Chocolate Kahlua Cake

I love Kahlua, and I love desserts made with Kahlua.  When I saw this post at one of my favorite blogs, Lick The Bowl Good, several months back, I knew I wanted this cake to be mine.  It turned out moist and delicious! We almost ate the whole thing in one day.

This might be nice to serve for Thanksgiving, if you've got somebody who doesn't care for pumpkin.  Me, I'll be working.  (Time and a half, baby!)

Here's Monica's recipe:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil
• 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee or water
• 1/2 cup Kahlua
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, place cake mix, pudding mix and instant espresso powder and mix together with a whisk.

In a large measuring cup, mix the remaining wet ingredients together and blend til well mixed.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well combined with an electric hand mixer or a large whisk. Mix until well combined and lump free.

Pour cake mix into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, top with glaze (recipe below).

Kahlua Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 Tbsp. Kahlua
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients til smooth and pourable. If too thick and a few drops of water. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached.

Pour or spoon glaze over the entire cake. Garnish with mini chocolate chips if desired.  (I didn't have any so I used pecans).   Allow glaze to set before slicing into cake.

Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip

Hi everyone, hope you're all having a low-stress Thanksgiving week.  I have to work that day, but will be celebrating a bit on Wednesday since it's also my son's birthday.  Went to a fun baby shower today and brought this dip along.

This dip is kinda the best of both worlds if you like caramel dip and cream cheese dip.  Just put them together and it's all kinds of yum!  Here's the recipe I found from Jane Deere.

2 8-oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened 

½ cup powdered sugar

1 16 oz carton Old Fashioned caramel apple dip 

1 cup Heath Bits ‘O Brickle Toffee Bits

4 large Granny Smith Apples, sliced thick

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy.  Spread mixture evenly onto a platter.  Spread caramel apple dip on top of the cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle top generously with toffee bits.  Serve with thick slices of Granny Smith apples.

I also recently made this Black Bean Burrito Bake that I found at Sidewalk Shoes sometime back.  I personally thought it was wonderful and easy.  Some children didn't care for it too much.

 I couldn't get a decent picture to save my life.  And don't get me started on that broccoli.  I've been making it the Ina Garten way lately and just can't get enough of it!  

Here's the black bean recipe for ya:

• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (full fat yogurt – whatever floats your boat)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream (or yogurt) and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serves 4