confessions of a sweet tooth

In case it's not obvious by now...almost every sweet thing I create involves chocolate is some way...be it the main ingredient or a garnish. I vow I will branch out of my comfort zone some day! I discovered the art of making cream puffs a few months ago and while they have never been my favorite dessert, I now recognize that they play an important role in the "sweet" family. I've made them twice now...once with a homemade chocolate pudding filling and once with a vanilla filling. I enjoyed them both ways and while they are no chocolate cake, they definitely hit the spot now and again. Chocolate Filled Cream Puffs 1 c. water 1/2 c. butter or margerine 1/4 t. salt 1 c. all-purpose flour 4 eggs chocolate cream filling (recipe follows) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water and salt to a boil in med. saucepan. Add flour; stir vigorously over low heat about 1 min. or until mixture leaves side of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat; add eggs, one at a time, beating well a...

My favorite food just happens to be chocolate cake...most any kind will do, but chocolate cakes are definitely not all created equal. I like one that is plenty chocolatey and dense with just the right amount (which means kind of a lot) of thick, rich ganache-like frosting on top. My mom found a recipe a few years ago that has become my go to for chocolate cakes. It's easy to whip up and doesn't call for ingredients I don't typically have on hand, and the end result is delicious! Today I decided to try using the batter for cupcakes...it worked well and the frosting was good for piping (I added an extra cup of powdered sugar to thicken it a bit.) Happy Cinco de Mayo!! I used a small muffin tin and liners to make little cupcakes for the kids...they were the perfect size for little hands! Here is the same recipe in cake form...I made this one for my sister-ing-law's 30th birthday party a few years ago. Add some piroulines and plenty of chocolate shavings and the end result ...