Black Tie Mousse Cake

Along with the breadsticks and Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, this is my most ordered and most looked-forward-to part of my meal. When I heard that this month's Cooking Club theme with my MOMS Club was Chocolate Iron Chef, I knew that this dessert would be my dish. This is so good it's not even funny. I try to ignore the fact that one slice is an entire daily allowance of fat.

If you're looking for an easy recipe, this is the wrong one for you. This is a 4 layer cake and takes quite a bit of work. If you are willing to put in 4 or 5 hours, this is so so worth it!

Ingredients

Cake layer

1 box deviled food cake mix

Mousse layer

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp boiling water
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
4oz cream cheese, cubed
3/4 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp sugar

Custard layer
3 egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing layer
1 1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
Cake layer
Prepare cake according to package directions. Let cool and cut in half. Press into the bottom of a springform pan.

Mousse layer
Melt chocolate and cream cheese together, then let cool. Add cold water to gelatin and let sit for 1 minute before adding boiling water. Stir until dissolved and clear, the let cool. Whip cream and sugar together. Once the cream starts to thicken, add the gelatin and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Add 1/4 of the cream to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in the remaining cream, spread over the cake layer, and put in the freezer to set while you prepare the custard layer.

Custard layer
Beat egg yolks until pale. Beat in sugar, flour and gelatin until well mixed. Bring cream and vanilla extract to a boil. (Be careful not to burn!) Slowly add cream mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly. Pour entire mixture through a strainer back into the pan and cook until custard begins to thicken. Cool slightly, pour over the mousse layer, and return to freezer to set while you prepare the icing layer.

Icing layer
Bring butter and cream to a boil, pour over chocolate, and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, and let cool and harden a bit. Remove the cake from the freezer, and remove the collar from the springform pan. Cover top & sides with icing and sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips. Refrigerate until set and then serve. Enjoy!

Notes

• Eat this responsibly. Friends don't let friends eat half a cake in less than a week!

Source
RecipeZaar

Aussie Turkey

There is a honey mustard chicken dish that I love making but Philip isn't too fond of it. This recipe for Aussie Chicken, which is a copycat of Outback Steakhouse's version, looks just like my dish but is much more man friendly because it adds bacon, mayonaise and cheese. For Michaela, my little meat hater, I shredded the turkey after it was cooked and added it to her mashed potatoes along with some corn.

Ingredients
4 turkey tenders
8 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoon mayonaisse
1/2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 cup cheddar cheese

Directions
Mix honey, mustard, mayonaise, and onion flakes in a bowl. Place the turkey in a 8x8 casserole dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Cover with the honey mustard mix and top with bacon and cheese. Bake in a 350 degree for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Notes
*The original recipe adds mushrooms. I didn't have any, but next time I would definitely try this.

Zuppa Toscana

I've been trying to find a good copycat recipe of my favorite Olive Garden soup for awhile now. This recipe is adapted from Annie's Eats and Copykat Recipes. Although it's been awhile since I've had this at the restaurant, I thought it tasted exactly the same as I remembered. So creamy and delicious! Philip thought it was a little bland but said he would enjoy eating it over and over again. Michaela ate the potato bits and tried to eat the liquid, but it's still a little hard for her. Considering how easy this was, this is definitely being added to my rotation of dinner regulars.

Ingredients

3 links sausage, cooked & crumbled

1/4 cup onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

2 potatoes, diced

1 cup kale, chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled (optional)

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil until onion is translucent. Add the white wine and swirl it around a bit to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, water, and potatoes. Simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the kale and cook until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Notes

• I don't think it matters too much what type of wine you use. I used a fruity Pinot Grigio, but I'm guessing a dry wine would work well too.
• I'm guessing this could be adapted fairly easily to the crockpot. If I were to try it, I would saute the onions and garlic, then brown the sausage in the same pan. Then I would put all the ingredients in the crockpot except the cream and cook on low for 3-4 hours, adding the cream right before serving. If anyone tries it this way, please let me know in the comments!