Chocolate Cake ... In a CROCK-POT!

I have somehow transitioned into a lazy baker these past few months, however my love of baked goods has not slowed down, just my ability to focus on their creation. 


This is where my Crock-Pot, the epitome of easy and quick, comes in! You can toss in a few ingredients, work your little heart out and then come home to a warm cooked meal. Nothing better than that on those cold wintery days. Today being one of those days and with my tired self not wanting to bake something but still wanting to eat something baked, I decided to introduce my Crock-Pot to cake!


Not just any cake mind you, but a deep, rich and melty chocolate cake... full fat of course! I was beyond skeptical that this would work, but ever hopeful that it would. The end result was out of this world good!

Chocolate Cake ... In a Crock-Pot!

adapted from twoboysonegirlandacrazymom

Ingredients

1 package chocolate cake mix (I KNOW... I KNOW... ready-made = LAZY!!)

1 packet (3.9oz) Jello instant chocolate pudding mix

500ml sour cream

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Coat inside of Crock - Pot with a little bit of oil so it helps with cutting of the cake. Place mixture in Crock-Pot and "bake" on low for 3-4 hours or until it looks done. EASY!

Heaven.... I may or may not have had more than 1 slice....

And there you have it... lazy baking at its best! 

Fudgey Browned Butter Brownies

I have a "thing" for browned butter. Actually, I have a "thing" for all things butter, but butter when browned is my favourite. It adds a nutty, rich depth to anything its added to, especially chocolate.

Healthy eating has been one of my goals in life, but clearly I have a need for pure indulgence when it comes to baking and nothing is more satisfying than a browned butter pure cocoa brownie.

The one thing you will always (and I truly mean always) find in our cupboard is Fry's Premium Cocoa. Its an absolute staple for most of my chocolatey wants from these brownies to a whipped cream topped cup of hot cocoa in the winter. Its perfect.

Fudgey Browned Butter Brownies

Adapted from Fry's Cocoa

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup butter- browned

1 cup Fry's Cocoa

2 cups Sugar

4 large Eggs

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and Fry's Cocoa in a bowl.

Cocoa makes me happy.

Now its time for the browned butter. In our house, we don't own a microwave by personal choice, so I've had to become creative in the melting butter department. I suppose I could have used a small pot, but where is the fun in that? I melt and brown my butter directly on the stove in the measuring cup! 

Exactly one cup once it melts.

Remove from heat and blend in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then combine all with the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into buttered pan and bake at 350F for about 30 to 35 minutes. 

Just about to enter the oven.

I have vowed not to eat the entire pan, but resistance is futile...they are just that good!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Time

IT'S HERE....SUMMER!!! The time of BBQ's, sundresses and sunshine is finally here and I couldn't be more excited.


I have been so extremely busy these past few weeks that my baking was placed on hold, however I had the opportunity to experiment with a new ( and SUPER EASY) recipe this past week for a work BBQ. Everyone loved these....myself included and I will definitely need to make them again! 


So if you are looking for something quick, fun and so delicious for an upcoming gathering, these are for you!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 cup of peanut butter

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar to start

3/4 cup brown sugar

Bakers chocolate squares

Small Pretzels (the large ones are seriously too much for these)

Directions

Line a baking sheet with wax paper or tin foil paper and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, mix peanut butter and butter until combined. Once mixed, add sugars and mix until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. If the mixture is still sticky, keep adding powdered sugar until the consistency is thicker.

Roll the peanut butter/sugar mixture into small balls, and sandwich each ball inbetween two mini pretzels. Lay each sandwich on the baking sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler... or in my case a glass bowl overtop a pot of boiling water. Once the chocolate is perfectly tempered meaning shiny and smooth, dip each pretzel sandwich halfway in and place back on the baking sheet. 

Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set.

My next baking challenge....strawberry shortbread mini-tarts possibly for Canada Day tomorrow!

Gimme S'more

This long weekend was the official kick-off for camping season in Canada and well....

I. Don't. Camp.

There... I've said it....its just not my thing. I've tried many a time to enjoy it really but things never seem to work out in my favour.

My Camping Escapades

1.  Two girlfriends and I decided to go camping one weekend on a whim. The only campsite available had electricity...so we brought a blender to make daiquiris of course!! Problem was that we didn't bring enough sleeping bags or blankets and froze all night huddled in the tent! That same trip also taught us to bring something other than alcohol-based body spray to try and light a fire.... it doesn't work anyway but your campsite will smell pretty!


2. Cooking while camping has never turned out well! Once brought potatoes to bake but the fire demolished the potato leaving only ash in its place. Another time we brought bacon and somehow we dropped it only to have it be covered in sand...crispy bacon YES....sandy bacon NO!


3. The Bugs.... OH... the Bugs! Nothing is worse than waking up in the morning after the roughest sleep to see their shadows all over your tent. I once spent half the day in the tent for fear of spider attack.


4. Bathrooms and the lack thereof! Go where? Behind what? I'll just hold it thankyouverymuch!

Don't get me wrong though... I love the outdoors. Hiking is one of my favourite summer activities but living in the outdoors for extended periods of time is just not my idea of fun. 


The one thing I do truly LOVE about the idea of camping is the campfire. I can definitely replicate this in my backyard but there is just something special about being in the middle of the woods with friends roasting marshmallows. Which reminds me of the BEST camping trip I ever had.... one where we visited friends at their campsite, roasted our marshmallows, visited and then drove home to our warm bed! Now THAT is my kind of camping!


In honour of those out there camping this weekend.... I made these amazing S'mores from Lovintheoven. 

Straight from the oven....amazing 

SO GOOD!!!!!

Chewy, warm, delicious and enjoyed in the comfort of my living room!

Bascot a la Chocolat

You know when you crave something but you just don't quite know what? That was the feeling I had last night until I remembered these frozen cocoa tea biscuit cookies my mom used to make. The search for what these were actually called was quite interesting.


I must have done numerous searches online until I finally hit the jackpot....Chocolate Salami..... but in reading the recipes, it just didn't seem right. Most, if not all, had eggs or condensed milk...neither of which, I was certain, my mother used in hers when we were growing up. In my search, I also discovered that the origin of these cookies is so diverse. I still am not certain whether they are Brazilian, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish or French but since they were made in our home growing up, I'll add Lebanese to the mix!


So I set-out to make them from memory and proceeded to omit the eggs & condensed milk. They turned out almost perfect and I say almost because I decided to wrap them in tin foil as opposed to plastic wrap...note to self...plastic wrap next time!

Bascot a la Chocolat

4 tbs (heaping) of Fry's Cocoa 

3 tbs of sugar

1/2 cup of milk

Sweet tea biscuits - Maria or Leibnez

2 tbs of butter

Plastic wrap

Break the biscuits into fourths and set aside. The amount will depend on whether you want more biscuit in your cake or more chocolate. I tend to like more biscuit. Boil the butter with the milk and then slowly add the sugar and the cocoa. Once its at a smooth consistency, add the broken bits of biscuits into the mixture and toss until thick. You don't want to over-mix as the biscuits will become mushy!

Transfer thick combination onto the plastic wrap and proceed to roll up. When rolled, place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.

Once complete, take it out and slice with a warm knife. In my search, I saw some rolled in icing sugar for that extra salami look... but for me... I like it without. 

These are amazing straight out of the freezer, almost like an ice cream cake...but be warned they are addictive!