Chocolate

If you love chocolate as much as I do, you'll love today's post. Check out the Salted Chocolate Pudding With Whipped Sour Cream, the Hot Chocolate Brownies, or any of the other chocolate desserts. Enjoy!

HOT CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

How does Hot Chocolate Cheesecake sound? Yum!

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and starts off, “Use your leftover hot chocolate or cocoa mix in both the crust and the filling of this super-rich cheesecake that tastes just like the classic drink.” Total Time: 3 hr 45 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 45 min; Cook: 2hr 30 min; Yield: 12 to 14 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hot-chocolate-cheesecake.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for the pan

9 graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)

1/4 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix

Pinch fine salt

Filling:

Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix

1 cup sour cream

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

10 marshmallows

Directions

Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan

For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan.

Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, hot chocolate mix and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)

For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar, hot chocolate mix and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the side of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the side of the springform pan (but not above the foil).

Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.

Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

Before serving, cut the marshmallows on the diagonal, and arrange them, cut-side down, in a neat line all over the top edge of the cheesecake.

HOT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen, and starts off, “These one-bowl brownies couldn't be easier to make, and adding leftover hot chocolate mix is the perfect way to make them extra special. Interested in a Mexican hot chocolate version? Just add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients and sprinkle the top of each brownie with a pinch of chili powder.” Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Prep: 25 min; Inactive: 45 min; Cook: 35 min; Yield: 24 brownies; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/hot-chocolate-brownies.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup hot chocolate or cocoa mix

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

One 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

72 mini marshmallows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and spray with the cooking spray.

Stir together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add the flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking powder and stir until just combined. Stir in half the chocolate chips. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking pan.

Bake until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and are set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, immediately sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips, and let stand until they are very soft, about 5 minutes. Spread the melted chips evenly with a spatula, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan, and let cool completely on a rack. Cut into 24 squares, and top each with 3 mini marshmallows.

CHOCOLATE VELVET MOUSSE

Recipe Yield: Yield: 6 Servings; Serving Size: 3/4 cup mousse, 1/2 cup strawberries

Source: Splenda

Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chocolate-velvet-mousse.

Ingredients

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 cup low fat milk

1/4 cup egg substitute

1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Grand Marnier, Curacao, Triple Sec, or brandy)*

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 cups sliced strawberries

Directions

Place chocolate and milk in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until chocolate melts. Set aside.

Stir together egg substitute, Splenda Granulated Sweetener, cornstarch and Grand Marnier in a small mixing bowl. Add to chocolate mixture. Stir constantly. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken (approx. 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Blend or process briefly (10-20 seconds) to make a more creamy texture. Pour into medium bowl and cover.

Refrigerate chocolate mixture approx. 2-3 hours or until cool. Whip cream until stiff and fold into chocolate. Refrigerate overnight to set. Will keep refrigerated for 3 days.

To serve, layer strawberries and mousse in 6 all- purpose wine glasses.

Notes:

This chilled, layered dessert topped with strawberries is quite impressive. Be sure to allow time to let it set! It’s well worth the wait. Alcohol can be replaced with 1 teaspoon orange extract.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 220; Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 10 g; Fiber: 4 g; Sodium: 50 mg; Cholesterol: 30 mg; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g; Sugars: 6 g

SALTED CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH WHIPPED SOUR CREAM

This is from Alison Roman at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alison wrote, “A classic, old-fashioned chocolate pudding, this dessert is made a bit more interesting by layering with whipped sour cream (for a little tang) and crushed cookies of your choosing (for texture). While you can absolutely make and serve chocolate pudding in individual cups, there is something delightfully communal about sharing it from one giant vessel, which can be nearly anything you want: Mixing bowls, trifle bowls or baking dishes all work, just aim for something tall and deep so you can build as many layers as possible.”

Time: 45 minutes, plus 3 hours’ chilling

This was featured in “Desserts That Bring the Party, but Not the Fuss”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020708-salted-chocolate-pudding-with-whipped-sour-cream.

Ingredients

For the Pudding:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (65 to 70 percent), finely chopped

3 cups heavy cream

3 cups whole milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

6 large egg yolks

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

For Assembly:

3 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 cups sour cream

12 ounces thin wafer cookies, such as gingerbread, vanilla wafers or chocolate wafers

Flaky sea salt

Preparation

Make the pudding: Place chocolate in a large bowl; set aside.

Heat heavy cream, milk, cocoa powder and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium pot over medium-high, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a bare simmer, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the egg yolks, the cornstarch, the salt and the vanilla, if using, until the mixture is lump-free and pale in color. Ladle a bit of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks and whisk until completely blended, adding a bit more at a time until half the cream mixture is added. Transfer the yolk-cream mixture back into the pot with the remaining cream mixture.

Return the pot to medium heat and, whisking constantly, cook until the mixture has gone from thin and watery to thick and custardy, with the occasional bubble popping up, 3 to 5 minutes.

Immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate, and let sit for a minute or two, giving the bowl a shake to help the chocolate settle as it melts. Using a whisk, mix the chocolate into the cream as it melts, until you have an ultrasmooth, silky pudding. Transfer to a flat baking dish (an 8-by-8-inch pan works well) and cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until pudding is completely set, at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours.

Assemble and serve: Using either an electric mixer on medium or a whisk and elbow grease, whisk heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. (The cream should hold a gentle peak.) Whisk in sour cream.

To serve, spoon a bit of chocolate pudding into a serving vessel. This can be done in individual bowls, glasses, cups or coupes, or alternatively, one large bowl or baking dish — the choice is yours. Then spoon in an equal amount of whipped sour cream, and scatter with crumbled cookies. Repeat until the vessel is full, topping with flaky salt.

Eat immediately, so the cookies stay crunchy, or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BROWNIES

This is from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Yield: about 20 bars

Ingredients

1-2/3 cups (10 oz) raspberry chips

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

powdered sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and lightly flour an 8 inch baking pan. Combine raspberry chips and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Remove from heat. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Add flour, sugar, and baking powder. Stir until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Sift powdered sugar over top, if desired.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS

This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 52. It begins, “Similar to a chocolate soufflé, this cake will rise, then fall slightly when cooled, leaving a cracked top. A fresh strawberry sauce balances the richness of the chocolate. The cake can be made up to two days in advance. For perfect, clean-cut cake wedges, dip the knife in hot water before cutting each slice.” Serves 12.

To view this online, click here.

Cake

8.5 oz. bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unsalted butter

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature, divided

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Coulis

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (8 oz.)

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 Tbs. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300˚F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Remove from heat, and whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk egg yolks, then stir into chocolate mixture.

Beat all 6 egg whites with electric mixer on high 1 to 2 minutes, or until foamy. Add sugar, and beat 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, and bake 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean. Cool.

To make Coulis: Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in bowl of food processor; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbs. water, and purée until smooth. Strain through fine-mesh strainer. Serve Cake drizzled with Coulis.

nutritional information Per Slice: Calories: 275; Protein: 5 g; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Cholesterol: 94 mg; Sodium: 36 mg; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 18 g; Gluten-Free

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