6 in (15 cm) Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

In the mood for cake, yet don't need a huge layer cake? Get a 6" round cake pan and try this recipe, it's very tasty and easy! The frosting is great--it really makes the cake (which is good on its own, though). The only modifications I made were the baking time (which is likely just a difference in pan the original recipe used and/or oven), and the sprinkles I used for topping. 10/10 rating for this cake :)

Here is my video of making / trying out the recipe: https://youtu.be/CLsIKkt3Wz4

Original recipe post here: https://bakeorbreak.com/2020/12/6-inch-chocolate-cake/

Ingredients:

for the cake--

3/4 c. (90g) all-purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar (packed)

1 large egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. + 1 T. buttermilk

for the frosting--

1/3 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 c. marshmallow creme

optional: sprinkles for topping/decoration

Directions:

1. Prepare the pan: grease and flour a 6" (15 cm) round baking pan. Cut a circle of parchment to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment on the side that faces up and place in pan. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

5. Using low speed, alternate mixing in a third of the reserved dry mixture and half of the buttermilk at a time until all are combined.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 min, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (I had to go 40 min).

7. Cool cake in pan for 15 min, then remove from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

8. Prepare the frosting: in a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together all 4 frosting ingredients until well combined and smooth. 

9. Spread atop cake and, if desired, top with sprinkles. Enjoy!

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Sheet pan roasted chicken thighs and asparagus

So easy and delicious! 10/10 again! Very flavorful, moist chicken, and hubby declared this is the best way to have asparagus. I've made the asparagus alone using same method and ingredients in this recipe and served it with steak, was just as good. Try this recipe tonight! (BTW, this came together so easily and quickly I forgot about taking production pix until the end, so I'll try to add those the next time I make this.)

Link to original recipe: https://www.eatwell101.com/oven-baked-chicken-with-asparagus-recipe

Recipe below includes my modifications.

Ingredients:

olive oil (to prepare the baking sheet and brush on chicken thighs)

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt (not kosher)

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

juice of 1 small or 1/2 of large lemon

6 T. butter, cut in small slices/chunks

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat to 425°F (note to self: used full oven, convection roast setting). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush all over with olive oil.

2. Arrange the chicken thighs on one side of the prepared baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil.

3. Mix the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, turning to coat both sides.

4. On the other side of the baking sheet, arrange the asparagus as best you can to form a single layer (okay to have some overlaps if needed). Drizzle with the lemon juice.

5. Top both the asparagus and the chicken with the pieces of butter, distributing as evenly as possible.

6. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 min (or until chicken has reached internal temp of 165°F). Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Pork LOIN

Recipe with video #4! This is super easy and super delicious, 10+/10 all the way. I has intended to try a different recipe originally, which was for pork TENDERLOIN, not the same thing, can't substitute. I had thawed the pork LOIN out in the fridge and didn't look closely at the label (obviously)...and didn't have enough time to go get a TENDERLOIN, so I had to find a different recipe to try. I'm very glad this happened, as this recipe is sooooo tasty! In the video, I keep accidentally calling it a tenderloin, and I'm a bit less organized than usual, so I hope everyone still enjoys it anyway (and pardon the parts where we forgot to do the lighting correctly) :)

Link to my YouTube video for the recipe: https://youtu.be/OQo4pq9YOhQ

Link for original recipe: https://diethood.com/instant-pot-pork-loin/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1.7 lb. pork LOIN (this is the weight I used; you can go up to 2.5 lbs, and if you do, increase pressure time by a minute or two)

3 T. butter, melted

1 T. bottled minced garlic

1 T. brown sugar

1 T. soy sauce

3/4 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. dried parsley (or 2 tsp. fresh)

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper (I didn't measure, but recipe says 1/2 tsp)

1 T. olive oil

1 c. chicken broth

optional: small amount of cornstarch slurry (I used about 1/2 tsp. with maybe equal amount of water)

Directions:

1. Leave pork loin out at room temperature for 20-30 min prior to cooking. Trim off silverskin (if any), but leave fat cap in place.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, and thyme.

3. Season the pork loin all over with the sea salt and fresh pepper, then brush the melted butter mixture all over.

4. Add the 1 T. olive oil to the pot of a pressure cooker and set to "sauté". Once the oil has heated, add the pork loin (I also scraped the excess seasoning from the plate I had it on, into the pot) and cook for 2-3 min per side.

5. Stop the sauté function. Transfer pork loin to clean plate, leaving drippings in the pot. Place the pressure cooker trivet in the pot, add the chicken broth, then place pork loin atop the trivet.

6. Close lid (check that the pressure valve is closed!) and set for pressure cook for 14 min (I used "poultry" setting on mine, as it doesn't have a "pork" setting).

7. At the end of pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 min, then quick release the rest. (Note: you can go until fully released naturally if desired; I went 20 min and there was barely any pressure to "quick" release).

8. Carefully open lid and transfer pork to cutting board. Tent with foil and let rest for 15 min. 

9. Meanwhile, set the pressure cooker to "sauté" and cook the sauce for 5 min. If desired, mix in a small amount of cornstarch slurry to help thicken the sauce. (Note: I added the slurry after the 5 min and let cook for remaining rest time of the pork.)

10. Slice up pork, serve with sauce and enjoy!

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Video recipe #3 is here! These cookies turned out pretty good, would go with 9/10, would make again. Next time, I will use parchment on the cookie sheets, as the bottoms were fairly stuck, despite using nonstick style cookie sheets. The cooking time was not correct as written; I had to go 10 minutes and even at that, I think I could have gone 11 or even 12.

Link to my YouTube video for the recipe: https://youtu.be/FwgcJdM0xv4

Link to original recipe: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/dessert/vanilla-sugar-cookies

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (11.68 oz.)

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

colored sugar (not sanding sugar)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well blended.

4. Gradually mix in the reserved flour mixture until well blended.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6. Heat oven to 400°F. (next time: line baking sheets with parchment)  Roll dough into 1" balls, then toss the balls in the colored sugar until completely coated. Place on baking sheet at least 2" apart.

7. Bake for 10-12 min. After removing from oven, let rest on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

Happy Easter! Well, it was Easter when I made these, but you could make them anytime, in any shape. They are really, really tasty...and rich. I altered the original recipe in that I opted to coat the "eggs" in regular chocolate rather than white chocolate. Instead, I colored the white chocolate to drizzle over the eggs, and glad I did it this way for two reasons: 1. we like regular chocolate better than white and 2. the coloring didn't take well, was not uniform (used Wilton gel-style coloring), would have made for rather unattractive "eggs". Will absolutely make these again, they are 10/10 level tasty. For the regular chocolate coating, I tried three different ones: Lindt 55% milk with intense cocoa notes, Ghirardelli 72% dark, and some milk chocolate chips (for the last 5 eggs I had left). As much as I love dark chocolate (and it turned out just as well), I will go with Lindt 55% for the whole batch next time. Will NOT use milk chips, as they did not melt as well as the other two by far. And I would have the whole amount of chocolate ready to go to dip all right away, as their being frozen helps them set fast.

Link to original recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a52101/cookie-dough-easter-eggs-recipe/

Ingredients:

3/4 c. peanut butter

3/4 c. brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers

1/4 tsp. kosher salt (*I accidentally used regular salt, worked just fine)

3 T. whole milk

3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

10-12 oz. good quality chocolate bars for melting/coating (see my notes about this in intro)

3 oz. white chocolate, melted, divided into bowls, dyed with pastel colors

rainbow sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and vanilla for 2-3 minutes. 

2. By hand, mix in the graham crackers, salt, and milk. Fold in the mini chips.

3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough onto the parchment and press into the shape of an egg; repeat with remaining cookie dough.

4. Transfer baking sheet to freezer for 1 hour.

5. Just before the hour is up, melt the chocolate(s) in a double boiler (or very carefully in short intervals in the microwave). 

6. Use a spoon to dip the frozen "eggs" in the melted chocolate, returning to the parchment to set. Once they are set, drizzle with the dyed white chocolate and top with sprinkles if desired. 

7. Place in fridge to set for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy (with a napkin, as the chocolate will melt easily on your fingers)! 

Cajun Chicken Stroganoff

So happy for the very positive and supportive reactions to my first cooking video, thank you to everyone! And here is another one, my second video recipe, another 10/10 tasty and wonderful recipe. It's super easy and comes together quickly, thus why it is from the magazine/booklet "Weeknight Menus" by Cuisine at Home. I had made this a long time back and forgotten about it until now; glad I remembered and made it for my second video entry. Even better, I used it to try out the new induction burner I just got over the weekend...and I love it, cooks great!

Link to recipe video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6ivB6m7Sy4

Recipe listed below contains my modifications from the original.

Ingredients:

cooked egg noodles, for serving (I used Racconto medium egg noodles)

4 T. olive oil, divided

1/2 lb. kielbasa

1/2 lb. button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/3 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. chicken tenderloins, cut in 2-3" sections

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 T. tomato paste

2 tsp. bottled minced garlic

1/2 c. dry sherry

3/4 c. chicken broth

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. crème fraîche

Directions:

1. Add 2 T. of the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, stir in the kielbasa and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until starting to brown (around 5 minutes). Transfer kielbasa and mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the oregano, basil, thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Add the chicken tenderloins and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. 

3. Sprinkle the flour atop the chicken pieces, then stir to coat evenly.

4. Heat the remaining 2 T. of the olive oil in the same large skillet as before, again on medium-high. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes.

5. Push the chicken to one side of the pan, then add the tomato paste and garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

6. Deglaze the pan with the sherry, stirring until liquid has nearly dissolved, then stir in the chicken broth and Worcestershire sauce. 

7. Return the reserved kielbasa and mushrooms to the pan, stirring to coat in the mixture. Bring sauce to simmer and maintain simmer for 5 minutes (I had to reduce the heat to medium-low at this point).

8. After the 5 minutes of simmering, remove from heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Serve over the cooked egg noodles and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pork and Sausage Meatballs

Hello all! This is my first recipe with videos rather than pictures, and I'm launching a YouTube site to go along with it! Please keep in mind that this is not some professional, studio quality production; my son did the camera work and it's our first attempt at any such thing :) Planning to do more of these going forward and hopefully our production techniques will improve along the way. Link to my YouTube video about this recipe:

https://youtu.be/imgqs46aXjw

This recipe is very tasty, highly recommend, 10/10. I only modified the recipe a tiny bit, which was adding more crushed tomatoes than called for as written, and the amounts of pork and sausage were slightly different. Next time I make it, I will add the entire 28 oz. of the can (I only went about 2/3 of the can during this attempt). It is equally delicious leftover, though you may want to supplement with some jarred sauce when reheating.

Link to original recipe: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/slow-cooked-pork-and-sausage-meatballs-with-porcini-sauce

Written version below includes my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the meatballs--

1 1/2 c. coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 c. sweet red vermouth (I used Gallo brand, which I purchased at Jewel-Osco)

1 lb. ground pork

18 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (I used Kroger store brand)

1 large egg

6 T. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

for the sauce--

~20 oz. crushed tomatoes (I will use full 28 oz can next time)

1/4 c. tomato paste

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

1. Begin making the meatballs: in a large bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and vermouth. Set aside and let stand for 20 minutes.

2. After the 20 minutes, add the ground pork and the Italian sausage to the mixture. Use your hands to break up the sausage and thoroughly combine the mixture.

3. Mix in the egg, Parmesan-Reggiano, sage, oregano, salt, and nutmeg. 

4. Form into 12 meatballs.

5. Make the sauce: in a 5-6 qt slow cooker, combine all the sauce ingredients (from crushed tomatoes through kosher salt), stirring until the tomato paste is dissolved.

6. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Cover and set to cook on "hi" for 1.5 hours, then reduce to "lo" setting for around 5 additional hours.

7. Serve with cooked spaghetti and enjoy!