CHOCOLATE COVERED FIGS: FIG NEWTONS DAY!

Today is Fig Newtons Day! My Dad was a huge Fig Newtons fan. Me, not so much. However, I love figs, and I'm using this food holiday as a jumping off point for Chocolate Covered Figs. Of course if you're really after a Fig Newton with chocolate, you can just dip one in dark chocolate. 

But this is the way I like to eat my figs: Chocolate Covered Dried Figs (not Fig Newtons!). Following are two recipes. The first is alcoholic, because who doesn't love a drunken fig? The second recipe calls for stuffing the dried figs with walnuts, but contains no alcohol (this actually tastes more like a Fig Newton). You can also mix and match these recipes to come up with whatever you think is perfect for you! As always, use the very best chocolate and figs! Different chocolate, different figs, different tastes!

Want to make your own Fig Newtons? Try this recipe for Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Figgy Newtons.

And, just as an FYI. The original Fig Newtons are now called just Newtons.

Chocolate Covered Dried Figs

Ingredients
20 dried figs
Rum
10 ounces 70-80% dark chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 cup unsalted butter
pinch of sea salt

Directions
Put figs in bowl and cover with rum. Let soak, covered, overnight in refrigerator.
Next day, drain well and pat dry.
Put chopped chocolate into top of double boiler, stirring. Add butter, stirring until smooth. 

Take figs by stems and dip in chocolate several times, covering completely.
Put figs on rack over cookie sheet to catch drips.
When finished dipping, chill figs in refrigerator.

Non-Alcoholic Chocolate Covered Figs Stuffed with Walnuts

Ingredients
9 figs, dried
9 walnut halves
5  Tbsp dark chocolate (60-75%), chopped

Directions
Make small incisions in bottoms of 9 dried figs and stuff each with a walnut half.
Melt chocolate in double boiler until smooth.
Holding the stem, dip stuffed figs into chocolate.
Let them drip from rack over cookie sheet, or place on plate or wax paper.
Put chocolate covered figs on plate or waxed paper in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or more until chocolate hardens.

Chocolate Caramel Monkey Bread

Although there isn't a specific Monkey Bread Day, some people like to celebrate on January 15. Why not? 

I have a love/hate relationship with monkeys. I loved them as a child at the zoo and when they appeared in  books. I loved my sock monkey and all the sock monkeys I collected over the years. But then I met some 'bad monkeys' in India. They stole shoes and belongings at the temples...Bad Monkeys! 

But really I love Monkeys which leads me to this chocolate/monkey connection. 

Monkey bread (also called monkey puzzle bread, monkey brains, sticky bread, Hungarian coffee cake, golden dumpling coffee cake, pinch-me cake, pull-apart bread, pluck-it cake bubble loaf, bubble bread, pull-apart bread, and/or funky bread) is a soft, sweet, sticky pastry served in the United States for breakfast or as a treat. It's a pull-apart bread. 

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients 
1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 - 16.3 ounces pkg. refrigerated biscuits (16 total)
32 chocolate-covered caramels (such as Rolo)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease 10-inch nonstick fluted tube pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds in bottom of pan. Combine sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.

With kitchen scissors, cut each biscuit into 2 pieces. Using your hands, flatten each piece into  3-inch round of dough. Place chocolate covered caramel in center of each round. Bring edge of dough up and around caramel to form a ball. Pinch edges of dough together to seal firmly.

Dip each ball into melted butter, then roll in sugar mixture. Layer coated balls in prepared pan. Drizzle with any remaining butter; sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture.

Stir together caramel sauce and vanilla; drizzle over rolls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (If needed, cover bread with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.) Cool bread in pan for 5 minutes. Run small rubber spatula around edge of bread to loosen. Invert pan onto platter; remove pan. Spoon any remaining caramel sauce and nuts on bread. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

CHOCOLATE BAGELS: National Bagel Day!

Tomorrow is National Bagel Day. I grew up with traditional bagels served with lox and cream cheese. The bagels were onion, poppy seed, and occasionally sesame seed, but that was about it. Boiled bagels only. But when bagels really caught on nationally, we saw an explosion of flavored bagels. 

So for today's Bagel Holiday, here's a recipe for Chocolate Bagels from Red Star Yeast. Red Star Yeast has a recipe for serving with Cookies and Cream Whipped Cream (see below), but I serve my chocolate bagels with marscapone. However you serve these chocolate bagels, I can assure you they will be a big hit! 

CHOCOLATE BAGELS

Ingredients 

BAGELS 

1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115°F) 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast 
3 1/4 cups bread flour 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional) 

Coarse sugar, for topping 

COOKIES & CREAM WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE 

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened 

1/3 cup powdered sugar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 

5 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

WATER BATH 

8 cups water

 

DIRECTIONS

Gently whisk warm water and yeast together in a measuring cup. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. (Optional: stir in 1 teaspoon sugar to give the yeast a good start.) 

In a stand mixer attached with the dough hook attachment, add flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Add the vanilla. Add the chocolate extract (optional). Continue to mix on low speed for 8 minutes. 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough, adding flour as needed, for an additional 1 minute. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean, dry dish towel and place the bowl in a warm, undisturbed area of your kitchen. 

Allow the dough to rise until it is doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into a log. Using a pastry scraper or floured knife, cut the log into 8 even pieces. Gently roll each piece into a ball. Place your thumb in the center of each ball and push down to create a hole. Gently tug on the dough to create a slightly larger whole. Cover the dough with a clean, dry kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 

While the dough is resting, heat 8 cups of water to a gentle boil and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Boil the bagels for 40 seconds on each side. Remove bagels from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer onto your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each bagel with a generous pinch of coarse sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the bagels are golden brown.

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM: 

Add the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until combined. Fold in the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos). 

To serve, cut the bagels in half and lightly toast in a toaster (optional). 

Spread a thick layer of the whipped cream cheese on each half. 

Store the cooled bagels in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days. Or, freeze the bagels for up to 3 months. 

Tips!

1. Bread flour will yield the best results, but if you don’t have bread flour in stock, you can use all-purpose flour. You may need to adjust the amount of water in the dough. 

2. Make the whipped cream cheese right before serving so the cookies remain crunchy.

FROZEN MOCHA CHEESECAKE: Retro Ad with Recipe

I love Retro Ads with recipes, especially when they include chocolate. 

Here's an easy and delicious recipe for Marvelous Mocha Cheesecake from Borden's Eagle Brand, 1983!

MARVELOUS MOCHA CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted 
• 8 ounces package cream cheese, softened
• 14 ounces Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 2/3 cup chocolate flavored syrup
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions

1. In small bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and margarine. 
2. In buttered 9-inch springform pan or 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pat crumbs firmly on bottom and up sides of pan. 
3. Chill. 
4. In large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy; add Eagle Brand and chocolate syrup. 
5. In small bowl, dissolve coffee in water; add to Eagle Brand mixture. 
6. Mix well. 
7. Fold in whipped cream. 
8. Pour into prepared pan. 
9. Cover. 
10. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. 
11. Garnish with additional chocolate crumbs if desired. Return leftovers to freezer.