Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

     Every year on my birthday Mr. E. is out of town at a work meeting. Luckily, his colleague is going to be attending this meeting on behalf of their office from here on out so I will finally have him back with my on my birthday next year. However, this year we had to hold the celebrations a few days early. I requested a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing but I found this recipe on Epicurious and he decided to give it a try. Even though it is my birthday, I usually try to lighten these recipes just a bit... however, this time around I should have just stuck with the original. The cake tastes okay (I have never met a cake I didn't like!) but it could have been better so next time around I will stick with the original.


Filling (Use half the amount listed below and you will still have leftovers to make truffles)

• 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
• 1 pound golden brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermillk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• Butterfinger candy bars, coarsely chopped
• Glazed peanuts

Preparation

For filling:
Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight (we did not have time to chill it overnight so I chilled it in the refrigerator for a few hours and it was fine.)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides (we only have two pans so we made the recipe with two pans and it worked fine). Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.

Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in bowl until mixture holds medium-firm peaks. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on 9-inch tart pan bottom. Spread with half of filling. Place another layer, bottom side up, on work surface. Spread with remaining filling; place atop first layer. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up.

Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.) Press candy and peanuts onto top of cake. 
 

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-and-Butterfinger-Frosting-231746#ixzz1FpxPanCb

Chickpea Stew

This recipe is actually called Chickpea Chili but in my mind chili includes a topping of sour cream and cheddar and this stew definitely stands on its own... and it was oh-so-delicious and healthy!

Ingredients

• 1  cup  dried chickpeas
• 2  quarts boiling water
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2  cups  chopped onion
• 5  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  tomato paste
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• 2 1/2  cups  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  water
• 2/3  cup  sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1/2  cup  golden raisins
• 1  (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and crushed
• 4  cups  chopped peeled butternut squash
• 1  cup  frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 6  cups  hot cooked couscous
• 8  lime wedges

Preparation

1. Place chickpeas in a saucepan; add 2 quarts boiling water. Cover and let stand 1 hour; drain. Place beans in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through turmeric); sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to slow cooker. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through tomatoes) to slow cooker; cover and cook on HIGH 8 hours.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add squash; saute 5 minutes. Add squash to slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; stir in peas. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over couscous with lime wedges.