Loose In The Kitchen Again...

I have had a great weekend, surrounded by my kids and grand kids, sons-in-law and darling husband o' mine. The weather has been perfect, the laughs roll freely, the kids run and shout and play and fight and whisper and hug and have a wondrous cousin time together. I went on a cooking binge, which is good for all of us. I tried a bunch of new stuff but had one unmitigated total success. (Okay, more than one but I am not one to brag... seriously) My grand daughter told me she liked this dessert better than birthday cake. How could that absolutely not make a granny who bakes happier than a pig in....  stuff that is gross and slimy and might be unmentionable.

Anyway. With such rave reviews I thought I would share this one. This is really rich, almost brownie like so don't make it and have no one around to help lighten the calorie load.  I mixed up several recipes. This wasn't done on purpose, I had the recipe up on a computer in the other room and had to keep interrupting the kids and their games to check it. About halfway through I realized I had three recipes going. Sigh. The only thing I would do differently is maybe add a bit of baking powder to lighten it up. Oh, and maybe add a cup or so of chopped walnuts or pecans if the kids weren't here, too. What is it with kids and chunks? Other than that it is perfect.

1 cup (2 sticks)  butter or combination of margarine and butter
1 1/2 cup sugar (2 cups if you use tart apples)

Cream these two together

1 tsp vanilla extract
a good shake of cinnamon if desired (hay I am winging it here, I forget some things on occasion and I am terrible at measuring stuff too.)
3 eggs

Beat until blended. Don't over beat as this causes an emulsion between the eggs and butter.

2 heaping tablespoons Hershey's cocoa powder. I was cooking in a  perfect storm of kids, football, and walk by tasters so honestly I may have added a bit more. I am not sure so we will stick with two.
2 cups +-  of grated apples. 

I used red delicious. The original recipe had chunks of green apples and 2 cups of sugar but A). I had red delicious in abundance and B.) I was serving this to kids and chunks would have freaked them out and C). I like having the apple all through the cake and it was my kitchen so I could do what I wanted (insert stomping foot and protruding tongue here followed by nanny nanny boo boo).

1/2 cup water
1 tsp Baking soda
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Beat until well blended, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl 

roughly 3/4  cup chocolate chips. I used store brand semi sweet.

Mix well.

This goes in a well greased and floured Bundt pan at 325 for 60 to 70 minutes. I have a dark pan and a teeny electric oven, and it took 70.

It is super rich, freaking delicious and has fiber so you can sort of justify it. :) Enjoy!