Emeril Lagasse: Baked Codfish with Irish Cheese Crust

I always thought cod was best served with a crispy brown crust on a sandwich.  Not necessarily so.  It's equally, possibly more, delicious covered in bread crumbs and cheese and baked in cream.  Luscious enough for you?  Too bad St. Patrick's Day only comes around once a year.  And don't try to get all Americanized on me and use that nasty yellow mustard in a squeeze container.  This MUST have Colman's mustard.  It's got that rich bite that makes the whole darn thing worth it.

Baked Codfish with Irish Cheese Crust
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

4 (6-ounce) codfish fillets, skins removed
Emeril's Essence Seasoning (or your own mix)
½ cup fine breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 teaspoons Colman's English mustard (paste form, not dry powder)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
6 ounces Kerrygold Vintage Irish Cheddar, grated
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a casserole dish and set aside.

Lightly season the codfish on both sides with Essence and place in the prepared dish, skin side down.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, butter, parsley, mustard, and garlic, and mix well. Add the cheese and mix well. Place on the fish, patting down to make a crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Pour the cream over the fish and bake until the fish is cooked through, golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Southern Living: Chocolate Truffle Cake

I think this is one of my mom's favorite cakes.  And after all the work it takes, it certainly should be.  This is a chocolate bomb of ridiculous proportions.  Chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate truffle filling, chocolate truffles on top.  I'm trying to think how you could stick any more chocolate in this one.  Maybe chocolate fudge drizzled over each slice?

Chocolate Truffle Cake
From Southern Living magazine

Chocolate Truffles
2-3 tablespoons whole milk
Rich Chocolate Cake
Satiny Chocolate Frosting
2 bottles chocolate sprinkles

Prepare the chocolate truffles. Combine the milk and the reserved ¾ of the truffle mixture; beat at high speed until the mixture is spreading consistency. Spread between the layers of chocolate cake. Frost with Satiny Chocolate Frosting. Pat chocolate sprinkles onto the sides of the cake. Arrange the truffles on top. Chill until serving time.

Makes 16 servings

Chocolate Truffles
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
4 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

Melt the chocolate chips in a saucepan; remove from the heat. Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually stir ¼ of the melted chocolate into the yolks; add to the remaining chocolate, stirring constantly. Add the butter and powdered sugar; beat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Place ¼ of the mixture into a small bowl; cover with a paper towel, and let stand in a cool, dry place for 1 hour. Set aside remaining truffle mixture. After ¼ of the mixture has set for 1 hour, shape into 12 balls; roll the balls in chocolate sprinkles.

Rich Chocolate Cake
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Beat at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes; then remove them from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

Satiny Chocolate Frosting
1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup whole milk
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2½ cups powdered sugar

Combine the chocolate chips, milk, and butter in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat; blend in the powdered sugar. Set the pan in a bowl of ice water; beat the mixture until the frosting cools and holds its shape.

Nestlé: Toll House Crumbcake

I feel like an old woman talking about how I walked to school in six feet of snow (barefoot! uphill! both ways!) when I say this, but I first made this coffee cake back when I was in junior high school, maybe 13 years old?  I was taking home economics (because hello, who doesn't want a chocolate break in the middle of the day??), and this was one of the yummy recipes my teacher dug up for us.  I still have the photocopied recipe sheet, so you know this chocolaty crunchy confection made an impression.

Toll House Crumbcake
From Nestlé

Topping:
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 (12-ounce) package Nestlé Toll House semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels, divided

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels, reserved from 12-ounce package

Topping:  In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, and flour.  Stir in nuts and ½ cup mini morsels; set aside.

Cake:  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large mixer bowl, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream.  Fold in remaining 1½ cups mini morsels.  Spread in pan.  Sprinkle Topping evenly over batter.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool; cut into 2-inch squares.

Makes about 24 squares