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Post by bonnie on Feb 2, 2007 18:59:09 GMT -5
Mexican Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Serves: 8 to 10 as dessert
1 cup (2 sticks) butter 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. almond extract 1/2 cup flour 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line a 9x13x2-inch cake pan with aluminum foil. Cover the foil with a light coat of butter.
Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place over the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low. Stir the butter mixture until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract.
Combine the flour, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake until the top is dry but the center is still moist, about 25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate over the top. Let sit until the chocolate begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Spread the chocolate around the top using a metal spatula or knife. Refrigerate until completely cooled and the chocolate is hard, about 2 hours.
Invert onto a platter and carefully peel the foil away from the brownies. Cut into bars. Serve chilled.
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Post by bonnie on Feb 5, 2007 12:23:15 GMT -5
Basic Chocolate Fondue
1/2 cup heavy cream 1 pound milk chocolate (bar or bulk) 3 tablespoons Kirsch pound cake cubes fresh fruit, bite size pieces
Warm cream in saucepan over low heat. Stirring constantly, add the chocolate, broken into small pieces. Continue stirring until chocolate is melted and well blended. Add liquor or brandy, if desired. Serve in fondue dish over candle or very low heat. Offer choice pound cake cubes and fresh cut fruit to dunk.
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Post by bonnie on Feb 6, 2007 12:03:23 GMT -5
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well
Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)
Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries.
Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
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Post by goodcookin on Feb 8, 2007 17:25:33 GMT -5
Chocolate-Dipped Heart Cookies Makes: 2 dozen cookies Say "I love you" on Valentine's Day or anytime with a simple Create 'n Bake™ cookie dipped in luscious chocolate. 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create ' n Bake™ refrigerated sugar cookies 1/4 to 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 tablespoon shortening Colored sugar 1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Remove half of cookie dough from wrapper; refrigerate remaining dough until needed. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the flour onto work surface; coat sides of half of dough with flour. With rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, adding additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. 2 . With floured 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts. Gently brush excess flour from hearts; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining half of dough. 3 . Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. 4 . In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, allowing excess chocolate to drip off; place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
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Post by amirah on Feb 9, 2007 16:47:43 GMT -5
Individual Chocolate Soufflés From Cooking Light
Cooking spray 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 1 large egg yolk 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg white 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 2 (8-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet; set aside.
Combine water and next 5 ingredients (water through egg yolk) in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add vanilla.
Beat egg white and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon evenly into prepared ramekins. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle each soufflé with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 188(19% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 5.4g; CHOLESTEROL 110mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 41mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33g
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Post by amirah on Feb 12, 2007 13:05:57 GMT -5
ww Mini Chocolate Mousse Tarts POINTS® Value: 2 Servings: 12 Preparation Time: 18 min Cooking Time: 5 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate
12 average reduced-fat vanilla wafer(s) 1/4 oz unsweetened gelatin 1/4 cup water 1 cup fat-free skim milk 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 cup Cool Whip Whipped Topping, or similar topping (thawed if frozen) 1 cups raspberries
Line a 12-hole muffin tin with foil muffin liners; place 1 cookie in bottom of each hole.
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan; let stand 1 minute. Stir over low heat until dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Combine milk, sugar, cocoa and extract in a blender; process until blended, adding dissolved gelatin through feed cap during blending. Pour into a medium bowl; whisk in whipped topping.
Pour mousse into prepared muffin tin. Chill until firm, about 3 hours. Peel away foil liner and place on serving plates; garnish with raspberries.
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Post by amirah on Feb 12, 2007 13:07:00 GMT -5
ww Raspberry Chocolate Cups
POINTS® Value: 1 Servings: 12 Preparation Time: 35 min Cooking Time: 2 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate A two ingredient treat for your Valentine? Absolutely! These homemade candies will hit the spot.
6 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 Tbsp Smucker's Seedless Red Raspberry Jam, or similar product
Place chocolate chips in a small microwavable bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 15 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 minute.
Spoon 3/4 teaspoon of melted chocolate into a small foil candy cup (1-inch wide by 3/4-inch high). Use a small flat paint brush to spread chocolate evenly over bottom and up sides. Repeat with remaining cups, place them on a plate and refrigerate for 3 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
Spoon 3/4 teaspoon of jam into each chocolate-lined cup. Tap bottom of each cup on counter to settle jam.
Reheat remaining melted chocolate in microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is completely smooth. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate over top of jam in a foil cup. Use brush to spread chocolate to sides so that it seals in jam. Repeat with remaining 11 foil cups.
Refrigerate 3 minutes or until chocolate is firm, or allow chocolate to firm up at room temperature, about 3 hours.
Yields 1 candy per serving.
Note: Look for foil candy cups at stores that sell bakeware and kitchen gadgets.
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Post by goodcookin on Feb 13, 2007 11:45:14 GMT -5
Red Velvet Cake
For the cake: 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 2 teaspoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 large eggs 1 cup buttermilk 2 ounces red food coloring 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Frosting: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened 1 pound box confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs one at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans. Use frosting to fill and ice cake. Slice and serve on individual plates.
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Post by goodcookin on Feb 4, 2008 18:42:58 GMT -5
Classic Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Coulis and Fresh Raspberries Recipe by Emeril Lagasse 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup plain yogurt 4 teaspoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt Raspberry Coulis, for serving, recipe follows 6 fresh raspberries, for garnish Fresh mint leaves, for garnish In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and beat together with a whisk until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Line a 6-ounce, shallow heart-shaped ceramic ramekin or 6-ounce shallow oval ramekin with dampened cheesecloth. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the ramekin and fold the over-hanging cheesecloth over the top. Refrigerate the mold in a shallow dish to catch any drips for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days. To serve the dessert, unmold the coeur and carefully peel away the cheesecloth. Place the coeur on the center of a dessert plate, smooth side down. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. Drizzle the raspberry coulis around the plate and garnish with the fresh raspberries and mint. Raspberry Coulis: 2 cups raspberries (about 12 ounces), rinsed 3/4 cup Simple Syrup, recipe follows 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch Bring the raspberries, syrup, and lemon juice to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries are very soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the cornstarch over 2 teaspoons cold water and stir to dissolve. Pour into the simmering raspberry mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Freeze any leftover coulis in a plastic container for up to 1 month. Yield: 2 cups Simple Syrup: 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour the syrup into a container and refrigerate until completely cold, about 45 minutes. The syrup can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Yield: about 3/4 cup syrup
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Post by goodcookin on Feb 8, 2008 12:47:21 GMT -5
Crepes Suzette for Two It takes a few crêpes to get the heat of the pan right; your first two or three will almost inevitably be unusable. (To allow for practice, the recipe yields about 6 crepes; only 4 are needed for the dish.) A dry measuring cup with a 1/4-cup capacity is useful for portioning the batter. Tasters had a slight preference for crêpes made with whole milk, but low-fat or skim milk can also be used. Crêpes: 1 large egg 1/2 cups whole milk (see note above) 3 tablespoons water 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ( 2 1/2 ounces) 2 teaspoons Cognac 1 tablespoon sugar Pinch table salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted Orange Sauce: 1 tablespoon Cognac plus 1 additional teaspoon 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 2 pieces 1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 additional teaspoon 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/3 cup fresh orange juice plus 1 additional tablespoon 3/4 teaspoon orange liqueur , preferably triple sec 1. FOR THE CRÊPES: Combine egg, milk, water, flour, cognac, sugar, salt, and melted butter in blender until smooth batter forms, about 10 seconds. Transfer batter to medium bowl. 2. Using pastry brush, brush bottom and sides of 10-inch nonstick skillet very lightly with melted butter; heat skillet over medium heat. When butter stops sizzling, tilt pan slightly to right and begin pouring in scant 1/4 cup batter. Continue to pour batter in slow, steady stream, rotating wrist and twirling pan slowly counterclockwise until pan bottom is covered with even layer of batter. Cook until crêpe starts to lose opaqueness and turns spotty light golden brown on bottom, loosening crêpe from side of pan with rubber spatula, 30 seconds to 1 minute. To flip crêpe, loosen edge with rubber spatula and, with fingertips on top side, slide spatula under crêpe and flip. Cook until dry on second side, about 20 seconds. 3. Place cooked crêpe on plate and repeat cooking process with remaining batter, brushing pan very lightly with butter before making each crêpe. As they are done, stack crêpes on plate (you will need 4 crêpes). (Crêpes can be double-wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days. If crêpes have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature before making sauce.) 4. FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Add 1 tablespoon cognac to broilersafe 10-inch skillet; set over medium heat just until vapors begin to rise from cognac, about 5 seconds. Remove pan from heat and wave lit chimney match over cognac until it ignites; shake pan until flames subside. (Cognac should burn for about 15 seconds; re-ignite if flame dies too soon.) 5. Add butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4 cup orange juice to cognac; simmer briskly over high heat, whisking occasionally, until many large bubbles appear and mixture reduces to thick syrup, 3 to 5 minutes. (You should have just under 1/4 cup sauce.) Transfer sauce to small bowl; do not wash skillet. Stir remaining orange juice, zest, liqueur, and remaining cognac into sauce. Cover to keep warm. 6. TO ASSEMBLE: Fold each crêpe in half, then in half again to form wedge shape. Arrange folded crêpes in now-empty skillet, with wedge points facing inward, so the four points meet in the middle. Sprinkle crêpes evenly with remaining sugar. Place skillet in oven and broil until sugar caramelizes and crêpes turn spotty brown, about 3-5 minutes. (Watch crêpes constantly to prevent scorching; turn pan as necessary.) Remove pan from oven and pour half of sauce over crêpes, leaving some areas unsauced. Transfer crêpes to individual serving dishes and serve immediately, passing extra sauce separately.
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Post by amirah on Feb 9, 2011 16:09:34 GMT -5
ww Individual Chocolate Soufflés Course: desserts PointsPlus™ Value: 3 Servings: 2 Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 18 min Level of Difficulty: Moderate A lightened up version of a classic – give the flavor a twist with a pinch of cayenne pepper, cinnamon or instant coffee, if desired. 2 spray(s) cooking spray 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp sugar, granulated, divided 3 Tbsp low-fat chocolate milk 1 large egg white(s) 1/2 tsp powdered sugar
* Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 6 oz ramekins with cooking spray.
* In a small saucepan, whisk together cocoa, flour and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; set over medium heat. Add milk; cook until smooth, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool for about 5 minutes.
* Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add remaining tablespoon granulated sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Fold cooled chocolate mixture into egg whites, a little at a time, until no white streaks appear.
* Pour batter into prepared ramekins; bake until set and tops look slightly dry, about 14 to 16 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar; serve warm. Yields 1 soufflé per serving.
Notes:
* Do not open oven until soufflés are done. Cold air can cause them to sink.
* This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings.
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