Chocolate Cake Glaze

This coordinates with yesterday's chocolate cake recipe. It's so easy to make.

Chocolate Cake Glaze

Ingredients:

1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk. Melt, stirring frequently,  until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL! 
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• Once smooth, remove from heat and mix in vanilla. Let sit for 30-45 second. Drizzle over cake. Eat!

National Chocolate Cake Day

(Yes, I know I disappeared for nearly a month. Things are crazy in real life. Anyone who has children can vouch for a hectic life. I'm hoping to get back into blogging, but we'll see.)

In honor of National Chocolate Cake Day (yes, it's a real thing), I'm bringing you my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Chocolate Cake:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil                  2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water                     1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda                1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour        3/4 cup cocoa
2 eggs                                        2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. 
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be  extremely thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Fat Free Strawberry Raspberry Trifle

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen strawberries (thawed)
1 bag frozen raspberries (thawed)
1 package angel food cake mix
1 can fat free whipped cream
1 container strawberry glaze (you can also use strawberry jello)

Directions:

1. Bake angel food cake according to package directions
2. Cut up cake into small squares.
3. Layer cake, glaze, strawberries, whipped cream, raspberries alternating until you run out of stuff!
4. Enjoy!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

3 oz of your favorite chocolate
2 tsp of hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice

Garnish:

Whipped Cream
Chocolate shavings or sprinkles


Directions:

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occaisonally while melting. Add hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring until well blended.

2. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup milk, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

3. In a blender, place remaining 1 cup milk, the chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into giant goblet and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.


Note: It may take a few tries to get the chocolate to melt correctly if you choose to use a standard saucepan instead of a double boiler. Plan ahead.

Reactions:

YUM! - from all three

Lemon Slice Cookies

photo by: Frances Janisch for Parents Magazine

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powered lemonade mix (pink)
1 egg
red food coloring
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp (pinch) salt
1/4 cup pink decorating sugar
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups powered sugar
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and lemonade mix. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy (about 3 mins). Add egg and 8 drops of food coloring; beat well. In a seperate bowl, combine flour and salt. Gradually add flour/salt mixture to previous mixture, beat until dough begins to cling.

2. Gather dough into a ball and shape into a log about 7 x 2 1/2 inches. Wrap in wax paper. Chill no less than 3 hours until it's firm enough to slice.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place decorating sugar in a shallow bowl. Brush outside of log with corn syrup. Cut log crosswise into 1/8th inch thick slices. Lightly roll edges of slices in the decorating sugar. Place on cookie sheets approx. 1 inch apart. Cut some cookies in half, if desired. Score the top of cookies with the back of a small knife to make them resemble citrus segments.

4. Bake for 8 minutes, until edges are firm. Let cool on wire rack.

5. Mix powered sugar and lemon juice; place in a resealable plastic bag. Snip a small hole in one corner of bag. Pipe icing onto scored lines and add dots to resemble seeds. Let stand until icing is set.


Reactions:

Alvin(2) and Erin(6) both devoured these every chance they got. Emali(9) liked them, but she said she'd prefer chocholate chip.