Spiced Pumpkin Fudge

3/4 cup butter

3 cups sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1

tablespoon

 pumpkin pie spice

2 cups butterscotch

baking

 chips

1 (7 ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme

1 cup chopped toasted almonds or desired nuts

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In heavy saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling until mixture reaches 234 degrees

F on candy thermometer.

Remove from heat; stir in butter scotch chips and marshmallow cream until melted and smooth. Stir in nuts and vanilla extract. Pour into buttered 9 x 13

or larger

pan.

cool completely, cut into squares.

Makes about 3 pounds candy.  Enjoy.

Nutella Truffles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup heavy cream 

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 teaspoon light corn syrup 

9 oz. chopped, semi-sweet chocolate 

2 Tablespoons Nutella

FOR THE COATING:

6 oz. chocolate 

5-1/2 oz. skinned & toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

1. Mix the cream, butter and corn syrup together in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a full boil. Turn off heat.
2. Add 9 ounces of the chopped chocolate, and gently swirl the pan. Do not stir. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes, add the nutella and whisk slowly to combine.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. In the meantime, line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. After 45 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken quickly, keep refrigerated another 11 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

5. Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form the mixture into 1-inch balls and and place on the prepared sheets.

6. Chill until firm, about 10-15 minutes. While the balls are chilling, melt the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate. After it is completely melted, allow to cool slightly before continuing.

7. Place chopped hazelnuts in a small bowl. Remove the balls from the refrigerator. Using one hand, dip the balls into the melted chocolate. Roll it around in your hand, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the truffle in the chopped hazelnuts. With your clean hand, cover the truffle with the nuts.

8. Lift it out and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Place back in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes to set.

Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 chocolate fudge cake mix with pudding in the mix, about 18.25 ounces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 medium zucchini, shredded, about 1 1/2 cups shredded
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preparation:

Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan or 10-inch one-piece tube cake pan. Heat oven to 325° (350° for a light-colored pan). In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the butter until light; beat in eggs and flavorings. Beat in the sour cream and cinnamon, then slowly beat in the cake mix. Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and pecans.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely. Frost the cake or dust with powdered sugar.

Dark Desires Mocha Cake with Strawberries

Today is my husband Ricks birthday and most of the time I bake his cakes for him.  I generally ask him what type of cake he'd like and the response is almost always....chocolate, anything chocolate.  My husband is the biggest choco-holic on the planet.  Okay, maybe not the planet but at least in our family he is.  I have added this cake into my home baking business The Blissful Cookie and am making it available to you.

Dark Desires Mocha Cake TM The Blissful Cookie (with Strawberries)

Ingredients

• 1 Box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
• 6 tablespoons of Swiss Mocha Coffee Mix
• 3  tablespoons whipped cream cheese
•  2 tablespoons of mayo
•  1 cup water
•  1/3 cup milk
•  1/2 cup vegetable oil
•  3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 
• 5 large whole fresh strawberries for garnish on top of cake dipped in melted chocolate (you can use Smucker's Magic Shell to dip them in)

Filling:

1 large can of strawberry pie filling

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray two 9 inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray such as Bakers Joy
• In stand mixer add cake mix, swiss mocha, cream cheese, mayo, water, milk oil and eggs
• Blend on low for 30 seconds then mix on medium speed for two minutes
• Turn off mixer and fold in semi sweet chocolate
• Pour evenly into pans
• Bake 35-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted down center of cake comes clean

Take cakes out of oven and let cool in pans for about 10 minutes then loosen edges with a butter knife (cakes should come right out) and turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Cakes must be cool/cold to touch before you start working with them.

Once cooled place one layer of your cake onto your decorating turn table, plate, cake stand etc...and pipe a ring of frosting around the top layer in a circle

• Add your pie filling to the center of the cake and gently spread out toward the edges of frosting ring.  Place second layer of the cake on top of strawberry layer.  Frost your cake.  You can use your favorite pre-made chocolate fudge frosting or you can make your own homemade.

Dark Desires Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup Dark Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

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.

Take your 5 strawberries dip them in your magic shell chocolate and place on top of your finished cake.

Well, now it's time for me to get dinner started for Rick's birthday dinner.  Thank you for stopping by.

Live Life, Laugh Hard and Love Passionately

Blissful Streusel Blueberry Jumbo Muffins

This is my own recipe created in my kitchen and for my home bakery The Blissful Cookie.  My husband and son love blueberry muffins and I decided to make them jumbo size being my boys have hearty appetites for these berry-licious muffins.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup & 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/3 cup frozen organic blueberries (I use Trader Joes small blueberries not large)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (real makes a difference in taste and quality)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Streusel Topping Ingredients and Directions

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cold salted butter (not margarine)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make streusel topping ahead of muffin batter and set aside.  In small to medium mixing bowl place all dry ingredients into bowl and mix.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter into small pieces and mix until you get coarse crumbs.  Note: I often double this because we like extra topping.

Note: For JUMBOS you will need jumbo size baking cups.  Batter yields 6-7 jumbos or 12 regular

Directions For Muffins

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Line jumbo size muffin pan with liners (or regular size muffin pan)
• In medium mixing bowl add both flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix together until well blended
• Make a well in the flour mix, set aside
• In small bowl whisk egg with fork, stir in milk, vanilla and oil, whisk again until blended smooth
• Fold gently blueberries into batter
• Fill baking cups 3/4 so you get a nice rounded dome top during baking (if to full the batter will mushroom over pan)
• Sprinkle streusel topping on top to cover
• Jumbos bake 27 min. (ovens vary please check yours at 23-25 min) Regular size 18-20 min. (ovens vary check yours at 15-18 min.) check with a wooden toothpick down center if comes clean they are ready.

Take out of oven and let rest in pan for 10 minutes than remove them to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.  These muffins are the very best the next day as all the flavors just meld together.   Keep covered to retain moistness.  They really don't last long enough in my house to go stale or dry ;-)

If you run into any problems or have questions please feel free to ask!

Thanks for stopping by and as always here's wishing you the best,