Chocolate Chess Pie

Found in SL November 2024 here

 

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour or fine yellow cornmeal
1 frozen piecrust (such as Marie Callender’s), parbaked according to pkg. instructions
Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a large microwavable bowl on HIGH in 30-second intervals, stopping to stir between each, about 1 minute total.
Whisk brown sugar into chocolate mixture. 

Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until fully incorporated.
Stir whipping cream, vanilla, and salt into chocolate mixture.
Sift in cocoa and flour (or cornmeal, if you prefer a little more texture); whisk just until combined.
Pour mixture into parbaked piecrust.
Bake in preheated oven until center is puffed but still jiggles slightly, 35 to 40 minutes. 

Let cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream. 

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Found in SL November 2024 here

 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
Chopped toasted pecans, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, and set aside.
Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla in a separate medium bowl until combined. 

Add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; remove pan, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
  
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium, stirring often, until it just begins to steam, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and immediately pour over chocolate chips in a medium-size heatproof bowl. (Do not stir.) Let stand 2 minutes; gently stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in coffee liqueur until combined.
  
Place cake on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle or pour chocolate mixture over top of cooled cake as desired. Before chocolate mixture sets, sprinkle with pecans. Store cake in an airtight container in refrigerator or at room temperature up to 3 days. 

Deep Dish Skillet Brownies

Found in SL Jan/Feb 2023 here

 

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for skillet
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups 60% to 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
Place butter and oil in a large microwavable bowl; microwave on medium (50% power) until butter melts and mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs until combined and smooth. Fold in flour, cocoa, kosher salt, and baking soda until just combined.
Stir in remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared skillet.

Bake in preheated oven until edges are puffed and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out mostly clean, about 32 minutes for fudgy brownies and up to 40 minutes for chewier brownies. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 1 hour before serving. Top with ice cream, if desired.

Deep-Dish Skillet Brownies Variations: 

Sweet, salty, crunchy—there are plenty of ways to dress up the classic.
 

White Chocolate-Strawberry Brownies
Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. In Step 3, stir 1/4 cup each chopped white chocolate and crushed freeze-dried strawberries into batter with remaining chocolate chips. Pour batter into skillet; bake as directed. Remove from oven; top with 1/4 cup each chopped white chocolate and crushed freeze-dried strawberries.
 

Coconut-Almond-Fudge Skillet Brownies
Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. In Step 3, stir 1/4 cup each shredded coconut and toasted sliced almonds into batter with remaining chocolate chips. Pour batter into skillet; bake as directed. Remove from oven; top with 1/4 cup each shredded coconut and toasted sliced almonds. Cool 30 minutes; drizzle with 1/4 cup hot fudge.
 

Peanut-and-Pretzel Brownies
Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. In Step 3, stir 3 Tbsp. chopped honey-roasted peanuts and 1/4 cup crushed pretzel twists into batter with remaining chocolate chips. Pour batter into skillet, and top mixture with an additional 3 Tbsp. chopped honey-roasted peanuts and 3/4 cup crushed pretzel twists. Bake as directed.
 

Salted Caramel S'mores Brownies
Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. In Step 3, stir 1/2 cup each mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers into batter with remaining chocolate chips. Pour batter into skillet; bake as directed. Remove from oven; top with 1/2 cup each mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers, pressing to adhere. Cool 30 minutes; drizzle with 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce. 

 

Little Layer Chocolate Cake

Found in SL April 2026 here

 

24 oz. evaporated milk
6 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened, divided (5 sticks)
6 large eggs
3 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
4 1/2 cups soft winter wheat all-purpose flour (such as White Lily)
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 cups whole milk
Cooking spray
9 8" round disposable aluminum pans
18 8" rounds parchment paper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare 9 8" disposable aluminum pans with cooking spray and rounds of parchment paper.
 
In a large saucepan, whisk together evaporated milk, 3 cups sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and 1/4 teaspoon salt over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to pot and cook, whisking occasionally, to just at soft ball stage (234-236°F), about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream (3 sticks) butter and remaining 3 cups sugar using a large heavy duty stand mixer.
Add in eggs, 2 at a time, until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add in 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Sift together flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to sifted flour mixture.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape down sides of mixer bowl with a rubber spatula and mix to incorporate fully, about 1 minute.

Once chocolate icing reaches soft ball stage, reduce heat to simmer and add remaining cup (2 sticks) butter and remaining teaspoon vanilla. Stir to melt butter, about 2 minutes. Maintain a very low simmer until first round of cake layers are out of oven.
   
Using a kitchen scale, add 4 oz. batter to each prepared pan. Using an offset spatula, spread batter as evenly as possible on bottom of pans.
  
Bake 4 layers at a time for 5 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from pan by placing a wire rack on top of pan and inverting pan to release cake layer.
 

Remove parchment from cake layer, and place first layer on cake stand. Remove icing from heat.
  
To assemble cake, pour about 1/4 cup hot icing onto first cake layer, just enough to make a very thin layer of icing, but not enough to seep over sides of layer. Repeat with remaining 7 layers.

Prepare same cake pans with more cooking spray and rounds of parchment; weigh out 4 oz. batter for each pan, and spread layers as before. Bake 4 layers at a time for 5 minutes in preheated oven; continue layering cake with icing and baked cake layers.
  
For top layer of icing, pour enough icing over top to seep over sides of cake.

Use an offset spatula or small rubber spatula to spread a generous layer of icing to fully cover sides and top of cake. (Icing will be thicker at this point, and you will have some leftover).
  
Let cake set at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day before slicing.

Brownies

Found on SL website here

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pan
1 cup chocolate chips
6 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/3 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- x 9-in. pan. Alternatively, you can also line it with parchment, butter that, and you’ll be able to turn the entire pan out at once.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add chocolate chips and stir constantly until combined and melted. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and oil in a bowl. Add espresso powder, cinnamon and cayenne if using.
You can whisk by hand or use an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until well combined and smooth.
Sift flour, baking powder, and cocoa together into sugar and egg mixture.
Add chocolate mixture. Whisk (or mix on medium) until smooth and glossy.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
You’ll know it’s done when it only jiggles slightly, the top has a crust, and a toothpick comes out with only crumbs.
Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour, cut, and store in an airtight container with sheets of wax paper in between layers to prevent sticking. The brownies will stay fresh for one week stored at room temperature or up to 6 months frozen.

 

Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Brownies

Found in Southern Living April 2024 issue and here

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, roughly chopped (such as Oreo)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.

Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute.Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.

Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter; sprinkle chopped cookies over cream cheese mixture. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing.

Dulce de Leche Brownies

Found on SL website here 

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dulce de leche

Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.

Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.

Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Microwave dulce de leche until warmed, about 30 seconds. Spread over hot brownies. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. 

 

Dr Pepper Brownies

Found on SL website here

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup Dr Pepper
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. instant coffee
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add butter and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe mixing bowl and cook for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
Add brown sugar and eggs and mix until combined. Stir in Dr Pepper. Add flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla extract and salt. Stir until combined.
Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, let stand for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Found in SL April 2024 issue and here

 

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (from 1 [12-oz.] pkg.)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup cherry pie filling (such as Lucky Leaf)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 of the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; beat until just combined, and set aside. Whisk together flour, cocoa, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.

Add butter and chocolate chips to a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals, whisking after each interval, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla and remaining 3 eggs; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture, whisking until no dry streaks remain.

Add batter to prepared baking pan, spreading in an even layer. Gently spread cream cheese mixture over batter; dollop cherry pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Using the tip of a butter knife, swirl cherry pie filling into cream cheese mixture as desired. Bake in preheated oven until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned around edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Chill at least 1 hour before slicing. 

 

The Best Chocolate Cream Pie

Original recipe found here.

 24 Oreo cookies with filling, crushed into crumbs*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled

For the filling:
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
pinch of kosher salt
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
6 egg yolks at room temperature
1 (5.3 oz.) semisweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
1 (5.3 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract

For the whipped cream topping:
1½ cups heavy cream cold
1½ tablespoons white granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
For the Oreo cookie crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the Oreo cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl and toss until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch pie plate.
Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, forming a crust. Refrigerate the lined pie plate for about 20 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the crust is set. Cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

For the filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt in a large saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the half-and-half and egg yolks. Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the sugar mixture.
Turn on the heat to medium heat, and whisk constantly, for about 6 to 8 minutes or just until mixture begins to boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 more minute and remove from heat. Whisk in both chocolates, the butter, the vanilla and the pure chocolate extract until smooth. The mixture will still be hot so everything will mix together very nicely.
Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Spread the filling in the cooled Oreo cookie crust; place plastic wrap directly on filling and chill the pie in the refrigerator for about 8 to (up to) 24 hours or until set.

For the whipped cream topping:
When ready to serve, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla on low speed until small bubbles form, for about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the whipped cream is smooth and thick, forming soft peaks; this usually takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
Spread the whipped cream over the chilled filling and garnish with chocolate shavings if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Notes
*There are recipes out there that discard the Oreo filling but I don't think that's necessary at all. For best results, pulse together the Oreo cookies in a food processor. If you don't have one, you can crush by hand using a rolling pin. 

Triple Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

Original recipe found here.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup any kind chocolate chips or chunks I used semi-sweet

For the ganache:
1 cup 6 ounces good quality chocolate, finely chopped OR semi-sweet or milk chocolate chip morsels
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For toppings:
sprinkles of any kind
nuts: almond slivers hazelnut bits, almond slices, whatever you want

For the doughnuts:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a doughnut pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate, smaller bowl, mix together the buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a rubber spatula to gently mix the ingredients together. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter to a large gallon size Ziploc bag; cut off a small corner and use the bag to pipe the doughnut cake batter into the pan, filling each well about 2/3 full (for bigger sized doughnuts; you can experiment but be careful not to overfill each well or cavity). Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cake tops spring back when touched. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For the chocolate ganache:
Place the chocolate pieces in a small bowl. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Using a wire whisk, gently stir until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Once the doughnuts have cooled a bit, dip each one into the ganache, swirl a little to ensure good coverage and then place back on the wire rack. Sprinkle or decorate with nuts and/or any kind sprinkles and have fun!