Chocolate Fashion Show Paris

Paris was the place for more than chocolate hats last week. The Chocolate World Masters took place, but so did the 15th Annual Chocolate Fashion Show Paris. Ooh.. la... la...

The Salon du Chocolat Fashion Show featured models, TV hosts, actresses and singers wearing dresses made of or decorated with Chocolate.

Chocolate Bouchons

This fabulous recipe for Chocolate Bouchons. They have a texture close to a dense cake or a very dense brownie. Yummy! I've made these before, but even though they were a suggestion for Thanksgiving, I don't think I'll have time. They're best served the same day as baked. Thanksgiving is at my house this year. They really are easy to make though and only take about 45 minutes...so another time, but a great reminder!

This recipe is from the L.A. Times, adapted from "Bouchon" by Thomas Keller, with a few adaptations of my own. Timbale molds are available at Sur La Table and online. Keller suggests using 3-ounce (2 to 2 1/2 -inch diameter) stainless-steel timbale molds.

3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Scharffen Berger)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use Madagascar vanilla)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and just slightly warm

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, 55%-70% cacao, chopped into pieces

Butter and flour for the timbale molds

Powdered sugar

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed until thick and pale in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add about one-third of the dry ingredients, then one-third of the butter, and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and continue to mix to combine. (The batter can be made up to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to one day.)
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 timbale molds. Set aside.
5. Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, or with a large plain tip, and fill each mold about two-thirds full. Bake the bouchons until the tops are shiny and set (like a brownie), and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist but clean (there may be some melted chocolate from the chopped chocolate), 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Transfer the bouchons to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the molds and let the bouchons cool in the molds. Remove the molds and serve, or store until needed (the bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked).

To serve, invert the bouchons and dust them with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. At Bouchon (Keller's bakery in Yountville, they serve three small bouchons with roasted banana ice cream and a hazelnut tuile, along with chocolate sauce and a salted caramel sauce. Heaven!!!

More Chocolate Desserts for Thanksgiving

More Chocolate Desserts for Thanksgiving.

So now you have the Chocolate Turkey Rub and the White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. I've posted several pumpkin + chocolate desserts, too. Here are a few more last minute possibilities for including chocolate at your Thanksgiving table.

Flourless Chocolate Cake. This is always great . Add a dollop of whipped cream or some pure vanilla ice-cream.

Susan Shea mentioned a Chocolate Pavlova when she saw the Chocolate Caramel Trifle yesterday. A Pavlova is basically a meringue, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Here's Martha Stewart's recipe for Chocolate Pavlova. I would add strawberries or raspberries and blueberries in addition to the whipped cream and chocolate curls on top, but it's your choice. I just think it looks more festive!

Chocolate Pavlova

FOR THE MERINGUE

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 cup dark-brown sugar

3/4 cup superfine sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

TO ASSEMBLE

Dark-Chocolate Cream

1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Milk-Chocolate Curls, for garnish (optional)

Make the meringue: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Draw an 8-inch circle on parchment, then flip. Mix whites, sugars, and salt in a mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugars dissolve and mixture is warm, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Sift cocoa powder over meringue, and fold until barely any streaks remain. Using an offset spatula or a large spoon, spread meringue into a round, using circle as a guide. (Be careful not to spread out too much; meringue will spread more during baking.) Form a well in center, being careful not to spread meringue too thin.

Bake meringue until dry to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool on sheet on wire rack. Meringue will keep, covered, for up to 1 day.

To assemble pavlova: Spread dark-chocolate cream evenly in center of meringue, leaving a 1/2-inch border from edge. Spread whipped cream over chocolate cream. Garnish with chocolate curls, and serve immediately.

Dark Chocolate Cherry

I couldn't locate my recipe since it's been awhile, so I started looking on the Internet for something close.

This seems very close to the one I used to make. There are a few comments I'm unclear on, so my recommendation is do what you usually do. And, I should say I bake in a regular oven.



Dark Chocolate Tart Cherry Levain

1.5 lbs Bread Flour (Golden Buffalo)
1lb 2ozs water
.5oz salt
Small amount of refreshed s.dough culture (adjust depending on taste/rising time preference)
8ozs dark chocolate, broken into small bits
12ozs dried tart cherries (if sugar is added, its okay. They will come out during soaking)

1. Soak cherries for at least 30 minutes to remove any added sugar and prevent burning
2. Mix flour, salt, and water until fully hydrated, let sit for 30 minutes (can do while cherries soak)
3. Cut up levain, add to dough with cherries, mix until fully distributed, knead to develop gluten, but be gentle not to destroy cherry integrity
4. Bulk ferment until approx 1.5x volume increase, folding once* halfway through. During fold, add chocolate bits in between each fold over.
5. Very gently shape the loaf, trying not to puncture the future crust. While it's not tragic if it does happen, if there's a leak, chocolate can leak out and burn, and it might make you a little sad. But you'll be fine! It's okay!
6. Bake on a preheated stone with steam at 400-425F. LET COOL BEFORE CUTTING. Molten Chocolate is very hot! It will burn if you, so it is imperative that you resist the nearly irresistable urge to eat this bread.
7. Devour. It will probably not last very long. Not because it won't keep. But because it's too tasty. Even if you mess up a bit.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Let the holidays begin! I love Peppermint and Chocolate, all year, but especially around the holidays, so throughout December I'll be giving recipes or linking to recipes that include chocolate and peppermint.

Here's an easy recipe:

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

2 pounds white chocolate

candy canes, crushed to make 1 cup

Heat white chocolate in double boiler over low heat until all is melted. Add crushed candy cane to white chocolate. Make sure white chocolate stays warm. Pour mixture onto wax paper-lined cookie sheet, spreading very thinly with spatula. Place cookie sheet in freezer until the mixture has hardened. Take out of freezer and crack bark into small pieces. Remove from wax paper and store at room temperature. Do not refreeze.

Want to use the microwave? Try this recipe:

MICROWAVE PEPPERMINT BARK

1 lb. white chocolate

1/2 c. crushed candy canes

Place chocolate in microwave-safe dish. Microwave on 50% power, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and of creamy consistency. Stir in crushed candy canes. Spread on cookie sheet and place in the freezer until set (about 20 minutes). Break into pieces.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

This recipe substitutes condensed milk for raw eggs, so it's definitely safe. Kristin King has a video on the Norfolk Cooking Examiner site. Always fun to watch.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (adapted from original recipe)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups flour

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, crushed into small chunks (highest quality organic fair-trade)

2 cups 60% bittersweet chocolate chips or broken chunks (small) of a good dark chocolate you

2 tsp shortening

Using a mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt and flour; mix well. With the mixer on low, add the condensed milk until the batter is thoroughly combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate this mixture for at least 15 minutes before working with it.

Using a tablespoon, shape into evenly sized balls and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet. If the dough is sticky, coat your hands with either flour or cooking spray. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the balls for 3 hours, or up to overnight.

To make the chocolate coating, combine chocolate and shortening in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth. Using a toothpick or fork, dip the dough balls in the chocolate to coat. Drag the bottom across the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate coating. Place it back on the baking sheet. Once all the truffles are coated, refrigerate until firm; about 30 minutes.

Store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Perfect for the holidays!

Recipe makes about 42- 1" truffles.

Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries

Sunset has as wonderful list of 17 Thanksgiving desserts. Most call for pumpkin or cranberries but the one that stands out for me is Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries. I posted something about trifle on DyingforChocolate, and I must admit it's a lovely dessert. This chocolate trifle is outstanding... and decadent.

I am a good baker, but I don't always have time, so I have printed the original recipe here and below an adaptation for the Time Challenged Cook.

Original Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries from Sunset

Notes: Make and cool pastry cream while cake bakes and cools.

Ingredients

About 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, at room temperature

About 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup hazelnut- or coffee-flavor liqueur

Caramel Pastry Cream

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (6 oz.), rinsed and drained

Preparation

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Coarsely chop 3 ounces of the chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in a microwave oven on full power (100%), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1/2 cup butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate.

4. In another bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, stir to combine, then beat until well blended. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread level.

5. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until cake begins to pull from pan sides, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool to room temperature in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Run a thin knife between cake and pan sides and invert onto a board to release. Cut cake into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Layer a third of the cubes in the bottom of a 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl or other straight-sided glass bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup liqueur evenly over cake. Spoon a third of the Caramel Pastry Cream over cake and spread level. Repeat to make two more layers each of cake, liqueur, and pastry cream, ending with pastry cream. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

7. Finely chop remaining 1 ounce chocolate or scrape into curls. Arrange raspberries on trifle and sprinkle chocolate evenly over berries. Scoop onto dessert plates to serve.

Adaptation: Use a good chocolate cake mix. You can also substitute caramel syrup for the caramelized sugar in the pastry cream. Fast and easy. I serve this trifle in a glass bowl with straight sides. Trifles should be seen and admired, as well as taste good.

Two Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Recipes

So keeping with the Chocolate and Peppermint theme, I came across a fabulous recipe in the latest hardcopy issue of Sunset Magazine (and available online). This recipe uses their Chocolate Decadence Cookie recipe that you follow through step 1. Continue with step 2, using your palm to press dough balls into 1/4-in.-thick rounds. Bake as directed and let cool.

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies

In a bowl, mix 3 cups powdered sugar, 4 tbsp. milk, and 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract.

Spread 1 heaping tsp. peppermint icing onto the flat side of 1 cookie.

Top with flat side of a second cookie to form a sandwich, pressing together to squeeze filling to the edge. Roll edge of cookie in crushed and sifted candy canes.

I also found an amazing recipe for Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe posted by Garrett McCord on Simply Recipes. For this recipe, you can purchase peppermint bark or make your own.

1 cup of butter

3/4 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup of white granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup of peppermint bark, broken into little chip size pieces

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Cream the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at medium speed or until well incorporated and light in color.

3 Add the egg and the vanilla extract until well incorporated, about a minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl halfway through.

4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly, and beating at medium speed, stopping once all of it is incorporated (do not overmix).

5 Fold in the peppermint bark chips.

6 Take small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into one inch sized balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for -12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

If you read my mystery blog Mystery Fanfare, you'll know I love themes. I did a whole week of Chocolate and Peppermint recipes here on Dying for Chocolate from drinks to cookies to cakes and fudge. So, today, I have another theme: Chocolate Cookies with Mints. There's such variety. Rather than reproduce all the recipes here (and I haven't tried the last one), I thought I'd just add links to the cookies--and to my favorite baking blogs. You'll love these recipes and the blogs. Hope you have time to make at least one of these recipes.

I was thrilled to see Chocolate Mint Crinkles with Mint Truffle Kisses on Recipe Girl. Based on this recipe, I picked up a bag of Hershey's Holiday Kisses at Target. Love them right out of the bag, but even better on these cookies. Also the green sprinkles give these cookies a real holiday feel. Each crinkle cookie is crowned with a chocolate mint Kiss. Beautiful photos on the website.

Two Peas and their Pod has a yummy holiday Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies recipe. These are dark chocolate cookies, so the green mint chips contrast very well. Mint chips from Guittard are great, and this recipe is sensational. I'm adding it to my favorite chocolate cookie recipes. I also experimented adding pieces of crushed candy canes with this recipe. Fabulous.

My Baking Addition made Mint Chocolate Cookies that look fabulous. Haven't tried these yet. The recipe calls for Andes mint wafers. Rather than the wafers being in the cookies, they are put on each cookie after they're baked until they've melted, then spread on top. Double deckers!

So many possibilities and who doesn't love chocolate and mint. Remember Girl Scout cookies? Thin Mints were always my favorite.

Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

yummy

I use two recipes. One easy and quick, the other a bit longer but very good.

#1 Chocolate Peppermint Trifle.

This one is fast and easy to make, and you can use the Peppermint Bark you've made or purchased.

1 chocolate cake cut up into cubes

1 large box of chocolate pudding (add a couple of drops of Peppermint Schnapps to the pudding). Make the pudding.

Ghirardelli (or another--Trader Joe's--or your own) Peppermint Bark, chopped into chunks

Whipped Cream (I always whip my own with a little sugar)

Layering: Cake on the bottom, then add a layer of pudding, then a layer of the chopped up Peppermint Bark, then a layer of whipped cream. Then repeat. Top it off with finely crushed candy canes or a bit more chopped up Peppermint Bark.

O.K. I'm not much for proportions, but most trifles aren't. Use what you have, and I'm sure you won't go wrong.

#2 Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

This is the longer of the two recipes, but absolutely delicious. I've adapted Martha Stewart's recipe for Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Trifle. She has a chocolate cake recipe, but you can skip it and make a good chocolate cake from a mix, then follow the rest of this recipe.

You can make the trifle components the day before you assemble the trifle. Be sure and refrigerate everything in separate airtight containers.

FOR THE SYRUP

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup chocolate flavored liqueur, such as Godiva

FOR THE MOUSSE

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (the highest quality)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peppermint candies or candy canes

FOR THE PUDDING

8 ounces chocolate 40-65% cacao, finely chopped

2 cups heavy cream

3 large egg yolks, room temperature

FOR SERVING

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup chopped peppermint candies or candy canes

Make the syrup: Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely. Stir in liqueur.

Make the mousse: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring 1 cup cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Place white chocolate in a food processor; with machine running, pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes.

Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to nearly stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in candies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened and almost firm, 4 to 6 hours.

Make the pudding: Put chocolate into a large bowl; set aside. Bring cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks in a bowl. Pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking.

Pour mixture back into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Set bowl in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

To assemble: Spread one-third of the mousse into bottom of a glass trifle bowl that is 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Top with a cake layer, and brush with half the syrup.

Top with half the pudding, then another third of mousse. Place remaining cake layer on top; brush with remaining syrup. Top with remaining pudding, then mousse. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12 hours.

Beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Top trifle with the whipped cream, and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy or crushed candy canes.

Belgian Chocolate, Can We Eat Too Much?

We all know that chocolate is good for our health. On the other hand we hear too much will make us fat. After all chocolate is high in calories and fat. I wonder sometimes who decides these things. If we eat belgian chocolate, can we eat too much? I personally don’t think so. I am going to give some reasons why I believe this to be true.

Eat in moderation right, don’t over indulge. I have heard these things since I was a child. I never listened before, why should I listen now? Moderation is defined as freedom from excess. Freedom works both ways, if you have freedom of , you have freedom from. There is a point here I promise. Since eating belgian chocolate is good for our health. Should we not determine for ourselves how healthy we want to be. That means that moderation is a personal choice, ok enough said!

Dark chocolate is good for us, and belgian chocolate is the best. But the opposite of good is bad, right. Well what could be bad about eating belgian chocolate? Not one thing unless you are worried about eating too much. The whole ideal here is to enjoy, worry takes away joy. Then that awful thing called stress comes after you. There goes all the value of eating and enjoying dark chocolate. I mean stress will wind you up tighter then a tension spring. When you are under stress the whole joy of living is gone. Please stop the worrying. Let the myths behind eating belgian chocolate die please.

Then we certainly don’t want to be fat, sorry to the people who battle their weight, please forgive me. I never ever want to hurt anyone, that being said we will move on. All other reasons aside chocolate is pure energy, in this day and age that right there is reason enough to eat chocolate. People with energy can’t sit still, energy means movement. I must tell you that I have so much energy I can’t sit still. Enough about me back to belgian chocolate. When we eat healthy we feel more alive, this gives us the power for exercise, get the picture. Proper diet and exercise raise our metabolism, we start burning off fat. We feel better, the better we feel the better we feel about ourselves.

Our outlook on life can be both mental and physical, one has a bearing on other. What we are looking for is quality in our life. When you settle for anything but the best, you are cheating yourself out of life. Belgian chocolate is the absolute best there is, it covers the mental and the physical. Eating belgian chocolate will help you both mentally and physically and that improves the quality of your life.

In conclusion can we eat too much belgian chocolate? The way I look at it the answer is no. Yes we should use common sense, moderation or whatever you want to call it. That goes without saying on anything in this life. But before we start jumping to any conclusions, let us ask the question, who makes that determination? If we don’t know what is good for us then who does? I will make my own choices in life, after all I am the one held accountable. That is why I eat more dark belgian chocolate! 

By: John W. Lucas

Snickers Chocolate Bar A Short History

Snickers chocolate bar made and marketed US based Private Corporation called Mars, Inc. It is peanut butter nougat with caramel and peanut topping and dairy milk chocolate. Snickers is a popular chocolate bar sold around the globe and its annual sales is over 2 billion dollars.

In the early 1920s, Mars Inc made a very successful chocolate bar called Milky Way. It was the most popular chocolate bar in America between 1927 and 1929. It also allowed the company to develop new recipes for chocolate candies. It took more than three years to develop Snickers and was released in the market in 1930.

Snickers bar was named in the memory of a favorite horse at a farm of Mars family named Snickers. The horse sadly died couple of months before the new product was launched. The farm was named Milky Way Farm and it seemed suitable that the name of the farm should be given to the next chocolate bar.

Snickers was initially made by hand but later machines were used to increase the volumes and old way was no more practiced. During those times, the price of the first Milky Way bar was in 1920 for only 5 cents and the price of the Snickers bar was 20 cents in 1930 when it was first released.

There was not too much change in the Snickers brand during its first forty years. Mars were inspired to produce the Snickers mini candy bar in 1968 which were labeled ‘fun size’ and were which sold in bags having dozen or more.

Since Snickers was first introduced to the market in the 1930s, it had been known as Marathon chocolate in UK. However in the 1990s, Mars Inc consolidated branding exercise for bringing all of the corporations products under unified Mars branding that would not only be recognized locally but also globally.

The Marathon bar in line with global naming was to become Snickers. It featured the phrase ‘Internationally known as Snickers’ for a period of 18 months. Since then, all Marathon candy were branded Snickers in the British Isles.

There was controversy about the Snickers brand in recent years regarding advertisements perceived to be homophobic. It was notably during Super Bowl XLI when two mechanics sharing Snickers accidentally kiss when reaching the middle. It fueled protests that Mars Inc. was promoting discrimination against gay and lesbian people.

In England, there was also a similar controversy that was the result of an advertisement which featured Mr T. He was seen ridiculing a power walker and firing a rifle at his direction telling while him to do something more manly and seen eating Snickers at the same time. Protesters were annoyed on how the power walker was portrayed in an effeminate manner and Mars Limited was accused of homophobia.

Notably, the controversial ad has neither seemed to damage sales or cause any humiliation to the Mars Inc. Snickers brand has been more positively received in other parts of the world. Snickers is a major sponsor of surfing in Australia while it is known in Latin America for supporting youth activities. Snickers chocolate bars have become an important brand of Mars Inc and its sales have continued to increase. 

By: Tauqeer Hassan

Pumpkin mix Chocolate

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 (15 oz) can of Pumpkin
1 Spice Cake Mix
1 cup of broken high end dark chocolate (or a cup of dark chocolate chips)
Chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix pumpkin and cake mix until blended and moist. Fold in chocolate chips (and walnuts if you're using them). Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so.. you'll know when they're done, but start checking at 8 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (15-16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (you'll need this much oil to make these moist)*
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or broken dark chocolate)

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 F for 16-20 minutes.

To make Lite Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, USE THIS RECIPE -substitutes applesauce for the oil. You can do this with almost any spice/pumpkin cake, bar, muffin.

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 boxes of spice cake mixes (Duncan Hines)
1 30-oz. can pumpkin (Libby's)
1 - 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or broken up pieces of dark chocolate

Preheat Oven to 350. Mix together cake mixes, pumpkin and fold in chocolate chips or pieces. Spoon into lined muffin tins--either mini or regular. Fill to the brim, not much rising. Sprinkle some chocolate chip pieces on top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate French Toast

Chocolate French Toast.

3 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa (Hershey's or Ghirardellis or Scharffen Berger)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8-10 slices challah
2 tbsp butter

I also like to use Cinnamon Swirl bread with this recipe. Just eliminate the extra cinnamon.

1. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in large bowl until smooth.
2. Place bread in baking dish, making sure pieces do not overlap.
3. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Turn bread until well-coated.
3. Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Grease griddle with butter.
3. Place bread slices on griddle. Cook about 2 to 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through.
Serve immediately with butter, sliced strawberries, powdered sugar.

Photo: Hershey's Recipes

Recipe: Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses

Better Homes and Gardens has been sending me a daily cookie email. 'Tis the season. I welcome these wonderful recipes in my inbox. It's definitely cookie time, especially if you want to bake ahead. The BHG recipe for Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses is simple (very little clean-up, too), and the cookies look fabulous and taste delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 16-1/2-ounce package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup chocolate-flavor sprinkles
2 tablespoons milk
About 40 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine cookie dough and cocoa powder. Seal bag; knead with your hands until dough is well mixed. Remove dough from bag.

2. Place chocolate sprinkles in a shallow dish or small bowl. Place milk in another shallow dish or small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in milk to moisten, then roll in chocolate sprinkles to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe: White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes

The other day I posted two different Chocolate Rubs for the Turkey. Well today Candy Dish Blog posted a recipe for White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes. There's some hot red pepper sauce in this dish, so it's not really sweet. White chocolate has a lot of cocoa butter in it, so these will be rich and are actually taking the place of butter in a 'normal' recipe.

White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled

1 1/2 ounce white chocolate, chopped (make sure it's pure white chocolate made from cocoa butter and not just a hydrogenated shortening)

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 dashes hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco sauce

1 1/2 cup fat-free milk

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cool water to a depth of 2 inches, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander set in the sink and return the potatoes to the pan.

Add the white chocolate to the still-hot potatoes; stir until the white chocolate starts to melt. Stir in the salt and hot red pepper sauce.

Use an electric mixer at medium-low speed to mash the potatoes slightly. Pour in the milk and continue mixing until creamy, about 1 minute. Serve at once.

Ice Cream Chocolate Peppermint

I love ice-cream sandwiches, and I couldn't get over how much those Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies. Here are a few variations based on my original ice-cream sandwich recipe.

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the holidays and to continue the Chocolate Peppermint theme, take 6 big Chocolate Chunky Cookies (Pepperidge Farm Brownie is what I use, but any big firm chocolate cookie will work).

Lay out 6 cookies, flat side up.

Scoop slightly softened peppermint ice-cream onto the cookies.

Using a butter knife spread the ice cream to the edge.

Cover with another cookie, flat side down.

Spread smashed pieces of candy canes on a plate.

Roll the sides of the sandwich in the candy cane pieces until covered.

Wrap each sandwich and freeze.

Peppermint ice cream seems to be seasonal these days. When I grew up it was a year-round flavor. On long turnpike trips, my family would stop at the Howard Johnson's, and I would order Peppermint Ice Cream. It was the reward, I guess, for not fighting with my sister. Peppermint was my favorite. I know, a big surprise for a chocoholic. Maybe I developed the love of chocolate later?

For the ice-cream in the ice-cream sandwiches, Haagen-Dazs has a Peppermint Bark Ice Cream that's a rich white chocolate ice cream blended with crunchy dark and white chocolate peppermint bark and peppermint candy pieces. It's fabulous! Available September through December, so get some in the freezer now.

Baskin-Robbins has Peppermint as a flavor of the month. Peppermint Ice Cream with pieces of pink peppermint candy.

Dreyer's has a silky cool Peppermint ice cream mixed with pieces of peppermint candy. I think Edy's is the name of the same brand in other areas of the U.S.

Ben & Jerry's used to have Peppermint Schtick. It's a retired flavor, but you can always send them an email and ask for its return.

Check out your favorite local ice cream shop for Peppermint ice-cream. I bet they'll have some yummy ones. It's the season. Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Truffle Shortbread Cookies

THE COOKIES

1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1 ½ ounces) unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, at room temperature

½ cup (3 ½ ounces) granulated cane sugar

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon

THE FILLING

4 ounces 65% chocolate, roughly chopped

1/3 cup (2 ½ ounces) heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1 ½ ounces) powdered cane sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, very soft (75°F°)

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon

Unsweetened natural cocoa powder for finishing cookies

These shortbread rounds are sandwiched with truffle cream made the old-fashioned way: by pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate. It creates a stiff filling that can support the top cookie in the sandwich.

Make the dough:

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together into a bowl. Set aside.

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed just until combined. Add the vanilla extract.

Switch the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, pulsing the mixer to incorporate each addition before adding the next one. The dough will look dry.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times just until it comes together. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Bake the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottoms of two 12-by18-inch sheet pans with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 1 ½ inch round cookie cutter, set out as many rounds as possible. Reroll the scraps only once, using less flour on the work surface to prevent toughness, and cut again. You should have 60 rounds in all. Place the rounds on the prepared pans, spacing them ½ inch apart.

Bake on the middle shelves of the oven, rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through the baking time, until the tops are lightly cracked and hold a slight indentation when pressed with a fingertip, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans on wire racks.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Make the filling and assemble the cookies:

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl.

Put the cream and powdered sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook at a simmer for 1 minute and remove from the heat.

Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Whisk the mixture by hand until the chocolate melts. Whisk in the butter, and then the vanilla extract.

Pour the truffle cream into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface, and refrigerate until the consistency of thick mayonnaise, 30 to 45 minutes.

Arrange half of the cookies, bottom side up, on a sheet pan. Put the truffle cream into a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch star tip and pipe a swirl of the cream onto the top of each cookie, distributing the cream evenly among them. Top each covered cookie with a second cookie, bottom side down, and press gently to adhere it to the truffle cream. Store in a cool place until serving.

Just before serving, sift a dusting of cocoa powder on the tops of the cookies. Transfer to a serving plate.

Champagne Truffles

New Year's Eve is coming up and what a better way to celebrate than with Champagne Truffles. I like this recipe because it uses more champagne than most Champagne Truffle recipes. The Cognac also adds some zip.

Martha Stewart's Champagne Truffles

Makes about 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Champagne
• 1 tablespoon Cognac
• Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

1. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately pour hot cream over the chocolate in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in the Champagne and Cognac. Refrigerate until chocolate mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, about 1 hour. (or more!!)
2. Using a small melon baller or ice-cream scoop, form 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar, and transfer to rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate truffles at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

You can also use unsweetened cocoa or confectioner's sugar if you don't have sanding sugar. This recipe was in Martha's wedding section, so the sparkly white sugar looks great for weddings, but cocoa tastes just as good.. just different.

What Is Sanding Sugar?

Sanding sugar is a large crystal sugar used as edible decoration that will not dissolve when subjected to heat. Also called pearl sugar or decorating sugar, sanding sugar adds "sparkle" to cookies, baked goods and candies. The sparkling affect is achieved because the sugar crystal grains are large and reflect light. You can order Sanding Sugar online or buy it in cake decorating departments.

Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark

Chocolate and Bacon was the chocolate trend in 2009. What a great pairing! In 2009 I posted recipes for Chocolate Covered Bacon, Chocolate Bacon Brownies, Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies and a lot more. I also reviewed several chocolate/bacon foods to buy such as Vosges' Mo's Bacon Bar as well as links to other blogs and recipes. Susan Russo on NPR had a great article last week on different pairings of bacon with different foods, but this was my favorite. It's simple to make.

Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark adapted from Susan Russo's recipe

8 strips bacon

16 ounces fair-trade organic chocolate 60%-75% cacao (chunks or chips are fine)

1 cup unsalted peanuts

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add chocolate to a double boiler (or a saucepan on top of another saucepan). Once the water begins to boil, add the chocolate. Using a spatula, stir continuously, until smooth and creamy.

Stir in the bacon and peanuts. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread to 3/8-inch thickness. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour. The bark should be hard and chilled.

Place bark on a cutting board and cut into pieces — any size or shape you'd like. Serve at about room temperature.

English Toffee Recipe

Apparently January 8 is a world-wide holiday: English Toffee Day. I absolutely adore English Toffee, and one of my favorite English Toffees is made by See's Candies. They call it Victoria Toffee. I also like their Toffee-ettes. I first had English Toffee on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. Don't ask! Yes, there was salt water taffy, but I was drawn to the English Toffee and White Chocolate. Both were rarities in our household, so they were special treats!

English Toffee has several definitions, but for me it's any confection made by boiling sugar with butter or milk, surrounded by chocolate and nuts. What's your definition? Some people call this brittle. Whatever it is, you have the hard, soft and chewy all in one.

The preparation for making English Toffee is much like that for making candy barks. English Toffee can be made with dark chocolate of varying amounts or even milk chocolate or a mixture of both. Nuts can range from almonds to peanuts to filberts to hazelnuts. Such a range. Every time you make English Toffee, you can vary the ingredients to come up with a completely different taste. How fun! One thing, though, be sure and use real butter!!! European butter is divine, but any good quality sweet butter will work.

I've slightly adapted this easy recipe from Epicurean. You will need a candy thermometer.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter (best quality)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla (Madagascar)

6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao or higher)

2 oz milk chocolate (40-55% cacao)

1/2cup finely chopped pecans,walnuts, filberts, or hazelnuts (you choose)

Directions:

Combine butter, sugar, water and salt in a heavy 2- 1/2 qt pan. Cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring often, until candy thermometer reads 305 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into heavily buttered 9-inch sq pan, spreading to fill pan. Cool completely.

Melt semisweet and milk chocolate in top of double boiler stirring until smooth. Spread half of chocolate over 1 side of toffee and sprinkle with half of nuts Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Reheat remaining chocolate until flowing. Turn toffee over and spread other side with chocolate and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Refrigerate until firm. When chocolate is set, break toffee into pieces. Store in airtight container in a cool place.

Bittersweet Chocolate Bundt Cake

Since I eat and review chocolate, the word bittersweet isn't really part of my lexicon. I certainly have purchased bars that are labeled bittersweet chocolate chips and bars, but usually I buy chocolate based on its origins, fair-trade and amount of cacao. Bittersweet is just too vague for me personally.

According to Wikipedia, Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor (unsweetened chocolate not liqueur) to which some sugar (typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable in baking. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are sometimes referred to as 'couverture' (chocolate that contains at least 32 percent cocoa butter); many brands (the ones I like) print on the package the percentage of cocoa (as chocolate liquor and added cocoa butter) contained. The rule is that the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sweet the chocolate will be. The American FDA classifies chocolate as either "bittersweet" or "semisweet" that contain at least 35% cacao (either cacao solids or butter from the cacao beans).

So using this definition, almost any of my recipes will work since I use mostly very dark chocolate.

Here's a recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Bundt Cake adapted from Nestle Toll House's Chocolate Pound Cake recipe. It's easy and delicious. If you use a Nestle Toll House Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bar be sure and add more sugar to the recipe.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules (something you'll only use for this)*

8 ounces dark chocolate (75%-90%), broken into pieces, divided (save 2 oz for glaze)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sweet butter, softened

1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla

3 large eggs

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR CAKE:

1. PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and baking powder in small bowl. Bring water and coffee granules to a boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add 6 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth.

3. BEAT sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.

4. BAKE for 50 to 60 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Place on plate. Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze

** Sometimes I pour the glaze over the bundt cake while it's still a bit warm. The cake absorbs the glaze, and it's yummy!

FOR CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Melt remaining 2 ounces of chocolate with butter in small, saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar alternately with water. Stir in vanilla extract. Drizzle over cake.

Want to celebrate Bittersweet Chocolate Day with a Book? Pick up a copy of Alice Medrich's Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate. She's the best! Chocolate recipes and info, some bittersweet.

Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake

Remember how you used to find great recipes on the back of the sugar box or bag? You'd cut it off after you finished the bag, and you'd save those paper recipes for years. Well sugar boxes and bags still have them, but your limited to the two or three that fit on the package. Most sugar companies now have great websites and blogs with those recipes and more. Domino Sugar is one of those sites. I found this fabulous recipe for Chocolate Chunk Coffee there, and it's a must bake for a holiday breakfast. Serve it with a great cup of Hot Cocoa. Perfect for guests, too.

Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake

Topping:

10 oz - semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup - chopped walnuts

2/3 cup - Domino® Granulated Sugar

Cake:

3/4 cup - butter, softened

1 1/4 cups - Domino® Granulated Sugar

3 - eggs

1 1/2 cups - sour cream

2 teaspoons - vanilla

2 1/2 cups - all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons - baking powder

1 teaspoon - baking soda

1/2 teaspoon - salt

For better mixing results, have all your ingredients at room temperature. Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 10-inch tube pan.

In small bowl, combine topping ingredients; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well mixed. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl. On low speed, add flour mixture to batter, beating until smooth.

Spoon 1/3 (about 2 cups) of the batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the topping (scant 1 cup). Repeat layering 2 more times. Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan.

Makes 12 servings.

Chocolate Biscotti with Cranberries

The other day I went to my friend Sue Trowbridge's home for a wonderful afternoon. She had bid on an auction item: a reading by a well known San Francisco Bay Area actor, and she was finally collecting. Sue provided various sweets, tea and champagne. My kind of repast. On her tea menu were Chocolate Biscotti. I had two chocolate biscotti recipes on DyingforChocolate awhile ago, one based on Dorie Greenspan's double chocolate biscotti, but this recipe had the added texture and tanginess of dried cranberries. I asked her about the recipe. 

Sue commented,"I might try it sometime with dried cherries instead of cranberries. Also, it was a LOT of work to blend the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture... I had to get Joe to help because my arm was getting tired! I bet it would be easier if one has a stand mixer that could handle stiff doughs. I just have a little hand mixer that is fine for cake batters & whipped cream, but not so good for anything thicker."

A word to the wise then, there's nothing like a KitchenAid mixer! I love my dark blue KitchenAid. It matches my dark blue O'Keefe Merritt stove that has a small but powerful gas oven. My other two ovens are electric: one convection and one conventional. There's nothing like gas for baking cakes and biscotti!

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp (3 oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in cranberries and chips.

2. Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick log. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes; cool 20 minutes.

3. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick cookies. Stand them up on the baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Godiva Star Chocolate

Like the green layer! These are really, really good.

Now let's check out the outrageously priced Godiva offerings:

The red one is Aztec Hot Chocolate - a chocolate ganache with a hint of habanaro oil in dark chocolate:

There's a very slight hint of habanaro. I think a hint of cinnamon too would have made this better. The ganache is smooth and creamy, but it needs a little more ole'.

Green is Twilight Mint - chocolate mint ganache in dark chocolate:

A nice, sophisticated mint taste - like a real mint sprig. But as I said in the last post, mint doesn't rock my world, so this is only okay to me. Pretty though, very pretty.

Gold is Holiday Spice - chocolate ganache with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in milk chocolate. Sounds awesome!!!

Hmmm......apparently my eyes see the world differently than the eyes of the Godiva people. That sure don't look like chocolate ganache to me! This is an interesting flavor - I think it would have been better if that were chocolate ganache. It's really sweet and the spices are there, but they need to be stronger or this mystery ganache needs to be a little less cloying.

And the one I have the highest hopes for - Almond Shortbread - almond shortbread cookies combined with creamy ganache in dark chocolate:

Okay - Dark chocolate? I don't think so! Godiva must have changed these after they printed their Chocolate Menu. The closest thing these taste like is sugar cookie dough. I don't taste almond at all. And there is kind of a slight aftertaste. Boo! What a let down!

Let's see if their holiday truffles are any better:

Next is Egg Nog:

Now I'm excited about the gingerbread truffle - I love gingerbread!

This was my favorite of the truffles. It was very good, but I'd rather have gingerbread. But it was a great attempt and I would recommend it. I wouldn't go to the mall with a recently replaced hip for it, but if you are in the mall anyway, really like ginger bread, and are craving a bit of chocolate - get it, baby!!