Happy Honey Month! Cartoon of the Day

September is National Honey Month. Here's a great cartoon from my favorite cartoonist:
Hilary Price at Rhymes with Orange. What's your favorite honey?

Coffee Chocolate Ice Cream Pie

Here's a really easy Ice Cream Pie to celebrate Coffee Ice Cream Day! This recipe is adapted from an old recipe in Bon Appetit. You can actually use any ice cream, but since it's National Coffee Ice Cream Day, why not use coffee ice cream?

COFFEE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PIE

Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
1 pint coffee ice cream, softened
1- 9 inch chocolate cookie crust*
10 Oreos, crushed coarsely (about 1 cup)
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened

Directions

Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chunks; whisk until chocolate is melted. 

Whisk in coffee and vanilla. Let cool.

Spread softened ice cream evenly in crust. 

Pour 3/4 cup chocolate sauce over ice cream; sprinkle with crushed Oreos. 

Freeze until ice cream is firm (20 minutes). 

Drizzle 1/3 cup sauce over pie. 

Spread softened chocolate ice cream (gently) on top. Sprinkle with crushed Oreos.

Freeze pie until firm, 2 hours at least.

Chocolate Honey Truffles

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, started last night. Honey is often eaten for a Sweet New Year, and yesterday I posted a recipe for Chocolate Honey Cake, one of my favorites! Honey Truffles are also a pretty sweet way to start the New year.

Want to make Chocolate Honey Truffles? Follow the easy recipe below. You can always add other 'flavors' including liqueurs, coconut, nuts, etc. These Chocolate Honey Truffles will also change their taste depending on the type of honey you use, as well as the brand of chocolate.

Chocolate Honey Truffles

Ingredients
4 ounces 70% dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon local Honey
1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
Some unsweetened Dark cocoa powder
A pinch of salt

Directions
1. Melt chopped dark chocolate with whipping cream in top of double-boiler or saucepan on top of saucepan of simmering water.
2. Continue to whisk mixture until chocolate is fully blended with cream.
3. Continue stirring as you add honey and salt.
4. Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl or put pot you're using in the refrigerator for few hours (or freezer for a shorter time if you're in a hurry). Be sure and cover with aluminum foil.
5. Take out when chocolate starts to harden but is still soft enough to shape into balls.
6. Have shallow bowl or plate ready with cocoa.
7. Using melon baller, shape chocolate into small balls.
8. Drop chocolate balls into powder and roll around until well coated.

Now make them again with a different type of honey and a different type of chocolate!

Chocolate Honey Cake for Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, starts tonight, so I wanted to post one of my favorite recipes for Chocolate Honey Cake. This is a great and easy honey cake to make for a Sweet New Year! Recipe is from Molly Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. I've been making this Chocolate Honey Cake for years.

The flavor will change with the honey and chocolate you use. I use local honey that is gathered from Claremont Canyon, right near my house, but any honey will work! Molly Katzen has a hint about baking with honey. Because baking cakes with honey can be tricky (it is much heavier and wetter than sugar), you have to take extra care that the texture of the finished product be light enough and has "enough crumb." To accomplish this, whip the honey separately at high speed with an electric mixer, until it is opaque (about two minutes). This incorporates air into the honey, increasing its volume, and drying it out some, so it can make a good cake. Please don't skip or skimp on this step.

CHOCOLATE HONEY CAKE

Ingredients
Nonstick spray for the pan
1/2 cup canola oil or softened butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup light-colored honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass pan). Spray medium-sized loaf pan with nonstick spray. Melt butter and chocolate together over simmering water (double boiler or a saucepan over a saucepan). If using oil, melt chocolate alone, then remove from heat and stir in oil.
Place honey in medium-sized bowl, and beat at high speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients in separate medium-small bowl. Beat melted chocolate mixture into honey-egg mixture. Fold in dry ingredients and chocolate chips, and stir until well combined. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool before slicing.