At the Corner of Music & Chocolate {Lillie Belle Farms}

Lillie Belle Farms chocolates can be found at the unique crossroads of Music and Chocolate – and that is where the magic happens.

Tucked just off I-5 in the unassuming southern Oregon town of Central Point, you can find divine respite from the road in a luxurious trifecta of world-class cheese, wine, and chocolate. The Southern Oregon Artisan Corridor – aptly coined “a little stretch of heaven” – is a small grouping of distinct artisan shops that have formed a culinary alliance of sorts. Each shop offers on-site tastings, and they occasionally even collaborate on projects together. I have visited there not once, but twice in the last month, sampling prize-winning cheeses from Rogue Creamery, estate-grown wines from Ledger David Cellars, and hand-crafted chocolates from Lillie Belle Farms – all just steps from one another.

Today, however, it’s all about the Chocolate.

Lillie Belle Farms founder Jeff Shepherd abides at the unique crossroads of Music and Chocolate – and that is where the magic happens. Like an electric anthem, Jeff’s chocolates are a passionate, vibrant expression of his art.

We are savage Rock ‘N’ Roll fans at Lillie Belle! Having attended literally thousands of loud live shows and seen hundreds of bands both old and new, Rock ‘N’ Roll is an integral part of our creative process. You will always hear music pulsing out of our kitchen. In fact, it’s impossible to separate our chocolate life from our musical life.

~ Jeff Shepherd, Lillie Belle Farms

[Cue: Sugar Magnolia] 😉

The first time I visited Lillie Belle Farms {on a Travel Oregon press tour}, we arrived right at closing time, and Jeff was in the process of transforming himself from chocolate artisan and entrepreneur to band member and guitar player. Now, it might be helpful for me to note that, on this particular trip, most of my traveling companions were significantly younger than me and may have lacked the deep appreciation for the tie-dyed generation and all that we stand for. Jeff, on the other hand, falls approximately into my age demographic, and is every good thing you think of when you think Tie-Dyed Southern Oregon Musician + Chocolate. In other words, we kinda connected. I mean, what’s not to like about a guy who keeps a set of portable baffle boards in his chocolate kitchen so that he can set up for band practice at a moment’s notice? So while all the rest of my party sprinted across the parking lot to Ledger David for our prearranged wine-tasting, I lingered a few extra minutes at Lillie Belle, chatting with Jeff about his current inspirations and future plans; and while I can’t share everything we talked about at the moment, I can tell you that there is a lot to look forward to!

Just a few weeks after my first visit, I had the opportunity to stop at Lillie Belles again, this time with Mr B. We arrived on a Sunday morning just before the doors opened, and there was already a line waiting to get in! Nevertheless, Jeff greeted us warmly and gave us the full VIP treatment, including a tour of the inner sanctum – his kitchen/band practice space. He and Mr B talked band life and bantered about musical preferences and what songs they had covered. Jeff showed us the corner of the kitchen dedicated to Elvis, and his expansive wall of Grateful Dead covers, and his amazing custom traveling chocolate cart covered with backstage passes and concert tickets. (I can’t remember every one, but we visited the week Tom Petty died, so I do remember there being many, many passes for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.) By the end of our visit, I was practically ready to invite Jeff and his crew up north for dinner and an impromptu jam session. I’d even let him bring dessert. (hehehe 😉 )

(Want to learn more about Jeff and his “ecclectic mind bending and transformative chocolate madness”? Check out his very entertaining Lillie Belle Farms blog.)

But enough about Jeff. Let’s talk about his chocolates.

Lillie Belle Farms, named for Jeff’s wife Belle and daughter Lillie, now moves some 20,000 pounds of chocolate a year, in the form of handmade gourmet chocolate bars, decadent ganache-filled chocolates, liquor-infused chocolates, truffles, fresh berry cups, cherry cordials, and chocolates filled with handmade fondants, butter creams, caramels, and toasted nuts. They even have a Smokey Blue Cheese Truffle Spread; a collaboration with Rogue Creamery that combines an amazing, award-winning Smokey Blue Cheese, organic milk chocolate, and toasted almonds into a surprisingly satisfying spreadable tangy chocolate concoction.

Cheese and chocolate spread notwithstanding, one of the things I appreciated most about Lillie Belle Farms chocolates was the simplicity of the flavor profiles that they employ. What I mean is, lately I’ve been to some food events where I’ve sampled confections that intentionally challenge my palate with a confusing amalgamation of flavors that require me to do some serious cranial calisthenics as my brain tries to isolate and delineate each component. (Chili cilantro salted coffee cream, anyone?) Conversely, the overwhelming majority of Lillie Belle chocolates are single-flavored bites, allowing you to lean back and simply enjoy the experience as the cocoa flavanols rouse your brain and the velvety chocolate caresses your tongue.

{Tangentially, there is some science behind why that strange Blue Cheese ‘n Chocolate combo works, but in a nutshell, it’s apparently because they share at least 73 flavor compounds.}

After much consideration, Mr B and I took home a small fortune’s worth of luxury chocolates – every one a winner. Here are just a few of the standouts from our haul…

Recommendations & Notes:

Lavender caramels {Lavender infused caramels topped with Fleur de Sel salt}: So good. Just. So. Good.
Maker’s Mark Cups {Filled with pecan butter, dark chocolate and a Maker’s Mark whiskey ganache, and topped with a large caramelized pecan}: Mr B LOVED this one. I can’t tell you what I think about it because, he ate it up too fast.
Frangelico Cups {Dark Chocolate cup filled with a creamy, Frangelico infused mousse}: Light and sweet without being cloying, this was one of my favorites. Because Frangelico. And Chocolate. Oh my…
Raspberry Ganache {organically grown raspberries, infused in a dark chocolate ganache, covered with more dark chocolate and finished with a raspberry floral design}: Bright, clean raspberry flavor paired perfectly with a smooth dark chocolate.
Marionberry Bon Bon {organic Marionberry preserves encased in a dark chocolate shell}: Sublime. As far as I’m concerned, you just cannot beat Marionberries and dark chocolate together. Smooth, well-balanced, and deeply satisfying.

Chocolate doesn't ask silly questions. Chocolate Understands. Click To Tweet

You can find Lillie Belle Farms chocolates at Whole Foods, Made in Oregon stores, and Powell’s among other places; or you can order it online. Or do what we did and include it in your next trip to the Rogue River Valley. Lillie Belle Farms is open seven days a week in Central Point, just northwest of Medford on Highway 99.

Lillie Belle Farms
211 N. Front St.
Central Point, OR 97502
(541) 664-2815
1 (888) 899-2022

Shop Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9–5
Saturday: 9–6
Sunday: 11–5

Disclosure: My first trip to Lillie Belle Farms was as part of the #TrailsToFeast Travel Oregon press trip. As always, all opinions and photos are my own.

The Best of {Artisinful!} Chocolate & Beer Fest

February 2 By Renée ♥ 19 Comments

A recap of Artisinful! Chocolate & Beer Fest – including our choice for Best {Chocolate & Beer} Couple.

Last weekend, Mr. B and I had the pleasure of attending Artisinful! a festival celebrating local artisan crafted chocolates and beers, presented by Culmination Brewing in Portland. I’ll be taking on the chocolate side of things, and Mr. B will be telling you a little about the beers a few paragraphs down.

Before we get too far along, however, we should probably makes an distinction between a Chocolate Maker and a Chocolatier. If you plan on attending an event that involves both, it’s good to know the difference, because some of these artisans are a little finicky about how you refer to them. (Honestly, I don’t blame them a bit: both are proud of what they do, and deserve to be recognized for it.)

So what is the difference between a Chocolate Maker and a Chocolatier?

Glad you asked!

A Chocolate Maker is someone who roasts cacao beans, grinds them, and mixes them with sugar to make chocolate. Portland chocolate makers are fond of referring to themselves as “bean-to-bar” chocolate makers, and saying things like, “Our chocolate is made from fair trade, single farm-sourced beans from >a South American country near the equator<.”

Artisinful! Chocolate & Beer Fest included tastings from three Portland chocolate makers: Cleo, Wood Block, and our personal favorite – the silky, smooth stylings of master chocolate maker Brian Flick of Pitch Dark.

Interesting side-note about the local politics of chocolate making: As we were making the rounds, we stopped to listen to one of the chocolate makers talk about his product. In an effort to impress the gathered crowd, he made the emphatic claim that theirs was the only single-origin (single farm, collective, or varietal) chocolate made in Portland. Having had some previous education on Portland bean-to-bar chocolate, I waited until the crowd dispersed and then asked him if he knew that the Pitch Dark chocolate bars a few tables away were also made from single origin cacao beans. [Read my post on Pitch Dark.] Initially attempting to dispute my claim, he was soon stumbling over his words like Daffy Duck in a tongue-twister contest. (In all fairness, I’m not sure if this was an actual “chocolate maker,” or simply an employee sent to man the table. In any event, I guess the lesson here is that it’s probably good to get your facts straight when you’re presenting to a room full of informed Portland foodies.)

Anyway, back to the second half of the Chocolate Maker/ Chocolatier question: What’s a Chocolatier?

A Chocolatier is someone who takes the chocolate that a Chocolate Maker makes and creates those sweet chocolate confections – dipped and creamy, nutty and smooth – that make us close our eyes and breathe deep. Chocolatiers say things like, “Here, try this one next – it’s brand new,” and, “Try this one now – it’s fabulous!” and, “This one is my personal favorite – you have to try it!”

Just for you, Mr B and I sucked it up and forced ourselves to sample something from each and every Chocolatier at the event. After making at least two rounds of the Chocolate Hall (just to be sure) we narrowed our favorites to two: Missionary and Batch PDX.

Let’s start with Missionary Chocolates and their handcrafted gluten-free, vegan truffles. Missionary was our first stop in the Chocolate Hall, and it took all we had to walk away and make our way to the next table.

Missionary’s chocolates are smooth, sweet, and relatively solid on the tooth. Our favorite flavor as a stand-alone confection was their Blood Orange & Cardamom truffle: the combination of bold citrus and smoky cardamom was sublime. Other flavors that stood out to us were the Meyer Lemon Explosion (aptly named, I might add), and their exquisite Spicy Cinnamon Chipotle truffle.

Missionary Chocolates have an interesting history. They began in 2008 when Melissa Berry, a naturopathic physician, began making chocolates to give to her gluten-intolerant vegan mother. Made with organic coconut cream, fair-trade chocolate and local, seasonal, organic ingredients, they are lactose and gluten free, with no added sugars or preservatives. (Yes Portland, there is a chocolate faerie for each an every one of us!) Within months, Melissa had her own company, and her dairy-free truffles were taking first place at the Northwest Chocolate Festival.

Our other local favorite was Batch PDX. Watching Batch PDX founder Jeremy Karp work is an absolute pleasure, and knowing that he literally has a hand in making those beautiful chocolates adds some elusive ingredient to the mix. Jeremy has the perfect personality for a chocolatier, and he clearly loves what he does.

Jeremy is passionate about his chocolates, mixing new combinations in his mind long before chocolate ever meets heat, like a song-writer composing before his fingers ever strike a chord. My personal Batch favorite is the Spicy Passion with its classic combination of sweet and heat. Mr B was in heaven sampling Batch’s newest offering – a salted caramel truffle topped with a thin slice of candy-cap mushroom that delivered a sweet, smooth, earthy finish.

Honestly, comparing Batch and Missionary, we’d be hard-pressed to choose between the two. I would say that Batch’s chocolates are smoother and a bit softer in the middle than Missionary’s, and if size matters to you, it might be noted that Batch chocolates are definitely single serving size (about 3/4 to 1-inch across), while Missionary chocolates tend big enough to share with a friend… or two. Both have interesting, unique, well-balanced flavors with notes that change on the palate like wine as they flow across your tongue.

Beer Notes from Mr B

The Chocolate & Beer Festival featured eleven beers, one cider, and one mead. Each was chosen because it paired well with chocolate.

I tasted seven of the thirteen pours at the event, including:

Blackberry Habenero Sour {Culmination}, a lovely, spicy concoction that wasn’t quite as flavorful or aromatic as I anticipated.
Choco Mountain {Culmination}, a milk chocolate stout with a heavy cacao flavor; the result of being aged on cacao nibs.
Chocolate Chile Chupacabra {Old Town Brewing}, a tasty beer that would pair well with a savory dish.
Coco Pono Toasted Coconut Cream Ale {Pono Brewing/ Culmination Collaboration}, which will likely be a winner with the IPA-loving crowd, as it turned out to be far more hoppy than I expected from a cream ale.

I could go on and on about each beer we sampled, but instead I’m just going to get right to it. Not that I didn’t appreciate the rest of the beers, but when we are talking about Beer-with-Chocolate, one stood so far above the crowd that nothing else compared – and it wasn’t just because the brewmaster was six-foot something and wearing a kilt.

Dragon’s Gate Brewery, from Milton-Freewater, blew me away with their Belgium Chocolate Stout. This full-bodied brew has a rich, dark head and a flavor reminiscent of espresso laced with chocolate liqueur. It’s quite filling, so it’s not something you’re going to sit around and sip in the backyard on a hot summer day, but if you want a deep, dark, delicious mug of stout on a cold winter night, this is your beer.

Which leads me to our choice for Best Pairing at the Festival:

Missionary ♥ Spicy Cinnamon-Chipotle Truffle
Dragon’s Gate ♥ Le Morte d’Arthur Belgium Chocolate Stout

These two were made for each other. The spicy, smooth bite of the Cinnamon-Chipotle Truffle becomes a strong, sensual companion when paired with the heavy chocolate stout, each complementing and enhancing the other without overpowering, making for a perfect dessert combination.

Where can you find the aforementioned delectable treats?

Dragon’s Gate Brewery is just getting off the ground, and since they are based in eastern Oreogn, their beers are not yet available in the Portland area. Your next chance to try them in Portland will be at the 2016 Nano Beer Fest at John’s Marketplace in SW Portland, April 9-10.
Missionary Chocolates can be found online, at their retail store in Portland, and at specialty stores and food coops around the Portland area.

Disclosure: We received complimentary media passes to this event.

It’s Soda Time! {How to Make an Old-fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream Soda}

October 19 By Renée ♥ 19 Comments

You need just three ingredients to make a delicious old-fashioned chocolate ice cream soda – and a glass full of wonderful, bubbly memories to share.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplySparkling#CollectiveBias

My brother LA is sixteen years older than me and left for college when I was just two, so the only time I ever saw him when I was little was when he came home for holidays or spring break. Because of our age difference, it would have been easy for us to never have had any kind of real relationship, but LA didn’t let that happen. From the time I can remember, he has always made an effort to make a place for me in his life.

One way he did that was to establish a few simple traditions between us, the most enduring and dear to me being our Soda Time.

Whenever he came home, LA would always make us chocolate ice cream sodas. It was our thing. Soda Time was the one time I had my big brother all to myself, and as I grew up, it became a tradition that – to this day – I look forward to with great anticipation.

I’m pretty sure I drove my mom and dad nuts back when I was a kid, because whenever I caught wind that LA was on his way home, I’d make one of them go up to Freddy’s to get Canada Dry, chocolate syrup, and ice cream so that we had everything we needed when he arrived.

LA always made a big, fun production of making our sodas, what with his special soda-mixing skills and spoon flourishes and all. He also taught me that you can’t just dump everything into a tall glass and call it good: making a perfect old-fashioned ice cream soda requires some finesse.

How to Make an Old-fashioned Ice Cream Soda

For each soda, you will need:

2-3 scoops vanilla ice cream
6-8 ounces Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water [Original flavor]
2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

First, find a suitable vessel. A soda glass is perfect, of course, but if you’re short on those, you can use any large, tall glass. (You can even do what my brother and I do when we’re feeling lazy and make a soda-in-a-bowl.)
Next, drop one scoop of ice cream into the bottom of the glass and pour about 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup on top.
Use a soda spoon to squish and mash and mix everything around until the ice cream and the chocolate syrup become a sort of chocolate ice cream slurry.
Now comes the tricky part: you need to take a soda spoon in your dominate hand and stir constantly while you very slowly pour the Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water into the glass with your other hand. Continue adding seltzer until the glass is about three-fourths full.
Taste the soda to make sure it’s chocolaty enough for you. (If not, just stir in a little additional chocolate syrup.)
Finish it off by adding a scoop of ice cream to the soda glass, and mount an additional scoop to the rim, sidecar style.

Top it off with one last splash of Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water, pop in a straw and enjoy! (We usually serve ours with extra seltzer water on the side so that we can make our sodas last as long as possible.)

For the record, LA has lived in Iowa for decades now and sometimes years pass without us getting together, but he is planning a trip to Portland next month, and you can bet that I will have the chocolate syrup, ice cream and Canada Dry waiting for him when he gets here.

You can find Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water in the soda aisle at Fred Meyer. One of the things that is so nice about it is that it is unsweetened, with zero calories and zero sodium – it’s just all natural carbonated water, so you can add as much (or as little) as you want to your soda to get just the right mix, and no matter how much you use, it won’t add anything but happy little effervescent bubbles.

Who will you share SODA TIME with?

Chocolate-Pineapple Meringue Kisses {Recipe}

August 18 By Renée ♥ 5 Comments

Light as air, these delicious little Meringue Kisses can hold a multitude of sweet surprises.

These little meringue kisses are incredibly simple and easy to make, and will satisfy any sweet tooth. Here, I’ve topped them with pineapple and chocolate, but you can let your imagination guide you. Other ideas include coconut, ground nuts, chopped dried fruit, a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, or candied ginger. Or sprinkle them with jimmies for the holidays – red, white and blue for the 4th of July, green for St Patrick’s Day, or yellow and orange for the fall holidays.

4 from 1 vote

Meringue Kisses

Course Cookies &amp, Sweets

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Top with your choice of:

Fresh pineapple chopped
Mini chocolate chips
Coconut
Ground nuts
Chopped dried fruit
Cinnamon sugar
Candied Ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon sheet.
Beat eggs until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating eggs until stiff.
Fold in vanilla.
Fill a a pastry bag or resealable bag with the whipped egg mixture. Cut the tip (or corner) and pipe the whipped egg mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. (Alternative method: Use teaspoons to drop mixture onto cookie sheet.)
Sprinkle topping of your choice onto each cookie.
Bake for 30 minutes and then turn off the oven. Leave the cookies in the oven for 30-45 minutes to allow them to dry.

How to prepare fresh or canned pineapple:

Press pineapple between sheets of paper towel to remove as much juice as you can, and then chop fine and press again. Or, avoid the whole chopping step by using crushed pineapple.

Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks… {Some Learned the Hard Way}

July 7 By Renée ♥ 13 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a little celebratory gathering for our graduating senior. Usually when I host a get-together, I get totally carried away making all kinds of party food, but life has been throwing us a few curves lately, and so I decided to keep things simple this time. And what could be simpler than a chocolate fountain, right?

We did a lot of things right. I’ll share those chocolate fountain tips in a minute, but this is the most important thing I can tell you about using a chocolate fountain, so if you don’t read anything else, read this:

When you are hosting a party and plan to use a chocolate fountain, the wind is not your friend. Ever. Say it with me… “The Wind is NOT my Friend.” Even when you think it is only a little wind, and no one will notice. Because guess what? You’re wrong! The chocolate will notice. And so will the laws of physics.

Location, Location, Location
Besides the actual chocolate itself, location is the single most important factor in the success or failure of your chocolate fountain. Consider heating and air conditioning ducts, traffic flow, pet access, wind, rain, bugs and small children when choosing where to set up your fountain. Also, be careful about where you lay the electrical cord: if someone were to trip on it, it could have dire consequences for your entire party.

Once we moved everything inside, the chocolate flowed like Multnomah Falls in Candyland.

On the Level
Before you ever pour a drop of chocolate into your fountain, make sure it is level. As in, plumb bubble-up level. Once again, melted chocolate is all about the laws of physics.

Prepping the Chocolate
Although I was tempted to buy more expensive chocolate, I decided to go with good old Tollhouse Semi-sweet Morsels, for a couple of reasons: they are low in milk solids, they are available at Costco in huge bags for a decent price, and they taste delicious when you melt them.

In order to get the chocolate to flow properly, you need to mix it with oil. (I know – you just squinched up your nose and said Eww.) But I stumbled onto the perfect solution: unrefined coconut oil.

A ratio of one tablespoon of coconut oil per cup of semi-sweet morsels works perfectly and tastes delicious.

Even if your fountain has an internal heating element (most do), do not attempt to melt your chocolate in the fountain. Heat your chocolate together with your coconut oil for 40 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring after each interval and repeatin guntil completely smooth. Only then is it ready to pour into your fountain. Follow the directions that come with your chocolate fountain to determine how much you will need to start out. (We used a small fountain, and it took about two pounds of chocolate to start off)

#ChocolateFountain Tip ♥ 1 Tbls #CoconutOil: 1 cup #ChocolateChips = Smooth, Delicious Perfection Click To Tweet

Preheat, Prime & Prep
Preheat your fountain before adding the chocolate. When you have the fountain filled and running, let it run for a minute or two and then turn it off. Wait a minute or two and then turn it back on. This will help get any air bubbles out of the tube and auger system. Also, be sure to take the time to set up a second batch of chocolate for when you need to refill the fountain later.

Dippity-Do’s
We had lots of delicious choices for dipping: Bananas, Pretzels, Pineapple, Cream Puffs, Marshmallows, Pound Cake, and lots of Strawberries.

After the Party’s Over
No matter how tired you are, clean the fountain right away. If you wait until the next day, the chocolate will harden up and it will take you ten times as long to clean.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Crazy Delicious {Chocolate Peanut} Butterfingers Bars

April 28 By Renée ♥ 16 Comments

NOTE: The title of this post is NOT hyperbolic. These Butterfinger Bars are truly Crazy Delicious!

Ever belong to a social set or a book club or a church group or whatever, and whenever there is a food-related event, that one lady always brings that one thing that you just cannot pass up, no matter how hard you try? That thing that you keep making excuses to go back to the buffet table for? That thing you literally stand and calculate just how much you can take and still remain socially acceptable? (“Er… this one is for {vague head-gesture toward crowd}…um…. bye…gotta… {mumble, mumble} go…”)

For me, Butterfinger Bars are that thing.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

And my friend Kelly is that lady who makes that thing.

Author Kelly Nelson is bright, energetic beyond words, and one of the most positive people you will ever meet. She enjoys life on ten-acres of prime horse property in Cornelius, Oregon with her husband, children, and lots of horses. Kelly has traveled far and wide, and her experiences in England, France, Egypt, Israel, West Indies, Mexico, and across the United States sparked a love of history, adventure, and exotic places. All that traveling led to the inspiration behind her debut novel, The Keeper’s Calling, the first book in her four-book series, The Keeper’s Saga. Her most recent book, Love’s Deception, was released earlier this year.

Kelly has a generous soul, and was kind enough to share her Butterfinger Bar recipe with us, for which I am so grateful. I’m not so sure Mr. B feels the same way though: The last time I made these for him, he said (with his mouth full as he lifted another one out of the tray), “Please, please don’t make these again any time soon. I can’t stop eating them.” When he came home today to another pan-full, he just heaved a heavy sigh and pulled out a knife.

5 from 2 votes

Butterfinger Bars

Yum, all the way.

Course Bar Cookie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author Kelly Nelson

Ingredients

¾ C. butter softened
¾ C. sugar
¾ C. brown sugar
¾ C. peanut butter
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 ½ cup flour
1 ½ cup quick oats

Topping:

3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge works just fine too.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.
In an electric mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add 3/4 cup peanut butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and eggs and mix well to combine. Stir in flour and oats.
Spread mixture on greased cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
Let cool until slightly warm. Spread 3/4 cup peanut butter over warm cookies on sheet. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Warm the frosting in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a spoon until it has an even consistency. Drizzle warm chocolate frosting on top and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
If you have teenagers in the house, stand back or prepare to be trampled.

Recipe Notes

Tip: It is much easier to spread the dough with wet hands than a spatula.

As you can see, I used chunky peanut butter for the batch I made for this post; however, smooth peanut butter works equally well. It is just a matter of preference. And yes, I did take half of these pictures on my back deck on a sawdust covered workbench. Because that’s what food bloggers do sometimes.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. (Rest assured though, we will NEVER recommend anything we don’t believe in just to make a buck. We like to sleep at night.) Anywho, while clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

22 Devilishly Decadent Chocolate Cakes

January 27 By Renée ♥ 18 Comments

Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.

~ Audrey Hepburn

Happy National Chocolate Cake Day!

Today is National Chocolate Cake Day (Yes! It’s a real thing!) and in celebration of this momentous occasion, I asked some of the best bloggers in the food world to share their favorite chocolate cake recipes. Many thanks for all who generously shared. It may be difficult to tear you eyes away from these beauties – so many are as much a treat for the eyes as the palate.

(OK, that last line is pure, unadulterated twaddle: it’s just something food writers say. Really, we’re talking about chocolate cake here: it’s awesome when you can make it pretty, but at 2am when you’re jonesing for something melty smooth and chocolaty, do you really care about aesthetics? You and I both know that as long as you can pick it up with a fork [or your fingers] and get it past your teeth, it will be a total treat-fest, no matter how much in need of a food stylist it might be.)

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
~ Charles M. Schulz

The Bundts

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Eggless Milkless Chocolate Cake with Caramel Frosting from Melanie Makes
Double Chocolate Bundt Cake from It’s Yummy
Quadruple Chocolate Bundt Cake from Shockingly Delicious
Chocolate Caramel & Pecan Bundt Cake from Balancing Motherhood

Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good.
~ Mariska Hargitay

Decadent Bites

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Single Serving No-Bake Chocoalte Peanut Butter Desserts from Mother Would Know
Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes from Chocolate & Marrow
Champagne Brownie Cake from Recipe for Perfection
Molten Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling from Mind Over Batter

He showed the words “chocolate cake” to a group of Americans and recorded their word associations. “Guilt” was the top response. If that strikes you as unexceptional, consider the response of French eaters to the same prompt: “celebration.”
~ Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

A Little Something Extra

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Chocolate Cola Cake from Baking Beauty
Chocolate Guinness Stout Cupcakes with Irish Whiskey Ganache & Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting from Merlot Mommy
Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake from The View From Great Island
Chocolate Mega or Jumbo Muffins from Mother Would Know

What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.
~ Katharine Hepburn

Layers Upon Layers

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting from Chez CateyLou
Chocolate Mud Cake from Bake Play Smile
Strawberry Chocolate Anniversary Cake from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Supreme Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling from Sweet & Savory by Shinee

My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.
~ Dave Barry

Picture Perfect

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Chocolate Almond Pound Cake from The Luna Cafe
Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake from Foodie Goes Healthy
Flourless Chocolate Decadence from The Joy Kitchen

“Can I come back and see you sometime?”
“Long as you bring me some chocolate,” Gramma said, and smiled. “I’m partial to chocolate.”
“Gramma, you’re diabetic.”
“I’m old, girl. Gonna die of something. Might as well be chocolate.”
~ Rachel Caine, The Dead Girls’ Dance

Sweet Temptation

(Clockwise from Top-Left)
Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake from Very Culinary
Gluten-free Chocolate Cake from No Recipes

Oh. My. Goodness. I just spent a few hours drooling over these while I put this post together, and even after all this contemplation, I can’t pick a favorite. Can you?

Cranberry & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

May 6 By Renée ♥ 10 Comments

Like many Portland food bloggers, I spent last Friday baking my buns off in preparation for the PDX Blogger Bake Sale that was held on Saturday to benefit Share Our Strength “No Kid Hungry.” One of the things I made is a personal favorite – Bread Pudding – comfort food in its purest form. This Cranberry & White Chocolate version is finished with a healthy dose of Cinnamon Whiskey Sauce, and the only thing that could have it better would have been a warm oven to serve it from. And warm would have been very welcome too, because on the day of the sale, it rained and rained and rained. But Portlanders don’t melt: we had a wonderful time and a successful sale in spite of the precipitation.

Fun Fact: Portlanders have over twenty names for rain, based on amount, intensity, consistency and duration.

Cranberry & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Author Renée ♥︎ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

6 eggs beaten
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups half & half
3 cups milk
1 tbs. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 lb. loaf of at least 2-day old bread, cut into ¾ inch cubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips

Syrup:

1 ½ cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup cinnamon whiskey [Fireball] See note for non-alcohol version
¼ cup half & half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, whip together eggs and sugars. Add milk, half & half, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Add the bread cubes, cranberries and white chocolate to the egg mixture. Stir to coat, and then let it all sit for about 20 minutes to give the egg mixture time to saturate the bread.
Pour the bread cube and egg mixture into a greased glass 9x9 baking dish. Press it down a little - you should see a little of the liquid rise up in between the bread cubes. (If it seems really dry, I sometimes mix up another egg with about 3/4 cup of milk and drizzle that over the top. It really depends on the density of the bread you are using.)
Bake 45-60 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Insert a toothpick or skewer into the bread pudding – it should come out clean.
To make the sauce, mix sugar, butter and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in whiskey. It should bubble up and release the alcohol. Stir in half & half. Serve warm sauce over warm bread pudding.

Recipe Notes

Un-Whiskey Sauce: All of the alcohol cooks out of this sauce when made as directed, but if you prefer not to use alcohol in your cooking at all (which you do every time you use vanilla extract), just leave the whiskey out of the sauce. In that case, add a teaspoon of cinnamon with the sugar, and a tablespoon of vanilla in place of the whiskey. The result will be a much milder, but still delicious, sauce.

I want to personally thank Powell’s for hosting our Blogger Bake Sale this year, and the Orenco Station New Seasons for providing some of the packaging for my contributions.

Pitch Dark Chocolate {NE Portland – Rose City}

March 22 By Renée ♥ 1 Comment

PITCH DARK brings single farm, artisan chocolate to East Portland.

Chocolatier Brian Flick is a young man with a passion for making chocolate, and at 28, he has already been perfecting his art for half his life. After starting his own chocolate company at the age of 14, he went on to study chocolate all over the world, including doing graduate work in Sweden and Fiji. Brian now brings his knowledge and skill to Portland – and to his new production house, Pitch Dark Modern American Chocolate.

Mr. B and I were so excited to attend the Pitch Dark Grand Opening last week! (Being a PDX Food Blogger has a few distinct advantages… “Sure, I guess I could go to that CHOCOLATE store opening…”) Pitch Dark sits in the heart of our old stomping grounds, right next door to Du’s Grill (or what old-time residents like us remember as the “little Dairy Queen”) on 53rd and NE Sandy in Rose City. There is nothing “old-time” about this place though, except perhaps their traditional methods and commitment to quality.

Single farm chocolate is a term almost unheard of the chocolate industry, and it is what drives Brian Flick. “Cocoa beans have even more flavor elements than coffee or wine grapes,” he told us during our visit. Nearly every commercial chocolate bar you bite into – including those high-end bars that tempt from the check-outs at New Seasons and Whole Foods – contain a chocolate stew made of beans grown all over the world. But Pitch Dark creates single farm chocolate to highlight the distinctive character and flavor profile of those hand-picked beans.

We sampled a variety of artisan chocolates, as well as their newest release – the Pitch Dark Ecuador Elements of Texture Bar – a 73% dark chocolate bar with hazelnut, Jacobsen sea salt, cacao nibs and chia seed that: every bite was a decadent silk-on-velvet experience. Other favorite samplings included the chocolate-covered dark chocolate ganache (my personal favorite – could there be anything more decadent!) and the chocolate-covered chocolate caramels.

Bars, artisan chocolates and drinking chocolate are available at the Pitch Dark storefront, or at select coffee-house throughout the city.

Wacky Cake – Easy as Pie!

July 30 By Renée ♥ 3 Comments

As promised yesterday in Let Them Eat Cake, I am sharing a very special recipe with you today – Wacky Cake – egg-free, milk-free, butter –free, and so easy to put together that a six-year old can make it all by herself… with a little help on the oven part, of course.

I wish I could tell you the exact history of Wacky Cake – its origins are most often stirred with 1930’s Depression Era shortages; however, I found many similar recipes from both WWI and WWII, created as a result of wartime rationing. Whatever its historical beginnings, one can easily see that its inexpensive ingredients allowed for an occasional treat during difficult times back then. Ultimately, this cake became a family favorite in my childhood home, and as you have likely already surmised, it is the first cake I ever made all by myself.

Chocolate Wacky Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons baking cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.
Sift together dry ingredients into the pan. Form three depressions in the top of the dry mixture - one large and two small.
Pour oil into the large depression, pour vanilla into the second depression and vinegar into the third.
Pour water over the whole thing and whisk with a fork until completely mixed. (Be sure to check the corners.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.

Recipe Notes

This cake tastes even better the next day and holds up very by itself. We rarely frost it. Recipe can be doubled and prepared in a 9 x 13 pan.

Do you cook with your children or grandchildren? Tell me about it!

Lillie Belle Farms chocolates can be found at the unique crossroads of Music and Chocolate – and that is where the magic happens.

Today, however, it’s all about the Chocolate.

Recommendations & Notes:

A recap of Artisinful! Chocolate & Beer Fest – including our choice for Best {Chocolate & Beer} Couple.

So what is the difference between a Chocolate Maker and a Chocolatier?

Beer Notes from Mr B

Missionary ♥ Spicy Cinnamon-Chipotle Truffle Dragon’s Gate ♥ Le Morte d’Arthur Belgium Chocolate Stout

You need just three ingredients to make a delicious old-fashioned chocolate ice cream soda – and a glass full of wonderful, bubbly memories to share.

How to Make an Old-fashioned Ice Cream Soda

For each soda, you will need:

Who will you share SODA TIME with?

Light as air, these delicious little Meringue Kisses can hold a multitude of sweet surprises.

Meringue Kisses

Ingredients

Top with your choice of:

Instructions

How to prepare fresh or canned pineapple:

NOTE: The title of this post is NOT hyperbolic. These Butterfinger Bars are truly Crazy Delicious!

Butterfinger Bars

Ingredients

Topping:

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.

~ Audrey Hepburn

Happy National Chocolate Cake Day!

The Bundts

Decadent Bites

A Little Something Extra

Layers Upon Layers

Picture Perfect

Sweet Temptation

Cranberry & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Syrup:

Instructions

Recipe Notes

PITCH DARK brings single farm, artisan chocolate to East Portland.

Chocolate Wacky Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Missionary ♥ Spicy Cinnamon-Chipotle Truffle
Dragon’s Gate ♥ Le Morte d’Arthur Belgium Chocolate Stout