Chocolate Waffle Cakes from Waffleizer

Most of you already know that my son is crazy for waffles and anything related to waffles, waffle irons, and Belgium, so you can imagine my delight at finding a website for all things waffleized. Waffleizer.com will show you how to waffle up a whole bunch of stuff, none better than these truly delicious little chocolate cakes. Just think, no pans to wash and really, really happy children.

When this posted on facebook, a (grown) friend asked if she could move in with us. Such is the power of the chocolate waffle.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter

1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Optional: 1/2 ounce cocoa nibs, broken down into bits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a blunt object (meat tenderizer, rolling pin, old waffle iron, etc.)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Let cool slightly.

2. Put eggs, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in butter, salt, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs (if using -- I didn't) and the flour.

3. Heat a waffle iron until hot. (I found this recipe worked best with a regular, not Belgian, waffler.) Lightly grease iron with a neutral oil, such as canola. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter onto center of each waffle-iron section to make 1 1/2-inch rounds. Close cover; cook until set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool. Repeat with remaining batter, coating grids with oil after each batch.

4. Dust with powdered sugar. I suggest eating them with ice cream and some nice hot fudge sauce, too.

Jordan Marsh Berry Muffins

My Grandma Nancy had a real thing about eating in department stores and hotel coffee shops (back when such places were fine places to eat and weren't named things like "Champs".) In fact, for many years, we ate at the Tea Room at Gilmore's department store every Monday. So you can imagine her excitement when we went to Boston to visit my Aunt Dede and had the famous muffins at the Jordan Marsh department store. She was beyond thrilled. We proudly brought that recipe back to Paw Paw, MI and made them in the pizza oven in lieu of the usual Sara Lee coffee time treats.


I can't remember what they originally called for - blueberries or raspberries. Having come late to blueberries, I make these with raspberries and they are delicious.


1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour, sifted
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. berries

1. Cream butter and 3/4 c. sugar.
2. Add eggs. Blend well.
3. Sift all dry ingredients.
4. Add to butter mixture, alternating with milk and vanilla.
5. Mash 1/2 the berries with a fork and fold into the batter.
6. Fold in the remaining whole berries
7. Pile high into greased muffin tins.
8. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. sugar.
9. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Eulie's Ozark Apple Cake

My grandmother made this as a breakfast or snack cake when I was a child. It's similar to a typical "Ozark" apple cake, but uses butter, not oil. I think she got the original recipe from a cookbook called Symphony of Cooking. The actual honest-to-God note handwritten on the back of the original recipe card says, "If you are planning to serve this to guests, better make two as Jen can eat one whole one." Um, yes.

SERVES 6

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups finely chopped, peeled apples
• 1/2 cup nuts, dried fruit, etc. optional, though I never include them

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add egg. Beat well.
3. Sift all dry ingredients.
4. Blend into wet ingredients.
5. Fold in apple and optional items
6. Spread into a well-greased 8x8 inch pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
8. Serve warm or room temp, with whipped cream or without. 

Birthday Dinner, Part Two: Broccoli Casserole Recipe

Vi knows that I'm an at-least-two-vegetable-side-dish kind of woman so naturally, she chose a veggie side dish to go along with the main course. And a cheese pizza dinner wouldn't be complete without -- what else? -- broccoli casserole. I originally got this recipe from Amy Spar who maybe definitely got it from Cooking Light, circa February 2007.  Either way, I've changed it up a little bit.

All good casseroles have something crunchy on top.

8 c. (~2 lbs) broccoli florets

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. black pepper

1 1/2 c. milk (warm)

3/4-1 c. vegetable broth (warm)

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan, divided

12 garlic melba toast rounds (I'm sure you could also used bread crumbs but the original called for these and Vi really likes it this way.)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes - crisp! Drain.
3. Place flour, salt, and dry mustard in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add the milk and broth and whisk until blended. Cook for approximately 8 minutes or until thick.  Whisk constantly.
4. Remove from heat. Add cheddar and half of parmesan. Stir until melted.
5. Add broccoli. Toss to coat.
6. Put the broccoli mixture into a greased 13x9 inch baking pan.
7. Use the food processor to crush the melba rounds (pulse about 10 times) and add the remaining cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
8. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Birthday Dinner, Part One: Cheese Pizza & Crust Recipe

My kids made me a fantastic birthday dinner Thursday night, complete with setting a fancy table and Top Chef style descriptions of the menu. I couldn't be prouder. Charlie chose cheese pizza as his contribution. The broccoli casserole and molten chocolate cake recipes will follow.

Fancy table, including chocolate milk fixins.

Flowers, natch.

Charlie's finished product.

2 cups warm water

pinch of sugar or smidge of honey

teaspoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

5 cups flour (plus extra for handling the dough)

2 teaspoons salt

(corn meal for peel or pan)

1. Measure water into large bowl.  Add the sugar/honey and yeast.  Wait 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the oil.
3. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt.  Stir with a wooden spoon.
4. Gradually add in the rest of the flour.  Mix with a wooden spoon until it gets too thick, then mix with your hands.  If you need to, add extra flour to keep it from being too sticky.
5. Turn onto a floured work surface.  Knead, pound, and stretch for about five minutes until dough is no longer sticky.
6. Let your dough rest for 1 hour.  Divide and shape into a pizza shapes on a cookie sheet, or pizza peel if using stone.  Dust sheet or peel with plenty of cornmeal.  Top with sauce, toppings, and/or cheese.
7. If using a stone, transfer to pizza stone with a peel.
8. Bake at 500+ degrees for about 8-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Watch it closely, the time is approximate.