CHEESE & CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS & Recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles: National Cheese Day!

Today is National Cheese Day. Chocolate and Cheese go perfectly together. You just have to have the right pairing.

Here are a few guidelines for the perfect CHEESE and CHOCOLATE pairing. Foods with similar flavor profiles work best together. For Darker Chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese. For Milk Chocolates choose a buttery cheese such as a Triple Brie. For Fruity Chocolates pair with a sharper cheese. For Nuttier chocolates pair with cheese high in butterfat. Spicy chocolates pair with sharp cheeses,

A few examples of Savory-Sweet Pairings:
Dark chocolate (80% or more cocoa) with a delicious true Blue cheese.
Burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-washed Cheese.
Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie.
Citrus-y chocolate with a semi-hard, buttery table cheese (feta or havarti).

Here's an easy recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles. You might also want to try my recipes for Goat Cheese Truffles or Blue Cheese Truffles, too.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
4 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup DARK cocoa powder, for rolling (or ground/chopped walnuts)

Directions
Pour cocoa powder or nuts into a shallow pie pan and set aside.
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in top of doubleboiler (or a pot over a pot of simmering water), stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Set chocolate aside.
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat mixture on medium speed for a few minutes, until well-blended.
Stop mixer and stir in melted chocolate. Beat until well combined.
Remove bowl from mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about 20-30 minutes.
Once candy is firm but not hard, scoop into 1 inch balls using teaspoon or candy/cookie scoop.
Roll truffles in cocoa powder or ground/chopped walnuts.
Serve truffles at room temperature, but if you're not eating right away, put in airtight container and keep in refrigerator.

BLUE CHEESE CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST: Moldy Cheese Day

Today is Moldy Cheese Day! Blue Cheese is about as moldy as I care to get, so to celebrate today's food holiday and fit it into the "Chocolate" theme of this blog, here's a recipe for Blue Cheese Cheesecake with a Chocolate Cookie Crust. It's really delicious!

Chocolate and Blue Cheese go well together. I've made Blue Cheese Truffles on numerous occasions, and I love them. If this is your first foray into the combination, choose a mild creamy blue cheese. If you're not sure, ask your cheese specialist.

BLUE CHEESE CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST

Chocolate Cookie Crust

Ingredients
30 chocolate wafers 
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Process cookies in food processor until finely ground.
Transfer crumbs to mixing bowl & combine crumbs, butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until crumbs are moistened.
Press mixture evenly across bottom of 9-inch springform pan and up sides of pan. Pack tightly so crust is even.
Bake in 350° oven for 6-8 minutes or until crisp.
Let cool completely before filling. You can put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

For the Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
10 ounces Blue Cheese, room temperature (I've used Humboldt Fog)
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp honey
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch cracked black pepper

Directions
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add blue cheese; beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape bowl. Add sour cream, honey, salt, and pepper. Beat until combined.
Pour into cooled prepared Chocolate Cookie Crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes in a 325° oven or until set and knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in pan.

DARK CHOCOLATE GRILLED RICOTTA PARMESAN CHEESE SANDWICH: Grilled Cheese Day

I've posted many recipes for Chocolate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, but this is one of my favorites. As always, experiment, but I have to share this recipe since today is Grilled Cheese Day. As always use the very best ingredients! Please don't use Parmesan from the can--either grate your own or buy it at a specialty shop where it's just been grated. Recently I've been favoring a Wisconsin Parmesan--not too salty and fabulous flavor. And, of course a good Parmesan/Reggiano would be great in this Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Dark Chocolate Grilled Ricotta Parmesan Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
4 slices brioche or sweet sourdough
Butter, for bread
2 Tbsp Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Lightly spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Evenly divide ricotta between two bread slices and then evenly sprinkle the Chocolate and Parmesan over the ricotta. Top with remaining bread slices.
Heat skillet over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in warm skillet and cook on one side until golden brown and cheese begins to melt, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip sandwich over and cook until golden brown and cheese is completely melted, 2 to 4 additional minutes.
Let cool 2 minutes before cutting in half. 

CHEESE & CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS & RECIPE FOR CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: National Cheese Day!

Today is National Cheese Day. Chocolate and Cheese go perfectly together. You just have to have the right pairing.

Here are a few guidelines for the perfect CHEESE and CHOCOLATE pairing. Foods with similar flavor profiles work best together. For Darker Chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese. For Milk Chocolates choose a buttery cheese such as a Triple Brie. For Fruity Chocolates pair with a sharper cheese. For Nuttier chocolates pair with cheese high in butterfat. Spicy chocolates pair with sharp cheeses,

A few examples of Savory-Sweet Pairings:
Dark chocolate (80% or more cocoa) with a delicious true Blue cheese.
Burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-washed Cheese.
Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie.
Citrus-y chocolate with a semi-hard, buttery table cheese (feta or havarti).

Here's an easy recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles. You might also want to try my recipes for Goat Cheese Truffles or Blue Cheese Truffles, too.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
4 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup DARK cocoa powder, for rolling (or ground/chopped walnuts)

Directions
Pour cocoa powder or nuts into a shallow pie pan and set aside.
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in top of doubleboiler (or a pot over a pot of simmering water), stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Set chocolate aside.
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat mixture on medium speed for a few minutes, until well-blended.
Stop mixer and stir in melted chocolate. Beat until well combined.
Remove bowl from mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about 20-30 minutes.
Once candy is firm but not hard, scoop into 1 inch balls using teaspoon or candy/cookie scoop.
Roll truffles in cocoa powder or ground/chopped walnuts.
Serve truffles at room temperature, but if you're not eating right away, put in airtight container and keep in refrigerator.

Chocolate Orange Marmalade Grilled Cheese Sandwich: National Grilled Cheese Day!

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. I've posted many different variations on Chocolate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, including  Grilled Cheese Nutella Sandwich, but here's a real favorite: Chocolate Orange Marmalade Grilled Cheese Sandwich! Grilled Bread, Butter, Cheese, Chocolate, Orange Marmalade! What could be better?

I love my Panini Press, but this grilled cheese sandwich should be made on the stove in an iron skillet. My mother used to make her fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches in an old iron skillet with the top of a smaller iron lid pressing down on the sandwiches. Both were inherited from my grandmother. I have the lid (with a 1950s era blue enamel handle), but not the original skillet. Interesting what we hold on to.

This recipe is great for Sunday Brunch. It's sweet-- a bar of chocolate, some goat or brie cheese--some orange marmalade--a bit or mascarpone--and place in between buttered challah or another bread. This recipe is too creamy (and oozing) for the panini press, so make it, too, in a big skillet. Reduce amounts if it's only two of you. 

Chocolate Orange Marmalade Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
6 ounces Mascarpone
2 Tbsp Orange Marmalade
2 Tbsp unsalted Butter (room temperature)
8 slices Challah or Brioche (sandwich size)
8 ounces Brie (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
14 ounces Dark Chocolate (65-75% cacao, fair-trade, organic), chopped

Directions
Combine orange marmalade and mascarpone.
Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, buttered side down on work surface. Spread mascarpone on bread. Place brie slices over mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with chocolate chunks.
Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side up.
Heat large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put sandwiches in pan, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Watch carefully.
Turn sandwiches, pressing each firmly with spatula or heavy pot lid (smaller than the skillet).
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until undersides are browned.
Remove cover, turn sandwiches over and press firmly with spatula or pot lid again.
Cook until cheese has melted completely.
Remove from pan and let cool 2-3 minutes.

CHOCOLATE & CHEESE PAIRING for Valentine's Day or Any Time!

A Chocolate & Cheese Pairing is a terrific way to celebrate Valentine's Day! It's easy to put together, romantic, and a great tasty way to spend time with your sweetheart. Thanks to the California Milk Advisory Board for this post on Chocolate and Real California Cheese Pairings. Use this post as a guide, but substitute what you love or what you'd like to try. I'd like to hear which chocolate and cheeses you pair. I had Cowgirl Creamery Triple Brie & Taza 70% Stoneground Chocolate the other night (photo). Happy Valentine's Day!  

***

Rich, bold, decadent – Chocolate and Cheese is a savory-sweet love connection is sure to make your foodie heart race. Creating the perfect pair is easy with these dating guidelines. Foods with similar flavor profiles go together best. For darker chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese while sweet milk chocolates work best with buttery cheeses, such as Brie. Bright, fruity chocolates are perfect with sharper cheeses and nuttier chocolates find a perfect pair in high butterfat cheeses. Want to spice things up a bit? Try pairing spicy chocolates with sharp cheeses – the intensities play off each other beautifully!

· Pair a dark chocolate with more the 80% cacoa with a delicious true Blue cheese
· Indulge in burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-soaked table cheese
· Pair a Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie
· Treat yourself to chocolate candied orange peel and an aged Cheddar

Take the pairing up a notch with help from “Pair Savvy” a smart phone app that helps you pair the myriad of delicious California cheese varieties with the wine and beers you enjoy. The user-friendly application is free for download on most smart phones: pairsavvy.realcaliforniamilk.com.

CHOCOLATE CHEESCAKE TRUFFLES: National Cheese Lovers Day!

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day, and I immediately thought of Cheesecake! I've posted recipes for a variety of of chocolate cheesecakes,  from Pumpkin Cheesecakes to Double Chocolate Cheesecakes, so for today's food holiday, I thought I'd take a different approach. I love truffles, so here's a simple recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles. Easy and delicious! As always, use the very best chocolate. There are three different ways to coat these.. It's up to you!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Ingredients 
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
5 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, melted (I use 70% cacao)
1 tsp good quality vanilla

Coatings for truffles:
Toasted pecans, chopped (or other nuts)
Pulverized graham crackers (gives you a true cheesecake taste)
Cocoa powder

Directions
Using mixer, slowly add powdered sugar to cream cheese, mixing well after each addition.
Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Chill several hours.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in coatings.

How easy is this?

CHEVRE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: National Goat Cheese Day

Toady is National Goat Cheese Day. Goat Cheese has been produced for over 4000 years. It's such a wonderful cheese, and it goes well with chocolate, too. 

I'm a huge fan of Cypress Grove Chevre. They have a great variety of goat cheeses from Humboldt Fog to Bermuda Triangle to Sgt. Pepper to Purple Haze, and everything in between. If you're a big goat cheese fan, you might want to consider a cake made of wheels of their cheese! Who wouldn't want a beautiful cake made of cheese wheels like the one on the right?

The following recipe for Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles works well with any Chevre, so you can use whatever is available to you. Make sure it's fresh. This specific goat cheese truffle recipe really highlights the chevre, so mix is up and try other goat cheeses to see what you like best. I use Humboldt Fog which has a very distinct taste, but you might want to make your first batch with a more mild chevre. Humboldt Fog has a subtle, tangy flavor and distinctive layer of edible vegetable ash. Of course, different chocolate will also make a difference in flavor. Enjoy!

Chevre Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
6 1/2 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped
7 ounces fresh Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog chevre, room temperature  (or a Chevre of your choosing)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder, for rolling

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler or metal pot over another pot over simmering water. Mix chevre and sugar in medium-size bowl. Stir in melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
Refrigerate an hour to overnight.
When ready to make truffles, roll heaping teaspoons of refrigerated mixture into small balls, then roll balls in cocoa powder.
Chill on sheet pan until ready to serve or keep 3 to 4 days in refrigerator.

Goats by the side of my house

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES: National Cheese Day!

Today is National Cheese Day, and I immediately thought of Cheesecake! I love truffles, so here's a simple recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles to celebrate National Cheese Day. Easy and delicious! As always, use the very best chocolate. There are three different ways to coat these.. It's up to you!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Ingredients 
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
5 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, melted (I use 70% cacao)
1 tsp pure vanilla

Coatings for truffles:
toasted pecans, chopped (or other nuts)
pulverized graham crackers (gives you a true cheesecake taste)
cocoa powder

Directions
Using mixer, slowly add powdered sugar to cream cheese, mixing well after each addition.
Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Chill several hours.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in coatings.

How easy is that?

CHOCOLATE AND BRIE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, and I have an old trusted recipe for the best Chocolate and Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich you will ever taste. The original recipe is for Giada de Laurentis's recipe for a Chocolate & Brie Panini, but since it's Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, make this on top of the stove.
Today is

Yum Sugar, one of my favorite food sites, modified this recipe, and I totally agree. Less chocolate is better as in the recipe below, so the chocolate doesn't overpower the cheese. As in all of the recipes, I recommend using the very best of all products. It really makes a difference--from the olive oil to the bread to the brie and chocolate.

A few other possibilities: try using ciabatta instead of sourdough. Don't have a panini press? You can make this as you would a grilled cheese sandwich. In a dorm? Use your iron as the press (you will need to clean it afterwards).

Chocolate and Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich
this is for a crowd, but you can modify it, or serve it as an appetizer at your next party--cut in squares

Ingredients
12 slices sourdough bread (try ciabatta if you want a change)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
10 ounces dark chocolate squares, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions
Preheat panini grill.
Brush both sides of bread with olive oil. Grill bread slices until they begin to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from panini grill and place 2 ounces of cheese on 1 slice of bread (the bottom half), top  cheese with 1/4 cup chopped chocolate, and a few leaves of basil. Top with another slice of bread. Continue with remaining sandwiches.
Return sandwiches to the panini grill until chocolate begins to melt, about another 2 minutes.
Cut sandwiches into 2-inch wide rectangles or small triangles and transfer to serving platter.

Cartoon of the Day: Grilled Cheese

 Happy Cheese Lovers Day!

 

CHEESE AND CHOCOLATE PAIRINGS & RECIPE FOR CREAM CHEESE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: Cheese Lovers Day

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day. Chocolate and Cheese go perfectly together. You just have to have the right pairing.

Here are a few guidelines for the perfect CHEESE and CHOCOLATE pairing. Foods with similar flavor profiles work best together. For Darker Chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese. For Milk Chocolates choose a buttery cheese such as a Triple Brie. For Fruity Chocolates pair with a sharper cheese. For Nuttier chocolates pair with cheese high in butterfat. Spicy chocolates pair with sharp cheeses,

A few examples of Savory-Sweet Pairings:
Dark chocolate (80% or more cocoa) with a delicious true Blue cheese.
Burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-washed Cheese.
Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie.
Citrus-y chocolate with a semi-hard, buttery table cheese (feta or havarti).

Here's an easy recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles. You might also want to try my recipes for Goat Cheese Truffles or Blue Cheese Truffles, too.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
4 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup DARK cocoa powder, for rolling (or ground/chopped walnuts)

Directions
Pour cocoa powder or nuts into a shallow pie pan and set aside.
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in top of doubleboiler (or a pot over a pot of simmering water), stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Set chocolate aside.
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat mixture on medium speed for a few minutes, until well-blended.
Stop mixer and stir in melted chocolate. Beat until well combined.
Remove bowl from mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about 20-30 minutes.
Once candy is firm but not hard, scoop into 1 inch balls using teaspoon or candy/cookie scoop.
Roll truffles in cocoa powder or ground/chopped walnuts.
Serve truffles at room temperature, but if you're not eating right away, put in airtight container and keep in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE & CHEESE PAIRING for Valentine's Day

A Chocolate & Cheese Pairing is a terrific way to celebrate Valentine's Day! It's easy to put together, romantic, and a great tasty way to spend time with your sweetie. Thanks to the California Milk Advisory Board for this post on Chocolate and Real California Cheese Pairings. Use this post as a guide, but substitute what you love or what you'd like to try. I'd like to hear which chocolate and cheeses you pair. I had Cowgirl Creamery Triple Brie & Taza 70% Stoneground Chocolate the other night (photo). Happy Valentine's Day!  

***

Rich, bold, decadent – Chocolate and Cheese is a savory-sweet love connection is sure to make your foodie heart race. Creating the perfect pair is easy with these dating guidelines. Foods with similar flavor profiles go together best. For darker chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese while sweet milk chocolates work best with buttery cheeses, such as Brie. Bright, fruity chocolates are perfect with sharper cheeses and nuttier chocolates find a perfect pair in high butterfat cheeses. Want to spice things up a bit? Try pairing spicy chocolates with sharp cheeses – the intensities play off each other beautifully!

· Pair a dark chocolate with more the 80% cacoa with a delicious true Blue cheese
· Indulge in burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-soaked table cheese
· Pair a Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie
· Treat yourself to chocolate candied orange peel and an aged Cheddar

Take the pairing up a notch with help from “Pair Savvy” a smart phone app that helps you pair the myriad of delicious California cheese varieties with the wine and beers you enjoy. The user-friendly application is free for download on most smart phones: pairsavvy.realcaliforniamilk.com.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES: National Cheese Lovers Day

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day, and I immediately thought of Cheesecake! I've posted recipes for a variety of of chocolate cheesecakes,  from Pumpkin Cheesecakes to Double Chocolate Cheesecakes, so for today's food holiday, I thought I'd take a different approach. I love truffles, so here's a simple recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles. Easy and delicious! As always, use the very best chocolate. There are three different ways to coat these.. It's up to you!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Ingredients 
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
5 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, melted (I use 70% cacao)
1 tsp good quality vanilla

Coatings for truffles:
Toasted pecans, chopped (or other nuts)
Pulverized graham crackers (gives you a true cheesecake taste)
Cocoa powder

Directions
Using mixer, slowly add powdered sugar to cream cheese, mixing well after each addition.
Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Chill several hours.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in coatings.

How easy is this?

BLUE CHEESE TRUFFLES: National Moldy Cheese Day

October 9 is Moldy Cheese Day. Don't you just love the name

Moldy Cheese Day? Perfect for October! For me, Moldy Cheese means Blue Cheese. O.K. I know there are a lot of other moldy cheeses out there, but give me a good Stilton or Gorgonzola any day. So in honor of Moldy Cheese Day, I'm making Blue Cheese Truffles. Simple and delicious.

Scroll down for an easy recipe for Blue Cheese Truffles (I'd call them Moldy Cheese Truffles, but I fear no one will eat them).

No time or inclination to make your own? There are several Chocolate companies that offer fabulous Smokey Blue Cheese Truffles. I really like Lillie Belle Farms from Southern Oregon. I've tasted them at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, and they're delicious. Organic milk chocolate, Rogue Creamery's smoked blue cheese and toasted almonds. It's an awesome combination.

My other favorite blue cheese truffles are Bissinger's Chocolate-Covered Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese Wine Grape. They're a great combination of sweet and savory. I'm a sucker for chocolate and cheese, and local Point Reyes Original Blue is one of my favorite blues. Add a wine grape to that, and I'm in heaven.
 
But, of course, you can make your own Blue Cheese (Moldy Cheese) Truffles! This recipe is adapted from Harold McGee's Cookbook On Food and Cooking. Remember that the taste will change depending on the chocolate and cheese you choose! Choose a mild blue cheese to start.


BLUE CHEESE TRUFFLES

FILLING
2 ounces Blue Cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp superfine sugar
2 ounces Dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

COATING
6 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

Make sure the cheese is at room temperature.

In mixing bowl, combine cheese and sugar and mix until sugar dissolves.
Melt filling chocolate in top of a double boiler (or saucepan over saucepan) over simmering water.

Use 2 ounces for blue cheese fillings. Make sure cheese is at room temperature and very soft. If it is too firm, microwave very briefly to soften.

Combine melted chocolate, superfine sugar, and cheese and work together with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until the mixture is homogeneous. (This may be easier if you add a few drops of water or a little butter.) If mixture is too soft to shape, refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.

Roll portions of mixture into 1/2-inch balls and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.
Melt and temper coating chocolate. Dip cheese balls in tempered chocolate, letting excess drain off. Allow to set at room temperature. Keep in cool place and serve on same day.

Note: Cheese will resume fermentation if left at room temperature, so this is one case where truffles should be refrigerated if kept for more than a day. Place on a sheet or tray and wrap snugly in waxed paper, then plastic wrap, before refrigerating. Allow to warm to room temperature before unwrapping.

DARK CHOCOLATE RICOTTA PARMESAN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

As we're all Sheltered-in-Place, we're wanting comfort food. And what could be more comforting than a Grilled Cheese Sandwich? This recipe for Dark Chocolate Ricotta Parmesan Grilled Cheese Sandwich is perfect for Grilled Cheese Day. As always use the very best ingredients! Please don't use Parmesan from the can -- either grate your own or use a higher grated Parmesan quality. And, of course a good Parmesan/Reggiano would be great in this Grilled Cheese Sandwich! But since you're depending on what's in the market or being delivered, use what you have! We all need to be resourceful now!

Dark Chocolate Ricotta Parmesan Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients
4 slices brioche or sweet sourdough
Butter, for bread
2 Tbsp Rricotta cheese
1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Lightly spread one side of each bread slice with butter. Evenly divide ricotta between two bread slices and then evenly sprinkle the Chocolate and Parmesan over the ricotta. Top with remaining bread slices.
Heat skillet over medium-low heat. Place sandwiches in warm skillet and cook on one side until golden brown and cheese begins to melt, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip sandwich over and cook until golden brown and cheese is completely melted, 2 to 4 additional minutes.
Let cool 2 minutes before cutting in half.

CHOCOLATE & CHEESE PAIRING & CREAM CHEESE TRUFFLE RECIPE: National Cheese Day

Today is National Cheese Day, and Chocolate and Cheese go perfectly together. You just have to have the right pairing.

Here are a few guidelines for the perfect CHEESE and CHOCOLATE pairing. Foods with similar flavor profiles work best together. For Darker Chocolates, choose a more complex, aged cheese. For Milk Chocolates choose a buttery cheese such as a Triple Brie. For Fruity Chocolates pair with a sharper cheese. For Nuttier chocolates pair with cheese high in butterfat. Spicy chocolates pair with sharp cheeses,

A few examples of Savory-Sweet Pairings:
Dark chocolate (80% or more cocoa) with a delicious true Blue cheese.
Burnt caramel chocolates with a beer-washed Cheese.
Bordeaux-style chocolate with a creamy triple crème Brie.
Citrus-y chocolate with a semi-hard, buttery table cheese (feta or havarti).

Here's an easy recipe for Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles. You might also want to try my recipes for Goat Cheese Truffles or Blue Cheese Truffles.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
4 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup DARK cocoa powder, for rolling (or ground/chopped walnuts)

Directions
Pour cocoa powder or nuts into a shallow pie pan and set aside.
Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in top of doubleboiler (or a pot over a pot of simmering water), stirring after every 45 seconds to prevent overheating. Set chocolate aside.
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat mixture on medium speed for a few minutes, until well-blended.
Stop mixer and stir in melted chocolate. Beat until well combined.
Remove bowl from mixer, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to scoop, about 20-30 minutes.
Once candy is firm but not hard, scoop into 1 inch balls using teaspoon or candy/cookie scoop.
Roll truffles in cocoa powder or ground/chopped walnuts.
Serve truffles at room temperature, but if you're not eating right away, put in airtight container and keep in refrigerator.

BLUE CHEESE TRUFFLES: National Moldy Cheese Day

October 9 is Moldy Cheese Day. Don't you just love the name Moldy Cheese Day? Perfect for October! For me, Moldy Cheese means Blue Cheese. O.K. I know there are a lot of other moldy cheeses out there, but give me a good Stilton or Gorgonzola any day. So in honor of Moldy Cheese Day, I'm making Blue Cheese Truffles. Simple and delicious.

Scroll down for an easy recipe for Blue Cheese Truffles (I'd call them Moldy Cheese Truffles, but I fear no one will eat them).

No time or inclination to make your own? There are several Chocolate companies that offer fabulous Smokey Blue Cheese Truffles. I really like Lillie Belle Farms from Southern Oregon. I've tasted them at the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, and they're delicious. Organic milk chocolate, Rogue Creamery's smoked blue cheese and toasted almonds. It's an awesome combination.

My other favorite blue cheese truffles are Bissinger's Chocolate-Covered Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese Wine Grape. They're a great combination of sweet and savory. I'm a sucker for chocolate and cheese, and local Point Reyes Original Blue is one of my favorite blues. Add a wine grape to that, and I'm in heaven.
 
But, of course, you can make your own Blue Cheese (Moldy Cheese) Truffles! This recipe is adapted from Harold McGee's Cookbook On Food and Cooking. Remember that the taste will change depending on the chocolate and cheese you choose!


BLUE CHEESE TRUFFLES

FILLING
2 ounces Blue Cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp superfine sugar
2 ounces Dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

COATING
6 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

Make sure the cheese is at room temperature.

In mixing bowl, combine cheese and sugar and mix until sugar dissolves.
Melt filling chocolate in top of a double boiler (or saucepan over saucepan) over simmering water.

Use 2 ounces for blue cheese fillings. Make sure cheese is at room temperature and very soft. If it is too firm, microwave very briefly to soften.

Combine melted chocolate, superfine sugar, and cheese and work together with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula until the mixture is homogeneous. (This may be easier if you add a few drops of water or a little butter.) If mixture is too soft to shape, refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.

Roll portions of mixture into 1/2-inch balls and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.
Melt and temper coating chocolate. Dip cheese balls in tempered chocolate, letting excess drain off. Allow to set at room temperature. Keep in cool place and serve on same day.

Note: Cheese will resume fermentation if left at room temperature, so this is one case where truffles should be refrigerated if kept for more than a day. Place on a sheet or tray and wrap snugly in waxed paper, then plastic wrap, before refrigerating. Allow to warm to room temperature before unwrapping.

SUPER BLUE MOON ECLIPSE BROWNIES

What a spectacular morning! The Super Blue Moon Eclipse was amazing. This was a really fabulous astronomical event on so many levels. A super moon appears bigger and brighter in the night sky than usual, so it was gorgeous. And, to top it off, there was a Lunar Eclipse! Add to that that this is a Blue Moon (two full moons in one month). Amazing.

Given that we were all told at some time in our lives that the 'Moon is Made of Cheese,' I think this recipe for Blue Cheese Brownies is also perfect to celebrate this extraordinary Super Blue Moon Eclipse. This recipe for Blue Cheese Brownies is adapted from Mandy at Monetize Your Vision.

Super Blue Moon Eclipse Brownies

Ingredients
8 ounces good quality dark chocolate (65-80% cacao), chopped
16 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup of good quality blue cheese (I use Rogue or Humboldt or Cowgirl Creamery)
3 medium eggs
2 cups caster/fine sugar (not confectioners sugar)
1/3 cup good quality DARK cocoa powder
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2 level tsp of baking powder

Directions
Melt chocolate, blue cheese, and butter in saucepan over saucepan of simmering hot water. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk eggs with sugar and mix with cooled chocolate, blue cheese, and butter mixture.
Sift and stir in cocoa and flour.
Pour mixture into greased parchment (or waxed paper) lined baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350.
COOL (totally) on rack before taking out or they will totally fall apart.
When cooled, ease around the edges with a knife and cut.

And this fabulous moon setting this morning!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES: Cheese Lovers Day

Today is National Cheese Lovers Day, and I immediately thought of Cheesecake! I've posted recipes for a variety of of chocolate cheesecakes,  from Pumpkin Cheesecakes to Double Chocolate Cheesecakes, so for today's food holiday, I thought I'd take a different approach. I love truffles, so here's a simple recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles. Easy and delicious! As always, use the very best chocolate. There are three different ways to coat these.. It's up to you!

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Ingredients 
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
5 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, melted (I use 70% cacao)
1 tsp good quality vanilla

Coatings for truffles:
toasted pecans, chopped (or other nuts)
pulverized graham crackers (gives you a true cheesecake taste)
cocoa powder

Directions
Using mixer, slowly add powdered sugar to cream cheese, mixing well after each addition.
Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Chill several hours.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in coatings.

How easy is this?