Recipe: Paula Deens Chocolate Chip Cake

From Denny: I just love it when celebrity chefs come on TV morning shows to hawk their latest cookbook and give out some interesting yummy recipes! Here's the latest from chef Paula Deen from her down home Southern style of good food. She appeared on NBC's The Today Show this month. This recipe is an easy one made with a yellow cake mix.

From: "Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set"

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking spray
• Flour for dusting pan
• One 18 1/4 ounce yellow cake mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• One 3 ounce package instant pudding mix
• One 12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting top of cake

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray then put about 2 tablespoons of flour in the bottom of the pan. Tap the pan and turn it all around until the flour coats all surface of the pan. Dump out any excess flour into the trash can.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and pudding mix. Combine with an electric mixer until very smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Place the batter evenly in the bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top appears set and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Have an adult help you remove the pan from the oven.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then take a butter knife and run it around the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the top by placing confectioners' sugar into a strainer, holding it above the cake, and tapping the sides of the strainer. Move the strainer from place to place until the cake is dusted.

Recipe: Faster Easy Chocolate Dipped Donuts

From Denny: OK, on the weekend (or any day for that matter...) there is nothing like a fresh hot donut dripping and overflowing with chocolate ganache or a simple chocolate icing like she does here. Neither one of you wants to go to the trouble to get dressed, get in the car and go around the corner to the local donut shop. What's your alternative? Paula Deen already thought of that one and has your easy answer. Make them with a good canned biscuit brand! :) (Chocolate makes everything taste better.)

Chocolate-Dippy Doughnuts

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

Peanut oil

1 can store-bought biscuits

1 (4-ounce) bar sweet chocolate (recommended: Baker's German's)

1/2-ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat fryer with peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnuts into fryer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.

Stick a fork through the doughnut holes and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets, about 5 minutes.

Video: Paul Deen Previews Latest Kitchen Trends

From Denny: From the Comfort Food Queen of Southern Food herself, Paul Deen, reviews the latest season's kitchen gadgets, colors and other offerings from the trade show. Items for your grandchildren as well as the family pets! Interesting to hear the latest trends.

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Recipe: Chocolate Pine Bark

From Denny: People are always looking for recipes that are easy to do, take little time AND are crowd pleasers! This is one of those popular recipes.

Pine Bark

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 35 squares

Ingredients

35 saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

5 (4-ounce) milk chocolate bars, broken into pieces


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a 15 by 10 by 1-inch jelly roll pan with tin foil. Lightly spray foil with a non-stick cooking spray.

Place saltine crackers, salty side up, in prepared pan. In a saucepan, boil butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Pour mixture over crackers and bake for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven, top with candy bars, and spread evenly as chocolate begins to melt. Cool slightly and transfer onto waxed paper. Allow to cool completely.


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