Individual Fallen Chocolate Cakes for Two

My husband and I just celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary, and while our big celebration was a positively decadent and unforgettable meal at L'Etoile, the finest restaurant in Madison, I would be remiss if I had let the occasion pass without preparing a special meal myself as well. I served Berkshire pork chops from Willow Creek Farm with a salad of local greens and Snug Haven spinach topped with Hook's gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, finished the meal with these decadent chocolate cakes. I love both cooking and eating desserts, but can't make the variety I'd like because there's no way my husband and I could go through such an ample supply of sweets. I was absolutely thrilled to find this recipe because I could make a special dessert for two for just one night, and I'll be able to repeat it any night I choose because everything I need for these delectable cakes is always in my cabinets. My baseline baking chocolate is Ghiradelli, which is high-quality and not prohibitively expensive, but you may want to splurge for Scharffen Berger or another premium chocolate.

Keep this recipe in mind for the next time you're celebrating a special occasion or had a hard day at work and just to treat yourself a bit. The gooey, decadent center floods your mouth with deep chocolate flavor that continues into the dense, moist chocolate cake, turning any meal into an indulgent experience.

Individual Fallen Chocolate Cakes for Two
from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011
serves 2

Cocoa powder, for the ramekins
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Confectioner' sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cocoa powder.

2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high until melted, 1 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the vanilla.

3. In a large bowl, whip the egg with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip the egg to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. Gradually whip in the granulate sugar and salt' continue to whip the egg until very thick and pale yellow, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

4. Scrape the whipped egg mixture on top of the chocolate mixture, then sift flour over the top. Gently fold the mixtures together with a large rubber spatula until just incorporated and no streaks remain.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins, smooth the tops, and wipe any drops of batter off the sides. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake the cakes until they have puffed about 1/2 inch above the rims of the ramekins and jiggle slightly in the center when shaken very gently, 10 to 13 minutes.

6. Run a small knife around the edges of the cakes. Gently invert each ramekin onto an individual serving plate and let sit until the cake release themselves from the ramekins, about 1 minute. Remove the ramekins, dust the cakes with confectioners' sugar (if using), and serve immediately.

No-Bake Chocolate Custard

Although I'm not really a fan of Christmas, I will take any available opportunity for a special meal. Per my request, my husband and I enjoyed a quiet Christmas Eve meal at home, just the two of us. For dinner we had absolutely amazing smoked pork chops from Pecatonica Valley Farm that I picked up at the farmer's market and wonderful baked Kennebec potatoes from my CSA, topped with local cheese and sour cream. I wanted to end the meal with a rich and decadent dessert, and my thoughts immediately went to chocolate mousse. Recipes for chocolate puddings, custards, and mousses abound, but I needed one that only made two servings since this dessert was just for the two of us and we'd be leaving for a family Christmas gathering the next day, which led me to this wonderful recipe.

Since this recipe is all about the chocolate, picking a high-quality chocolate is critical, so splurge on something amazing. Great brands include Ghiradelli, which is widely available and relatively inexpensive, Green and Black's, and Scharffen Berger, although this is by no means an exhaustive list. I would also recommend choosing high quality cream, butter, and eggs; I opted for Sassy Cow Creamery heavy cream and Wuthrich unsalted butter, and Pecatonica Valley eggs (the only kind I buy), all high-quality Wisconsin products.

Although at first glance you might find the portions a tad small, once you take a bit of this insanely rich custard you'll understand. This dense dessert is beautifully smooth and packed with rich chocolate flavor, the kind of dessert to linger slowly over, savoring each taste slowly as it hits your tongue. This is an extremely easy, but impressive dessert, perfect for any special occasion. There's only really one place this recipe could go wrong-adding the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk. Make sure to add the milk slowly, especially at first, while whisking constantly or you'll end up scrambling the eggs instead of incorporating them smoothly into the milk mixture. Enjoy!


No-Bake Chocolate Custard
from Food and Wine
serves 2

1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shaved chocolate, for serving
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of ground cinnamon

1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and heat until steaming and the sugar is dissolved. Put the egg yolk in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

2. Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and salt and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Pour the custard into 2 shallow bowls and refrigerate briefly, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until softly whipped. Dollop the cream on the custards, sprinkle the chocolate shavings on the cream and serve.

Almond Mocha Latte

Once I create or find a basic recipe that I think is a keeper, I immediately start experimenting. Because I'm hosting a Thanksgiving meal today, I'm missing my usual farmers' market trip that usually ends with an espresso drink and delicious pastry or muffin. I wanted to go a bit lighter on breakfast today, but still start the day off with a treat (and caffeine boost!) so I made a skim almond mocha latte, riffing on the Easy Mocha Latte I made earlier this week. It satisfied my sweet tooth and gave me the boost of energy I needed to start cooking and get last minute cleaning done before my guests arrive.

Almond Mocha Latte
serves 1

1 T. turbinado sugar
2 t. high quality cocoa powder (e.g. Ghiradelli)
2 shots hot espresso
8 oz. warm, frothed milk
1/4 t. pure almond extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)

1. Add sugar and cocoa to a mug and stir to combine. Pour in hot espresso, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and almond extract, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

Easy Mocha Latte

If you're a huge fan of espresso drinks like me, you realize how much of a money pit that can be. At four to six dollars a piece, it's easy to spend way too much on these comforting cups of deliciousness. If you want to save money or just stay in your pajamas on the couch while enjoying a hot mocha, it's easy to make them at home. With winter fast on our heels, it's good to have an arsenal of hot drink recipes at the ready for relaxed weekend mornings or harried weekday mornings. And if you want to turn this into an evening treat, add a bit of Bailey's Irish Cream or whiskey.

Easy Mocha Latte
serves 1

1 T. turbinado sugar
2 t. high quality cocoa powder (e.g. Ghiradelli)
2 shots hot espresso
8 oz. warm, frothed whole milk (or 1%, 2%, or skim, if you like)
1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)

1. Add sugar and cocoa to a mug and stir to combine. Pour in hot espresso, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla extract, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

For the past two weekends I've been making desserts on the healthier side, so this weekend I decided I was allowed to make something a bit more indulgent, although in the grand scheme of desserts, these aren't so bad. Made with whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, and heart-healthy pecans and dark chocolate, these bars are full of indulgent flavors without being completely unhealthy. These bars would also be good with walnuts or other nuts, and dried fruit in place of some or all of the chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Oat Bars
adapted from Whole Foods

Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chips)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a (9-inch) baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Put butter and sugar into a large bowl and mash together with a fork until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and stir well. In a separate medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and pecans until combined then transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth out evenly and bake until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set aside to let cool then cut into squares and serve.

Coconut-Chocolate Bread

This is about as close to a Mounds bar as bread is going to get. You're not going to be able to use this bread for sandwiches, but it does make an indulgent piece of toast when spread with Nutella. Not quite as indulgent as a pastry, but much easier to make, this bread is an excellent snack or sweet start to the day. There's just no excuse for not having homemade bread around with a method this easy that produces such a wide variety of types of bread!

Coconut-Chocolate Bread
from My Bread by Jim Lahey

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (280 grams) bread flour
2 cups loosely packed (100 grams) unsweetened large-flake coconut
1 cup (150 grams) semisweet chocolate chunks
3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) table salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant or other active dry yeast
1.25 cups (280 grams) water
Wheat bran or additional flour for dusting

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, half of the coconut, the chocolate, salt, and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is puffy and the dough is more than doubled in size, 12 to 18 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with bran or flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center. Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round.

3. Place a tea towel on your work surface, generously dust it with wheat bran or flour, and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut. Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. Lightly sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place a covered 4.5- to 5.5-quart heavy pot in the center of the rack.

5. Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly but gently invert the dough into the pot, seam side up. (Use caution-the pot will be very hot). Cover the pot and bake for 40 minutes.

6. Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 20 to 25 minutes more. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.

Black and Tan Brownies

The phrase "black and tan" was originally used to refer to British soldiers that were sent to suppress Irish rebels after the 1916 Easter Rising, but has since is known more commonly as the delicious drink concoction made of half Harp Lager and half Guinness Stout. Now these delicious brownies from Cooking Light are borrowing the name, and I definitely think they do it justice.

These brownies are heaven. The bottom layer is chewy and toffee-ish, while the top layer is light with a deep chocolate flavor. The brownies don't taste like Guinness, but the chocolate layer with Guinness has a more intense flavor.

Black and Tan Brownies
from Cooking Light, March 2010


Tan Brownies
6 T. butter, softened
1.5 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
4.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1 c.)
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Cooking spray


Black Brownies
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 T. butter
1 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. Guinness Stout
4.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about 1 c.)
1/4 t. salt

1. Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To prepare Tan Brownies, place 6 T. butter and brown sugar in medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 t. vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 oz. flour (about 1 c.) into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 oz. flour, baking powder, and 1/4 t. salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula. Bake at 350 degrees in the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes.

 

3. To prepare Black Brownies, melt chocolate and 4 T. butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well-combined. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 oz. flour (about 1 c.) into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 t. salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.

4. Bake on the center rack at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares.

Triple-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

After trying out the America's Test Kitchen chocolate chip cookie recipe last weekend, I was thinking of trying the Better Homes and Gardens chocolate chip cookie recipe, to continue studying chocolate chip cookie recipes. Flipping through the Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book, I stumbled across this recipe and decided to try it instead.

These are cookies have a brownie-like consistency and are extremely moist. Even only one of these cookies should to satisfy a chocolate enthusiast.

Triple-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
from the Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book

1 c. butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 c. all-purpose flour
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 1 1/3 c. large semisweet chocolate pieces
6 oz. white baking bar, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 1 c. white baking pieces
1 c. black walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in melted chocolate. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate and white baking pieces, and if desired, nuts.

2. Using a 1/4-cup dry measure or scoop, drop mounds of dough about 4 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on a cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made a New Year's Resolution to try at least one new recipe a week this year, which usually isn't a problem, but so far this week I've only made tried-and-true recipes and really quick and easy stuff for dinner. I was flipping through the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book today as I was watching America's Test Kitchen and decided that today was the day to try out their chocolate chip cookie recipe. My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe as of late is the famed New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe, but that requires at least a day to let the dough rest, thus preventing whipping up a quick batch when the mood strikes. This recipe was created by America's Test Kitchen after the NY Times recipe came out (I've see the America's Test Kitchen episode where the discuss it), and they believe that it's an improvement, although I'm not sure I agree.

The secrets to making these cookies chewy are melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and slightly underbaking the cookies and letting them finish baking on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes. Do not take the cookies off the cookie sheets early.

The most important part of a good chocolate chip cookie, at least in my opinion, is the chips. While Nestle morsels will do, my personal preference is Ghiradelli 60% Cacao chocolate chips. These are widely available at grocery stores, but are significantly more expensive than Nestle or store brand chocolate chips. I get mine in 3 lb. bags at Sam's Club where they are much cheaper.

My final verdict on this recipe: better than the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag, but not quite as good as the New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe. But when you want to whip up a batch on the spot, this recipe is wonderful.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

2 c. plus 2 T. (10 2/3 oz.) all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 c. packed (7 oz.) light brown sugar
1/2 c. (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. (9 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

4. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet ahdlway through baking.

 

 

 5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Stack Loaf

This cake is chocolate overload. In general I prefer vanilla over chocolate, but I saw this recipe in the current issue of Better Homes and Gardens (yes, I have a subscription) and it looked pretty good, and would help me use up some whipping cream leftover from making ice cream that was going to go bad soon.

My frosting wasn't quite to spreading consistency after being in the fridge for 1 hour, so I put in the freezer for a few minutes to cool down further. It doesn't ever get as thick as say, buttercream frosting, but cooling it further made it easier to spread. If I make this again, I'll probably cut the frosting recipe in half-there's just too much of it. I also opted to frost the top (because of the amount of frosting), whereas the recipe says to only frost in between the layers.


Chocolate Stack Loaf
from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, February 2010

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour 
1 c. packed brown sugar 
1/3 c. natural unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/2 t. baking soda 
1/4 t. salt 
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted 
2 eggs 
1/2 t. vanilla extract 
1/2 c. hot tap water 
1  recipe Easy Fudge Frosting, recipe below
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease sides of 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk gently until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles a thick paste. Whisk briskly about 30 strokes. Tap or shake any batter from whisk. Use rubber spatula to stir in hot water, scraping sides as necessary, just until batter is blended and smooth. With spatula scrape batter from bowl into prepared pan and spread to make a thin even layer.

 

 
3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Slide a thin metal spatula or knife around cake edges to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto rack. Remove paper liner; carefully turn cake right side up. Cool completely.

4. Cut cake crosswise in three equal rectangles. Thickly spread frosting on one piece, top with a second piece and spread with frosting. Leave top unfrosted. Thickly frost long sides. Before serving, dust top with cocoa powder. Makes 12 servings.

Easy Fudge Frosting: In medium saucepan melt 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Gradually stir in 1 cup whipping cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and hot but not boiling. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Set aside; cool until thickened and spreadable. To cool quickly, loosely cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Store up to 1 week in refrigerator. Makes 2 cups.

Chocolate Sauce

I decided to make chocolate sauce at the request of my husband, who doesn't understand why I made caramel sauce instead. With fresh homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream, I see some sundaes in our future.

This chocolate is less sweet than commercial stuff like Hershey's, but much more complex and chocolaty. It's definitely worth the little bit of effort it takes to make it-you will be rewarded many times over for your effort.

Chocolate Sauce
from The Joy of Cooking

1/2 c. light cream or 1/4 c. heavy cream plus 1/4 c. whole milk
1 to 2 T. sugar
1 T. unsalted butter
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 t. vanilla or 1 T. dark rum or Cognac

1. Combine light cream or heavy cream/milk, sugar, and butter in a medium heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.

2. Remove from heat and immediately added chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla, rum, or Cognac. Serve warm or cold; thin with water as needed. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Reheat over low heat, whisking in a little hot water if the sauce looks oily.

Chocolate Ice Cream

In my experience, homemade ice cream beats store-bought ice cream every time. I started asking for an ice cream maker sometime in junior high or high school and finally got one when I was in graduate school (I use the KitchenAid mixer ice cream maker attachment). It was definitely worth the wait.

This recipe is more labor-intensive than a lot of ice cream recipes because you have to slowly cook the custard until it reaches 175 degrees F, which takes quite a while. I did not use Dutch-process cocoa powder and the recipe turned out just fine. Dutch-process cocoa powder has a higher pH and milder flavor than regular cocoa, and many recipes prefer to use Dutch-process, although I've never had a recipe ruined by using regular instead of Dutch-process or vice versa.

Chocolate Ice Cream
from The Joy of Cooking

2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla

1. Combine whole milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

2. Combine large egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together. Whisk in cocoa powder.

3. Slowly pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the suace pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175 degrees F and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove the mixture from heat and strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until cold. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze as directed.