Friday, October 23, 2009

More Recipes and an ATC

More recipes arrived in my inbox today for the Chocolate Lovers Recipe Swap.

No Bake Cookies
vInto a saucepan put
2 c. sugar
¼ c. butter
½ c. milk
3 squares or 3 Tbsp chocolate or cocoa
vBoil 2 minutes
vRemove from stove
vAdd
3 c. of cooking oatmeal
½ c. of coconuts (optional)
½ c. of nuts (optional)
A little vanilla ( just a small amount)
v Drop by spoonful onto waxpaper.
v Let cool.
Favorite Microwave Fudge
1 pkg. confectioners sugar
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ c. evaporated milk
½ c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
2 tsp. vanilla
¾ c. pecans
v Line a 8x8x2 inch baking pan w/aluminum foil.
v Sift together sugar & cocoa and put into a 2 qt. baking dish.
v Add the evaporated milk & butter.
DO NOT STIR
v Place in Microwave.
v Cook for 2 ½ minutes or until butter is just melted.
v Add vanilla.
v Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
v Turn into foil lined pan.
v Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
Cut into 64 squares.

Tart au Cholcolat
200 g Butter
200 g Plain or Dark Chocolate
100 g Milk Chocolate (chopped)
130 g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Tbsp Starch
2 Tbsp Flour
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt with butter on a low temperature. Mix flour, cocoa powder and starch in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix eggs and caster sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and turns white. This takes about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate-butter mixture and stir shortly. Add the chopped up milk chocolate. Carefully add the flour-cocoa powder mixture and stir until you have a smooth dough without clumbs in it. Pour the batter into a buttered 22 cm springform tin. Bake in the middle of a preheated 175C oven for 20-25 minutes, until the cake is slightly crisp on the top, but still moist insideTake out of the oven and cool. Serve with whipped cream and season's berries.

The Mint Chocolate Cupcakes take a fair amount of work, but they are worth it! The mixture of chocolate ans peppermint is really sophisticated. My suggestion is to make the mousse the day before. I had some trouble with it being too warm and just sliding off the cupcakes. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

After Dinner Mint Cupcake Recipe(Makes 12 Cup Cakes)
2½ oz (60g) dark chocolate
2/3 cup water
3½ oz (90g) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp peppermint essence (I used peppermint schnapps, because I couldn't get essence)
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup almond meal
Mousse
11oz (300g) dark chocolate
1 tsp peppermint essence
1½ cup thickened cream
4 eggs, separated
4 tbsp superfine (caster) sugar
Decoration 16 thin square after dinner mints
cocoa powder for dusting

Mousse - Put the chocolate, essence and half the cream in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melted and it is a smooth mixture. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. While it is cooling beat the egg whites to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Then gradually add the sugar, a bit at a time, to the egg whites and beat till dissolved. In another small bowl beat the cream until thick. By now the chocolate mixture should have cooled. Lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork and stir into the chocolate mix. Next fold the cream into the chocolate mix. Now gently fold in the egg whites. Cover and refrigerate for several hours (overnight is good).
Cupcakes - Preheat the oven to 330°F (170°C). Line a 12 cupcake pan, with cupcake papers. Take the 16 after dinner mints and cut shapes for the tops of the cakes (we used some small cutters and cut a variety of shapes). Set the shapes aside. Coarsely cut up the off cuts - we need these, so don't go eating them. Put the chocolate and water in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the chocolate melts and it all combines. Using an electric beater, beat the butter, sugar, eggs and essence until smooth, light and fluffy. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and almond meal into this mixture. Add the chocolate mixture and the off-cuts of the mints. Stir until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove tin from the oven, transfer cakes to a rack and cool.
Decoration - Making foil collar. Fold up some collars for the cakes using foil. Lightly grease each collar - we used a very light spray of oil. Put collar around cake, as show in picture. Spoon mousse onto each of the cakes. Refigerate for 4 or more hours. When ready to serve. Gently remove the collars and if you wish the papers.
Making Choc Mint Cupcakes - Dust with cocoa powder. Put the chocolate cut-outs on top.erve with extra thick cream and/or ice-cream.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

For cake:
1/2 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
and cooled
2 cups Swans Down Cake Flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For frosting:
3 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk or sweet milk
dash of salt
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Chocolate Fudge Cake: Cream butter and add sugar gradually, creaming well after each addition. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in chocolate. Sift flour with soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla, beating after each addition until smooth. Pour into two paper-lined 9-inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.
Chocolate Dream Icing for Chocolate Fudge Cake: Soften cream cheese with part of milk and add salt. Add sugar, alternately with rest of milk, blending well after each addition. Beat until thick enough to spread on cake.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 cup Swans Down® Cake Flour
²/³ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350℉. In a large bowl sift together flour, ¹/³ cup cocoa, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir into flour mixture until combined well. Spread batter into an 9-inch metal pie plate. In another medium bowl whisk together remaining ¹/³ cup cocoa, brown sugar, and 1½ cups boiling water. Pour evenly over batter. (This may look strange at this point, but don’t worry. During baking cake forms on top and pudding underneath.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs adhering to it, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Today's snail mail bought me a Birthday ATC from Kate in the UK. She is the swap hostess, and this ATC was too fun.

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