Despite seeing this collection on many runways, it is always refreshing to see his beautiful print garments again. This time it seems we are being introduced to beautiful white gowns with print bands that are just amazing. Great work… I love Afrikanus and hope you do to.
If you’re a fan of rich, buttery shortbread cookies, this chocolate version of shortbread is guaranteed to satisfy. You’ll only need 6 ingredients.
Yield: Makes 50 triangles
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
Vanilla or coffee ice cream (optional)
Preparation
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; add butter and vanilla, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate morsels.
2. Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch square pan; prick dough with a fork.
3. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup morsels over top, and spread to cover. Cut shortbread into 25 (about 1 3/4-inch) squares; cut each square into 2 triangles. Let cool 30 minutes in pan before removing. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
I’ve seen a lot of chocolate desserts in my day, but none quite as implosive as this. This magical melting chocolate bombe is an implosion of gooey goodness. Basically, the dessert is a shell of chocolate candy with a delicious treat hidden inside.
Just set the loaded bomb on a plate, pour hot fudge or caramel over the top, and watch the shell melt away into a pile of ooey-gooey goodness. It’s part magic trick, part science experiment, and all parts fabulous holiday dessert idea. Bombs away!
Ingredients
Spheres
400g (14.11 ounces) dark chocolate (you will have left over, use below) Check your chocolates ingredients if it contains cocoa butter it is real chocolate and must be tempered or will not hold its shape at room temperature. NOTE: If you want tempered chocolate then the easiest thing to do at home is to simply keep the chocolate in temper. You only need to temper chocolate if it is real chocolate. Candy melts and some other melts are not real chocolate and so do not require tempering.
Cremeux
135g (4.76 ounces) dark chocolate
110g (3.88 ounces) milk chocolate
225 ml or 1 cup minus 5 teaspoons of cream (any cream that is around 35% fat is good)
100 ml or 1/3 cup plus 3 teaspoons of whole milk
60g (2.12 ounces) egg yolk (approx 4)
30g (1.06 ounces) sugar
1 cup fine sugar or caster sugar
1/4 cup water
100g (3.53 ounces) unsalted roasted peanuts
Easy Caramel Sauce
75g (2.65 ounces) or 5 tablespoons butter
100 ml or 1/3 cup plus 3 teaspoons of cream
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/2 cup of brown sugar
Directions
Watch how to make this masterpiece in the video below:
Credit: Ann Reardon, “How To Cook That”
This tall, dark, and delicious pie is all about the chocolate. You’ll use both bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder to give it a double dose. The top is a little crackly like a good pan of brownies. The filling is rich and dense and fudgy and moist and really just amazing.
You can up the ante a bit by adding some coffee liqueur to the pie filling to enhance all that chocolate. You can use a different liqueur or omit it altogether.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 to 4 tablespoons cold water
For the filling:
1 cup half and half
1/4 cup unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Directions
To make the crust:
1. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and mix with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is the size of small peas.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue mixing. Add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms.
3. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Remove dough from refrigerator. If necessary, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly softened but still cold.
5. Lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough from the edges. Crimp edges as desired.
To make the filling:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place half and half, butter, and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 2 minutes or until butter has melted and chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth.
3. Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
4. Add eggs, egg yolks, liqueur, and chocolate mixture. Stir until well-combined and smooth.
5. Transfer filling to pie crust in pan.
6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges have begun to crack.
7. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
Happy amazing Sunday! Whatever hurdles are before you, give thanks!
I love this recipe because it makes me look like an expert candy maker…it’s so easy!
Total Time: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 25 min. + cooling
Makes: 75 servings
Yield: about 1 pound.
Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons plus 2 cups butter, softened, divided
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted
Directions
1. Line the bottom and sides of a 15-in. x 10 in. x 1-in. pan with foil. Grease foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add the sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage).
3. Pour into prepared pan. Cool for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand for 3 minutes. Spread melted chocolate evenly over candy. Sprinkle with almonds; press down lightly. Cool until chocolate is firm. Break into bite-size pieces. Store in airtight containers.
he says…
evaluate love’s edges of
juxtaposing angles…
estimate the length of
constricting planes…
judge shadow depth of
ardor in each new arena
he says…
be aware of ceremony,
private in a crowd of
deflowered expectations…
where brave costumes
paint stark nakedness
he says…
beware soft warm mouths
that speak barb-ed words…
watch from framing stands
a ritual catharsis where torn
shouldering–weakened tissue
of resolve–flutters banners of
defeat in a final agony of
spilled lust and love
Bonnie Marshall
Artwork by Pablo Picasso
Ever seen fashion inspired by insects! Yes South Africa did that. Check out the amazing Hendrik Vermeulen Couture. The collection mimics the appearance of insects, using the patterning on their bodies printed onto fabric and incorporated into the design in strategic ways… Just for the love of the collection, some of the items on the runway.
Happy Thursday after hump day! Here’s Isaac Hayes performing Burt Bucharach & Hal David’s “Walk On By” from his landmark “Hot Buttered Soul (1969)” at Music Scene.
This make-ahead dessert consists of five delicious layers not counting the nut and chocolate garnish. When cut into squares, note the walnut crust, the cream cheese layer, the vanilla pudding, the chocolate pudding, and the creamy whipped topping.
Servings: 16
Prep Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 cups milk
2 3.4 ounce boxes instant vanilla pudding
2 3.9 ounce boxes instant chocolate pudding
Chopped nuts
Chocolate curls
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium-size bowl, mix flour, walnuts and butter. Pat into prepared dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Cool.
3. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.
4. Prepare vanilla pudding using 2 cups of the milk. Spread over cream cheese layer. Prepare chocolate pudding with remaining 2 cups milk. Spread over the vanilla pudding layer. Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls. Cut into squares.
Egos & Buffaloes 