. mix in chocolate.

for streusel:
combine oats, brown sugar, butter and almonds.

pour half of batter into pan. sprinkle oat/almond mixture over it.
pour remaining batter over it and bake 1 hr.

cool and eat!!!

panforte

panforte is an italian dessert. its sort a cross between a confection and a cake...a little fruitcakeiness to it too. its yummy, gooey, dense and good. i haven't made this in years but we are having quite a x-mas and i always make italian for x-mas so hopefully this will be a new one added to my list! i got the recipe off of epicurious. it was printed in gourmet december of 2002. i changed it slightly, adding different fruits and fruits and some orange zest.

enjoy!

PANFORTE
4 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder plus additional for dusting
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted and loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel and chopped
1 cup dried unsulfured apricots, cut into halves
1 cup dried mission figs, each cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
1/2 cup candied citron
zest or 2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey

Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan; parchment paper; a candy thermometer
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Line springform pan with parchment, using a round for bottom and a strip for side. Butter paper well and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and 4 teaspoons cocoa in a large bowl, then stir in nuts and fruit.

Bring sugar and honey to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil without stirring until thermometer registers 238 to 240°F, about 2 minutes.

Immediately pour honey over fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined (mixture will be very thick and sticky). Quickly spoon mixture into springform pan, spreading evenly with back of spoon. Dampen your hands and press mixture firmly and evenly into pan to compact as much as possible. Bake in middle of oven until edges start to rise slightly and become matte, 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool panforte completely in pan on a rack, then remove side of pan and invert, peeling off paper. If making ahead, wrap panforte (see cooks' note, below). To serve, cut with a serrated knife into small pieces.

Cooks' note:
• The flavors of panforte deepen over time — it's best made at least 1 week ahead and chilled in a large sealed plastic bag. It can be made 1 month ahead and chilled, wrapped in parchment and then kept in a sealed plastic bag.

chocolate sandwich cookies with peppermint creme

yet another sugary confection from littlefoodie jr. we have about 19,234,986,3424 candy canes hanging around and just as much energy to throw into days and days of baking.
chocolate flaky cookies and a cream cheesy filling...oh yes!
i got the recipe off of epicurious a while back...the cookie part remains the same with a touch less sugar but i changed the filling up to suit our desires of candy cane and peppermint goodness. try these and i swear you will be in love! plus, they are so festive and cute right now!

enjoy!

cookie
1 3/ cup unbleached ap flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 lg egg

peppermint creme
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temp
4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

preheat oven to 350F.

whisk flour, cocoa and salt together. beat butter and sugar until fluffy and light. add egg and combine. add in dry.

put in the fridge about an hour.

scoop about 1 tbl or so of filling out and roll into ball. flatten and place on baking sheet.

bake 11 min. cool completley

peppermint creme:

beat butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. fold in crushed candy canes.

when cookies are cooled dollop filling onto one side of cookie and sandwich it with another! eat a million!

snowman cake

due to the holiday decorating i had to make a yummy dessert to go with dinner. i came up with a little frosty the snowman cake since littlefoodie jr loves all things x-mas, now that he understands it. its pretty simple, nothing frilly and anything can be used to decoate it.

the cake itself was yummy and moist. i had a ton of eggnog leftover so i have been trying to make up some recipes with it...its adds a nice flavor a moistness. i frosted it with a simple cream cheese frosting..in fact, so simple i have no measurements for it!

enjoy!



pumpkin, eggnong and cocoa cake

1 3/4 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup organic cocoa
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup eggnog
i can pumpkin

preheat oven to 350F. if using for snowman cake grease 1 8 in round cake pan and 1 9 in round cake pan. set aside.

sift flour thru salt in a med bowl.

beat butter in mixer until creamed. add brown sugar and beat until fluffy. add eggs 1 at a time.

beat in flour and eggnon alternately in 3 additions...beginning and ending with flour. (flour 3 x's, eggnog 2 x's).
batter will be thick.

pour into prepared pans and bake 20 min.

remove, cool and then invert onto a big platter.

cut a small crescent out of the bottom of the smaller cake round and place on top of the larger side to get a good snuggly fit.

cream cheese frosting

1 block cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
dash of vanilla extract
powderd sugar as needed (i use about 1/2-3/4 cup but i dont like it very sweet)
milk if needed

beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. add the powdered sugar until desired taste. beat in vanilla. add milk if its too thick.



assemble:
frost the cake all over.
sprinkle with coconut all over, evenly to look like snow.
i used frozen blueberries for the buttons.
a small wedge of tangerine for the carrot nose.
chocolate chips for the eyes.
halved grapes for the scarf.
chocolate chips for the mouth.
a half a pretzel stick ofr pipe and a fig cookie for the top of the pipe.
pretzel sticks for the hands.


p.s we need all the good vibes we can get today! littlefoodie jr. is getting half of his cast off today. he will be able to move his knee now! i have a feeling i will be getting puked all over from the fear of the saw but i promised him the forbidden today...lollipops, chocolate chips and french fries afterwards! now that i think of it he is probably going to be happy due to my indulgent and bribbing ways.