Tasty chocolate recipes for fall

Fall is one of my favorite times of year to whip up some delicious goodies in the kitchen and I love nothing more than the smells of spices and baking in my home!

One of my favorite ingredients - and I know I’m not alone in saying this – is chocolate. I mean, who doesn’t love something deliciously moreish like chocolate brownies or a divine chocolate fudge cake to indulge in?

I’ve been doing some online searches to find some fabulous fall recipes that use chocolate. Here’s what I came up with:

Chocolate, Pumpkin and Stout Brownies

In the weeks after Halloween, you can pick up pumpkins from the supermarket for pennies! I’m always tempted to buy a few and experiment with them in the kitchen, and I couldn’t be happier to find a recipe – courtesy of Organic Garden -  that makes use of this abundant, cheap ingredient.

The only thing I have reservations about is using the stout in this recipe. I imagine that it will give the brownies a wonderfully deep flavor, although I’m not sure kids will enjoy it. Depending on how many discount pumpkins I pick up, I might have a go at making several variations!

Chocolate and Ginger Cake with Bourbon Sauce

What could be a better combination than chocolate and ginger for fall?! This is one of Martha Stewart’s recipes, although again it uses alcohol as an ingredient, which I’m not sure kids will like. In place of the bourbon sauce, I was thinking of making a traditional ganache - which is made using melted chocolate and heavy cream. For decoration, I think some whipped cream and strawberries would really bring this cake to life.

I’m always been keen to use as many Fair Trade ingredients as possible when I’m baking, so I was delighted when my research brought me across a company where I could buy loads of supplies in one place. You can find a full selection of FairTrade ingredients perfect for making cakes, including essential items like sugar, online at Traidcraft. They stock a wide selection of organic and Fair Trade products, and they even offer free delivery.

However, in my excitement at finding a supplier that has lots of Fair Trade goodies, I didn’t realise that this was a UK company. Unfortunately, their free delivery doesn’t include transatlantic travel, so I’ll have to find another source. Those lucky British bakers!

Chocolate Pots

 I don’t know what’s going on, but I seem to be intrigued by all things British when it comes to chocolate recipes! Gregg Wallace is famous in the UK for hosting the popular cookery show Masterchef and he is responsible for this gorgeous chocolatepot recipe. This takes little preparation, but makes a fantastic sweet treat for the end of dinner parties. The recipe has been created specifically for a brand’s website, although you could make this with any kind of chocolate – including Fair Trade brands!

Key Ingredient Review and Giveaway

One of the things I love to do when I cook and bake is try new recipes. My family likes to rip out recipes from the newspaper and magazines to try. Some of my favorite recipes were obtained that way.  I also have a lot of recipes that are really old and unorganized. Every year my family does holiday baking. One of the recipes we make is Peanut Blossoms, we always use the same recipe. It is from a cookie magazine from 1982.  That means my mom received the recipe when I was one years old.  If I ever lost that recipe I would be heartbroken.  I know whose recipe it is but it wouldn’t be the exact same.  I have kept all of my loose recipes in a Target bag.  There is a huge stack of them in there.  The bag has deteriorated over the years many times but I always replace it with a Target bag. Through the years I have lost recipes.  These are recipes that are secret. You can’t find them online. One of the recipes I lost is a cookie brittle recipe that was created by a family friend who passed away. That means I will never be able to make that recipe again.  I am very sad about this because it was an amazing recipe.  I am horrible about organizing recipes.  My mom used to put recipes in photo albums. We still have them but I would need many photo albums if I were to use her method. It isn’t space effective honestly. 

I had the opportunity to try out Key Ingredient Recipe Reader. Key Ingredient is an electronic recipe box.  It is similar to a tablet. Think of it as a recipe tablet. It has five built in timers. That is a great feature when you have all kinds of things going on in the kitchen.  Sometimes you are using the oven and the oven timer is on, you have something cooking on the stove and you are using the microwave timer. Then you realize you need the microwave to make a snack. You can’t run both the timer and microwave at the same time. You have to remember how much time you have to set it after it beeps.  When I say five timers, I mean heavy duty long timers. Noah decided to test it out.  It will go up to at least 1,000 HOURS.  It has Wi-Fi for too.  It comes preloaded with recipes and you can easily put your recipes on it and find others recipes too.  It has a feature that you can keep your recipes private if you want. I really like that because I have certain recipes that I will never share unless you are family.  Usually these are recipes my Grandma Rose created. I think they are great recipes but the memory of making them with her is sacred to me.

More about Key Ingredient:

A perfect gift for Mom, grandma or the pint-sized budding chef in the family, the Key Ingredient Recipe Reader lets home chefs access up to 4,000 recipes at the touch of a screen. Your readers may want to share a treasured family cheesecake recipe with the world. Or perhaps they prefer to keep the recipe secret and share only with other family members? The Recipe Reader also syncs with a free keyingredient.com account, which allows people to search, download and “cookmark” an unlimited number of recipes online. Just load it with favorite recipes and switch it on.

Earlier versions of the Key Ingredient Recipe Reader have been featured on national shows including The View, The Talk and popular cooking and family blogs.

With a color, large-font touch screen feature, built-in-timers, handy substitution and conversion tools, and durable construction that withstands the hazards of a kitchen, the Recipe Reader is a great gift for all the chefs in the family. Retailing at $149, the Recipe Reader is available at Key Ingredient, Costo and Amazon.

Sometimes I find great recipes online, I never seem to have a working printer or ink when I find them. I have done the whole running back and forth from the kitchen to my iPhone and back to follow a recipe.  I don’t want to ruin my phone or computer.  I want to keep it safe. I also have a seven year old who sometimes distracts me when I am en route, and I forget something, I either have to look again or think I know what I am doing, that usually results in one of my famous crisis cooking episodes. It always turns out great but it is funny because I am prone to doing something silly.  The Key Ingredient is totally kitchen friendly. It is made to withstand spills and splatters. I am an insanely messy chef.  Somehow I start in one area and dance around the kitchen because when I am done, it is a mess.  I think it is great that Key Ingredient is Sheila proof.  When I am cooking with Noah it is also fun chaos. I have had recipes disappear mid recipe, it falls off the counter or ends up in the trash. I catch it before it is lost for forever though.  Key Ingredient would be a great gift for anyone who likes to cook and bake. I think it would be a great gift to load with your family recipes before giving it as a gift.

For more information please visit the Key Ingredient Website.

I have a giveaway for you!

One super lucky winner will receive their very own Key Ingredient.  You can keep it or give it as a great gift.

Mandatory Entry:  Tell me about a kitchen mishap you have had

You must do the mandatory entry for the extra entries to count.

Extra Entries:

Follow @Sheilacakes7 on Twitter worth 2 entries

Tweet about this giveaway including a link to this post. Worth 1 entry but can be done daily.

Like Sheilacakes on Facebook worth 2 entries

Like Key Ingredient on Facebook worth 2 entries

Follow Key Ingredient on Twitter worth 2 entries

Please leave separate comments. 

This giveaway is open to US Residents ONLY.

This giveaway will end on December 7, 2013

Top Chef University To-Go App Review

 

As you all know I love to cook and bake. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I find it extremely therapeutic and fun. Even though I have been cooking and baking for as long as I can remember, baking bread from scratch since I was nine years old, I don’t know how to do everything. I am still learning techniques and how to do different things in the kitchen. I believe that anyone can cook with the right guidance. I just downloaded a new app called Top Chef University To- Go. I have watched Top Chef before and I really like the show.  I think this app is brilliant because it is like they are in the kitchen with you.  I like to learn visually and since there are video cooking lessons it helps especially if you don’t know how to do a certain technique and without spending hours on Google trying to figure out what different words mean you can just watch and cook along. 

I have always wanted to go to Culinary School. I wanted to be a chef when I was younger. I used to pretend I had my own cooking show. Now with this app I can go to cooking school from home in my own kitchen. I don’t have to worry about going to class or even do it on a schedule. I could learn at 3 am if I wanted to.  Top Chef University To-Go has great videos. They are fun to watch.  I learned what I need to have in my kitchen, I have always wondered if I have all the tools I need. I am missing a few of the items. One of them being an oven thermometer, I always just trusted the oven.  I need to get one ASAP.   There is also a lesson in introduction to Knife Skills. I was scared of knives for a very long time. I am not sure why, I never cut myself but once I figured out how to use one properly, I am able to do so. I am not sure the proper way to peel an apple. I end up wasting some of the apple.  I think it might have to do with the fact that I am left handed. This Halloween, Noah and I carved a pumpkin, well both of the pumpkin knives broke. I wasn’t done carving so I was forced to use a sharp knife. I managed to carve it without losing any body parts or cutting myself. I know watching the Top Chef University To-Go videos it will help me become more confident in using knives in the kitchen.   

I multitask all the time so I have to make sure I am really paying attention as I do in the kitchen.  It is really important to be safe in the kitchen and have the safety precautions in place so no one gets hurt. 

Here is more about Top Chef University To-Go from the developer:

-Cook and learn from the top 11 chef’testants at Top Chef University To-Go

-Access over 200 lessons organized into 20 courses

-Watch lesson videos in high definition

 For more information please visit Top Chef University To-Go

Be sure to Like Top Chef University To-Go on Facebook

Follow Top Chef University To-Go on Twitter

  

Top Chef University To-Go is available on iTunes for iPhone. It doesn’t matter if you are just learning to cook, if you have been cooking for years or if you consider yourself a professional, you can definitely learn something from this app. It is a must have app if you are in the kitchen regardless of your skill set.

How to Make Homemade Butter

Almost everyone loves butter.  I know that I do! I didn’t realize how easy it is to make.  You don’t need to bust out your butter churn. You don’t need to spend hours for this delicious treasure.  It is easy peasy.  This would be great for those who are very picky about what is added to their food.  It is also extremely fresh, which really makes a huge difference in my opinion. If you are organic, you can use organic ingredients. You don’t have to buy butter anymore. Butter is expensive. It is actually more cost efficient to make it yourself.  You can make it with three ingredients.  It’s one of those things you are like why didn’t I think of that?  I know I do that all the time on Pinterest.  This is a great activity to do with your kids.

Homemade Butter:

Heavy Cream

Salt

Sugar

Pour some cream in a good seal-able container. Add a pinch of sugar and some salt. Cover it and shake shake shake your butter.

You will have to shake it for about five minutes roughly.  First it turns to whipped cream, and then you will hear the whey separate. My mom says the whey is good, but I didn’t try it.  Keep shaking and shaking.  Soon you will hear a really wet shaking noise.  The butter should be in a ball.  Drain off the whey and Voila! You just made butter!

It’s so delicious and fresh. I would recommend doing this before a meal, as the freshness is part of it.

Have you ever made butter? If you try this, let me know what you think.

Wilton Treat Pops Review

I love to cook and bake. One of my favorite things to make is cupcakes. It's also one of my favorite things to eat. So, when I had the opportunity to work with Wilton, I was extremely excited. Wilton is the

Crème de la crème of cake decorating and candy making supply companies. I have been buying Wilton products for years. They wanted me to share with you some of their really awesome products. I received the Treat Pops, which is really cool because I love the sherbet treats that these were inspired from.  I love that it is so much easier to eat, especially for my six year old.  We can make whatever cake we would like and any icing flavor. I love that these are reusable. It reminds me of my Grandma Rose, because she would reuse anything she could. It makes the Treat Pops more fun because you can have countless treats in them.  I also received the Mini Whoopie Pie Baking Pan. When I first heard of Treat Pops, I was kind of curious how the cake would fit.  I wasn’t sure if you were supposed to crumble the cake up. I know that would make a messy presentation and possibly a messy treat, I was excited to learn that they have a pan for that. Wilton really thinks of everything.   You could also use the pan to make mini whoopee pies.  I don’t think I have ever had whoopie pies, which will be my next baking venture.  Another product I tried out was the Treat Pops Decorating Set.  I have a love/hate relationship with icing, when it comes to decorating.  I am happy to report that the Treat Pops Decorating Kit was so easy to use. I actually had fun doing the icing and it turned out nicely. I think it is because you get bigger tips.  Bigger tips are easier for me to use. The tops of my treat pops actually looked professionally done.  

Making Treat Pops are really easy. I used boxed cake mix. Now you get a lot of extra cake batter so either have extra Treat Pops available or come up with a dessert for the leftovers. I refuse to throw away cake batter.   My original plan was to make Treat Pops for our weekly play date, but then I realized there are a lot of kids involved.  There are a least twelve kids, not including parents.  I also knew that I would be worried that someone would throw away one of the Treat Pop containers away in the park trash can.  I decided that I would just make six Treat Pops, since that is a lot of Treat Pops for just me and Noah. I ended up using the rest of the cake batter and frosting to make cupcakes for our play date. It ended up making the exact number I needed.

 I filled up the Mini Whoopie Pie Baking Pan per Wilton’s instructions with a Tablespoon of batter in each, and then baked them until they were done. I started with 9 minutes and added more time until done. I didn’t want them to burn.  When they were cool I added coloring to my icing and then filled the pastry bag with the long tip in the Treat Pops Decorating Set.  I put a cake in the bottom and then began layering with icing. The top of the Treat Pop container doubles as a stand which is really helpful when you are filling them.  You have to be careful that you don’t push it up though.  I finally topped with a big swirl of icing and used some sprinkles.   These are so good. They are also portable and really fun to eat. Noah was so excited to try Treat Pops.  They are the perfect blend of cake and icing. I know my best friend who loves icing would love these, especially because you can control how much icing you put in them. You can also use fruit. I think gelatin and cream would even be good in a Treat Pop. 

Have you tried Treat Pops? What flavors would sound good to you?

Thank you to Wilton for providing me the items in this post for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.