Chocolate Dessert Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1 orange, zested
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely grated
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 1 minute. Drain them and put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and lay on paper towels to dry.
Whisk together the ricotta, sugar, cocoa powder, and eggs on medium speed with a hand or stand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until it is well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and orange zest. Spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture into the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle some of the pistachios over the top and press on a layer of noodles. Repeat, ending with the ricotta mixture and pistachios. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the lasagna has risen. Remove the pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle the white chocolate over it. Let cool, cut, and serve.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

Hey everyone! I've got a yummy new recipe to share! These were awesome. They really do have the texture of a brownie, even though they're not your typical all chocolate brownie. I used chunky peanut butter, which gave them the addition of peanuts, which was great along with the chocolate chips. You can use regular, it's whatever you prefer. They're not only yummy, but they are also super easy to make! They are one of my favorite kinds of recipes: ONE BOWL! Who's with me there? Next time you're looking for an easy treat, whip these up!
Ingredients
cups Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Butter or Margarine, melted
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Preparation
1
In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter or margarine, peanut butter, vanilla, and eggs until well blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Spread batter into a greased pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

HCG Diet BBQ Sauce

The HCG Diet allows only certain foods to be a part of the daily menu. There are many foods that are prohibited, as they would interfere with the functioning of the HCG hormone during the diet. In the long run the HCG Diet plan causes a lifestyle change helping the dieter to consciously choose healthy options over processed unhealthy foods. While the HCG Diet Plan has many restrictions on the foods that can be a part of the diet there is no need to sacrifice taste while counting the calories. The internet is full of sites with HCG approved recipes & in Dr Simeon’s time a BBQ sauce would definitely not have been approved of but modern methods allow us to make HCG Diet BBQ Sauce well within the limits of the HCG Diet. This can be had with the approved portion of grilled/smoked lean meats as part of the meal plan.
Tips to Prepare HCG Diet BBQ Sauce from the Comfort of Home
Take 2 strips of fat free turkey Bacon chopped finely, 1 small chopped onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 6oz can of organic tomato paste, 1 12oz can of Diet coke, 1/4th cup of sugar free catsup, 3 teaspoons of mustard paste, 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of clove powder, ½ cup of water, a pinch of chili/paprika.
Lightly sauté the bacon in a few drops of olive/coconut oil, add onion & cook over a medium flame for a few minutes, add garlic & stir fry. Now add all the remaining ingredients with the water & stir. Simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust the flavor by adding some vinegar or a liquid sweetener as per taste. This can be stored & used as required. This recipe makes 10 servings of 1/4th cup each of 15-30 calories approx. Always use organic & preservative products where ever possible.
There are many sites with HCG approved meal menus to try from to make the diet easier & tastier.

Red Velvet Cupcakes and My Big Moment on Just Desserts

　　
I don’t make a lot of cupcakes, but since I’ve always been fascinated by the red velvet cake, I decided to try a version based on this venerable American classic. 　　I’ve gotten so many requests for cupcakes and red velvet cakes that I figured I’d kill two food wishes with one video. They came out really well, and as I tasted, I actually caught myself daydreaming about being on Top Chef Just Desserts.
I imagined I’d furiously finished frosting these red velvet cupcakes just as time expired (I think the faux-hawked prima donna with the Jacques Torres tattoo next to me hid the cream cheese to screw me over). I bring them up to the judge’s table, and watch as the lovely Gail Simmons takes a big bite. She swallows, smiles, and then says, “Really not that bad for a food blogger.” Okay, so she’s too classy to ever say that, but still, it would be pretty cool.

Anyway, back to reality. I will also post the cream cheese frosting recipe next week, just in case you’re wondering. I joke about the red food coloring in the clip, and it does give the cake such a unique look, but feel free to leave it out if that’s not your thing. 　　Party season is upon us, and what holiday dessert table wouldn’t benefit from a plate of these classic cupcakes? It would be like Johnny Iuzzini's face without the side burns. In other words, just not as good. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 12 Red Velvet Cupcakes:
Dry:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Wet:
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
Bake at 350 for about 22 minutes

Chocolate Dessert

To start off, you need to make two lots of biscuit dough, one flavoured with vanilla, the other with cocoa. For the vanilla dough, mix one batch of flour, icing sugar, butter and salt with the seeds from the vanilla pod and rub together.

Work the mixture until it warms slightly and turns to a firm dough.
For the chocolate dough, mix a second batch of flour, icing sugar, butter and salt, only this time replace 25g flour with 25g cocoa. Work together in the same way.

Line the base of two round 18cm sponge cake tins with a disc of nonstick paper and heat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4. Meanwhile, get on with the cake mix – melt the chocolate, then beat in the oil, cream, sugar, honey and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir together the cocoa, flour and baking powder, and sift in. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for around 25 minutes, until a skewer pulls out with just a few crumbs sticking to it.

Line the base of an 18cm square tin with nonstick paper, pat the vanilla dough evenly into it, then flip it out on to a worksurface. Repeat with the chocolate dough, then lightly brush water on top of one sheet of dough and squarely lay the other on top of it. Use a rolling pin to seal, then cut into thirds.

Brush each third lightly with water and stack in alternating chocolate and vanilla layers. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Cut lengthways into 1cm slices, moisten again and stack alternately in layers. Wrap and chill once more, then cut into 0.5cm chequerboard slices. Lay on a tray lined with nonstick baking paper and bake at 160C (140C fan-assisted)/320F/gas mark 2½ for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and barely golden.

While the cakes are warm, make the syrup by stirring the icing sugar and vanilla with 25ml boiling water. Prick the cake tops, spoon over the syrup and leave to cool in the tin, covered with paper or clingfilm.


For the frosting, melt the chocolate and butter, stir in the honey, bourbon and sifted icing sugar, leave until cool, then beat in the sour cream. When the mixture firms slightly, beat again, sandwich the cakes together with it and spread the rest over the top and sides.

For the mousse, briskly stir the egg whites and sugar over a gentle heat until about to set and piping hot (this kills any bugs), then whisk to a thick, light meringue.

Melt the chocolate, stir in the brandy and boiling water, fold in the meringue, spoon into ramekins, cover and chill to set. Serve with the biscuits for dunking.