Cooking 101 - German Chocolate Cake from Scratch

It's BIRTHDAY WEEK!  Woohoo!  

My oldest boy is the 4th, my younger boy is the 6th, and I am the 8th.  We celebrate "Birthday Week" and usually nosh on the same cake all week long!  Parrrtay.

**Nostalgic Back Story** 

{cue the beautiful orchestra music}

Ever since I was a kid, I absolutely HAD to have German Chocolate cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting.  I would look forward to it as much as, if not more so, than birthday gifts!  { my foodie nerdiness started early!}  My mom would ask what kind of cake I would want each year, knowing what the answer would be, but she would ask just in case.  And for whatever reason, she would only make this cake one time per year - ONLY on my birthday - and I literally tried to savor every. bite. of my birthday cake.  I would wonder with amazement how something so delicious could be made with human hands.  (My mom wasn't human, though, she was an angelic SuperMom!)

And then my amazing BFF Kadie improved upon the German Chocolate Cake.  {gasp!!}  I know…I know what you're thinking…."you can't mess with the purity and perfection of the German Chocolate Cake thing"…however, with her love and reverence for all things dessert, she did it and it's now the ultimate beloved favorite in my house.  

The secret?  Kadie's chocolate buttercream frosting (recipe below or link to her blog).  It ups the richness factor and adds some serious depth to this already-perfect pairing.  You absolutely HAVE to try it!   {{Thanks, Kadie!!!}}

Kadie's German Chocolate Cupcakes link

{aren't they GORGEOUS?!}

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE {from scratch}
with CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM & COCONUT PECAN FROSTING

{that, my friend, is a mouthful…and so is the cake…}

CAKE:

1 pkg. (4 oz) Baker's German Sweet Chocolate

½ c. water

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease & cover bottoms of two  8" or  9" cake pans with parchment paper.  Butter the sides of the pans, as well.  Microwave chocolate and water in large microwavable bowl until melted, stirring every 30 seconds or so.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one-at-a-time, beating well after each one.  Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla.  Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go along.  

Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff peaks form; gently fold into cake mixture.  Pour evenly into cake pans.  Bake 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Immediately run small metal spatula around cake.  Let cool for a few minutes and remove cake from pans and let cool on a wire rack until completely cooled off before frosting.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

1 stick (1/ 2 c.) butter

3 c. powdered sugar

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

2 heaping Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

3-4 T. of milk or heavy cream

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in a double-broiler on the stove until melted.  If using a microwave, stir every 15-30 seconds to avoid scorching.  Let completely cool.

Beat together all ingredients until frosting is smooth and whipped.  Start with the least amount of milk/cream and add more as needed to desired consistancy. (I usually use milk, but sometimes heavy cream adds more richness)

COCONUT PECAN FROSTING:

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

3 egg yolks

1 stick (½ c.) butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ⅓ c. shredded, sweetened coconut flakes

1 c. (or more) chopped pecans

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, yolks, butter, and vanilla.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  DO NOT BOIL.  It should coat the back of a spoon.  Set aside; add coconut and pecans and let cool for about 20-30 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE LAYER CAKE:

First, scoop out some chocolate buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with whatever frosting tip you want.   You only need about ½ c. - ¾ c. of frosting in your bag, depending on how much buttercream you want to pipe onto the cake.  

Place one layer of cake on your cake plate and spread a layer of chocolate buttercream on top, make sure it's not too thick. Then carefully spread a thick layer of coconut pecan frosting on top of that.  Place 2nd layer on top of cake; repeat with a layer of buttercream and coconut pecan frosting, coating the cake all the way around the sides, as well.  

Pipe your buttercream frosting designs around the cake - have fun with it! And enjoy.  I am positive that you are going to LOVE this.

Pure.  Heaven.  

Bye for now!!

Brewed Cocoa

Okay, so my BFF Kadie lives in Texas and I live in Arizona.  Uh....PROBLEM.  I don't know how we're going to figure this out....either I have to move to Texas or they have to move to Arizona because we just can't keep going on like this.  It's been since last June that I saw her.  If we don't do something about it, I'm going to keep making images like the one above and hang them ALL OVER my house....maybe my husband will go crazy & eventually start job-hunting in Houston.  ???!!!  One can only hope.  But then again, I can't leave Arizona.  

Do you see how bad this is?!

Anyhoo---my Bestie mailed the coolest Christmas gift....EVER...the gift that keeps on giving because now I'm addicted!!!  Thanks, Kadie!!!  {heart...heart....heart}

Brewed cocoa.  It's NOT coffee, but you brew it like ground coffee beans.

It.  Smells.  AMAZING.  

Like rich, chocolatey cocoa times a hundred.  

You just measure your amount into a French Press, pour in almost boiling water...

...and let the magic happen.  

All of that goodness and flavor brews and quietly awaits to make you so very happy.

I may OR may not have known how to do this....someone might have had to tell me how to use it....

but once the cocoa has sat for a few minutes, you press the little pressy button down and the granules get pushed to the bottom so you can pour out the liquid.  WHO KNEW?!  Well, maybe I did know.  Maybe I didn't.  

For me, I add a little Truvia sweetener and a splash of cream.  This kind of cocoa is a little different than your hot cocoa mixes full of hydrogenated fats - it's pure, raw cocoa beans and water.  You have to add sweetness to it, but I actually prefer this over hot cocoa mix.  

It's WAY, way better!  (and packed full of health benefits)

Thanks, Kadie - and thanks Amazon for my shipment on the way...I've already gone through a 1.5 pounder-bag of this stuff!!!  

Just look at how good it is for you, though!!  Who KNEW?!  It's okay for kids, has ZERO caffeine, it's full of antioxidants, and helps curb appetite.  WHAT?!!  Sign me up.  

So far, so good - I'm a huge, huge fan.  Something new to try!!

Have a happy day!!!!

--Abby

Cooking 101 - No Bake Cookies

Whatta Classic!!!

While I had a house full of sickies, and while I cleaned and took care of people, I had this burning desire for....No Bake Cookies...???  Honestly--who doesn't love a No-Bake?  I'm embarassed to admit that I devoured *ahem* a lot of these.  They're freakishly good.

And since I had these cute little paper wrappers, I thought I'd try making my cookies into an oblong shape--and I love it!  What a fun way to package and give your cookies away! {gasp!}

CLASSIC NO-BAKE COOKIES:

Original recipe from:  One More Moore

1/2 C. Butter

2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Milk

4 T. Cocoa powder

1/2 C. Crunchy peanut butter (I love Skippy All-Natural Super Chunk...no hydroginated oil)

3 1/2 C. Quick oats

2 T. Vanilla

Combine butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan; cook on medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.  Boil for one minute.

Stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla.  Spoon onto waxed paper and let cool for a few hours.

And then try hard not to eat all of them!!  

Cooking 101 - Ghirardelli Chocolate Truffle Cake

{think of a gooey truffle bite melting in your mouth....that's what this cake is like...}

Every woman needs this cake in her recipe box.  It's not cake, really - it's more creamy than anything.  It's thick, dense, gooey and SO very rich.  When I'm craving some deep, flavorful chocolate, I always think of this cake.  

It's super easy, it will impress all of your friends and family...and let's be honest...you do enjoy that...

But most importantly, it will flood your mind, body, and soul with deep, rich CHOCOLATE beyond your wildest dreams...so go ahead and try it.

GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE:

For the cake:

1 pkg. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet baking chips - or 2 cups
{**do not substitute anything for the Ghirardelli - hence the name...and the flavor...}
2 sticks butter
8 eggs
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Arrange rack in center of the oven.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x2" round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  (place the pan over the parchment paper, trace the bottom circle, cut it out and set it inside)

In a double broiler, or a large heatproof bowl placed over a medium pot of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips and butter together until smooth, stirring occasionally.  **do NOT let steam or water get into the bowl.  Make sure to barely simmer the water.  Cool slightly.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer using the whip attachment, whip the eggs and salt together on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the eggs have doubled in size.

Gently fold the whipped eggs, a third at a time, into the melted chocolate.  Pour the batter into prepared cake pan.  Prepare a water bath for the cake by placing the cake pan in a larger pan and filling the large pan halfway up the sides of the cake pan with hot, but not boiling, water.

Bake for 40 about minutes, or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center.  Remove the pan from the water bath to a cooling rack and cool the cake completely in the pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.   (or put it in the freezer for 30 min. to an hour, and transfer to the fridge for another couple of hours.)

To remove cake from pan:  dip the pan in warm water halfway up the sides and run a thin metal spatula around the inside of the pan.  Invert onto a plate to unmold and remove the parchment paper.

Prepare Ganache:

1 c. heavy cream
1 bag Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (or 2 cups)
  (you could also do half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate--but I like the semi-sweet)
pinch of salt

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat.  Pour heated cream over chips and whisk gently until smooth.  Allow to cool slightly.  Pour little by little over the top of the cake and spread to evenly cover.  (There will be soome ganache left over - save it for some ice cream or French toast!)

Chill the cake for a few minutes for the ganache to set.  To garnish, grate some white chocolate bar over the top of the cake.  It's also heavenly with some fresh homemade whipped cream.  (never Cool Whip. never.)

Cooking 101 - Chocolate Sauce (Ganache)

Wanna quick, easy, last-minute, AMAZING Valentine gift idea?!  (the reason I even did  this is that my son's Valentine party is tomorrow???!!!...I know...why not on V-day?)  I'm giving one of these to my boy's teacher - and she's not going to know what hit her.  It's ganache (guh-nosh) and when you drizzle this hot stuff over some good French vanilla ice cream, the world literally stops turning!!!  (I know that for a fact.)

Okay, so my "label" has much to be desired, but I didn't have time nor patience for a detailed explanation of the contents in the jar. If  you got this gift with some ice cream and it looks like chocolate and says, "heat & serve" - wouldn't  you know what to do??  I hope so.

So here's how it's done:

Take about 1 to 1 1/2 c. of heavy cream and heat it up to boiling, stirring constantly so as not to scorch the cream.

Have your chocolate chips in a bowl ready and waiting - go ahead, use the whole stinking bag.

 You MUST use Ghirardelli.  No exceptions.

 Aren't the morsels delicious?!  Can you smell the chocolate?!

 When your cream starts to boil, gently pour it into the chips - a little at a time so you don't get soupy chocolate.

 Whisk in the hot cream - it will look light and clumpy at first, but then...

 ...you get this gorgeous rich sauce.  If it's too thick, add more cream.

 I happen to have a stockpile of baby food jars available.  They're PERFECT because they're just the right size for this sauce as a gift.  You don't use very much of it at one time, so a little goes a long way.  Find whatever little jars you can.  Keep in mind that the contents of this sauce aren't cheap and it doesn't go very far.  Think LITTLE jars.

 And now decorate the heck out of your jar.  For my fabric covering, it's about 4 inches square with a little glue on the top of the lid to secure it.  Glue helps a lot.

Because my jars had that sticky crap where the baby food label was, I had to cover it up so I cut a strip of pink paper.  Not necessary, but definitely a solution.

 Give it away by itself or grab a small half-pint of ice cream to go with it!  And you'll always be remembered as the really classy lady who gave the most delicious, rich chocolate sauce that made the world stop turning.  Yes...now go be that lady...you amazing thing, you.

Oh, WHAT do you do?!

Workin' on a project.  {GASP!]  Well, that is, between chasing my baby all over the house removing small items from her chubby little hands and her soggy mouth, peeling poopy outfits off of her (I SWEAR...how does she produce all of that?!), doing dishes, fighting my desire to lay down and sleep, feeding people, cleaning up random messes that seem to multiply behind my back, and many more exciting and fulfilling tasks.  I'm trying to squeeze in a Christmas project here and there, which is why I remain madly in love with embroidery right now because you can set it down and pick it up whenever.  perfect!

But what do you do when you're ready to step out of your funk, leave the house, breathe in some fresh fall air, stop the madness for a moment, and escape?!  

You RUN over to the bakery, grab two gorgeous looking specimen, go home giggling, put the little ones down for a nap (or, for heaven's sake, find something mindless and numbing for them like cartoons) and have a TASTE TEST!!!  (by the way, I was totally wearing my 'cookie pants' and slippers with my hair pulled back and no shower!  How rad is that?!)

SO....today's challenge is...German Chocolate vs. Coconut Cream.  (notice the absence of fondant...haha.)

As you see here, both are beautiful with their own desirableness.  (is that even a word?)

Of course, I'm a chocolate addict, but I'm also a coconut freak, so between the two cupcakes, this should prove to be a difficult competition. aaakk! I love a tough challenge!!!

 NO BRAINER.  The German Chocolate wins hands-down.  The coconut cupcake is merely so-so because they used that nasty Crisco-like frosting, which, frankly, creeps me out.  Sorry, coconut cream.  (It needed cream-filling, that's what, and there might have been some challenge here.)

The German Chocolate has more flavor, the frosting isn't whipped Crisco, and, well, just look at it!  It's heaven!  What am I going to do when I don't live by this bakery anymore?!    

There you have it, folks.  A perfect way to escape reality, if just for a moment.

  

(side note:  because I'm trying to eat 'smarter', as hard as that might be to believe, I'm actually done tasting the cupcakes and I'm going to put them in the fridge and/or throw them away.  I only needed a taste.  It's a good feeling when you can do that.  A few dollars is worth my sanity!)

Chocolate Torte from Heaven

If you ever wondered what kind of food they allow you to eat in Heaven, this is it. I'm 100% positive of that and if they DON'T have this there, then I don't even want to bother going. haha.

But seriously, MAKE THIS. This is what my Love Nugget wants for Father's Day tomorrow. (and maybe I secretly planted that little seed in his brain....whispering 'chocolate torte' all over the house...)

We were at Rock-Star Kadie's house a while back and she made this for us and once again, I'm pretty sure I blacked out somewhere because the next thing I knew, after I started inhaling mine, I was laying on the ground rubbing it all into my face. {{embarrassing!!}}

So here's the link - if you REALLY want to taste something good! And that's her photo above ... gorgeous. Makes me want to eat my computer screen. I can't wait to make this!!!

Cute Chocolate Cups

Who says you can't have berries in the winter?! They're so gorgeous!

I found these cute Wilton chocolate molds at Jo-Ann's and they are FUN!!! We had a party for a friend today and I couldn't resist sharing my beautiful little chocolate cups & berries!!! They're super easy to use and work up fast, and I love how they look filled with yummy stuff. {{Ahh!}} ...PLUS, you get to eat the dishes, so cleanup is easy...

Cooking 101 - Chocolate Fudge

Friday was the last day of school - HORRAY! - and as much as I love, love, love my kids' teachers, I just didn't feel like spending a bunch of money this go-around. So instead of my usual Barnes & Noble Gift Card, {which, btw I think is fabulous and I could spend an entire day there...} they had to settle for a huge brick of my mom's creamy, dreamy, homemade fudge. Hey - it was a compromise, okay.

And I'm TELLING YOU - I've been to a bunch of cute little towns and I buy the fudge from the cute little fudge shops, but it is my humble, honest opinion that this recipe is better than all of those. I won't even patronize fudge shops anymore because I always walk away disappointed. {The only fudge shop that has ever blown my mind was "The Fudge Factory" in Nauvoo, IL where their fudge could paralyze me!}

Anyway - this makes a great gift because I think most people {unless they're complete idiots and therefore should never receive a gift of this magnitude} understand and appreciate how much love and work goes into homemade fudge! When it's packaged all cute, it is all the more irresistable!














Mom's FUDGE

(this recipe doubled makes a perfect sized batch for those big jelly roll/cookie sheet pans)

1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 sticks butter
4 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt (plus maybe a little pinch - I think the salt brings out the flavors a little)

{before you start cooking, get a little bowl of ice water and set it next to you} Add these four ingredients to a large pot; cook and stir constantly on medium-high heat until it starts to boil. Turn the heat down to medium, and continue to stir FOREVER. You want the mixture to reach the "soft ball" stage, which is where you drop a spoonful into that bowl of ice water and if the mixture holds together in a soft ball, then you're ready to move on. However, if it dissolves quickly then you've got to keep stirring. Don't rush this part because it's what makes your fudge creamy and not grainy and runny. Even if you think it's at the "soft ball" stage but you're not sure, keep going a little longer. Read a book while you stir - that's what I do!

**ALSO, dump out your ice water and start again if you need. Don't keep using the same bowl because you won't be able to tell what's going on with your fudge.

REMOVE FROM HEAT AND THEN ADD:

1 package of Ghiradelli's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar marshmallow cream

Stir or whisk until everything is dissolved.

THEN ADD:

1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts of your choice

Mix everything all together until it is all incorporated. Dump into buttered 9 x 13 cake pan, let it cool for a few minutes, and cover with plastic wrap. If it's winter time, set it outside to cool faster. We usually have snow outside so I'll set it down on top of the snow, careful not to let it melt through, and the fudge sets up so beautifully and creamy!

Cooking 101 - Aunt Jen's Peanut Clusters

My husband's aunt Jen is one of my most favorite people on earth. She once showed me how she made her signature peanut clusters and my jaw hit the floor as I'm watching her microwave chocolate chips, throw in the peanuts, and plop them down on waxed paper. She was done and my mouth was still wide open with awe. (probably with drool puddling everywhere.)
It's seriously that easy - I had no idea. I've been making them every Christmas since!

Here's what you'll need:
3 pkgs. Ghiradelli chocolate chips - I used 1 pkg semi-sweet and 2 pkgs milk
1 16-oz. jar Dry Roasted peanuts
2 large cookie sheets lined with waxed paper

Melt chocolate either in a double broiler or carefully in the microwave. The microwave will burn the chocolate if you don't stir and rotate it often. (I KNOW this...) Like I said before, my fancy, high-tech double broiler is a huge glass mixing bowl atop my stockpot with softly boiling water. Too much steam will ruin the chocolate, so make sure the burner is turned down fairly low. (I KNOW this, too...I've ruined lots of chocolate, honey!)

When your chocolate is melty and creamy, add your peanuts a little at a time. If you have too much chocolate, add more peanuts. You know the mixture is perfect when all of the peanuts are coated with chocolate and there's not much excess chocolate.

Then drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto your waxed paper cookie sheets and let them cool. I usually put mine out in my 20-degree garage for a little bit and they're perfect, but for those of you NOT living in the Arctic regions, your fridge will work. Or just let them sit on your counter.

Store the clusters in an air-tight container and if you need them to last a while, keep them in the fridge until you have to use them. After a few days, the chocolate gets grainy.

ENJOY!!!! I love ya, Aunt Jen!

Cooking 101 - Chocolate Turtles

Don't you want to sink your teeth into one of these yummy morsels?! Same here - and I did sink my teeth into a morsel...or two...or maybe three but I'm stopping counting at three.

You'll need:

2 or 3 14-oz. bags of caramels

evaporated milk

1 16-oz. bag of whole pecans

2 bags chocolate chips - I use half milk, half semi sweet

Foil

Waxed paper

1.) Unwrap and melt caramels. Throw them all in a big pot with some evaporated milk and stir them until it's all smooth and creamy. I don't think you need much of the milk, just enough to thin down the caramels and allow them to melt without burning. Maybe 1/4 c. of evaporated milk - maybe a little more.

2.) Once the caramel is all melted and gooey, add your pecans. You want every pecan to be evenly coated and then some. You don't want to add too many pecans and then end up with not enough melted caramel.

3.) Lay sheets of foil (you can spray them with Pam spray if you want) on your countertop and scoop out little spoonfulls of the caramel pecan mixture. Allow them to cool enough for you to handle them.

DO NOT USE WAXED PAPER FOR THIS STEP. Your caramels will stick to the paper and NEVER come off and you'll ruin the turtles forever! (All will be lost and you will cry big tears...) I know this.

4.) While your little turtle babies are cooling, melt your chocolate either in the microwave (carefully) or with the double-broiler method. I fill my stockpot less than half-way with water, put it on the stove to heat and then I put a huge, glass bowl on top of the pot. As long as NO moisture gets into the chocolate, including steam, this way is pretty easy. If your bowl is too small on top of the pot, you'll get moisture and ruin the chocolate.

5.) Peel off the turtles from the foil, discard the foil, and roll out sheets of waxed paper. Then, using toothpicks, dip each turtle into the melted chocolate, shake off the excess, and allow to cool on the waxed paper.

6.) After the turtles have cooled off, eat as many as you can before you pass out! This is always better to do with a good friend. Good Holiday fun....

Then package them in some cute bags like this from Papertrey Ink and you've got something that was actually pretty easy that people will LOVE.

Cooking 101- Abby's Rich Homemade Cocoa

It's a cold, sort of snowy day, and nothing sounds better to me than a rich cup of cocoa! So I made some. (So let's see...that's another 4 laps on the treadmill for me today...)
This cocoa has a little KICK in it, so if you're woman enough, you should definitely try this - and maybe share with a friend!

1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. half and half
2 oz. (half of a 4 oz. bar) bittersweet chocolate
2 oz. milk chocolate
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 T. sugar (optional)
A pinch or two of cayenne pepper (NOT optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat milk and half and half to almost a simmer. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stirring until melted. Whisk in all other ingredients. Gently reheat, serve immediately.

Garnish with whipped cream, and cinnamon sticks or vanilla beans.

Cooking 101 - Double Chocolate Pudding

EVERYBODY has got to try making their own chocolate pudding once in their lifetime! (And I'm pretty sure that you won't want to eat the boxed kind anymore!)

One of our family's favorite desserts after a nice Sunday dinner is a warm piece of chocolate cake smothered with warm chocolate pudding. You can cheat on the cake and make it from the box if you want - but NOT the pudding! Here is a sinful, homemade pudding that's easy to make:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

6 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 T. very good cocoa powder
Pinch salt

2 c. milk
1 oz. very good semisweet chocolate, chopped (unless you're using chocolate chips)
2 T. unsalted butter
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 T. heavy cream, half-and-half, or more milk will work, too.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and thick in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer if that's what you have). On low speed, add cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.

Then, bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly. While mixing chocolate mixture on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk into the mixture. Combine well, then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened. IF THE MIXTURE BEGINS TO CURDLE, REMOVE IT FROM HEAT AND BEAT IT VIGOROUSLY WITH A WIRE WHISK. Remove the pan from heat, add the chocolate, butter, vanilla and heavy cream and mix until everything is all melted.

This pudding ends up being thick. If you like it a little thinner, you can either scale back on the cornstarch or add more milk at the end.

Pour into serving bowls, place plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a 'skin' from forming on the top. Chill thoroughly or serve warm.

Cooking 101 - German Chocolate Cake Frosting

(Is it because I eat chocolate cake for breakfast that my pants are a little too tight today? Probably not - bring me another piece!)

From the time I was VERY young, I've requested that my mom make this cake for me every year on my birthday. No WAY was I into Barbie cakes or fancy girly cakes - I wanted a serious piece of heaven. After several years, she didn't even have to ask me what kind of cake I wanted - she already knew! And she always saved me a spoonful of the delectable frosting for me to savor. (Afterwards, I'd be licking the pan and any utensil that came in contact with the frosting.)

We had some dinner guests on Sunday and I couldn't resist making up some of this yummy cake with the best-ever frosting.

COCONUT-PECAN FROSTING:

1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 c. Sugar
3 Egg yolks
1 stick Butter
1 t. Vanilla
1 1/3 c. shredded, sweetened Coconut
1 c. chopped Pecans (or a little more)

While your cake is baking in the oven: In a medium saucepan, combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick (not boiling), about 12 minutes - stirring constantly.

Stir in coconut and pecans. Let the frosting cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When your cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 20 minutes, as well. For this recipe, it's best not to put hot frosting on a hot cake.

Cooking 101 - The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trust me when I say that I've tried hundreds of chocolate chip cookies. These are the BEST, by far. You've got to try them to believe me! (This recipe came from a friend of mine, Amy Olson)

You'll need:

1 1/4 c. room temperature butter (the real stuff, not margarine)
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 or 1/4 t. nutmeg (your preference)
1 t. baking soda
3 c. oats
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugars, egg and vanilla on low speed. Don't overmix - but make sure it's all blended well. Add the rest of the ingredients until mixed well.

Spoon medium-sized cookies onto cookie sheet and bake for approximately 9 minutes. Cookies should be a little gooey and slightly browned around the edges. Let cool for a couple of minutes before trying to take them off of the pan.

We actually enjoy our cookies frozen. I know, I know, it sounds crazy - but it's good!