Mini Flourless Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes

For you chocolate lovers, this is the best chocolate rush in a mini cupcake that I have ever eaten. The cupcake is so rich and moist that you will be happy to eat just one or two. Every once in awhile it is ok to indulge in your favorite decadent dessert. Of course, mine is the magical force of chocolate. Those times I just satisfy my sweet tooth and then I get back on track with healthy eating the next day. If you like chocolate, you have to try this easy recipe!

Ingredients:

4 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso instant powder , intensifies the flavor of
         chocolate without adding fat
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 2 (12 cup mini muffin tins) with cooking spray.

Combine chocolate and butter in a microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir until melted. Whisk in sugar, vanilla extract and espresso powder. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Sift cocoa over top and whisk until smooth.

Divide batter among prepared pans and bake until cakes have risen. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Carefully remove cakes and cool on rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!

Rich Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Frosting

Oh, moist chocolate cake with rich, luscious chocolate frosting, what a great dessert at anytime. This is such an easy recipe. All of the cake ingredients, you can put in a large bowl and use a  hand or standing mixer to mix the batter. This is not what you would call a healthy cake, but Fall is on its way and we need to celebrate! Death by chocolate is the only way to go, and I know you will drool over this cake! Adapted from
Foodess

Ingredients for cake:

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (or 2 teaspoons instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water, or just 1 cup boiling water)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch baking pans very well and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla with a hand mixer, beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in hot coffee. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes on wire rack and then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Ingredients for frosting:

1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cups Hershey's cocoa
3 cups Confectioners sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large, deep bowl, stir together melted butter and cocoa. Alternating, add sugar and milk, beating with a hand mixer on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.


Assemble cake:

On a cake dish put first layer of cake and icing the top and sides of cake. Then place the second layer on top of the first cake and finish icing the top and sides of the cake. Enjoy!

Cheesey Stuffed Shells

Stuff shells what a treat! This is one of my favorite recipes. I love Italian food and I could eat pasta all the time. Actually this pasta has a low Glycemic Index, which means it doesn't raise your blood sugar and low GI foods are digested more slowly.They stay in the digested system longer and help to naturally satisfy hunger. So, eating a delicious meal that includes pasta can be one of your healthful alternatives. If you wanted to half this recipe for the meat sauce and filling, it would be easy to do.

Ingredients for meat sauce:

1 lb ground sirloin (97% fat free)

1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes

1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup dry red wine

10 fresh Basil leaves, julienned (cut into thin strips)

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, pour the olive oil and saute' onions for 5 minutes and add the garlic, cook 1 minute and add the ground sirloin and sausage. Break up the meat with a large spoon to make crumbled meat. Add the whole tomatoes and juice and crush the tomatoes with a potato masher and then add the tomato sauce and red wine. Mix thoroughly. Add the Basil leaves and simmer for 1 hour.

Ingredients for the filling:

1 (12 oz) box Mueller's jumbo shells

2 eggs

2 containers (15 oz) each low-fat Ricotta cheese

2 clove garlic, minced

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 small can chopped black olives

1/4 cup fresh Basil leaves, julienned

Directions:

In a large pot, boil water and add salt to taste. Add pasta and boil for 13 minutes. Drain and lay each shell on a piece of wax paper. Preheat oven 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs, stir in Ricotta, garlic, 1 cup Mozzarella, Parmesan, black olives and basil.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture into each shell. In a 13x9-inch baking dish, spoon some meat sauce on the bottom of dish and arrange the filled shells. Top with more meat sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup Mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes until the sauce is bubbly. If there is any meat sauce left over, put in a container and freeze for another meal. Enjoy!