Triple Chocolate CakeChocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and chocolate mousse team up with fruit in this incredible dessert. Begin making the cake one day ahead. Enjoy the extra mousse later.Yield: 20 servings.

Cake
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Mousse
4 1/3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Assembly and serving
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
parchment or wax paper (for cake pans and two 4 1/2-inch-wide by 15 3/4-inch-long strips for chocolate decoration)
3/4 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2-pint baskets raspberries
1/2 pound cherries
1 1-pint basket small strawberries
1 1/2-pint basket blueberries
1 1/2-pint basket blackberries

Make cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line each with round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and egg yolks in large bowl until very thick and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes. Add oil, sour cream and vanilla, then dry ingredients all at once to egg mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat at high speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips; divide batter between prepared pans (about 3 3/4 cups batter in each). Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks. Cover; let cakes stand at room temperature overnight.

Make ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to glass bowl. Let stand until thick enough to spread, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Make mousse:
Using electric mixer, beat 3 1/3 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form; refrigerate. Combine remaining 1 cup cream and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted, smooth, and still warm to touch. Pour warm chocolate mixture directly onto whipped cream and fold in gently. Chill until mousse is set, at least 8 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Assemble and serve cake:
Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off paper. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on 9-inch cake board round. Place another layer, cut side up, on clean baking sheet. Spread each with 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Chill until jam sets, about 15 minutes

If ganache is chilled, microwave on defrost setting in 15-second repetitions until just soft enough to spread, stirring occasionally. Drop 1 cup ganache by rounded teaspoonfuls over each jam layer. Using offset spatula (angled blade), gently spread ganache to cover jam. Drop 3 cups mousse by heaping spoonfuls onto each ganache layer; gently spread to cover. Refrigerate cake layers 30 minutes. Using large metal spatula, place cake layer from baking sheet, mousse side up, atop cake layer on cake board. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on cake (reserve remaining cake layer for another use). Spread 1 cup mousse over top of assembled cake. Using spatula, spread sides of assembled cake with enough ganache (about 1 1/2 cups) to fill gaps and make smooth surface. Transfer cake to platter.

Turn 1 large baking sheet upside down on work surface. Arrange two 20-inch-long pieces of foil on work surface. Cut two 4 1/2-inch-wide by 15 3/4-inch-long strips from parchment paper. Lay 1 parchment strip, onto each sheet of foil. Place chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir until chocolate is smooth and very warm to touch (about 115°F). Remove bowl from over water.

Pour thick ribbon of melted chocolate (about 2/3 cup) onto 1 parchment strip. Using long offset spatula (angled blade), spread chocolate evenly over parchment strip, covering completely (chocolate will run over sides of strip). Lift edge of chocolate-coated strip with tip of knife. Slide hands between parchment strip and foil, lift entire parchment strip and place it, chocolate side up, on inverted baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate on strip is set and loses gloss but is still flexible (do not let chocolate become too firm), about 1 1/2 minutes. Using fingertips, lift chocolate-coated strip and attach, chocolate side in, to side of cake. Press strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (strip will stand about 1 inch above top edge of cake).
Coat remaining parchment strip with chocolate, transfer to inverted baking sheet; chill until set but still flexible. Arrange 1 end of second strip against (but not overlapping) 1 end of first strip. Press second strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (both strips will just encircle cake). Refrigerate cake until chocolate strips are firm, about 30 minutes.
Carefully peel parchment paper off chocolate strips. Chill cake at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Mound fruit atop cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Cake can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.)

Adapted from Bon Appétit - Cooking Class - Get more recipes - order a Bon Appetit Magazine subscription

I didn't use the fruit that they did on top, instead, I used some of the left over Ganache to make chocolate roses and leaves and write "Happy Birthday" on top of the mousse.

APPLE BROWN BETTY

INGREDIENTS:
11 medium sized apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Syrup:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup hot water
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Peel, core and slice apples in eighths. Spread them over the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 12 inch baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. To make topping, mix the flour and 3/4 cup brown sugar together, cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside. Syrup: Mix 2/3 cup brown sugar with the hot water and lemon juice. Pour half of the syrup over the apples. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over top. Pour the remaining syrup over the topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Of course the original recipe that I have says to serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream... I try not to keep icecream in the house... even if I try it doesn't stay long anyhow ;-) .... And being the only one who lives here, I know who is eating it.

Apple Snicker Salad

16 oz. Tub Cool Whip, Thawed
1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
3 King Size Snickers Bars, Diced
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Mix Cool Whip and pudding mix together. Add diced apples and two of the diced snickers bars, mix together. Garnish the top with Caramel topping drizzles and the last diced up Snickers bar.

Carrot Cake

CARROT CAKE

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Butter
1 egg
1 cup Pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Mix together the sugar, butter, and egg, then add the pumpkin and mix it well. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the mixture, beating it well. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. When cookies have cooled slightly, frost them with the following icing. This makes a very delicious and moist cookie.

Icing
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Milk
¼ cup Pumpkin
Icing Sugar

Cream the butter, add the milk, and pumpkin, and then add enough sugar to bring the icing to spreading consistency.

This has got to be one of my favorite cookie recipes EVER. Every time I make these for friends I get requests for the recipe. These cookies are SO moist and have just enough pumpkin flavor.... oh yummy, I think I'll make some now, just because they are so good. :-)

Am I in?

I'm here, finally. I wasn't sure I would be smart enough to set up my own Blog, but what do ya know, miricles never cease! ;-)

I'll be back later to give you an intro.