Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients

• Dark Chocolate Cake
• 3 pints green mint chocolate-chip ice cream
• 2 pints white mint chocolate-chip ice cream

Directions

1. Trim cake layers to 6-inch squares. Slice each layer in half horizontally, making a total of 4 layers. Cut a 6-inch square of cardboard or foam; set aside.
2. Microwave green ice cream until softened, about 20 seconds. Transfer ice cream to a medium mixing bowl, and stir with a rubber spatula. Place in the freezer. Microwave white ice cream until softened, about 20 seconds, and transfer to another mixing bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula.
3. Place one cake layer on the cardboard. Using an offset spatula, spread 2 cups white ice cream over the cake. Place another cake layer on top of ice cream. Place cake and bowl of white ice cream in the freezer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the cake and the bowl of green ice cream from the freezer. Stir ice cream with the spatula to soften. With the spatula, evenly spread 2 cups green ice cream over cake. Place a third cake layer on top. Return the cake and the bowl of green ice cream to the freezer for 20 minutes more.
5. Remove the cake and the bowl of white ice cream from the freezer, and spread the remaining 2 cups white ice cream over the top; place the fourth cake layer on top of the white ice cream. Return the cake to the freezer for 20 minutes more.
6. Remove the cake and bowl of green ice cream from freezer, and spread 2 cups green ice cream over top. Return cake and ice cream to freezer, and chill the cake until firm, about 1 hour.
7. Remove the cake and remaining 2 cups green ice cream from freezer. Using a long serrated knife, trim 1/4 inch from all sides of the cake, making them even. Using an icing spatula, quickly spread the remaining green ice cream around the sides of the cake. Return the cake to freezer; freeze until completely hardened.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies from The New York Times

Total Prep and Baking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 24 hours to chill the dough

Yield: 18-20 large cookies (I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is a bit more than 2 tablespoons, and got about 40 cookies)

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content(now, I did not have these, so I used Guittard 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips, as well as about 1/2 pound of semi-sweet Guittard chocolate pieces, which I chopped – I loved the look and texture of this combination)
sea salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla and mix. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, until just moistened. Fold in your chocolate until evenly added throughout the dough. Press plastic wrap against the dough, making sure it is completely covered, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or as long as 72 hours (I left mine for 36 hours).

3. When you are ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature so that you can scoop it out, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease your baking sheets. Scoop your dough out onto the sheets. I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is about the size of 2 tablespoons, but you can make them even larger, if you like. Do not press the dough down – let it stay the way it is. Sprinkle the cookies lightly with a bit of fleur de sel or sea salt. Bake 10-12 minutes for smaller cookies (mine took about 11 minutes), or 18-20 minutes for larger cookies.

4. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on your baking sheet, then move them to another surface to cool completely. You can enjoy these warm, room temperature, or cold. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutella Stuffed French Toast with Warm Maple Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients

For stuffed French toast

sliced bread
Nutella
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk, half and half or cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon agave or honey
olive oil or butter for cooking

For Syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup maple syrup, I used grade B

Additional Ingredients

Fresh Strawberries for garnish

Method

1. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla and agave or honey in a large bowl. Whisk well. Spread Nutella on bread and make a sandwich. Dip in egg mixture and coat completely on both sides.

2. Drizzle olive oil or melt butter in skillet. Brown French toast on each side.

3. Combine strawberries and maple syrup in a microwave safe bowl for cooking in the microwave or in a small saucepan to cook on the stove. Heat through until strawberries are mushy.

4. Serve warm strawberry maple syrup over French toast with a few fresh strawberries.

One Minute Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 heaping tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (give or take)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, baking powder, peanut butter and flour.
2. Pour batter into a greased ramekin. Microwave for 30 seconds.
3. While the cake is microwaving, stir together milk and powdered sugar, adding more powdered sugar if necessary to thicken frosting.
4. Remove cake from ramekin (or don’t), pour frosting over top.
5. Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant Rolled with Ricotta and Basil

Thanks to...

FifteenSpatulas.com

Ingredients: 1 large eggplant 1 cup ricotta cheese 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/4 cup chopped basil salt and pepperDirections: Thinly slice the eggplant (down the length of the eggplant, so you get the longest pieces possible), and rub the pieces with salt.  Place the eggplant in a colander and let it drain for one hour.  This process is called purging and what we're doing is letting the salt draw out any juices carrying super bitter flavor. While the eggplant drains, mix together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, parmigiano, red pepper flakes, and chopped basil.  Season with salt and pepper, and taste.  Make desired seasoning adjustments. After the eggplant has been purged, rinse the slices well, then dry with paper towels. Preheat a grill (or a big cast iron pan) and grill the eggplant about 3 minutes on each side  (depending on thickness).  Taste a little piece before you remove the eggplant to make sure  it's cooked through.  Undercooked eggplant really doesn't taste good. Place a small spoonful of the cheese mixture at the base of the eggplant, then roll it up.  Enjoy!

Garlic Butter Rolls

Garlic Butter Rolls

Makes 12

• 1 pound plain or whole wheat pizza dough (thawed)
• 4 cloves chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

1. Tear pizza dough (thawed according to package directions) into 12 pieces and place in the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin. (I suggest spraying the bottoms of the muffin tin with cooking spray so they release easily!)
2. Divide 4 cloves chopped garlic among the pieces of dough, pressing them into the centers. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425° F until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. Toss in a bowl with melted butter and chopped parsley; season with salt.