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Mini Chocolate Bar Serves 6 as Dessert. This is dessert 6 of the 7 desserts I made for the Supreme eGullet Pastry and Baking Challenge: Round 4 50 g Butter 70 g Flour 30 fl oz Sugar 10 ml Water 2 T Cocoa Powder 50 g Dark Chocolate Cut the cold butter into the flour, sugar & cocoa powder until you get to the stage of small peas. Add in the water until the mixture just comes together. Let it chill in the fridge for an hour and then roll out into a sheet. Bake at 350 F until cooked and cut them while hot. Melt the dark chocolate and bring to a temper and glaze the cooled bars. Keywords: Dessert, Expert, Chocolate, Plated Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG1854 )

Arsenal Chocolate Pudding This makes the best bowl of chocolate pudding I've ever tasted, and would make a fine base for a vanilla pudding. 2-1/4 c whole milk 6 T sugar 2 T cocoa powder 2 T cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and lukewarm 2 T butter 1 tsp vanilla extract Heat the milk in a heavy pot. While the milk is heating, put the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt, egg, and yolks in a blender. Add enough warm milk to get the mixture well-blended. While whisking, add the blended mixture back to the rest of the milk. Keep whisking and bring the mixture to a boil. It will thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. In batches if necessary, blend the mixture on high speed for 10 seconds to incorporate air. Add pieces of butter while blending. Put all of the blended mixture in a bowl, stir in the vanilla extract, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before eating. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Chocolate, Pudding ( RG1842 )

Chocolate Carrot Bars Serves 32 as Dessert. The deep orange color of the carrots in these bars contrasts beautifully with the dark brown of the chocolate. Orange zest adds a lush and appealing flavor. They are dense and moist and crunchy with nuts. This recipe is from the book Chewy Cookies by Eileen Talanian, copyright 2005. coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate unsweetened chocolate unsalted butter granulated sugar salt large eggs large egg yolk freshly grated orange zest pure vanilla extract all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached chopped pecans dried currants, raisins, or chopped dates (or a combination of them) finely grated peeled carrots Preheat a conventional oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil and brush it with softened butter. Melt the chocolates and butter together in a microwavable dish for 2 minutes in the microwave oven, or place in a heavy pan on the stovetop over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir with a whisk until smooth. Let the chocolate mixture cool for about 5 minutes. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolk for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the melted chocolate mixture, zest, and vanilla and beat on low speed just until thoroughly mixed, about 30 to 40 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the flour, pecans, and currants, mixing again on low speed until the mixture is evenly combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl again and add the carrots. Beat on low speed just until the carrots are mixed in evenly, about 20 seconds. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir to be sure the dough is completely mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, reversing the baking pan halfway through the baking time. The bars will be done when the top springs back when touched very lightly with your fingertip. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the bars in the pan on a wire rack. When it is completely cool, cut into bars. Store the cooled bars in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers for up to 6 days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Keywords: Dessert, Vegetables, Snack, Easy, Brownies/Bars ( RG1780 )

Chocolate or Cinnamon Babka Serves 16 as Dessert. DOUGH 1-1/2 c water 2 T yeast pinch sugar 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla 2 drops almond extract 1 tsp lemon juice 3/4 c sugar 1 tsp salt 1/3 c milk powder 1 c unsalted butter or margarine - softened in small pieces 6 c (approx.) unbleached all-purpose flour or half bread flour/half all-purpose Chocolate Filling: 1-1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate bar of your choice 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 c cocoa 1/2 c sugar 3 T unsalted butter or margarine Cinnamon Filling: 1/4 c unsalted butter or margarine 1 c dark brown sugar 2 T corn syrup or maple syrup 2 tsp cinnamon 3/4 c chopped walnuts - optional Egg Wash 1 beaten egg sugar for sprinkling In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and pinch of sugar. Rest for five minutes to allow yeast to swell. Add eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, sugar, salt and milk powder. Then add the softened butter and flour by folding it into the batter. Knead with a dough hook or by hand for about 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a well greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or cover the entire bowl with a plastic bag to ensure that it is thoroughly sealed. Allow to rise about 45-90 minutes. (Can also be refrigerated overnight, but allow the dough to come to almost room temperature before continuing). Divide dough in two equal parts. Cover with a towel and rest for 10 minutes. Butter two 9 -inch springform cake pans or two loaf pans. If making one large babka, butter a 10-inch bundt pan. Roll dough into a 16 by 16 inch square on a lightly floured board. Spread the filling (see recipes below) over the entire surface. Roll lengthwise into a large roll; cut in half. Place both halves in prepared pan, beside each other, it doesn't matter if they are squished. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with some sugar. Place the pan(s) in a plastic bag and let rise until babka is flush or has risen over the top of the pan. Repeat with other half of dough. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 35-45 minutes (50-70 minutes for one large babka) until medium brown. Cool for fifteen minutes in the pan before putting it on a rack. Chocolate Filling: Place chocolate chips, cinnamon, cocoa, sugar, and butter in a food processor and grind into a loose paste. Cinnamon Filling: Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and walnuts in a food processor and grind into a loose paste. Keywords: Kosher, Brunch, Vegetarian, Bread, Intermediate, Breakfast ( RG1767 )

Cherry Pie with Chocolate Lining and Almond Streusel Serves 8 as Dessert. Cherries and chocolate are a classic combination and a surprise in this dessert. With a nut crumb crust and streusel topping, this whole pie uses only 1 stick of butter, in contrast to a standard double-crust pie made with pate brise that uses more that double that. Cooking the filling separately allows you to ensure that the filling is not too gooey or too sweet, and you don’t have to bake the pie to cook the cherries (which would ruin the chocolate lining). Mise en Place For the Nut Crust 1-1/2 c almonds 3 T sugar 3 T butter (softened) 1/4 tsp cinnamon 4 oz good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped For the Cherry Filling 2-3/4 lb bing cherries, washed and pitted 1/4 c kirschwasser (cherry brandy) or cherry marnier 1 T lemon juice (fresh–not the stuff in a jar) 6 T sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 2 T cornstarch blended into 2 Tbs water 2 T butter 1/2 tsp almond extract 1/2 tsp vanilla extract For the Streusel Topping 1 c all purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 c light brown sugar 1/4 c granulated sugar 2 T demarra or turbinado sugar (or more brown sugar) 2/3 c slivered almonds 1/4 c butter, diced 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp almond extract For the Nut Crust Grind the almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor into fine crumbs. Use one-second pulses to avoid making almond butter. When uniformly ground, process in the butter until evenly distributed. When pinched, the dough should clump together. [Note--make the streusel topping now to avoid washing the processor twice.] Dump dough into a 9” pie pan and spread evenly, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Wrap a glass custard cup (or something else with smooth flat bottom) with plastic wrap and press firmly to even out the crust along bottom and sides. Avoid a thick corner between bottom and side of pan. Chill at least 30 minutes. Bake in preheated 400° oven about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the rim gets darker before the bottom gets brown, cover the rim with aluminum foil. Cool on a rack. For the Chocolate Lining Do this after the crust comes out of the oven, and has time to cool. In a glass bowl, add about half the chocolate. Microwave on high about 30-40 seconds until the chocolate melts when stirred. If it won't melt completely, microwave another 20 seconds. Stir chocolate until smooth. Add remaining chocolate and blend in (this helps retain the temper, but it's probably not necessary). [Note: Instead of the ganache, you can substitute about 1/2 C Nutella.] Easy method for one person to neatly line a pie crust with chocolate: (1) Wrap an 11" bottom from a removable-bottom tart pan with plastic wrap. Gather the edges on the back. Place on counter with wrapped side up. With a small offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate evenly from edge to edge. Doesn't have to be perfect, but avoid gaps. (2) Flip the coated disk UPSIDE DOWN onto the baked pie shell. The disk should be centered and pretty much match the diameter of the shell. (3) Working quickly, loosen the edges of plastic from the underside (now the top) of the disk, remove the disk, and let the chocolate-coated plastic flop into the shell. DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE PLASTIC while warm. (4) Smooth out any bubbles. (5) Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the chocolate is hard. Only now will the plastic wrap peel off neatly, leaving a shiny, molded chocolate lining. [Note: If you don't have a removable tart-shell bottom of the right size, line the outside bottom of another pie pan of the same size with plastic, and go from there.] For the Cherry Filling Rinse and pit the cherries. In a large stainless steel skillet, macerate the cherries, cinnamon, sugar, salt, and kirschwasser (or cherry marnier). If not using kirschwasser or other booze, omit. Let sit 30 minutes until cherries exude juice, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring. Turn to simmer and cover, cooking about 15 minutes until cherries are soft but not mushy (stir occasionally). Uncover, add the cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil, stirring continuously until thickened and the juice is clear. Take off heat and add the extracts, lemon juice, and butter, stirring until the butter is melted. Set aside in a bowl until cool. For the Streusel Topping In a food processor, blend the flour, salt, sugars, and cinnamon until well mixed. Add the butter and blend until incorporated. Add the extracts and blend. Add the almonds and pulse until coarsely chopped. Don’t over process the nuts. The dough should hold together when pinched. Chill at least 30 minutes. Squeeze the dough into uneven lumps from pea size to smaller. You want uneven, granular mixture. Final Assembly and Baking At this point, you should have the cooked and cooled cherry filling, baked and chocolate-lined bottom crust, chilled or at least cool, and the cold streusel topping in a bowl (unbaked). Pour cooled cherry filling into the lined crust (if you haven't already done so, peel off the plastic from the chocolate before adding the filling). Top with squeezed lumps of streusel, covering evenly. Lumps should be of different sizes, from sand-sized to pea-sized. Don’t leave any gaps. Pat very lightly--do not press the topping into place. There may be some streusel left over. Bake in preheated 400° oven for 22-25 minutes until evenly browned on top. Cool on rack. May be made in advance and refrigerated. Serve at room temperature. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Fruit, Chocolate, Pie, Food Processor ( RG1354 )

White Chocolate Macadamia Ice Cream This recipe makes about a quart, and benefits from freezing overnight to allow flavors to mellow. If that produces a more solidly frozen ice cream than you prefer, let is soften in the refrigerator before serving. 1-3/4 c half and half 6 egg yolks 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 pinch of salt 8 oz white chocolate, preferably imported, finely chopped 6 fl oz whipping cream 3/4 c macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped Over medium heat in heavy small saucepan, scald half and half. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl. Gradually whisk hot half and half into the egg mixture in the bowl. Return the mixture to the saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until it thickens and leaves a path on the back of a spoon when finger is drawn across it, about 8 to 10 minutes; do not boil. Remove the pan from heat and add white chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Stir in cream. Strain mixture into another bowl or container, and cover. Refrigerate until well chilled. Transfer custard to ice cream maker and process according to maufacturer's instructions. Add nuts when ice cream is almost set. Freeze in covered container. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Snack, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker ( RG1338 )

Coconut Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust Serves 8 as Dessert. This recipe is from the R.S.V.P. section of the February 2004 Bon Appetit, as requested by a reader in Portland, Oregon who liked the pie at Mother's Bistro & Bar (also in Portland Oregon). I find this pie to be pretty coconutty - the chocolate crust complements the flavour, but doesn't cut the intensity of the filling much. So if you're not a coconut fan, this may not be for you. The whipped cream is a nice touch, but the pie is fine without it. Finally, the recipe calls for whole milk, but I've made it with 2% in a pinch, and it turned out fine. Crust 10 T unsalted butter, divided and at room temperature 1-1/2 c chocolate wafer cookies, finely ground Filling 1-1/2 c whole milk 1/2 c whipping cream 1 vanilla bean, split 1-1/2 c plus 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, toasted 6 large egg yolks 1/2 c sugar 2 T cornstarch pinch of salt 3 T coconut or dark rum Topping sweetened whipped cream Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter. Pour the butter into a mixing bowl and mix in the cookie crumbs. Press into a 9-inch pie dish and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust has set. Cool. In a saucepan, combine the milk and cream, scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and then add the pod. Heat the mixture until it's just at a simmer, then remove from the heat, cover, and leave to steep for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. [Actually, the bean's still usuable - use it to infuse another liquid, or, once dried, stick it into a jar of sugar and make vanilla sugar.] Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the coconut and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until blended together. Slowly whisk in the coconut mixture. Pour this mix back into the saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring continuously. Keep stirring over medium-high heat until it has thickened - about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and keep stirring until the butter has melted. Stir in the rum, and then allow the filling to cool until it's lukewarm. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until cold. (At least 4 hours. The pie can be made in advance and chilled for up to one day.) Top with the the whipped cream, and sprinkle the remaining coconut overtop. Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate, Pie ( RG1287 )

Chocolate Marquise The Chocolate Marquise with Raspberries only ever as good as your chocolate and butter dont try and cheapen these! These are the Ingredients that count the better they are to begin with the better it is in the end g Chocolate (Dark at least 70%) g Butter (French Unsalted) g Caster Sugar Egg Yolks Egg Whites T Double Cream Raspberries Melt Your Chocolate, whilst melting soften butter not melted but doesn't matter if slightly melted! Whip egg yolks with sugar until pale and no grain, in mixer or by hand. Add chocolate not to hot to egg yolks, then the butter. Fold in whipped egg whites which have been whipped with a pinch of sugar soft peak, add cream! Fold in Rasberries and pour in tin lined with clingfilm, and fridge until set! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Chocolate ( RG1275 )

Melting Chocolate Pudding Only as good as your chocolate I use to make it with valhrona, the hard bit is taking it out of its mould! At home bake in a dish you can serve in g Dark Chocolate g Butter g Cream Double Egg Yolks g Flour g Cocoa Powder Egg Whites g Sugar Melt chocolate, Butter and Cream together, whilst cooling whip egg whites with sugar. When cool enough add yolks and the sieved flour and cocoa powder, fold in egg whites really gently, and pour into buttered and floured moulds. We use to use a ring on parchment, then fridge. When time to cook place in oven 180 c if they stick release with the point of a knife whilst cooking. allow to cool slightly and take ring of by gently running knife around but at home I would cook in a ramekin or something like it. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Chocolate, Pudding ( RG1266 )

Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies This recipe is based on Elizabeth_11's recipe which can be found elsewhere in the recipe archive. This will make about 18 cookies. 1 c chocolate chips 3/4 c butter, melted 1-1/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c sugar 1 T vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 c almond flour 1 c matzoh cake meal 1 tsp salt Preheat an oven to 375*F. With a stiff whisk, mix together the melted butter and the two sugars, add the vanilla and egg & yolk and whisk until smooth. In another bowl combine the flour, cake meal, and salt then pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix with the whisk. You need to work a fair bit of air into the dough since there is no leavening and they will come out like rocks otherwise. Add the chocolate chips and stir. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and scoop the dough out about a quarter cup per cookie. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top of each cookie looks dry and the edges start to brown. Keywords: Easy, Snack, Kosher, Cookie, Passover ( RG1224 )

Majestic Flourless Chocolate Cake by Debra Diller I make this cake for the Majestic Cafe in Michigan, so I called it the Majestic Flourless cake. I have tried many flourless cakes and this one I believe is the best. It is really is enjoyed as a miniature because it is very rich. This recipe makes about 30-6 oz cups/cakes. oz 64% Chocolate (Valrhona or Noel) oz Unsalted Butter 1 pinch kosher salt 2 c Hot Water 1/2 oz Espresso powder (Magdelia d'oro) oz Sugar (#1) 18 lg eggs 9 oz sugar (#2) Preheat oven to 290 F. Melt Butter and Chocolate over double boiler until fully melted. Dissolve sugar #1 in hot water and add espresso powder. Buzz eggs with sugar #2 with immersion blender. Temper eggs into hot water mixture and buzz with immersion blender. Add chocolate/butter mixture. Buzz with immersion blender until smooth. Spray pans and place on a sheet tray or hotel pan. Fill pans with mixture and place in oven. Add water to pan to make a water bath. Rotate trays as needed for even baking. Depending on size of pan will determine length of baking. As my pastry chef says, bake it until it is done. Keywords: Dessert, Immersion Blender, Intermediate, Chocolate, Cake ( RG1163 )

Hot Chocolate Fudge Sauce Serves 2. I got this from my great-aunt Maisie. Not a speck of real chocolate in it, but it's still delicious. 1 oz butter 1 oz cocoa 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 2 T water 1/2 oz sugar (optional - depends how sweet you like your sauce) 1 T golden syrup Combine ingredients in pan over low heat and whisk till melted. Increase heat to boiling. The longer you boil it, the fudgier it becomes, but I've never managed longer than a couple of minutes. Break out the vanilla icecream and go. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Sauce ( RG1154 )

Fruited cocoa cake Here is a very old family recipe. The earliest mention of the cake is in one of my ancestor's journals ca. 1690. My great-grandmother found the "receipt" and deciphered the recipe in about 1880. Although it was prepared at other times of the year, it was always called Christmas Cake. I brought it up to date about 20 years ago when I was allowed access to my great grandmama's journals. I have continued to refine it right up to the present. Like many cakes of that era it contains dried fruits and is fairly heavy. You can use a combination of dried fruits, but the larger ones have to be chopped so all pieces are about the same size. I have used cherries, cranberries, blueberries, black currants, Zante currants, sultanas and my home-dried extra sweet seedless red grapes, dried plums, dried persimmons, peaches and pears. As long as the total amount is as listed in the recipe, it doesn't matter about the combination. I often make this for parties and most people love it. Technically it is a "fruit" cake but even people who do not care for fruitcake will eat this. Also like most of the English cakes that are served at tea, it keeps very well, as I have noted in the recipe. FRUITED COCOA CAKE original recipe ca. 1690 Notes: It is important to use Dutch process cocoa. If you can't find it you have to use baking POWDER instead of baking SODA. I use King Arthur Flour's Double Dutch Cocoa and Black Cocoa Half and Half. When glazed with the glaze at the end of the recipe, this cake will keep for several days at room temp and will stay incredibly moist. I have in the past made this cake ahead of time and wrapped it well in aluminum foil and kept it in a cool place for 6 weeks. However I now live alone. When my family was still all together, I could not keep it more than a couple of days......to give you an idea of the way things used to be, the original "receipt" called for 6 pounds of twice-boulted flour and 3 full pound loaves of sugar well beaten..... 2 pounds of butter and 3 dozen eggs. ****** 1 cup BUTTER unsalted 1-1/2 tsp SALT 1 tsp CINNAMON, ground Any of these spices are better if freshly ground. 1 tsp CLOVES, ground 1 tsp NUTMEG, ground 1 tsp ALLSPICE, ground 1/3 cup COCOA, Dutch process 3 cups superfine SUGAR 4 extra-large EGGS 3 tsp BAKING SODA 4 cups unbleached FLOUR 1-1/2 cups CURRANTS or raisins, any color. 1-1/2 cups DRIED CHERRIES or dried cranberries, dried blueberries. 1-1/2 cups WALNUTS, chopped or pecans or macadamia nuts, etc. I've used pistachios and even used pine nuts one time. 3 cups APPLESAUCE, unsweetened chunky style if you can find it, even better is homemade. ***** Preheat oven to 350 F Grease and flour a deep 11" x 15" pan or 2 10-inch square pans or 2 holiday mold pans. This will fill a large Bundt pan with enough batter left for a mini loaf or 2-3 muffins. ***** METHOD In a large mixing bowl (or mixer bowl) cream together butter, salt, spices, cocoa and sugar. beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Mix baking soda with flour and sift, reserve 2 heaping tablespoons. Instead of sifting the flour you can simply put it in a large bowl and run a wire whisk through it which does the same as sifting, i.e. fluffing it up a bit. Add flour to batter alternately with applesauce. Sprinkle the fruit and nuts with the reserved flour, toss to coat well and fold into cake batter. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 1 hour or until cake tests done. (deeper pans will require longer baking) ***** Turn cake out onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely if simply dusting with confectioner's sugar for presentation. If using glaze, it can be applied while cake is still slightly warm. ***** ORANGE GLAZE GRATED PEEL OF 2 ORANGES 1/3 CUP SUGAR 1/4 CUP WATER 1 CUP ORANGE JUICE 3 TABLESPOONS GRAND MARNIER LIQUOR OR BRANDY Combine ingredients in saucepan, bring to simmer, stirring constantly, continue cooking until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Drizzle over cake ( I use a turkey baster and a perforated spoon as the glaze is too hot to dip my fingers into which is usually the way I drizzle icing). After the glaze has set, decorate edges of the cake and the plate edges with powdered sugar sifted thru a fine sieve or use a cut-out pattern or paper "lace" doily. You can also drape the cake with rolled fondant or decorate with cutouts of the fondant and brightly colored candied fruits. For dedicated chocoholics, melted chocolate can be drizzled or poured over the cake. Some people like the fluffy white "7-minute" frosting similar to that used on "Black cakes" from Jamaica. ( RG1120 )

Chocolate Sparkle Cookies (Modified) Serves 36 as Dessert. This is a version of Thomas Haas's Chocolate Sparkle Cookies where I've expanded on the instructions. I did an experiment last time where in one batch I used (Haas recommended) Valrhona Guanaja 70% and Scharffen-Berger Bittersweet 70% in the other. In a side-by-side tasting, the Scharffen-Berger cookies disappeared first. For reference, I use Scharffen-Berger cocoa powder, Florida Crystals granulated sugar, and Plugrá unsalted butter. Also, I always make at least 2 batches of these cookies since they get eaten so quickly. Some notes about my method: - I find a can get more volume in the beaten eggs with the genoise method. I warm my eggs and sugar/honey, whisking constantly, over a double boiler until very warm (about 120°F) and the sugar is dissolved. The eggs will probably take around 10 minutes at medium-high speed in a stand mixer to reach full volume (will take longer if you double the recipe) -- you want nice thick ribbons to fall from the beaters. This is important since the eggs are the sole leavening in these cookies. You also want to be gentle when you fold in the chocolate and almond flour. There's not much gained by "lightening" the chocolate with any of the whipped egg in this recipe, so I skip that step. Feel free to fold the almonds into the chocolate and then fold it into the eggs. - If you can't find almond flour, pulse slivered almonds in a food processor with some sugar until finely ground (try not to over-process and make almond butter. Also, don't forget to reduce the sugar in the recipe by how much you've added to the almonds). - You'll need to refrigerate the batter overnight so that it can "set." It's not necessary but when I go to scoop the cookies I found that keeping the batter container in a bowl of ice and wearing a pair of gloves helps tremendously (ambient room temperature and your body heat will start to "melt" the batter and make it harder to work with). - The original recipe said to bake at 325°F never mentioning that temperature was for a convection oven. Since I have a conventional oven, I set mine to 375°F and let it preheat well. Try not to over-bake -- you'll want to take them out while they still look ever so slightly wet in the middle. - The finished cookie should be poofy like this, not flat. Please don't be intimidated by all these "notes" -- the cookies are actually very easy to make. I'm just passing on info I've learned through trial and error to make them (hopefully) virtually failure-proof for you. Since it's my preferred way of working, I've converted the recipe into weight for those of you that have a scale (see original for volume measures). Chocolate Sparkle Cookies 228 g best quality/favorite bittersweet Chocolate 43 g unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs 67 g granulated sugar 21 g mild-flavored honey (I use tupelo; Haas calls for blackberry if you can find it) 4 g cocoa powder 71 g ground almonds pinch of salt powdered sugar for dusting 1. Put the eggs, sugar, and honey in the bowl of your mixer. Over a double boiler, whisk constantly until eggs are quite warm (about 120°F) and the sugar is dissolved. Be careful not to let the eggs start to cook! Remove from the heat and immediately start to whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale in color and it falls in thick ribbons from the beater(s), about 10 minutes. 2. While egg mixture is whipping, carefully melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler, stirring so it doesn't scortch. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl, toss the ground almonds with the cocoa powder and pinch of salt. 3. After the eggs have been whipped and the chocolate has cooled slightly, use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the chocolate-butter mixture. Before it's completely mixed in, add the ground almond mixture and finish folding. Gently place in a container, cover, and refrigerate overnight until firm. 4. Place a rack in the lower middle of oven and preheat to 375°F. Use a cookie scoop to make 1-inch balls of dough, roll in granulated sugar, and place on a freezer-safe dish. When all cookies have been formed and rolled in the sugar, place the dish in the freezer for around 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are quite cold (I don't think they'll ever freeze solid). 5. Remove cookies from the freezer, give each a second coating of granulated sugar, and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Immediately place them in the oven and bake for about 8 or 9 minutes or until the centers look just barely underdone. Return any unbaked cookies to the freezer while the others are baking. Let the baked cookies cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet and then lightly dust them with the powdered sugar. Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate, Cookie ( RG1079 )

Chocolate Chip Cookies 1-1/4 c (150g) all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c (125g) unsalted butter, softened 6 T (75g) granulated sugar 6 T (75g) light brown sugar 1 vanilla bean 1 large egg 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp hot water 1 c (125g) walnut pieces, lightly toasted 1 c (175g) chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Sift together flour and salt. Set aside. Cream butter. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Using a sharp paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla seeds and add them to the butter/sugar mixture. Add egg and beat for 2 minutes. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Stir into butter/sugar/egg mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour in 2 or 3 batches. Blend in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop in small mounds onto baking sheet, spacing 3” apart. Bake until uniformly light brown, 10 - 12 minutes. Actually, I use a small scoop that makes a ball about the size of a jacks ball, then I flatten the ball with the bottom of a glass. Keywords: Cookie ( RG1078 )

The Baking Club - Chocolate Butter Cake This recipe makes 2 9-inch cakes. (Adapted from the Cake Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum) Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa ½ cup + 3 tablespoons, lightly spooned 2.25 oz. 63 g Boiling water 1 liquid cup 8.25 oz 236 g 3 large eggs Scant 5 fluid oz 5.25 oz (without shells) 150 g (without shells) Vanilla 2 ¼ teaspoons 9 g Sifted cake flour 2 ¼ cups + 2 T 8.25 oz 235 g Sugar 1 ½ cups 10.5 oz 300 g Baking powder 1 T 15 g Salt ¾ teaspoon 5 g Unsalted butter, softened 1 cup 8 oz 227 g Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water. Cool. Mix eggs, 1/4 of cocoa mixture, & vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients. Add butter and remaining cocoa. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes to develop the cakes's structure. Add the egg mixture in 3 batches. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. Keywords: Intermediate, Cake ( RG1008 )

Chocolate Croissant This course is from the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. When teaching a cooking class I often begin with a recipe for Chocolate Croisants. Sounds fancy, looks and tastes impressive, but is easy to do. 1 package of premade croissant dough 1 package of mini chocolate chips cooking spray aluminum foil baking sheet 1. Follow direction on package for preheating the oven. Change oven sign to HOT. 2. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray (if package directions tell you to do so. 3. Place pieces of croisant dough on sheet. 4. Put 10 mini chocolate chips onto each piece of dough at the big end. 5. Roll dough carefully into croissant strips. If any mini chips fall out take off of the sheet and eat them! 6. Bake according to package directions. Remember to use oven mits whe taking the tray in and out of the oven. 7. Allow croissants to cool. 8. Enjoy and share with friends Aluminum foil is used to cover the baking sheet for two reasons. First, it makes clean up much easier. If any chocolate spills out and subsequently burns, there is no need to worry about ruining the baking sheet, or having to scrub it later. Remember, this recipe has been KISSed. The sheet should still be cleaned, but the task will be much easier. Second, aluminum foil cools quicker than a regular baking sheet. This makes the removal of the croissants easier and safer Keywords: Dessert, Healthy Choices, eGCI ( RG998 )

Chocolate Chocolate Challah Serves 10 as Dessert. This recipe, adapted from Joan Nathan’s The Foods of Israel Today, is richer than its predicessor and has a deeper chocolate flavor. Eat it warm from the oven or, for a special treat, toasted with some tart plum preserves. The fruit brings out the chocolate flavor everyone loves! French toast made with any leftovers is a religious experience! 2/3 c sugar 2 c lukewarm water 5 T butter, at room temperature 2 large egg yolks 2 T SAF instant yeast 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder 7 c all purpose flour (approx.) plus more for dusting work surface 1 T salt 12 oz (approximately 2 cups) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½” chunks, or extra- large chocolate chips (see ingredients note) 1. Combine sugar, water, butter, and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the sugar is dissolved and the butter dispersed. Change to the dough hook attachment. 2. Add the yeast and cocoa powder and 3 cups of the flour and mix on a low speed until incorporated. Add the salt, allow time for it to be incorporated, then add an additional three cups flour. Using the power setting recommended by the manufacturer for kneading dough, knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a dough which is moist but not sticky. 3. Reduce the mixer speed and add the chocolate. After a minute, increase speed to the higher setting for kneading and knead the dough for three or four minutes, until the chocolate is evenly distributed throughout the dough. 4. Turn the dough into a large bowl which has been coated with vegetable oil. Turn the dough to ensure the surface is coated in oil to prevent formation of a crust. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in bulk – approximately 1½ to 2 hours. 5. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and allow to rest, covered with plastic wrap, on the floured surface to allow the dough time to relax – approximately 15 minutes. 6. Roll each piece of dough into a “snake” approximately 14 inches long. Working with three pieces at a time, Pinch the ends together, braid, then secure the other three ends together by pinching. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, tucking the pinched ends underneath to ensure an attractive loaf.. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour. 7. While the braided loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 375° and place a metal pan (such as an old pie pan) on the floor of the oven. When ready to bake, place the loves on an upper shelf and add boiling water to the pan on the oven floor, taking care not to be burned by the steam. Close the door quickly to capture the steam. Bake for 20 minutes at 375°, then reduce the heat to 350° and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Ingredient Note: I buy my chocolate from Blommer’s Chocolate. www.blommerstore.com . I use the chocolate chunks, which for some reason aren’t on the website. But they are only 6 blocks from my office, so it is easy for me to swing by the factory. They can be contacted by e-mail at chocolate@blommerstore.com or by phone at 312.492.1336. Their chocolates are kosher-certified – both dairy and parve. Keywords: Kosher, Chocolate, Bread, Jewish, Chocolate ( RG963 )

Dark Chocolate Brownies Serves 8 as Dessert. This is the brownie part of a recipe I made for Chcolate Cheesecake brownies. In my opinion, the cheesecake and the brownies were both wonderful but they ended up competing with each other. The brownie part was really wonderful, and should be enjoyed without competition. This is the brownie part. For chocolate, I used 2/3 nestle dessert chocolate, which is 57% cocoa, an American equivalent would be your average bittersweet. The other 1/3 I used was a Lindt Excellence Noirissime 99%, and an equivalent would be the closest you can get to pure unsweetened chocolate as you can. The sugar I used was granulated pure cane sugar, not the beet derivative stuff. This recipe does not need vanilla. 65 g fresh butter 200 g dark chocolate 80 g all purpose or French type 55 flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3 large eggs 215 g granulated sugar Heat the oven to 175c or 350f. Grease a rectangular (about 8"x12" or 20x30cms) baking pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Beat the eggs and sugar until very thick, fluffy, and lemon yellow. This could take awhile. Carefully melt chocolate and butter on medium power in the microwave or the best way you know how. Fold the chocolate/butter mixture into the egg/sugar mixture, and then sift and fold in the above mentioned flour mixture. Pour into pan and bake 20-30 minutes, until the top is crusty and it is set. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG931 )

Chocolate Bread Pudding I enjoyed this dessert at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara by the fireplace in the downstairs restaurant. The Plow and Angel has a romantic atmosphere. SO enjoy this dessert, cozy by the fire, at home. Serves 8 6 cups Brioche (croissants, french bread O.K.) Use day old bread and cut into 1 in. cubes. 6 each Eggs 1 cup Sugar 3 cups heavy cream 1 t. Vanilla 8 oz. Semi sweet chocolate, melted (Valhrona) 1/2 t. salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Butter ovenproof dish or individual ramikins 3. Combine eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt and mix well. Whisk in melted chocolate 4. Add bread to mixture, let soak 25 min. until bread absorbs most of the eg mixture 5. Carefully fill baking dish 7/8 full with the butter 6. Place dish or ramekins in another larger pan and fill pan 1/2 way up with hot water (water bath). 7. Bake 30 to 49 min. until the center of custard is set. 8. Remove from oven and let set 15-20 min. before serving. 9. Serve with homemade whipped cream and I like white chocolate gelato. Garnish with mint and get creative. Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate, Easy ( RG817 )

Chocolate Coated Mint Leaves After a big hearty meal, I like to wait awhile for dessert. When I have guests, I pass around a plate with the chocolate minted leaves. It's refreshng. The leaves hold their shape well, and these could be for a decoration on any dessert. 6 ounces of Vahlrona chocolate Mint leaves. I use fresh from the garden. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler, stirring constantly. Remove the bowl and continue to stir till the chocolate is melted and smooth. Put wax paper or parchment on a cookie sheet or tray. Put plastic wrap on a rolling pin. Take the mint leaf by the stem and dip in chocolate, coating both sides. Put the leaf on the rolling pin to let dry. It's not mandatory, but I think it retains a nice shape. Then put the leaves in the freezer to set until frozen, and you can put into a freezer bag until ready to use. Keywords: Easy, Chocolate ( RG798 )

My uncle just got back from Venezuela with a bunch of El Ray chocolates for his wife...she's a great baker. Well, I freaked as a chocolatier and told him how sought after they are ( right? ). Anyway, he said he could easily be a distributor of them in Canada but hasn't a clue about what the market would be like? Well, just a question to all the Canadians out there, is there an El Ray distributor in Canada (T.O. specifically )? and if there isn't is there a market? Take care,

I'm wondering if you could premake Molten Chocolate cakes then rewarm them before service? I'm creating a test batch right now to see how they turn out after sitting for a day. They seem sorta souffle like so I wanted to get some opinions of if this should even be attempted? I have to bust out 250 of these bad boys so predoing them is the only way I could accomplish this in my humble little kitchen.

Anyone know where I can buy a chocolate tasting kit like this in the Seattle area? I have pulled together my own smaller tasting with random little bars from various chocolatiers but I like the idea of the 24 different varieties all from one source so the the variations are about the chocolate not about the brand... This is our Valentines Day plan thanks for any leads, Eden

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