February's Chocolate Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cake
Chocolate Decadence
Chocolate Éclair Dessert
Chocolate-Marshmallow Brownies
Chocolate Nut Torte
Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch
Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cookies
Mocha Phyllo Cups
Spicy Chocolate Bark
Walker’s Shortbread Truffle


Chocolate Chip Cake
Can be made in a decorative bundt pan or as Rosette cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 yellow cake mix
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1- 3.4 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding
4 oz. German sweet chocolate, grated
6 oz. mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix eggs, sour cream, cake mix, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla pudding for 3 minutes.
2. Fold in German chocolate and chocolate chips.
3. Bake in a greased, lightly floured bundt pan for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Remove, dust with powdered sugar when cooled.     (Rosette cupcakes bake for 30 minutes.)

 

Chocolate Decadence
Prep: 20 minutes          Cook: 14-17minutes    Serves: 8-10
            This cake is dense and rich and tastes like a chocolate truffle. Served topped with whipped cream zipped up with a sprinkling of your favorite liquer or in a pool of raspberry sauce or crème anglaise, or simply top with fresh raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut up
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon flour
Whipped cream and fresh raspberries or Raspberry Sauce and/or Crème Anglaise

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a 1-quart glass bowl, combine chocolate, and butter. Heat in microwave oven on High 2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted and smooth when stirred. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer on high speed until thickened and increase in volume. Beat in flour and chocolate mixture until well blended.
3. Spread evenly in an 8” springform pan buttered and lined with a round of parchment or wax paper.
4. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cake will be soft in center, but will firm up when cold. Let stand until cool, then refrigerate until serving time. Run sharp knife around edge of cake and remove springform side. Serve slices topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries or Raspberry Sauce and/or Crème Anglaise.

Chocolate Éclair Dessert

INGREDIENTS:
1 box of graham cracker (whole, not broken)

FILLING:
2 packages (3 ounces each) instant French vanilla pudding
3 ½ cups of milk
1 8 ounce container Cool Whip
1 teaspoon vanilla
           
FROSTING:
3 Tablespoons of butter
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 Tablespoons milk
Dash of salt
2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line 9” x 13” pan with a layer of graham crackers.
2. Mix together pudding, milk, and vanilla. Add Cool Whip.
3. Pour half of this mixture over graham crackers. Add a second layer of graham crackers.
4. Pour the balance of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Add a third layer of graham crackers.
5. Frost. Melt butter and add the unsweetened chocolate (chopped), vanilla, salt, and milk until melted.
6. Gradually add the confectionary sugar. Stir until well blended. Spread over the third layer of graham crackers.
7. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Brownies
            Recipe from Southern Living

INGREDIENTS:
4 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate squares
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat chocolate and butter in a pan over low heat until melted. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; stir until blended.
3. Add flour and vanilla. Stir in chips. Stir in marshmallows.
4. Pour into a greased (bottom and sides)) 13” x 9” pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Brownies are best the next day.

Chocolate Nut Torte
            This is a luxurious rich cake, often garnished with whipped cream, although on its own, it is dark and moist, glazed with bittersweet chocolate. Have all the ingredients prepared before starting because the chocolate starts to harden immediately when added to the egg yolks. (Matzoh cake flour can be substituted for the all-purpose flour for an elegant Passover cake.)
            Makes 12-16 servings

INGREDIENTS:

GLAZE:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 ½ Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10” springform pan with butter or vegetable oil.
2. For the cake, melt both chocolates and the butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water. Let cool slightly.
3. Place the ground almonds on half of a cookie sheet, and place the slivered almonds on the other half. Toast them in the oven until they are golden, about 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
4. Beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until they are thick and lemon colored, 4 minutes.
5. Beat the egg whites in another mixing bowl on medium-high speed until frothy, 45-60 seconds. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar and continue beating until the whites have soft peaks, about 45 seconds more. Set them aside.
6. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix on low speed until blended, 5-8 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix on low speed again until blended, about 5 seconds more. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
7. Combine the ground almonds and the flour and sprinkle them on top of the chocolate mixture.
8. Place the beaten whites on top of the nuts, and flour with gentle strokes of a rubber spatula; fold everything together.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake on the center oven rack until the top springs back to the touch, about 1 hour. Allow the cake to cool in the pan.
10. When the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. Melt both chocolates and the butter in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water.
11. Dissolve the corn syrup in the boiling water and stir this into the chocolate mixture.
12. Turn the cake upside down on a cutting board or plate and pour the glaze over the cake. Use a frosting spatula to spread the glaze to the edge on the top so it can drip down the sides of the cake.
13. Crush the toasted slivered almonds in your hands or chop them and sprinkle them around the top edge of the cake. Allow the glaze to set before slicing the cake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Toffee Crunch
            The Great American Cookie Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
1 package Betty Crocker Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Mix
bag of chocolate chips
bag of heath toffee crunch topping
1 Tablespoon water, 3 Tablespoons water,
1 egg.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Follow the directions on the back of the package, adding 1 Tablespoon water,      3 Tablespoons of water, and 1 egg. Mix.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray Pam on a 13” x 9” pan (metal or glass)
3. If using a glass pan, bake at 350 degrees.
4. Spread dough evenly in the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes.
5. Spread a bag of chocolate chips evenly over the dough, and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
6. Evenly spread a bag of heath toffee crunch topping over the mixture.
7. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and then cut into squares before cookies harden.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ cups softened butter
2 ¼ cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
¼ cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon raspberry extract
2 ¼ cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter, sugar, and cocoa until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in sour cream and raspberry extract, then flour and chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Roll into 1” balls; dip in chocolate sprinkles, if desired.
5. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees.
6. Cool and enjoy.

Mocha Phyllo Cups
            Prep: 15 minutes          Cook time: 10 minutes             Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups nonfat milk or regular
1 (1.4 ounce) packet sugar-free, fat-free chocolate instant pudding
1 Tablespoon instant espresso
3 sheets phyllo dough
Nonstick cooking spray – I brushed each layer with butter.
¾ teaspoon cinnamon sugar
8 teaspoons whipped topping – I mixed cool whip with Kahlua.
cocoa powder, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, chocolate pudding mix, and the instant espresso. Use hand mixer to mix ingredients.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Unroll phyllo dough and remove sheets. Working with 1 sheet a time, lay out and spray phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon-sugar.
4. Lay next sheet on top and repeat steps.
5. With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into 8 rectangles, approximately     4” x 5.”

6. Fit rectangles into muffin cups (mini muffin or mini tart pan) and bake for 8-10 minutes (check after 4 min.), or until golden brown.
7. Remove phyllo cups from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cups from pan and cool completely.
8. Spoon or pipe mocha pudding into cups and top with a 1 Tablespoon dollop of whipped topping. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Cook’s Note: Keep phyllo dough covered when not using, as it dries quickly.

Spicy Chocolate Bark
      Yield: about 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound chocolate candy coating
1 cup roasted, salted cashews
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating. Stir in the nuts and cayenne.
2. Spread onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
3. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Break into small pieces.
5. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

Walker’s Shortbread Truffle
            Yield: 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 6 pieces
1 ¼ cup finely crushed shortbread cookies
1 Tablespoon brandy
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl, about 1 ½ minutes, or until softened.
2. Mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in brandy and vanilla.
3. Add shortbread crumbs.
4. Mix well and chill to firm.
5. Shape heaping teaspoonfuls into balls. Roll in cocoa powder.
6. Chill; serve at room temperature.