Chocolate

If you love Chocolate as much as I do, you won't mind starting the week off with six yummy chocolate recipes. Check out the Chilly Chocolate Pie, Original Fantasy Fudge, and more. Enjoy!

OAT MILK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Ali wrote, "Chocolate pudding is equal parts comfort and romance, which means it’s great accompanied by sweatpants, candlelight or both. This 15-minute version is inspired by a recipe from Alice Medrich, the cookbook author, in which she uses both cocoa powder and chocolate, and cornstarch instead of eggs for a pure chocolate flavor (eggs can dilute the subtle notes). Here, nondairy milk is swapped in for the milk and the cream with equally wonderful results. When developing this recipe, we found that oat milk created a pudding with the plushest texture. Soy, almond and coconut milks work, too, although they might impart their own flavor and the pudding texture may vary."

Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020415-oat-milk-chocolate-pudding.

Ingredients

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups nondairy milk, preferably oat

3 to 4 ounces bittersweet bar chocolate, finely chopped (see Tip 1)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Slowly stir in the milk and keep stirring until smooth and combined.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom, sides and corners of the pan, until the pudding thickens, begins to bubble, and coats the back of the spoon or spatula, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the pudding is coating the bottom of the pan too quickly, reduce the heat.)

Add the chocolate and stir vigorously until the pudding is very thick and smooth, about 30 seconds longer.

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Spoon the pudding into a serving bowl or individual cups or ramekins. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled (see Tip 2). It will thicken as it cools.

Tips

Use 4 ounces of chocolate with 60 to 65 percent cacao, or 3 ounces of chocolate with 66 to 70 percent cacao.

Before refrigerating, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming on top. The pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE TACO MINI TACO BOWLS

This is from Old El Paso, and begins, "A chocolate taco? Delicious! Crispy, sugar-coated mini bowls are dipped into chocolate and chopped peanuts and filled with ice cream for an absolutely addictive version of an ice cream truck favorite. Here's how to make the chocolate dessert tacos of your dreams!"

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Makes 10 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/chocolate-taco-mini-taco-bowls.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, melted

10 tortilla bowls from 1 package (5.1 oz) Old El Paso™ Flour Soft Tortilla Mini Bowls (12 Count)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped cocktail peanuts

1-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup chocolate sauce

1/4 cup caramel topping

Preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Lightly brush melted butter on all sides of each bowl. Place bowls on cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until browned on edges and firm to the touch. Cool 15 minutes.

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 60 to 90 seconds or until mixture can be stirred smooth.

Place 1/2 cup of the chopped peanuts on plate. Hold baked bowls by the bottom, and dip each one into melted chocolate, covering top rim of bowl. Dip and roll top rim into chopped peanuts to coat. Refrigerate bowls about 10 minutes or until coating is set.

Fill each bowl with 2 small scoops (about 1 tablespoon) ice cream; drizzle with chocolate sauce and caramel topping, and garnish with remaining 3 tablespoons peanuts.

Expert Tips

Chopped toasted almonds are a nice alternative to the chopped peanuts in this chocolate taco recipe.

Any flavor of ice cream and sauces will work well for these chocolate-dipped ice cream tacos, so feel free to fill them with your favorite combination.

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 3 Fat

Carbohydrate Choice: 2

MISSISSIPPI MUD PIE

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this recipe, Samanatha wrote, "Mississippi mud pies come in all shapes and sizes: No two are exactly alike. They can have one layer, or five, and include ice cream or meringue, a flourless cake, nuts, fudge sauce and even brownie. This version, inspired by the towering beauty made by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito of Baked in Brooklyn and written about in their book, 'Baked Explorations,' features a graham cracker base, a dense brownie, chocolate custard and whipped cream. Needless to say, a little goes a long way. Share it with 16 to 32 of your closest friends. And a tip for serving: To ensure a clean release, give the underside and sides of the cake pan a 10-second blast with a hairdryer."

Time: 90 minutes, plus chilling; Yield: 16 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018722-mississippi-mud-pie. While you're at it, check out Melissa Clark's guide, "How to Make a Pie Crust."

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust

About 15 whole graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Brownie Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the Chocolate Custard

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

To Finish

1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream

Preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs — you should have about 2-1/4 cups crumbs — and tip into a bowl. Add sugar, salt and butter, and toss until evenly moistened. Tip the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use your fingers to press the crumbs into a thin, even layer on the bottom of the pan and at least 2¼ inches up its sides. Bake the crust until just set, about 10 minutes. (The crust will continue to cook in the next step.) Increase heat to 350 degrees.

Prepare the cake: In a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water but not touching it, melt together the butter and chocolate. (Alternatively, do this in short bursts in the microwave but be careful not to scorch the chocolate.) Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the 3 large egg yolks.

In large bowl, beat the remaining 3 large egg whites with an electric mixer on medium until foamy, about 30 seconds. While mixing, gradually add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg-white mixture evenly into the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour evenly over the chocolate mixture and fold it in. Transfer the batter to the prepared crust and smooth the top. Bake until a crust has formed over the top, the center is just set and a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edges comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. The center of the cake, under the crust, should still be very moist and fudgy. (Peek under the crust if necessary.) Do not overbake. The cake will sink slightly as it cools. Let the cake cool completely, at least 90 minutes.

Prepare the custard: Set the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and set it aside. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Add the milk, little by little, while whisking to incorporate it fully. Whisk in the egg yolks. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and just come to a low boil. Continue to cook the custard, whisking, for another minute, then immediately pour it into the sieve, pushing it through with a small spatula. Let the custard stand for 1 minute, then whisk it together with the butter and chocolate until smooth. Pour the custard over the cooled cake. Cover the custard with plastic wrap or wax paper, making sure to press it gently into the surface of the custard. Chill until the custard has set completely, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Just before serving, remove the ring from springform pan base and transfer pie to a serving plate. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon high dollops over the top of the pie, leaving about a 1-inch border. Dust with cocoa powder.

ORIGINAL FANTASY FUDGE

I found this on allrecipes. It begins, "This fantasy fudge recipe is straight from the label of a well-known brand of marshmallow cream. After some time, the company changed the recipe, but this is the original for smooth chocolate and marshmallow cream fudge with walnuts. This recipe makes a large batch (3 pounds!) so consider gifting some of these sweet fudgy morsels to friends and family during the holidays."

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Additional Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 48; Yield: 3 pounds

View this online at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228782/the-original-fantasy-fudge/.

Ingredients

3 cups white sugar

3/4 cup margarine

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 (12 ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add chocolate chips; stir until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined. Stir in marshmallow cream until incorporated. Mix in walnuts and vanilla.

Transfer fudge to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread out and flatten. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

CHOCOLATE BEAN CUPCAKES

This is from the July/August 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times (page 41). Makes 12 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1/3 cup soy margarine, melted

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbs. grated orange zest, optional

1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and pureed

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Frosting

1/2 cup soy margarine

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

12 chocolate kisses

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375F. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper liners.

To make Cupcakes: Using electric mixer on high, beat margarine, sugar and eggs for 3 minutes, or until thick and creamy.

Fold vanilla extract and orange zest, if using, into puréed beans. In small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.

Fold egg mixture into beans, then fold flour mixture into beans by thirds. Fill cupcake tins two-thirds full. Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove, and cool on rack.

Meanwhile, to make Frosting: Using electric mixer, beat margarine until smooth. Beat in confectioners’ sugar then juice concentrate until smooth. If too stiff, add 1 tsp. water at a time. Tint with food coloring, if desired. Top each cupcake with 2 tsp. frosting and a candy kiss.

CHILLY CHOCOLATE PIE

This is from My Daily Moment, and begins, “This simple, creamy chocolate pie is a simple fix for a weeknight, after-dinner treat. You work hard all day - why not get your just desserts?”

Serves: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup whipping cream

10 ounces Hershey's chocolate almond bar

6 tablespoons water

1 8-inch graham cracker crust pie shell

Directions

Melt chocolate bar in water over low heat stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow cooling. Meanwhile, whip cream until it forms peaks. When chocolate mixture is cooled, gently fold in the whipped cream. Turn into piecrust and refrigerate until ready to serve, or at least 2 hours.

Ready in 30 min.

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