Sate Your Craving for Chocolate With These Molten Lava Cake Recipes

Molten lava cakes are the ideal dessert for a dinner party or other social gathering because their individual sizes give each person a little cake of their own to enjoy. When you cut into these warm, moist desserts an explosion of hot chocolate sauce spills out, which gives the cakes their fun name. If your mouth is already watering, try one of these molten lava cake recipes for dinner tonight.

Molten Chocolate Cakes [Food and Wine]
Food and Wine’s gourmet spin on the dessert classic brings an air of sophistication to the usual molten lava cake. Bittersweet chocolate and unsalted butter provide a rich, complex taste, and the thick chocolate inside is just the icing – or, rather, the lava – on the cake.

Molten Chocolate Cake [Pioneer Woman]
This recipe from the Pioneer Woman is just as indulgent as her other recipes, and the addition of an extra egg yolk ensures that the inside is even more runny than most lava cakes. Serve them with homemade whipped cream for an extra special treat.

Red Velvet Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes [Half Baked Harvest]
This recipe not only uses a red velvet cake exterior, but a chocolate ganache center as well. If that doesn’t already sound decadent enough, a coconut whipped cream topping should do the trick.

Comforting Recipes for Cool Autumn Evenings

Now that fall weather is back, you likely have the urge to spend a whole lot more time in the kitchen. There are few things more relaxing than whipping up something warm and homemade on a chilly evening, and these fall-ready recipes are perfect for those cold nights at home at The Marq on Voss!

Double-Crust Chicken Pot Pie [myrecipes.com]
Everyone knows that the best part of any pie is the flaky crust, and this unique recipe offers twice the amount of crust. It’s filled with tender, boneless chicken breast, flavorful herbs and spices, and lots of fresh veggies, but it’s that extra-thick crust that really takes the cake — or, rather, the pie.

Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms [thekitchn.com]
Old-fashioned beef stew will likely make you reminiscent for family dinners as a child, but this updated recipe adds a gourmet touch to the tried-and-true classic. Because there’s a lot of room for substitutions and additions, this is a great one to try when you haven’t made it to the grocery store.

Fannie Farmer's Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese [food.com]
If you’re the type of person who gets excited at the mere mention of mac and cheese, this baked version is a must-try this fall season. Plus, adding a crispy breadcrumb crust on top makes this decadent dish even more delicious.

Extraordinary Dessert Recipes Using Fall’s Favorite Crop, Apples!

You love apples, but you’re getting a bit tired of making the same apple pie year after year. Luckily, fall’s favorite fruit is incredibly versatile, making it easy to create all kinds of different desserts with apples. Here are three great options perfect for your next dinner party or even just a cozy Sunday afternoon.

Spicy Apple Cake [allrecipes.com]
If you’re looking for a recipe that pairs perfectly with your morning coffee, this one is a great option. This moist cake is packed with two cups of Gala apples,plus cinnamon and nutmeg, giving it a flavor that’s undeniably autumnal. Add a creamy cinnamon frosting on top and this will quickly become one of your go-to dessert recipes.

Souffled Apple Pancake [foodandwine.com]
For something a bit more elegant and unique, this souffled pancake will impress even the most cultured dinner guests. It’s inspired by similar old-fashioned German recipes, and it makes just as great a breakfast as it does a dessert. Simply top with your favorite maple syrup and enjoy!

Spiked Apple Crisp Shooters [bettycrocker.com]
When you need a dessert recipe that’s good for a large group of adults, single-serving dessert shooters are always a good idea. Tart apples give them a great fall flavor, while butterscotch schnapps, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle make them taste truly decadent, despite their small size.

Try These Rustic Apple Tart Recipes This Weekend

Instead of making your tried-and-true apple pie recipe for your next fall gathering, you may want to get a bit creative and experiment with an elegant apple tart instead. Although this dessert looks fancy, there are a number of different ways to cater it to all different levels of baking expertise. Here are three tasty tarts to try this weekend.

French Apple Tart [foodnetwork.com]
Nothing compares to the art of French baking, and this gorgeous apple tart is proof of just that. Ina Garten tops her usual light, fluffy pastry crust with a layer of Granny Smith apples and bakes it to perfection to create a simple tart with a truly unique flavor.

Rustic Apple Tart [foodandwine.com]
If you want to create a tasty tart but don’t have much patience when it comes to baking, this is the tart for you. The crust is perfectly flaky and doesn’t require hours of chilling like many pie crusts do, and the layer of apricot preserves creates an unexpected flavor to complement the apples.

Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce [epicurious.com]
Although many tarts are light and simple, this recipe uses warm caramel and a sturdy pie crust to create a more dense, filling dessert. Browning the apples in the oven also gives it a caramelized flavor that is ideal for fall.

Craving Cookies? Try These Shortbread Recipes Tonight!

With a simple, three-ingredient recipe and Scottish origins, shortbread cookies are an incredibly popular dessert. Today, there are a number of different ways to prepare this buttery, crumbly cookie, each providing a different take on the classic recipe. Here are three unique shortbread cookie recipes.

Super-Easy Shortbread [Food.com]
If you don’t have much time to bake or you simply want to create a more traditional style of shortbread, this is a great recipe to try. It uses the standard ingredients of butter, sugar, and flour, and the golden color around the edges makes each cookie taste perfectly browned.

Shortbread Cookies Recipe & Video [Joy of Baking]
If you’re a more visual learner, this video recipe will show you exactly how to prepare rich shortbread cookies for your friends and family. It also includes a chocolate dipped version that teaches you how to create a semisweet chocolate coating on one half of the cookie.

Great-Aunt Annie’s Traditional Shortbread [Martha Stewart]
Martha Stewart’s classic shortbread recipe uses higher quality versions of the usual staple ingredients. Unsalted butter, confectioner’s sugar, and cake flour give this cookie recipe a rich taste and a pie-like shape that’s cut into wedge pieces.

Creative Takes on Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly for Adults

Do you love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but you’re worried about the strange looks you’ll get from your friends when you pull one out at a party? Don’t be! With these fun and fancy recipes for adult PB&Js, you can enjoy the treat in style.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie [cookingchanneltv.com]
This sweet and nutty pie is the ideal dessert for any social gathering. The classic flavor of fruit jelly perfectly mingles with a peanut butter and cream cheese filling, while a whipped cream topping is just the icing on the cake.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars [chow.com]
Guests of all ages will love these peanut butter and jelly dessert bars, which are made with a browned oat crust and thick strawberry jam for a hearty taste that’s the perfect grown-up version of your childhood favorite.

PB&J Cocktail [delish.com]
If you want to add a really adult twist to the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this PB&J cocktail is a lively and exciting choice. Although the two flavors seem like an unlikely pairing with alcohol, once you taste them with aged rum you’ll certainly become a believer. Line the rim with salted peanuts for a truly authentic taste.

Three Healthy Grain Recipes

Grains can be found in the form of rice, polenta, quinoa or a number of other increasingly popular forms. Dieters are beginning to notice the boundless energy supplied by these nutritious and tasty foods, and there are a variety of unique ways to get your daily dose of grains. If you’re looking for new and exciting ways to incorporate grains into your diet, these simple recipes can help:

Couscous With Carrots, Walnuts and Raisins
In just 12 minutes, you can create this delicious and nutritious dish to eat for lunch or as a side dish with your dinner. Whole-wheat couscous is a healthy, low-fat grain, while carrots, raisins, walnuts and spices add sweet and savory flavor to this simple recipe.

Pesto Baked Polenta
Polenta is a spongy grain made from whole-grain cornmeal, and it can be flavored just about any way you like. In this dish, Parmesan cheese and pesto sauce add a bit of flavor without adding too many additional calories.

Savory Brown Rice
A healthier alternative to traditional white rice, savory brown rice pairs perfectly with just about any meat, vegetable or other main course. This one is seasoned with sodium-free chicken broth, black pepper and a few other simple seasonings, while mushrooms and onions add a little something extra.

For more great grain dishes, visit the NIH website.

Hold the Sauce: Deliciously Unexpected Ways to Enjoy Cranberries

The usual cranberry sauce can start to feel a bit overdone come Thanksgiving time, but that doesn’t mean that you should rule out cranberries entirely. This tart berry offers a wonderful fall flavor, and they can be used in ways that you might not have ever imagined. Check out these creative culinary uses for cranberries.

Cranberry-Apple Brined Pork Chops [cranberries.org]
Applesauce isn’t the only fruit sauce that pairs well with hearty pork chops. This recipe involves brining the pork with cranberry juice and some simple spices for up to eight hours in the refrigerator before baking, ensuring that the sweet and tart flavor is incorporated into every bite.

Cranberry-Orange Pancakes with Cranberry-Maple Syrup [myrecipes.com]
This recipe offers a double dose of cranberry first thing in the morning, which is a great way to start the day. Zesty cranberry and orange add a full flavor to the buttermilk pancakes, while the cranberry-infused maple syrup topping gives the short stack a sweet flavor that’s perfect for fall.

Cranberry-Maple Bread Pudding [marthastewart.com]
Make the most of that seemingly useless stale bread by turning it into a bread pudding with a complex cranberry-maple compote topping. Since the bread is already made, this recipe is especially great as a last-minute dessert.

Learn to Make Lasagna 3 Different Ways

Lasagna isn’t the easiest dish to prepare, but like most dinners, having a great recipe can make all the difference. These flavorful, cheesy lasagna recipes will appeal to all tastes and ages, and if you follow the steps, they’ll surely become favorites in your recipe book.

Best Lasagna Ever [Pioneer Woman]
This recipe is great for the home chef who doesn’t want to hunt down sophisticated ingredients at fancy grocers. Most of the ingredients are likely already right in your own refrigerator. Using simple ground beef, your morning breakfast sausage, cottage cheese and sliced mozzarella, you can create a decadent lasagna in under an hour.

Simply Recipes Lasagna [Simply Recipes]
This traditional lasagna recipe offers a bit of sweetness for a surprising boost of flavor. It uses the usual Italian seasonings and tomato sauces to appeal to lasagna lovers, but it also incorporates extra cheeses that just about anyone will appreciate.

The World’s Best Lasagna [Allrecipes]
If you want to make lasagna for a large group, this is the recipe to do it with. This meat and cheese-filled pasta dish takes a bit more time and effort than your usual lasagna, but it’s well worth the wait on special occasions such as dinner parties or holidays.

Simple Ways to Eat More Healthfully

It may seem difficult to change how you eat. But if you'd like to begin eating a more healthful diet, one of the best ways to do it is to start with some small, incremental changes. These tips from the NIH can help simplify the process of making positive changes to your daily diet.

Here's just some of the site's advice:

  • Make a grocery list before you shop. It may seem obvious, but planning meals in advance can prevent you from becoming frustrated and reaching for frozen meals.
  • Buy a new fruit every time you go to the grocery store. Have you ever tried papaya? If not, it can be a fun way to discover a new favorite fruit!
  • When you go out to eat, share entrees! Portion sizes have become increasingly larger in recent years, and sharing helps to cut calories and avoid overeating.
  • Change your cooking techniques. Often it’s not the foods you prepare that are unhealthy, but the ways you cook them. Instead of frying chicken, grill or bake it. Instead of using heavy oils, cook with olive or coconut oil instead. Seasoning with herbs and spices instead of heavy sauces also helps to reduce the fat in your meals.

To find more simple tips for eating more healthfully, visit the NIH website.

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