Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes

This is our favorite pancake recipe... I often make it on the weekend, and we eat the leftovers during the week - cold! I would never think to eat a pancake cold, but for some reason, these are great just right out of the fridge. They are light, fluffy, and tender... and, if you leave out the chocolate chips (why anyone would do that, I have no idea, but it can be done, lol), they contain no sugar. This recipe makes a big batch - about 22 to 24 pancakes, depending on how big you pour them. You can swap out the chocolate chips for berries, or as I mentioned, just make them plain. Enjoy!

Here is what you need:

• 6 eggs
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3 c. buttermilk
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat a griddle to medium high heat. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a whisk, beat until frothy.

Add the buttermilk and flour. Stir until all the flour is moistened. The mixture will be lumpy - do not try to beat out all the lumps.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spray griddle with cooking spray. Ladle the batter onto the medium-hot griddle. Cook until bubbles form and the edges of the pancakes look partially cooked and rounded.

Flip them over, and cook for an additional minute or two; or until lightly browned.

Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot with butter and syrup. Store leftovers in the fridge - they are good hot or cold!

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Sugar-Topped Double Chocolate Cupcakes

A little indulgence here before Lent begins.....super chocolaty, super-moist, melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes. You don't need frosting for these, trust me. When you look at the recipe, you'll notice a lot of coffee goes into the batter. Don't be put off by that - you don't taste the coffee. It only brings out the intense chocolate flavor. A good quality cocoa powder helps too. And of course, the chocolate chips just put this cupcake over the top.

Here's what you need:

• 1-1/2 c. PLUS 1/3 c. sugar, divided
• 2/3 c. canola oil
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
• 2 c. brewed coffee, brought to room temperature
• 1 c. semi-sweet, mini chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard-sized muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a large bowl, beat 1-1/2 c. sugar, oil, vinegar, and vanilla until well blended.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder (if using).

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet sugar mixture. Stir in the coffee until well blended and smooth. Then add in the chocolate chips.

Fill the paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. (Be sure to stir the batter every now and then to make sure the chocolate chips don't sink to the bottom of the bowl.) Then sprinkle half of the 1/3 c. of sugar over the tops of the batter. (This will create a very light sugary crust when it bakes.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one of the cakes comes out clean. Immediately after you take them out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining sugar over the tops. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans.

This recipe should yield about 2 dozen cupcakes. Here is a close-up of one I broke open with a fork..... enjoy!

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Recipes for One: Coffee Cup Egg Scramble, Panini with Fresh Basil Aioli, & One-Minute Chocolate Cake

The foodie blogosphere is a happy place right now.... Lots of Valentine desserts and romantic dinner suggestions for two. Unfortunately in real life, Valentine's Day isn't so happy for many people. Our last Valentine's Day as a family was a very sad one. And I know I'm not alone. I have spent the last year and half on widows' forums reading stories very similar to mine. So I've decided to dedicate today's post to the grieving people out there who are hating Valentine's Day. I've invited my widow-forum friends to stop by here today. I have 3 different "Recipes for One".... though all of them can be doubled or made with kids. If you are grieving this Valentine's Day...  treat yourself today, even if you don't want to. Take care of yourself. One day at a time; sometimes, one hour at a time. And remember you're not alone... 
#1) COFFEE CUP EGG SCRAMBLE - BREAKFAST FOR ONE

Scrambled eggs with bacon and cheddar cheese in a cup - done in about a minute with no greasy pans to wash! What's not to like? Recipe adapted from the USDA. Here's what you need:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp. real bacon bits (optional - not shown, but we use Hormel's Real Bacon Bits w/50% less fat.)
• salt & pepper to taste

Coat the inside of a 12-oz. microwaveable mug with cooking spray. Add the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Beat with a fork until blended:

Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir. If you are using bacon bits, stir them in now.

Microwave for another 30 to 45 seconds. The eggs should be just set. Tilt your mug - if you see any runny or liquid egg in there, put it back in and nuke it for another 10 seconds or until the eggs are set. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Make yourself some toast and a nice cup of coffee to go with it. Sit down and ENJOY a nice breakfast - just for you. : )

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#2) HAM & CHEESE PANINI WITH FRESH BASIL AIOLI

Make a restaurant-quality panini for yourself at home! My son rated this 5 out of 5 stars. The Fresh Basil Aioli *makes* the sandwich. By the way, a panini is just a grilled, pressed sandwich - but you don't need a panini maker or an indoor grill to make one. You can cook it on the stove top in a skillet and put another skillet on top of it to press it down...or a brick - seriously, wrap a brick in foil and SLAM IT, I mean - place it on top of your sandwich to press it down while it cooks. And aioli is just a fancy word for a garlic-enhanced mayonnaise. I'll give you the recipe for the aioli first. If you're not up for making the aioli or don't have the ingredients, you can just use Dijon mustard or honey-mustard on your panini.

Fresh Basil Aioli (Recipe adapted from 400 Best Sandwich Recipes by Alison Lewis)

You need:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used a light version.)
• 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. (just a few drops) lemon juice
• NOTE: you do NOT need olive oil for this - I accidentally included it in the above photo. Sorry!

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Spread on just about any kind of sandwich. Store any leftovers in the fridge - it will keep for up to 3 days. You can see the finished aioli in the photo below.

Here's what you need for the Ham & Cheese Panini:

• 2 slices of a good-quality (from the bakery department) sourdough bread or preferred choice of an artisan bread. (I used a roasted garlic version.)
• 4 slices of smoked deli ham, sliced thin
• 1 slice Provolone cheese
• 1 slice of a complimentary cheese such as Mozzarella, Cheddar, or a blended cheese (I used a Cheddar-Mozzarella blend.)
• fresh basil aioli
• olive oil

Preheat your panini maker or indoor grill according to manufacturer's instructions. If you will be using the stove-top, preheat a skillet to medium low, and have ready a second skillet (heavy duty) to place on top of your sandwich to press it.

Coat the insides of both pieces of bread with the aioli. Be generous. Assemble your sandwich. Brush the outsides of both slices of bread with olive oil. (I made two of these - one for me, and one for my son.)

Cook in your panini maker or indoor grill according to manufacturer's instructions - about 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. On the stove top, cook 2 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp.

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#3) ONE-MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE

There are a lot of versions of this on the internet. The most popular one has over 60 grams of fat in it though - and I'm sorry, if I'm going to ingest 60 grams of fat from one dessert, it has to be the most phenomenal dessert ever made and not come out of a microwave. So this one is reasonable. It has about 7 grams of fat, and I think it tastes pretty good. It's not high-end gourmet eating, but it's chocolatey and comforting. The trick is to not overcook it. If you overcook it, it will get rubbery. There are no eggs in the recipe, so undercooking is not a concern. In fact, I think it is better slighly undercooked. I found the recipe on cdkitchen.com and changed it only slightly to add extra moisture to it. Feel free to add some mini-chocolate chips to it. Top it with whipped cream or ice cream and hot fudge sauce...in fact, the more Valentine's Day sucks for you, the more you can pile on this cake - no guilt!

Here's what you need:

• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. AND 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. oil (canola or vegetable)

Coat the inside of a 12-oz. microwaveable mug with cooking spray.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, and oil. Mix until well blended. Pour the batter into the mug.

Microwave at full power for 1 minute. If the cake does not appear done, microwave the cake longer in 10 second intervals until set. Here's a close-up so you an see the texture of the cake:

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Wishing you a thoughtful Valentine's Day and a blessed year ahead.  -Adele


This post is linked to The Country Cook's "WEEKEND POTLUCK"

Decadent Chocolate Chip Brownies

I know... it's still January and the "I will eat healthier and lose weight" resolutions haven't worn off yet. Maybe I should have waited till February to post this recipe. I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore. The past two New Years, I looked at the list of resolutions my husband made at the end of 2009 when he was fighting cancer, and that was enough of thinking about resolutions for me. So instead of a list of resolutions, I have another list to offer.....

Five Reasons Why You Should Make & Eat These Brownies:

1. Swim suit season is at least five months away.
2. They are cheaper than a prozac perscription and have fewer side effects.
3. Brownies are a part of life in our culture; we must face this fact and not avoid it.... it's not good to run from your problems.
4. Life is short, and we should be grateful for and embrace its blessings (such as brownies) whenever we can.
5. If you're going to eat a brownie, don't waste your time, energy, or calories on a namby-pamby brownie. Eat a SERIOUS brownie - one of these decadent chocolate chip brownies will rid you of your chocolate cravings and provide you with enough comfort for a week (at least).

Here's what you need:

• 3/4 Cup butter
• 2 Cups white sugar
• 1-1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups (1 - 12oz. pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, eggs, and vanilla into the pot.

Stir with a spoon until batter is well blended and smooth.

Stir in 1-1/2 cups of chocolate chips.

Spread into a greased, 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: 24 brownies. I did not create this recipe; unfortunately, I've had it for over 20 years, and I can't remember where it came from.

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This recipe is linked to: The Country Cook's "Weekend Potluck".