Perfect spicy chocolate cake [Wenatchee food photography]

Craving chocolate cake after a friend mentioned SHE was craving "warm chocolate cake", I decided Thursday night was a perfectly acceptable time to stop everything and bake one. Knowing it would only be warm for that short time after baking, I decided to give it its own heat with a little kick of spice. I combined my favorite "go-to", easy-peasy, (one bowl!) chocolate cake recipe (Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake) with an uncommon ingredient: cayenne pepper. Often used in a spicy flourless chocolate cake, I figured it couldn't hurt this old-fashioned staple. Not super spicy, just enough to give a little hit of lingering flavor. (And if the idea of cayenne in your chocolate cake doesn't appeal to you, you can omit it and it's still a really good chocolate cake made in one bowl. ONE BOWL. What could be better?) Recipe below image.

Perfect spicy chocolate cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with Perfectly perfect chocolate frosting (below). 10–12 servings.

Perfectly perfect chocolate frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

My choice for Mother's day [Wenatchee food photography]

I fell in love with the man who would become my husband over a meal I never even ate. I never even saw. We first became aware of each other over a Compuserve chat room and bantered back and forth for nearly 3 years. When it became apparent to both of us that we wanted to meet in real life, I asked him to drive to Seattle to meet me, about 3 hours from where he lived in central Washington state. The first day I suggested meeting he informed me he couldn't come because it was his mom's birthday and he was going to grill her some steaks to celebrate. I thought it sweet that he was doing this with his mother. It was a "good sign." Fast forward several weeks and I was in his town on a warm early summer evening. We picked up T-bone steaks and grilled on the patio, again, at his mom's house, and I have never tasted a better meal. Steaks are what we return to when celebrating or enjoying a beautiful day. Forward again fourteen years later and when DJ asked me what I wanted for Mother's day, this was it. Charcoal grilled New York steaks with Idaho bakers on the side. So simple. So good. Happy day to all those amazing women I know mothering their children and doing a damn fine job at it to boot. You inspire me.

Brownie milkshake [Wenatchee food photography]

Also known as use-what-you-have milkshake. I had two small squares of these brownies, about 1/8 cup of this chocolate sauce, some coconut milk that was getting close to expiration (not too close, but I wanted to get it finished) and some Tillamook french vanilla ice cream. Blend it together and share with someone you love.

Someone who, a few days later, will tell you he didn't love the brownies in it, because it "made it too rich." Apparently I have a much more cultured palate for chocolate and sweets because I thought it was AWESOME.

Beer bread by request [Wenatchee food photography]

I had a couple requests for the beer bread recipe I blogged about recently so thought I'd pass that along. It's so simple, and has been part of my family for so long (I learned from my mom) that I kind of forget not everyone knows this by heart already. You'll see how simple it is, make it once, TASTE it once and be forever hooked when you want a fast, hearty, flavorful bread. You can taste the beer a bit (I hate beer and it doesn't bother me) so use something lighter if you don't want so much flavor or try something stronger if you're an afficianado of all things beer! I also used the last two pieces to make a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich, so save a bit for that! Recipe below image.

Beer Bread

3 cups sifted, self-rising flour (important to sift with this recipe to keep bread from becoming hard like a brick!) 

1/4 cup sugar

1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer

1/2 cup melted butter, divided in 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Mix self-rising flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter and beer and pour/spread into a greased loaf pan. It will be thick.
2. Pour remaining ¼ cup melted butter over top of dough.
3. Bake 50-60 minutes, let cool in pan about 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool at least an additional 15 minutes.

Beer Bread

3 cups sifted, self-rising flour (important to sift with this recipe to keep bread from becoming  brick!)

1/4 cup sugar    

1 (12 ounce) can beer

1/2 cup melted butter, divided in 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1.       Mix dry ingredients, ¼ cup melted butter and beer and pour/spread into a greased loaf pan. It will be thick.

2.       Pour remaining ¼ cup melted butter over dough.

3.       Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

Bananas foster oatmeal [Wenatchee food photography]

A few weeks ago I found the most amazing sounding recipe combining my favorite dessert, Bananas foster, and one of my favorite breakfasts, oatmeal. Now, when I say oatmeal, I mean those instant packets you just add hot water too. I know, so gourmet. But, as I keep saying, I am not a cook. I don't cook, really. But, I do become enamored with certain recipes I find that sound delicious and I imagine will look beautiful when photographed. My real love is the picture of the food, the making it is just a necessary step and the eating a wonderful benefit. Back to this oatmeal. I have never had "old-fashioned" oatmeal. I had to make a special trip to the grocery store for steel-cut oats. I've never heard of steel-cut oats. It is always educational when I decide to make something, this being no exception. Did you know steel-cut oats are lower on the glycemic index than rolled oats, making them cause less of a spike to insulin levels when eaten? Now we do.

And I always seem to have bananas on hand that are past their peel-and-eat prime (at least according to my kids who think more than about three tiny brown spots means they're rotten.) This recipe is a delicious way to use them without having to make another loaf of banana bread (although I always welcome banana bread!) I made a small tweak to the original recipe to better suit the pan I had to caramelize the bananas in and I also switched from the original walnuts to pecans (pecans are my favorite and I think they're best with bananas. Plus, I'm allergic to walnuts.) Definitely check out both versions of the recipe and make the one that sounds best to you. You can't go wrong either way. Recipe below.

Bananas Foster Oatmeal
1/2 cup steel cut oats
2 medium bananas, sliced and divided
1/2 cup water
1 cup + 1/2 cup milk, divided
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Banana-pecan Topping
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rough chopped pecans (I like them larger)
remaining banana slices from above

Oatmeal directions

1. In a small pan, combine oats, 1/3 of the sliced bananas, water, 1 cup milk, salt, and cinnamon; cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to bubble and thicken.
2. Turn heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk and turn heat up to med-high until oatmeal is bubbling again.
4. Turn heat back to low and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Banana-pecan topping directions

1. Combine butter and brown sugar in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until butter and sugar are melted.
2. Add remaining banana slices in an single layer to caramel. Sprinkle pecans between banana slices. Once they start to brown and caramelize, flip the bananas over and cook until both sides are caramelized. Divide into two bowls and top with the bananas.