Peppermint Bark Chocolate Sheet Cake

I love chocolate cake, and I love the peppermint shake from Chick-fil-a. I feel like this recipe is kind of a mix both of those things. :-) It is one of my very favorite cakes ever, and the fact that I only make it in December makes it even more special. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 1-oz. squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 c. water
• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 tablespoons cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 1-oz. squares white baking chocolate
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 4-5 candycanes, crushed
• 3 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 
  
• Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 11 x 17 jelly roll pan with nonstick spray.
2. Combine butter, 2 oz. chocolate, and water in a small saucepan. Heat until chocolate is melted.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. With mixer on low, pour in chocolate mixture slowly. With mixer still on, add flour mixture a little bit at a time until totally incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
5. After cake comes out of oven, prepare frosting.
6. Combine cream, white chocolate, and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat until everything is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, and peppermint and beat until smooth. Frosting should easily drizzle from whisk when whisk is lifted up. If needed, add additional cream.
7. While still warm, pour icing over cake and gently spread with spoon to smooth.
8. For ganache, heat cream, chocolate chips and peppermint extract and whisk until smooth. Ganache will be extra runny when hot. Let it cool a bit to come to a thicker consistency and then drizzle over cake. Top with crushed candy canes.

So the recipe calls for a ton of crushed candy canes on the top, but I literally add maybe not even a full one. I mostly just add it for looks - I actually don't think a ton of candy cane on top tastes all that good. But yeah, this cake is moist and awesome. I highly recommend it for a Christmas party or a Christmas dinner dessert or even just to have around around Christmastime. So good!

Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili

Crock pot soups are some of my very favorite meals - especially at this time of year. I feel like it had been a while since I've tried a new one that I really liked, so I was so excited when we all liked this one. Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
24 oz. chicken broth (low sodium)
2 15oz cans great Northern beans drained and rinsed
2 4oz cans diced green chiles (I do one hot, one mild)
1 15oz can whole kernel corn drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
small handful fresh cilantro chopped
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese softened
1/4 cup half and half

TOPPINGS:
sliced jalapenos
sliced avocados
dollop of sour cream
minced fresh cilantro
tortilla strips
shredded Monterey jack or Mexican cheese



INSTRUCTIONS


Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, top with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Top with diced onion, minced garlic, great Northern beans, green chiles, corn, chicken broth and cilantro. Stir.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken to large mixing bowl, shred, then return to slow cooker.

Add cream cheese and half and half, stir, then cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes, or until chili is creamy and slightly thickened.

Stir well and serve with desired toppings.


I served this with cheese and sour cream. We also had chips on the side. It was such a good and easy meal!