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

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.

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!

I have started my holiday baking. Mmmm, mmmm, do I love cookies? Yes, I do. We’ve been baking off and on for several days in between Christmas concert performances and Christmas parties with our family and friends. Here are a few more great Christmas cookies recipes with pictures.

CRANBERRY ALMOND BISCOTTI yield 24 cookies

In a microwave safe bowl add all ingredients except walnuts. Working at 30 second intervals, heat the mix then stir. Repeat heating and stirring until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add in walnuts and spread in a 9 x 9 inch pan. Cool completely and cut into 1 inch squares. You can also try mixing different types of chips (peanut butter, milk chocolate, mint) and different nuts (almonds, cashews or peanuts) to create various types of fudge.

If you are giving cookies and candies as gifts, a fun and easy to way to present them is to get a new gift box. Line the box with either foil or parchment papers and then add your cookies. Tie off with a big bow and your gift is ready to go.

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!

I don’t know how I forgot to start my favorite and most important list. The holidays just wouldn’t be the same for me without our favorite Christmas cookies. Some make an appearance every year. Others are special editions. Some cookies I only make at Christmas.

My most favorite cookie of all times is the Italian Chocolate/Pepper cookie! Yum, yum, yum. This is my Grandma Mary’s recipe and as far as I know, she only makes it at Christmas. I only make it at Christmas because I love this cookie so much, if I made it year long, I would eat nothing else. They are also my Dad and oldest son’s favorite cookie, so we make lots of them. I know the recipe sounds “different”, but try it once and you will be hooked!

Cookie Ingredients:

Mix butter, sugar, milk and eggs together thoroughly. Add dry ingredients slowly. Mix completely. (If you want, taste the dough. I like mine really spicy. Sometimes I need to add more pepper or other spices.) Take a piece of dough enough to form into a 1 inch ball. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F until set to the touch, but not browned. Cool on parchment or wax paper.

To make the glaze, start with adding 3 tablespoons of the milk to the powdered sugar. You want the glaze to be the consistency of pancake batter. Add more milk if needed. When cookies are cool you can either dip them into the glaze or paint on the glaze with a pastry brush. Top with a pinch of candy sprinkles. This step is a must because that is how Grandma always did it! The glaze will harden and then you can store them.

Another cookie that shows up every year is my Mom’s favorite – Mexican Nut Kisses. These cookies have many names including wedding cakes and butter kisses. But, no matter what you call them – they are tasty!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling cookies)

3 teaspoons vanilla (clear Mexican vanilla if available)

2-1/4 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup walnut pieces

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla together thoroughly. Add dry ingredients slowly. Mix completely. Take a piece of walnut (approximately 1/4 of nut) and a piece of dough (about a 1 inch ball) and form the dough into a ball around the walnut. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F until set to the touch, but not browned. Cool on parchment or wax paper. Roll cooled cookies in powdered sugar until covered.

I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas cookies and desserts in the next few weeks. As soon as I get some pictures of the cookies, I will post them so you can see how pretty they are. I really hope that you find something you like.

We have many Christmas holiday traditions in our family. There is the Christmas cookie tradition, the Christmas tree traditions, and naturally the Christmas Eve traditions. Of course, my favorite tradition is the Christmas cookie tradition. Every year we make dozens and dozens of different cookies to share with our family and friends. It is really a lot of fun and many of our friends do the same thing. So, each year I look forward to Janet’s Pistachio Thumb-Print Cookies and she waits expectantly for my Italian pepper cookies. I spend the last few days before Christmas in the kitchen with my children (so all the cookies are as fresh as possible) and we roll, cut, form, bake and decorate together while singing Christmas carols, telling stories and laughing. Lots and lots of laughing. We have one special day dedicated to decorating the World’s Best Sugar Cookies. The kids and grandkids come over, along with invited guests and we “paint” our cookies adding lots of sprinkles and candies. I hope you try at least one of my special Christmas cookie recipes! Peace, love and joy to you and your family!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

3 teaspoons vanilla (clear Mexican vanilla if available)

Mix butter, egg, sugar and vanilla together thoroughly. Add dry ingredients slowly. Mix completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough for one hour. Roll out on floured board. Cut with cookie cutters of choice. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for about 8 minutes. If desired decorate with colored icing paints and candies.

ICING PAINT FOR SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

milk

food coloring

To make icing paint mix the powdered sugar with enough milk to make the sugar the consistency of thick pancake batter. The amount of milk will vary with the humidity in the air. Separate the paint into smaller containers and add food coloring to created desired colors. The gel colors make it much easier to get deeper colors. Use new paint brushes (synthetic, wash before using) from the craft store to paint the cookies. Add candies and sprinkles if you wish. The icing paint will set up in about 30 minutes.

JANET’S PISTACHIO THUMB-PRINT COOKIES yield 3 to 4 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

3-1/2 oz. package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 cup miniature or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 to 1-1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

Filling Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 3 tablespoons milk

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup miniature or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 teaspoons shortening

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, pudding mix and egg until well blended. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Mix well. If necessary, refrigerate dough 30 to 45 minutes for easier handling.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in nuts. Place on prepared cookie sheets. With thumb, make imprint in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 10-14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients until smooth. Spoon about a teaspoonful of filling into the center of each cookie. In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with shortening, stirring constantly. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon glaze over each filled cookie. Allow filling and glaze to set up before storing cookies.