Chocolate, Strawberry, Lemon
Baking is on my mind lately, and I really miss my baking station has at the far house. It has an electric oven under the gas cooktop and a separate electric oven around the corner from the range.
Real chefs cook with gas and bake in electric ovens. I was in bakers heaven. That duel fuel range is amazing.
CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE
No cream cheese
No sour cream
What Boo worries about if dessert is round
INGREDIENTS
-1 1/3 cups high protein 4% cottage cheese, brought to room temperature
-4 large eggs, room temperature
-1 cup dark chocolate chips, 60% cocoa
How’s that for counting ingredients?
MISE EN PLACE
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease the interior of a 6” round pan.
Important: Be sure to use a one-piece pan and not a springform. Try to use one that is 3” deep.
-Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round and line the sides with strips of parchment paper.
-Add cottage cheese and eggs to a blender.
-Blend until cottage cheese is smooth and there are no egg streaks. After the cottage cheese is smooth and mixed with chocolate, it takes on that flavor.
Boo hasn’t discovered the secret yet.
-Add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl.
-Heat in 30 second intervals.
-Stir with a spatula between each 30 seconds until chocolate is smooth.
-Let the chocolate cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
-Add melted chocolate to the blender.
-Blend until you have a smooth batter.
-Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed to get everything blended.
-Transfer the batter to baking pan.
-Place the cake pan in a slightly larger baking pan. A 9” square pan will work.
-Fill the outer pan with water at room temperature until water reaches halfway up, creating a water bath.
-Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until center is slightly jiggly. It may take as long as 45 minutes, so just watch for a “giggly” center. The cake should also be pulled away from the cake pan.
-Remove cake from oven and out of water. From experience, I can tell you that managing the hot water is the only con about using a water bath, and caution is required. Google told me Tuesday that water bath is also known as “Bain Marie.” What a great French phrase to add to our baking vernacular.
-Allow it to cool; it will deflate a little.
-Gently loosen the sides with a thin spatula or table knife.
-Carefully flip the cake pan upside down into a plate.
-Flip the again onto a cake plate for it to be right side up until totally cooked.
-The cake is delicious as is, but the topping options are unlimited. Look up “cheese cake toppings” on Google for many choices. The chocolate gravy would be perfect.
-This crustless cheese cake is a firmer than a traditional cheesecake. Still very creamy and not quite as sweet.
-For a sweeter cake, add one of those toppings. The sky’s the limit.
CHOCOLATE GRAVY
Memories of my grandmother
-3/4 cup sugar, more to taste
-1/4 cup flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-2 cups hot milk
-1 egg
-2 tbsp butter
-1 tsp vanilla extract
MISE EN PLACE
-Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder in a saucepan.
-Stir in 1/2 cup milk
-Add egg.
-Stir in remaining milk.
-Cook over medium heat until thick, about 3 to 5 minutes
-Add butter and vanilla extract.
Advice
-Stay by the stove. Once the gravy gets warm, it thickens quickly.
-Try a flat whisk as it helps with scraping bottom and sides of pan. A flat whisk can be ordered from Amazon.
-Don’t panic if you have clumps. Use a sieve to remove any large pieces.
-Add 1/4 tsp salt to bring out the chocolate flavor. Do this when adding the vanilla and butter.
-Store leftovers in a resealable container in the fridge. Cover the gravy directly with plastic wrap before closing lid to avoid the “skin” that can form on top.
-This gravy makes a delicious chocolate sandwich.
-Spoon some over a slice of pound cake.
-Use it on top of pancakes.
-Dip saltine crackers for that delicious salty/sweet flavor. Potato chips ramp up the flavor tremendously.
My MomMom Chalice made amazing chocolate bread with “gravy” similar to this. She cooked it a little longer, and dipped half slices of bread directly in the pot. They were laid in single layers to cool enough to eat them hand picked right off the platter. I have tried many times to replicate her recipe with no luck. My friends, Pam and Marla, can make a batch while I am watching. Delicious, but not exactly like MomMom’s. I still can’t get the trick but will try again and again.
STRAWBERRY SQUARES
Basically brownies made with strawberries instead of chocolate
INGREDIENTS
-1 (15.5 oz) box strawberry cake mix
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
-2 large eggs, room temperature
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-3 strawberries, chopped
-1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, or more if needed
-1/4 tsp kosher salt
MISE EN PLACE
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Lightly grease an 11x7” baking dish.
-Mix cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a bowl.
-Stir until well blended.
-Spread mixture into an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
-Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes.
-Allow brownies to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
-Meanwhile, puree strawberries and remaining teaspoon of vanilla with a an immersion blender or in a blender.
-Stir strawberry mixture into confectioners sugar until smooth.
-Add extra as necessary to reach consistency of a glaze.
-Add salt and stir.
-Spread strawberry glaze evenly over the cooled strawberry cake.
-Cut into 12 squares and enjoy.
-Refrigerate leftovers. If you have any.
LEMON SHEET CAKE
Back to the 60’s
Jell-O shines again
Perfect for lemon lovers.
INGREDIENTS
-1 (3 oz) package lemon Jell-O
-1 1/3 cups boiling water
1 box lemon cake mix
-3 large eggs
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
MISE EN PLACE.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease and flour 9x13” baking pan.
-Stir lemon Jell-O into boiling water in a large bowl.
-Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
-When Jell-O is at room temp, add cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil, and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
-Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
-Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 30/35 minutes.
-While cake is baking, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl.
-Remove the baked cake from the pan.
-Using a chopstick or straw, poke holes about 1 inch apart.
-Drizzle glaze over the cake.
-Spread evenly.
-Let cake cool completely about 1 hour.
Bake and love the baking. You will love the cakes!
We’re off to the east coast today, a golfing week with Saturday night in Clemson. Good luck to the tigers, LSU TIgers! There’s golf in Augusta and Pinehurst. So I will be spending a lot of wonderful alone time. I’m hoping to find some new, delicious recipe somewhere along the trip. I will be completing next week’s column on the road.
Good luck to our UL Ragin’ Cajuns for a victory in that beautiful new stadium!
Jusqu’a la semaine prochaine!