Triple Chocolate Dessert

This is a somewhat complicated, but totally worth it dessert! It is made up of three parts, edible chocolate cups, chocolate cake, and chocolate pudding! Sounds great, right? Well, it certainly is! Here's the recipe!

                                     

The first step is to make the chocolate cups.

Melt a 16 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave.

Stir the chocolate until smooth.

Thickly paint melted chocolate onto 24 baking cups. You may need to melt some more chocolate chips, depending on how thickly you paint it on. Place cups in the freezer to harden.

Meanwhile, prepare Classic Chocolate Cake.

Classic Chocolate Cake

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 2/3 cup suger

3 eggs

2 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/4 teas. baking soda

1 teas. salt

1 1/3 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs. Combine four, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add in milk. Beat until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. pan.

Bake cake for 35-40 minutes, or until cake tests done.

While cake is baking, prepare any chocolate pudding according to directions on box.

Store pudding in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When the cake is cool, cup it up into small cubes.

When the cups have hardened, slowly peel of the paper.

Now you're ready for the fun stuff.

Take a chocolate cup...

...fill it with cake...

...spread it with pudding...

...and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. I must warn you though, that unless you serve the cups right away, the powdered sugar will dissolve into the pudding, which doesn't look too good. I would suggest sprinkling them just before serving. Store desserts in refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 24 dessert cups.

Chocolatey goodness.

Mmmmmmmm! I can still taste the first bite. Perfect.

Luck of the Irish

Ok, I know its already been Saint Patrick's Day, but I have got to share these! They are so cool!

No recipe here, I'll just walk you through a few simple steps.

First, prepare a white cake mix, and dye it the desired shade of green with food coloring!

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes according to directions on package.

Cool completely.

Then prepare Creamy White Frosting.

And this my friends is edible food color spray! Looks neat, doesn't it? I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but you can probably find it in any craft stores or specialty cake shops.

Frost cupcakes. Then lightly spray each cupcake with color mist. This will take some practice.

Then, if you wish, you can add some green sprinkles!

A clover of cupcakes!

Of course, you wouldn't have to do green, seeing that St. Patrick's Day has passed. They sell almost every color of spray, so get creative! Maybe some light blues, pinks and yellows for the spring! Or a favorite color for someone's birthday. I'm sure you could find some excuse for making these irresistible little treats!

Heavenly White Cupcakes

These cupcakes SO beat a cake mix! Not only do they look pretty, they taste even better! Unfortunately, words and pictures can't describe the fabulous taste of these heavenly white cupcakes. You'll just have to try them and see for yourself!

Heavenly White Cupcakes

2 3/4 cups flour

1 Tabl. and 1 teas. baking powder

3/4 teas. salt

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teas. vanilla extract

1/2 teas. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating until meringue will hold up in soft peaks. Cream in the butter. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add in milk, a small amount at a time. Mix in flavorings.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Next, prepare Creamy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Creamy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teas. clear vanilla extract

2-3 Tabl. milk

Mix powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Frost cupcakes. If you are going to pipe on the frosting like I did, instead of just spreading it on, I would suggest you double the recipe. Or, you could just do what I did, and prepare some Creamy Chocolate Frosting!

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teas. vanilla

About 3 Tabl. milk

Mix margarine and cocoa in large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

White, or...

...black and white!

These have got to be the best cupcakes EVER!

Giant Cookie Cake

You've seen these big, beautiful, delicious looking cookies at the mall and in bakeries, but have never been able to make them yourself. Well, here is the answer to your problems; a recipe for a big, yummy, chocolate chip cookie cake!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups plus 2 Tabl. flour

1 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 1/2 teas. vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 14-inch pizza pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the eggs. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add in vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden and the cookie is set, but the center is still slightly soft. Cool completely.

You can serve the cookie plain, or jazz it up using creamy white frosting!

You can dye the frosting desired colors using food coloring.

Then pipe on designs.

I made mine into a birthday cookie cake for my grandmother! If you're tired of a normal cake, how about try a birthday cookie cake instead? You'll be hooked.