Chocolate Pudding Fudge Cake

This creation evolved from both my husband and I wanting some good chocolate cake out of the blue. After trying a recipe we didn't really care for, we ended up combining things we liked from a couple different recipes together and adding and minus-ing a few little ingredients a long the way. We also made chocolate frosting to top it off but it's really good even without it. Enjoy!

2 cups flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or baking pan of your choice. (I made a 13x9 inch cake and cupcakes from this same batch, so it turns out a little larger than one 13x9 inch cake.

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Add the sour cream, milk, oil, water, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes. Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan, or if using a Bundt pan, cook 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup cocoa

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3-1/2 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

In a large saucepan, melt together the butter and cocoa. Stir until smooth. Using a mixer, alternately beat in powdered sugar and milk until frosting is smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla and salt.

Tirza Hellyar

Apricot Tart

This is versatile recipe. It can be changed to adapt to the fruit that's in season. For instance, you could use peaches or apples with crumbled oatmeal cookies or vanilla wafers instead of nectarines and gingersnaps. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream served over top of a warm tart along with a little caramel drizzle is pure and simple perfection. Enjoy.

Makes 2 Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (10 inches square), such as Pepperidge Farm

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons ginger snap crumbs (about 2 cookies)

1 ripe yet firm nectarine, halved, pitted and cut into about 16 very thin slices, each about 1/8 inch wide

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 pinches cinnamon

1 tablespoon apricot jam (without chunks)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

2. Remove the sheet of puff pastry from the freezer. Using a heavy knife cut the pastry in half crosswise and return the remaining half to the freezer for later use. Lay the pastry flat, let thaw, and cut it in half again crosswise, creating two 5-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Fold the sides of each pastry square about 1/2 inch towards the center. Use your index finger to make indentions and lightly squeeze the dough around your finger, creating a fluted effect around the edges. (This forms a “little boat” for the nectarines.) Brush the edges of the tarts with the beaten egg mixture.

4. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs evenly in the center of each pastry. Fan 8 slices of nectarines, slightly overlapping in the center of each pastry. Sprinkle each tart with 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Warm the apricot jam in a microwave until warm and syrupy, about 10 seconds. Drizzle evenly over the nectarines. Dot each tart with 1/2 teaspoon of the butter and bake until the crust is golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Peanut Butter Pie Sealed with Kisses

I discovered this pie one day while I was in a peanut butter mood. The filling turns out like a peanut butter mouse, really light and not too sweet. The chocolate kisses blend nicely and if you want, you can make your own chocolate sauce to drizzle instead of using Hershey's.

Crust

30 Vanilla or chocolate wafers

1/3 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter at room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 chocolate kisses

Chocolate sauce for drizzling

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

TO MAKE CRUST:

Combine the wafers and peanuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse a few times until incorporated. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it firmly. Bake until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie dish to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING:

Put the peanut butter in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on a medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. The cream should slowly fall over foreword when lifted with a whisk. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in about half of the week cream mixture into the peanut butter. Then transfer this mixture into the remaining whip cream mixture and beat on medium-high speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly. Arrange the chocolate kisses in a circular fashion on the outside edge of the filling, 1/2 inch in from the crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or as long as overnight. Slice and serve with an artful drizzle of chocolate sauce.