THE CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIE: Retro Ad with Recipe

As I always say, you can never have too many cookie recipes, so here's one more for your file: Hershey's Easy-Does-It Recipe #6 for The Chewy Chocolate Cookie (1983). This recipe calls for either butter or margarine, but please use butter. The cookies will taste so much better! 

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PUDDING: Cherry Dessert Day!

Today is National Cherry Dessert Day, so, of course, I went to my favorite Cherry Preserves site: Bonne Maman! And what did I find? A fabulous recipe for Chocolate Cherry Pudding! You're going to love this for dessert today.. or any day!

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PUDDING

Ingredients 

2 cups Whole Milk 

3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate 

½ cup Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves (remove large cherry pieces, and set aside) 

1/3 cup Sugar 

1 Tbsp Cornstarch 

5 Egg Yolks beaten 

⅛ tsp pure Vanilla Extract 

¼ tsp Salt 4-6 

Chocolate Wafers 

Whipped Cream

Directions

Melt chocolate in double boiler over medium high heat. In small saucepan, heat 5 Tablespoons of Bonne Maman Cherry preserves (with the large pieces of cherries set aside) over low heat. In medium saucepan, warm the milk until it just simmers, then remove from heat. In large bowl, mix together  sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour warm milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously, to temper eggs. Return to saucepan and cook over low heat until mixture coats back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Slowly add cherry preserves liquid and whisk until incorporated and smooth.

At bottom of serving platter or dish, place layer of chocolate wafers (either whole, or cut in half as necessary to fit the bottom of dish). Add  layer ofremaining Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves to coat the wafers. Pour a layer of pudding into dish to fill almost to top, and refrigerate until set. 

When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and a reserved cherry.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY WINE COOKIES

Today is National Wine Day and tomorrow is National Cherry Dessert Day. Celebrate both holidays by making these easy Double Chocolate Wine Cherry Cookies! I always have dried cherries on hand (they keep well in the refrigerator). What could be better than chocolate, cherries, and wine! This recipe is adapted from Foodnetwork.com.  These cookies will also be a big hit at your Memorial Day BBQ. As always, use the very best chocolate!

Double Chocolate Cherry Wine Cookies
 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry red wine, Zinfandel (I've used both Pinot and Merlot)
10 ounces dark chocolate (65-70% cacao--the best you can find), chopped in small chunks or dark chocolate chips (I use Guittard)
1 - 1/4 cup dried tart cherries (unsweetened are more tart but use what you have)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl.
In bowl of electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla, and wine, and combine.
Slowly in batches, add flour mixture until just combined.
Fold in chocolate and cherries.
On nonstick cookie sheet, place heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.
Cool on sheet for 5-8 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER: 2 Recipes for Memorial Day!

Fresh cherries are hitting the market, so today I'm posting a recipe for a fresh chocolate cherry cobbler and a second recipe that uses natural cherry pie filling in case you don't have fresh cherries available in your area. I love Chukar Cherries Sour Cherry Fruit Filling--whole and tangy Montmorency cherries. Red and delicious! Either of these Chocolate Cherry Cobbler recipes are perfect for Memorial Day!

So what exactly is a Cobbler? Cobblers traditionally have a biscuit topping on the fresh fruit. The biscuits are usually dropped onto the fruit in small rounds, giving it the appearance of a cobbled road and hence the name Cobbler.  


USING FRESH CHERRIES:

1. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER WITH FRESH CHERRIES

Ingredients
6 cups tart red cherries, pitted
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp milk 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In saucepan combine filling ingredients and cook, stirring until bubbling and thickened. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Cool. After cooled, sprinkle chopped chocolate.
In bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly.
Mix together egg and milk. Add to flour mixture and stir with fork just until combined.
Drop topping by tablespoonfuls onto filling.
Bake for 25 minutes until browned and bubbly.

***

USING CHERRY PIE FILLING:

2. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER WITH CHERRY PIE FILLING

Ingredients
18 ounces Chukar's Sour Cherry Fruit Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp flour
1 cup dark chocolate (60-75% cacao), chopped

Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use Kerrygold)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix cherries, sugar and flour. Spread evenly in 11 x 7 baking dish.
Sprinkle chocolate over top.

For topping
Mix together flour, sugars and pinch of salt.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over cherry filling.
Bake cobbler until filling bubbles and topping is golden brown.
About 40 to 45 minutes.