merstar

Three interesting recipes to check out: ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE-SCENTED GOAT CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE AND ROASTED PEAR VINAIGRETTE http://www.valleysentinel.com/archive/2003...recipes0302.htm DUCK BREASTS WITH BLACKBERRY-CHOCOLATE SAUCE http://www.pacificpalate.com/print_2004_2a.html FILETE ENCHOCOLATADO (BEEF IN CHOCOLATE SAUCE) http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/america...03/rec0394.html

Here's the link to the Chocolate Espresso Torte from Fine Cooking Magazine. It's deliciously bittersweet with a great texture, not overly gooey, but still moist, plus it doesn't need to be chilled for it to set. This is one of the few recipes I've followed verbatim. The only thing I did differently the second time I made it was to remove it from the oven when a toothpick came out with a few moist crumbs attached. The first time I followed the directions, ie, removed it when a toothpick came out clean. The torte was great either way. http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00005_rec02.asp

I love the Black Magic Cake. I decrease the sugar significantly, from the original 2 cups to 1 1/3 cups, so it has a much deeper chocolate taste.

Does it have to be 100% flourless or can it be almost flourless, ie, with a few Tbsp flour? If so, I have a great recipe for a Chocolate Espresso Torte.

The Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream is the ultimate chocolate ice cream - rich, ultra creamy, deep dark chocolatey. Does not get better than this.

Baked Banana Stuffed French Toast - Delicious! You can find the recipe at www.epicurious.com

Actually, in the most recent addition on dutched cocoa, they tested two recipes, one of which specifically called for dutched (the devil's food) and one of which specifically called for natural (pudding cake). In neither case did they note any difference in leavening, and in both cases they judged the dutched as producing a better taste. As you say, they did not include the recipes in the article itself, but I'd assume that they are devil's food and pudding cakes from past issues of CI. From the article: ← Allow me to be corrected, as I read the article in the bookstore, and didn't take the mag home with me, so I didn't realize they had done two different recipes. However, I still don't think only two recipes justify their conclusion that there's no difference between Dutched and natural in baking. Athough, they do cover themselves by saying "...not based on our findings," I think many people will take it as the gospel truth in all cases. Perhaps they're right, perhaps they're wrong, (more likely they're right in certain cases and wrong in others), but I just find it strange that they based it on only two tests with no analyses of the other variables involved.

Well, I finally saw the CI article and while I don't agree with all their cocoa ratings, they are, of course, a matter of personal taste, not fact, so their opionions are as valid as anyone's. However, I was very surprised and somewhat angry how they irresponsibly made the declaration that there was no difference between Dutched and natural cocoa in baking. After all, they only did ONE test and that was in a Devil's Food Cake. They did not include any of the ingredients in the recipe, ie, the the leaveners. For example, if baking soda was the sole leavener, and Dutched cocoa was used, were there any acidic ingredients in the recipe that would react with the soda, since Dutched does not, etc., etc., etc? They reported their findings at the very end of the article in one small paragraph. I truly think this was sloppily done and obviously not conclusive. They should have done many, many recipes, and compared them side by side to properly analyze the results.

How about pears or apples?

I have the Krups La Glacière and I've been very happy with it - it makes excellent ice cream and gelato.

Well, duh, I saw it at the bookstore today, and stupidly assumed it was the latest issue. I should have realized that it was probably outdated already! Thanks, I'll keep my eye out for the Jan-Feb one.

I'd like to see that article, and check out exactly what kinds of tests they did, but it doesn't seem to be in the newest issue (Dec). Could it have been in the previous issue?

CanadianBakin' (love your name), I honestly don't think it will make a big difference. If the brownies were very cakey, (which most people wouldn't even consider brownies), I'd be more careful, but in this case, they should work out with the Dutched cocoa. If anything, you may end up with a slightly fudgier texture. However, it would probably be a good idea to get a few more opinions on this before splurging on the cocoa powder. Try posting this question as a brand new post, and you should get more responses.

Is it Dutched or natural, and where is it produced?

If it's a fudgy brownie, as opposed to a cakey one, the leavener isn't that important, although it will lighten the texture slightly. Usually you can use either type of cocoa in brownie recipes, (fudgy, that is). BTW, are there any other acidic ingredients in the recipe other than natural cocoa powder, such as bar chocolate, coffee, etc?

The only thing I like about Godiva is their recipes.

This is fantastic. You may or may not want to use the orange zest, depending on whether it goes with your main dish, but it adds a great flavor. ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CRISP SHALLOTS INGREDIENTS: 3-4 Tbsp olive oil, divided (I use extra virgin) 2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed 1/8 tsp salt A few pinches freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 F (425 F for dark pans). In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat and saute shallots for 5 minutes. Set aside. In a shallow roasting pan or baking pan, toss asparagus spears with remaining 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until asparagus is tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat. Add orange peel to roasting pan, mixing well. To serve, place asparagus on plates and sprinkle with shallots. Makes 6 servings. Adapted from my files.

Don't have any T&T, but you can check the Splenda website -lots of recipes, many by known chefs, such as Gale Gand, etc. Here's the link: http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splen...pes/library.inc Also, here's one recipe from their site which sounds good and looks pretty foolproof: "Flourless" Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Frangelico

Thanks for the info, Red. What exactly is the meaning of "natural process cocoa" as opposed to "natural cocoa?" I assume Michel Cluizel is a Dutch Processed cocoa from the description on www.chocosphere.com: "Dark" (Reddish) Cocoa Powder."

One word, EXCELLENT. It has a very, very deep, dark, rich chocolate taste with the right amount of intensity -it's the best natural cocoa powder I have found so far. BTW, how does Van Houten compare with Droste?

Thanks, nightscotsman, I need to check this one out.

Do you recommend it, and how does it compare with other Dutched cocoa powders, such as Droste, Bensdorp, etc?

Vanilla extract Cinnamon Cumin Garlic Black pepper

Here's a great way to use your cranberries. This is a fantastic coffee cake. Moist and delicious with just the right balance of tartness and sweetness. CRANBERRY SWIRL COFFEECAKE Makes 1 - 9 or 10 inch tube pan (12 servings). 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream (I use nonfat plain yogurt) 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 cup of fresh cranberry sauce (to make the sauce, follow the directions on any package of fresh cranberries) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (*Decrease the temperature by 25 degrees if using dark pan.). Grease and flour one 9 or 10 inch tube pan. 2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs just until well blended. 3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer running, (lower the mixer speed), add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream or yogurt to the butter mixture until just blended. Do not overmix! Stir in the almond extract and mix only until just combined. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Swirl 1/2 of the cranberry sauce into the batter. Repeat, ending with the batter on top. 4. Bake about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 5. Let cool in pan on wire rack about 10 minutes. Cut around edge of the cake to loosen, then turn out and let cool completely on wire rack. Adapted from Allrecipes

Thanks. It sounds like a good idea. I'll definitely try that the next time I do a cheesecake. I've also heard that using all whole eggs instead of some whole and some yolks, might make a difference because of the drying effect of the whites. The NY Cheesecake recipe I use has 5 eggs and just 2 yolks, so I'm wondering how much effect, if any, only 2 yolks would have as opposed to using two whole eggs instead? Or perhaps replacing the 2 yolks with just the whites?