Napa Farmhouse 1885™

I "retired" from the corporate world a couple of years ago because I wanted to experience a real life after years of 80 hour work weeks and constant travel. A year later I realized that I was having a really good time, was always busy (how did i ever fit in a job??) and needed a creative outlet to share my experiences. Now I split my time between California and New Mexico but, wherever I am, I write about delicious, fresh, local, organic/sustainably grown food.

Showing posts with label chocolate desserts. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

A Cornucopia Of Corn Recipes For Summer

It is Corn Week at Food Network's Summer Soiree, and I thought I would share a bunch recipes to help you use up the overflowing bounty that hits each summer just about now. Cooling corn salads, salsas, grilled corn with toppings, chowder, pizzas, popcorn...even chocolate cake (yes really) are all included. So, pick your favorites and dig in...or just grill and top with butter and salt. Nothing tastes better. Enjoy!

Okay, by now you are probably asking "why is she blathering on about cakes in a corn story?" Trust me; this cake is delicious...and it is only made in summer...because the secret ingredient is pureed fresh white corn. Yes, corn. If you can have zucchini cakes, and carrot cakes, why not corn? When you puree fresh corn, it becomes this milky, frothy liquid that adds a moistness and a lightness that is hard to describe. I have never had anyone correctly guess the "secret" ingredient...but everyone that has ever tasted it, loves it. I urge you to give it a try and let me know what you think.

Corny Chocolate Cake
cake ingredients

2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp instant coffee crystals
1 cup white corn kernels (usually takes corn from 2 cobs)
1 cup dark chocolate chips

chocolate glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp melted butter
3-4 tbsp boiling water
1/8 tsp instant coffee crystals

for cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder to prevent sticking
3. Using a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt..set aside.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, beat eggs until a bit frothy. Add olive oil, cocoa powder,
sugars and coffee crystals..beat until thoroughly combined. Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the corn kernels and process until smooth and liquefied. You should not see any kernels.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix just until combined
6. Add the corn mixture and mix until combined
7. Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
8. Pour into the prepared pan and bake on center rack of oven approx. 50-60 minutes or until a bamboo stick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, 10-15 minutes on a rack and then remove from pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, drizzle with the chocolate glaze if desired or sift powdered sugar over cake top in lieu of glaze.

chocolate glaze
Whisk together all ingredients except water in small bowl. Add 3 tbsp boiling water and whisk until combined. Add the remaining tbsp water if needed. The glaze should be just thin enough to pour easily.
This cake is best eaten the day it is made.

Other corn recipes you may enjoy:

It is "Summer Corn" week at Food Network's Summer Soiree roundup. Do you have a favorite corn recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network:

The Lemon Bowl: Pesto Pasta Salad with Green Beans and Corn
Devour: Fire Up the Grill for a Mexican Grilled Corn Fiesta
Feed Me Phoebe: Sweet and Spicy Gluten-Free Corn Pasta with Ricotta and Chives
Creative Culinary: Grilled Corn Salsa with Poblano Chiles, Cilantro and Honey
TasteBook: Esquites (Mexican-Style Corn Salad)
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Corn, Pluot and Grape Salad
Napa Farmhouse 1885: A Cornucopia of Corn Recipes For Summer
Healthy Eats: 7 Summer Salads That Put a New Spin on Corn
In Jennie's Kitchen: Easy Homemade Creamed Corn
FN Dish: If You Cook Any Corn This Summer, Make It One of These 5-Star Recipes

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

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California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Three Cake Recipes To Get You Through Till Spring

Ahh..it is March 15th today, only five days till spring! So, of course, we need cake to get us through. Here are three of my favorite recipes. Perfect for these last chilly days with a cup of tea...wonderful in summer with fresh fruit topping. Which one is your favorite?

Meyer Lemon Marmalade Cake (just happens to be vegan)

(with Strawberry/Balsamic Sauce)

For the cake:

3 2/3 cups organic unbleached flour

2 cups sugar (organic will really make a difference)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp alum free baking powder

2 cups cold water

1/2 cup plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp pure vanilla extract (I use Tahitian vanilla)

Meyer lemon marmalade syrup

2 cups organic sugar
zest from 1 Meyer lemon, plus 3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
2 cups water

2 tbsp Meyer lemon marmalade

Combine sugar, zest, and 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow syrup to come to room temperature (keep in the saucepan). When completely cool, pour through a strainer into a small bowl (throw away strainer contents). Stir in Meyer lemon juice and marmalade.

Strawberry/Balsamic sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1 1/2 tbsp organic brown sugar

One tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

a handful of fresh mint for garnish, rough chop

(I use this sauce all summer on cakes, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, fresh fruit. .etc. feel free to substitute other berries..whatever you like)

Wash, stem and puree 2 cups of the strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add the brown sugar, orange zest, pepper and balsamic vinegar and puree until almost smooth. Pour into serving bowl. Slice the remaining 1/2 cup berries and add to bowl. Taste and add a bit more sugar if needed...total amount will depend on how sweet your berries are.

step 1...make cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a bundt pan and set aside. Combine the water, e.v.o.o., vinegar and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients...do not skip the sifting, you want all the small lumps removed... add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. (do not over-mix). Bake in preheated oven approx. 45 min-1 hour. Start checking at 45 minutes...when a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean...the cake is finished. Remove from oven and place on rack. Let cool for 10 minutes.

step 2

Turn out the cake from bundt pan onto a serving plate. Using a toothpick, poke a number of holes in cake top. Using a large spoon, drizzle Meyer lemon marmalade syrup onto cake top, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups in total. Cake should look really moist...not soggy. Allow to cool completely. garnish cake with large pieces of lemon peel from the marmalade (I just use a fork to strain out from the syrup mixture)

step 3

To serve, slice cake and plate...either spoon strawberry/balsamic sauce around cake...or serve plain and pass the sauce separately. Top serving with a sprinkle of mint...as my friend Richard says.."the mint is key...it wakes up the entire mouth."

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Balsamic & Olive Oil

I am resharing one of my go-to recipes, Vegan Chocolate Cake. This recipe was inspired from the Moosewood Restaurant Book*Desserts. I substituted balsamic vinegar and olive oil, doubled the ingredients and turned it into a bundt cake. Regular readers know how often I use in-season fresh figs in my recipes, but this cake is very adaptable. If figs are out of season, or you do not like them..leave them out or use dried dates. This is one of those *just happens to be vegan* recipes. I did not start out with that as a goal but hey! Don't tell your non-vegan friends. They will never know!

3 cups unbleached flour (organic if possible)

2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality)

1 tsp salt

2 cups organic sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 cups cold water

1/4 cup cold coffee (just use your leftovers from breakfast)

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar of Modena

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh figs, stems removed..figs finely chopped (or use dates when figs are out of season)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (use olive oil) a bundt pan and set aside. Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except figs) and mix well. You can use a mixer..but I just use a wooden spoon and do this by hand. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until just combined..do not over-mix. Add the figs and stir again until incorporated into the batter. Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake approximately one hour until a cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool until just slightly warm. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

You can drizzle your favorite chocolate glaze over cooled cake or sprinkle with powdered sugar...this recipe also make delicious cupcakes.

One more favorite recipe:

pumpkin & chocolate chip cake

It is Cake week at Food Network's Comfort Food Feast roundup. Do you have a favorite cake recipe to share? Please list (or link) in the comments below. And be sure to check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends and Food Network.

Homemade Delish: No-Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake in a Cup
Creative Culinary: St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Three Cake Recipes To Get You Through Till Spring
Red or Green: Spiced Gingerbread Cake
Healthy Eats: 5 Cupcakes That Are Secretly Lighter
In Jennie's Kitchen: Dark Chocolate Brownies
The Mom 100: Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake with Sweet Vanilla Drizzle
FN Dish: 5 Stunning Cakes with Sky-High Fan Reviews

best,

diane

napa farmhouse 1885

red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove

napa farmhouse 1885

Promote Your Page Too

I have started sharing my newest blog "California Girl in Taos." Please visit and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Easy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls

I like to have easy, delicious and healthy snacks available to grab whenever I am hungry but too busy to make a proper meal. These peanut butter balls perfectly fit the bill. Three ingredients; peanut butter, coconut, and dark chocolate, (a pinch of salt is optional) provide a guilt free and satisfying treat that keeps me full for hours.

These easy-breezy balls require no more work than mixing peanut butter and coconut together, forming the balls, chilling and dipping into melted chocolate chips. Allow to chill and they are ready to pop in your mouth. I often make a double batch and keep in the fridge for up to a week. Mid morning snack? Yes. A couple for lunch? Of course. Afternoon treat? OK. Dessert? Absolutely. Enjoy!

Easy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls
(makes 12)

2 cups freshly ground peanut butter, room temperature (I grind my peanut butter fresh using the machines at the market)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
10 oz best quality dark chocolate chips (I like the Chocolove dark chocolate chips brand)
1/2 tsp salt (optional and makes this a 4 ingredient dish!)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place peanut butter and coconut in a medium bowl and mix together. Taste and add salt if desired. Using an ice cream scoop, melon baller or 2 spoons, create 12 balls. Add balls to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Melt chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler. Dip ball with a fork into melted chocolate. Let excess drip off and add back to baking sheet. Refrigerate balls until firm (a minimum of 2 hours).
Serve. Will keep for one week covered and refrigerated.

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Other peanut butter recipes you may enjoy: