After a LONG 25 day hiatus, I have returned which means that not only is my winter break officially over, but my last semester as a college student has arrived. I never thought this day would come, just three more months and I’m off to the real world, eek!

But not only did break end, but January is almost gone as well. Seriously, where did the month go? I could have sworn it was just Christmas the other day. Maybe it’s time to put away my Christmas playlist and accept the fact that almost a month of 2013 has disappeared. Was it a good month? Did I enjoy it?

And as quickly as January leaves us the faster February approaches with a not so subtle holiday. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, Valentine’s Day. Oh and the Super Bowl is coming up too. So to give you some ideas about what to do for your special honey-bunny this Valentine’s Day, I whipped you up some Chocolate Cobbler. And even if you’re facing V-Day solo this year (as I am), don’t worry, this cobbler makes an excellent date. I’m pretty sure I could substitute any food for a date on Valentine’s Day and be much happier. Along with a glass of wine.

Now this recipe looks incredibly weird and I know you’re thinking to yourself there is no way that pouring hot water onto a brownie-esque chocolate batter and throwing it into the oven will create this decadent dessert, but then you would be wrong. And you would not have a chocolate cobbler. Trust me, it will look funny and if you suffer from a mild (eh-hem) case of anxiety, you may want to have someone hold you back from mixing it together before it goes in the oven, but you mustn’t mix it! Don’t! Put the spoon down and no one gets hurt. Really though, it’s the only way to get the perfect cobbler.

Chocolate Cobbler
Recipe stolen from She Wears Many Hats at Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups hot tap water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup of the sugar until they are completely combined.

Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until a batter forms. Spoon into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish of your choosing (I used a cast-iron pan, but glass or ceramic will also work well).

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Crumble them together and sprinkle on the top of the batter.

Now the strange part: pour the hot water overtop of the crumble, but DO NOT MIX. It is completely fine if there there are areas that are not covered with water.

Immediately place in the oven (before you have a chance to accidentally mix it) and bake for 40 minutes of until the center is set and there are bubbles along the edges. This is a perfect time to make some homemade whipped cream, see recipe below.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Serve in cute bowls with a dollop of homemade whipped cream!

Homemade Whipped Cream
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
Any flavoring of your choosing (i.e. vanilla, hazelnut, strawberry…)

Directions:
In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, add the heavy cream and sugar. Beat until the cream forms soft peaks. Don’t over-mix as the cream will turn to cottage cheese, just keep checking on it when it looks like whipped cream has formed.

Remove from the bowl and dollop on top of the chocolate cobbler!

And believe me, you want to have the perfect chocolate cobbler.

Tagged: Chocolate, Cobbler, Valentine's Day