Brown Ajah Chocolate Week - Recipes

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Yay, Chocolate !

 

There's no contest because all chocolate recipes are winners.

 

Please post em if you got em!

 

Pictures are welcome

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I will start with this recipe inspired by a most fortuitous typo made in serendipity by Ithillian Sedai - the now famous Trifle of Chocolate Cake!

 

 

There must a million ways to do this, and I've done it differently every time. But iirc, this is how I made it the first time. And it was fabulous.

 

Start with an excellent chocolate cake - I used a dark, dense, coffee kissed chocolate Mississippi Mud cake, well cooled and sliced thinly.

 

Layer in a trifle bowl

 

Drizzle with the liquor if your choice or with coffee. I used coffe and rum

 

Add a layer of dark chocolate espresso pudding - I made this by adding espresso powder to chocolate pudding and folding in whipped cream, and finely grated orange zest

 

Add a layer of delicate orange slices, toasted sliced almonds, and a drizzle of espresso flavored chocolate sauce (Hershey's chocolate syrup plus a bit of very strong espresso)

 

Add a layer of light espresso mousse - I found this in the baking aisle, and it was good. I lightened it up with whipped cream.

 

Add a layer of whipped cream flavored with rum, espresso, and orange zest

 

And start over with the cake, and each layer until you get yo the top of the trifle bowl.

 

Mine held 3 layers.

 

Refrigerate several hours or overnight and right before serving add a final layer of the whipped cream, garnished with the toasted almond, some shaved chocolate, some orange zest, and a drizzle of the espresso chocolate syrup.

 

 

 

I've also made this Black Forest style with chocolate cake, dried and fresh and fancy Italian dried cherries, whipped coconut cream and cherry liquor, and shaved chocolate. It was good.

[Ithillian Turambar]

Oh those sound lovely. I wish I could bake.

 

you know I can't even remember what I was trying to say when I made that mistake.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Iirc it was trifle or chocolate cake, in one of those question games?

 

The beautiful thing about trifles and summer puddings and stuff is that you can completely skip baking and use stuff you get from the store and it's delicious.

 

Hmmmm... Might be time to gather some stuff I don't have to bake....

 

But today there will be baked brownies

[Guest]

Yum chocolate...

[Shad_]

I make a dessert cheeseball that's got a lot of chocolate in it. Got it off Allrecipes a few years ago. Mix up 1 packet of cream cheese and two sticks of butter, add 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and however many chocolate chips suit you. Recipe calls for 3/4 cup but I only use about half that.

 

Make a ball of it, roll it in chopped up pecans, refrigerate for an hour or two for maximum profit.

[Ryrin]

ingredients

• 1 pound milk chocolate, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 1 9 - ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (40 to 45 cookies)
  
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
  
• 1 cup slivered almonds
  
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
  
• 4 8 - ounce packages cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 8 - ounce carton dairy sour cream
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 1 - ounce bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 2 egg yolks
  
• Chocolate leaves (optional)
  
• Powdered sugar (optional)
  
• Unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)
  
• Fresh raspberries and/or small whole strawberries (optional)
  

 

directions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and 1/2 cup butter over low heat; transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
   
2. Place wafer cookies, chocolate pieces, almonds and brown sugar in a large food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the 1/2 cup melted butter; cover and process until well combined. Transfer crumbs to a 10x3-inch springform pan with a removable bottom. Press crumbs onto bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving a 1/2-inch space at the top of the pan. Set aside.
   
3. For filling: In a very large mixing bowl, beat the cooled chocolate mixture, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, buttermilk and red food coloring with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Add 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks all at once. Beat on low speed just until combined.
   
4. Pour filling into crumb-crust lined springform pan. Place springform pan in a shallow baking pan on the oven rack. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 1 hour, or until 2 inches of outside edge appear set when shaken gently.
   
5. Remove springform pan from baking pan. Cool cheesecake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a small metal spatula to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes more. Remove sides of pan. Cool for 1 hour; cover and chill at least 4 hours.
   
6. To serve, use a paper doily to decoratively sift powdered sugar and cocoa powder on the top, if you like. Garnish the center with chocolate leaves and fresh raspberries, if you like. Clean knife between each cut. Makes 20 servings.
   

 

make ahead tip

•  Bake and chill up to 24 hours. Garnish just before serving.
  

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I had a brownie fr breakfast and then I read these.

 

I'll be in a sugar coma if anyone needs me

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

These were the brownies that I made yesterday. I post it here in case I overdose so the EMTs know what they're dealing with.

 

This differed from my usual recipe in those ingredients I did not have... And in those I had instead.

 

Combine 1-1/4 c oil, 2 c. White sugar, and 2 c. Brown sugar

 

Beat in 6 eggs

 

Stir in 2 c. Flour, 1-1/4 c cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt

 

Stir in 2 c. Pecans, 2 c. Dried cherries, and 2 tablespoons vanilla

 

Spread into 15x10 or bigger greased pan. I used a 13 x 9 and it was too much batter for the pan.

 

Bake at 325 until done on the gooey side, you know, like brownies. I think this would have taken an hour or so in a 15 x 10, but double check that it reaches 180° F in the center on a probe thermometer.

[Ryrin]

No worries. I have diabetes meds.

 

White Chocolate is a Big Fat Lie.  True or false?

 

[Elgee]

I will start with this recipe inspired by a most fortuitous typo made in serendipity by Ithillian Sedai - the now famous Trifle of Chocolate Cake!

 

 

There must a million ways to do this, and I've done it differently every time. But iirc, this is how I made it the first time. And it was fabulous.

 

Start with an excellent chocolate cake - I used a dark, dense, coffee kissed chocolate Mississippi Mud cake, well cooled and sliced thinly.

 

Layer in a trifle bowl

 

Drizzle with the liquor if your choice or with coffee. I used coffe and rum

 

Add a layer of dark chocolate espresso pudding - I made this by adding espresso powder to chocolate pudding and folding in whipped cream, and finely grated orange zest

 

Add a layer of delicate orange slices, toasted sliced almonds, and a drizzle of espresso flavored chocolate sauce (Hershey's chocolate syrup plus a bit of very strong espresso)

 

Add a layer of light espresso mousse - I found this in the baking aisle, and it was good. I lightened it up with whipped cream.

 

Add a layer of whipped cream flavored with rum, espresso, and orange zest

 

And start over with the cake, and each layer until you get yo the top of the trifle bowl.

 

Mine held 3 layers.

 

Refrigerate several hours or overnight and right before serving add a final layer of the whipped cream, garnished with the toasted almond, some shaved chocolate, some orange zest, and a drizzle of the espresso chocolate syrup.

 

 

 

I've also made this Black Forest style with chocolate cake, dried and fresh and fancy Italian dried cherries, whipped coconut cream and cherry liquor, and shaved chocolate. It was good.

 

 

Oh my lord that sounds amazing! I haven't seen half those items here in South Africa, but I'm sure I'll be able to make them. I have to try that one!

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

it's a lot easier than it sounds and you can adapt it to any ingredients you like. you don't even need a trifle bowl though it's pretty.

 

I made this for a friend's retirement party and served most of it in a big catering pan.

 

we have some leftover brownies at home that may just become a trifle this weekend....

[Ryrin]

Poached Pears with Chocolate Sauce Recipe

A simple baked pear becomes an elegant dessert when drizzled with chocolate sauce that's laced with cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 medium firm pears
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 inches)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

• 1. Core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. Peel pears. Cut 1/4 in. from bottom to level if necessary. Place in a large saucepan; add the water, vanilla, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until pears are almost tender.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and cinnamon. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool.
• 3. Drain pears; place on dessert plates. Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Yield: 2 servings.

[Ryrin]

Chocolate peanut butter bark.   ingredients:

• 8 ounces good quality, dark chocolate (70-80%), very finely chopped
• 6 ounces peanut butter chips (I used Trader Joe's peanut butter chips)
• 1 cup mini peanut butter cups (I used Trader Joe's mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, but you can also chop up larger peanut butter cups instead)

directions:

1. In a microwave, double boiler, or chocolate melter, gently melt chocolate on the lowest possible heat setting. Stir regularly, removing from heat as needed. The goal here is to keep the temperature under 90 degrees, above which the chocolate will lose its temper. Be patient, keep stirring, and even with on and off low heat the chocolate will melt eventually.
2. Meanwhile, melt peanut butter chips in a microwave safe bowl by microwaving on medium power in 20 second intervals, stirring until melted. If this mixture seems too thick, stir in a teaspoon or two of vegetable oil or shortening to thin it out.
3. Pour melted chocolate onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread into an even layer (it will not cover the entire pan, just spread it until it's as thick as you want your final bark to be). Dollop lines of melted peanut butter chips on top of chocolate. Run a toothpick or skewer through the two kinds of chocolate in a circular motion to form decorative swirls.
4. Sprinkle evenly with peanut butter cups. Let sit, uncovered at room temperature, for 1 to 2 hours or until set. Break or cut into serving size pieces.

*Note that if you melt your chocolate to a higher temperature or it somehow loses its temper, the chocolate may not set up completely. In which case, just refrigerate it until firm. While the bark is still perfectly edible, it is not as stable at room temperature and will need to be refrigerated.

 

[Elgee]

I don't know why, but I really hate fruit with my chocolate. And chocolate with my fruit. To me, they just don't go together.

 

Aaanyhoo ... I made an uber quick chocolate sauce/ganache type thing today to fill little pastry cups with. I just broke up some dark chocolate (with nuts in, which is what I had), added some coconut cream (we get those in tins), and stuck it in the microwave for about a minute. Took out, stirred, stuck back in for another 30 seconds to a minute (till it looked curdled). Took it out and stirred it till it was all mixed thoroughly. Was the most gorgeous, glossy, silky smooth yummy thing. I'm having the leftovers with icecream just now ... lol

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I just watched a video on making a kind of faux ice cream... Don't know if you'd like it as the base is bananas but it sounds great and I'll be trying it... Perhaps with that ganache.

 

Each flavor starts with slices of frozen bananas whizzed in the food processor - a little vanilla extract fir vanilla, strawberries for strawberry, and some cocoa and a tiny bit of coconut oil for chocolate. Whizz them each till smooth and creamy, and freeze them, and scoop them out like ice cream and yummm.

[Ryrin]

Those sound fairly easy and good!

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

Yup and it sounds yummier than the avocado ice creams but I haven't tried those,