Recipes Discovered - Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup p0wdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
• Chocolate bar, for garnish

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until combined. Divide into 4 small dishes and top with pistachios. Grate a little of the chocolate bar on top of each serving. Refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

This would also be a great filling for a cannoli!

My own concoction.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan bring to a rapid boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute, remove from the heat, then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.\

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

The recipe I have called for quick cooking oats, but I only had old fashioned, so Iprocessed them in the food processor for a couple of seconds before adding them to the chocolate mixture.. The cookies turned out great!

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup roasted peanuts

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Once melted, stir in the peanuts until well coated. Spread the mixture on a plastic lined plate and chill. Once solid, break apart into bite sized pieces. Store in an air tight container either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several months.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Great folded into chocolate ice cream!

Recipe courtesy of Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil, making sure the foil covers the bottom and sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over med-low heat. When butter is melted, reduce heat to low and add chocolate, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Add vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt, and stir vigorously for 30 seconds until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is barely set. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store at room temperature.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Great on there own, but also as a base or mixed into some ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)

Irish Cream Frosting:

• 3 to 4 cups confections sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperate
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Irish Cream liquor (Bailey’s)

Directions:

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey  and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out (great snacks!). Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Frost and decorate the cupcakes. The frosting only makes enough to make for a small amount on each cupcake. Between the filling and frosting, the cupcakes are incredible rich and don’t really need a lot of frosting. However, if you like a heavily frosted cupcake, double the amounts.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I think I would skip the butter in the ganache filling if I make these again. It tended to separate if it wasn’t stirred a lot and didn’t really add a lot (except a nice shine, but that’s hidden inside the cupcakes).

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana, peeled
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cocoa nibs, optional

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk according to how thick you would like the smoothie. Add more cocoa powder according to your chocolate taste.

Serves 1.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

For me, the banana adds all the sweetness this needs, however, a little honey or sugar syrup can be added to make it sweeter.

Recipe courtesy of Help Yourself.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and still warm
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Have six ramekins or pudding cups, each holding 4 to 6 ounces (1/2 to 3/4 cup), at hand.

Bring 2 cups of the milk and 3 tablespoons of the sugar to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.

While the milk is heating, put the cocoa, cornstarch and salt into a food processor and whir to blend.  Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, the egg and egg yolks into the processor and blend for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot milk mixture.  Process for a few seconds, then put everything back into the saucepan.  Whisk without stopping over medium heat - making sure to get into the edges of the pan - until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes).  You want the pudding to thicken, but you don’t want it to boil, so lower the heat if necessary.

Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there’s a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times.  Add the chocolate, butter and vanilla and pulse until everything is evenly blended.

Pour the pudding into ramekins.  If you don’t want a skin to form (some people think the skin is the best part), press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create an airtight seal.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used semi sweet chocolate chips, which I forgot to melt. Oops!

Recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 6 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or good quality
  semisweet chocolate chips (use 70% bittersweet if you want more of a
  dark chocolate kick)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double
boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a
heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently
simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides.
Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20
minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the
spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes,
or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and
stir in the vanilla.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re
a slacker like me who is absolutely certain that there is nary a lump
her pudding) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a
spout and pour into individual serving dishes.

If you like pudding skin, pull plastic wrap over the top of the
serving dish(es) before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin,
place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against
the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes
and up to 3 days.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 6 extra-large eggs
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (1 cup for batter and 1/4 cup in the chips and nuts)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups diced walnut pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

This makes a huge amount of brownies. To make a 9×13 pan, half the recipe. To make a 9×9 pan, third the recipe. To make an 8×8 pan, quarter the recipe.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Extremely fudgey brownies! I omitted the walnuts and increased the chocolate chips.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium bananas, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (mixed half and half)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together and eggs, yogurt, water, coffee, oil, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk gently but thoroughly. The batter will be dark and thick.

Place a large non stick frying pan over medium heat. Rub the bottom of the pan with butter. Use a 1/4 cup measure to portion the batter into the pan. Immediately turn down the heat. As soon as bubbles form on the top, place sliced of banana on each pancake. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and flip the pancake over. Continue to cook for about 2 more minutes or until the center if gently firm. Remove the pancakes from the pan and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and place in the oven. Cook the rest of the batter, stacking as you go with cinnamon sugar in between the pancakes.

Pancakes can be served with strawberry sauce, caramel, powdered sugar, sour cream, or pecans (or all of the above).

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Brownie Points