Brownie Pudding Cake

This recipe showed up in my mailbox inside a Penzey's Spice magazine.

 It grabbed my attention because it's chocolate and saucy and chocolate. 

I browsed through the ingredients and instructions and came across the strangest instruction:

-Mix the remaining cocoa, brown sugar, and boiling water and pour over the cake batter- 

WHAT?!?!

  I gotta give this a try!

So here is the weirdest cake recipe you'll probably ever make. 

But somehow that dark watery mess on top of your cake batter going into the oven magically turns into a delicious gooey chocolate sauce on the bottom.

Plus you serve this cake hot from the oven so you don't have to wait to enjoy!

Brownie Pudding Cake

Penzey's Spice Magazine

1 c flour

2/3 c cocoa powder, divided

3/4 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

2 eggs

1 c sugar

6 T butter, melted and cooled

1/2 c milk

1 t vanilla

3/4 c brown sugar

1 1/3 c boiling water

In a large bowl sift flour, 1/3 c cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl beat together eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.

Spread batter into an ungreased 8x8 pan.

Mix the remaining cocoa, brown sugar, and boiling water until dissolved.

Pour over the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min, until a toothpick comes out with some crumbs, or it has risen and is pulling away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake.

Serve hot and spoon some delicious saucy chocolatey goo over the pieces.

New in the shop

The popular scent you love as a chapstick is now also available in a hard lotion bar!

Made from local beeswax, organic shea butter, organic coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil these lotion bars are long lasting and have a creamy minty scent. 

Works great on legs after shaving, cracked heels, dry hands, and pregnant bellies!

Check out my etsy shop to order yours.

Rusty Tacos

Rusty Taco is a fun little taco joint in the cities 

that serves up several unique taco varieties. 

The #10 fried chicken taco is our favorite and this is our at home version.

The #10
 
popcorn chicken
corn tortillas
ranch dressing
chopped jalapeno

Lime-Cilantro Slaw

3T fresh lime juice
1T olive oil
2 t sugar 

salt

pepper
1/4 c chopped green onion
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 (12 ounce) package coleslaw mix

Bake popcorn chicken according to package directions.

Mix up slaw by combining the first 5 ingredients and pouring over the last 3 ingredients.

Warm up your tortillas and assemble with chicken, ranch dressing, jalapenos, and slaw.

Serve with a wedge of lime.

Soft-Baked Monster Cookies

 While looking for my standard monster cookies recipe, 

I came across this soft-baked version which sounded tasty. 

It's described as a peanut butter cookie with oats rather than an oatmeal cookie with peanut butter. Because it bakes likes a traditional peanut butter cookie, you need to flatten them before baking.

Soft-Baked Monster Cookies

adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

1/2 c  butter

1/2 c brown sugar

3/4 c peanut butter

1 egg

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t baking soda

1  1/4 c flour

1/2 c oats

3/4 c m&m's

1/2 c chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy 
Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. 

Add in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. 
Fold in the oats, m&m's, and chocolate chips. 
If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.
Scoop out balls of dough (about 2 T) onto prepared baking sheet. 
Press with fork or back of spoon to flatten. 
Bake for 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies will appear undone.  
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool.

Chicken Pad Thai

Homemade Pad Thai as good as takeout!

Chicken Pad Thai
adapted from A Year At The Table


14 oz dried rice noodles (flat)
1 t minced fresh garlic
2  chicken breast,thinly sliced

2 eggs
1/3 c chopped green onions
12 oz bean sprouts
1 t red chile flakes
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
¾ c  peanuts, chopped 
6 lime wedges

Pad Thai Sauce
1/2 c vinegar (i combined white and black vinegar)
1/4 c sugar
1/3 c soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t paprika
zest of 1 line

Put rice noodles in a bowl or 9x13 pan and cover with warm water.
Soak for 20 min. until softened then drain. (do not over soak they will still be slightly firm)

Prepare sauce by mixing all ingredients.

Heat some oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat. 
Add chicken and garlic stir-fry until cooked through. 
Add soaked noodles and sauce.
Stir noodles then cover and bring sauce to simmer. This will finish cooking your noodles.
Move noodles to one side of wok. Crack eggs into pan and scramble and cook.
Gently fold eggs into noodles.
Remove pan from heat and add green onions, bean sprouts, peanuts, chiles and cilantro to noodles.
Serve with lime wedges.