Slow-Cooker Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake (with regular oven variation)

I have now been without an oven for about 5 days--if confused, read this--and of course all I could think about all day was how much I wanted baked goods.  The second something is impossible is the second it is also really tempting.  After days of wanting homemade bread, complicated meals, and fresh (not frozen) cookies, I decided that I needed to take evasive action. Somewhere I had heard that it was possible to make cake in a slow cooker.  Looking online I couldn't find any recipes that sounded good.  I wanted a really basic cake and I decided peanut butter sounded good, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.  The cake was moist with a good peanut butter taste.  The chocolate and topping really just made a good thing better.  I included directions to make it in an oven as well, for those of you who have one that works.

Serves 6-8

1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter, softened
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2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. In small bowl, mix together the 1/3 cup flour and the 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Cut in the 1/3 cup peanut butter and the 2 tablespoons of butter until mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.
2. In mixing bowl, stir together the 2 cups flour and 1 1/4 cups brown sugar.  Add baking powder, soda, and salt.  Stir in sour cream, milk, 2/3 cup peanut butter, eggs, and 1/4 cup butter.  Stir until combined, then beat until light and fluffy.  Stir in chocolate chips.
3. If making in a regular oven, pour mixture into greased 9x13-inch pan.  Top with peanut butter crumbles.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cake tests done.
4. If making in a slow cooker, pour into greased 3-quart slow cooker liner.  Put a double-layer of paper towels and place lid on top.  The towels should stay between the cake and the lid. Cook on high for 90 minutes, then crumble topping over cake.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 30-45 minutes more. 
5. Serve warm or cooled.

Oven Troubles

Preheating the oven one morning to make biscuits, I heard this weird sound.  I was standing right in front of my oven at the time, so I got treated to not only a strange "zzzzzt" sound but also the sight of sparks through my oven door and a bright light that looked a lot like flames.  I turned off the oven, but by then the oven seemed to be smoking.  Husband pulled out the oven drawer to see what was going on and we unplugged it, but it wasn't until later that day that the oven was cool enough to look inside.  What we saw you can see on the right.

That would be the broiler element of my oven.  The exposed tungsten wire, complete with melted ceramic and steel, should be the major clue to where the sparks and fire came from.  Standing theory seems to be that somehow grease got on the top element--the broiler element--and then overheated on the element, causing the outside to melt and expose the wire.

The part is ordered, thanks to a very helpful schematic online, but probably won't be here until next week.  As of now the oven is still unplugged--which I think is the safest course of action--so the oven and stove-top are out of commission.  Luckily I have a number of fine plug-in appliances that can help fill this void, but expect some creative recipes for at least a few days.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I had some leftover broccoli in the fridge, so I thought I might as well make a meal that used it up.  Hearty delicious soup that is thick and creamy, but with a nice flavor of cheese.

Serves 2-3 (main dish)

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup water
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 cup cubed Velveeta
Dash ground mustard
Salt, ground black pepper, and garlic salt to taste

1. In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add shallot and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.  Add broccoli and stir well.  Add water and cover saucepan with lid.  Steam broccoli for 1-3 minutes or until bright and still crisp.
2. While broccoli is steaming, whisk flour into milk.  Add milk mixture to broccoli in saucepan and mix well.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles appear around edges of saucepan and soup thickens.  Turn off heat.  Add cheeses, mustard, and seasonings.  Stir until cheeses are melted and serve hot.

Cinnamon Rolls

Though homemade rolls takes a little more time, the flavor of these really makes it worth it.  Though you can make them and bake them all in one day, I usually prefer to let the final rise happen in the refrigerator overnight and bake them the next morning so they are warm and gooey from the oven for breakfast.

Makes 12 rolls

3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast (NOT rapid-rise)
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
3-3 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
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1 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Splash vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

1. In large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk for 1 minute or until scalded.  Stir in the 1/4 cup sugar and the salt.  Let cool until a drop placed on your wrist feels hot but not painful, about 5 minutes.  Stir in yeast until dissolved and let stand until frothy, about 5 more minutes.  Mix in egg and shortening as best you can, then beat in 1 cup flour until mixture is smooth and elastic.  Beat in another cup of flour until flour is all absorbed, then work in another 1/2 cup of flour with your hands.
2. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of flour on a flat surface.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding as little flour as possible to keep dough a little sticky.  This will keep the rolls from being dry and tough.
3. Once you are done kneading the dough, wash your bowl.  Dry the bowl and grease it with cooking spray or a little extra butter.  Turn dough into greased bowl and flip it to bring the greased top up.  Cover with a wet paper towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
4. Once dough is doubled in size, punch it down and flip it over.  Let rise another 30-45 minutes.
5. In small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Set aside.
6. Grease a flat surface with cooking spray.  Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle.  Smear dough with the 1 tablespoon softened butter, then sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Roll up tightly lengthwise to form a 12-inch log.  Slice log into 12 equal pieces, each 1 inch thick.
7. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with a lid.  Place roll slices in pan and cover with a wet paper towel.  Let rise in warm place for about 30 minutes or until rolls are puffy.  Cover pan with lid and place in refrigerator for 8-24 hours or until ready to use.
8.  Let rolls sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while oven preheats to 375 degrees.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until rolls are golden.
9. While rolls are baking, mix together the cream cheese and butter.  Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until smooth to create a rich frosting.
10. When rolls are done, let cool for 10 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese frosting and serve.  Store any leftovers tightly covered.

Apple Spice Layer Cake

When I asked my husband what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, I wasn't terribly surprised when he said apple spice.  Apple is one of his favorite flavors--hence why it is featured so prominently on this blog--and a he knew I would make him a good cake.  The problem was finding a recipe for this good cake.  I scoured the internet and my cookbooks and came up with one recipe that fit my specifications (layer cake, no nuts, something that didn't have 12 comments proclaiming it very rich).  The recipe I was left with was one I had made before and was completely underwhelmed by as it was an apple spice cake that tasted nothing like apple or spice.  Needless to say, I ended up making up this recipe instead.  The cake itself is moist, dense, and wonderfully flavorful.  The filling I added because I thought actual pieces of apple would up the flavor.  The frosting was to bring all these flavors together and to add another dimension.  The result tastes a lot like a cross between apple pie and cake; completely heavenly.  Note: I made my own applesauce for this, but any unsweetened applesauce could probably be substituted.  I just wanted to make sure the flavor of my applesauce really was powerful, which I could control if I made my own.

Makes 8- or 9-inch layer cake

1/4 cup brown sugar
Dash cinnamon
3 apples, skinned, cored and chopped (I used Jonagold)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup water
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3 1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup sour cream
Apple Filling
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In small saucepan, stir apple pieces with the 1/4 cup brown sugar and dash cinnamon.  Add lemon juice and a few tablespoons of the water.  Bring to a simmer and cover, cooking until apples are soft (about 5 minutes).  Remove lid and simmer until apples begin to break down, adding more water as needed to keep it from scorching.  This simmering may take as much as 30 minutes, but just keep adding water and stirring occasionally until apples break down into a very thick sauce.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups sauce.  Remove from heat and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
2. In medium bowl, measure flour.  Add baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg.  Whisk to evenly distribute and set aside.
3. Grease and flour two layer cake pans, 8 or 9 inches each.  Set aside.
4. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter a few seconds to loosen.  Add the 2/3 cup brown sugar and the white sugar.  Beat well, scraping sides of the bowl as needed.  Add eggs one-at-a-time and beat well between eggs.  Beat in vanilla and molasses.  Scrape bowl and add 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Stir until combined.  Mix in 1/2 of the sour cream, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining sour cream and flour.  This will alternate flour and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour.  Stir in applesauce.
5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.  You will need to smooth the batter with a spatula or knife to make sure it is even in the pans.  Bake cake layers in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.  Cool 20 minutes in pans, then remove to cool completely on a cooling rack.  Cool completely before assembling cake.
6. Place about 1/2 cup frosting in a piping bag or baggie.  Cut corner off baggie or use wide round tip.  Place one cake layer on serving plate and pipe a rim around the top of the layer with your baggie or piping bag.  This frosting will act as a dam to hold the apple filling in place.  Pour apple filling on top of cake layer and smooth to distribute apple pieces evenly.  Place second cake layer on top of filling, making sure to center it.  Frost top and sides of cake with frosting, using as thin a coating of frosting as possible.  Refrigerate cake until frosting is hard, about 30 minutes.  Frost cold cake with remaining frosting, smoothing as desired.  Decorate as desired or leave plain.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Cake can be stored, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

I created this frosting to go on the apple layer cake that is found here. The frosting itself, though, was so good and had such a deep flavor that I think it would be delicious on any number of things.  I plan to try it on carrot cake, pumpkin bars, pretty much anything else that I can think of that uses a cream cheese frosting but that would also be good with cinnamon and maple.  It still has that nice tang of cream cheese, but it adds a lot of other flavors that give the frosting a very pleasing taste.

Makes about 4 cups (enough for one cake or 24 cupcakes)

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar

1. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Add brown sugar and cinnamon and beat well.  Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar in the frosting, beating more as needed to break up lumps.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar to start, then add remaining 1 1/2-2 cups as needed to reach desired spreading consistency.

Apple Filling / Topping

When I make pancakes for dinner, I like to make some kind of special sauce to go along with them.  This apple creation could be used for this, though I made it to function as the filling for a cake.  It has a nice taste of apple and it isn't too sweet, which makes it a winner in my book.  A nice bonus is that it also makes a very tasty "glue" in a layer cake.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Granny Smith apple, skinned, cored and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In small saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch until cornstarch is no longer clumped.  Stir in water and mix until cornstarch is dissolved.  Stir in cinnamon.  Place saucepan on medium heat.  Cook and stir mixture until it bubbles and becomes clear.  Add apple pieces.  Return mixture to a boil to lightly cook apple.  Remove from heat, then stir in lemon juice.  If using as a sauce, use hot.  If using as cake filling, refrigerate filling until you are ready to use it.

White Chili

I don't really remember when I first had white chili, but I seem to recall having a fantastic bowl of it in a restaurant at some point when I was a teenager and thinking that I needed to learn how to make it.  No recipe that I tried could replicate the depth of spice and flavor that I wanted, so I ended up embellishing a number of recipes and concluding with this one recipe.  I can never decide if the taste or the smell is more fantastic, since the smell seems to seep into every room of the house and even outside.  The taste, however, is really something extraordinary.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, minced
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Shredded Jack cheese and tortilla chips, for serving

1. In dutch oven or stock pot, saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add chicken and saute until chicken is evenly browned, about 5 minutes.  Stir in chilies and beans, then broth. Measure spices into mixture and stir well.  Bring mixture to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender.
2. In small bowl or measuring cup, whisk flour and milk together.  Stir milk mixture into simmering soup and stir well.  Return mixture to a simmer to thicken.
3. Remove chili from heat and stir in sour cream.  Serve with desired stir-ins.