MALTED MILK BALL CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PIE: Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

Yesterday was National Ice Cream Pie Day, and I meant to post a recipe. Well this Malted Milk Ball Chocolate Ice Cream Pie takes the cake--or, in this case-- the pie! If you're like me, you've always wondered about Malted Milk Balls. What are they really?

Lots of companies make them now, but when I was growing up, I only remember one: Hershey's Whoppers Malted Milk Balls. But there were actually other "old fashioned' brands such as Maltesers. Maybe they weren't available at my candy store? Ghirardelli also makes Milk Chocolate Malt Balls. (There's also a Kittymalt Hairball remedy that I have, but I won't go there).

Malt balls (interchangeable with malted balls but not moth balls!) are now also available in a variety of flavors: There are pumpkin spice malted milk balls, dark chocolate milk balls, mint malted milk balls, cookies and cream malted milk balls, peanut butter malted milk balls and yogurt malted milk balls, and many other varieties. I'm a purist, however.

Want to just have the Malt Ball center only? Nuts on Line sells them. These malt ball center only candies can be enrobed in the very best chocolate. You can do it yourself in the same way you make chocolate covered nuts. Just melt some chocolate and dip. I use two forks to make it easy. Dry them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

But what is a malt ball? wiseGeek (clear answers for common questions) has the answer: 
Malted milk balls are chocolate-coated candies often sold in milk carton packaging to promote their association with flavored milk and malted milkshakes.

The flavor of malted milk balls is often described as nutty or distinctively hearty, much like a grain cereal. The reason for this unusual flavor is the use of a grain treatment known as malting. Barley grains are allowed to germinate after harvest, which changes the sugar composition of the grain, in the same sense that germinated corn becomes more suitable for distillation. The malted barley grain is carefully dried and ground into a powder for confectionery use.

Want a fabulous use for Malted Milk Balls? Well, besides eating them at the movies? Sunset Magazine had a great recipe a few years ago for Malted Milk Ball Ice Cream Pie. I definitely love using candy in pies and cakes. This ice cream pie has crunchy malted milk balls on the bottom, malt ice cream above it, and a layer of dark chocolate frosting. Add some whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped and whole malted milk balls when you serve, and you're good to go.

MALTED MILK BALL CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups malted milk balls, divided
Cookie Crust, using chocolate wafers and a 9-in. cheesecake pan with removable sides (I've posted this recipe before)
1 3/4 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
3 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups malted milk powder (Malted milk powder is made from milk, barley malt, and wheat; don't confuse it with Ovaltine, which has other ingredients added. Find it next to the chocolate milk powder in well-stocked grocery stores or online)
1 cup whipping cream, divided
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation
Arrange a tight layer of malted milk balls (3 cups) over crust. Stir ice cream with cocoa powder and malted milk powder until smooth. Spoon into crust, set on plate, and freeze 5 hours.
Heat 1/2 cup cream meanwhile until simmering. Put chocolate in small metal bowl, pour in cream, and let sit until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.
Smooth chocolate ganache over top of pie and freeze until set, about 15 minutes.
  
To serve:
Whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and swirl onto pie. Chop some malted milk balls and drop onto pie; add a few whole balls. Remove rim and serve immediately.
 
Tips: 
Let the pie soften for 5 minutes at room temp to make slicing easier.
If you're having trouble free-ing your pie from its pan, set it over bowl of hot water for a couple of minutes and then slide a thin knife between pan edge and crust. It should pop right out.

Photo: Malted Milk Ice Cream Pie: Yunhee Kim; Styling: Karen Shinto

CHOCOLATE CHIP APPLE CAKE: Fall Harvest

I love Fall with its infinite variety of apples.  Here's a great way to make the most of the Apple Harvest. This fabulous Chocolate Chip Apple Cake (recipe originally from Sunset Magazine) is also a great way to celebrate  Rosh Hashana. We all need a sweet new year!

I use tart apples in this recipe because I like the combination of tart and sweet. Try different apple varieties. Also, you can use your favorite dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Chop into chunks.

Chocolate Chip Apple Cake

Ingredients 
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour one 9 or 10 inch Bundt Pan.
In large bowl, cream butter with sugar. Beat in eggs. Add water and vanilla.
Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg together. Beat this mixture into creamed mixture.
Fold in chopped apples and semisweet chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks).
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tests done when toothpick is inserted near center. Do not overbake. Start checking at one hour.
Transfer to a rack to cool.

CRUSHED PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE WITH PEPPERMINT OREO CRUST

Here's a great dessert to make for New Year's Eve --or anytime. It's a Sunset Magazine recipe for Crushed Peppermint Cheesecake! Cheesecake is one of my favorite foods. You can leave off the Crushed Peppermint and peppermint oil for a traditional cheesecake, if you want. This recipe is quite versatile. But I love peppermint and chocolate, especially during the holidays, and when you add butter, cream cheese, and sour cream..well what's not to like? This is a wonderful holiday dessert!

CRUSHED PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE

Ingredients
12 ounces creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, (Oreos or Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joes) broken into pieces
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1- 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy

Directions
Place cookies in heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with rolling pin. Pour into buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in 300° oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).

Meanwhile, in bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run knife around edge of pan rim. Place pan on wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with paper towel.

Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in gently with hands.

INDIVIDUAL CHOCOLATE SOUFFLES: Chocolate Soufflé Day!

There's nothing more delicious than a Chocolate Souffle right out of the oven. Here's a great recipe from Sunset Magazine to celebrate National Chocolate Souffle Day!

Individual Chocolate Soufflés

Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes. You can fill the soufflé dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). 
Here's a helpful hint from Sunset: increase or decrease the number of soufflés with this simple formula: For each soufflé, use 1/2 tsp. butter, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 oz. chocolate, 1 tbsp. milk, 1/2 egg yolk, 1 egg white, and a small pinch of both salt and cream of tartar.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp sweet butter, plus more for dishes
6 Tbsp  sugar, plus more for dishes
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use the very best quality)*
6 Tbsp milk
3 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

The Sunset recipe tops the soufflés with Vanilla Bean Cream, but I use fresh whipped cream or just eat as is.

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Generously butter six 8-oz. soufflé dishes. Sprinkle butter with sugar to coat. Put dishes on baking sheet and set aside.
Bring 1 inch of water to boil in medium frying pan. Put chocolate, milk, and 1 Tbsp butter in small metal bowl. Put bowl in water and take pan off heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate melts. Remove bowl from water, mix in egg yolks, and set aside. (You can melt chocolate in a different way, if you'd like, but this is an interesting technique and controls the heat well.)
In large clean bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 6 Tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites. Divide mixture evenly among prepared soufflé dishes and bake until set but still soft in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately, with whipped cream.
Serve with demitasse spoons to savor every bite.

Remember, you can fill the soufflée dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). 

Photo: Leo Gong, Sunset Magazine

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MARBLE BUNDT CAKE: National Bundt Day

Today is National Bundt Day. 

 According to Nordic Ware, the original makers of the Bundt Pan, "if there is a kitchen in the home, there is a Bundt pan." Even if there's not one in your pantry, I think my kitchen makes up the difference. I have all kinds of bundt pans. I find the shapes so versatile and fun. I'm always buying unique bundt pans at the Flea Market or the White Elephant Sale. Because of the popularity of the Bundt pan, Nordic Ware designated November 15 as National Bundt Day several years ago.

Want to make this for Thanksgiving? Here are some great Nordic Ware Pumpkin Bundt Pans!

And in keeping with the National Bundt Day Holiday Spirit, here's a recipe from Sunset Magazine (Charity Ferreira: 2003) for Chocolate Pumpkin Marble Bundt Cake. This marbled bundt cake features two separate batters: chocolate and pumpkin. The original recipe calls for a chocolate glaze, but that's optional. The cake is rich enough as it is.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN MARBLE BUNDT CAKE

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups (3/4 lb.) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (I use an all natural canned pumpkin-But Libby's works well, too)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup buttermilk

Directions
In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Scrape half mixture into another bowl.

To make pumpkin batter: Beat pumpkin into half the butter mixture until well blended. In another bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and beat on low speed or fold in with flexible spatula just until blended.

To make chocolate batter: In another bowl, mix remaining 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cocoa. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the other half of the butter mixture (starting and ending with flour mixture), beating after each addition just until blended.

Spoon half pumpkin batter into a buttered and floured 12-cup bundt-cake pan. Drop half chocolate batter by spoonfuls over (but not entirely covering) the pumpkin batter. Repeat to spoon remaining pumpkin and chocolate batters into pan. Gently run the blade of a butter knife around the center of the pan several times, then draw the knife across the width of the pan in 10 to 12 places to swirl batters.

Bake in 350° regular or 325° convection oven until wood skewer inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cake cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto rack, lift off pan, and cool cake completely.

Nordic Ware: Turkey Bundt Pan

Camp Sunset: Dutch Oven Double Chocolate Cake

I love Sunset Celebration Weekend! This year it will be held once more at Cornerstone in Sonoma, May 20-21. There is so much planned to make your weekend exciting, educational, and fun, including Camp Sunset: DIY interactive Retro crafts activities with a modern twist, food demos showing off the ins and outs of backcountry cooking, and Western Spirit: Exploring locally influenced whiskies! Of course, there's much more at Sunset Celebration: Food and Wine with celebrity Chefs, Live Fire Cooking Stage, and Wine & Spirit Seminars. Don't forget to stop by the Sunset Smart Cottage. I loved it. High-tech meets high-style at the Sunset Smart Cottage. There's also a Smart Trailer (special-edition Tommy Bahama Airstream). Be still my heart!

Here's a great recipe for a Dutch Oven Double Chocolate Cake that you can make on your next camping trip. Everyone will love you and this cake! Recipe from Sunset, of course.

Dutch Oven Double Chocolate Cake
Tip: use charcoal briquets instead of wood to better control the heat.

Ingredients 
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
About 1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream (whisk whipping cream in a bowl with a little sugar or use canned)

AT HOME 
Combine flour, sugar, dried buttermilk, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in lidded container or resealable plastic bag.
Pour 1/3 cup oil and the vanilla into second container with snug lid.
Cut circle of parchment paper to fit bottom of 4-qt. camp dutch oven.

IN CAMP
Fill charcoal chimney starter one-third with briquets, set in irepit, ignite, and let burn until briquets are spotted gray, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, generously oil dutch oven, line with parchment paper circle, and oil paper.
Pour flour mixture into medium bowl.
When fire is ready, add oil mixture and 1 cup water to flour mixture and stir until blended.
Scrape into dutch oven and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Using tongs, space 8 coals in firepit in circle a little smaller than dutch oven.
Set dutch oven on coals, checking that it's level. Set lid on top, then arrange 14 coals on lid around the lip and 2 coals in center of lid. Set any extra coals aside.
Bake cake until skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes; to check, lift lid by sliding tongs through lid's center handle and bracing them against side of lid closest to you, then tilting lid up.
Remove lid and let cake cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Salted Chocolate Pecan Toffee: National Pecan Day!

I love Pecans. They're filled with anti-oxidants, and they taste great. Add chocolate and toffee, and you have a winner. So since today is National Pecan Day (as opposed to Pecan Pie Day or Pecan Sandie Day), celebrate.

Several years ago I found a fabulous recipe in Sunset Magazine, December 2007, for Salted Chocolate Pecan Toffee. I've been a subscriber to Sunset for more years than some of you have been around, and they really test their recipes. This is a no-fail recipe that I've tweaked only slightly, and you'll love the results. Remember to buy the freshest pecans and the best chocolate. If you have a pecan tree, that's even better! And, as always, experiment with different chocolate.

Too much work? Make Margaret Maron's Chocolate Covered Fried Pecans.

SALTED CHOCOLATE PECAN TOFFEE

Ingredients
2 cups pecan halves
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
12 ounces DARK chocolate (65-75% cacao, fair-trade, organic)
2 tso fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Place pecans on rimmed baking sheet and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop roughly. Divide into 2 batches; chop 1 batch finely. Set both batches aside.

Put sugar, butter, salt, and 3/4 cup water in 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. When butter and sugar are melted, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is deep golden brown and measures 310° on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla (mixture bubbles up) and finely chopped pecans. Pour into a 10x15 rimmed baking sheet. Let toffee cool until set, at least 30 minutes.

Chop chocolate and put in medium metal bowl. Fill  8x10 frying pan with 1/2 inches water and bring to boil. Take off heat and put bowl of chocolate in water. Let sit about 5 minutes. Stir chocolate until melted. Pour over toffee, and with knife or spatula, spread evenly. Sprinkle chocolate with roughly chopped pecans. Let sit 20 minutes, or until chocolate is cool but still a bit soft. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Chill until set, about 1 hour.
To remove, gently twist pan to release toffee, then chop or break into chunks.
Store in airtight container.

A warning from Sunset, and it's true.. be careful!
Use caution when working with sugar syrup, as it can cause severe burns. Set out your baking sheet so it's ready to use, and keep ice water nearby to cool any burns.

Chocolate Dutch Baby: Guest Post by Judie Siddall

My sister Judie Siddall and I share many things, one of which is that for many years we both made Dutch Babies on a weekly basis. So when I saw her post about a Chocolate Dutch Baby on Facebook, I knew she should do a guest post for DyingforChocolate. Chocolate Dutch Baby! What a terrific idea! Thank you, Sunset. Thank you, Smitten Kitchen. Thank you, Judie.

Judie Siddall owns a small antiques business, Merlin Antiques, that specializes in British transferware. She's collected transferware since her teens. She is the founder of the Transferware Collectors Club, an editor of the TCC Database of Patterns and Sources, and had served as the TCC president, vice president, and membership secretary. She is also a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of seven.

Judie Siddall:
DUTCH BABY

Three things were new to me in January 1977: a husband, a kitchen, and a Dutch Baby. Not a human baby, he came later, but a buttery, fluffy, huge pancake that was gorgeous to look at (for a minute before it deflated) and delicious to eat. The recipe arrived by mail in the January 1977 issue of Sunset Magazine. I liked the Dutch Baby so much that I think made it nearly every week for 10 years, and then I didn't. My kitchen grew old and my children complained. They wanted meat!

Recently, two things happened. I remodeled my kitchen! I had an oven the was reliable! And, a recipe for a Chocolate Dutch Baby arrived by email from the superb blog, Smitten Kitchen. I had never thought of adding chocolate to a Dutch Baby. It seemed perfect without it. But I tried it and loved it, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate Dutch Baby 
January 17, 2017. You'll get more information from the link, but I added some of my own ideas here. 

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Ingredients
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 tablespoons (50 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (15 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, any variety, sifted if lumpy. (I used Peet's unsweetened Dutch Cocoa)
1/2 cup (120ml) milk (I used 1%, but use whole milk if you have it)
4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
Shaved dark chocolate and powdered sugar (to finish). I skipped the extra chocolate, but I did use the powdered sugar.
Fresh berries and syrup (to serve, if desired) I used blueberries and strawberries, but no syrup.

Directions
Whisk (I haven't used my circa 1960s whisk in years) eggs, sugar, and salt in the bottom of a medium bowl. I used the largest of my 1970s Pyrex bowls because I am a messy mixer. Add flour and cocoa, whisking until mostly smooth (some tiny lumps are okay, but whisk out what you can). Drizzle in milk, whisking the whole time.
Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet on the stove over high heat. Add butter and melt, tipping the pan around so it butters the sides too. Turn heat off and scrape batter into the pan. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until pancake is billowy.

Fluffy in the Oven

Just like my old Dutch Babies, the pancake delates quickly.

Deflating

Deflated

Here are some of my Chocolate Dutch Baby thoughts. Despite its sweet sounding name, it is not that sweet. I suggest using the shaved chocolate and the syrup if you have sweet tooth. If you want a light chocolate pancake to enhance you fruit experience (I did), than leave out the extra sweets.

***

One more thing. Here is the original Dutch Baby recipe from 1977. I always tore out my favorite Sunset recipes and put them in a folder. I am so glad I saved them!

Sunset Magazine Dutch Baby

I know it's too small to read, so below I present the recipe for the large version. I always made the largest Dutch Baby (there are different sizes).

Heat oven to 425 degrees 

Pan Size: 4-1/2 - 5 quarts - I used a large paella pan.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
6 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups milk

Directions
Put the butter in the pan and set in the oven. Mix the batter quickly while the butter melts (I always had the mixture ready before I did this).
Put eggs in a blender, and whirl at high speed for about 1 minute.
With motor running, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour, and continue to whirl for about 30 seconds more. It is so easy to do in a blender!
This is when I put the pan in the oven and melt the butter. When butter is melted, remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter into the hot melted butter.
Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Use your favorite topping. Perhaps chocolate?

Chocolate Marshmallow Pudding: Sunset 1938 Kitchen Cabinet Cook Book

I'm a huge fan of Sunset and Sunset publications, including Sunset Magazine, Sunset Cookbooks and Sunset Gardening books. So when I found this 1938 cookbook, Sunset's New Kitchen Cabinet Cook Book at the Flea Market a few weeks ago, I snapped it up. What a treasure trove. Love, love, love the illustrations!

Here's the intro to the Cook Book:

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Now, for the first time, SUNSET'S NEW KITCHEN CABINET COOK BOOK gives you all of the recipes published over a period of nearly 10 years--from February, 1929, to June, 1938!  Selected from among more than 25,000 recipes contributed by SUNSET readers, they will be found extremely reliable and practical, with a real Western "home flavor" not to be found elsewhere. Each recipe is twice-tested-first by the contributor and again by SUNSET'S own home economists. We hope that you'll like this book so well that you'll use it constantly and tell your friends and neighbors about it.

I'll be posting various recipes over the next few months, but thought I'd start with this smashing recipe for Chocolate Marshmallow Pudding. It's a very easy recipe. I love the term ground chocolate which is not quite the same as cocoa. It pops up a lot in recipes from the 30s and 40s.

Another thing about this page in the book that caught my eye is the Coffee Butter Frosting. It's a great chocolate frosting. Coffee is always a great counterpoint to chocolate. And, the recipe is by J.R. of Berkeley. Me? Well, it wouldn't have been me in 1938. LOL!

Individual Chocolate Souffles for Chocolate Souffle Day!

There's nothing more delicious than a Chocolate Souffle right out of the oven. I posted my go-to recipe for Chocolate Soufflé for Bastille Day a few years ago. It was adapted from Bon Appetit. It's easy and delicious. But I'm always looking for other souffle recipes. This recipe for the February 28 Chocolate Souffle Day Holiday is from Sunset Magazine. They've been producing the best recipes for years.

Individual Chocolate Soufflés

Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes.  You can fill the soufflé dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). 
Here's a helpful hint from Sunset: increase or decrease the number of soufflés with this simple formula: For each soufflé, use 1/2 tsp. butter, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 oz. chocolate, 1 tbsp. milk, 1/2 egg yolk, 1 egg white, and a small pinch of both salt and cream of tartar.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp sweet butter, plus more for dishes
6 Tbsp  sugar, plus more for dishes
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use the very best quality)*
6 Tbsp milk
3 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

The Sunset recipe tops the soufflés with Vanilla Bean Cream, but I use fresh whipped cream or just eat as is. Keeping it easy. :-)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Generously butter six 8-oz. soufflé dishes. Sprinkle butter with sugar to coat. Put dishes on baking sheet and set aside.
2. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in medium frying pan. Put chocolate, milk, and 1 Tbsp butter in small metal bowl. Put bowl in water and take pan off heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate melts. Remove bowl from water, mix in egg yolks, and set aside. (You can melt chocolate in a different way, if you'd like, but this is an interesting technique and controls the heat well.)
3. In large clean bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 6 Tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites. Divide mixture evenly among prepared soufflé dishes and bake until set but still soft in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately, with whipped cream.
5. Serve with demitasse spoons to savor every bite (Hat Tip to Bobbie Mumm)

Remember, you can fill the soufflée dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). 

Photo: Leo Gong, Sunset Magazine

Chocolate Soufflés for Valentine's Day

There's nothing more romantic and delicious than a Chocolate Souffle right out of the oven. Many years ago a friend and I made a Valentine's Day dinner for our significant others. The four of us were not dining together. We each made two dishes for four and  swapped. I made Coquille St Jacques and Chocolate Soufflés in small ramekins. She made the salad and roasted vegetables. I think she got the easier of the deal. Nevertheless, it was one of my first forays into souffle making, and luckily I chose a recipe that couldn't fail. Both of us compared notes the next day and declared it was one of the best meals we had ever had.

I posted a recipe for Chocolate Soufflé for Bastille Day a few years ago. It's my go-to recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit. It's easy and delicious. But I'm always looking for other souffle recipes. My source for this Valentine's Day Chocolate Soufflés is Sunset Magazine. They've been producing the best recipes for years.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Soufflés

Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes.  You can fill the soufflé dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). Here's a helpful hint from Sunset: increase or decrease the number of soufflés with this simple formula: For each soufflé, use 1/2 tsp. butter, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 oz. chocolate, 1 tbsp. milk, 1/2 egg yolk, 1 egg white, and a small pinch of both salt and cream of tartar.
Makes 6 individual soufflés

Ingredients
1 Tbsp sweet butter, plus more for dishes
6 Tbsp  sugar, plus more for dishes
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use the very best quality)*
6 Tbsp milk
3 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

The Sunset recipe tops the soufflés with Vanilla Bean Cream, but I use fresh whipped cream or just eat as is. Keeping it easy. :-)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Generously butter six 8-oz. soufflé dishes. Sprinkle butter with sugar to coat. Put dishes on baking sheet and set aside.
2. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in medium frying pan. Put chocolate, milk, and 1 Tbsp butter in small metal bowl. Put bowl in water and take pan off heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate melts. Remove bowl from water, mix in egg yolks, and set aside. (you can melt chocolate in a different way, if you'd like, but this is an interesting technique and controls the heat well.)
3. In large clean bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 6 Tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg whites. Divide mixture evenly among prepared soufflé dishes and bake until set but still soft in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately, with whipped cream.
5. Serve with demitasse spoons to savor every bite (Hat Tip to Bobbie Mumm)

Remember, you can fill the soufflé dishes up to 1 day before baking and chill them (allow up to 5 extra minutes to bake). 

Photo: Leo Gong, Sunset Magazine

Malted Milk Balls: Malted Milk Ball Ice Cream Pie

If you're like me, you've always wondered about Malted Milk Balls. What are they really?

Lots of companies make them now, but when I was growing up, I only remember one: Hershey's Whoppers Malted Milk Balls.  But there are other "old fashioned' brands such as Maltesers.  Maybe they weren't available at my candy store? Ghirardelli  makes Milk Chocolate Malt Balls.  (There's also a Kittymalt Hairball remedy that I have, but I won't go there).

Malt balls (interchangeable with malted balls but not moth balls!) are also available in a variety of flavors: There are pumpkin spice malted milk balls, dark chocolate milk balls, mint malted milk balls, cookies and cream malted milk balls, peanut butter malted milk balls and yogurt malted milk balls, and many other varities.  Want to just have the Malt Ball center:  Nuts on Line sells them for $3.99 a pound.  

These malt ball center only candies can be enrobed in the very best chocolate. You can do it yourself in the same way you make chocolate covered nuts. Just melt some chocolate and dip. I use two forks to make it easy. Dry them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

But what is a malt ball? wiseGeek (clear answers for common questions) has the answer: 
Malted milk balls are chocolate-coated candies often sold in milk carton packaging to promote their association with flavored milk and malted milkshakes.

The flavor of malted milk balls is often described as nutty or distinctively hearty, much like a grain cereal. The reason for this unusual flavor is the use of a grain treatment known as malting. Barley grains are allowed to germinate after harvest, which changes the sugar composition of the grain, in the same sense that germinated corn becomes more suitable for distillation. The malted barley grain is carefully dried and ground into a powder for confectionery use.

Want a fabulous use for Malted Milk Balls? Well, besides eating them at the movies? Sunset Magazine had a great recipe last month for Malted Milk Ice Cream Pie. I definitely love using candy in pies and cakes. This ice cream pie has crunchy malted milk balls on the bottom, malt ice cream above it, and a layer of dark chocolate frosting. Add some whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped and whole malted milk balls when you serve, and you're good to go.

MALTED MILK BALL ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups malted milk balls, divided
Cookie Crust, using chocolate wafers and a 9-in. cheesecake pan with removable sides (I've posted this recipe before)
1 3/4 qts. vanilla ice cream, softened
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups malted milk powder (Malted milk powder is made from milk, barley malt, and wheat; don't confuse it with Ovaltine, which has other ingredients added. Find it next to the chocolate milk powder in well-stocked grocery stores)
1 cup whipping cream, divided
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation
1. Arrange a tight layer of malted milk balls (3 cups) over crust. Stir ice cream with cocoa powder and malted milk powder until smooth. Spoon into crust, set on a plate, and freeze 5 hours.
2. Heat 1/2 cup cream meanwhile until simmering. Put chocolate in a small metal bowl, pour in cream, and let sit until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool completely.
3. Smooth chocolate ganache over top of pie and freeze until set, about 15 minutes.
  
To serve:
4. Whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and swirl onto pie. Chop some malted milk balls and drop onto pie; add a few whole balls. Remove rim and serve immediately.
 
Tips: 
Let the pie soften for 5 minutes at room temp to make slicing easier.
If you're having trouble freeing your pie from its pan, set it over a bowl of hot water for a couple of minutes and then slide a thin knife between the pan edge and the crust. It should pop right out.
Make ahead: Once the pie is fully frozen through step 3, it keeps for up to 4 days, double-wrapped in plastic wrap. Top it just before serving.


Photo: Malted Milk Ice Cream Pie: Yunhee Kim; Styling: Karen Shinto

Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Creme & Tombstone Chocolate Cookies

I've always been a big Sunset reader. I hated throwing away (recycling) any of the issues. As you can imagine I had stacks of Sunset Magazine in lots of places. Welcome the Internet. I no longer had to have all these magazines cluttering up my house.

I still get Sunset Magazine, but now I can do an easy search for those older recipes on the Web. Of course, my notations are not on those recipes, but it's a small price to pay, and I can always add changes to my online recipe file.

A few weeks ago I posted Martha Stewart's recipe for Chocolate Cemetery Cupcakes, well here's Sunset's recipe for Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Creme with Chocolate Wafer Dirt plus Chocolate Nib Tombstone Cookies. Great for the sophisticated Ghoul!

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
14 ounces (about 3 cups) semisweet or bitter-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs

Preparation
1. In a food processor or blender, whirl chocolate until finely chopped. Pour into a bowl. Put eggs and yolks in the processor or blender.
2. In a 4-cup glass measure, heat whipping cream in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until cream boils, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. With processor or blender on high speed, add boiling cream to egg. Check temperature of mixture with an instant-read thermometer; if below 160°, pour mixture back into glass measure and reheat in microwave oven at full power until it reaches 160°, stirring and checking at 15-second intervals.
4. Combine hot cream mixture, chopped chocolate, and liqueur in blender or processor (or whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl); whirl until smooth, about 1 minute.
5. Pour chocolate mixture into 8 ramekins or glasses (1/2-cup size). Chill until softly set, 30 to 45 minutes. If making ahead, cover and chill up to 1 day. For creamiest texture, let desserts stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before eating.
6. Spoon 1 tbsp. wafer crumbs onto each pot de crème. Insert a Tombstone Cookie into each serving.

Tombstone Cookies
Notes: Cocoa nibs, also called "cacao nibs," give these cookies a mottled look that resembles stone. You can make this recipe with both chocolate-covered nibs made by Scharffen Berger or plain nibs from Dagoba Organic Chocolate--or try your favorite chocolate nibs. You can also substitute 2 tbsp. finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. Make up to 3 days ahead; store airtight.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen (so you'll have lots of extras to eat!)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons chocolate covered (or regular cacao) nibs
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling cookies
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a blender, whirl cocoa nibs until each is about the size of a grain of rice.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until creamy; beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa nibs; gradually add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly, to form a soft dough. Divide dough into thirds, cover each portion tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour), or up to 3 days.
4. On a floured board, roll out dough, a portion at a time, to a thickness of 1/8 in. (keep dough refrigerated when not in use). With a sharp knife, cut out free-form tombstone shapes (about 1 1/2 by 3 in.; cut bottom edges at an angle to make them easier to poke into the pots de crème), and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
5. Bake cookies until edges are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely before handling.
6. Using a pastry bag with a very fine tip, pipe the letters "RIP" in chocolate on at least 8 of the cookies. Stick these cookies into the Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème and serve the rest of the cookies alongside (or eat them)**.

Chocolate News and Recipes

Valentine's Day is coming up, so I thought I'd have a mixture of Chocolate News and recipes this month.

The San Jose Mercury News has a long list of local chocolate makers today. The decision by Hershey Co. to close the Bay Area factories of Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt leaves a void in the field of homegrown chocolate companies. As Valentine's Day looms, some suggestions for local options. Suggestions include Dolce Bella Chocolates in Saratoga, Recchiuti Confections in San Francisco, See's Candies, one of the longest CA presences, and several others.

Sunset Magazine has a list of 20 Ultimate Chocolate Deserts, starting with a Salted Chocolate Tart! They're all pretty sinful. Of course, my feeling is it's all in the chocolate, so choose the very best chocolate for your own adaptation of the recipe.