Fat Free Chocolate Cake!

Being that I had a baby not quite 4 months ago, I am currently trying very hard to lose weight.  I have a lot of it to lose  - and that means getting very serious about my diet.  The working out thing, I can do (or I used to be able to do before my abdominal muscles were shredded and then sliced open) - but following a strict diet is difficult because I LOVE food - eating and preparing it.  Its very trendy right now to go the way of Michael Pollan and say just eat real foods and if you want dessert make it from scratch, right?

Um, wrong - cause I already do all that.  I don't eat convenience foods and unfortunately I really have fallen in love with baking.  Telling me to make my own desserts will not help me lose the weight I gained during pregnancy - quite the opposite.  I have to go the much harder route - if I want to lose I have to find a way to eat a lower calorie diet at home.   Which means what I really have to do is find a way to make 'diet' food something I actually enjoy making and eating.  Cooking is much easier (and more fun) when you aren't concerned with the amount of butter you are using.

And of course, when my birthday rolled around a few weeks ago and I really wanted to make a chocolate cake, that meant I needed to find something that wouldn't undo all my hard work.  I immediately thought of Angel Food cake, which is one of my favorite things anyway.  I had always wanted to try a chocolate one and I found this recipe filed under 'healthy' on Epicurious and I thought I would give it a try.  You know what, its really good.  Its slightly more dense than traditional Angel Food cake and could easily be used to substitute any chocolate cake if needed.  Its not too sweet, very chocolatey and only has 185 calories a slice (less if you are making more than 8 slices - which we did).  Its the perfect indulgence for those on a restricted diet and its tastes great even if you aren't.  We had it with just a dollop of Greek yogurt that I stirred some vanilla bean into, and we loved it! 

Diet Friendly Chocolate Cake
from  Chef Albaladejo at Four Seasons Aviara
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 163 C / 325 F

Sift 1 cup of the sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together in a small bowl.

In a (very) large mixing bowl beat egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla on medium-high until peaks form.  Add sugar and beat on high until semi-stiff peaks form (don't overbeat they will break down). 

With a rubber spatula slowly and gently fold in dry ingredients until all incorporated.  Spoon into a tube pan and cook for 45-55 minutes or until the top springs back when you touch it (I found it to be on the lower end of that time frame). 

Remove from oven and invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool (if you don't invert the cake will sink!).   Gently remove cake from pan after it has completely cooled and serve.  Its great with yogurt or cream or marscapone, dusted in powdered sugar, with a light glaze, with fruit...you name it, the possibilities are endless!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

When it comes to desserts - I'm not sure there is anything more popular than brownies and cheesecake.  They make the menu at nearly every restaurant  - and not just in the US either.  They seem to have near universal popularity.  So naturally, combining the two is just magical.  Giving it an awesome Fall pumpkin-spice twist is even more magical.

Really, I need to like seriously ease up on the sweets,  but on a boring rainy Sunday afternoon who doesn't make brownies?  Am I right?  I always wish I did more entertaining so I have excuses to make more things like this (without eating it all myself) - but I figure at this time of year all of you have parties and school events to make treats for so it will be useful to you even if it induces gestational diabetes for me (I kid, I kid).  In fact, if all goes according to plan (ha! when does that happen?) there will be even more awesome pumpkin sweetness coming up later this week. 

I came up with this recipe simply after doing an inventory of what I had laying around the house - its basically just your basic brownies topped with your basic cheesecake (pumpkin flavored!).  The pumpkin cheesecake is pretty spicy, cause thats the way I like it, but you can definitely leave out some of the cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg if you prefer it less so.   These ended up being just about the most addicting treat I have ever made - its like pumpkin cheesecake with a brownie crust.  Amazing.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Brownies:
113g Butter
140g Bittersweet Chocolate (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips)
2 Tbs Cocoa
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake:
300g Cream Cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbs flour

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F
In a large bowl, combine all the cheesecake ingredients with an electric mixer until well blended.   Set aside.

Make the brownie mix.  In a double broiler (or a bowl over a pan of water) on medium heat, melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter - stirring constantly.  When fully melted, remove from heat.

Stir in  sugar and cocoa powder.   Whisk in vanilla.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next.  Stir in flour and salt until smooth and silky. 

Butter and flour a 2 L (2.2 qt) baking pan or Pyrex dish.  Spread 3/4 of the brownie batter in the bottom.   Pour the Pumpkin Cheesecake mixture over that.  Dollop the rest of the brownie batter across the top, then drag a knife through it to make it all swirly and pretty (mine wasn't that pretty of a swirl, but hey it still works). 

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.   Allow to cool at least 5 or 10 minutes before cutting.  They taste great the next day (keep chilled), but I thought they were best a little warm :)

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

While I am not much of a baker, I do love baking cookies. At this time of year, I just can't help myself either - I find myself wanting to bake dozens and dozens of cookies and give them to everyone I know. My first holiday season after I got married, I made these cookies on a whim and wouldn't you know it? They have totally become our holiday tradition.

They have also become some of my all-time favorite cookies. First of all, they have a rich dark chocolate flavor which, as an unabashed chocoholic, is always going to appeal to me. Second of all, they have the awesome combination of texture that I love - just a tad crisp on the outside from the crunchy sugar but with a warm soft center. But most importantly - these cookies are insanely easy to throw together and look adorable. You can double, triple, even quadruple the recipe with no problem at all. You can make the dough ahead and freeze it. The finished cookies keep well, both fresh and frozen. They are the perfect candidate for a holiday cookie.

You can also make them sandwich cookies by spreading some of your favorite frosting in between two cookies -then roll the edges in crushed up candy canes (one of my personal favorite things to do). You could also roll the cookies in colorful sprinkles instead of granulated sugar for some added festiveness (not something I have tried, but have thought about doing). Make them with some super high quality cocoa and you won't want to do anything extra with them - just enjoy the flavor of the sweet rich chocolate!

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115 grams) butter
1 1/4 cup sugar, plus another 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan over medium low heat and cool slightly. Add the 1 1/4 cup sugar and stir until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

Stir the soft butter mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm - around two hours (you could also make this dough ahead of time and freeze. Let defrost in the fridge over night before using).
Line cookie sheets with parchment. Shape dough into even sized balls (I do around 1 and half inch wide). Place the 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Roll dough balls in the sugar then place on the cookie sheets around an inch and half apart. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 F (176 C). Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

The Perfect Autumn Chili

This is Autumn in a bowl - the perfect thing to fill up on after a cold, crisp day raking leaves or visiting the apple orchard. The type of thing you want to eat after a long evening trick or treating or after sitting through extended regulation, in the rain on the cold metal bleachers as you watch your team pull out a win.

It is packed full of flavor from chipotle and ancho chilis. It is full of heartiness and nutrition from the black beans, kidney beans, and pumpkin. And it has a deep richness from the chocolate, espresso and dark beer. Its spicy and hearty, simple and inexpensive - all the things a good chili is supposed to be.

It has a lot of ingredients - but most of them are your average pantry staple making this pretty easy to prepare. It is also relatively healthy and low fat compared to your average chili. It is great over a baked potato, polenta, or rice. You can top traditionally with sour cream and shredded cheese if you like - I recommend trying shredded monterrey jack or crumbled cotija as an alternative to cheddar.



Hearty Autumn Chili
with pumpkin, black beans, and chocolate

1 large onion, chopped
1 heaping tsp. cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2 heaping tsp cumin powder
1 heaping tsp coriander
1 tbs dried chopped oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chili paste (see below)
1/4 cup espresso
.5 Liter dark beer
6 cups cooked black beans
2 cups cooked pumpkin puree
2 cans tomato chunks or diced tomatoes
1 cup water from soaking ancho chilies
50 g unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 big tbs tomato paste
16 oz Kidney beans (drained)
salt (to taste)
olive oil

Chili paste:
2 big tbs chipotle paste (to make this, I take one small can of chipotles in adobo, remove all the seeds from the peppers (except for maybe one), and blend it up in a blender, sauce and all. I keep this in my fridge or freezer at pretty much all times. I find if I don't remove the seeds, its way too hot)
2 large dried ancho chilies, soaked in a cup or so of water for at least 30 minutes
1 tbs of the soaking water

First, make the chili paste. Take the soaked ancho chilies, remove the seeds, and chop up. In a blender or food processor, combine the chipotle paste, chopped ancho chilies, and a tbs of the soaking water. Pulse it until it is fairly smooth. Scrape it out into a small bowl and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions, season with salt, and saute over medium heat until they start becoming clear (around 5 minutes) and add cumin seeds. Cook another 5 minutes or so (don't let onions brown).

Add garlic and let it saute for around 1 minute, then add cumin powder, coriander, dried oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and let cook for a minute or two more. Add espresso and stir.

Add the cooked black beans and combine. Stir in the chili paste, then pour in the beer. Let foam subside then stir to combine everything well. Stir in pumpkin, then tomatoes (with liquid) and the water from the ancho chilies. Stir everything well and let it heat up for a few minutes.

Stir in the pieces of unsweetened chocolate until they are melted and combined, then the sugar, vanilla, and tomato paste. Cover and let simmer on low heat for around 3o minutes.

Add kidney beans, then honey, then slowly stir in the cocoa powder. Stir up every thing real good, then let it simmer on low heat for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt (or additional chili paste or cayenne pepper if you want more heat) as necessary.

"I Need Chocolate Now" Cake

Sometimes I will have some big plan for a post on here. Which usually means I have some big plan for dinner. Like for Teriyaki Salmon, or maybe Eggplant Parmesan. Then, life happens. I get tired, Cory works late.....or I start pms-ing and decide I want to eat cake instead of make dinner.

More to the point - chocolate cake. It happens. A lot. Usually I will make chocolate chip cookies because they are fast and I can just eat the dough when its like, a serious emergency. Which it sometimes is. What? I am not ashamed. Sometimes, I need sugar and chocolate and I need it NOW.

But this time, I needed chocolate. And more chocolate. And I kinda really wanted it in the form of a bread-shaped cake substance. I figured if I am craving something my body is just trying to tell me something right? Shouldn't I listen?

At any rate, this worked marvellously to make my day a whole lot better. Its simple and it freezes well and its packed with chocolate, just like I like it. It would be great for a tea time snack or a dessert. I am thinking Death by Chocolate - a slice of this topped with chocolate ice cream and covered in hot fudge. Whip cream is optional.


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbs Cocoa Powder
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Butter all sides of a loaf pan.

Mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and cocoa powder.

Whisk together Flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of this to the butter mixture and combine. Stir in the rest until well combined. (side note: I had the slightest inkling to just stop here and make some kind of cookie-ish creation with the dough at this point. I might still try it sometime)

Stir in the milk a little bit at a time, then mix with an electric mixer until smooth (I did it this way to prevent everything flying all over my kitchen when I turned the mixer on. Feel free to adjust as necessary)

Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and cook in oven for 30 minutes to an hour (sorry for the crazy time window but it just depends on your oven. I cooked for 30 minutes in my convection oven and that was just about right. Use the toothpick method if needed)

Let cool for 20 minutes or so before removing from pan. I recommend an additional 20 minutes before slicing.

Double Chocolate Espresso Brownies

I am an unabashed brownie lover. I cannot make them that often because I will literally gobble down the entire pan - I cannot control myself. Moving to Germany and not having Ghiradelli Brownie mixes readily available has been a pretty good thing for me (or really horrible depending on when you ask me).

However, I have been committed to make more things from scratch whether or not a mix is available - especially things that have such a short list of ingredients that are all part of my regular pantry. A little while back I visited the Lindt Chocolate museum, followed by a (very long) visit to the museum gift shop. It was full of every kind of amazing chocolate product you can think of and the largest selection of high-cacao-percentage bars and powders I have ever seen. It was glorious. I picked up some amazing Cocoa made from fair-trade South American beans and I knew right then and there the first thing I made with it would be brownies.

I really did my research. I must have read every brownie recipe known to woman, and when it came time to make them my chocolate-loving instincts really kicked in. I knew I wanted moist fudge like brownies that were so chocolaty only a true chocoholic would appreciate them. Be warned - I really think I succeeded.

These Brownies have a perfect flaky top crust, get the perfect amount of crunchy on the edges, and have a deep, dark, and rich chocolate flavor (enhanced by a shot of espresso). Little bursts of milk chocolate from the chips are just the bonus that will put you over the edge into chocolate bliss. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and any guests might never leave.


Double Chocolate Espresso Brownies
120 g Butter (roughly 8 1/2 tbs)
1 cup Sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
handful milk chocolate chips
3 1/2 Tbs good Cocoa Powder (preferably Broma process NOT dutch process - it has a more intense chocolate flavor)
about 10 g semi-sweet chocolate (a small chunk or two of semi-sweet baking chocolate)
1 shot of espresso*

In a double boiler (you can just use a pyrex bowl over a small sauce pan) over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate and espresso and stir until well combined. Remove from heat.

Place chocolate in a mixing bowl (can use same bowl as you used to melt it in - just let it cool down a bit) and stir in sugar until well combined and dissolved. Add vanilla and eggs and quickly whisk until all well combined. Fold in flour and salt.

Pour into a buttered/floured 8 in square pan (or round). Sprinkle milk chocolate chips over the batter so they kind of float on top. Bake at 325 F / 163 C in a Convection oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (if using a convention oven you will probably need to cook for around 20 percent longer).

Let cool in pan on a wire rack (so the bottom of the pan cools as well) for around 20 minutes or so before cutting. Enjoy sprinkled with powdered sugar or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

* If you don't have espresso easily available - use a dark brewed coffee (no need for fancy machines though - I make my espresso on the stove top in one of these). It doesn't add a strong espresso flavor - just a hint that enhances the darkness of the cocoa. But don't worry - you can still enjoy these brownies if you simply leave the espresso out.