This is SO GOOD. Like what chocolate cheesecake should be. Like eating a chocolate truffle in cake form. Just make sure you have people to share this with because it's definitely rich.
Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake
from America's Test Kitchen
Makes one 9 inch cake, serving 12 to 16
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, plus 1 tsp softened butter for greasing pan
flour for dusting pan
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (This recipe was supposedly design with Hershey's Special Dark in mind - they say other bittersweet chocolates will work, but because the amounts of sugar and cocoa butter differ from brand to brand, they will produce cakes with slightly different textures and flavors. I used a combination of some random bars I had lying around with chocolate chips and Baker's and I thought it turned out really well. Chocolate chips are supposedly not a good direct substitution due to their relatively low fat content.)
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp vanilla
8 large eggs, separated
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, crumbled with fingers to remove lumps (Note: When crumbling brown sugar to remove lumps, make sure that your fingers are clean and grease free; any residual fat from butter or chocolate might hinder the whipping of the whites.)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter the sides of a 9 inch springform pan; flour the sides and tap out the excess. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment or waxed paper round. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large sheet of foil.
2. Melt 12 tablespoons butter and the chocolates in a large bowl over a large saucepan containing about 2 quarts barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Cool the mixture slightly, then whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set the chocolate mixture aside, reserving the hot water, covered, in the saucepan.
3. In the clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds; add half of the crumbled brown sugar, beat at high speed until combined, about 30 seconds, then add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat at high speed until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 2 minutes longer. Using a whisk, stir about one third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 additions, using the whisk. Gently scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan, set the springform pan in a large roasting pan, then pour the hot water from the saucepan into the roasting pan to a depth of 1 inch. Carefully slide the roasting pan into the oven; bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges, the center has just set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers about 170 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.
4. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a thin-bladed paring knife between the sides of the pan and cake to loosen; cool the cake in the springform pan on a wire rack until barely warm, about 3 hours, then wrap the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 8 hours. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
5. To unmold the cake, remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the cake and pan bottom to loosen, then invert the cake onto a large plate, peel off the parchment, and re-invert onto a serving platter. To serve, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping the knife in a pitcher of hot water and wiping the blade before each cut. (If you like, dust the cake with confectioners' sugar just before serving or top slices with a dollop of lightly sweetened whippped cream. To make slicing easier, freeze the cake for 30 minutes just before serving.)
Variation: Chocolate-Orange Mousse Cake
Follow the recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake, reducing the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon and adding 1 tablespoon orange liqueur and 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest to the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla and egg yolks.
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
Chocolate Cheesecake Pie-- ATTN RALPHIE
You will LOVE this pie. I didn't even make it. I made two other yummy pies, but someone made this one and it was to. die. for.
Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
1 1/2 C Vanilla Wafer crumbs (about 36 wafers)
1/3 C confectioners sugar
1/3 C Hershey's cocoa
1/3 C margarine or butter, melted
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C (6oz) semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 dgs. Combine crumbs, sugar, cocoa, and margarine; press firmly on bottom and up side to rim of 9" pie plate. In mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk then melted chocolate chips. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Pour into prepared crust and bake 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool. Chill thoroughly. Garnish as desired.
Yum-o.
Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
1 1/2 C Vanilla Wafer crumbs (about 36 wafers)
1/3 C confectioners sugar
1/3 C Hershey's cocoa
1/3 C margarine or butter, melted
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C (6oz) semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 dgs. Combine crumbs, sugar, cocoa, and margarine; press firmly on bottom and up side to rim of 9" pie plate. In mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk then melted chocolate chips. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Pour into prepared crust and bake 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool. Chill thoroughly. Garnish as desired.
Yum-o.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Thick and Chewy Double (or Triple) Chocolate Cookies
If you liked those brownies I posted recently, you will love these. I might even like these better than the brownies. I am all about the decadent desserts lately, huh? You'd think I was pregnant or something...
This is another one from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook.
This makes about 3.5 dozen cookies (or 4 dozen if you add the chocolate chips)
(I often half the recipe because even just one of these cookies seriously mean business)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I have used about 2 2/3 cups chocolate chips when I was out of bar chocolate, but bar chocolates have a better fat content for this application)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder (For SOME reason, I don't have any of this in my home ;) I skipped it.)
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Triple chocolate option (but who WOULDN'T want to add this??? seriously, not "optional" if you ask me): 12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat OR to melt in microwave, heat at 50% power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50% power for 1 more minute and then if not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50% power. Beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork, sprinkle the coffee powder over to dissolve (if using), and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat. If using chocolate chips (YES, YES), use a wooden spoon to stir in now. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes. (Unless it is summer in Texas, in which case, about never. This will just be a very messy endeavor, but it's worth it!)
4. Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (Unless your other two cookie sheets are dirty and you're too lazy to wash them. Then just use one. The benefit of using just one sheet is that you're spared moving the sheets around part way through baking and you have more chances to fine tune your baking time. If you half the recipe like I did, two sheets mean they all cook at once, so if you decide you took them out a touch too soon, oh well. No second chance for you! But one sheet means second chances. I suppose the down side is that you spend more time with your oven heating up your house. Can you tell I'm not handling the heat well lately?) Leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each ball, scoop the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets with a 1 3/4 inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop (I don't have this size scoop, so I just estimate a really really heaping scoop with my regular cookie dough scoop. Good luck.)
5. Bake, reversing the position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes. (Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.) Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a wire rack, and cool to room temperature; remove with a wide metal spatula (or my greedy, greedy hands were all I needed).
This is another one from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook.
This makes about 3.5 dozen cookies (or 4 dozen if you add the chocolate chips)
(I often half the recipe because even just one of these cookies seriously mean business)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I have used about 2 2/3 cups chocolate chips when I was out of bar chocolate, but bar chocolates have a better fat content for this application)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder (For SOME reason, I don't have any of this in my home ;) I skipped it.)
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Triple chocolate option (but who WOULDN'T want to add this??? seriously, not "optional" if you ask me): 12 ounces (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat OR to melt in microwave, heat at 50% power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50% power for 1 more minute and then if not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50% power. Beat the eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork, sprinkle the coffee powder over to dissolve (if using), and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in the sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; the mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overbeat. If using chocolate chips (YES, YES), use a wooden spoon to stir in now. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes. (Unless it is summer in Texas, in which case, about never. This will just be a very messy endeavor, but it's worth it!)
4. Meanwhile, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (Unless your other two cookie sheets are dirty and you're too lazy to wash them. Then just use one. The benefit of using just one sheet is that you're spared moving the sheets around part way through baking and you have more chances to fine tune your baking time. If you half the recipe like I did, two sheets mean they all cook at once, so if you decide you took them out a touch too soon, oh well. No second chance for you! But one sheet means second chances. I suppose the down side is that you spend more time with your oven heating up your house. Can you tell I'm not handling the heat well lately?) Leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each ball, scoop the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets with a 1 3/4 inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop (I don't have this size scoop, so I just estimate a really really heaping scoop with my regular cookie dough scoop. Good luck.)
5. Bake, reversing the position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until the edges of the cookies have just begun to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10 minutes. (Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.) Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a wire rack, and cool to room temperature; remove with a wide metal spatula (or my greedy, greedy hands were all I needed).
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Fudgy Triple-Chocolate Brownies
These are the best brownies I've ever had. I'm not exaggerating. Moist and fudgy without being underdone and without the chemically taste and slightly weird texture of box mix (bleh). The recipe is, of course, from America's Test Kitchen. Don't be scared off by the amount of text below. They come together fast and easy.
Makes 64 1-inch square brownies. These brownies are very rich, so the recipe says to cut them into small squares for serving. (I am a glutton, so I cut them into more like 1.5-inch squares and got more like 30-40 brownies out of the batch)
Either Dutch processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. (I used my cheaper stuff to save money and they were still incredible!)
Ingredients:
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I was out of this and still wanted to make these, so I used a little less than 1 cup of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips tend to have a lower fat content to help them maintain their shape, so they're less ideal than true baking chocolates, but the recipe seemed to turn out more than fine.)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fold two 16 inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked brownies). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. (Note: I forgot to spray the pan first, so I only sprayed the foil. No negative effects noticed and less clean up! YAY! Plus I was lazy and just fit one layer of my extra wide heavy duty foil into the pan rather than making the 2 perpendicular strips. Also seemed to work just fine.)
In a medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread into corners and level surface with a rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch (or more gluttonous like me) squares. (Do not cut the brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.) (But you know, I was a rebel and cut them up last night anyway and the taste today is still TO DIE FOR.)
Makes 64 1-inch square brownies. These brownies are very rich, so the recipe says to cut them into small squares for serving. (I am a glutton, so I cut them into more like 1.5-inch squares and got more like 30-40 brownies out of the batch)
Either Dutch processed or natural cocoa works well in this recipe. (I used my cheaper stuff to save money and they were still incredible!)
Ingredients:
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I was out of this and still wanted to make these, so I used a little less than 1 cup of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips tend to have a lower fat content to help them maintain their shape, so they're less ideal than true baking chocolates, but the recipe seemed to turn out more than fine.)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fold two 16 inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 7 inches wide. Fit one sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked brownies). Fit the second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. (Note: I forgot to spray the pan first, so I only sprayed the foil. No negative effects noticed and less clean up! YAY! Plus I was lazy and just fit one layer of my extra wide heavy duty foil into the pan rather than making the 2 perpendicular strips. Also seemed to work just fine.)
In a medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, melt the chocolates and butter, stirring occasionally until mixture is smooth. Whisk in the cocoa until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture; then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spread into corners and level surface with a rubber spatula; bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch (or more gluttonous like me) squares. (Do not cut the brownies until ready to serve; brownies can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 5 days.) (But you know, I was a rebel and cut them up last night anyway and the taste today is still TO DIE FOR.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
I made these sunday and i was a little skeptical because they were made with whole wheat- but they were delicious! So whole wheat means you could technically eat them for breakfast!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
72 -96 cookies
* 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
* 4 large eggs
* 3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 5 cups rolled oats
* 3 cups whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Beat together the butter or margarine, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
2. Add oats, flours, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 325°F (170°C) for 10-12 minutes.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
72 -96 cookies
* 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
* 4 large eggs
* 3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 5 cups rolled oats
* 3 cups whole wheat flour
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Beat together the butter or margarine, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla.
2. Add oats, flours, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 325°F (170°C) for 10-12 minutes.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Texas Sheet Cake
I know a lot of you probably already have this recipe, but oh well. I got this recipe from the illustrious Ralphie. I am now not allowed to come to my neighbors' bible study group unless I show up with this cake. I wish I was joking. Between this and her pancakes, I have to keep a steady supply of buttermilk in my fridge.
Texas Sheet Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter
4 Tbs cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Mix flour, sugar, and soda. In a sauce pan melt butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a rapid boil and pour over dry ingredients. Beat with mixer. Add rest of ingredients and mix well again. Put in greased and floured 12x18 pan (this is a cookie sheet with a lip or a jelly roll pan). Bake at 375 F for 13-15 minutes. Cool before adding frosting.
Texas Sheet Cake Frosting (It's a must!)
1/2 cup softened butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1 lb powdered sugar (this is about 3 3/4 cups)
nuts (optional)
Beat together with mixer until frosting is lighter in color and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cake.
This makes a whole lotta cake but it can be halved. A half recipe turns out nicely in a 9x13 pan.
Ralphie swears by this cake cold. Like "next day sat-all-night-in-the-fridge kind of cold." I however have found I prefer it warm (a few seconds in the microwave to the rescue!). In other words, it's delicious no matter how you eat it!
Texas Sheet Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter
4 Tbs cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Mix flour, sugar, and soda. In a sauce pan melt butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a rapid boil and pour over dry ingredients. Beat with mixer. Add rest of ingredients and mix well again. Put in greased and floured 12x18 pan (this is a cookie sheet with a lip or a jelly roll pan). Bake at 375 F for 13-15 minutes. Cool before adding frosting.
Texas Sheet Cake Frosting (It's a must!)
1/2 cup softened butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1 lb powdered sugar (this is about 3 3/4 cups)
nuts (optional)
Beat together with mixer until frosting is lighter in color and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cake.
This makes a whole lotta cake but it can be halved. A half recipe turns out nicely in a 9x13 pan.
Ralphie swears by this cake cold. Like "next day sat-all-night-in-the-fridge kind of cold." I however have found I prefer it warm (a few seconds in the microwave to the rescue!). In other words, it's delicious no matter how you eat it!
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