German's Chocolate Cake

On June 3, 1957, the recipe for German's Chocolate Cake appeared in the Dallas Morning Star "Recipe of the Day" submitted by Mrs. George Clay.  The recipe is named for the brand of chocolate used in the recipe, German's chocolate.  German's chocolate was created by Sam German for the Baker's Chocolate company in 1852.  German's chocolate is similar to semi-sweet chocolate in taste.  I first made this cake for my husband's birthday a few years ago.  Since then my youngest daughter has requested it for her birthday.  I made this cake for my daughter Haley's 10th birthday this weekend.   This recipe is completely homemade.  

Yummy cake, half frosting and half cake! Awesome!

Ingredients for Cake:

1 cup Butter

1 1/4 cups White Granulated Sugar

6 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup Boiling Water

2 cups Cake Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 cup Buttermilk

4 Egg Yolks

4 Egg Whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ingredients for Coconut Pecan Frosting:

3 cups Cane Sugar (White Granulated Sugar can be substituted)
1 3/4 cups Butter
2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
8 Egg Yolks
1 12 Ounce Can Evaporated Milk
2 cups Pecans
14 ounces Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Process for Cake:

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit

 Place butter and sugar in stand mixer bowl and mix with a whisk attachment until fluffy.

Does that look like fluffy sugar?  I always assume yes, since fluffy and sugar just don't make sense to me truthfully. Fluffy can be used to describe sugar spun into cotton candy but mixed with butter I don't get it.  Anyway, whip it good until it looks like this.

Place chocolate chips in a bowl and add hot water.  Allow to sit for 1 minute.

I used my electric water kettle to heat up the water.

 After the minute has ended, stir the chocolate until it looks uniform in appearance and texture.

 Add egg yolks to butter sugar mixture and beat on low until combined.  Add flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and mix until combined.  Mix in egg yolks.  

 Pour melted chocolate, buttermilk, and vanilla into cake batter and mix.

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.

 Gently fold in 1/3 of egg whites, and repeat until all egg whites are in the batter.

Now this looks light and fluffy, right?  I think so.  This is a beautiful chocolate batter.  I want to
 eat it all right now, but I will cook it first.

Prepare two 9 inch round cake pans by rubbing butter on the inside and placing parchment paper
 on the bottom.  Divide cake batter between the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.  I used my kitchen
 scale to measure and make sure both of these pans had the exact same amount of batter.  Yes I can
be that picky and obsessive compulsive.  When I was a kid, and people asked me why I was the
way I was, I told them, what do you expect, I have two perfectionist parents.  Of course, they
would have a child like me.  We didn't call it Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  Does that make
me old?  I started being OCD before OCD was PC.  The term used in my home was being a perfectionist. I'm distracted, sorry.  Now bake your cakes in the middle of the oven for 24-28
minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow cakes to set in the pans for a few minutes and remove to cooling racks.

When cakes have cooled, place on parchment paper.

Process for Coconut Pecan Frosting:

                                      

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract in medium saucepan 

over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes or until thick.  

 Strain through a sieve.

 Stir in coconut and chopped pecans.

Chill frosting.

Look at all that frosting.  Yes, I doubled the frosting for my recipe and I am okay with it. 

Process for German's Chocolate Cake:

I placed a large plate on my cake and began slicing through with the knife butted up against the
plate to evenly cut the cake in half.  Cut both cakes, now you have four layers.

With the cut side up for the first layer, scoop some of your cooled frosting in the middle.  I started
with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting.  If that seems like too little, add more.

 Spread frosting evenly over cake.  Repeat until all four layers have been stacked together.

 Last step, take the remaining frosting and cover the whole cake.

Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

German's Chocolate Cake

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Cake:

1 cup Butter

1 1/4 cups White Granulated Sugar

6 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup Boiling Water

2 cups Cake Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 cup Buttermilk

4 Egg Yolks

4 Egg Whites

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ingredients for Coconut Pecan Frosting:

3 cups Sugar

1 3/4 cups Butter

2 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

8 Egg Yolks

1 12 Ounce Can Evaporated Milk

2 cups Pecans

14 ounces Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Process for Cake:

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Place butter and sugar in stand mixer bowl and mix with a whisk attachment until fluffy.

Place chocolate chips in a bowl and add hot water.  allow to sit for 1 minute.

After the minute has ended stir the chocolate until it looks uniform in appearance and texture.

Add egg yolks to butter sugar mixture and beat on low until combined.  Add flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and mix until combined.  Mix in egg yolks.  

Pour melted chocolate, buttermilk, and vanilla into cake batter and mix.

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.

Gently fold in 1/3 of egg whites, and repeat until all egg whites are in the batter.

Prepare two 9 inch round cake pans by rubbing butter on the inside and placing parchment paper on the bottom.  

Divide cake batter between the two prepared 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 24-28 minutes.

Allow cakes to set in the pans for a few minutes and remove to cooling racks.

When cakes have cooled, place one of the cakes on a parchment paper lined cake stand.

Process for Coconut Pecan Frosting:

Combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes or until thick.  

Strain through a sieve.

Stir in coconut and chopped pecans.

Chill frosting.

Process for German's Chocolate Cake:

Cut both cakes, now you have four layers.

With the cut side up for the first layer, scoop some of your cooled frosting in the middle.  I started with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting, if it seems to little add more.

Spread frosting evenly over cake, repeat until all four layers have been stacked together.

Use the remaining frosting and cover the whole cake.

Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Super Size Samoa Cookie

My daughters are Girl Scouts, and our troop leader's birthday was this week so I promised her an oversized Samoa Girl Scout cookie to celebrate.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep my promise, since my oven was broken, but thankfully it was fixed today.  After eating a couple of Samoa cookies for testing purposes, I was able to pinpoint the flavor components.  Then I thought about how to execute my giant cookie recipe and well I think I might have created a monster cookie to end all cookie cravings.  This is for our troop leader Meredith, who whole heartedly agreed with my crazy plan to super size a Samoa cookie in honor of her birthday.

This is the ultimate Samoa cookie!

Ingredients for Shortbread:

2 cups 00 Tipo flour (or Cake flour)
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
1/2 cup Cane Sugar (or white granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Beat the butter and sugar in stand mixer with beater attachment until combined.

Mix in flour and salt.

Divide batter into two 9 inch cake pans and press down flat.  I used a piece of plastic wrap to push flat.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes or lightly golden brown.

Allow shortbread to cool in pans for 10 minutes in pan.

Remove shortbread from pans and place on parchment paper.

Ingredients for Coconut Caramel Topping:

1/2 Half & Half
1 cup Turbinado Sugar (or Brown sugar)
4 tablespoons Butter
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
3 cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes

Toast coconut on sheet pan for up to 10 minutes in 350 preheated oven.  Be sure to stir coconut every two minutes to help evenly cook.

Pour half & half into medium sauce pan, add sugar and butter.

Cook over medium/low burner.

Whisk occasionally and cook for 7 minutes.

Add vanilla and cook for another 1 minute.

Turn off heat and add coconut, stir.  Allow to cool.

Ingredients for Chocolate Base & Topping:

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Place a small sauce pan on stove with two inches water, then set a small metal or glass bowl over pan.

Set burner to medium on stove.

Pour chocolate chips into bowl.

Stir chocolate chips occasionally until melted.

Using a spatula spread a thin layer of chocolate on parchment paper the size of the cookies.

Place cookies on chocolate.

Spread equal amounts of coconut caramel on top of both cookies.

I put the remaining chocolate in a squeeze bottle for this next step,  I kept the chocolate squeeze bottle in warm water to keep it from getting solid and cold.

Squeeze chocolate or drizzle chocolate with a spoon onto cookies.  I tried to be traditional and make them like the actual Girl scout Samoa cookies but you may decorate with the chocolate however you wish.

Refrigerate cookie until chocolate becomes solid.

Enjoy!

Super Size Samoa Cookies

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Shortbread:

2 cups 00 Tipo Flour (or Cake flour)

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter

1/2 cup Cane Sugar (or White Granulated Sugar)

1 teaspoon Lemon Extract

1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

Process:

Preheat Oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Beat the butter and sugar in stand mixer with beater attachment until combined.

Mix in flour and salt.

Divide batter into two 9 inch cake pans and press down flat.  I used a piece of plastic wrap to push flat.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes or lightly golden brown.

Allow shortbread to cool in pans for 10 minutes in pan.

Remove shortbread from pans and place on parchment paper.

Ingredients for Coconut Caramel Topping:

1/2 Half & Half

1 cup Turbinado Sugar (or Brown sugar)

4 tablespoons Butter

Pinch of Sea Salt

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

3 cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes

Process:

Pour half & half into medium sauce pan, add sugar and butter.

Cook over medium/low burner.

Whisk occasionally and cook for 7 minutes.

Add vanilla and cook for another 1 minute.

Toast coconut on sheet pan for up to 10 minutes in 350 preheated oven.  

Be sure to stir coconut every two minutes to help evenly cook.

Turn off heat and add coconut, stir.  Allow to cool.

Ingredients for Chocolate Base & Topping:

2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Process:

Place a small sauce pan on stove with two inches water, then set a small metal or glass bowl over pan.

Set burner to medium on stove.

Pour chocolate chips into bowl.

Stir chocolate chips occasionally until melted.

Using a spatula spread a thin layer of chocolate on parchment paper the size of the cookies.

Place cookies on chocolate.

Spread equal amounts of coconut caramel on top of both cookies.

Drizzle melted chocolate using a spoon or squeeze bottle onto cookie in either lines or a pattern of your choice.

Refrigerate cookie until chocolate becomes solid.

Enjoy!

Garlic Ginger Soba Noodles

I recently went to the small Asian market near my home and spent way too much time looking at Japanese and Chinese noodles.  I finally picked four different varieties of noodles from some brand that seemed to be from an Asian country as opposed to American made.  I have this crazy notion that Japanese and Chinese noodles should be made in Japan and China in order for me to feel like purchasing them.  What I love, is that I found uncooked and un-fried noodles for less than $1 a pound, which for my large family of hungry noodle eaters is a wonderful blessing.  I wanted to find noodles that were like the pre-packaged Ramen noodles, but not fried or packaged with a sodium laden dry powder sauce.  I think I succeeded.  One of the packages of noodles I chose were Soba noodles. Soba noodles are made with buckwheat, which is not related to wheat at all.  It is not a grass.  It is related to sorrel (herb) and rhubarb (herb perennial).  If you are gluten intolerant, or wheat intolerant, this recipe is for you.  I have never prepared or eaten Soba noodles, so this was an exciting prospect for me.  Today I was ready to prepare some Soba noodles and try them.  I made up this recipe, so I used traditional Japanese flavors and ingredients, but I don't know how authentically Japanese my recipe is.

I loved the colors, and the noodles were yummy.

Ingredients for this Recipe are:

1 large Carrot
2 small Baby Bok Choy
6 slices Canadian Bacon
3 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon grated Fresh Ginger
1/2 lb. Soba Noodles
1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Microwave garlic for 30 seconds in 2 tablespoons of the quarter cup of toasted sesame oil
in a glass cup.

Pour soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vinegar, garlic in oil, and grated ginger in a blender and
blend until smooth.

Cut bok choy into 1 inch pieces.  Cut the carrots at an angle into 1/4 inch medallions.
Cut Canadian Bacon into 1/4 inch slices.

Bring a medium pot full of water to boil.  Add salt and boil soba noodles according to
package directions.  My noodles were cooked in five minutes.

While the noodles are boiling, preheat a large wok over high flame until you begin to see some smoke. Open windows and turn on circulation fans if you can.  I have two fans one in my kitchen window and the other in the adjacent living room window specifically for me to use when I am stir frying.  Stir fry the carrots in 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil for a couple of minutes, then add bok choy.

Using tongs remove soba noodles from boiling water when fully cooked and add them to the vegetables.  Pour sauce on top and finish by adding Canadian Bacon.  Stir fry for a couple of
 minutes and serve hot.

I don't know if soba noodles are meant to be eaten hot, or cold.  I have seen recipes calling for
cold soba but I wanted it to be like ramen almost.

I love noodles, and now that I have eaten soba noodles, I'm sure I'll make them again.

Enjoy!

Garlic Ginger Soba Noodles
Printable Recipe found Here

Ingredients:

1 large Carrot

2 small Baby Bok Choy

6 slices Canadian Bacon

3 cloves Garlic

1 teaspoon grated Fresh Ginger

1/2 lb. Soba Noodles

1/4 cup Toasted Sesame Oil

2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Process:

Microwave garlic for 30 seconds in 2 tablespoons of the quarter cup of toasted sesame in a glass cup.

Pour soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, vinegar, garlic in oil, and grated ginger in a blender and blend till smooth.

Cut bok choy into 1 inch pieces.  Cut the carrots at an angle into 1/4 inch medallions.  

Cut Canadian Bacon into 1/4 inch slices.

Bring a medium pot full of water to boil.  Add salt and boil soba noodles according to package directions.  

While the noodles are boiling, preheat a large wok over high flame until you begin to see some smoke. 

Open windows and turn on circulation fans if you can. 

Stir fry the carrots in 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seed oil for a couple of minutes, then add bok choy.

Using tongs remove soba noodles from boiling water when fully cooked and add them to the vegetables.  Pour sauce on top and finish by adding Canadian Bacon.  Stir fry for a couple minutes and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Red Potato Salad

My friend Whitney had her baby.  Gabriella is a beautiful baby.  I decided to make them Baked Beans, a favorite of Whitney and her husband Jonny, but I wanted to make something to go with it.  Potato Salad seemed like a good idea.  I like potato salad.  My family doesn't like potato salad, so when I make it, I'm the one who eats it.  Thankfully, the Martinez family are wonderful about eating food I make. Potato Salad is one of those dishes that can be very complicated or very simple.  It seems to be an American staple during the warmer months.  We had a warm day today, so I felt like I could make this salad.  

 This is American, eaten on the 4th of July comfort food.

Ingredients for this Recipe Are:

3 lbs. Red Potatoes
3 Green Onions
3 tablespoons Fresh Dill
5 Eggs
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
3/4 cup Sour Cream
3 tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Wash potatoes and place on a rack in a pressure cooker.  Add 1/2 inch water.

Pierce potatoes with a knife twice and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cover pressure cooker and cook on high for 8 minutes.

Remove potatoes from pressure cooker and cut into 1/2 inch dice and allow to cool on cutting board.

Place eggs in a medium sauce pan, cover with water about 1/2 an inch over eggs.

Set burner to medium-high.

When water boils, cover with lid.  Turn off burner and set timer for 14 minutes.

 Remove eggs from boiling water and place in ice water and allow to cool completely.

 Peel eggs and cut into 1/2 inch dice.

 Add mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard, sea salt, and pepper to a small bowl and stir.

Place potatoes and eggs in a large bowl.

Remove excess stem from dill and cut into small pieces.

Slice green onions.

Add sauce, green onions, and dill to potatoes and eggs.  Gently stir, add more salt and pepper to taste.

Allow salad to cool in refrigerator and serve.

Enjoy!

Red Potato Salad

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Red Potatoes

3 Green Onions

3 tablespoons Fresh Dill

5 Eggs

3/4 cup Mayonnaise

3/4 cup Sour Cream

3 tablespoons Yellow Mustard

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Process:

Wash potatoes and place on a rack in a pressure cooker, add 1/2 inch water.

Pierce potatoes with a knife twice and sprinkle with sea salt.

Cover pressure cooker and cook on high for 8 minutes.

Remove potatoes from pressure cooker and cut into 1/2 inch dice and allow to cool on cutting board.

Place eggs in a medium sauce pan, cover with water about 1/2 an inch over eggs.

Set burner to medium-high.

When water boils cover with lid, turn off burner and set timer for 16 minutes.

Remove eggs from boiling water and place in ice water and allow to cool completely.

Peel eggs and cut into 1/2 inch dice.

Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, sea salt, and pepper to a small bowl and stir.

Place potatoes and eggs in a large bowl.

Remove excess stem from dill and cut into small pieces.

Slice green onions.

Add sauce, green onions, and dill to potatoes and eggs.  Gently stir, add more salt and pepper to taste.

Allow salad to cool in refrigerator and serve.

Enjoy!