I cook this when I don't have the time to sit in the kitchen preparing an entire meal, but I do have time for prep-work.

I mix up the homemade BBQ sauce, chop up the onions and garlic, plop the chicken into the crock pot- turn it on, and let it GO!

And I am rewarded with a ready for later dinner for that night. It only gets better with age, and the leftovers seem to be better than the first night.

I'd never heard of adding chocolate to BBQ sauce, but when I tasted it, it seemed Oh so right! (Just make sure it's the dark variety).

I paired this BBQ pulled chicken with a toasted bun. Enjoy.

Spicy-Sweet-Smoky BBQ Slow Cooked Chicken

 

Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup minced red onion 1 yellow onion-sliced into thin slices 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups ketchup 2 tbsp molasses 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper, ground 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp Ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ½ cup Adobo sauce 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Siracha 3 tablespoons soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup water 8 ounces dark chocolate squares (I used Godiva) or 1 cup cocoa powder 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast   Directions: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, adobo, honey, vinegar, siracha, soy sauce, water, olive oil and spices. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the ketchup & spice mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat.   Turn crockpot to medium. Add chicken, chocolate squares, and then cover with sliced onions, & pour BBQ sauce over the top.  Cook for 4-6 hours, turning heat down to low after the first hour. Stir chicken about once an hour. In the last hour, shred chicken, and then place back into sauce. Stir again. The longer you let it simmer in the sauce, the better your chicken will taste. The sauce will thicken as it cooks down. Taste before serving and make any seasoning adjustments. If the BBQ sauce gets too thick, dilute with water until you get the desired consistency.

 

Chocolate-Chocolate Cake...or Cupcakes

I made this cake last year for my husband's birthday. It works great for cupcakes as well.

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups 1% milk

3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (into milk 10-15 minutes ahead)
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons Bourbon vanilla extract

For the Cream cheese Icing:
1 package Cream Cheese-at room temperature

1bag powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted Butter at room temperature
2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

half and half (to thin icing desired consistency)
(Use food coloring if desired to color white icing)**I used varying amounts of cornmeal blue to achieve the ombre hues.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease six 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk-with vinegar already added 10 minutes ahead), coffee, oil and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).

Divide the batter evenly among six prepared pans (greased & floured). I use a 1 cup scoop, & add just under two cups to each pan, then divide what’s left over evenly. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. I chill the cake prior to icing. Sometimes I also brush each layer with a Chocolate flavored liquor.

Cream Cheese Icing: Beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the clear vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides. Continue to mix on a low speed until well combined, and light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as necessary. Ice your cake & serve.

 

Chocolate-Mocha Layer Easter Cake with Marshmallow and Chocolate-Mocha Icing

This is the cake I made for our Easter dinner. I did modify it some from a Brown Eyed Baker recipe, as well as the frostings. It came out better than I could have imagined. This will now be my go-to recipe for chocolate cake or cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (Vaharona, Calebut or otherwise)-I used Calebut from France
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups of 1% milk
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (into milk 10-15 minutes ahead)
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons Bourbon vanilla extract

For the Marshmallow Icing:
1 bag powdered sugar
½ cup Crisco-Butter flavored (or can also use unsalted butter)
2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

1/2 cup half and half (thin to desired consistency)
1 package Cream Cheese-at room temperature
1/8 cup Monin Marshmallow flavored Syrup

For the Chocolate Mocha Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Mocha powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate, melted and cooled
½ cup heavy cream (until desired consistency is reached)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease six 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk-with vinegar already added 10 minutes ahead), coffee, oil and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).

Divide the batter evenly among six prepared pans (greased & floured). I use a 1 cup scoop, & add just under two cups to each pan, then divide what’s left over evenly. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely. I covered each cake with Saran wrap, & stored in the fridge to be iced the next day.

Marshmallow Icing: Beat the butter (shortening), cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium-high; beat for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, add the Marshmallow syrup, continue to mix on a low speed until well combined, and light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

Chocolate-Mocha Icing: Beat the butter and powdered sugar on low speed until blended together, about 1 minute. Add the Mocha powder, and vanilla. Beat on low until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for another minute.

Cake assembly: Place your first layer face-up on a cake plate and cover with one-third of the Marshmallow Icing. Place another cake layer face-up and cover with about ¾ to 1 cup of Chocolate-Mocha Frosting. Repeat, alternating marshmallow and chocolate filling layers, until you come to your cake final layer, which you will place face-down. Frost the entire outside of cake with the remaining
Chocolate-Mocha Frosting.

**Adapted from a Brown Eyed Baker recipe

 

Carrot-Coconut & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This is BIG! Real big. Imagine the perfect carrot cake...spicy, nutty, & a hint of fruit. Only now...get ready.....pineapple & coconut too! Wow. And you thought it couldn't get ANY better. Ha! I made this for Easter last year. Warning: You cannot eat just 1 piece! For reals!

Carrot cake is delicious in it of itself, but once you add the pineapple & toasted coconut, you just can't go wrong. Enjoy this variation & let me know how you LOVE it. It serves around 16 good sized portions.

 

Carrot-Coconut, Date & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Cake:

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 pound raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

½ cup crushed canned pineapple tidbits

1 cup chopped Dates

1 cup toasted Coconut flakes + 1 1/2 cups for outside of cake (optional)

1 cup yellow golden raisins

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup canola oil (or corn oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray three - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper. 

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely. Peel and finely grate the carrots.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, ginger and ground cinnamon.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).

Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots, dates, pineapple and chopped nuts.

Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

 

To Assemble:

Place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Arange small peices of parchment paper underneath corners of your cake, so that the icing doesn't get into your cake plate. You can pull these out as soon as you are finished icing the cake. Just don't place them too far underneath your cake, or the weight will cause the cake to break when you remove them.

Spread with a few tablespoons of frosting, then add the next and subsequent layers, repeating the same step. Once all three layers are iced in the middle "dirty" ice the outside of your cake. this layer helps to secure the cake, and mould the exterior, then ice it with the remaining icing a final time. chill until ready to serve. I also used the remaining untoasted coconut to gently place of the outside of my cake. about half the frosting.

 

A look back at our Valentine's Day

I managed to find the time to bake and mail out quite a few Valentine's sugar cookies (lemon & almond) just before Valentine's Day. I sent them out as DIY gifts to friends and family back home. I miss them all so much.

Here are a few photos of my beginner's endeavours.

I used the sugar cookie recipe from Sweetopia, as well as her Royal Icing recipe. The icing works like a charm, and although I did experience some spreading with the cookies, I'm fairly sure that it's due to the higher elevation where we live.