Jeannie Sprague's Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray for baking
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into chunks (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1 1/2-lb. pie pumpkin, shredded* or one 15-oz. can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten
• Molasses Glaze (below)
• Molasses Whipped Cream (below)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With the nonstick spray for baking, generously coat a 10-inch square tube pan without removable bottom or a 10-inch fluted tube pan. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl set aside 1/2cup of the flour. In a large bowl combine remaining flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. To the reserved 1/2 cup flour, stir in chocolate chunks; toss to coat.

3. In another bowl combine pumpkin, melted butter, and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Add chocolate mixture. Stir until combined. Pour batter into tube pan.

4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove cake from pan; cool 30 minutes. Brush with Molasses Glaze; cool. Served with Molasses Whipped Cream. Makes 12 to 16 servings

Molasses Glaze: In a small saucepan melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup dark-color corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons molasses. Bring to simmer. Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool 5 minutes; spoon over cake.

Molasses Whipped Cream: In a chilled mixing bowl combine 1 cup whipping cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 2 to 3 teaspoons molasses. Beat with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spoon into serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or ground cinnamon. Pass with cake.

Lynette Mill's Chocolate Mud Cake

This was the slow cooker recipe. I know, I know, forever ago. But just in time for the slow-cooker season!

Serve with vanilla ice cream

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons + 1/3 cup cocoa

1 tablespoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoons salt

1/ 3 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups hot water

1. Spray Pam all over slow cooker.

2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Melt butter and chocolate chips in microwave.

3. Whisk in 2/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, salt, milk and egg yolk. Add to flour and stir well.

4. Pour batter into slow cooker and spread evenly. In bowl, whisk together brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

5. Pour mixture over batter in slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 1 to 2 hours.

6. When done, cake is very moist -- floating on a layer of chocolate (sides pull away from pot)

Super Sinful Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had these at a family party last month and they were really and truly unbelievable. Like I literally could not prevent my hand from reaching out over and over again. Soo bad. But so good!

Bertha Mendez’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ pound butter

½ pound margarine

1 ½ cup sugar

2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3 Tablespoons vanilla

6 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Approx. 4 cups chocolate chips (I use lg bag of CC from Costco and pour ½ bag in)

1 bag vanilla chips

½ bag of pecans from Costco. I am guessing 2-3 cups?

1. Cream together softened butter and margarine. Must use both, something about the combo of both that makes the recipe!
2. Add sugar, brown sugar and mix
3. Add eggs and vanilla
4. In two separate bowls, measure 4 cups of flour in one, 2 cups in other, set this one aside.
5. In bowl with 4 cups of flour, mix in baking soda and salt.
6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture.
7. Based on the consistency you like, add as much of the remaining 2 cups of flour as you see fit, you may not use all 2 cups. I use all six because I like thicker, rounder cookies, so does Bertha, but do whatever you like.
8. This is the creative part of the recipe. Let your taste guide you. If you like chocolate chips more than vanilla chips, add more or visa versa. You can also use walnuts instead of pecans. I personally think pecans and more cc taste the best.
9. Add chocolate chips, vanilla chips, and pecans. At this point I use my hands to mix.
10. When you are ready to make the cookies, I basically make sure that there is barely enough dough to hold everything in it. If it looks like too much dough, I add more of whatever I have left.
11. Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes.

Debbie Snarr's Fantasy Fudge

3/4 c. (1 1/2 cubes) butter or margarine
3 c. sugar
2/3 c. (5 oz can) evaporated milk
2 c. (12 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz.) Jet-puffed marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix melted margarine, sugar, and milk in heavy 2 1/2 to 3-quart saucepan; bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. (Don't scrape the sides of the pan as you stir.) Continue boiling for 5 minutes or so on medium heat or until candy thermometer reaches 234 F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Being careful not to scrape the sides of the pan, stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into a buttered pan. Cool at room temperature; cut into squares.

(Tip: Do not scrape the sides of the pan as you pour it-- it will make the fudge crystally, instead of creamy. Scraping the bottom is okay, but for the sides, turn the spoon over to sort of "push" it out. There will be a lot left in the pan, but the creamy fudge is worth it! After the fudge is poured, scrape the sides into the bowl and eat as "samples.")

Rocky Road Fudge: After all the other ingredients are mixed together, stir in chopped walnuts & mini marshmallows--as many of each as you like. Then carefully pour into the buttered pan.

Nicole Poland's Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Basic Chocolate Fondue

1 bag chocolate chips

Approx. ¼ cup milk

Melt chocolate and milk over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Add more milk if needed.

Optional: Stir in any of the following once the chocolate is melted: caramel, nuts, peanut butter, raspberry jam, mint, etc. Get creative!

Ideas to dip:

Fresh fruit- strawberries, bananas, pears, pineapple …

Dried fruit- apricots, mango …

Pound cake

Brownies

Cheesecake

Cookies

This is an easy way to do a ‘fancy’ dessert and make it however you like it.

Lee Fleming's Chocolate Purses

Melt together in double boiler (or micro if you are way lazy):

-2 big scoops chocolate chips (maybe 8 oz or so?)
- 4 T butter
- 2 T sugar
-1/2 c milk
4-5 T chopped roasted almonds

It should be about the texture of brownie dough so if it is too runny, add more chocolate. If you add more milk it makes a nice smooth sauce for desserts or for garnish (do you call it garnish if it is a dessert?)

Then take the phyllo dough and make purses, triangles, or whatever other shape you want. If you need help, here is a little video I watched on how to do it--> Phyllo purses

Place a 1/8 t of roasted almonds at the bottom and put about 1/2 t of chocolate sauce on top, squish the tops together and bake for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees

Alexis Dorny's Chocolate Blackout Cake

Chocolate Blackout Cake

1 ½ cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks butter), softened

1 pound (about 2 ¼ cups packed) light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cups cold water

½ cup sour cream

8 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 325. Butter the bottoms of 2 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Sift together flour and baking soda. Cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the cold water. Mix completely. Add the sour cream and melted chocolate and mix until incorporated.

Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until cake have puffed and pulled away from the sides of the pans. Cool the cakes in pans 15 minutes. Cakes will sink to half their height. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Night!!!

Thanks to Lyndsi for the following pictures:

Jo, demonstrating that the most fun part of making chocolate is licking your fingers (don't worry she washed her hands after!)






















Brandi showing how to make chocolate lollipops:





















Everyone participating in making chocolate truffles:





















Here is a link to the Hot Chocolate that Alexis brought to the class

Next Enrichment Meeting!

Hi ladies,

We will be holding our next meeting on February 10th at 7 pm, Multi-purpose room. This month's theme: Chocolate:

Nobody Knows the Truffles I've Seen.

Who is interested in doing a demo of chocolate dipping?