Chocolate Lava Cake in the Crockpot

 Makes 8 servings, Prep Time: 15 min, Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Ingredients

1 cup dry all-purpose baking mix*

1 cup sugar, divided

3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 1/3 cup, divided

½ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 2/3 cups hot water

*we always substitute 1 cup flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp oil or shortening or butter (if use shortening or butter cut the fat into the dry ingredients).

Equipment:

3 ½-at slow cooker

Cooking spray

Medium-sized mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Potholder

Toothpick or cake tester

Directions: 

1. Spray inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray

2. In medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the baking mix (or substitutes), ½ cup sugar, 3 Tbsp cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla.  Spoon the batter into your slow cooker and spread it out evenly.

3. In a small mixing bowl, mix the remaining ½ cup sugar, 1/3 c cocoa powder, and the hot water together. Carefully pour this mixture over the batter. Do not stir.

4. Cover you slow cooker. Cook the cake on high for 2-3 hours.

5. After 2 hours, use the potholder to remove the lid. Carefully stick a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake and pull it out. If the toothpick looks wet the cake needs to keep cooking. If it has some dry crumbs on it, it’s time to eat.

6. If the cake needs to cook longer, continue to test it with a toothpick every 15 min until it’s done.

7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Top with powdered sugar and whipped cream if you wish.

This is called Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake in the Fix-It and Forget-It Kids’ Cookbook. It is great to make before you head off to a performance and have a treat as you get home. Melissa enjoyed making it for her Activity Days treat. 

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

 

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

·    1 tablespoon olive oil

·    1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

·    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

·    1 cup raw cashews

·    2 green onions, sliced

FOR THE SAUCE-

·    1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

·    4 tablespoons ketchup

·    4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

·    2 tablespoon brown sugar

·    6 cloves garlic, minced

·    2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

·    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional or sweet chili sauce, or garlic chili sauce

DIRECTIONS:

To make the sauce, whisk together soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside.

 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

 

    Combine cornstarch and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with cornstarch mixture.

 

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker.

 

Place chicken into a slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Stir in cashews and cook on low heat for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions, if desired.