Tag Archives: Chocolate

Sep3

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse

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This rich chocolate mousse is simple, but it’s also wonderful garnished with giant curls of bittersweet chocolate made with a vegetable peeler.

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons strong-brewed espresso
6 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate, butter and espresso and cook over simmering water over moderately low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Remove the top of the double boiler and let cool to 75° on an instant-read thermometer. Beat in the egg yolks until incorporated.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until very soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are slightly firm and glossy.

3. In another bowl, beat the cream until firm. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, then fold in half of the beaten whites until no streaks remain. Repeat with the remaining whites and whipped cream.

4. Spoon the chocolate mousse into glasses or bowls and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve chilled.

Aug30

Happy International Bacon Day!!! – Virgin Chocolate Chunk Brownies With Maple & Benton Bacon

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Had to share!!

Aug29

Gooey Butter Brownies

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Happy Friday and Labor Day weekend. Here is a really fun recipe for my #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM to try!! Have a safe and amazing holiday weekend!

Gooey butter brownies. It’s okay if you just died right then. The sweet, gooey burst of buttery chocolate will revive you. It’s genius. I hope you’ll make these, because they are so, so good!

gooey-butter-brownies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the brownies:
1 box brownie mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the topping:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
16 ounces powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make the brownie base, mix together the dry mix, egg, and melted butter. Spread into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

3. To make the topping, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar until well combined. Spread over the brownies.

4. Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is still slightly jiggly and gooey. Cool before serving.

Aug27

Mini Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecakes

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Break up whole, cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor with hazelnuts and butter to create a super-crunchy crust for these delectable little cheesecakes. The cream filling in the cookies both sweetens the crust and prevents it from becoming too crumbly.

Mini Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecakes

Active Time: 10 Min
Total Time: 40 Min
Servings: Makes 12 Tartlets

Ingredients

15 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
2 tablespoons raw or roasted hazelnuts, skinned
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread, preferably Nutella
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray the liners with vegetable oil spray.

2. In a food processor, combine the cookies, hazelnuts and butter and process to very fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs among the cups and, using a flat-bottomed glass, press on the crumbs to compact them. Bake for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, wipe out the food processor bowl. Add the cream cheese, Nutella, sour cream, eggs and sugar and puree until smooth. Spoon the filling into the cups until it nearly reaches the top; there may be a few tablespoons of leftover batter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheesecakes have risen and the surfaces are lightly cracked. Let the cheesecakes cool slightly, then transfer the muffin tin to a rack and freeze for 10 minutes, until the cheesecakes are slightly cooled. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD The mini cheesecakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Aug17

Chocolate Crunch Bark and Spiced Cashew Brittle

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Crunchy chocolate bark alongside cayenne-spiked cashew brittle is delicious. Awesome!

spiced-cashew-brittle-chocolate-crunch-bark-recipe-fw0512-th2

Yields: about 2 pounds
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup(s) whole raw cashews
1 cup(s) sugar
1/2 cup(s) light corn syrup
1 stick(s) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 cup(s) water
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
8 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup(s) Rice Krispies or feuilletine

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the cashews on a small baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, stirring once. Keep the cashews warm.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with buttered parchment paper. In a saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and water to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until a deep amber toffee forms, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the baking soda and cayenne; it will bubble up. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the warm cashews.

3. Pour the hot candy onto the baking sheet and spread it as thinly as possible. Let cool completely, then break into large shards.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt two-thirds of the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate reaches 130 degrees F. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until melted and the temperature drops to 85 degrees F. Return the bowl to the saucepan and warm the chocolate to 90 degrees F, stirring. Remove from the heat. Fold in the Rice Krispies. Spread the mixture on the parchment in a 1/4-inch-thick layer. Let harden completely, then break into large shards.

Aug15

Rocky Road Bars

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I figure if the ice cream works for me, I should try the cookies as well. Who wouldn’t like to find one of these rich treats in a lunchbox or party favor bag? Just wrap each bar in a piece of waxed paper for mess-free transport. Place walnuts in a resealable plastic bag, and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush them to desired size.

Rocky Road Bars 1

PREP: 10 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 45 MINS
SERVINGS:12

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

STEP 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter the paper. Set aside.

STEP 2
In a medium saucepan, place butter and cocoa; heat over low, stirring constantly, until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, egg, flour, milk, and vanilla until combined.

Rocky Road Bars

STEP 3
Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle top evenly with marshmallows, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Return to oven, and bake until marshmallows puff, about 3 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate until topping hardens, about 1 hour. Use paper overhang to lift from pan; cut into 12 bars.

Aug12

Chocolate-Mint Thumbprints

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Thumbprint cookies — made by pressing a small round of dough with the thumb to form an indentation — are great for filling with chocolate or jam. Feel free to mix the batter with any kind of mint-flavored candy, like Andes chocolate mints, but any kind of mint-flavored chocolate works well.

chocolate-mint-thumbprint-pqWiiM-lg

Yields: 44 cookies
Total Time: 2 hr 30 min

Ingredients

2 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounce(s) mint chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup(s) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon(s) dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 cup(s) coarse sugar such as Turbinado, for rolling
3 ounce(s) white chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoon(s) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon(s) pure peppermint extract

Directions

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the bittersweet and mint chocolates in 30-second intervals until nearly melted. Whisk until smooth, then let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa and salt.

2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Scrape the chocolate into the mixer and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally, until smooth. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat it into a 7-inch disk; wrap it up and refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spread the coarse sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop up tablespoons of the dough and roll them into balls, then roll in the coarse sugar; transfer to the baking sheets. Using your thumb or a melon baller, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until slightly firm. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven. Using the melon baller, press into the cookies again. Return the cookies to the oven, shifting the cookie sheets, and bake for 5 minutes longer, just until dry but not hard. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.

4. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof cup. Put the cream into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at high power until boiling, about 30 seconds. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract. Fill the thumbprints with the white-chocolate ganache and refrigerate just until set, about 30 minutes.

Aug6

Chocolate-orange Cake

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Top dark chocolate cake layers with a layer of orange marmalade and an easy buttercream frosting that’s flavored with orange peel and orange liqueur. Enjoy!

orange-cake-su-600643-l

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, other orange-flavored liqueur, or thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
Foolproof buttercream
Double-layer chocolate cake
About 1/3 cup orange marmalade

Preparation

1. Stir orange peel and Grand Marnier into foolproof buttercream.

2. Spread bottom layer of cake with orange marmalade, then about 3/4 cup of the orange buttercream.

3. Top with remaining cake layer and frost with remaining buttercream. Garnish the top of the cake with thin shreds of fresh orange peel.

Jul31

Hawaiian Brownie Sundaes

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Insanely Delicious!! The dark, rich chocolate in these Hawaiian-style brownies perfectly complements the sweet, moist coconut and macadamia nuts. Enjoy!

hawaiian-brownie-sundae_0003-lg

Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
Prep Time: 35 min
Cook Time: 45 min

Ingredients

Brownies
Shortening, for preparing pan
1 teaspoon(s) cocoa powder, for preparing pan
1/2 pound(s) unsalted butter
1 pound(s) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
3 ounce(s) premium unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
2 tablespoon(s) chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract
1 cup(s) sugar
2 tablespoon(s) sugar
1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon(s) fine sea salt
1 cup(s) coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup(s) sweetened flaked coconut

Chocolate Sauce
8 ounce(s) premium semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup(s) heavy cream
1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

For Serving
1 quart(s) premium coffee ice cream
1/2 cup(s) toasted coconut, for garnish
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-9-inch pan with shortening, then coat with cocoa powder. Set aside.

2. Place butter, 1/2 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, chocolate syrup, vanilla, and sugar. Add mixture to warm melted chocolate and cool.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour with baking powder and salt, then stir into chocolate mixture. In another mixing bowl, combine macadamia nuts and remaining 1/2 pound chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons flour until nuts and chips are coated. Add nuts, chips, and coconut to chocolate mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour mixture into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven, tap it several times to remove air from brownies. Continue to bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.

5. Make the sauce by placing chopped chocolate in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir until combined.

6. Cut brownies into 8 large squares and place on serving plates. Top each with two scoops of ice cream (about 1/2 cup), ladle with chocolate sauce to taste, and sprinkle with toasted coconut and powdered sugar. Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately.

Jul28

Chocolate-Popcorn Bark

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For the ultimate sweet treat, make up a batch of Chocolate-Popcorn Bark.

chocolate-popcorn-bark-ay-l

Ingredients

1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
6 cups plain popped popcorn
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread almonds on an ungreased, rimmed baking sheet; bake until golden and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring twice. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 250ºF; wipe off baking sheet.

2. Spread popcorn and almonds in a single layer on baking sheet. In a pan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil; let boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over popcorn mixture and stir to coat. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool, then crush slightly.

3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let water boil or let bottom of bowl touch water.) When chocolate is melted, pour it onto baking sheet; spread evenly. Top with popcorn mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Break bark into pieces and store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper.