Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Reese's Cake)

I made this for my brother-in-law's birthday this past weekend. I didn't eat any, but everyone said it was delicious! The hardest part was not eating all of the Reese's Cups as I made it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

For the cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

For decorating
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
Miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped (I put them in the freezer for about half an hour to make it easier to cut)

Directions
1. For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. 4. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
5. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Baked Catfish

There is a local seafood restaurant that we have been going to for years that has the BEST seafood. I worked there for 6 years and enjoyed trying all of their unique dishes. This was a favorite, a baked fish called The Howard. In the restaurant they use black drum or snapper and cook it in the skin. We had some catfish laying around, so I decided to try it that way. It was soooo delicious.

The Howard
source: Mike Anderson's Seafood and Other South Louisiana Favorites

Howard Sauce:
1 1/4 cups olive oil
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons Season All
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

Mix all ingredients together. Marinate fish overnight in some of the sauce, reserving some for spooning over fish before serving.

Baked Fillet:
1 stick margarine or butter, melted I cut this down to half a stick
6-8 fresh fish fillets (skin and scales left on) I used catfish with no skin and scales
salt
pepper

Pour butter into a baking dish, add fish (reserving marinade). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinade on top of each piece of fish. Bake for 30 minutes at 450. Spoon reserved marinade (not used to marinate overnight) on each piece before serving.

Strawberry Pie

I look forward to the spring for 2 reasons--boiled crawfish and strawberries! This pie is so quick and easy to make. I'm not sure where the recpie originated, but my mom has been using it for years.

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh strawberries
6 ounces water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
10 ounces Sprite
1 small strawberry Jell-O
1 cup sugar
Cool Whip
12 mini graham cracker crusts or 2 baked pie shells

Cook water, Sprite, sugar and cornstarch until thick and clear. Add Jell-O and cook a few mor minutes. Slice strawberries and place them in crusts. Poor liquid mixture over strawberries, let chill. Top with Cool Whip.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

I actually made this for Thanksgiving, but just ran across the picture I took. The recipe came from the Hershey's website and I followed it exactly, only adding a few mini chocolate chips on top.

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. 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 thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. 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. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING.

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

I added about 1/2 a cup of mini chocolate chips on top.

Zucchini Cakes

This recipe is a combination of receipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Paula Deen. I took what I liked best about both of the receips and combined them.

3 medium zucchini

1 1/2 of bread crumbs (I used homeade bread crumbs seasoned with lots of fresh rosemary, basil, parsley and oregano)

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup parmesean cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for frying

Shred zucchini, leaving skin on. I used my food processor and it worked great. Squeeze in a paper towel to get out extra moisture. Mix zucchini, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, cheese, egg and salt and pepper together. Heat olive oil in a skillet and form small balls with the mixture. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until brown. Drain on paper towels.

I served with ranch dressing, yum. The homemade bread crumbs had a lot of flavor with the fresh herbs.

Apple Dip

I had this dish at a wedding shower a few months ago and though it was so pretty! We had a surprise baby shower for a co-worker yesterday, so I created my own version. I've had many requests for this receipe so far this morning, so I think it was a hit!

Apple Dip

5 Granny Smith apples

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of chopped peanuts

1 can of Sprite

Mix together the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread evenly on your serving dish, leaving enough room around the edges to stack the apples. Sprinkle with peanuts. Slice apples and dip into Sprite to keep from browning. Stack/arrange around the dip and serve!

Fried Chicken

Homemade fried chicken is one of my favorite meals. I don't make it often because we try not to eat too much fried food. I like using bread flour, I find it to be crispier than regular flour.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded even
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 egg
1 cup of milk
seasonings to taste
oil for frying

Season the bread flour as you like, I used Tony's Chacheres, garlic powder and fresh parsley.
Beat the egg and milk together, also seasoning as you like.
Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in flour, making sure to coat evenly.
Fry in heated oil until brown on each side. Drain on paper towels.