Tips to Make Chocolate Cake Dog-Gone Delicious

I love to slather Ganache on top of Bundt cake, especially, Chocolate Bundt Cake.  And I also love creamy filling.  That's what lead to this creation, our Ganache Topped Devil Dog Cake.  The addition of ganache makes it dog-gone delicious!

Watch as we turn an every day Chocolate Bundt Cake into a Devil Dog Bundt Cake and kick it up a notch with the addition of the most delicious Ganache Chocolate:

Get the recipe for LaBelle's Chocolate Ganache we used on our Devil Dog cake HERE.

Cake Baking Essentials

It's always important to have the right tools for the job, and for making a Bundt Cake, it couldn't get more essential than using the right pan.  Nordic Ware's Platinum Bundt Pan is top rated and as our video shows, it makes the perfect, most amazing Bundt Cake.

And where would I be without this Wire Cooling Rack?  So versatile, we use it for everything from baking chicken to cooling off cakes and cookies.  Since we usually have a lot going on in our kitchen, we have about 4 of these excellent racks.

This cake looks great, doesn't it?  But it could be better.  Frosting it would take away from the beautiful edge created by the NordicWare Bundt Pan.  The only worthwhile alternative it to slice it in half and spread across some incredible cream filling.  Buttercream is always a nice choice. 

Another great tool to have in your arsenal is a long serrated knife and it was absolutely necessary in order to cut this Bundt in half in order to 'devil dog' it.  This 12" Slicer from Dexter is made in Massachusetts and most often used to slice bread and roasts, but it's also perfect for slicing cake.

And never skimp on chocolate chips!  Love those little devils.

It's important to use your favorite chocolate for your Ganache.  And spread it on thick!

Stay tuned for our Devil Dog Cake recipe!

Ganache Chocolate Recipe

Ganache chocolate is a luxuriously decadent topping and filling that makes everyday cakes, cookies, and pastries boldly and extravagantly gourmet.  Ganache chocolate comes from the French culinary tradition, and since we're also of French decent, it is our duty to honor our forefathers by promoting the use of ganache whenever possible.  I like to call our chocolate ganache recipe, Ganache with Panache.

Traditional ganache is made from just cream and chocolate, but since we have a hard time doing just about anything the traditional way, we use 4 ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and instant coffee.  We've found that by adding the confectioners sugar, the ganache has less of the bitter taste found in traditional ganache and in addition, it gives it more body allowing it to 'hug' cake better.  We all want to hug cake, don't we?  It also makes ganache that is incredibly shiny and lip-smackingly de-luscious.  The instant coffee kicks the chocolate up a notch...and fyi, it may also potentially keep you awake a little longer if you're enjoying at night.

Speaking of 'enjoying the night', after watching the amazing half-time performance of Bruno Mars during the Superbowl, we decided our Ganache video would be another great showcase for his unparalleled talent:

Ganache with Panache                                    Print

Ingredients

8 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp instant coffee

Directions

1.  Chop chocolate into small pieces to ensure even melting.

2.  Create a double boiler by placing a heat-proof bowl over pot with a few inches of simmering water.

3.  Pour chocolate into bowl and add cream, sugar, and instant coffee while stirring.

4.  Once chocolate has melted, and it looks creamy and de-luscious, it's done.

If you're using this ganache as a cake topper, and you can't wait for it to cool because you are in dire need of sweetness, we suggest wearing an oven glove to hold the bowl while using a ladle to 'bathe' the cake.  If you haven't started drooling at this point, you are a stronger person than I.

Savourer!

Making Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Bars with Teddie Peanut Butter

For chocolate and peanut butter lovers, this recipe is the end-all-be-all. We really don't need anything more. Just peanut butter and chocolate.  Keep it simple, as I always say...

Creamy Peanut Butter and Rich Milk Chocolate:  Two Great Tastes that Taste Great Together

My husband doesn't buy me flowers--too often--he buys me Buckie's---our favorite local bakery---Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.  If you saw us playing hooky the other day On the Slopes with Fox 25 at Mount Sunapee, you may have noticed we won two jars of Teddie Peanut Butter--made in Massachusetts!  You can watch the video here:  On the Slopes at Mount Sunapee with the peanut gallery! We really were thrilled to win Teddie Peanut Butter because I am a peanut butter purist, a holy-roller for buying ONLY peanut butter without added sugar, and Teddie Peanut Butter fits the bill.  Teddie has just two ingredients: Roasted Peanuts and Salt.  Amen.



We made a decision, as a family, that we had no other choice but to dedicate one of the jars of Teddie Peanut Butter to a batch of our beloved Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.  I was planning on using my favorite Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips, but upon further inspection of my pantry, I noticed a bag brimming with Milk Chocolate Candy Melts, the ones you use for fondue or in chocolate fountains.   It was a choice we've come to rejoice.  Hallelujah.

 

You can make this recipe without an oven in sight.  Just crush 2 packs of graham crackers, melt 2 sticks of butter, sift in 2 cups of confectioner's sugar, blend in 1 cup of peanut butter, and away you go.

It's helpful to make a sling out of parchment paper to line your 9 x 13 pan before pressing your peanut butter mixture into the bottom.  Later, you can just grab the sling and lift the bars out of the pan.  Melt your chocolate using a double boiler or microwave it in 30 second intervals.  I used a stainless steel bowl over a simmering pot of water- worked like a dream.  Once your chocolate is melted to perfection, gracefully spread it across the peanut butter.  :)
*Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery after enjoying one of these bars.  ;)

Click to Print

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted

2 packages (a little more than 2 cups) Graham Cracker crumbs

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 cup old fashioned peanut butter (and a bit more to add to the chocolate)

2 - 3 cups chocolate chips or melts

Directions

1.  In a large bowl-I used my KitchenAid for this recipe, combine melted butter and crushed Graham Crackers.

2.  Sift in confectioner's sugar and blend well.  Mix in peanut butter.

3.  Using parchment paper, create a 'sling' by lining a 9x13 pan so that the paper hangs out over the sides a few inches.

4.  Press mixture into bottom of pan.

5.  Melt chocolates in a stainless steel bowl over a sauce pan filled with simmering water.

6.  If you're using chocolate chips, add a heaping scoop of peanut butter to the melting chocolate.

7.  Spread chocolate across the peanut butter mixture.

8.  Cover and refrigerate for at least a half hour, then cut into squares. 

Cape Cod Cranberry Bread Recipe

Cape Cod Cranberry Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Tbs Grated Orange Peel

3 Large Eggs, beaten

2 1/2 Cup Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

2 Cups Fresh Cranberries, sliced in half

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

3/4 Cup Orange Juice

1/4 Tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Pecans, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F.

2.  Spray bottom only of a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

3.  Beat butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

4.  Add eggs, mixing well.

5.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt.

6.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice, beating at a low speed until just blended.

7.  Fold sliced cranberries into batter.

8.  Turn into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

9.  Bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.

10.  Cool slightly in pan.  Remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Click here to PRINT this recipe.

Thanksgiving Essentials

OXO Good Grips Chef's Digital Leave-In Thermometer, Stainless Steel
LaBelle's General Store

Dexter Russell S140-12SC-PCP Sani-Safe 12" Scalloped Roast Slicer
LaBelle's General Store

Trudeau 11-Inch Silicone Splatter Screen, Red Amazon.com
amazon.com

Diamond Pro Pull-Thru Knife and Scissor Sharpener
LaBelle's General Store

OXO Good Grips Flour Sifter
LaBelle's General Store

Pie Contest this Weekend!

Put our Pie Contest on your calendar for this Saturday, November 9th at 11am! 

What's the very best part about our pie contest?  Free pie for all!

Register to enter here.

Register Here to Enter the Best Pie in Town Contest

Dennis Port's 2013 'Best Pie in Town' Contest is November 9th!

Click HERE to register!

Quick and Tasty Candy Corn Cakes

I must admit that I'm not a fan of Candy Corn.  In fact, there would have to be a monetary transaction or some sort of hazing incident to get me to eat one, even still, I think they are a cute, adorable emblem for Fall and Halloween.

In the mood to bake something Fall-inspired, we opened our baking pan cabinet and the first pan to -fall out- was our NordicWare Scone Pan! And just like that, the triangular forms screamed, CANDY CORN!!!

Pressed for time before starting dinner, we grabbed a box of Pillsbury's Banana Quick Bread Mix from the pantry, a bag of White Chocolate Candy Wafers, and some yellow and red Gel Food Colors.  In no time at all we baked, melted, frosted and created our own {IMO} tastier version of Candy Corn.  Take a peek of our first Vine Video of the process!

We considered making frosting, but the Candy Wafers were so much easier and the combined taste of banana and white chocolate worked really well.

Just melt the Candy Wafers in the microwave, add a drop (a little goes a long way) of Gel Food Color, and get corny!

Now that's a Candy Corn I can wrap my mouth around!  Yum!