I started the journey to this chocolate cake with a chocolate pound cake as my goal. After I shared the strawberry swirl cream cheese pound cake last month, I received more than a few requests from readers asking for a chocolate pound cake recipe. I was almost as stunned as you were to realize that I didn’t have one in my repertoire yet. I set out to remedy that, but was more than a little underwhelmed by the recipes that I was finding. They were all severely lacking in the chocolate department; most just threw some cocoa powder into a regular pound cake recipe. That wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted chocolate, for crying out loud! I turned my attention to finding a fabulous, moist chocolate Bundt cake and find it, I did! I couldn’t leave well enough alone, so I topped it with chocolate fudge icing. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t eat a naked chocolate cake!

Let’s be honest, here. There’s absolutely nothing worse than a dry chocolate cake. Yet, there are few things in the food world better than a dense, moist, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake. The secret? Packing the cake with moisture and making sure you don’t overbeat it. In this recipe, both boiling water and sour cream are used to ensure that the cake doesn’t dry out. They do a fabulous job, as this is, hands-down, one of the two best chocolate Bundt cake recipes I’ve ever seen (the other being the fabulous Root Beer Float Cake).

The recipe for this cake didn’t call for an icing or frosting, just a mere sprinkle of powdered sugar, but I had to dress it up. I settled on a boiled chocolate fudge icing that is very reminiscent of the icing used on Texas Sheet Cake. As in, I would prefer to just sit with the pot of icing and a spoon and call it a day.

The cake and icing combo makes for a very rich dessert, but I think it would be just perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to offset the chocolate flavor. (Somehow my new freezer doesn’t have vanilla ice cream stocked yet, a tragedy!). You could also serve the cake with whipped cream or fresh fruit. Or eat it plain. For breakfast. Bill Cosby approves and I won’t tell.

While I think I’ve officially retired my search for a chocolate pound cake recipe given the sheer fabulousness of this cake, if you have a chocolate-lovers chocolate pound cake recipe, please feel free to share it or sent it to me!

One year ago: Boston Baked Beans and Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
Two years ago: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Three years ago: Black Forest Cake
Four years ago: Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Five years ago: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Yield: 12 to 14 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A fabulous dense, moist chocolate bundt cake topped with a rich chocolate fudge icing.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

¾ ounce natural unsweetened cocoa powder
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
¾ cup boiling water
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 eggs, at room temperature

For the Icing:
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons evaporated milk
3¾ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Make the Cake: Stir together the 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder until fully dissolved. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire interior of a standard 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Stir together the cocoa powder, chopped chocolate and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and whisk until everything is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then whisk in the sour cream. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add one-third of the flour mixture and half of the chocolate mixture and mix until just incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the rest of the chocolate mixture. Finally, add the last of the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat on medium-low for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the batter.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

6. Make the Icing: In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the butter, cocoa powder and evaporated milk to a bowl, whisking occasionally. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt and whisk continuously until the mixture becomes smooth, about 30 seconds.

7. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the icing over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. (The icing will begin to harden quickly after it is removed from the heat, so it's important to work quickly with it.)

8. The cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.

(Cake recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated; Icing recipe from Ryan Bakes)

There are few desserts that make me think of carefree vacation days filled with sunshine and warm ocean breezes more than key lime pie. It has a smooth, light texture and is packed with a lime punch. The flavor of citrus – be it lemon, lime, orange, etc. – always makes me think of sunny days; it has such a bright flavor. Last year, I made my first key lime pie and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to assemble and bake. I’m a big fan of portable desserts and with summer picnics in full force right now, I thought that a key lime bar was long overdue.

Just as with the pie, these bars came together in no time at all. You’d think that a creamy pie filling such as this would require a tedious curd, but instead you simply whisk together a tiny bit of cream cheese, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk, an egg yolk and lime juice… pour into the crust and bam! Done!

While key limes can sometimes be hard to come by unless you live in a major citrus-growing area, you can also substitute regular limes for both the zest and the juice. The crust is made with animal crackers (my inner kid loved munching on the leftovers!), but if you can’t find them, you could easily use graham crackers or your favorite basic cookie for the crumb crust.

A crunchy crumb crust combined with a cool, creamy filling and zesty lime flavor is the perfect recipe for a hot summer day.

What’s your favorite summer dessert?

One year ago: Chinese Coleslaw and Golden Grahams S’mores Bars
Two years ago: Top 10 List: Favorite Brownie Recipes and Zucchini Pineapple Bread
Three years ago: Rocky Road Ice Cream
Four years ago: Italian Supreme Calzones

Key Lime Pie Bars

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

A recipe for Key Lime Pie Bars - all the wonderful flavors of the pie, but in easy bar form!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For the Filling:
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
Pinch of salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
½ cup Key lime juice

For the Garnish:
¾ cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened), toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Make the Crust: Process the animal crackers in a food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Add the brown sugar and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened, about 10 pulses. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

3. Make the Filling: Stir together the cream cheese, lime zest and salt in a medium bowl. Add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until completely incorporated and no lumps remain. Whisk in the egg yolk, then add the lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated.

4. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth into an even layer. Bake until the filling set and the edges are beginning to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. When ready to serve, run a paring knife around the edges of the pan and lift the bars from the pan using the foil overhangs. Cut into 16 squares and sprinkle with toasted coconut, if desired. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

(Recipe from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2008)

For all of the new recipes that I make, I love going back and making the recipes that I grew up eating. They’re the recipes that come from my mom’s old plastic recipe books that have index card inserts. They’re stained, handwritten and come from a variety of sources – friends, family members and church books. This veggie pizza appetizer is one of those gems.

On the surface, it doesn’t look like much – the crust is made of refrigerated crescent rolls, topped with sour cream that has been mixed with a seasoning packet, and then finished off with shredded cheese and chopped carrots, broccoli and olives.

What you can’t see from the pictures or the written recipe is a house full of people on New Year’s Eve… raucous laughter… kids running around and food everywhere. People gather around the island in the kitchen, where a sea of appetizers and snacks are on display to help keep the hunger at bay until the clock strikes midnight and the pork, sauerkraut and barbecued beans are brought out.

That was the scene at my parents’ house every single New Year’s Eve where our family and all of my parents’ friends, along with their kids, gathered for food and fun to ring in the new year. Not one New Year’s Eve went by without this veggie pizza appetizer sitting on that kitchen island. My mom always made it, and it was one of the things I most looked forward to eating. I was never a veggie eater, but if you throw golden crescent rolls and ranch-flavored sour cream underneath them, I almost didn’t realize they were there

This veggie pizza is incredibly easy, doesn’t require many ingredients and can be made ahead of time. You can top it with whatever combination of cheese and vegetables you’d like. It’s one of those time-honored recipes that always shows up at family parties, and always disappears without leftovers to worry about. Do have any of those “diamond-in-the-rough” family recipes that you’ll always love?

One year ago: Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Two years ago: Creamy, Lighter Macaroni Salad and Date, Rum & Pecan Ice Cream
Three years ago: Oven-Fried Onion Rings, Take II and Southern Banana Pudding
Four years ago: Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo and Seven-Layer Bars
Five years ago: Eclairs and Cream Puffs

Veggie Pizza Appetizer

Yield: 15 to 20 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 11 to 13 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A nostalgic recipe for Veggie Pizza - a cold appetizer that my mom made for countless parties. A crescent roll crust is topped with seasoned sour cream and chopped vegetables.

Ingredients:

2 packages (tubes) refrigerated crescent rolls
16 ounces sour cream
1 (1-ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup chopped black olives

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Unroll the crescent rolls and press into a 10x15-inch pan (or place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet), making sure to seal any seams. Bake for until puffed and golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and seasoning packet until completely combined. Spread in an even layer over the cooled crust. Top with the shredded cheese and chopped carrots, broccoli and olives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

We’re into the second half of June and if you’ve planted a garden this year, I’m guessing that you’re starting to see some zucchini plants blossom. Last year, my mom and I planted a raised bed and were a little overzealous with our plants. As a result, we were swimming in zucchini for much of the summer. I swear they multiplied like rabbits every single day! I’ve put together all of my zucchini recipes here in one place, so in the event that you’re in need of using up some extra zucchini, you’ll have at least 10 recipes at your fingertips!

1. Beer-Battered Zucchini Fries

2. Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3. Garden Zucchini Pizza Casserole

4. Gazpacho

5. Minestrone Soup

6. Zucchini Bread

7. Zucchini Cornbread

8. Zucchini-Pineapple Bread

9. Zucchini-Pineapple Cupcakes with Orange Sour Cream Frosting

10. Zucchini Squares

Do you have a favorite zucchini recipe?

Feel free to share it in the comments below!

Happy Saturday! Can you believe it’s already the middle of June! I’m at that odd paradox where it feels like time is flying by, yet standing still at the same time. Crazy talk, right?! I’m planning on some low-key around the house projects today, and then we’re celebrating Father’s Day with my Chief Culinary Consultant’s family tomorrow with a little cookout. What are your weekend plans?

As always, you’ll find a recap of what was posted to the site this week as well as some bookmarked recipes from other blogs. Enjoy!

On Brown Eyed Baker This Week

47 Favorite Ice Cream Recipes – A huge roundup of all the ice cream recipes featured on the site. There’s definitely something for everyone!

Triple Chocolate Scones – Did someone say chocolate for breakfast?!

Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy – Speaking of breakfast, this has got to be one of the top three breakfasts I’ve ever made. Seriously, I ate it all week!

Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream – A sweet cream ice cream base with chopped toasted almonds and a fabulous fudge ripple.

Friday Things – Mimosas, concerts, blog recommendations and more!

Most Viewed Post This Week: Top 10 List: Favorite Cupcake Recipes

Most Pinned Post This Week: Triple Chocolate Scones

Most Emailed Post This Week: Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Most Facebook Shared Post This Week: Better Than “Anything” Cake

Most Tweeted Post This Week: Chinese Beef and Broccoli

What I Bookmarked This Week

Recipes and posts from other blogs that I thought looked especially delicious and that I thought you would like, too:

Bacon-Banana Pancakes with Buttery Bourbon Maple Syrup (Bake at 350)
This is a perfect breakfast-in-bed recipe if there’s a dad in need of spoiling for Father’s Day tomorrow!

Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake (Tracey’s Culinary Adventures)
I’ve been slowly warming up to the combination of coconut and chocolate, and this cake totally pushed me over the edge.

Jumbo Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
Thanks to the Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream I’ve been inhaling at a record pace, I’m excited to try the flavor combination in muffin form!

Salami and Cheese Rolls (Technicolor Kitchen)
Another great recipe for Father’s Day – these rolls look fantastic.

Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Crumb Bars (The Recipe Critic)
I can’t believe I haven’t done much with strawberries yet this year; these bars just look like summer!

What was the best thing you ate this week??

Have a delicious weekend!

1. A day that starts with a complimentary mimosa and basket of scones is bound to be a good one, right?

2. I recently found a new-to-me hair and makeup blog which I love – The Beauty Department. I’ve never been one of those girls who is a natural at putting everything together when it comes to makeup and hair (or clothes and accessories, for that matter); I need some help and guidance. This blog has it all from step-by-step tutorials to product recommendations. I love it!

3. This past week, my best friend and I went to the New Kids on the Block // Boyz II Men // 98 Degrees concert. Indulge me for a minute while I tell you that it was all kinds of awesome and way, way better than I anticipated.

It was 3½ hours (yes, you read that right!) of boy band mania. Boyz II Men led off the show and put on a great performance – totally took me back to 8th grade dances! They were followed up by 98 Degrees, who were popular when I was already in college, so I only remembered a couple of their songs. Then, NKOTB performed for two solid hours with a mix of all of their old favorites and a ton of their new stuff. I admittedly hadn’t listened to anything off of their new album, but it was fun dance music. We had a great time; if you were ever a fan of any of those bands and the tour is coming to your city, I highly recommend going! (Michelle of BurghBaby was also at the show and brought her dSLR camera. She snagged some amazing shots; if you’re interested, check out her set on Flickr!)

4. I’m not going to lie, it was a little depressing to be at Consol Energy Center the week of the Stanley Cup Finals and not be staring at a sheet of ice. Ah well. I’m pulling for the Bruins in this one… each team has a Pittsburgh kid, so that’s a wash. Jaromir Jagr is our tie breaker

5. Last week, we had the wiring completed for the surround sound in our family room and we also splurged on a neat little system for our master bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom already had built-in speakers in the walls; we added one in the master bathroom and power them both through a receiver and a piece of equipment called Sonos, which is mind-bogglingly cool. You connect to it through a smartphone or iPad app and can play any music on any device on your home network, Pandora, Sirius, or more than a dozen other Internet radio apps, all controlled from the Sonos app. Definitely check it out if you’re in the market for a sound system!

6. Remember last week when I told you a container of Graeter’s ice cream had shown up at my door? We’ve blown through almost all of those pints; I can’t wait to go to the store and try some more flavors! I think the Peanut Butter Chip and Buckeye Blitz are going to be next on my list.

7. While I’ve been enjoying the ice cream, I must say that I’m missing soft serve ice cream since our move. I haven’t found any neighborhood soft serve stands around here that aren’t a chain. A little bit of a bummer, but that just means we’ll have to stock our freezer full of yummy ice cream.

8. I may be officially addicted to The Container Store. Send help… or coupons.

9. I still haven’t gotten around to planting my patio pots (time is flying!). That is one of my goals for this weekend; I’m planning basil, parsley, mint and jalapeño peppers for sure. I’m waffling on tomatoes; I’ve never done them in a pot. Any suggestions for plants that do well with container gardening?

10. TGIF! Time to catch up on some sleep!

Source: Golden Retriever Facebook page

I promised you lots of ice cream this summer, and I’m determined to keep my promise! Which means I have the difficult task of churning up and taste-testing limitless flavors of homemade ice cream for you. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it, right? I kicked off the 2013 ice cream season with Malted Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle & Milk Chocolate Chunks, then followed it up with a couple more flavors, and then I realized… we need more chocolate! I’m a firm believer that you can never go wrong with the combination of nuts and chocolate, and have long wanted to play around with a toasted almond fudge recipe. As it turns out, toasted almond fudge is an utterly fantastic ice cream. It’s the perfect ice cream to share, but you may just want to keep it all to yourself.

This base of this ice cream is a simple sweet cream recipe with a hint of vanilla, which is accented by chopped toasted almonds and a velvety-smooth fudge swirl. You could choose to add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the custard base if you want an additional punch of almond flavor. I’m not a huge fan of almond extract unless it gets baked off in some manner, but if you like it, go for it here. I love the contrasting toasty crunch of the almonds and silky smooth sweetness of the ice cream and fudge ripple.

I foresee a summer full of ice cream love on the horizon. What have you churned up so far this year?

One year ago: German Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Sprinkle Thumbprint Cookies
Two years ago: Veggie Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
Four years ago: Old-Fashioned Spice Cake
Five years ago: Pesto Pasta & Chicken

Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours

Toasted almond ice cream with a delicious fudge ripple.

Ingredients:

For the Ice Cream:
5 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk (1% or 2%)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chopped toasted almonds
½ cup Fudge Ripple (recipe below)

For the Fudge Ripple:
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ cup water
6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted
¼ cup light corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ounce bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the Ice Cream Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks to break them up. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and whisk to combine; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, stir together the cream, milk, remaining sugar and salt and place over medium-high heat. When the mixture approaches a bare simmer, reduce the heat to medium.

3. Ladle out a scoop of the hot cream mixture and, whisking the eggs constantly, add the cream to the bowl with the egg yolks. Repeat, adding another ladle-ful of the cream mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks, continuing to whisk. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it is thickened and coats the back of the spatula (it should register between 170 and 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and whisk in the vanilla extract. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir the mixture occasionally until cool. Remove the container from the ice bath, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Make the Fudge Ripple: In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, water, cocoa, corn syrup and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and whisk until the mixture comes to a full simmer. Once the mixture has simmered and the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator and chill completely before using. (Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

7. Churn the Ice Cream: Freeze the ice cream according to the ice cream maker's instructions, adding the chopped almonds during the last minute of churning. As you transfer the ice cream to the storage container, alternate layers of the ice cream with drizzles of the fudge ripple. Once all of the ice cream is in the container, use a butter knife to gently swirl the mixture.

Notes:

• If you cannot find (or don't want to use) corn syrup in the fudge ripple, I would recommend substituting Lyle's Golden Syrup.

(Recipe adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones)

Although it’s one of my all-time favorite places for breakfast food, I typically don’t get the opportunity to eat at Cracker Barrel more than a couple of times a year. My taste buds and my hips are arguing over whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. One thing is for sure – after eating there, I crave biscuits like mad. Not long after a mid-summer stop there last year, I leapt into the kitchen and whipped up Cheddar, Jalapeño & Chive Biscuits. Not a week removed from my last visit there, I had biscuits on the brain again. Not just biscuits, though… I couldn’t get sausage gravy out of my head. So, I made it happen. There was no way around it!

I used my favorite buttermilk biscuit recipe and an amped-up version of the sawmill gravy I made to go along with chicken-fried steak last year. The sausage gravy I made for these biscuits has a lot more sausage, is spiced up with some pepper and seasoned salt, and makes a much larger amount. Perfect for breakfast guests!

Take the fluffy biscuits, split them in two, then top with the heavenly sausage gravy.

The result? One of the best breakfasts I’ve ever made. It’s the stuff of dreams. If my hips wouldn’t put up a fight, I’d eat this for breakfast every day!

One year ago: Crab Cakes with Rémoulade Sauce and Coconut Cream Pie
Two years ago: Fresh Strawberry Pie
Three years ago: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Four years ago: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Five years ago: Fresh Strawberry Tart

Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Fluffy buttermilk biscuits are smothered in creamy sausage gravy.

Ingredients:

For the Biscuits:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
¾ cup buttermilk

For the Sausage Gravy:

1 pound breakfast sausage
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions:

1. Make the Biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (do not grease your baking sheet).

2. Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Whisk together or process with six pulses.

3. If making by hand, use a pastry blender or your fingertips to quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using a food processor, distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Cover and process with twelve pulses.

4. If making by hand, stir in the buttermilk with a rubber spatula or fork until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. If using a food processor, remove the cover and pour the buttermilk evenly over the dough. Process until the dough gathers into moist clumps, about eight pulses.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a rough ball. Be careful not to overmix. Pat the dough into a ¾-inch-thick circle. Cut out the dough rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Push together the remaining pieces of dough, again pat into a ¾-inch-thick circle, and cut out several more dough rounds. Discard the remaining scraps. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake until the biscuit tops are light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire cooling rack while the sausage gravy is prepared.

7. Make the Sausage Gravy: Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, crumbling it into bite-size pieces as it cooks.

8. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle half of the flour over the sausage, stirring to dissolve it. Add the rest of the flour and again stir for about 1 minute, until all of the flour has been dissolved.

9. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly as it is added. Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken (10 to 15 minutes). Season the gravy with the black pepper and seasoned salt and continue to cook until it is very thick. Spoon the gravy over the buttermilk biscuits to serve. Leftover gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If it is too thick when reheated, simply add a splash or two of milk to thin it out a bit.

(Sausage Gravy from The Pioneer Woman)

This past Sunday, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I went to brunch with his parents. Any Sunday that begins with a complimentary mimosa and a basket of fresh scones with assorted butters is bound to be a good day. The meal got me craving scones. My mom and sister frequently request my dark chocolate chip scones, which have long been a favorite of theirs, but I realized it’s been some time since I whipped up a new scone recipe. I’ve been a chocolate mood lately (perhaps due to mourning the recent results of the Stanley Cup playoffs), so I knew chocolate scones would be in order. I basically set out to find the most chocolatey scones imaginable… and find them, I did!

The dough of these scones is loaded with cocoa powder and ground milk chocolate. Throw big chunks of bittersweet chocolate into the mix, and you have scones that are literally bursting with chocolate! I love using the extra-large Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chunks, as they leave big pockets of melted chocolate goodness with each bite. These have a soft, tender texture and are perfect alongside a big glass of milk or a cup of coffee.

Whether you choose to eat them for breakfast or dessert is up to you, but I’ll never turn down an excuse to have chocolate for breakfast!

One year ago: Hot Fudge Sauce
Two years ago: Grilled Corn and Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie Bars
Three years ago: Blueberry Boy Bait
Four years ago: Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Five years ago: New York-Style Crumb Cake

Triple Chocolate Scones

Yield: 12 scones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Dessert for breakfast! Enjoy these decadent scones loaded with three different types of chocolate - perfect for overnight guests
or a weekend treat.

Ingredients:

3 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into ½-inch cubes
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks
1 egg
¾ cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

2. Combine the milk chocolate, sugar and cocoa powder in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the chocolate is finely ground, about 5 to 10 pulses.

3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and pulse an additional 6 times to thoroughly combine. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 10 to 12 pulses.

4. Add the bittersweet chocolate to the bowl. Whisk together the egg and milk, then add to the bowl, as well. Pulse three or four times until the wet ingredients are incorporated, but the dough has not formed a ball.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly a few times to bring the dough together. Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Gently pat each piece into a 5-inch circle, then cut each circle into four quarters. Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until they are well-risen and firm to the touch. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container (or wrapped in plastic wrap) at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Wrapped scones can also be frozen and reheated as needed.

(Recipe adapted from The Modern Baker)

With Memorial Day weekend having come and gone, summer is (unofficially) here, and there is no better excuse to whip out that ice cream maker and churn up some of your favorite frozen treats! Ever since getting my ice cream maker in late 2008, I have been addicted to trying new flavors and am constantly finding new favorites. I honestly feel like I could make a different flavor every week and (1) never run out of new flavors to try; and (2) never get tired of eating freshly churned homemade ice cream! Since I’ve been actively making ice cream for almost five years now, many of my favorite flavors have found their way to the deep recesses of the site archives. It’s time to dig them up for you and celebrate the beauty of homemade ice cream. Stay tuned for more ice cream goodies over the summer!

Ice Cream Flavors

Apple Pie Ice Cream
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Butter Pecan Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Cinnamon Ice Cream
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Date, Rum and Pecan Ice Cream
Dried Apricot-Pistachio Ice Cream
Espresso Ice Cream
Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
Malted Milk Ice Cream
Malted Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Chunks
Maple-Walnut Ice Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream
Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Ice Cream
Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Red Velvet Ice Cream
Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Rocky Road Ice Cream
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
S’mores Ice Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream
Tin Roof Ice Cream
Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry Ice Cream
Two-Ingredient Ice Cream: Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Ice Cream Toppings

You can’t make a proper ice cream sundae without toppings galore. These are homemade versions of some of your store-bought favorites.

Butterscotch Sauce
Hot Fudge Sauce
Pineapple Ice Cream Topping
Salted Caramel Sauce
Strawberry Ice Cream Topping

Ice Cream Desserts

When ice cream becomes more than just ice cream. A collection of some fabulous desserts that use ice cream as the main ingredients.

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
Chocolate Espresso Semifreddo
Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
Cranberry Ice Cream Pie
Fried Ice Cream
Frozen Brownie Sundae
Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
Homemade Klondike Bars
Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Sandwiches
Spumoni Ice Cream Terrine

Tools of the Trade

The ice cream maker I currently use: KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment
Highly rated self-freezing ice cream makers: Whynter SNO and Cuisnart ICE
Don’t have an ice cream maker? Read this post! How to Make Homemade Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
My favorite containers for storing homemade ice cream: Glad FreezerWare and Tovolo Glide-a-Scoop Ice Cream Tub

What are some of your favorite ice cream flavors?!