GRAND MARNIER HOT CHOCOLATE: National Hot Chocolate Day!

Today is National Hot Chocolate Day! The San Francisco Bay Area is damp (yay for the rain!) and much of the country is covered in snow and ice. Brrrr... Hot Chocolate is definitely called for, so why not add some Grand Marnier to warm yourself up. 
 
Grand Marnier, an orange flavored brandy, has been an icon of authentic French "joie de vivre" for over 150 years. Still owned by the Marnier Lapostolle Family, this acclaimed liqueur has a luxurious taste and still uses the same secret recipe. Grand Marnier is a blend of Cognac, distilled essence of bitter orange, and sugar.

One of the most important ingredients in Grand Marnier is Citrus Bigaradia Oranges. This variety of tropical orange is different from the sweet oranges we usually eat. It's bitter and has an intense aroma. Though the Citrus bigaradia is not a particularly rare orange, it's the way the oranges are harvested and distilled to obtain the orange essence that makes Grand Marnier® liqueur unique. The oranges are handpicked while they are still green-- when they are at their most aromatic. In order to preserve optimal concentration of the aroma of the peels, they are left to dry naturally in the Caribbean sun for several weeks on the Marnier Lapostolle family plantation. Their slow distillation extracts an orange essence that is particularly aromatic.

Oranges and Chocolate go so well together that Grand Marnier Hot Chocolate is a perfect match! Here's a recipe I've posted before. It's a favorite, and so easy.

Some additions or alternatives: To spice this up, add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to each mug. You can also make your hot chocolate from scratch using your choice of dark chocolate. Mix some Grand Marnier into the whipped cream for a double treat on this fun holiday!

GRAND MARNIER HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients
2 ounces Grand Marnier
3 Cups Hot Chocolate (I like Scharffen Berger)
1/2 Cup whipping cream, lightly whipped
Orange Peel (or zest) for garnish

Directions
1. Make hot chocolate according to package directions (or follow your favorite recipe-- I use whole milk when making hot chocolate).
2. Pour one ounce of Grand Marnier into each mug and fill mug with hot chocolate.
3. In a bowl whip fresh cream and spoon on top of hot chocolate.
4. Grate some orange zest over the top or add a curled orange peel.

BRANDY ALEXANDER CHEESECAKE: Brandy Alexander Day!

Brideshead Revisited: Brandy Alexander

Today is Brandy Alexander Day. A Brandy Alexander is a cocktail made with brandy, chocolate liqueur, and cream. 

There are many rumors about its origins. Some sources say it was created at the time of the London wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles in 1922. Drama critic and Algonquin Round Table member Alexander Woollcott claimed that it was named after him. Other sources say it was named after the Russian Tsar Alexander. According to historian Barry Popik, Troy Alexander, a bartender at Rector's, a New York City restaurant, created the drink in order to serve a white drink at a dinner celebrating Phoebe Snow, a character in a popular advertising campaign in the early 20th century.

I've posted many recipes for Brandy Alexanders - - cocktails, brownies and Brandy Alexander Pie, but today I'm posting a recipe for Brandy Alexander Cheesecake. Be sure to scroll down. And for the TV addicts out there, here's a list of the Brandy Alexander as it appeared on different TV series. This list is a bit dated, so I'd appreciate any updates!

The Brandy Alexander on Television 

The character Raj Koothrappali orders a brandy Alexander in "The Hofstadter Isotope" episode of The Big Bang Theory, after being mocked for ordering first a grasshopper and then a chocolate Martini.
In season one episode nine of Cheers, while Carla is in charge of the bar, she is asked to make a brandy Alexander.
In the Fantasy Island episode entitled "Anniversary," Cap Truman (Jim Backus) rushes outside with his butler to greet Tom (Ronny Cox) and Toni Elgin (Lucie Arnaz) with brandy Alexanders, just as he had done eight years before, the day before their wedding.
In season one episode eleven of Mad Men, Peggy Olson expresses disappointment with her Brandy Alexander while on a blind date.
The drink was included as the Cocktail Moment on the 29 March 2013 episode of The Rachel Maddow Show.
Lance White's hypnotist friend in "Nice Guys Finish Dead", an episode of The Rockford Files, is named after the drink.
In the pilot episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary Richards asks for a Brandy Alexander at her first job interview.
In season four episode twenty-three of Chuck, "Big Mike" orders a Brandy Alexander at a wedding rehearsal dinner.
In episode one of Brideshead Revisited, Anthony Blanche orders four Brandy Alexanders in a bar: two for himself and two for Charles Ryder.
In season one episode three of Dilbert, Lena Olsen asks Dilbert to make a "Triple Brandy Alexander with an Easter Island sunset chaser" as a way of keeping him occupied while she searches his house.
In season three, episode 16 of Three's Company, a woman orders a brandy Alexander from Mr Roper. He responds, "You don't want to drink that junk. Try some bourbon. It's fresh."
In season four, episode five of American Horror Story, the Strongman Del (Michael Chiklis) orders two Brandy Alexanders at a gay bar for his paramour Andy (played by Matt Bomer).
In the Season 2 episode of Lou Grant, called "Schools," Lou asks the bartender for a "malt." When the bartender admits to not knowing how to make a malt, Lou asks, "Do you know how to make a brandy Alexander? Just leave out the brandy and give us the Alexander!"
In the TV movies "A Town Without Christmas" and "When Angels Come to Town," the Brandy Alexander is the preferred drink of the angel Max (Peter Falk).

Brandy Alexander Cheesecake
recipe adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) box chocolate graham crackers, crushed (about 2 1/4 cups)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar, divided
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 Tbsp Brandy, divided 4 tablespoons Kahlua, divided (you can use Creme de Cacao instead)
1 (16 ounces) container sour cream

Optional: Garnishes: blackberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. Stir together crushed graham crackers, butter, and 1 Tbsp sugar. Press mixture on bottom and halfway up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Freeze 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, 1- 1/4 cups sugar, and cornstarch at medium speed with electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add 3 Tbsp brandy and 3 Tbsp Kahlua, and beat just until blended. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour or just until center is almost set.
During last 2 minutes of baking, stir together sour cream and remaining 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp brandy, and 1 Tbsp Kahlua (or crème de cacao).
Spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Bake at 325° for 8 more minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven; gently run a knife along outer edge of cheesecake, and cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours).
Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
Remove sides of springform pan, and place cheesecake on serving plate.
Garnish, if desired.

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE TRUFFLES: Lunar New Year!

恭賀發財 Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chinese New Year! A few years ago I tasted fabulous Chinese 5-Spice Truffles at a special event. The chef wouldn't part with his recipe, so I did a bit of sleuthing. I found several recipes on the Internet and experimented. As always the final outcome depends on the quality of chocolate, and, additionally in this case, the spices. I found some locally produced Chinese Five-Spice, and I prefer it to the 'regular' Chinese 5-spice you can get at most local markets. Five-Spice encompasses all five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. In case you want to make your own Chinese 5 Spice, scroll down for a recipe for Chinese Five Spice. It's easy to make, and you get to control the quality and freshness (and you can experiment to please your taste).

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1 lb dark chocolate, preferably 70%
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (you can mix in a bit of sparkling sugar if you want to be festive)

Directions
Melt chocolate in metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water (or in a double boiler).
Remove from stove and pour cream with spices over it.
Let stand 2-3 minutes and then whisk together until smooth.
Refrigerate for an hour.
Take out of refrigerator and scoop or spoon into balls and put on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Put baking sheets in refrigerator for a few hours to firm up.
When balls are cold and solid, roll in cocoa powder, shaking off excess.

Chinese Five Spice
Recipe from Food.com

Ingredients
3 Tbsp cinnamon (I use Vietnamese cinnamon)
6 star anise or 2 teaspoons anise seeds
1 1⁄2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 1⁄2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns (If you don't have any, you can substitute black peppercorns)
3⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender or coffee grinder. Blend until finely ground. Store in airtight container. Keeps up to 2 months.

Tip: You can "roast" the whole spices a bit for more intense flavor -- in a dry frying pan, but watch closely, so spices don't burn. If they do, the spice will be bitter.

Snow White Dairy Recipes: Sneezy's Orange Butter Spread & Sleepy's Honey Butter

Fairies at the Bottom of my Garden? More like Dwarfs!  

Some of you know that I'm a big Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fan! I have been since I first saw the Disney movie in the theatre as a child. I have two sets--and a few extra--cement Disney dwarfs and Snow Whites in my garden. One set is painted (but peeling), the other is paint-free. I like to think of the dwarfs as working in my garden, tending the plants, complaining, and sleeping. The statues were made in the 1950s. I found them at various estate sales and flea markets. 

Here's a page from the Snow White Dairy Recipes booklet. I love the recipes for Orange Butter Spread and Honey Butter. Sneezy's Orange Butter Spread is great on toast. I use Sleepy's Honey Butter on lots of things from waffles to Dutch Babies to bagels. Yum!

The Booklet came out in 1955 as an advertising premium for the American Dairy Association. The name and logo of the local dairy sponsor was printed or stamped on the back cover, but some books have no markings. It's a slight booklet--5 x 7 with 14 pages. Lots of fun recipes! I see the booklet's at the Flea Market, and, of course, they're for sale online. 

CHOCOLATE DEPRESSION CAKE aka Wacky Cake, Crazy Cake, Vinegar Cake: National Chocolate Cake Day!

This cake is known as Depression Cake, Crazy Cake, and Wacky Cake, and Vinegar Cake. It seems very appropriate for this past week, and I imagine I'll be making it a lot in the depressing days to come. Since today is Chocolate Cake Day, we all could use some chocolate! This moist Chocolate Cake is simple to make and perfect for these crazy, wacky, depressing times. 

During the Depression and WWII there was a shortage of eggs and butter and milk, so this cake found its way into the ovens and hearts of many. Elevate it for 2025 with chocolate butter cream frosting or whipped cream and strawberries. But this cake doesn't really need it. It's delicious the way it is! It's great to make for a pot-luck or for a last minute dessert or for your family.

CHOCOLATE DEPRESSION CAKE aka Wacky Cake, Crazy Cake, Vinegar Cake

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour 
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
10 Tbsp unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
2 Tbsp vinegar  (I like Cider Vinegar, but white distilled is fine, too)
2 tsp pure vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil (try sunflower oil, if you have it, but any will do)
2 cups cold water

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 13 x 9 baking pan.
Sift dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with large spoon until smooth.
Pour into prepared greased and floured pan.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Optional: It doesn't need it, but you can sprinkle with powdered sugar, frost with ganache or buttercream, or top with whipped cream and strawberries!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BRITTLE: National Peanut Brittle Day!

Today is National Peanut Brittle Day. Peanut Brittle is delicious, and it's that's much better if you add chocolate! As always, the finished product will reflect its ingredients, so use the very best! This recipe is adapted from Hershey's!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups salted peanuts
1/4 cup Dark Cocoa 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup sugar

Directions
Lightly butter cookie sheet; set aside. Stir together cocoa and baking soda in small bowl; add butter. Set aside.
Stir together sugar, corn syrup, and whipping cream in heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 300°F. on candy thermometer or until syrup, when dropped into very cold water, separates into threads which are hard and brittle. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)
Remove from heat; stir in cocoa mixture. Immediately pour onto prepared cookie sheet. With tongs or wooden spoons, quickly spread and pull into 1/4-inch thickness. Place cookie sheet on wire rack; cool completely.
Snap into pieces!

SOCOLA CHOCOLATIER: Year of the Snake - Tết - Lunar New Year Collection

I love Socola Chocolatier, an award winning woman-owned chocolate company that creates chocolates inspired by the diverse flavors of Vietnam. They have the most unique flavors.

Socola was co-founded by Wendy Lieu and her sister, Susan Lieu. Wendy always had a passion for chocolate and was dreaming up (and cooking up) her own truffle recipes when she was a teenager. Susan is a perfect counterpart to Wendy, because her talent and acumen was in business and marketing. Susan was always finding and creating ways for more and more people to learn about and experience Socola! 

Today, Socola is a vibrant business with an amazing team of staff members who work together to create the most stunning chocolates.

You can order on-line, at their store, or pick up a box at SFO. 

Read more here. https://www.socolachocolates.com/pages/about-us

In Vietnamese culture, the Lunar New Year is called Tết Nguyên Đán, often shortened to "Tết." This holiday signals the arrival of spring and thus new beginnings. It's celebrated by everyone — between family members, friends, colleagues, and more. During this time of year, sweet treats and other symbols of good luck and fortune are exchanged, to welcome in an auspicious year. 

Socola's Year of the Snake Collection is inspired by the inviting aromas of Lunar New Year celebrations — from pandan and coconut-scented warm sticky rice, to spicy and sticky ginger peanut candies, to the fragrant steam wafting off of a hot cup of tea ... and so much more.
Chúc mừng năm mới! 

Happy New Year! 

  

Year of the Snake Chocolate Box

Flavors:

• Jujube Caramel // Dried jujube fruit caramel, encased in a dark chocolate shell.
• Lapsang Souchong // Dartealing Lounge’s lapsang souchong tea-infused ganache, in dark chocolate
• Candied Ginger Peanut // Ginger pâte de fruit with milk chocolate and peanut butter, in dark chocolate
• Pandan Coconut // Pandan-infused coconut white chocolate ganache, in a dark chocolate shell
• Preserved Kumquat // Dark chocolate ganache of savory preserved kumquats, in dark chocolate
• Tamarind Sesame // Tamarind milk chocolate ganache, rolled in toasted sesame seeds

IRISH COFFEE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE: Irish Coffee Day

Today is National Irish Coffee Day, and I have an easy recipe for Irish Coffee Chocolate Cake to celebrate! If you're a purist, you'll want to substitute your own chocolate cake and pudding recipes for the box mixes. If you're in a hurry, though, this is a great easy recipe! This is a terrific way to celebrate the day. No time to bake? Head on over to your favorite Irish Pub and raise a glass of Irish Coffee. Have some chocolate in your pocket. Stir into your Irish Coffee!

Irish Coffee is a very San Francisco drink invented in 1952 at The Buena Vista Cafe. The recipe was a collaborative effort between Jack Koeppler, the Buena Vista’s owner, and Stanton Delaplane, a well-known international travel writer and San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Here's the original recipe. Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista is still made the same way.

The official story of Irish Coffee tells of the perseverance and repeated attempts of Koeppler & Delaplane and even a trip to Shannon Airport, where a forerunner of Koeppler’s vision was served. The whipped cream posed a problem, but the input of a prominent dairy farmer turned Mayor of San Francisco, solved the problem: Age the cream for 48 hours and froth it to a precise consistency so it would float on top of the hot coffee, to Koeppler’s specifications.

So if you're in San Francisco today, it's a big day at the Buena Vista. Stop by and raise a glass!

IRISH COFFEE CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake)
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee
3/4 cup Irish whiskey
1/2 cup water
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Whipped cream

Directions
Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, instant coffee, whiskey, water, and pudding mix. Blend well. Fold in chocolate chips/chopped chocolate. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely.

EXTRA NUTTY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BROWNIES: National Peanut Butter Day!

Today is National Peanut Butter Day! Here's a great and easy recipe for Extra Nutty Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies adapted from a Pillsbury recipe. I don't usually use boxed mixes, but this is a great recipe. Of course you can make your own brownies and just add the layer of peanut butter fudge and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts. I really like the clean salty taste of plain roasted peanuts, rather than the recommended honey-roasted peanuts in the original recipe. I also add chocolate chips to the recipe and cut down on the peanut butter chips. You can never have enough chocolate!

Have a Peanut Buttery Day!

EXTRA NUTTY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BROWNIES!

Ingredients
2 (15.8 oz) package fudge brownie mix with chocolate syrup
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
7 ounces peanut butter chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray with nonstick cooking spray or grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan.
In large bowl, combine brownie mixes, chocolate pouches from mixes, oil, water and eggs; beat 50 strokes with spoon. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour about half of batter into sprayed pan.
In large saucepan, combine condensed milk, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter; cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until chips and peanut butter are melted, stirring constantly.
Spoon and spread peanut butter mixture over batter.
Drop remaining half of batter over peanut butter layer.
Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. DO NOT OVERBAKE. 
Cool 2 hours.
Cut into bars.

15 MINUTE CHOCOLATE BANANA CREAM PIE: Retro Ad with Recipe for National Pie Day!

Today is National Pie Day. To be fair, there are multiple Pie Days, but that makes for so many more pie celebrations. Here's a retro Keebler Ad for 15 Minute Banana Cream Pie. As always, you can make your own ingredients from scratch, but it will take more than 15 minutes! This recipe uses a Chocolate "Ready Crust" from Keebler, but you can make your own chocolate crust. 

Keebler 15-minute Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie recipe

Ingredients
1 Keebler Ready-Crust Chocolate Pie Crust
1 package (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding and pie filling
1 envelope (1-1/2 ounces) whipped topping mix
1-1/2 cups cold milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 medium bananas

Directions
In mixing bowl, combine pie filling mix, whipped topping mix, milk, and vanilla. Use an electric blender on low-speed until blended. Increase speed and beat until very thick, about 3 minutes.
Pour one-third of mixture into crust. Layer slices of banana on top, reserving 1/2 banana for garnish. Pour remaining filling into crust. Chill 2 hours.
Garnish with sliced banana and additional whipped topping (or whipped cream!), if desired.

DAGWOOD'S BLONDIE BROWNIES: National Blonde Brownies Day!

Today is National Blonde Brownies Day. Now this is a misnomer because Blondies aren't really brownies. Blondies aka Blonde Brownies are all about the butter and brown sugar, and, as with their versatile cousin, chocolate brownies, you can add other ingredients such as macadamia nuts, cocounut, chocolate chips, pecans, and other goodies.

This year I'd like to celebrate National Blonde Brownies Day with a recipe that features Blondie, that wonderful comic strip woman known for her baking and sandwich making! Created in 1930 by Chic Young, Blondie and Dagwood appear together in blissful love and happiness in over 2300 newspapers all around the world and translated into 35 different languages in 55 countries and read by an estimated 280 million people every day.

This recipe isn't from the Blondie Cookbook (I have posted a recipe from the cookbook for a Chocolate Sandwich, of course). This recipe for Dagwood's Blondies is from the Lurpak Butter Company. Enjoy!

Dagwood’s Blondies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 oz (1 cup or 16 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. On medium speed, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time and then vanilla.
Lower speed and stir in flour mixture
Fold in nuts and chocolate chips or pieces.
Transfer batter to 9 x 13" non-stick or sprayed baking pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Cool completely in pan before cutting into 2-inch squares.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT GRANOLA BARS: National Granola Bar Day!

Today is National Granola Bar Day! Yes, there's always a food holiday to celebrate! I've posted recipes for Granola Bars in the past (Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars, and Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars), but here's one for Chocolate Coconut Granola Bars. Don't be overwhelmed by the number of steps. These bars are really quite quick to make, but I suggest you have all your ingredients ready before you go to work! The following Chocolate Coconut Granola Bar recipe produces terrific, tasty, and healthy bars that are great in the kids' lunchboxes or as a pick-me-up for you! This is a 'copycat' Kashi recipe. No time to make this today? Then buy yourself a Kashi Chocolate Coconut Granola Bar.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT GRANOLA BARS

Ingredients 

Bars 
1 cup whole almonds, divided
1 cup walnuts, divided
1 1/2 cup old fashion oats, divided
1/4 cup ground flax
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp almond butter

Chocolate Glaze 
1 Tbsp coconut oil
10 ounces dark chocolate (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped coconut flakes

Directions 
In food processor, add 1/2 cup of almonds, 1/2cup of walnuts, and 3/4 cup of oats. Process until  turns into fine powder, about 1 minute. (Do not over process)
Chop remaining almonds and walnuts. Add to large bowl along with remaining 3/4 cup oats and processed powder. Add to bowl: ground flax, chia seeds, and coconut flakes. Toss together.
Heat small pan on stove over medium heat. Add honey, coconut oil, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, and almond butter. Stir constantly until fully melted and begins to foam. Allow to foam and bubble for about a minute before immediately pouring over nuts and oats mixture.
Using rubber spatula, stir everything together until evenly distributed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 13 x 6’’ pan with parchment paper, enough to hang over two of the sides.
Pour granola mixture into pan and spread evenly. Using metal spatula, begin pressing down really hard all along edges and through middle. (Tip: If you don’t press down tightly, they will fall apart when cut)
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until firm. Remove and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate glaze:
Melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add chopped chocolate. Stir until you have smooth glaze.
Pour over Baked mixture and using spatula, spread to edges and even out.
Sprinkle top with additional walnuts and coconut flakes.
Allow top to set (several hours)
Once totally set, pick up both sides of overhanging parchment paper and remove from pan.
Cut into small rectangles.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTERCRUNCH TOFFEE: National Buttercrunch Day

Today is National Buttercrunch Day. For me that means Chocolate Almond Buttercrunch Toffee. Food & Wine has the easiest recipe from Grace Parisi, and one you'll want to make. It does involve a candy thermometer, but it's worth it!

No time to cook? Grab a bar of Almond Roca or check out your local chocolatier for Almond Toffee.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTERCRUNCH TOFFEE

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter 

1 1/2 cups sugar  

2 Tbsp water 

1 cup salted roasted almonds—3/4 cup coarsely chopped, 1/4 cup finely chopped  

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 

1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, crumbled  

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Of course use the very best chocolate!)

Directions

Line 8-by-11-inch baking pan with foil. Spray foil with vegetable oil.

In heavy saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar and water and bring to boil. Wash down side of pan with moistened pastry brush. Cook over moderate heat, stirring with wooden spoon, until deeply golden caramel forms and temperature reaches 300° on candy thermometer, 15 minutes; if sugar and butter separate, stir vigorously to blend. Remove from heat and add coarsely chopped almonds, vanilla and salt. Scrape toffee into prepared pan; let cool for 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle half of chocolate over toffee and let stand until melted. Spread chocolate over toffee and sprinkle with half of finely chopped almonds. Freeze toffee for 10 minutes.  

Invert toffee onto foil-lined baking sheet and peel off foil backing. In microwave safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate. Spread melted chocolate over top of toffee and sprinkle with remaining finely chopped almonds. 

Let toffee cool, then break into shards. 

COCOA BREAD: Vintage Recipe from Fleischmann's Yeast

I grew up baking with Fleischmann's Yeast, so I was thrilled when my husband found this tiny pamphlet in his mother's papers. His mother may not have been a good cook, but she was a terrific baker. I love Vintage and Retro recipes and pamphlets. On this one, you could write for the pamphlet to be sent to friends. This is pre-zipcode. I think the illustrations are adorable, too. This little book was actually printed askew with the city of publication cut off. When I say little, the book is 3 1/2 x 6 1/2.

There were several good recipes in this small cookbook, but I decided to post the recipe for Cocoa Bread. FYI: this recipe does not have a temperature for baking the Cocoa Bread. I guess it was 350. Who doesn't love Cocoa Bread? 

 

HONEY CHOCOLATE PIE: Winnie the Pooh Day

Today is Winnie the Pooh Day. Yes, there's a holiday for everything! Here's a recipe for Honey Chocolate Pie from The Pooh Cook Book by Virginia H. Ellison, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard (1969: Dell Publishing). This Cook Book (two words) is inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. One of my favorite stuffed animals as a child was Tigger. 

I have always been a big honey fan, probably because of the Winnie the Pooh stories. I love honey, and I have found that a teaspoon of local honey every day alleviates my Spring allergies. Perhaps Winnie had allergies, too, and needed his "Hunny". 

From the Introduction to The Pooh Cook Book:

As a cook you should know that honey is almost twice as sweet as sugar, and yet when you eat it, it doesn't make you want to go on eating sweets. Honey is also healthful, and very good for active people. When used in cooking it keeps food moist and adds a flavor all its won, as you will see when you've made some of the dishes in The Pooh Cook Book. Clover honey is the best all-purpose honey but there are as many flavors, or kinds of honey as there are blossoms on flowers and bushes and trees."

HONEY CHOCOLATE PIE

Chocolate Hot Buttered Rum Bundt Cake: National Hot Buttered Rum Day

I love a mug of Hot Chocolate Buttered Rum on a cold rainy day. For the past few years I've posted a recipe  for Hot Cocoa Buttered Rum on January 17 for National Hot Buttered Rum Day. This year I thought I'd post a great recipe I found a few years ago at the CrumbyKitchen for Hot Chocolate Buttered Rum Bundt Cake! It's a very dense spiced chocolate bundt cake and amazingly boozy!You're going to love it. And, you can always have a Chocolate Hot Buttered Rum with it!

CHOCOLATE HOT BUTTERED RUM BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients 

Cake 
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup rum
1 1/2 cups plus
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Buttered Rum Glaze 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup rum
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Cake
Preheat oven to 326 degrees F. Spray a 15-cup bundt pan with baking spray, then dust with 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder; set aside

Whisk flour, baking soda and powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

In large saucepan set over medium heat, combine butter, buttermilk, coffee, rum, cocoa powder, and spices and stir. Heat until butter melts and all ingredients come together, then whisk in sugars, stirring until dissolved. Cool mixture for 5 minutes, then transfer to large mixing bowl.

In small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla extract, and add to cooled chocolate rum mixture, stirring until combined.

Add flour mixture and stir until just combined – batter will be rather thin but slightly lumpy/bubbly.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted to the bottom comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 20-30 minutes while you make glaze.

Buttered Rum Glaze

In small saucepan, dissolve brown sugar into cream over medium-low heat. When combined, add rum and set heat to low. Allow to simmer until liquid is reduced and thickens. Add butter and stir to melt, then remove from heat.

Using skewer, poke multiple holes across bottom of cake. Spoon or brush buttered rum glaze on  cake, and allow to soak 5-10 minutes, then repeat with more glaze two more times. Let cake soak & cool 20-30 minutes.

When cake cools, turnonto cake plate. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining glaze until all used up.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

MIDWINTER CARNIVAL MARBLE CAKE: Vintage Ad with Recipe

Midwinter Carnival! Here's a cake that's perfect for this time of year, and it's so Retro. Not many people celebrate Midwinter Carnival any more, but they did when this advertisement was created. 

This Retro Ad & Recipe is from Betty Crocker with a nod to Gold Medal Flour (General Mills). This Midwinter Carnival Marble Cake uses Betty Crocker's "Double-Quick new method!"

"Betty Crocker celebrates her Silver Anniversary and the return of Gold Medal Flour with this country-wide Midwinter Carnival"

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CHOCOLATE HEART SANDWICHES: National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Today is Strawberry Ice Cream Day. This seems a little odd coming in the middle of January, but ice cream is great all year round, so why not?

I chose a recipe for today's holiday that will also be great for Valentine's Day, so be sure and bookmark it. Recipe is from Martha Stewart. Her recipe calls for homemade vanilla, which is really lovely, but if you don't have time for that, you can always use whatever vanilla you have.  I have lots of heart shaped cookie cutters, but you can use any cookie-cutter shape you'd like for these ice cream sandwiches. I especially like strawberry ice cream that has bits of strawberry in it. Much richer and luscious.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CHOCOLATE HEART SANDWICHES

Ingredients 
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 -1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp milk 

2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, softened

Directions
In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl at least once.
Divide dough in half, and shape each half into flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on floured surface, sliding offset spatula under the dough to release every few turns of rolling pin. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick.
Cut dough using variety of heart-shape cookie cutters 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure each cookie has a match to make a sandwich.
Place hearts on parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator; use fork to prick the cookies all over with holes. Bake until just firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet; transfer to a wire rack.
With underside of half cookies face up, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick to cover one side. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream. Serve directly from freezer.
Sandwiches can be kept stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.

SLOW COOKER TURTLE MONKEY BREAD: National Monkey Bread Day

In December, I posted a recipe for Chocolate Caramel Monkey Bread for National Monkey Day, but doesn't everyone need more than one recipe. So today for National Monkey Bread Day, I'm reposting this recipe for Slow Cooker Turtle Monkey Bread that was sent to me several years ago by my  friend Judy Bobalik loves Slow Cooker recipes. I love Monkey Bread, and with the addition of chocolate and pecans, this is a favorite!!! Thanks, Judy, for the original link from Betty Crocker.

Monkey Bread, also called monkey puzzle bread, is a sticky coffee cake that consists of pieces of soft bread that pull apart. Often sprinkled with caramel and cinnamon, the recipe below features chocolate, so I'm all about it! According to Wikipedia, recipes for the first Monkey Bread appeared in American women's magazines and community cookbooks int he 1950s. The bread is made with pieces of sweet yeast dough and usually baked in a cake pan at high heat after being individually coverd in melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and chopped pecans. 

SLOW COOKER TURTLE MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury™ Grands!™Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup pecan halves

For final topping: (I use ready-made high quality chocolate sauce, instead of making my own)
2 Tbsp whipping cream
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions
Spray 4 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix brown sugar and butter; microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until mixture is boiling and smooth.
In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, place granulated sugar.
Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into fourths.
Add a few of the biscuit pieces a few at a time to bag; shake to coat.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of pecans in slow cooker; top with half of biscuit mixture. Pour one-third of the butter mixture over biscuits in cooker.
Repeat with 1/4 cup pecans and remaining biscuit mixture.
Pour remaining butter mixture over biscuits, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans.
Cover; cook on High heat setting 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until knife inserted in center comes out clean and biscuits are no longer doughy in center. Tops of biscuits will be moist and may appear unbaked. Turn off cooker.
Carefully remove cover so condensation does not drip onto bread.
Cover opening with paper towels; return cover to cooker.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Run knife around edge of cooker; turn bread upside down onto heatproof serving plate.

(I use high quality chocolate sauce instead of making my own): In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream over medium heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Drizzle over monkey bread.
Serve warm.

GLUTEN FREE BROWNIES: National Gluten-Free Day!

Today is Gluten-Free Day. Because so many of my friends are Gluten Free, I try to post several chocolate recipes a year that are Gluten Free. It's been a few years since I posted one of my favorite gluten-free recipes: Ghirardelli Gluten-free Brownies. 

I've often mentioned that product websites are great places to find terrific recipes. Ghirardelli Chocolate has many Gluten-Free Chocolate Recipes on their website, including this fabulous recipe for Gluten-Free Brownies. Only thing I'd add to this recipe would be more chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate chunks) when you add the walnuts or pecans, but then I'm big on extra chocolate. There's also a great recipe for a Gluten-Free Walnut Torte on their site. Be sure to check out all the recipes.

GHIRARDELLI GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIES

Ingredients
1 cup 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (or chunks)
1/2 cup whole almonds (or 2/3 cup almond flour)
1/3 cup brown rice flour
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in lower third of oven.
Line pan across bottom and up two sides with parchment paper.
If using whole almonds, add them to food processor with rice flour and pulse until nuts are finely ground. If using almond flour, mix with rice flour. Set aside.
Place chocolate, butter, and salt in top of large double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Add almond and rice flour mixture and stir until moistened, and then mix briskly, about 40 strokes. Stir in walnuts or pecans if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies are slightly puffed all over and toothpick inserted into center comes out moist but clean.
Cool pan on rack. Run knife along unlined sides of pan to detach brownies. Lift edges of parchment paper to remove brownies. Cut into squares

You can substitute Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Chocolate Chips with 1-1/2 bar of Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% chocolate, broken into small pieces. And, of course, you can use the Chocolate you have at home!

You will love this recipe--even if you're not gluten-free. 

CHOCOLATE MARZIPAN COVERED CHERRIES: National Marzipan Day

Today is National Marzipan Day. I love marzipan, and I usually have some around, so for today's holiday, here's an easy recipe for Chocolate Covered Marzipan Cherries. Be still my heart! This recipe would also be great for Valentine's Day, so be sure and bookmark it.

What exactly is marzipan? Marzipan is an elastic paste made with almonds and powdered sugar. It's like an edible dough, and you can make shapes with it, and, of course, enrobe it in chocolate.

History of Marzipan from Serious Eats:

The invention of marzipan is usually attributed to Lübeck, Germany. Legend has it that during a 15th century famine when flour for making bread became scarce, the senate of Lübeck ordered bakers to create a replacement. Using eggs, sugar, and stores of almonds, the clever bakers came up with marzipan. But cities like Venice, Florence, Konigsberg and more all lay claim to inventing marzipan and put forth similar stories with different dates, making it hard to determine where the sweet actually came from.
Although the origin of marzipan is fuzzy, it has clearly been embraced by many different cultures and is enjoyed worldwide. Marzipan is a traditional food to eat on weddings and religious feast days in Italy, Greece, and Cyprus.

In Latin America, a popular marzipan-like treat which replaces the almonds with peanuts is called "mazapan." In Mexico, pine nuts and pistachios are other substitutes for almonds in marzipan. You can find marzipan in the Middle East, too, usually flavored with orange-flower water. In Germany and throughout much of northern Europe it is considered good luck to receive a marzipan pig on Christmas or New Year's Day. The Spanish and Portuguese are big consumers of marzipan too. But perhaps the form of marzipan that Americans are most familiar with are the cute little miniature fruit shapes that pop up all over.

Whatever the origins, there is nothing quite like chocolate and marzipan! And, these chocolate covered Marzipan Cherries and delicious and easy to make. Don't want to use Maraschino Cherries? Try Chukar Cherries. They're natural and delicious.

CHOCOLATE MARZIPAN COVERED CHERRIES

Ingredients
Cherries (Maraschino or Chukar's Cherries)
Marzipan
Chocolate (dark..use any melting technique on this blog)

Directions
Drain Cherries
Take a piece of marzipan bigger than the cherry and wrap it around the cherry.
Continue until all cherries are covered.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or pan over pan with simmering water.
Dip Marzipan Covered Cherry Balls in chocolate.
Put Balls in Refrigerator to set.

How easy is that?

Want to make your own Marzipan? Here's an easy recipe from Epicurious. 2 pounds in 5 minutes!

Five - Minute Marzipan 
(from Liz Gutman & Jen King's The Liddabit Sweets Cookbook)

Ingredients 
3 cups (24 ounces) almond paste
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus extra if needed
1 Tablespoon kirsch or other brandy (see Note), plus extra if needed

Directions
If using a stand mixer: Combine almond paste, confectioners' sugar, and 1 tablespoon brandy in mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until everything is completely incorporated and dough is smooth and pliable, about 5 minutes. If using hands: Form almond paste into flat round on work surface. Dust half of confectioners' sugar over round and begin kneading it into paste, folding paste over on itself repeatedly. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of brandy over dough and knead in. Once incorporated, dust    remainder of sugar over dough and knead untilcompletely incorporated.

Dough should be uniform and pliable. If dry, add a few more drops of flavoring (or warm water) and knead until at desired consistency; if sticky, a little more confectioners' sugar. Store marzipan, wrapped very well in plastic wrap, in refrigerator for at least 3 months.

Note: Kirsch is brandy distilled from cherries. Cherries particularly complement almonds since the two are related, and cherry pits have an almond like flavor that is imparted to the liquor (and works well with the cherry recipe above)

MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING: National Milk Day!

Today is National Milk Day, so I'm taking that as the lead for a post about Milk Chocolate Cake and Milk Chocolate Frosting! I'm a dark chocolate fan, but every once in awhile I crave a Hershey's milk chocolate bar. So what exactly is Milk Chocolate?

Here's a good explanation from HowStuffWorks.com:

Milk chocolate, the most common eating chocolate in the United States today, actually arrived on the scene fairly late in the history of chocolate.
 
Milk chocolate's development was made possible with the invention of powdered milk by Swiss chemist Henri Nestlé in 1867. Previous attempts at mixing whole (liquid) milk and chocolate liquor didn't turn out well. But in 1879, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer and neighbor of Nestlé by the name of Daniel Peter decided to try combining the newly invented powdered milk with chocolate liquor -- and true milk chocolate was born.

Milk chocolate is made by combining chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, flavorings, and sweetened condensed or powdered whole milk (which one is used depends on the individual manufacturer's formula and production methods). The sugar and milk are first blended together, then they're mixed with chocolate liquor and flavorings and dried to create a substance called "milk chocolate crumb." Next, additional cocoa butter is blended with the crumb, and the mixture is sent through the standard conching and refining processes.
 
All milk chocolate made in the United States must contain at least 10 percent chocolate liquor and at least 12 percent milk solids. Bars of fine milk chocolate typically have a cacao content of between 30 percent and 45 percent, while less-expensive products may have considerably less. Milk chocolate has a sweeter and far more mellow chocolate flavor than dark chocolate, and since a higher cacao content gives a chocolate bar more "snap," milk chocolate tends to be less crisp than dark chocolate.

***

Here's a great recipe for Milk Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting.  This is essentially a three layer chocolate butter cake. Recipe was developed by Sylvia Thompson -- The Birthday Cake Book (1993).

MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Milk Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp salt
6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup water
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to consistency of mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar, lumps crushed, packed
1 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk, room temperature
Milk Chocolate Frosting

Directions
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.
In medium heat-proof bowl over barely simmering water, melt chocolate in water, stirring occasionally until perfectly smooth. Remove from heat.
In large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Continue beating while sprinkling in granulated and brown sugars, 1 tablespoon at time. Add vanilla and beat until very light. Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly blended after each, then beat until very light and creamy. Blend in chocolate. Add flour in 3 parts by sprinkling over bowl. Alternate with buttermilk in 2 parts. Beat on lowest speed just until each addition disappears. Fold batter with large flexible rubber spatula just until thoroughly blended.
Divide batter into buttered 9-inch round cake pans with bottoms lined with wax paper. Smooth tops, then push batter slightly up against sides. Bake 2 layers on middle oven rack and 1 layer on lower oven rack at 350 degrees. Stagger so top pans are not directly over bottom pan.
Bake until wood pick emerges clean from center of cake, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Then turn out onto racks, top sides up, to cool completely.
Up to 6 hours before serving, set thickest layer on platter, bottoms up. Spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with second layer. Place last layer top side up. Frost top and sides. Keep cool. Do not refrigerate.

Milk Chocolate Frosting 

Ingredients
14 ounces milk chocolate
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
7 - 8 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp vanilla

Directions
In medium heat-proof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat.
In food processor or mixing bowl, blend sugar and cocoa. Melt butter with 7 Tbsp milk at MEDIUM  in microwave or over low heat.
Add hot butter to sugar with chocolate and vanilla. Process or beat until smooth. Do not overprocess. If too thick, beat in remaining tablespoon hot milk. If too thin, add sugar. Spread at once.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE: National Bittersweet Chocolate Day!

Since I review, eat, and bake chocolate, the word bittersweet isn't really part of my lexicon. Although I have purchased chocolate that is labeled bittersweet, I buy chocolate based on its origins, fair-trade, and amount of cacao. Bittersweet is just too vague a term for me. Nevertheless today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day, so I'm celebrating! It's all about chocalate!

According to Wikipedia, Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor (unsweetened chocolate not liqueur) to which some sugar (typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable in baking. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates are sometimes referred to as 'couverture' (chocolate that contains at least 32 percent cocoa butter); many brands (the ones I like) print on the package the percentage of cocoa (as chocolate liquor and added cocoa butter) contained. The rule is that the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sweet the chocolate will be. The American FDA classifies chocolate as either "bittersweet" or "semisweet" that contain at least 35% cacao (either cacao solids or butter from the cacao beans).

So using this definition, almost any of my recipes will work since I use mostly very dark chocolate.

Here's a recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Bundt Cake adapted from Nestle Toll House's Chocolate Pound Cake recipe. It's easy and delicious. If you use Unsweetened Chocolate Baking Bars, be sure and add more sugar to the recipe.

I don't usually make a glaze, but I've included the recipe in case you'd like to. Sometimes I sprinkle this cake with powdered sugar, as in the photo. This cake goes well with ice cream or whipped cream, too!

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Granules 
8 ounces dark chocolate (65-75%), chopped, divided (save 2 oz for glaze if you're making it)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 large eggs

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 10-inch Bundt pan.
COMBINE flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl. Bring water and coffee granules to boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add 6 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth.
BEAT sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
BAKE for 50 to 60 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Place on plate.

Optional: Drizzle with Chocolate Glaze or Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar

** Sometimes I pour the glaze over the bundt cake while it's still a bit warm. That way, the cake absorbs the glaze, and it's extra chocolatey delicious!

FOR CHOCOLATE GLAZE: 

Melt remaining 2 ounces of chocolate with butter in small, saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar alternately with water. Stir in vanilla extract. Drizzle over cake.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED APRICOTS: National Apricot Day!

I love apricots, fresh or dried. They are one of my favorite fruits. So today in honor of National Apricot Day, here's a recipe for Chocolate Dipped Apricots. The brandy is optional and the type of chocolate you use will change the results, maybe for the better. Who doesn't love chocolate dipped fruit? This is so simple and the chocolate dipped apricots will look and taste fabulous!

Chocolate Dipped Apricots
Makes About 40

1/2 cup broken pieces of a good dark chocolate (65% cacao or more)
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Dried apricots

Combine chocolate and brandy in top of double boiler and heat until melted and smooth.

Dip half of each apricot into chocolate and place on wax paper lined pan. Refrigerate one to two hours until chocolate is firm. Keep in a cool place.

Tip: Want to dress up your Chocolate Dipped Apricots? Dip the hot chocolate part of the covered apricot in ground pistachio nuts, sea salt, or crushed walnuts. 

Cartoon of the Day: Jury of English Majors

 

English Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies: English Toffee Day!

Today is National English Toffee Day. I love English Toffee. I always have toffee around, and today is the perfect day to bake bake some cookies using Toffee. 

This recipe combines my love of Peanut Butter Cookies with English Toffee. I have a toffee hammer (well, I have three of them) for breaking up toffee (See photo below). Clearly this is something I like to do! The small hammers used to come with the toffee tins. Very cool. As always, use the very best peanut butter and toffee.

English Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
10 ounces Toffee Bits (Crumbled English Toffee)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Whip butter with peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugars until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, sift together dry dry ingredients, then mix into batter. Fold in Toffee bits.
Scoop cookies onto ungreased baking sheet.
Lightly flatten each cookie with fork or back of hand.
Bake for 10 minutes for chewy cookie or 13 minutes for crunchy one.

These cookies will fast become favorites! 

ELVIS PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA, BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!

Happy Birthday, Elvis!
We all know that Elvis loved his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but add some bacon and chocolate chipss and make these cookies to celebrate the day. Elvis Cookies recipe from the Cooking Channel).  Some interesting ingredients, as well a preparation--in muffin tins!

ELVIS PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA, BACON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!

Ingredients 
10 slices bacon
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsweetened butter, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup sweet dried banana chips, roughly chopped

Directions 
Cook bacon in skillet until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Once bacon is cool, roughly chop it (you should have about 1/2 cup).
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
In large bowl, beat butter, mayonnaise and sugars with mixer at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined. At low speed, add  flour mixture in batches, beating until just combined.
Using wooden spoon, stir in  chocolate chunks, bacon, peanuts and banana chips.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners. Fill muffin tins about halfway full with batter (a 2-inch, 2-ounce ice cream scoop gives you just about the perfect amount, and helps prevent spilling).
Bake until tops are slightly golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (Keep in mind that the cookies won't rise and form a dome like a cupcake.)
Let cool in muffin tins on wire racks for about 10 minutes, then unmold cookie cups and transfer to racks to cool completely.
Cook's Notes: The mayonnaise in this recipe makes these cookies especially tender. 

Elvis has left the building, and he took these cookies with him!