CHOCOLATE COVERED RAISIN BUNDT CAKE!

Have you ever had Chocolate Covered Raisin Bundt Cake? Since today is Raisin Day, I thought I'd post this easy and delicious recipe. I originally found this recipe on Cooks.com, but you'll find variations on the Internet. As always, experiment. The following recipe uses a German Chocolate cake mix, but you can always use your own recipe and add raisins.

Chocolate Covered Raisin Bundt Cake

Ingredients
1 package German Chocolate basic bundt cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sweet butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bottom only of 9x13 inch pan.
In large bowl, blend Packet 1 (cake mix) and next 4 ingredients until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed (portable mixer use highest speed). Fold in raisins. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack.

Now here is what I consider optional.. and if you're making your own German Chocolate Cake, you don't need to make a glaze. But this is called Chocolate Covered Raisin Cake, so you might make one from scratch or
Blend Packet 2 (glaze mix) with 1- 2/3 tablespoons warm water. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Kentucky Derby Pie Bars with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

The 141st Kentucky Derby takes place this weekend. Are you ready? I've already posted a Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe Round-Up, but here's another great and easy recipe ... this time for Kentucky Derby Pie Bars! Make them now for the weekend. Want to make them even more fabulous? Add Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Recipe at the end of post! Now you're ready to enjoy the race!

KENTUCKY DERBY PIE BARS

Pie crust
1/2 cup sweet butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt

Filling (Topping!)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sweet butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp Kentucky bourbon  (or 1 tsp vanilla--if non-alcoholic)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine brown sugar, flour, salt and butter together in bowl.
Butter 9×12 inch or 10×13 pan. Press 'pie crust' into bottom of pan and bake for 10 minutes.
In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs separately until well mixed. Add Kentucky Bourbon and salt. Stir until blended.
Gradually add flour until combined.
Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
Pour 'filling' over pre-baked crust and spread evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes,  or until filling is set.
Remove from oven, cool, and cut into squares.
Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve plain or pour Bourbon Caramel Sauce over Kentucky Derby Pie Bars!

Bourbon Caramel Sauce 

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp bourbon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
In small bowl, whisk together cream, bourbon, and salt. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Once it begins to boil watch closely and whisk until mixture starts to turn to light brown, about 5-6 minutes. When it turns brown, slowly pour in heavy cream mixture, whisking constantly and quickly. Continue to heat over medium-high until mixture thickens and is light caramel color, about 5 minutes more (don't let it get too thick, it will thicken as it sits). Remove from the heat.

Too much work? Put some ice cream on your Kentucky Derby Pie Bars and pour some bourbon over it!

Kentucky Derby Pie: Recipe Round-Up

Over the past few years, I've posted several chocolate recipes that are served at Kentucky Derby Parties. I have more than one recipe for Derby Pie, the traditional chocolate, nut, bourbon pie, so here's a repost of the three most popular --plus a Pie in a Jar to take to the party!

Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Walnut Pie has been served at the annual Derby Horse Race for over 50 years. It was a special recipe that was first made at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky. * Note: You can't legally call it a "Derby Pie" recipe. The name "Derby Pie" is trademarked, and the owners of the name are very aggressive protecting the name "Derby Pie." DyingforChocolate.com is not a commercial site, so I'm calling it Derby Pie, but with variations in the complete name. Similar Pies to the one above are sometimes called Brownie Pie or Tollhouse Pie, but it's really Derby Pie.There have been many modifications over the years, but the most important ingredient is Kentucky Bourbon.

I'd love to hear about your favorite Kentucky Derby Pie. Do you use Pecans or Walnuts? How much chocolate? What kind? How much bourbon? What kind?

1. Kentucky Derby Chocolate Pecan Pie

Ingredients
1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)
1/2 cup sweet butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup light corn syrup
4 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1-1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, shelled and chopped in half

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll crust out.
In large mixing bowl, on medium speed with whisk attachment, whip butter, sugars, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and bourbon together until frothy.
Remove bowl from mixer, and fold in chocolate chips and pecans or walnuts. Blend well.
Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until set.
Serve warm or cool completely before serving with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

2. Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Walnut Pie

Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar (1/2 brown/1/2 white)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup melted butter
2-4 Tbsp Kentucky bourbon (it's a matter of taste)
1 cup chopped English walnuts (you can vary this by using pecans)
1-1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 - 9 " deep-dish pie shell (pre-made crust or make your own)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour and sugar.
Add eggs and melted butter; mix to combine.
Stir in bourbon, walnuts, chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt.
Pour mixture into unbaked piecrust.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Pie should be chewy but not runny. 
Another variation: don't add the chocolate chips to the mix: Arrange them on the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour over chocolate chips and bake.

***
And, my friend Janet Appel sent her favorite recipe a few years ago. Leave it to someone from Kentucky to make the 'real' thing.

3. Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
(Originally called Derby Pie)
FROM ENTERTAINING THE LOUISVILLE WAY-QUEEN’S DAUGHTERS 1969

Ingredients
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
4 eggs beaten
1 Tbsp Wild Turkey Bourbon
1 cup whole pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1- 9 or 10 inch unbaked pie shell

Directions
Mix above ingredients and pour into pie shell.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until fairly firm at 350 degrees.
Let cool and set up before serving.
Garnish with sweetened whipped cream.

Note from Janet Appel: We soak the pecans in bourbon over night and use a jigger of bourbon. We still add the tablespoon of bourbon to the mixture. White corn syrup is Karo.

***
No time to bake? Going to a Kentucky Derby Party? You can assemble and take this Kentucky Derby Pie Mix in a Jar! 

For this recipe, I substitute Bourbon for the vanilla in the directions. You can always write vanilla (or Bourbon optional) on your recipe gift card.

4. Kentucky Derby Pie in a Jar!

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar (or use half brown and half granulated)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coursely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Pour sugar into lightweight food storage bag. Tie bag and cut off some of the excess and fit bag into bottom of a 1 quart wide-mouth canning jar.
Pour in half of nuts, then put in layer of chocolate chips, and then add remaining nuts.
Into food storage bag, add flour and pinch of salt.
Tie with twine or ribbon and cut off excess plastic bag end, if necessary.
Fit into the top of jar and screw on top.

Directions for gift tag or label:

Kentucky Derby Pie in a Jar!

1 9-inch pastry shell, unbaked
4 ounces melted sweet butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp Bourbon

Preheat oven to 325°.
Remove bag of flour from jar; set aside.
Pour nuts and chocolate chips into pie shell, spreading evenly.
In small mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs.
Remove sugar bag and empty sugar and flour bags into bowl, stirring to blend well.
Whisk in 1 tsp Bourbon or splash more (or vanilla) and 4 ounces melted butter. Blend well.
Pour batter evenly over nuts and chocolate chips.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned.
Chill thoroughly before cutting.
Serve with whipped cream.

If you're a mystery fan, you'll want to read my list of Kentucky Derby Mysteries on my other blog, MysteryFanfare because we all know there's always murder and mayhem related to horse races.

Mint Julep Truffles for the Kentucky Derby

This weekend is the Kentucky Derby. You'll probably be drinking Mint Juleps, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, since 1938. Why not step it up a notch and make these fabulous Mint Julep Truffles? I'm all about easy, and the recipe below is just that!

Mint juleps are traditionally served in pewter or silver julep cups. I always love an opportunity to buy unique tableware. You can always serve the truffles in mint julep cups!

Read more about the history of the Mint Julep at whatscooking america.

MINT JULEP TRUFFLES

Ingredients
7 ounces DARK (60-75% cacao) chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp minced fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp sweetbutter, softened
1 Tbsp good quality bourbon
Cocoa

Directions
Put chopped chocolate in bowl and set aside.
Heat heavy cream and mint leaves in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir in butter and bourbon; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Cover chocolate mixture with plastic wrap (press wrap onto surface of chocolate) and chill for two hours, or until firm.

To Form the Truffles:
Put cocoa in shallow bowl.
Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out balls of chilled chocolate. Form into balls quickly between your palms.
Roll balls in cocoa to coat.