Today, research has shown that chocolate has some health benefits.  Over 300 naturally occurring chemicals are found in chocolate. In a study conducted by Andrew Waterhouse, chocolate was found to have potent antioxidants called phenols. Cocoa phenols were found to prevent the bad cholesterol from causing plaque buildup in the arteries.  The darker the chocolate, the more phenols it contains. The conclusion is the purer and darker chocolates may provide the most health benefits.

As with all things, moderation is the key.  So today, let’s enjoy some delicious, sweet, satisfying chocolate!  Here’s my favorite chocolate cake recipe with my easy chocolate butter cream recipe, also.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1-1/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1 cup cocoa (Hershey’s)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans.  In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, eggs, milk and butter.  Add in the vanilla, salt and baking powder.  Stir in the flour and cocoa.  Don’t over mix the batter.  Pour into the prepared pans.  Bake the cakes for about 30 – 35 minutes.

I think the most common reason people end up with dry, crumbly cakes is over baking.  I don’t rely completely on the timer.  When I smell chocolate, I open the oven and lightly touch the center of the cake.  If it springs back, I take out the cake.  If it doesn’t I give it a few more minutes and test again.  I also remove my cakes from the pans while warm.  I find if I let them cool completely they stick to the pans.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup cocoa (Hershey’s)

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 milk

In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, combine all ingredients until light and creamy. 

Use the frosting for the filling between the two layers and then generously ice the rest of the cake.  If the frosting seems a little soft you can either add more powdered sugar until the desired thickness or place the cake in the refrigerator for a few minutes or until serving.

So I hope you enjoy your chocolate cake!

There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE

There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. – Linda Grayson, The Pickwick Papers

Too much of a good thing is simply wonderful! – Deborah Fox-Rothschild

The Best Pancake Recipe (makes about 16 small pancakes)

Ingredients:

1/2 – 3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1 cup white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

The amount of milk you use will determine how thick the pancakes are.  Start with the smaller amount and add more if the batter seems too thick.  Beat the milk, butter and egg lightly in a mixing bowl.  Mix the remaining ingredients together and then add to the milk mixture.  Mix until well combined, but don’t over mix.  Lightly oil or butter a heavy griddle pan or skillet and place over moderate heat.  Use a ladle to portion out the pancakes on the pan.  Cook until the tops bubble up and the undersides are slightly browned.  Turn with a spatula and brown the other side.  Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.

One of the things I love about pancakes is their versatility.  Sometimes I put thinly sliced bananas or apples on the griddle and pour the batter over them to make fruit pancakes.  Other times I replace some of the white flour with buckwheat flour or whole-wheat flour.  One of my favorite things to do is chop walnuts and raisins and add them to a whole-wheat batter with a little cinnamon.  They are so tasty. 

Try topping your pancakes with something other than plain old maple or pancake syrup.  Spread on a little peanut butter and drizzle with honey.  Pour on a little home-made fruit syrup.  You can make your own by taking 1/4 cup of any jam, add a few tablespoons of water and warm in the microwave.  Fresh fruit is another delicious topping.  Try sliced strawberries or blueberries. 

The options with pancakes are endless.  Give a few of my ideas a try.  I think you will really enjoy them.  Then, try a few of your own!

Since it is a little chilly in our house, I think I will turn on the oven to warm it up. Hmmm, what excuse to turn on the oven? “How about some rice pudding?” I ask my four children. “Sounds good!” is the general reply. Rice pudding it is. Here’s my quick and easy recipe:

Tina’s Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
2 cups white rice
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons vanilla

Bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and rice. Turn down and simmer 15 minutes until the rice is done. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In the bottom of a large baking/lasagna pan, slice the butter and lay out evenly. Pour in the rice and spread out to start cooling. While the rice is cooling off, in a large bowl whisk up the four eggs, add in the milk, sugar and vanilla. Temper the egg mixture by adding a large spoon on the rice and stirring well. Add another large spoon of rice and stir again. Now pour the egg mixture into the baking pan and mix well. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about one hour. Check and see if all the liquid is absorbed. If not give it a few more minutes.

I love to add dried fruit (raisins, cranberries or chopped prunes) and chopped nuts of any kind to my rice pudding. Unfortunately, some of my kids don’t like when I do, so I just top mine off with whatever I want. Today I had walnuts and cranberries. It was delicious!

Since I had the oven on and the kitchen was getting nice and toasty, I thought I should make some fresh bread. I decided on a French bread with rosemary. Here’s my recipe:

French Bread with Rosemary

Ingredients:
2 packages dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups white whole-wheat flour
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
cornmeal for the pans
1 egg white, slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

In a very large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Wait about 5 minutes until is starts getting foamy. Add the remaining 1-1/2 cups warm water, salt, white whole-wheat flour, flour and rosemary. Mix well until it turns into a manageable dough. Turn out on a floured surface and knead into adding a little more flour if necessary to keep the dough from being sticky. Let rest 10 minutes. Resume kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let raise in a warm place until double in bulk. This may take up to 2 hours for this recipe due to the amount of yeast in proportion to flour.

Punch the dough down. Divide into two. Form each half into a log approximately 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Place the formed loaves on baking sheets that have been generously covered with cornmeal. Spray each loaf with a fine mist of water. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let raise in a warm place for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the loaves with the egg white and water mixture. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal slices into the top of the loaves. Place the loaves in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, then spray with another fine mist of water and lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes more, then spray the loaves again. Bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the crust is dark golden brown. Remove the loaves and cool.

I have to tell you that the rice pudding and the French bread really warmed us up inside and out. Both were tasty treats on a cold and dreary day. I hope you give them a try, no matter what your weather is like.

I am making it tonight specifically for one of my son’s friends.  They have a band and it meets at our house for practice.  I make dinner for the guys and then they go off to worship practice for Sunday morning services at the church.  One of the guys asked me if I knew how to make it.  I said of course.  He said it is his favorite dinner, but because some of his family have food issues, his mom rarely makes it.  So tonight we are having Fettuccini Alfredo!

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

6 garlic cloves finely minced or pasted

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups low-fat milk

2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a small pan, sauté the garlic in the olive oil until tender.  In a large sauce pan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and cook for a few minutes.  Using a whisk, mix in the cream cheese.  When the cream cheese is melted, whisk in the olive oil and garlic.  Then whisk in the milk making sure not to get lumps.  Allow to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.  Just before serving add the grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

I am serving this sauce over fettuccini, but you can use your favorite pasta.  Baked and sliced chicken breast along with the California mixed vegetables and garlic bread will round out this meal.  I am also serving a big bowl of grapes for dessert.  Yummy, I can’t wait!

We have all been a little under the weather, so the long weekend came just in time.  We did a lot of resting and relaxing.  We did have a nice brunch Sunday after church, though.  Several years ago I saw a waffle iron in a catalog that I just had to have.  The waffles are the shapes of cow, chickens, pigs and barns.  The waffles are so cute.  Everyone loves to eat them, children and adults alike.  Here’s my recipe for a really yummy, healthy waffle:

Tina’s Waffles

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2-1/2 cups 2% milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 cups flour

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients and whisk together.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, oil and vanilla together.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Bake in the waffle iron of your choice.  Serve with butter and syrup, peanut butter and jelly or just with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

 I like to serve bacon and scrambled eggs with my waffles.  Add in a big glass of milk and you have a tasty fun breakfast or brunch!

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine egg, sugar, peanut butter baking soda. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet. Press with a fork to make criss-crosses and flatten slightly. Bake at 350°F until golden and firm to the touch. Cool completely before storing.

My oldest daughter found this cookie recipe a few years ago. We all love it! You can also make this cookie recipe with almond butter or cashew butter. Yummy!

Ingredients:

1 pound butter

2 cups sugar

6 eggs beaten

1/2 cup milk

4 teaspoons baking powder

8 – 9 cups flour

3 tablespoons orange extract

3 teaspoons vanilla (clear Mexican vanilla if available)

3 egg yolks for brushing tops

Mix butter, eggs, sugar, milk, orange extract and vanilla together thoroughly. Add baking powder and 8 cups of flour. Combine well. Add more flour if needed to make the dough not sticky so you can form the cookies in your hand. Working with small amounts of dough, roll into a long coil. Cut into 4 inch pieces and scroll into an “S”. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Brush with egg yolks. Bake at 350° for about 15 – 20 minutes.

I grew up eating these cookies. Our neighbor Androula made them all the time. They are the perfect cookie for dunking in coffee or tea. They are so simple and so delicious. Give them a try!

Holiday baking is one of my most treasured family traditions. I love to smell the sweetness as the cookies and breads bake. It is so much fun to teach my children how to make and decorate their own special cookies. Now my grandchildren are in the kitchen baking cookies, too. It is such a great way to spend time with my family. If you haven’t done holiday baking in the past, I hope that you try it this year. Merry Christmas!