CHOCOLATE CAKE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!

This chocolate cake is a dark chocolate cake with a layer of raspberry jam, whipped cream filling and chocolate frosting. It has been a family favorite for birthdays and other special occasions for over 30 years.

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Chocolate Cake That is Absolutely Perfect!
This chocolate cake is a dark chocolate cake with a layer of raspberry jam, whipped cream filling and chocolate frosting.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 1 Hour
Servings
Ingredients
For the cake
For the filling
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 1 Hour
Servings
Ingredients
For the cake
For the filling
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cocoa, coffee and water and cool. Sift dry ingredients. In a bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla at high speed for 5 minutes. At low speed add ¼ of the flour mixture alternating with 1/3 cocoa and ending with flour. Do not over beat. Divide into 1 - 9” square pan and a 12” rectangle pan, greased and floured. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a wooden toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
For the frosting
  1. Combine chocolate cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, cool.
For the filling
  1. Beat the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff.
To assemble
  1. To assemble: When the 8” cake comes out of the oven, let it rest for 30 minutes then remove it to a plate. Spread the raspberry jam over it while it’s still warm and refrigerate it for an hour.
  2. Spread the whipped cream filling over the raspberry jam. Cut the other cake so it’s 9”x9” and set it on top of the filling. Run a thin coat of icing around the entire cake and refrigerate ½ hour. Add the rest of the icing and refrigerate.
  3. You can stop here for a delicious cake, however, if you want to decorate it, roll out some fondant in a large square.
  4. Decorate to look like a gift-wrapped present as seen in the picture.
Recipe Notes

© Galley Chef All Rights Reserved

chocolate brioches


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Chocolate Brioches

These moist and buttery cakes are popular for breakfast throughout France.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine French

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 120 minutes

Servings


Ingredients
For the sponge:

For the dough:

Course Breakfast
Cuisine French

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 120 minutes

Servings


Ingredients
For the sponge:

For the dough:


Instructions
To make sponge:
  1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in flour, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes. (I like to place on the stove under the light).

For the dough:
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups flour, sugar and salt; whisk by hand until well blended. Transfer bowl to mixer and attach dough hook. With mixer on low speed, add egg and milk. Increase speed to medium and knead 5 minutes. Add butter and knead 5 minutes. Stop mixer and add sponge. continue kneading on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

  2. Butter 12 cupcake molds. Punch down dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead in chocolate chips. Divide dough into 12 equal parts.

  3. Roll on the table in a circular motion to give body to the brioche. With your finger, "saw" a small piece of the brioche in a back and forward motion. This forms a small lump which should remain attached to the body of the brioche.

  4. Place the brioches into the buttered molds.and let rise in a warm place 45 minutes.

  5. Brush tops of brioches with egg mixture. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from molds and let cool completely. Store brioches in a plastic bag to avoid drying out


Recipe Notes

The first recorded use of the word "brioche" in French dates back to 1404. In 1611, Cotgrave's A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, described brioche as "a rowle, or bunne, of spiced bread" stated its origin as Norman. In France it developed as "a sort of bread improved since antiquity by generations of bakers, then of pastry-makers ... with some butter, some eggs, sugar coming later ... it developed from the blessed bread [pain bénit] of the church which gradually became of better quality, more and more costly, less and less bread; until becoming savoury brioche". © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved

CRUMB CAKE

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Crumb Cake
Moist and delicious with lots and lots of crunchy sweet crumb topping.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 inch round baking pan.
For the topping:
  1. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.
For the cake:
  1. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl for 5 minutes until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. If you are using fresh berries, fold them in. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Pour the topping evenly over the batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
Recipe Notes

For variety, fold into the batter 1 cup of fresh berries of any kind. (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved

Guava Petite Pasties

A pasty is a baked pastry, which is associated with Cornwall, the westernmost county in England. It is made by placing uncooked filling typically of meat and vegetables on a pastry circle and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge to form a seal.  This Guava version is a sweet dessert in a petite size, making it the perfect little dessert for cocktail parties.

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Guava Petite Pasties
The buttery, flaky crust is stuffed with sweet Guava fruit that melts in your mouth with every bite.
Course Dessert
Cuisine English
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
For the icing
Course Dessert
Cuisine English
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
For the icing
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a food processor, mix flour and salt. Pulse in butter until pea-sized, add water, form into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Flour your work surface. Roll out dough. Using a 4 inch biscuit cutter, cut circles out of dough.
  3. Divide guava into 16 equal pieces and put a piece of guava on each circle with about a ½ teaspoon of cream cheese.
  4. Brush the edges of the circles with beaten egg. Fold the upper half of the circle to make a half moon. Crimp the edges with a fork. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
For the icing
  1. While the turnovers are baking, mix the confectioners sugar with milk and almond extract and set aside. Drizzle icing over turnovers and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes

Chocolate lovers can substitute melted semi-sweet chocolate chips for the icing and drizzle chocolate over the top. © Galley Chef All Rights Reserved

BLUEBERRY GOAT CHEESE PIE


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Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie

You'd be surprised at how the creamy goat cheese and the hint of fresh basil enhances the flavor of the blueberries in this pie.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 40 Minutes
Passive Time 30 Minutes

Servings
People


Ingredients

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 40 Minutes
Passive Time 30 Minutes

Servings
People


Ingredients


Instructions
  1. For the crust: combine 2 cups flour, 1 stick cold butter, cubed, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Pulse until crumbly. Add ice cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. (about 5 or 6 tablespoons) Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

  2. For the filling: Mix together the goat cheese, heavy cream, egg, brown sugar, flour, salt and basil in a bowl. Add the blueberries and combine; the texture will be like a thick cake batter.

  3. For the topping: Mix together the walnuts, brown sugar and melted butter and set aside.

  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 18 inch thickness and place into a 10 inch pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. (this is known as "docking". It keeps the crust from puffing up unevenly and helps it to cook evenly) Par-bake the crust for 15 minutes or until firm. Let cool slightly. Pour the filing into the crust and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 40 minutes until slightly bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Rotating the pie halfway through helps it brown evenly. Let the pie cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving.


Recipe Notes

© Galley Chef All Rights Reserved

Tender, Buttery, Egg Noodles

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Tender, Buttery, Egg Noodles
Tender and buttery, these egg noodles are the ultimate comfort food.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30
Cook Time 8
Passive Time 30
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30
Cook Time 8
Passive Time 30
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make well and add yolks and a few tablespoons of water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined adding more water as necessary.
  2. Mix well with hands. Dough will be stiff. Knead until smooth and elastic. (5 minutes) Let stand ½ hour.
  3. On lightly floured surface roll out as thin as you can get it into a rectangle.
  4. Slice 2 inch wide strips of dough and stack them on top of each other.
  5. Then cut ¼ inch wide.
  6. Arrange on a cookie sheet. Let dry a couple of hours before cooking. Dried noodles can be stored in a covered glass jar in a cool place.