Category: Chocolate

Chocolate · Desserts · Uncategorized

Cappuccino Crinkles

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img_3919Looking for a new cookie recipe, I came across this one in Better Homes & Gardens Bars & Cookies recipe book.  Since I didn’t have any yogurt, I substituted sour cream. What I can tell you is that Randy and I ate so many of them as they cane out of the oven that I am having to make another batch tomorrow for the event which I was suppose to take them to. They are a great cookie and you will not be disappointed in the coffee-chocolate flavor.

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tables instant coffee crystals

1 teas baking soda

1 teas ground cinnamon

2 egg whites

1/3 cup vanilla or plain yogurt (I used sour cream)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teas vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa, coffee crystals baking soda and cinnamon. Beat until combined.

Beat in egg whites and yogurt and vanilla extract. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. If it gets to thick, use wooden spoon to mix in any remaining flour.

Place the granulated sugar in a bowl. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons (I used the middle size cookie scoop)  into sugar and roll into balls. Roll again in sugar. Place balls 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Makes about32 cookies.

Chocolate · Cookies · Desserts · Uncategorized

Rodelle Gooey Fudge Brownies

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If you are looking for a deep, rich brownie that really steps it up a notch or 5 from box brownies, this is your brownie. I made these the other day for an open house and they were a hit. Of course, the fudge frosting that was swirled on top probably added a couple of stars to the recipe, but even with just sugar sprinkled on top, they were scrumptious. The Rodelle gourmet cocoa just makes anything which calls for baking cocoa, extra special. (Maybe after this blog, Rodelle might think of hiring me to promote this fabulous stuff. Anyway, with the leftover squares, I am going to cut them up into bite size pieces and make a trifle out of them, layering with pudding, whipped cream and fudge and caramel sauces. But if you are wanting an easy, yet, decadent chocolate dessert for Christmas or NY Eve, this is it.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tables softened butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 eggs (oh I forgot, don’t eat this before going to have cholesterol checked)

1/2 tables vanilla (Rodelle also makes a great vanilla)

3/4 cup plus 1 tables flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tables Rodelle Cocoa powder

1/4 tables salt (I used 1 teas)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment (I didn’t do this, I just sprayed the pan with Pam.)

Melt butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan on very low heat. Let the mixture slightly cool after butter has melted and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, gradually, mixing well. Add vanilla. Stir until combined.

Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture, stirring gently and minimally. Add chips and nuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes.In my oven it only took about 32. Do not over bake. As soon as they come out of oven, sprinkle with granulated sugar, or if you prefer, allow to cool and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Cut into squares.

Makes about 12 large brownies or 24 small.

Beef · Breads · Cakes · Casseroles · Chicken · Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Princess On The Porch

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I just got a notification that Princess on the Porch is in Itunes Store for $3.99. This will let you have recipes and stories on your computer that will be so easy to keep instead of searching for recipes on the blog, chocolate castles.com.

 

Chocolate · Desserts · Uncategorized

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

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These brownies are so moist and seem to be just the perfect chocolate flavor that I was looking for last night. Instead of adding the regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, I added the bag that has peanut butter & chocolate chips. Love, love, love these brownies. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven and you have yourself a winner! Super easy and quick and you could be munching on them as you watch the New Hampshire returns this evening.

2 cups sugar

2 sticks softened butter

4 eggs

1 cup flour

8 tables cocoa

1 (12 oz) bag of peanut butter/chocolate chips

1 teas vanilla

Cream softened butter with the sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Stir just until blended. Add cocoa and flour, stirring just until mixed. Add the chips and then spread into a greased 9×13″ pan. Bake for about 18 to 23 minutes, depending on your oven. I take mine out just before the knife comes out clean as I like them a little gooey. Sprinkle with granulated sugar as soon as they come out of oven.

Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Brookies

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Yesterday I had a meeting to attend and it is one I go to once a month. For some reason I have decided this past year that I cannot go unless I have dessert in my hand to pass around. After asking the friend who leads the meeting what she would like to have me bring for our enjoyment, she told me she wanted brookies. Well, I had never made brookies. It is a brownie and chocolate chip cookie combined. I admit I was in my lazy mood, so I ran to the store, thinking I had seen box mixes of these delicious looking morsels and there on the shelp were two different brands of brookies. One was Betty Crocker and the other was Nestle. I got one of each wanting to do a comparison bake.

After baking both boxes, both Randy and I decided that the Nestle was definitely the winner. The chocolate chip cookie part of the brookie tasted exactly like a homemade chocolate chip cookie.  Of course both boxes used a stick of butter, which will always make baked goods taste more like homemade, but the Nestle brand truly was the better brand. I ended up making them in cupcake pans instead of a 8×8 and then topped each one with a dollop of chocolate frosting. The recipe for the frosting is already on the blog. They were devoured and I brought 4 home which I have hidden away. I did make myself share one of them with Randy since he was so sweet to drive me to the store to buy them in the first place. Since today is cold and wind chill is in the 20’s, I am so glad I still have 2 left as a treat to have with hot tea today.

Chocolate · Cookies

*Rodelle Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

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Have just purchased my first can of Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa and these little gems will be my first recipe using this marvelous cocoa!

Cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 1 tbsp Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 tsp Rodelle Gourmet Vanilla Extract
  • Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Ganache
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, set aside in a small bowl

Ganache

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Rodelle Vanilla Bean, split and scraped, pod reserved
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

Directions

Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into a small bowl.
  • Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.
  • Reduce speed to medium and add the egg yolks, cream, and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
  • Roll ball using 2 tsp dough for each. Roll the balls into the sugar in the bowl.
  • Place 1 inch apart. With a wine bottle cork (or the handle of a wooden spoon), press gently in the center of each ball to create an indentation.
  • Bake, rotating sheets half way through, until cookies are set, about 10 minutes.
  • Let cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Ganache

  • Combine honey, cream, and vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the honey dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
  • Place chocolate in a food processor. Return cream mixture to a simmer, and then strain through a fine sieve. Discard solids.
  • Pour cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Process until smooth.
  • Add butter and continue to process, scraping down sides occasionally, until butter is incorporated. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Assembly

  • Using a spoon, or pastry bag, place a dollop of the ganache into the indent of the cookies.
Cakes · Chocolate

Moulton Chocolate Cakes

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These great little custard cup chocolate lava cakes are the easiest to prepare and every time I serve them, people are so excited to be eating something that tastes like they get when visiting a great steak house dessert. I didn’t remember to take a picture before serving them last night to friends, but the empty plates told me that they loved them!

4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (I had a bar of bittersweet chocolate and used that and they turned out awesome)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 tables red wine (I used orange chello as I didn’t have red wine last night)

1 teas vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

6 tables flour

1/4 teas cinnamon

Powdered sugar or ice cream for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Grease 4 custard cups

Microwave chocolate and butter for 1 minute and then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine (or any liquor flavor you might like, even amaretto is good),vanilla and powdered sugar. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon evenly into cups and place on a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for about 14 minutes. Centers will still be a little soft and jiggly. Loosen edges and turn out onto plates and sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with ice cream.

*It is so easy to use a big cookie dough scoop to fill the custard cups

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts

German Chocolate Cheesecake

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This is a one-pan dessert that takes one of the best known desserts…cheesecakes, and makes in a simple, quick & great tasting dessert that you can add to any dessert table for the holidays!

Great made the night before for best flavor!

1 box (18 1/2 oz) Duncan Hines German Chocolate cake mix

2/3 cup shredded coconut

2/3 cup butter, softened

3 eggs, divided use

2 packages ( 8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

2 teas vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

Sour Cream Frosting

2 cups sour cream

1 tables vanilla

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix all 3 ingredients together before spreading over the cheesecake

Cheesecake:

Blend the cake mix, coconut, butter and 1 egg. Spread into bottom of an ungreased 9×13 baking pan. (I did lightly spray mine with Pam, just in case).

Beat softened cream cheese with remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and sugar until creamy and smooth. Spread over the cake mixture in pan and bake at 350 for about 30-35 min, or until middle is almost done, with a slight jiggle. Let cool for about 30 minutes and spread Sour Cream frosting over top of cake. Allow cake to cool further and place in refrigerator at least 8 hours before serving.

Chocolate · Desserts

Popping Pretzels

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2015-09-22 13.36.20

I know what you are thinking, “and she wonders why she keeps putting on the pounds”. But, trust me, these are an addiction that you will be grateful for. They take 5 minutes to make and you can make them for any holiday by just changing out the color of candy melts and M&M’s.

So far, I have not been able to find any Fall colored M&M’s yet, so just picked out the brown, yellow and orange ones from the bag I had. I posted these a couple of years ago and for some reason, did not make them last year. Probably because I knew if I did, I would be admitted to the 1800chocolatehoarders. But folks, this has been a tough year. Learning how to live in a house with a newly retired husband, well…let’s just say that I have earned every bite of chocolate I can get my hands on. It is so weird that I don’t even really like pretzels, but when you put chocolate on them, they become a whole new food group to me.

It has been so easy to convince myself that at least I’m not popping pills. Maybe after this, diet pills will be in my future, but will wait until the whole bag of pretzels and M&M’s are gone.

1 bag of waffle pretzels

1 bag of orange candy melts (Found mine at Michaels for $1.99)

M&M’s (any flavor you like, but the plain is what I used today)

Preheat oven to 225. On a baking sheet, place the waffle pretzels in a single layer. Place a candy melt in the center of each pretzel. Place in preheated oven for about 2 minutes. I take mine out just before the little tip of the candy melts goes flat. Have your M&M’s ready to place one in the center of each candy melt.

So perfect for those evenings of watching The Voice or Castle or sharing (yeah, right, like I’m going to actually give some away…I don’t think so) with a neighbor! Seriously, these are so great to take to parties or to your son and daughter-in-laws house when you babysit, because they never have any desserts in the house…oops did I say that out loud?

Chocolate · Desserts

Peanut Butter Mississippi Mud Brownies

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Just put a lemon pound cake in the oven and am waiting for the cupcakes that I made with the left over batter. We sat down to watch AGT and realized that we didn’t have any dessert to eat during the millions of commercials. So while the lemon buttercream frosting sits while the cupcakes finish, I thought I would post this recipe that has so many of the favorite flavor combinations of the dessert world: peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows.

4 (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate baking squares

1 1/3 cups butter, softened and divided

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 large eggs

2 cups flour, divided

1 teas vanilla

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teas baking powder

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups lightly salted roasted peanuts

Chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Microwave chocolate in microwave safe bowl at Medium (50% power) for about 1 1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir until smooth until all chocolate is melted.

Beat 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed dwith mixer until ight and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended. Add 1 cup flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Spread half of batter in a greased and floured 13×9″ pan.

Beat peanut butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed with mixer until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir together baking powder and remaining 1 cup flour and add to peanut butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.

Spoon peanut butter mixture over brownie batter; top with remaining brownie batter and swirl together.

Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minu or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs stuck to it. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows and peanuts immediately after removing so the marshmallows will melt.

Prepare chocolate frosting and drizzle over brownies. Cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

Melt 1/4 cup butter with 3 tables unsweetened cocoa and 3 tables milk in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat an whisk in 2 cups powdered sugar and teas vnilla. Beat until smooth.