Recipe: Chocolate Recipes Part 2 (8)

8-25-99 Chocolate Recipes Part 2

Verla,.Il (04:17:31) : The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

I got this recipe from a 90 year old Italian lady. She brought it to a church potluck. It is the best!!!!!!!

3/4 c. butter
2 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
Few drops of red food coloring
3 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
3 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. ice water

Cream together butter and sugar and add vanilla, eggs, food coloring and melted chocolate. Mix in flour and water alternately. Bake in a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan 40 to 50 minutes.

Frosting:
1 stick butter
6 T. Crisco
1 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp salt
Beat all together until fluffy! Spread over cooled cake!BB,.California (02:33:41) : Chocolate Chip Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache

=== CAKE ===
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar -- divided in half
14 large egg whites -- room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 cup coarsely-grated bittersweet chocolate
=== GANACHE ===
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate -- chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, then resift flour with 3/4 cup sugar.
In a clean metal bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar; beat until whites have tripled in size, about 3 minutes. Slowly add remaining sugar; beat 1 to 2 minutes, or until firm and glossy.
Transfer egg whites to a large metal mixing bowl. Gently fold in flour mixture in three additions, mixing from bottom of bowl (try to use fewest strokes possible.) Fold in grated chocolate, and mix. Pour batter into a 10-inch non-stick angel food cake pan, and run a knife through center of the batter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until top becomes golden brown.
Invert the pan over the neck of a bottle and cool about 1 hour. Loosen the cake from the pan with a flexible knife, and turn the cake over onto cake stand.
Make ganache by heating buttermilk over medium heat; add chopped chocolate, and stir slowly until melted. Since buttermilk will curdle slightly, strain mixture through a very fine sieve, and stir slowly until smooth. Spread ganache over top of cooled angel food cake and allow to harden slightly before serving.
Makes one 10 inch cake. BB,.California (02:32:10) : Chocolate Cherry Tarts

Recipe By : Elizabeth Powell

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 square baking chocolate -- melted
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup maraschino cherries -- finely chopped
24 maraschino cherry halves

Cream butter and sugar; blend in melted chocolate. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Sift dry ingredients together and blend into chocolate mixture. Roll pastry to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured pastry cloth. Cut circles with 3-inch cookie cutter and place in buttered tartlet pans or shallow muffin tins.
Blend cream cheese, sugar, and egg; fold in chopped cherries. Place 1 tablespoon filling in each tart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cherry half. Chill.

Yield: approximately 2 dozen tarts.SusannahOH (02:29:18) : MINIATURE CHOCOLATE PECAN CAKES

4 sq. unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 c. broken pecans
1 c. flour
1 3/4 sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
36-48 miniature paper baking cups

Melt chocolate and margarine over low heat in heavy saucepan. Add nuts and stir to coat. Remove from heat. Use wooden spoon to combine flour sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix only to blend. Add chocolate-pecan mixture and mix carefully. Spoon into baking cups, filling almost to top. Bake at 325 for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, freeze if desired. Makes 3-4 dozen.BB,.California (02:26:03) : Black Bottom Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
Sugar (see instructions)
Salt (see instructions)

Combine in mixing bowl cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt. Beat well; stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

Mix together in a bowl flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, 1/2 tsp. salt and baking soda. Add water, vanilla, cooking oil and vinegar. Beat until combined. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups. Fill each cup 1/3 full with batter. Top each with a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes. BB,.California (02:22:01) : Babe Ruth Cookies

1/2 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Flaked coconut
1 cup Chopped walnuts
5 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
2 3/4 cups Graham cracker crumbs - (about 9 whole
crackers)
1/2 cup Peanut butter
1/4 cup Evaporated milk
1/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup Granulated sugar

In a food processor, process chocolate chips, coconut and walnuts to a texture of coarse crumbs. Add powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Process to blend well. Add peanut butter and evaporated milk, processing until the mixture begins to hold together.
Spread cocoa powder and granulated sugar on separate plates. Roll cookie mixture into about 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in cocoa powder, then in sugar. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 1 day before serving.
Yield: About 42 cookies.
By Cece Sullivan, The Seattle Times 12-21-1998BB,.California (02:17:31) : Banana Cake ( With Chocolate Glazed layers )

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising) -- sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter -- room temperature
2 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs -- lightly beaten
1 cup pureed ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar -- to taste
3 cups sour cream
=== CHOCOLATE GLAZE AND CURLS ===
13 ounces semisweet chocolate -- finely chopped
=== BANANA FILLING ===
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 1/2 pounds peeled ripe bananas -- cut 3/4" slices
1/4 cup bourbon
=== CREAM CHEESE FROSTING ===
12 ounces cream cheese - room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- room
temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in the center of oven. Line the bottom of two 8- by 2-inch buttered cake pans. Dust the bottom and sides with flour, tap out any excess.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; reserve. Cream butter and shortening on medium-low until very soft, 1 minute. Gradually add sugar until mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides twice. Gradually drizzle in eggs on lowest speed, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, 3 to 5 minutes; scrape down bowl three times. Add bananas and vanilla to buttermilk. On low speed, slowly add flour mixture, to egg mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour; scrape down sides twice.
Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pans after 25 to 30 minutes for even browning, until a cake tester inserted into center of each comes out clean. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; return to cool completely on racks, tops up. (Makes two 8 inch layers)
Meanwhile, sift the confectioners' sugar over the sour cream in a medium mixing bowl. Gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill, and reserve to use for filling.
To assemble cake, remove parchment paper from bottoms of cakes. Split each layer in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Set aside the prettiest dome for the final layer. Place another domed layer, dome-side down, on the serving platter. Spread chocolate glaze on the three remaining layers. Set aside to let the chocolate dry slightly.
Arrange one-third of saut ed banana filling over the chocolate covered cake layer. Fill in between bananas with sweetened sour cream. Repeat filling and spreading process with the remaining two layers, topping with the reserved domed layer. Let cake chill and set one hour before frosting. Frost with cream cheese frosting; top with chocolate curls.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE AND CURLS: Place chocolate in double boiler set over, but not touching, simmering water. Stir with rubber spatula until melted, about 3 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup melted chocolate into a clean 11- by 17-inch flat baking sheet. Repeat with second sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread chocolate as evenly as possible on each sheet. Transfer the baking sheets to the refrigerator to chill, about 20 minutes.
Transfer baking sheets to a flat surface. Use a bench scraper to firmly scrape along bottom of sheet in direction away from your body. Hold bench scraper at a slight angle to sheet; push to form curls. If chocolate is too cold, it will splinter. Let sheet sit 2 to 4 minutes at room temperature. Scraps of chocolate may be melted and used again. Refrigerate best curls for cake. Use remaining 3/4 cup melted chocolate to spread on three banana cake layers. (Makes enough for one cake)
BANANA FILLING: Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons sugar; stir until the sugar melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Add half the banana slices; let sit, shaking pan occasionally, until bananas are lightly golden on bottom, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn bananas over; cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat; add 2 tablespoons bourbon. Cook 30 seconds to cook off alcohol. Transfer to single layer on plate to cool. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cool before filling Banana Cake. (Makes 4 1/2 cups)
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the butter, and cream for 2 minutes, until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar on low speed, and mix until completely combined. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container, and place in the refrigerator until mixture is chilled and firm, 3 to 4 hours, or overnight. (Makes 3 cups)
Makes 1 eight-inch cake.
Source:
"Martha Stewart Living Magazine, May 1997"BB,.California (02:14:12) : Avis June's Chocolate Gravy

4 large Croissants
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch Salt
5 1/2 cups Low fat (1 percent) milk
2 tablespoons Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 pound Fresh strawberries

Warm or bake croissants as necessary. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart or larger saucepan, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder and salt. Place pot over medium heat; gradually add milk, whisking constantly until well-blended and smooth. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add butter; stir until melted and well-blended. Remove pan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cut croissants in half. Serve 1/4 cup sauce over each warm croissant half. Garnish each plate with 4 strawberries, whole or sliced.
Yield: 8 servings.

Comments: Fresh pineapple chunks or raspberries can be substituted for strawberries. Biscuits or crescent rolls can be used instead of croissants. Leftover sauce may be refrigerated for a week and reheated in the microwave.