TIE DYE CHOCOLATE RECIPES

Steps:

• To heat the flour, place it in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until an instant read thermometer stuck into a few different spots of the flour reaches 180 degrees F. Let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the applesauce and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Divide the dough among 3 bowls and add food coloring, keeping the colors separate. Wearing disposable gloves, knead in the color by hand, or stir it in with a spatula, until homogenous. If you don't have gloves, you can use a zip-top plastic bag.
• You can play with and bake the dough now (dust with a little more flour if it gets sticky) or you can put it in an airtight container and refrigerate for an hour or overnight to play with and bake later.
• Roll each batch of dough into a log about 2 1/2 feet long and 1 inch wide. Line up the three logs of dough and cut each into 6 equal portions. Twist one portion of each of the colored doughs together and roll into a ball to create the desired tie-dye pattern. Roll in sanding sugar, place on the prepared baking sheet and gently press down using your hand. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the finished cookies an inch apart. Bake until very lightly browned on the bottom but still gooey on the inside, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans
• IMPORTANT: for this recipe you will need to add a circle of wax paper or parchment paper to the bottom of the cake pans to prevent sticking
• Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove top, do not let it boil. Add the white chocolate that has been cut into very small pieces. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to soften, then stir until melted and smooth. Let this cool down before using.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, whisk for 30 seconds to blend and set aside.
• In the bowl of your mixer, mix the butter until smooth. Slowly add the sugar and mix on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color and becomes fluffy
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow is blended in.
• Add the vanilla.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk/chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk mixture).
• Mix until just combined, do not over mix and do not mix above medium speed.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, it is done. Let cool 10 minutes in the pans and turn out.
• Works well for cupcakes
• Makes 6 cups cake batter
• Completely thaw the frozen raspberries. If in a hurry, and your raspberries are in a plastic bag you can thaw them more quickly by placing the bag in a bowl of hot water. Once thawed, puree the raspberries in a blender.
• Place a fine wire strainer over a bowl. Pour the pureed raspberries into the strainer and let the juice drain into the bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press the raspberries into the strainer to force the raspberry pulp into the bowl. It will take several minutes of pressing the raspberries. When finished be sure to scrape off raspberry pulp that will be clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl. Discard the remaining seeds and pulp that would not go through the strainer. You should get from 1/2 to 3/4 cup of juice and pulp. Add enough water to this to make 1 1/4 cups.
• In a small saucepan, combine the raspberry juice, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Whisk to blend. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.
• Remove from the heat and add the raspberry extract. Stir well and allow to cool. Can be refrigerated in a covered container for a week.
• Makes 1 1/4 cups
• Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk or cream.
• Microwave for 15 seconds let sit for a minute or two, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate. The chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. Let the chocolate cool down before using.
• Mix the butter until softened and smooth, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the white chocolate and milk mixture. Add vanilla. Add another Tablespoon milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes and it will become smooth and creamy.
• Makes 5 cups frosting. Makes enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer eight inch cake. If you will be doing a lot of decorative piping, you will need additional frosting.
• If you do not have cake flour, you can use all purpose flour and the following substitution: for each cup of flour in the recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe measure out 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, remove 5 Tablespoons and replace with 5 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend.
• Spread your layers with a thin layer of the raspberry filling. The raspberry filling is fairly thick and so piping a buttercream ring/dam around the filling isn't essential, although you should frost all the way to the edge. (See photo)
• Next, spread over the raspberry filling with a layer of White Chocolate Buttercream frosting.
• Frost the cake as usual. Enjoy!