Tag Archives: #chocolatefriendsoftenaciousm

Sep29

Malted-Milk Chocolate Cake

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In this recipe, the frosting is made first, then part is reserved to ice the cake and the rest is used in the batter. To melt chocolate, place it in a small bowl or custard cup; microwave at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until soft, stirring until melted.

Malted Milk Chocolate Cake
Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
5 cups powdered sugar (about 1 1/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons hot water
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup malted-milk powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup coarsely chopped malted-milk balls

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Coat bottoms of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

3. Combine butter, vanilla, and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat at medium-high speed of a mixer 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating at low speed just until smooth. Add hot water; beat just until smooth. Add chocolate; beat just until smooth. Reserve 1 3/4 cups chocolate mixture for frosting; cover and chill 2 hours. Add shortening to remaining chocolate mixture in bowl. Beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 1 minute). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Lightly spoon 1 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife.
Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

5. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Remove wax paper. Cool completely on wire rack.

6. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle top of cake with chopped malted-milk balls. Chill 1 hour. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

Sep17

Last Meal Of A Parisian Wanna Be

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I knew it would finally arrive. My last day in Europe, specifically Paris, is here. It wasn’t hard to find my favorite parting food and the final meal of a francophile returning stateside. Chocolate!!

Charivari is a restaurant in Montparnasse that has the best chocolate ice cream ever. I don’t want the recipe, I just want to sit here at my sidewalk table at the corner of Montparnasse and Raspail Blvds., enjoy my ice cream and post a picture that will make you wish you were here… Bon appetit!!

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Sep16

My Two Weeks In September

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I usually take two weeks holiday each year and travel for my birthday. This year, London also made the cut (after Paris of course).

Ever hear that “London Bridge is falling down?” Psych! London Bridge is just fine, but it may have gone full tilt a few days in September due to a visit from two wild and crazy girls from the USA.

Funny story… we were enjoying some great burgers at a nice pub near the hotel. I got the check and used the currency conversion app on my phone to discover we had spent $82 on burgers and fries. The bill was £50.60. We are now planning to fast for the rest of the trip, lol!!

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Lovely Alice has an admirer. Graham was sneaky and got a kiss in just as I snapped the camera!

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Sep12

Where Chocolate Goes To Live

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I am forever amazed at the respect and lovely presentation given to food in random street shops in Europe. Here is another example of my chocolate being treated in a manner pleasing to any chocoholic. Pastries at a Paris sidewalk cafe…

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Sep6

White Chocolate Cake with Orange Marmalade Filling

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The filling for this cake calls for orange marmalade, but you can also use seedless raspberry or apricot jam. These would work well with the candied orange peel garnish. Edible flowers would also make a lovely decoration.

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Active: 25 mins
Total Time: 3 hrs
Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons orange marmalade, very finely chopped if chunky
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
White Chocolate Buttercream
1/2 cup Candied Orange Peels, dipped in white chocolate, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions. Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the surfaces.

3. Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

4. In a small bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the orange marmalade and the confectioners’ sugar into 1 cup of the White Chocolate Buttercream. Set 1 cake layer on a cake plate, right side up, and spread the filling on top. Cover with the second cake layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining White Chocolate Buttercream. Garnish with the white chocolate–dipped Candied Orange Peels and serve.

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.

Sep1

Happy Labor Day!

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Happy Labor Day 2014

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.