RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES for Valentine's Day!

Here's a great recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies. Perfect for Valentine's Day! Anything red and chocolate works for me! And who doesn't need another brownie recipe? This recipe is an adaptation of Sunny Anderson's recipefrom the Foodnetwork, and it's delicious. The recipe contains red food coloring, but there are some nice Wilton natural red colorings you can use. It's an easy recipe -- and delicious! 

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan
Parchment paper

Red Velvet Brownie Layer
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup high grade cocoa powder
Dash of salt
1 Tbsp red food coloring (or Wilton natural red)
1 tsp vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Cream Cheese Layer
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 8 by 8 inch baking pan.
Put long piece of parchment paper in bottom of pan, extending up two side--overhanging slightly on both ends (easy to remove brownies after baked)

Brownie layer: 
In saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Put butter in large bowl and add sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder (or melted chocolate), salt, food coloring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions.
Whisk eggs in small bowl and stir into cocoa mix. Fold in flour until lightly combined. Stir in walnuts and pour batter into prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of batter for the top.

Cream cheese layer: 
Blend together cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in medium bowl. Gently spread cream cheese layer on top of brownie batter in pan. Drop remaining brownie batter over cream cheese layer. Using skewer or tip of knife, drag tip through cream cheese mixture to create swirl pattern.
Bake brownies for 30 minutes.
Remove to cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Truffle Recipe and Vintage Heart-Shaped Chocolate Molds!

Valentine's Day is all about Chocolate. I love heart-shaped truffles, and they're easy to make if you have the right molds. There are silicon heart shaped molds to make these chocolates, but I'm lucky enough to have a few Vintage heart-shaped chocolate molds I've found over the years. Scroll down for photos of Vintage Heart-Shaped Chocolate Molds.

So here's yet another recipe for Truffles--this time for Valentine Heart-shaped Chocolate Truffles. Of course, you can use any basic truffle recipe and just press into the mold. I usually melt my chocolate and butter in a double boiler, but the microwave works, too.

And, if you don't have time to make your own heart shaped truffles, buy Coeurs de truffes from Guyaux! Guyaux was founded in 1931. They produce traditional French-style truffles-in heart shape this time of year--covered with cocoa powder. Guyaux is a family run company, headed by second and third generation chocolate makers in Paris. It's now run by the grand-daughter of the founder. And, if you want to give a really special gift, buy Guyaux truffles in the traditional French Truffle Box! The basket is a replica of the one used historically to store Perigord truffles… which explains the open-weave lid. Ooo-la-la! So rich and decadent!

Valentine Chocolate Truffle Recipe
Makes 24 chocolate truffles

Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, chopped coarsely
9 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tsp corn syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted for dusting the finished chocolate truffles
You are only limited by your imagination or heart on decorating ideas!

Directions
Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler or in saucepan on top of saucepan over simmering water.
Remove from heat and add cream and corn syrup. Mix until combined and smooth. If you are adding flavorings add them with the cream (kirsch, bourbon, kahlua, etc???).
Pour chocolate truffle filling into heart shaped chocolate mold. Level top with scraper. Put in refrigerator to set.
Once firm, place in freezer for 5 minutes then push out of mold. Dust with sifted cocoa powder.
Store in cool dry place until ready to eat or give as a Valentine's Day gift.

Vintage Valentine Chocolate Molds

EASY NUTELLA PIZZA: National Pizza Day!

I think of Nutella as goodness in a jar! I always have a jar in the pantry, but you can make your own. There are also some other great chocolate hazelnut spreads. Check them out.

Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread,” it is a way of life.

You're probably having a pizza today to celebrate National Pizza Day. Great! But why not add an easy and delicious "Nutella Pizza" for dessert. 

EASY NUTELLA PIZZA

Ingredients
Pizza Dough (I use Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup Nutella
1/3 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup grated (or chopped) white chocolate

Directions
Preheat oven to 425.
Spray baking sheet. Set aside.
Prepare dough.
Flatten dough on baking sheet. Make it thin. This is a 'thin crust' pizza. Bake dough for 10 minutes.
Spread NUTELLA over pizza dough.
Top with toasted chopped hazelnuts and grated chocolate (to look like cheese) or  chopped white chocolate (or both).
Put pizza back into the oven for 3-5 minutes, until chocolate just starts to melt.
Cool before cutting.

How easy is this? 

CHOCOLATE GAZPACHO for Super Bowl Sunday

So many great foods to serve today for Super Bowl Sunday, but here's one that's right up my alley: Chocolate Gazpacho. I love Chocolate Soup! FYI: This is savory! 

This Chocolate Gazpacho recipe is from Chef Mat Schuster of San Francisco’s Canela Bistro & Wine Bar I posted years ago, but thought it deserved a repost. Thank You, Mat, for permission to post! And, of course, this Chocolate Gazpacho would be great to serve on Valentine's Day! It's quite versatile! Bookmark it!

Chocolate Gazpacho

Ingredients
3 Tbsp unsweetened dark Cocoa Powder
2 cloves garlic
1 small shallot, diced
1 Tbsp Spanish Sherry Vinegar
1/2 cup Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup cucumber
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup to 1 cup cold water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients into pitcher of blender and blend until smooth. Add enough water to make consistency of choice, but make sure you don’t dilute the flavor.
Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate to chill the soup.
Before serving, garnish with chocolate shavings. You can also add croutons for a crunch.