COOKIES 'N CREAM OREO CAKE ROLL: Post by Judy Clemens-Smucker

I love when my mystery and chocolate worlds collide. Today I welcome back Judy Clemens-Smucker aka JC Lane aka Judy Clemens. J.C. Lane is the author of the thriller Tag, You’re Dead. She also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper mysteries.

JUDY CLEMENS:

Like many households, mine loves the Great British Baking Show. We watch the bakers assemble their creations and wish we could taste each and every one. (Well, maybe not every one. Those Victorian game pies never look as appealing to me as they do to the contestants and judges.) One of our favorite weeks on the show is when they do the cake rolls. It’s fun to see the flavors they put together, marrying the cake with the filling, and see how they decorate the finished product.

This Cookies ‘n Cream Oreo Cake Roll may not have orange zest, candied walnuts, or spun sugar webs, but it has yummy cream, a soft cake (or “sponge” as they’d say on the GBBS), and a delectable ganache topping. Here are some of the quotes from my family when I served it:

“You got such a nice shine on the ganache!”
“The spiral is nice and tight, with no gaps.”
“The cake has such a nice texture.”

So, there you go, Paul Hollywood. I’m ready for the show!

Cookies ‘n Cream Oreo Cake Roll 

FOR THE CAKE: 
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp brewed coffee (or water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar, to aid in rolling

FOR THE FILLING: 
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp powdered sugar 1 t vanilla extract
12 Oreos, crushed

FOR THE GANACHE: 
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (10” x 15”) with foil. Grease and flour foil.
2. Make the cake: Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee or water, and vanilla extract.
3. Whisk together cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended.
4. Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer. Use spatula to spread it to all corners of the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you lightly poke the top with your fingertip and it bounces back slightly.
5. While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about ¼ cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over onto the kitchen towel. Remove foil carefully.
6. Trim crusty edges, then, working from the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled at least one hour (or you can wrap it overnight).
7. Make the filling: Beat heavy whipping cream. Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until whipped cream forms. Stir in crushed Oreos, reserving 2 T for garnish.
8. Assemble cake: Once the cake has cooled, unroll it carefully. Spread the whipping cream on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Re-roll cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour before frosting.
9. Make the ganache: Place chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high power for 60-90 seconds or until the cream is hot. Whisk until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.
10. Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Pour the ganache over the cake evenly, scooping up what falls on the cookie sheet and re-pouring until you have it as covered as possible. Top with remaining crushed Oreos. Chill until set.
11. Note: The cake should stay chilled until right before serving or the whipped cream filling will get warm and it will be hard to slice.

ULTIMATE FUDGY BROWNIES: Guest Post by Judy Clemens

Who doesn't need another brownie recipe? especially one as good as this? Today I welcome back my mystery writing friend Judy Clemens aka JC Lane. J.C. Lane is the author of the thriller Tag, You’re Dead. Judy also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper mysteries. 

JUDY CLEMENS:
ULTIMATE FUDGY BROWNIES

Brownies are a staple in the dessert world. They’re great for potlucks, birthdays, picnics, Superbowl parties, and casual get-togethers. You can make them from scratch or from a box, with nuts or without, iced or plain. Brownies can be made from milk chocolate or dark, with pieces that are fluffy or flat. All are yummy, and, in the case of boxed versions, can be made by people without much experience in the kitchen. I think we can all agree it’s hard to find a bad brownie!

This recipe, however, kicks most other brownies to the back of the brownie line. I discovered it several years ago, and haven’t found a better recipe since. It’s a bit more complex than most brownie recipes, but very, very worth it. The dessert comes out of the oven moist on the inside, and crispy on the outside. An added bonus is that cut pieces are pretty enough for a dinner party. Whenever I make this recipe for just my family, the entire pan is gone before I can consider what dessert to make next. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ultimate Fudgy Brownies 

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup water
2 3/4 cups (16 oz.) dark chocolate chips, divided
4 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend up and over sides.

In a large saucepan or in the microwave, combine sugars, butter, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat; add 1 ¾ c. chocolate chips and stir until melted. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla; gradually stir in the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining chocolate chips and the walnuts.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake on a lower oven rack for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Lifting with parchment paper, remove brownies from pan and cut into 16 squares.

Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES: Guest post by Judy Clemens

The Holidays are right around the corner! Let the Cookie Recipes begin! And what cookie tastes most like the holidays than Chocolate Crinkles? Today I welcome back my mystery writing friend Judy Clemens aka JC Lane. J.C. Lane is the author of the thriller Tag, You’re Dead. Judy also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper mysteries. 

Judy Clemens:
Chocolate Crinkles

When I was in kindergarten I lived with my family in Evanston, Illinois, while my father went to school for his doctorate in organ performance. We lived in student housing and I walked with my brother, then in fourth grade, to the local public school. My teacher, Mrs. McKnight, was a formidable presence, and I remember more than once hiding my face while she yelled at the class. On my birthday, however, my mom sent Chocolate Crinkles to school with me, and Mrs. McKnight loved them so much she asked me to bring her the recipe. After that, our relationship became one I wasn’t quite as afraid to pursue.

This recipe – my favorite cookie – comes from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, first published in 1962. I now have the book, snatched from my mother’s library when she was downsizing for a move. I have used the recipe many times for gifts, my family’s dining pleasure, and post-season soccer games, when my daughter had friends calling dibs to sit beside her so they could have a cookie when our team scored (a Bluffton High School boys’ team tradition). This year, although my son graduated and I’m no longer responsible for taking cookies, another mom asked me for the recipe, and other fans remembered with fondness eating Chocolate Crinkles at last year’s district games.

May you enjoy these as much as I always have, and bring deliciousness to those around you!

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup confectioners sugar

Directions
Mix oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture. CHILL SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough into confectioners’ sugar. Roll in sugar, shape into balls. Place about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.  
Do not overbake!

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake: Guest Post by Judy Clemens

My mystery and chocolate worlds collide again. Today I welcome back Judy Clemens aka JC Lane. J.C. Lane is the author of the thriller Tag, You’re Dead. Judy also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper mysteries. 

JUDY CLEMENS:
CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE

Chocolate and peanut butter are a popular combination in my family, whether it’s chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cup pieces, chocolate cookies with peanut butter in the middle, or a chocolate peanut butter banana milkshake we’ve been making since the kids were little. I cut this recipe out of a magazine years ago and re-discovered it while doing some kitchen renovations this year. The cake tastes as amazing as it looks – moist and dense – and the frosting is heavenly. The chopped-up crunchiness of the peanuts tops it all off.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup baking cocoa
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla

Frosting
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tesp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine water, butter, peanut butter, and cocoa; bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. (I heated mine in the microwave. You could heat it on the stove if you prefer.) Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until blended; add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Transfer to prepared pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Prepare frosting while cake is baking.
In a large bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk, if necessary, to get it to spreading consistency.

Remove cake from oven; place on a wire rack. Immediately spread with frosting and sprinkle with peanuts. Enjoy!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE: Guest recipe by Judy Clemens

I love when my mystery and chocolate worlds collide. Today I welcome Judy Clemens-Smucker aka JC Lane aka Judy Clemens. J.C. Lane is the author of the thriller Tag, You’re Dead. She also writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series and the Grim Reaper mysteries. 

JUDY CLEMENS:

I am a big believer that chocolate makes people happy. It doesn’t matter the form – candy, hot cocoa, cookies, fudge -- but most of all I love a good chocolate cake…as long as it’s made from scratch. The texture, flavor, and overall taste cannot be rivaled by a boxed mix. But do not despair if you are an amateur baker, or HAVE NEVER MADE A CAKE FROM SCRATCH, you will still find this recipe do-able! There aren’t that many more steps than a boxed cake. You don’t even need an extra bowl or a mixer! Once you try this recipe, you’ll realize how fun, easy, and delicious it is to use your own ingredients and have something warm and yummy within an hour. This recipe is great for a last-minute goody to take to a potluck, give to a friend, or just devour when you need something sweet. It’s good with ice cream, a cold glass of milk, or plain and straight from the oven. So if you want to try something new, give it a whirl! I think you’ll be very satisfied with the results.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE 

Ingredients
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c water
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt with fork in ungreased 8- or 9-inch square pan. (I also find a pastry cutter works well.) Mix in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes (I found that 37 minutes is perfect in my oven.)

For fun, use different flavored chips on the top, such as peanut butter, mint, or various varieties of chocolate.

This recipe can also be doubled – just put in a 9x13 (or larger) dish.

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Photo: A double recipe of the cake in a recyclable aluminum pan--on its way to a sick friend and family.