Stupid cakes.

I don't know what my problem is.  I can't make cakes.  Big fancy ones, or small easy ones, they won't turn out for me.  Sometimes (often times) the frosting doesn't set right or the filling is runny, maybe the layers won't sit straight or don't rise altogether.  It's a very frustrating situation for me and nearly every time I say I won't ever bake a cake again.  But I always do, I love cake.  So I've come to a point that if the cake is just for us and not for a celebration we make it work.  And if it is a celebration cake...make cupcakes, they always work.

So when your cake comes out like this...

Thin your icing out and make it work.  It still tastes amazing!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

It's time for week six of ten weeks of Christmas cookies.  And this time I'm not bringing you a cookie or bar or even anything baked.  This time it's hot chocolate on a stick, one of my favorite treats in the winter.  This recipe is a no brainer for me because I don't usually have marshmallows in the house, they're full of bad for you ingredients, of course they don't usually end up in my hot chocolate as a result.  I should also mention I rarely have hot chocolate in the house, I don't typically find them all that good.  So once (or maybe twice) a year I make a batch of these to give away with my Christmas boxes, indulging in a few myself of course.

It's a block of fudge, I'm not kidding, you swirl into hot milk and a built in marshmallow!  I've made these marshmallows peppermint flavoured before which turned out really yummy.  Homemade marshmallows are different from store bought ones, they're lighter for one, and have a lot more flavour.  I really really like them!  (I'm going to try using my leftover marshmallows in place of marshmallow fluff in a fudge recipe, I'll let you know how it goes)

I got the recipe right here and I didn't stray from it at all.  But just a warning it makes a lot, even a half batch makes 20 or so (depending how you cut them) so share them.  Okay?

Double Chocolate Muffins

I had a strange hankering for a muffin last night.  A double chocolate muffin to be exact. Strange for one main reason, I don’t like muffins.  They’re usually way too dry or much too moist, and often lame in flavour.  Thank goodness this recipe worked out perfectly.  I had three chocolate muffin recipes open when my sister came over.  We deliberated and decided that this recipe sounded best.  We were right!  Wonderfully chocolaty, perfectly moist and a good size too, not one of those mini, no-rise muffins that usually plague my muffin making.  This recipe is a keeper.  Now if only my oven would stop burning everything!

Double Chocolate Muffins

adapted from here.

On a side note, if I hadn’t been so fiercely craving a plain old chocolate chunk muffin I definitely would have added dried cherries or cranberries at the very least.  A half cup or so would probably suffice.

125 g (1/2 c) butter

210 g (1 3/4 c) flour

50 g (1/2 c +2 T) cocoa powder

250 g (1 1/4 c) brown sugar

1 1/4 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 eggs

1 c whole milk

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 t white vinegar

1 c chocolate chopped into chunks

Preheat oven to 425 F and line 12 muffin tins with liners.  Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool until needed.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, smashing clumps of brown sugar with a whisk.  

Combine wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl including butter, adding vinegar last.  Stir quickly into dry mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chunks last.  Using a large scoop evenly distribute the batter into liners.  They will be very full.  Bake for 17-22 minutes until the tops are not shiny and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.