BLACK BOTTOM PUMPKIN PIE: Thanksgiving

Everybody dance The Black Bottom! See video clip below. I love Black Bottom Pie, but this pie is even more perfect for this time of year with the addition of pumpkin: Black Bottom Pumpkin Pie! And, if you don't make it today, bookmark it for Thanksgiving! It's a great twist on a great pie! Who doesn't love a layer of melted chocolate over a buttery crust topped by pumpkin? This recipe is from Epicurious.. and it's easy. I use a ready-made crust from Trader Joe's, but you can make your own -- either a regular buttery crust or a graham cracker crust.

BLACK BOTTOM PUMPKIN PIE

INGREDIENTS

BLACK-BOTTOM FILLING 
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
 8 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

PUMPKIN FILLING 
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
 pinch ground ginger
1 can (15 oz) or 2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie filling)
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

BLACK-BOTTOM FILLING 
In saucepan over high heat, bring cream and ginger to boil. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
Put chocolate in a mixing bowl. Bring cream and ginger to a boil again, and strain cream into bowl of chocolate (discard ginger). Stir mixture until smooth.

PUMPKIN FILLING 
In mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, and spices. Whisk in pumpkin and then eggs, one at a time. Stir in evaporated milk and vanilla.

TO ASSEMBLE: 
Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out crust, place in 9-inch metal pie pan, and pour in black-bottom filling.
Freeze for 10 minutes to firm up, then fill remainder of pie shell with pumpkin mixture.
Bake on preheated cookie sheet until crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes.
Cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Have a piece great pie and dance The Black Bottom!

FULL MOON COCKTAIL: International Cocktail Day!

 It must be in the stars, and I'm over the moon about it. Tomorrow is International Cocktail Day, and tonight is the Full Moon. To celebrate, here's a recipe for a Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail. Tequila and Chocolate (Creme de Cacao, both dark and clear) go so well in this easy cocktail. Don't let it fool you, though. You'll be howling at the moon, if you drink too many. :-)

Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail

Ingredients
1 oz Cream
1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Dark Creme de Cacao

Directions
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE FULL MOON COCKTAIL: National Tequila Day

This year National Tequila Day coincides with the Full Moon. It must be in the stars, and I'm over the moon about it. To celebrate, here's a recipe for a Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail. Tequila and Chocolate (Creme de Cacao, both dark and clear) go so well in this easy cocktail. Don't let it fool you, though. You'll be howling at the moon, if you drink too many. :-)

Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail

Ingredients
1 oz Cream
1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Dark Creme de Cacao

Directions
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with chocolate curls.

THE BIG BAD WOLF'S BROWNIES: Wolf Moon Brownies!

Last night was the full moon called the Wolf Moon, named after howling wolves on the coldest night of the year. It got me thinking about wolves in stories, and I thought of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs. The recipe below is for The Big Bad Wolf's Brownies from the Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Cookbook. This is a great and easy recipe -- no huffing and puffing. Celebrate the Wolf Moon with these Big Bad Wolf's Brownies.

The Big Bad Wolf's Brownies
This recipe for The Big Bad Wolf's Brownies appeared in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Cookbook.

Ingredients
Shortening for buttering pan
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour, unsifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup pecans or walnut pieces, raisins, or salted pecans
2 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x9x2 pan with shortening.
Melt butter and chocolate in large saucepan over low heat. Remove sauce pan from heat.
Stir in sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and nuts. Add eggs and beat well with egg beater.
Pour batter into baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and place on rack.
When brownies are cool, cut into squares.

THE WOLF MOON 2020

MOONLIGHT CHOCOLATE CAKE: National Cake Day

Today is National Cake Day. What a great day to celebrate! I've posted over 300 variations on chocolate cake here on DyingforChocolate! So many choices. But, since there was a full moon last night, I thought I'd post this Swan's Down 1952 Retro Ad & Recipe for Moonlight Chocolate Cake. This is a rich Chocolate Cake with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum! The recipe calls for 3 squares of Baker's unsweetened chocolate, but I use a good quality dark chocolate and cut down on the sugar. You'll love this cake!

FULL MOON CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Tomorrow night is the Full Moon. Here's a photo of a full moon a few years ago with its shimmering reflection on San Francisco Bay. I truly live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Having posted recipes for the Full Moon Chocolate Cocktail, I thought I'd post a recipe for a simple Chocolate Full Moon Cake. This is a round cake with a thin spreadable icing that actually makes 'craters' as you pour it on top.  

Perfect to celebrate the Full Moon!

CHOCOLATE FULL MOON CAKE

Ingredients
2/3 cup Sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar  (powdered sugar)
2 ounces lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and line with parchment paper one 8 inch round cake pan.
Mix together sugar and eggs until dissolved. Stir in melted butter.
In separate bowl, slowly add hot water to cocoa and mix until smooth, dissolving cocoa completely.
In third bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Blend in vanilla. Pour batter into 8 inch round pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Let cake cool then ice with Lemon Moon Icing.

Icing: 
Combine confectioner's sugar with enough lemon juice to make icing spreadable without being runny or stiff (about 1/4 cup). Stir in grated zest.
Spread (or pour if you want lots of lunar irregularities!) icing thinly over top of cake.

Get out there and Howl at the Full Moon!

FULL MOON CHOCOLATE CAKE

Tomorrow night is the Full Moon. Here's a photo of a full moon a few years ago with its shimmering reflection on San Francisco Bay. I truly live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Having posted recipes for the Full Moon Chocolate Cocktail, I thought I'd post a recipe for a simple Chocolate Full Moon Cake. This is a round cake with a thin spreadable icing that actually makes 'craters' as you pour it on top.  

Perfect to celebrate the Full Moon!

CHOCOLATE FULL MOON CAKE

Ingredients
2/3 cup Sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar  (powdered sugar)
2 ounces lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and line with parchment paper one 8 inch round cake pan.
Mix together sugar and eggs until dissolved. Stir in melted butter.
In separate bowl, slowly add hot water to cocoa and mix until smooth, dissolving cocoa completely.
In third bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Blend in vanilla. Pour batter into 8 inch round pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Let cake cool then ice with Lemon Moon Icing.

Icing: 
Combine confectioner's sugar with enough lemon juice to make icing spreadable without being runny or stiff (about 1/4 cup). Stir in grated zest.
Spread (or pour if you want lots of lunar irregularities!) icing thinly over top of cake.

Get out there and Howl at the Full Moon!

Chocolate Full Moon: National Tequila Day

Yesterday was the Full Moon (7/22), and tomorrow is National Tequila Day (7/24). Since these two dates are so close together this year, it must be in the stars...or over the moon, so  I decided to post a recipe for a Chocolate Full Moon. This is a great cocktail! Tequila and Chocolate (Creme de Cacao, both dark and clear) go so well in this simple drink. Don't let it fool you, though. You'll be howling at the moon, if you drink too many. :-)

Chocolate Full Moon

1 oz Cream
1/2 oz Creme de Cacao
2 oz Tequila
1/2 oz Dark Creme de Cacao

Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into cocktail glass.
Garnish with chocolate curls.

Mexican Chocolate Martini, Kentucky Derby Pie Martini, Full Moon Cocktail

Today three special event/holidays come together, and they can be celebrated--toasted-- with three amazing chocolate cocktails. 

First, today's Cinco de Mayo, commemorating the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. Make a Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Chile Bundt Cake or three different Mexican Truffles including one made with Tequila--or mix up a Mexican Chocolate Martini adapted from Rachael Ray.  (recipe below)

Second, today is the running of the 138th Kentucky Derby. You can make Kentucky Derby Truffles or Kentucky Derby Pie or mix up a Kentucky Derby Pie Martini.

Third, tonight is a Full Moon, but not any full moon, it's a Super Moon. This is when the moon is 14% bigger and 30% brighter than any other moons this year because the moon on the perigee side of its orbit is about 31, 000 miles closer to Earth than the apogee side. Should make for some great photography.  Have some Full Moon Chocolate Cake and toast this celestial moment at 11:34 p.m. with a Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail.

Mexican Chocolate Martini

Chocolate Chipotle Powder, recipe follows 
1-1/2 ounces dark chocolate liqueur
1-1/2 ounces chocolate vodka
1-1/2 ounces tequila (100 percent agave reposado)
1-1/2 coffee Kahlua 

Chocolate Chipotle Powder
2 Tbsp high quality DARK cocoa powder 
1 Tbsp ground chipotle (dried, smoked jalapenos) 
1 tablespoon ground pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp cinnamon

Fold ingredients together slowly and carefully so as not to knock the powder into air as chipotle powder can burn nose and eyes

Spread Chocolate Chipotle Powder on large plate.
Rim 2 (8-ounce) martini glasses by rolling edge of each glass on clean wet sponge, then rolling the edge over the powder. Tap the glass gently to knock off the extra powder.
Pour rest of ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosty. Strain immediately into glasses and serve.

Kentucky Derby Pie Martini

1 ounce Kentucky Bourbon
1 ounce Dark Creme de Cacao
1 ounce Frangelico
1/2 cup crushed Candied Pecans

Rim Martini glass in Frangelico and then crushed candied pecans.
Chill glass in freezer.
Pour Kentucky Bourbon, Creme de Cacao and Frangelico into martini shaker with ice and shake.
Pour into chilled glass.

Chocolate Full Moon Cocktail

1 ounce Cream
1/2 ounce Creme de Cacao
2 ounces Silver Tequila
1/2 ounce Dark Creme de Cacoa

Rim glass with chocolate sugar, cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
Strain into cocktail glass.