Chocolate Chip Cake

This cake was a hit at a Mother’s Day gathering held in honor of my mother-in-law – no “mother-in-law jokes” apply with her, she’s the best one I could ever ask for! This Chocolate Chip Cake is moist and rich and is adapted from a recipe that's in a cookbook on my shelf called “The Cake Doctor” by Anne Byrn. I wanted to make something delicious for the get-together, but not so plain as brownies – this was the ticket! And there wasn’t a crumb left to take home when the party ended!

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray for the bundt pan
Flour to dust the pan
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 C. whole milk
3/4 C. vegetable oil, such as canola
4 large eggs
1 1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the center. Lightly spray a 10-inch bundt pan with vegetable oil, then dust with flour and shake out excess. Set aside.
Take a 1/2 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chop into smaller chunks, set aside.
Place the dry cake mix in a large mixing bowl and add the dry pudding mix, milk, oil and eggs. Using an electric mixer, blend on low for a minute, then stop to fold in the 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides and continue to mix for 2 more minutes. Fold in remaining chocolate chips, distributing them evenly, then pour into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for 55-60 minutes until golden brown and springy. Invert cake and cool before slicing into serving sizes. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream or a side of ice cream, if desired.

Serves 16.

Breakfast Cupcakes

Has anyone tried this recipe? My co-worker Cheryl Hoefler saw this on a Facebook friend’s page and thought it would be a great breakfast dish to add to Angel’s Kitchen. It looks like a fun one for any breakfast gathering, or for families on the go. I'm eager to try this one and will add a picture when I do. If you give it a whirl, please comment and let me know how it turned out! Thanks!

Ingredients:
1 20-oz. pkg. shredded hash browns, thawed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp. flour
1 small sweet onion, coarsely grated
2 thick slices deli ham, chopped into small bits (about 1 cup)
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 dozen cooked
eggs, scrambled*
chives for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F., and lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon potato mixture into each prepared muffin cup until about 1/3 full. Gently press the potato mixture down in the middle and up the sides of each cup. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. If the nests have puffed up too much in the center, scoop out a little with a teaspoon. Fill each nest with scramble eggs and top with chives.

This recipe is also featured on the blog Just a Pinch.

Savory Cooked Carrots

Savory, simple and healthy would describe this side dish from my co-worker Cheryl Hoefler. This is a creative way to add vegetables to the dinner plate. I gave this a try the other evening, and updated the picture. I have to say, I've never tasted anything quite like it – I loved the flavor!

Ingredients:
6 C. shredded carrots (about 2 pounds)
3/4 C. chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 C. butter

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onions, brown sugar, salt and celery salt. Place mixture in an ungreased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish and dot with butter. Cover and bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.

Tip: Since I had some on hand, I added 2-3 Tbsp. of chopped red onion - yum!
Also, if you think a full 6 cups of shredded carrots in this recipe won't disappear fast enough at your home, try halving the recipe, or freezing leftovers.