Creamy White Chicken Chili

I first tried this recipe back in 2010 at a chili cook-off we had at church.  It was AWESOME!  I had never tried a white chili before & I love creamy white sauces/soups, so this was a real winner for me.  There were two gals that brought a white chicken chili to that cook-off & so I asked both of them for their recipes & ironically enough, they were the SAME exact recipe!  Haha!  

I have been searching for the original owner of the recipe & have come up blank.  Every white chicken chili you search is basically this recipe, so I decided to source Taste of Home b/c they had a nice picture & a printable version if you want to click on the link I have.  The way I have it typed is basically the same, but I use less chicken, & tried to lighten up the calories a tad using light sour cream, but kept the full heavy cream which makes this recipe 259 calories per cup.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Recipe altered from Taste of Home by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 12oz (2-3)boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 (15.5oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (14.5oz) can low sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4oz) cans diced green chiles
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (red) pepper
• 1 cup (8oz) light sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or sub half & half)

1. In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion & garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add beans, broth, chiles & seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream & cream.

*Yield: 7, 1 cup servings (259 calories per cup)
**Substitute 1 can of fat free evaporated milk for the sour cream & heavy cream.  Tastes just as good with less calories & fat.

I first tried this recipe back in 2010 at a chili cook-off we had at church.  It was AWESOME!  I had never tried a white chili before & I love creamy white sauces/soups, so this was a real winner for me.  There were two gals that brought a white chicken chili to that cook-off & so I asked both of them for their recipes & ironically enough, they were the SAME exact recipe!  Haha!  

I have been searching for the original owner of the recipe & have come up blank.  Every white chicken chili you search is basically this recipe, so I decided to source Taste of Home b/c they had a nice picture & a printable version if you want to click on the link I have.  The way I have it typed is basically the same, but I use less chicken, & tried to lighten up the calories a tad using light sour cream, but kept the full heavy cream which makes this recipe 259 calories per cup.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Recipe altered from Taste of Home by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 12oz (2-3)boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 (15.5oz) cans great northern beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (14.5oz) can low sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4oz) cans diced green chiles
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (red) pepper
• 1 cup (8oz) light sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or sub half & half)

1. In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion & garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Add beans, broth, chiles & seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream & cream.

*Yield: 7, 1 cup servings (259 calories per cup)
**Substitute 1 can of fat free evaporated milk for the sour cream & heavy cream.  Tastes just as good with less calories & fat.

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Christmas Mice

I can't even take how cute these are!

Marissa (6) saw me looking at them on a blog around Christmastime 2010 and asked if we could make them, but somehow I forgot about them and it never happened.
This year, when I saw the mice again, I knew I just had to make them with her.  I bought the ingredients and a few days before Christmas, I mentioned that we were going to make little mice.
"Oh, just like the ones we saw last year and I loved so much?" Marissa excitedly inquired.
Yes, she had remembered.

We had a lot of fun making them.....but I have to say, it's really hard to eat something so stinkin' cute!  However, we managed.

Recipe: (from Smockity Frocks)
Yield: about 28 mice

1 jar marchino cherries
1 cup milk chocolate chips
chocolate kisses
sliced almonds
Black decorating gel

Drain cherries and dry on paper towels.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and stir until smooth.
Dip cherries in the chocolate and set on a wax-paper lined baking sheet.
Immediately place an unwrapped chocolate kiss on the front and press together.  Add sliced almonds for the ears.  Pipe on eyes and noses with the decorating gel.
Let stand until firm, or refrigerate for faster results!

Grandma and Annika got in on the fun.

Dipping cherries

I

I thought it was fun to have the little mice all around the goodies platter, like they were nibbling away on the candy.  We also had Divinity, Hint of Berry Bon Bons, Homemade Snickers (new), and Andes Creamy Fudge (new).

I can't even take how cute these are!

Marissa (6) saw me looking at them on a blog around Christmastime 2010 and asked if we could make them, but somehow I forgot about them and it never happened.
This year, when I saw the mice again, I knew I just had to make them with her.  I bought the ingredients and a few days before Christmas, I mentioned that we were going to make little mice.
"Oh, just like the ones we saw last year and I loved so much?" Marissa excitedly inquired.
Yes, she had remembered.

We had a lot of fun making them.....but I have to say, it's really hard to eat something so stinkin' cute!  However, we managed.

Recipe: (from Smockity Frocks)
Yield: about 28 mice

1 jar marchino cherries
1 cup milk chocolate chips
chocolate kisses
sliced almonds
Black decorating gel

Drain cherries and dry on paper towels.
Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and stir until smooth.
Dip cherries in the chocolate and set on a wax-paper lined baking sheet.
Immediately place an unwrapped chocolate kiss on the front and press together.  Add sliced almonds for the ears.  Pipe on eyes and noses with the decorating gel.
Let stand until firm, or refrigerate for faster results!

Grandma and Annika got in on the fun.

Dipping cherries

I

I thought it was fun to have the little mice all around the goodies platter, like they were nibbling away on the candy.  We also had Divinity, Hint of Berry Bon Bons, Homemade Snickers (new), and Andes Creamy Fudge (new).

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IKEA's Swedish Meatballs

I have never been to IKEA (is that bad?) & so I have never tried their meatballs, but this recipe is really good.  I love a good swedish meatball & these are moist & flavorful.  This is a nice meal that is pretty quick to throw together.  I will most likely be making this again, especially since my 2 1/2 year old actually eats meatballs, I will use any variation I can get!  Enjoy!

IKEA Swedish Meatballs

Recipe slightly altered from CinnamonGirlRecipes by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Meatballs:

• 3/4 cup Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup onion, minced or small dice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 12-16 oz ground beef (I used 12 oz of 85/15)
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, beaten

Sauce:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth (or bouillon+water to equal 3 cups)
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dried Parsley
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 12-16 oz egg noodles (I actually use around 10oz of noodles so there is enough sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Add bread crumbs to a large bowl.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add onion, garlic, allspice, 1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper; cook until onion is tender.
2. Whisk in milk & worcestershire sauce & bring to a simmer.
3. Pour mixture over the breadcrumbs & stir to make a thick paste; allow to cool, then mix in the ground beef, egg & egg white with a fork until well combined.
4. Place foil on a large baking sheet & coat with pan spray.  Roll the meat into 1-inch balls & place close, but not touching on the baking sheet.  
5. Bake at 400*F for 15-20 min or until cooked through to centers.  (*Time will depend on the size of meatball, mine only took 15 min b/c they were a smaller 1-inch size ball.)
6. Start to heat some salted water for your noodles.  Start your gravy: melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth, whisk in beef broth & worcestershire sauce; bring to a simmer.
7. Whisk in cream & dried parsley; add the cooked meatballs.  Reduce heat to medium low & simmer about 10 minutes.
8. While meatballs simmer add your noodles to your boiling water & cook according to time on package.  Your noodles & meatballs should finish about the same time.  Drain noodles & served meatballs & sauce over the hot noodles.  Enjoy!

Serves 6 people (About 5-6 meatballs each)

MMM!  Meatballs, noodles, sauce...you can't go wrong!

I have never been to IKEA (is that bad?) & so I have never tried their meatballs, but this recipe is really good.  I love a good swedish meatball & these are moist & flavorful.  This is a nice meal that is pretty quick to throw together.  I will most likely be making this again, especially since my 2 1/2 year old actually eats meatballs, I will use any variation I can get!  Enjoy!

IKEA Swedish Meatballs

Recipe slightly altered from CinnamonGirlRecipes by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Meatballs:

• 3/4 cup Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup onion, minced or small dice
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 12-16 oz ground beef (I used 12 oz of 85/15)
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, beaten

Sauce:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth (or bouillon+water to equal 3 cups)
• 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp dried Parsley
• Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 12-16 oz egg noodles (I actually use around 10oz of noodles so there is enough sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Add bread crumbs to a large bowl.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add onion, garlic, allspice, 1 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper; cook until onion is tender.
2. Whisk in milk & worcestershire sauce & bring to a simmer.
3. Pour mixture over the breadcrumbs & stir to make a thick paste; allow to cool, then mix in the ground beef, egg & egg white with a fork until well combined.
4. Place foil on a large baking sheet & coat with pan spray.  Roll the meat into 1-inch balls & place close, but not touching on the baking sheet.  
5. Bake at 400*F for 15-20 min or until cooked through to centers.  (*Time will depend on the size of meatball, mine only took 15 min b/c they were a smaller 1-inch size ball.)
6. Start to heat some salted water for your noodles.  Start your gravy: melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth, whisk in beef broth & worcestershire sauce; bring to a simmer.
7. Whisk in cream & dried parsley; add the cooked meatballs.  Reduce heat to medium low & simmer about 10 minutes.
8. While meatballs simmer add your noodles to your boiling water & cook according to time on package.  Your noodles & meatballs should finish about the same time.  Drain noodles & served meatballs & sauce over the hot noodles.  Enjoy!

Serves 6 people (About 5-6 meatballs each)

MMM!  Meatballs, noodles, sauce...you can't go wrong!

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

One of my favorite things in life is lemon flavored anything!  I LOVE lemon poppy bread, lemon bars, lemon truffles, lemonade, etc.  If it's lemon, it has my name on it!  So I found this recipe & altered it, I have made it several times & I just LOVE this bread.  You can also make this recipe into muffins, but it makes at least 2 doz.  I only have enough muffin pans to do 1 1/2 dozen muffins, so when I made the recipe I had to make an extra 8"round cake pan with the leftovers.  Anyway, if you like the tart lemon flavor in a nice moist yet fluffy bread/muffin, then this is the recipe for you!


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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Recipe altered from allrecipes by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 cup lemon juice concentrate
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice concentrate

1. Preheat oven to 325*F.  Grease 2 loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, white sugar.
3. Add oil, eggs, milk, extracts, & 1/2 cup lemon juice; mix until smooth, about 1 minute.  Will be a pretty runny batter.  Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 325*F for 1hr 10 min  (Start at 55 min & go from there, but mine always takes 70 min.) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean, or springs back when touched.  
5. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice & brush over the tops of HOT loaves while they are in the pans.  Cool loaves in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  When cool, cut into slices & enjoy!

Makes 2 full loaves.

*To make muffins:  Follow instructions through step three filling 2 dozen paper muffin cups in pans 3/4 way full instead of pouring batter into loaf pans.  Bake at 325*F for 20-25 min or until done.  Brush tops with glaze.

One of my favorite things in life is lemon flavored anything!  I LOVE lemon poppy bread, lemon bars, lemon truffles, lemonade, etc.  If it's lemon, it has my name on it!  So I found this recipe & altered it, I have made it several times & I just LOVE this bread.  You can also make this recipe into muffins, but it makes at least 2 doz.  I only have enough muffin pans to do 1 1/2 dozen muffins, so when I made the recipe I had to make an extra 8"round cake pan with the leftovers.  Anyway, if you like the tart lemon flavor in a nice moist yet fluffy bread/muffin, then this is the recipe for you!


Pin It

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Recipe altered from allrecipes by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1/2 cup lemon juice concentrate
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice concentrate

1. Preheat oven to 325*F.  Grease 2 loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds, white sugar.
3. Add oil, eggs, milk, extracts, & 1/2 cup lemon juice; mix until smooth, about 1 minute.  Will be a pretty runny batter.  Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 325*F for 1hr 10 min  (Start at 55 min & go from there, but mine always takes 70 min.) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean, or springs back when touched.  
5. Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice & brush over the tops of HOT loaves while they are in the pans.  Cool loaves in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  When cool, cut into slices & enjoy!

Makes 2 full loaves.

*To make muffins:  Follow instructions through step three filling 2 dozen paper muffin cups in pans 3/4 way full instead of pouring batter into loaf pans.  Bake at 325*F for 20-25 min or until done.  Brush tops with glaze.

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Traditional New Year's Day Collards {Pressure Cooker Method}

Every Southerner knows the traditional New Year's Day meal is collards, some form of pork, and black-eyed peas.  Why, you ask?  Because this, according to lore, brings you luck and good fortune for the upcoming year.

According to Southern Living, collards and black-eyed peas "all but guarantee a prosperous year. Some say the greens represent dollar bills and the peas, coins, ensuring wealth and luck."  And, one reason pork is traditional for New Year's Day according to About.com is that "pigs have also long symbolized progress. A pig can't turn his head to look back without turning completely around, so it's believed that pigs are always looking to the future. They fit in perfectly with other New Year's celebrations."

Now, I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I'd rather not tempt fate to find out!

My husband Mark took point to prepare our New Year's Day meal this year, giving his pressure cooker a whirl for the collards and pork.  And boy oh boy, were those collards tasty and tender!  I can absolutely say they were the best collards I've ever had.  And I'm not just saying that because my cute husband made them.

He loaded his pressure cooker up with collards ...

... and then put in some onions, garlic, ham hocks, and other good stuff.

He cooked it for about 20 minutes or so, and delivered up the most super tasty and tender collards I've ever had. 



So, whether or not you ate your collards, pork, and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, Mark and I wish you much luck and prosperity in 2012!

Collard Greens {Pressure Cooker Method}
Source: Adapted from Yummly

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh collard greens
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. olive oil
2 T. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 large onions, quartered
2 ham hocks
1/4 lb. hog jaw or fatback


Directions
1.  Clean your collards by filling your sink with cold water and soaking them for 1/2 hour. Remove the thick part of the stems at the bottom of the greens. Give the collards a rough chop to cut them into large pieces.

2.  Place the chicken broth, olive oil, tomato paste, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, and salt in the bottom of the pressure cooker; stir to combine. Add collards and toss a bit to coat them with the chicken broth mixture.

3.  Place the onions, ham hocks, and hog jaw on top of the collards.

4.  Seal the pressure cooker pot. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper.

Every Southerner knows the traditional New Year's Day meal is collards, some form of pork, and black-eyed peas.  Why, you ask?  Because this, according to lore, brings you luck and good fortune for the upcoming year.

According to Southern Living, collards and black-eyed peas "all but guarantee a prosperous year. Some say the greens represent dollar bills and the peas, coins, ensuring wealth and luck."  And, one reason pork is traditional for New Year's Day according to About.com is that "pigs have also long symbolized progress. A pig can't turn his head to look back without turning completely around, so it's believed that pigs are always looking to the future. They fit in perfectly with other New Year's celebrations."

Now, I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I'd rather not tempt fate to find out!

My husband Mark took point to prepare our New Year's Day meal this year, giving his pressure cooker a whirl for the collards and pork.  And boy oh boy, were those collards tasty and tender!  I can absolutely say they were the best collards I've ever had.  And I'm not just saying that because my cute husband made them.

He loaded his pressure cooker up with collards ...

... and then put in some onions, garlic, ham hocks, and other good stuff.

He cooked it for about 20 minutes or so, and delivered up the most super tasty and tender collards I've ever had. 



So, whether or not you ate your collards, pork, and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, Mark and I wish you much luck and prosperity in 2012!

Collard Greens {Pressure Cooker Method}
Source: Adapted from Yummly

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh collard greens
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. olive oil
2 T. tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 large onions, quartered
2 ham hocks
1/4 lb. hog jaw or fatback


Directions
1.  Clean your collards by filling your sink with cold water and soaking them for 1/2 hour. Remove the thick part of the stems at the bottom of the greens. Give the collards a rough chop to cut them into large pieces.

2.  Place the chicken broth, olive oil, tomato paste, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, and salt in the bottom of the pressure cooker; stir to combine. Add collards and toss a bit to coat them with the chicken broth mixture.

3.  Place the onions, ham hocks, and hog jaw on top of the collards.

4.  Seal the pressure cooker pot. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper.

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Best Taco Meat EVER!

I found this recipe on a food storage blog almost a year ago.  It started with a recipe for the homemade taco mix, which I was very excited about.  I hate spending so much money on the packets at the store...even on sale they are a rip off of the cost of the ingredients which are in them.  So I made the mixes she has on her blog, & I liked all of them, except the ranch dressing mix one, it had too much pepper.  Anyway, you need to make the homemade taco seasoning to make these tacos, but they are a cinch!  I have not made my taco meat any other way since finding & trying this recipe!  It's sweet & saucy, with the smokey cumin flavor of regular tacos, but so much better!  LOVE IT!  You must try it, like now!
 

Favorite Taco Meat

Recipe by: dealstomeals & adored by Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
• 2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix (*Recipe to follow)
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp sour cream

1. Brown the ground beef/turkey & drain off excess grease (unnecessary if using ground turkey.)  
2. Add the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, & brown sugar.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in sour cream & serve in taco shells or tortillas with all of your favorite fixings.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Recipe by: dealstomeals & adored by Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 6 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 2 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp cumin

1. Combine all of the ingredients together & store in a cool, dry place. (I pulse mine several times in a small food processor before I store them.)

I found this recipe on a food storage blog almost a year ago.  It started with a recipe for the homemade taco mix, which I was very excited about.  I hate spending so much money on the packets at the store...even on sale they are a rip off of the cost of the ingredients which are in them.  So I made the mixes she has on her blog, & I liked all of them, except the ranch dressing mix one, it had too much pepper.  Anyway, you need to make the homemade taco seasoning to make these tacos, but they are a cinch!  I have not made my taco meat any other way since finding & trying this recipe!  It's sweet & saucy, with the smokey cumin flavor of regular tacos, but so much better!  LOVE IT!  You must try it, like now!
 

Favorite Taco Meat

Recipe by: dealstomeals & adored by Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
• 2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix (*Recipe to follow)
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp sour cream

1. Brown the ground beef/turkey & drain off excess grease (unnecessary if using ground turkey.)  
2. Add the tomato sauce, taco seasoning, & brown sugar.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in sour cream & serve in taco shells or tortillas with all of your favorite fixings.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Recipe by: dealstomeals & adored by Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 6 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 2 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp cumin

1. Combine all of the ingredients together & store in a cool, dry place. (I pulse mine several times in a small food processor before I store them.)

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Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake & My "30 for 2012" Recipe Project List

Happy New Year, everyone!  I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, are you?  I don't really like to make them because then I feel like a failure when I don't follow through ... which is usually the case.  Instead, I like to set up little project goals for myself at the start of the new year ... things I'd like to get to ... but that I won't stress out about if I don't.

Like my "30 for 2012" Project - 30 recipes I've picked out to make in 2012 (click on the link or scroll to the bottom of this post to see the entire list).  Last year my project list included 50 recipes, and I only got through about half of them. So, I decided to scale the list back for this year. Thirty should be doable!

And guess what?!  I've already done one of the recipes on the "30 for 2012" Project list! ... this rich-and-delicious Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake.  I'm so proud of myself for already tackling one of my project goals.

Chocolate flourless cake is one of those desserts that I've always seen on restaurant menus, but had never attempted myself.  I don't know why ... I just hadn't.  So, I decided to put it on "my list" this year. 

One of my other goals this year is to incorporate more whole grain baking into my line-up.  Mark and I switched over to all whole grains in our pastas and other store-bought goods a few years ago, but I haven't really made great strides in incorporating whole grains into my personal baking yet.  So, I've decided this is one of my project goals for this year ... more whole-grain baking ... not a resolution, mind you (remember, I don't make resolutions) ... just a goal.  And since you use finely ground nuts in this cake and no flour, this cake counts as whole grain!

Start this cake by finely grinding some almonds in a food processor.  Or, if you are able to purchase almond meal in your local store, use that.  I totally had some almond meal from Trader Joe's in my freezer and completely forgot about it until after I had already ground up my almonds.  Oh well.

Finely ground almonds serve as the "flour" for this cake

Combine the ground almonds with melted semi-sweet chocolate (yum!), some sugar, egg yolks, sour cream, and a few other things ...

Semi-sweet chocolate & other good stuff

... and then gently fold in some beaten egg whites. 

In go the egg whites ... be gentle

Bake it up in a springform pan, and you'll end up with a rich-and-delicious cake with a texture reminiscent of a light, fluffy brownie.  Mmm, mmm, it's good.  Do be aware though, you'll "feel" the almond pieces when you're eating this. 

Yummy rich chocolate cake

The cake will rise up quite a bit while it's in the oven, but then fall drastically once removed from the heat.  It'll be only about 1 or 2 inches thick once it falls.  It's supposed to be like that.

This is how thick the cake is once it's fallen

Serve up slices with a dusting of powdered sugar, a few fresh raspberries, and a sprinkling of slivered almonds ... and, voila! ... you've got a beautiful dessert all dressed to impress.

An adorned slice

Then dig in!  I dug right in during my photo shoot ... couldn't wait until I was all done staging the pictures.

Digging in during the photo shoot

The photo shoot slice didn't even make it back to the kitchen.

All gone!!

Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake
Source:  Adapted from Prevention Healthy Cooking: Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way's Chocolate Hazelnut Flourless Cake

Ingredients
2 T. butter
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1/2 c. almonds, ground (or a little bit less than a 1/2 cup of almond meal)
8 T. sugar, divided
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 T. amaretto
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh raspberries, slivered almonds, and powdered sugar for garnish


Directions
1.  Generously coat an 8" or 9" springform pan with about 2 teaspoons of the butter and dust with 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder.  Do not tap out the excess cocoa powder - leave it in the bottom of of the pan.

2.  In a food processor, process the almonds with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very finely ground.  (If using almond meal, you can omit this step.  Use just a little bit less than a 1/2 cup of the almond meal.)

3.  In a small saucepan over very low heat, or in the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and remaining better, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from heat and place the chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl.  Add the almond mixture, sour cream, egg yolks, amaretto, vanilla, cinnamon, 5 tablespoons of sugar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.  Stir until well blended.

4.  In another large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the egg whites and salt until foamy.  Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, beating until the egg whites make stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.

5.  Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the chocolate batter.  Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.  Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  The cake is done when it has risen, is dry on the top, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs.  As the cake cools, it will fall to be about 1" to 2" thick.

7.  Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and remove the springform pan sides.  Serve each slice with a dusting of powdered sugar, a few raspberries, and a sprinkling of slivered almonds.

Enjoy!



Here's my "30 for 2012" Project list... 30 recipes I'd like to make by the end of the year. 

Stay tuned for posts about the ones that turn out okay. And I'll update this list on my "30 for 2012" Project tab with post links as I work through them.


1. Mango Salsa
2. Spinach Cheese Swirls
3. Chocolate Chip "Puffins" (Pumpkin muffins, get it??)
4. Granola
5. Honey-Whole Wheat Biscuits
6. Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Waffles
7. Sourdough Bread (Oh my! This one scares me!!)
8. Caramel-Rum Squares
9. Coffee Thumbprint Cookies
10. Salted Cashew-Crunch Cookies
11. Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes
12. Neopolitan Cupcakes
13. Persimmon Cupcakes & Frosting (With wild persimmons from my mother-in-law's farm - yum.)
14. Baked Bananas with Rum Sauce
15. Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake
16. Coconut Pie
17. Fudge Pie with Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
18. Maple-Brown Sugar Pudding Cake
19. Shoo Fly Pie
20. Whole Wheat Gingerbread
21. Crab, Shrimp, & Wild Rice Casserole
22. Kiwifruit & Pineapple Marinated Chicken
23. Green Bean, Walnut, & Feta Cheese Salad
24. Mushroom Gouda Chowder
25. Stovetop Chicken Lasagna Soup
26. White Corn & Rosemary Soup
27. Dill Pickles (canned ... I've never canned before. I'm a little bit scared.)
28. Mashed Squash Casserole
29. Sauteed Cabbage
30. Sherried Fruit Bake


This post is linked with Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Savvy HomeMade A to Z, Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed by Grace, Tea Party Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tasty Tuesday hosted by iBlog4Me, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Crafty Lassie Tuesday hosted by Sew Stylish Boutique, Wow Me Wednesday hosted by Polka Dots on Parade, Watcha Baking Wednesday hosted by Cajun Sugar Pie, Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party hosted by Mrs. Fox's Sweets, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Friday Favorites hosted by Simply Sweet Home, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Show and Tell Saturday hosted by Be Different ... Act Normal, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, The Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across My Face, Mingle Monday hosted by Add a Pinch, BFF Open House hosted by The Answer is Chocolate, Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking.

Happy New Year, everyone!  I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, are you?  I don't really like to make them because then I feel like a failure when I don't follow through ... which is usually the case.  Instead, I like to set up little project goals for myself at the start of the new year ... things I'd like to get to ... but that I won't stress out about if I don't.

Like my "30 for 2012" Project - 30 recipes I've picked out to make in 2012 (click on the link or scroll to the bottom of this post to see the entire list).  Last year my project list included 50 recipes, and I only got through about half of them. So, I decided to scale the list back for this year. Thirty should be doable!

And guess what?!  I've already done one of the recipes on the "30 for 2012" Project list! ... this rich-and-delicious Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake.  I'm so proud of myself for already tackling one of my project goals.

Chocolate flourless cake is one of those desserts that I've always seen on restaurant menus, but had never attempted myself.  I don't know why ... I just hadn't.  So, I decided to put it on "my list" this year. 

One of my other goals this year is to incorporate more whole grain baking into my line-up.  Mark and I switched over to all whole grains in our pastas and other store-bought goods a few years ago, but I haven't really made great strides in incorporating whole grains into my personal baking yet.  So, I've decided this is one of my project goals for this year ... more whole-grain baking ... not a resolution, mind you (remember, I don't make resolutions) ... just a goal.  And since you use finely ground nuts in this cake and no flour, this cake counts as whole grain!

Start this cake by finely grinding some almonds in a food processor.  Or, if you are able to purchase almond meal in your local store, use that.  I totally had some almond meal from Trader Joe's in my freezer and completely forgot about it until after I had already ground up my almonds.  Oh well.

Finely ground almonds serve as the "flour" for this cake

Combine the ground almonds with melted semi-sweet chocolate (yum!), some sugar, egg yolks, sour cream, and a few other things ...

Semi-sweet chocolate & other good stuff

... and then gently fold in some beaten egg whites. 

In go the egg whites ... be gentle

Bake it up in a springform pan, and you'll end up with a rich-and-delicious cake with a texture reminiscent of a light, fluffy brownie.  Mmm, mmm, it's good.  Do be aware though, you'll "feel" the almond pieces when you're eating this. 

Yummy rich chocolate cake

The cake will rise up quite a bit while it's in the oven, but then fall drastically once removed from the heat.  It'll be only about 1 or 2 inches thick once it falls.  It's supposed to be like that.

This is how thick the cake is once it's fallen

Serve up slices with a dusting of powdered sugar, a few fresh raspberries, and a sprinkling of slivered almonds ... and, voila! ... you've got a beautiful dessert all dressed to impress.

An adorned slice

Then dig in!  I dug right in during my photo shoot ... couldn't wait until I was all done staging the pictures.

Digging in during the photo shoot

The photo shoot slice didn't even make it back to the kitchen.

All gone!!

Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake
Source:  Adapted from Prevention Healthy Cooking: Lose Weight the Smart Low-Carb Way's Chocolate Hazelnut Flourless Cake

Ingredients
2 T. butter
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
1/2 c. almonds, ground (or a little bit less than a 1/2 cup of almond meal)
8 T. sugar, divided
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 T. amaretto
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
5 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh raspberries, slivered almonds, and powdered sugar for garnish


Directions
1.  Generously coat an 8" or 9" springform pan with about 2 teaspoons of the butter and dust with 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder.  Do not tap out the excess cocoa powder - leave it in the bottom of of the pan.

2.  In a food processor, process the almonds with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very finely ground.  (If using almond meal, you can omit this step.  Use just a little bit less than a 1/2 cup of the almond meal.)

3.  In a small saucepan over very low heat, or in the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and remaining better, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from heat and place the chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl.  Add the almond mixture, sour cream, egg yolks, amaretto, vanilla, cinnamon, 5 tablespoons of sugar, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.  Stir until well blended.

4.  In another large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the egg whites and salt until foamy.  Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, beating until the egg whites make stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.

5.  Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the chocolate batter.  Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.  Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  The cake is done when it has risen, is dry on the top, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs.  As the cake cools, it will fall to be about 1" to 2" thick.

7.  Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and remove the springform pan sides.  Serve each slice with a dusting of powdered sugar, a few raspberries, and a sprinkling of slivered almonds.

Enjoy!



Here's my "30 for 2012" Project list... 30 recipes I'd like to make by the end of the year. 

Stay tuned for posts about the ones that turn out okay. And I'll update this list on my "30 for 2012" Project tab with post links as I work through them.


1. Mango Salsa
2. Spinach Cheese Swirls
3. Chocolate Chip "Puffins" (Pumpkin muffins, get it??)
4. Granola
5. Honey-Whole Wheat Biscuits
6. Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Waffles
7. Sourdough Bread (Oh my! This one scares me!!)
8. Caramel-Rum Squares
9. Coffee Thumbprint Cookies
10. Salted Cashew-Crunch Cookies
11. Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes
12. Neopolitan Cupcakes
13. Persimmon Cupcakes & Frosting (With wild persimmons from my mother-in-law's farm - yum.)
14. Baked Bananas with Rum Sauce
15. Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake
16. Coconut Pie
17. Fudge Pie with Peanut Butter Cookie Crust
18. Maple-Brown Sugar Pudding Cake
19. Shoo Fly Pie
20. Whole Wheat Gingerbread
21. Crab, Shrimp, & Wild Rice Casserole
22. Kiwifruit & Pineapple Marinated Chicken
23. Green Bean, Walnut, & Feta Cheese Salad
24. Mushroom Gouda Chowder
25. Stovetop Chicken Lasagna Soup
26. White Corn & Rosemary Soup
27. Dill Pickles (canned ... I've never canned before. I'm a little bit scared.)
28. Mashed Squash Casserole
29. Sauteed Cabbage
30. Sherried Fruit Bake


This post is linked with Savvy Homemade Monday hosted by Savvy HomeMade A to Z, Market Yourself Monday hosted by Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed by Grace, Tea Party Tuesday hosted by Sweetology, Tasty Tuesday hosted by iBlog4Me, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Crafty Lassie Tuesday hosted by Sew Stylish Boutique, Wow Me Wednesday hosted by Polka Dots on Parade, Watcha Baking Wednesday hosted by Cajun Sugar Pie, Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party hosted by Mrs. Fox's Sweets, These Chicks Cooked hosted by This Chick Cooks, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, It's a Keeper Thursday hosted by It's a Keeper, Friday Favorites hosted by Simply Sweet Home, Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Show and Tell Saturday hosted by Be Different ... Act Normal, Sweet Indulgences Sunday hosted by A Well-Seasoned Life, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Naptime, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, The Cure for the Common Monday hosted by Lines Across My Face, Mingle Monday hosted by Add a Pinch, BFF Open House hosted by The Answer is Chocolate, Sharing Sundays hosted by Everyday Sisters, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking.

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