Tag Archives: chocolate

Hello Dollys

I’m sure you’ve had these before but maybe you don’t know them by the name Hello Dollys. These are nothing more than seven-layer bars but my mom always called them Hello Dollys so I can’t call them anything else. There is nothing different here than your normal seven layer bars but they are a holiday favorite of mine and the only time of year I make these. It’s nothing more than layers of butter, graham crackers, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut baked until lightly browned. While I make these with the traditional ingredients, one thing I love is that you can mix it up with whatever suits your fancy. Don’t like butterscotch? Try peanut butter chips or white chocolate. Don’t like walnuts? Try almonds or pecans. These are decadent, rich, gooey little pieces of heaven so enjoy every bite.

The ingredients:

Melt butter in the oven and top with graham cracker crumbs.

Begin layering other ingredients: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut.

Bake in a 350ºF oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Fat-free sweetened condensed milk (I have NO idea why!)

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Allrecipes.com

Triple-Chocolate Cake

In some homes, chocolate cake may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but in my home, chocolate is always a welcome addition. I came across this recipe for Triple-Chocolate Cake in Cooking Light Magazine last month and knew right away I’d be making it for Turkey Day. This cake has cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate and yes…it’s chocolatey! The cake is made with egg whites instead of whole eggs and the middle layer of filling is made with whipped topping so the overall cake is light and moist. The top glaze of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa is the richest of all layers but it doesn’t overpower this delicious cake. I plan on saving a little bit of room after dinner tomorrow and sitting down with small plate of this cake and a little glass of milk. I’ll be honest, this might even be my breakfast on Friday. 😉

The cake ingredients:

Combine boiling water, cocoa, and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl and mix until chocolate has melted. Cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla.

Beat in egg whites one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add in sour cream and beat well.

In a smaller bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking flour, and salt. Alternate adding flour mixture and chocolate mixture into sugar mixture.

Pour batter evenly into two cake pans sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with wax paper. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

The filling ingredients:

In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and add chopped milk chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Cover and cool.

Once the milk chocolate mixture has cooled, fold in the whipped topping.

The glaze ingredients:

In a small saucepan, combine powdered sugar, milk, cocoa, instant espresso, butter, and a dash of salt. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the cooled cake from the pans. Top one layer of cake with the filling and spread, leaving a small border.

Carefully place the other layer on top of the filling.

Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the top of the cake, spreading to cover the top. Let glaze drip over the edges if necessary.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Jerk Chicken Chili

November 14, 2011
Shannon
3 comments
chicken, chocolate, food, soup, tomatoes

Chili is usually a recipe that I make the first weekend that football starts, no matter what the temperature is outside. So, making chili in November is pretty late for me. But this recipe for Jerk Chicken Chili was worth the wait. This recipe came from Glamour Magazine – a surprising source of tasty recipes. This chili is different than your regular chili but still just as hearty and comforting. The spices in this chili – chili powder, thyme, allspice, cinnamon – are cooked with onion and yellow pepper early on which brings out their natural oils and intensifies their flavor. Chicken is added and coated with the spice mixture before being simmered with the liquids, beans, and jalapeño. Fresh cilantro and (surprise!) chocolate are added at the end to deepen the flavor of every bite. I left the garlic out of this recipe for one reason only: the editors at the magazine included it in the directions but didn’t include it in the ingredients! Ugh! Anyway, the flavor in this chili goes deep to create an intense, soothing chili that digs down and warms you to the core. If you’re bold enough to try a different kind of chili, you won’t be disappointed with this!