The following “Chew This!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information and dates.

Sharing Secret Family Recipes

Blaise Doubman

Happy Holidays from my family to yours! I really hope you and your families stay safe, secure and warm this Holiday season and into the New Year. Times are so hard for so many people and all it takes is a little friendliness, compassion and understanding to turn someone’s day around. So please remember this when the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season is leaving you stressed out and overwhelmed. Try to take time for yourself, relax, meditate and remember gratitude in your daily lives. To take your mind away from the stressors of everyday life, why not get into the kitchen and make something for yourself or for your family? Cooking and baking, spending any time in the kitchen really, has always been a stress relief for me personally. Whenever I am stressed, I try to make time to take my mind away somewhere else by either trying a new recipe or creating something that is familiar and comforting.

I love sharing family recipes, especially secret family recipes, and the recipe I am sharing here today falls right into that category. For years there has been a “secret” recipe floating around my family that finally, several years ago, I got my hands on. I was debating whether or not I should actually share it with everyone but after some thought and consideration, I decided to share it with you, so perhaps it will become someone else’s “secret” family recipe. The recipe calls for a boxed cake mix, instant pudding mix, German chocolate and chocolate chips but the results really are fantastic! People always go crazy for this recipe, and I have heard time and time again that it is their “favorite chocolate cake recipe”. Be sure to follow the recipe exactly as it is printed because the brand of cake mix is important, the warm water is important, the German chocolate must be grated from bar form and the chocolate chips must be semi-sweet. If desired, you can add ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules to make the chocolate flavor really come alive but this is something additional that you may or may not want to add. Enjoy!

Family Secret Chocolate Chip Cake

This cake is delicious topped with powdered sugar, ice cream, chocolate syrup, or just eaten as is.

1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 large eggs

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 bar German sweet chocolate bar, grated

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Powdered sugar, if desired, for dusting

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray containing flour.

In a large bowl whisk together the large eggs, warm water and vegetable oil.

Once combined, add in the yellow cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix and beat for 5 minutes. The mixture will become very smooth and slightly bubbly.

Fold in half of the grated German sweet chocolate bar and half of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour this batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth out the top.

Sprinkle the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips, evenly, on top of the batter.

Bake, in preheated oven, for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and mix together the remaining grated chocolate bar with the powdered sugar and sprinkle evenly over the hot cake.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting, serving and enjoying.

Ask and Answer: Many of you wondered if you could add any flavor of chocolate chips to my White Chocolate Snickerdoodles. You can, yes, however, the addition of the white chocolate really pairs well with the cinnamon and vanilla dough of the Snickerdoodles. Some chocolate, especially darker chocolates, would overpower the delicate flavor of the Snickerdoodle cookies.