Melt In Your Mouth

Sometimes my best recipes result out of the necessity to clean out my ever-overflowing pantry and a second wind before bedtime. Thanks to a late night baking experiment last week, I may have created my favorite chocolate cookie recipe yet.

These mocha cookies are dense in flavor like a brownie but have a light, airy texture, similar a meringue cookie. I’d recommend using a very high quality chocolate for these cookies (I prefer Scharffen Berger).

Mocha Meltaways

Yield: About 24 cookies

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 

1/2 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup sugar

1. In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when the mixture is fully melted and well combined.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour , baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix the espresso powder and water and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and coffee mixture until fluffy, about 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the chocolate mixture; blend until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture until just incorporated, about 1 minute. (The dough will look about the consistency of brownie batter.)

4. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and use a medium sized cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, on the middle rack of your oven for 13-15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cookies as they go from a gooey center to having a burnt bottom fairly quickly. Let cool on sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. 

Confessions of a Chocoholic

While I try to be an equal opportunity baker, I must confess that my ideal late night indulgence includes some combination of chocolate and coffee and my favorite brownies hit the spot every time.

These brownies are rich and decadent, with a fudgy interior and a cake-like crust. When I really want to be decadent, I brush the top of the brownie with a little bit of Kahlua and top with (my favorite) Starbucks Java Chip ice cream.

Best of all, these brownies are easy to make-you can mix all of the ingredients by hand in the top of a double boiler.

Decadent Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into large pieces

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup toasted walnuts

3/4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on all side.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, espresso powder, salt, and walnuts. Fold in the flour until well combined.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan for about 10 minutes. Lift brownies from pan using parchment paper and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before cutting. Brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.

Candy Craving

What could be better than a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting? One that is sprinkled with crushed Butterfinger candy! I made this special cake for my friend’s birthday last week-the sour cream makes the cake moist and not too sweet.

Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger Ganache Glaze

Adapted from Lauren Chattman's Recipe

For the Cake

1 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

For the Glaze

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 Butterfinger bar, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. 

2. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Reduce the speed to low; add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures ending with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of bowl between each addition. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minute.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for  minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Place the chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Add the chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

6. Pour the warm glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger bar over the glaze. let stand until gaze is set, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve. Store cake at room temperature in a cake keeper for up to 3 days.

My Favorite Cupcake

There’s something irresistible about red velvet cupcakes-maybe it’s the cream cheese frosting or the smokey, brick-like color. Either way, what better excuse than Valentine's Day to bake your favorite cupcake?

Red Velvet Cupcakes  

Makes 24 standard sized cupcakes or one 8-inch layer cake

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup hot water

2 teaspoons red gel food coloring

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar 

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons vinegar

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pans (or butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans); set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, hot water, and food coloring; set aside to cool.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla into the cooled cocoa mixture.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on medium, add the flour mixture and cocoa mixture to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Be careful not to over-beat the batter.

In a small bowl, use a spoon to combine the vinegar and baking soda, stirring until the baking soda dissolves. Fold into the batter  until just combined.

Use a large cookie scoop and fill each cup 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes for 15-17 minutes, if making a cake bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

May I Have S'more?

Valentine’s Day is a great holiday for crafts. S'mores on a stick was an idea from a wedding favor but I thought it would be a great treat for Valentine's Day. Not only are they cute but they are simple enough you could make them with your kids. I found the lollipop sticks, treat bags, and ribbon all at Michael’s Craft store. 

What you’ll need:

-Lollipop sticks

-Marshmallows

-Crumbled graham crackers

-Milk chocolate pieces (I used E. Guittard wafers)

-Double boiler

-Clear 4x6 treat bags

-Ribbon

-Styrofoam

1. Insert lollipop stick into marshmallows and set aside.

2. Crumbled graham crackers. I put them in a plastic bag and rolled it with a rolling pin.

3. Melt milk chocolate in double boiler. It is easier to work in small batches; you’ll need about 4 ounces for every 8 marshmallows.

4. Holding the marshmallow stick over the double boiler, use a rubber or silicone spatula to coat the marshmallow with chocolate.

5. Roll the marshmallow in graham cracker crumbs.

6. Insert lollipop into a piece of styrofoam and let chocolate set.

7. Put the s’more in the treat bag and tie with a 12-inch long ribbon. 

Guinness Just Got Better

I must have been in the mood for a Guinness as I was flipping through this month’s Better Homes and Garden because the idea of a stout chocolate sauce poured over vanilla bean ice cream was irresistible. Don’t feel bad if you find yourself eating this sauce by the spoonful, I did it too.

If you want to make a somebody’s day, pour half of the sauce into a mason jar, tie a ribbon or twine around it, and give to a friend-instant joy!

Guinness Chocolate Sauce

 Adapted from BHG Easy Fudge Sauce

Yield: 12 servings

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup Guinness 

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the half-and-half. Cook and stir over medium high heat until mixture begins to bubble around the outside of pan, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the cocoa mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. 

3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and Guinness. 

Store, covered, in refrigerator up to one week. 

A LBD for New Year's Eve

I may not have found a dress for NYE yet but I did find the dessert equivalent of the perfect “LBD”. It is rich and decadent, doesn’t require much effort to make, and you can accessorize it a myriad of ways. I made mine with vanilla extract and plain whipped cream but you can use swap out the vanilla extract in the cake for espresso powder or orange zest (and replace the vanilla in your whipped cream with Kahlua or Grand Marnier). 

The “Little Black Dress” Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Rozanne Gold’s recipe

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 large eggs

16 ounces Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and generously butter sides of pan. 

Using a stand mixer, beat eggs and pinch of salt on medium-high speed for 8 minutes. Melt the chocolate and butter slowly over low heat in a medium saucepan; stir until smooth. Using a flexible rubber spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 16-18 minutes (you want to remove the cake from the oven when the center is still soft). Cool on a rack for 30 minutes.  

Boozy Birthday Cake

I wouldn't normally post a recipe without having baked it myself. However, this year my friend Emma made me a very special Kahlua birthday cake and I wanted to share the recipe with you. It was moist and dense with rich chocolate and coffee flavors. I would have never guessed she made it with cake mix if she hadn’t given me her recipe!

Kahlua Bundt Cake

1 package Devil’s Food Cake

1 (4 ounce) package chocolate pudding mix

1 1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 vegetable oil

1/2 cup Kahlua

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat for 3 minutes then bake in a bundt pan for 45-55 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely and dust with powdered sugar.

Malt Ball Madness

Growing up, my sister and I loved Whopper Malt Balls. Sometimes our dad would buy us a carton and tell us we’d have to share.  We intended to ration it out so the carton would last all weekend but would inevitably eat so much the first day the roofs of our mouth were so sore we couldn’t eat any the following day. You’d think we’d lose our love of the malt ball (or learn not to eat so many at one time) but never did. 

I loved the idea of making cupcakes inspired by the malt balls we loved so much as kids-even better, these won’t scratch up the roof of your mouth so feel free to eat as many as you’d like!

Malt Ball Cupcakes

Adapted from Baked’s Milk Chocolate Mall Ball Cake Recipe 

Yield: 24 cupcakes

2 cups cake flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup Carnation malted milk powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups ice cold water

4 large egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (if using non-stick pans, preheat oven to 300 degrees). Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Whisk in the malted milk powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Fill the muffin liners no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of cupcake comes out clean. Transfer pans to cooling rack, let cool for about 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Primrose Bakery's Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yield: Enough to frost 15-20 regular cupcakes  

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon 2% reduced fat milk, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until it has completely melted and is quite smooth. Leave to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, milk, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth-this can take several minutes with and electric hand mixer (I mixed mine in my standing mixer with a paddle attachment). Add the melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy. If it looks too runny, simply keep beating-this will thicken the frosting and improve its consistency. 

Frost and decorate your cupcakes. I loved the ones decorated with chopped up malt balls, they had just the right amount of crunch.

Break In Case of Emergency

A few nights ago I was flipping through a cookbook trying to find a quick fix for an emergency chocolate craving when I came across Baked’s Double-Chocolate Loaf recipe.

The first time I made the loaf I followed the directions exactly but it didn’t allow the ingredients to be properly incorporated without over-mixing.  Below is the recipe with a more traditional quick bread preparation:

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 oz. dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in the center.  Butter a 9x5 loaf pan, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

Chop the dark chocolate and set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat together the eggs, yolk, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla on medium speed just until blended.  

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients, pressing out the lumps of the brown sugar with the back of a spoon.  

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Beat just until mixed, being careful not to over-mix.  Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand.  

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

Serve plain or spread with cream cheese.