March 29, 2010

Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake



{one of my friends introduced me to this site...yummy treats! this cake was soooo yummy! i loved the chocolate whipped cream frosting!}

Chocolate Cream Angel Food Cake

1 Angel Food cake, baked and cooled completely


3 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa

1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds


In a large glass bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Carefully add the powdered sugar and cocoa gradually and continue whipping. I find the best way to do this is to place the bowl in the kitchen sink and whip with a hand mixer so that when it splatters, it doesn't get the entire kitchen messy. The cocoa will look like it is separating and lumpy but continue to beat until stiff peaks form and by then, the cocoa should be evenly combined. (If you are worried about lumps you can sift in the cocoa and powdered sugar with a fine mesh sieve.) The frosting should be thick and spreadable - but not overly whipped or it will look a bit curdly. Just beat to stiff peaks.


When the angel food cake has been baked and cooled completely, cut the cake in half to form two round circles. Lay the top half to the side and gently remove pieces of the angel food cake to form a ditch in the bottom portion of the cake (taking care not to dig all the way to the bottom of the cake, you want a layer of cake on the bottom underneath the ditch). Spoon frosting into the ditch you made and lay the top circle of cake back on top. Frost the sides, top and middle of the cake. Top with toasted almonds. Refrigerate until time to serve. A serrated knife works best to cut the cake into slices.


Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe (melskitchencafe.com)

March 11, 2010

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza

I had forgotten how much I love these, and how easy they are!
I haven't made them for a while!

Photobucket

4-5 Pitas
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's brand)
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
A few fresh basil leaves, washed and cut into shreds

Preheat oven to 400ยบ.
Combine the chicken and a little BBQ sauce. Leaving a 1/2 inch border, spread each pita with a small amount of BBQ sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, zucchini, onion, and basil. Season generously with salt and pepper and spoon chicken onto pita. Bake on a baking sheet until golden and cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

I used some of my friend Courtney's canned chicken and it was perfect! I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's brand of BBQ sauce, it's my favorite! Just the right amount of "tang". And, I like my veggies as thinly sliced as I can get them because they get a little bit crispy in the oven!