Dark Chocolate Orange cookies Almonds and Candied Orange Peels

These cookies are just bursting with the freshness of orange. Paired with the dark chocolate flavor of cocoa powder and you have got yourself an classic Italian winning combination. 

This is another variation to Dessertfortwo's chocolate chip cookie recipe and this version happened because I realized I ran out of chocolate chips. I also just made some candied orange peel then using Bright-eyed Baker's recipe so I might as well see what I can do with what I have. 

And as expected, the cookie turned out perfectly crackled, crisp on the edges with some crunch and chew because of the almonds and candied orange peels. And since it's cheat day, I ate some of this with store bought vanilla ice cream. Cookie Ala mode, anyone?

Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies with Candied Orange Peels

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla
• zest of half an orange.
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
• ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Beat very well, about 45 seconds. Add the egg yolk, orange zest and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (except almonds and candied orange peels) and add it in 2 batches to the creamed butter, beating just to combine.
4. Stir in the almonds and candied orange peels. Portion out the dough into 12 balls. Line them up in the baking sheet 2-3 inches apart from each other and bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown on the edges.

Recipe adapted from DessertforTwo.com

Vanilla cake with chocolate fudge frosting

It's my grandma's 87th birthday! Yup, 87 and can still beat you at needle point poker.  Now, being someone who cannot pass up a Sunday without baking even if she just got back from attending a friend's wedding, I decided to take the easy route and just whip up some chocolate fudge frosting rather than make buttercream.

Also, I added some lemon zest to the cake for a burst of freshness.

Vanilla Butter cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

3/4 cup cake flour

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups

2 large eggs

zest from half a lemon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

2 tbsp butter

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk and cook over low heat  until thick. while stirring continuously.  This will take about 5-7 minutes. Once it arrives at the right consistency, turn off heat and add the butter. Whisk until butter is melted.

chocolate almond cookies

My 9-year old adopted sister is coming by to visit for my parents' anniversary lunch and for us to celebrate her birthday (Sept 17) and just like any kid, she loves loves chocolate so I'm making these chocolatey, nutty treats because she's the kind of kid that goes out to play outside and only comes back in to drink water and get cookies from the cookie jar so this is just perfect for when she decides she needed a shot of sugar rush.

I also use these cookies as base of an ice cream sandwich since the texture is chewy and soft but firm enough to hold the ice cream. And since it's a soft cookie, it doesn't crack when you bite into the sandwich therefore less mess.

Chocolate Almond Cookies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup toasted, cooled, and finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together into a bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and cream together on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.

Add the egg on medium-low speed and beat to incorporate.

Scrape the bowl and the paddle and add the pecans, vanilla extract, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients on low speed in 3 or 4 additions and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down all the way to the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, to be sure everything is well mixed.

Chill the cookie dough an hour or longer before shaping.

When you are ready to shape and bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Portion the dough using a 1/3-ounce (or #100) ice cream scoop. (If you dont have a scoop, use about 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie.) You should get 30 cookies.

Place the cookies 3/4 to 1-inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and use your fingers to press them flat, a little less than 1/4-inch thick. 
Bake until cooked through and the cookies feel set, about 7-9 minutes. Do not open the oven door while they are baking. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing the cookies with a metal spatula. Cool cookies completely before filling.

a little boozy devil's food cake

Since I learned the basics of baking cakes last year, I have declared myself the official cake baker for any family occasion at home. And being at the stage of trying different cake recipes off the net and tweaking them a little to suit my family's tastes (or my budget), I was able to make some good ones.

Now when I found this recipe, it became a totally different story. I baked this the first time at my on Mother's day this year.  Everyone loved it so much I baked it again for Father's day and my sister's birthday. Even my boss (and friend) who is also a baker and not such a fan of chocolate flavored baked goods liked it. Now that's saying something.

The father's day version (as inspired by Lorraine Pascal's "i can't believe you made this cake" design. i surrounded the cake with chocolate pretzel sticks and topped it with a bunch of grapes.

The second time i baked this (Father's Day), there was some rum sitting in the fridge and I was then fascinated by boozed-up baked goods then so I said why not? Thus this spiked devil's food cake version was born.

Spiked Devil's food cake
Ingredients  (makes 1 two-layered 6-inch cake/12 cupcakes)

CAKE:
1/2 cup best-quality cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 stick (1/2 cup) soft unsalted butter, plus some for greasing
3/4 cup sugar
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum (or more if you like it boozier)
2 eggs
chocolate butter cream frosting or any other frosting of your liking

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of both cake pans with parchment paper and butter the sides.

Put the cocoa and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar into a bowl with a bit of space to spare, and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to combine, then set aside.

Stir the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in another bowl.

Cream the butter and superfine sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy.  Dribble in the vanilla extract and rum into the creamed butter and sugar.  Add in the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Slowly add the dry ingredients then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping its bowl out well with a spatula. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and put in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Take the pans out and put them on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool.

If you are making this batter for cupcakes, line a 12-slot muffin pan with cupcake liner and pour the batter into each cup. I usually do 3 tbsp per cupcake then bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.

Note: The cake layers can be baked 1 day ahead and assembled before serving: wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in airtight container. Iced cake will keep for 2 to 3
days in airtight container in a cool place.

Freeze Note: Un-iced cake layers can be frozen on day of baking, each wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminium foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw for
3 to 4 hours on wire rack at room temperature.

Note: I adapted this recipe somewhere but unfortunately wasn't able to recall the blog's link anymore. I hope the owner forgives me.