Category: Cocoa Powder

Chocolate Peppermint Flourless Torte

4/10/2019

Serves: 8
1 scant tablespoon butter
8 ounces semisweet morsels
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoon pieces
¼ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting
6 to 10 small fresh mint leaves for garnish
Freshly whipped heavy cream
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350°.
Set an empty roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Pour enough water into the roasting to fill it halfway.
Lightly butter a 9” X 4½” loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper approximately 9” X 16”, large enough to line the long sides of the loaf pan with a two to three-inch overhang on each side.
Put chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
Put heavy cream in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
Put eggs and sugar in a clean medium bowl and using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until tripled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
Whisk the peppermint extract into the chocolate.
Gently fold half of the chocolate peppermint mixture into egg mixture until almost incorporated. Then fold in remaining chocolate that mixture.
Gently fold the reserved whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Set loaf pan in roasting pan. Bake until chocolate loses its sheen and appears set when loaf pan is jiggled slightly, about 25 minutes.
Carefully transfer roasting pan to a heatproof surface. Remove loaf pan from water bath; let cool completely on a rack.
Slip a flat edge knife into each of the paperless ends of the loaf pan to loosen. Pulling up on parchment, remove from pan; transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Using a large spatula, gently loosen torte from parchment and then invert the torte onto a serving platter.
Using a sieve or duster, lightly dust treat with cocoa. Garnish with fresh and chocolate mint leaves, and whipped cream if desired.

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Chocolate Whiskey Cake

12/19/2018

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Makes 1 10” cake

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces each
1 healing tablespoon unsalted butter for the pan
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa butter for the pan
1½ cups strongly brewed coffee
½ cup whiskey
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (undivided)
1 scant cup light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish or decoration

1 10” springform pan

Preheat oven to 325°
Butter springform pan and dust with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
In a medium saucepan, heat coffee, whiskey, 12 tablespoons of butter pieces and the remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally until the butter has melted.
Add the chocolate chips.
When the chips have melted, whisk in the sugars.
When the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is well blended, remove the pan from the heat and let cool thoroughly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves.
In a smaller bowl whisk together the vanilla and the eggs.
Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and continue whisking until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the cake Insert a toothpick can be removed cleanly, the cake is done.
Remove cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the springform pan and place on a serving dish.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

Variation: Make a stencil of your choosing, perhaps a Christmas tree and carefully place it on the top of the cake. Put confectioner’s sugar into a sprinkle container or bottle and dust that portion of the cake not covered with the stencil.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT CUPCAKES

3/14/2018

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Makes 12

CUPCAKES
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
6 to 8 tablespoons whole milk
½ cup mini-chocolate chips

ICING, CHOCOLATE AND MINT GARNISHES
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
½ teaspoon peppermint extract, to taste
green food color
Mint or peppermint dark chocolate bar
12 small fresh mint leaves

CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350º.
Line the wells of a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric beater until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat into the butter and sugar mixture.
Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and mix until well incorporated.
Add half of the dry cocoa powder mixture to the wet ingredients in the large mixing bowl and beat until combined.
Pour in the milk, mix until combined.
Add the remaining dry cocoa powder mixture and mix until combined.
Fold in the mini-chocolate chips.
Fill to about 9/10 of each cupcake paper.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

ICING, CHOCOLATE & MINT GARNISHES

Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together with an electric beater .
Add the cream and peppermint extracts and continue to mix at high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Add 3 to 4 drops of green food coloring to the frosting and beat it into the icing.
Using an apple parer, scrape chocolate into a small prep dish.
Using a small spatula or a flat edge knife, spread the icing around the top of the cupcake.
Sprinkle the chocolate shavings across the top of each cupcake and top with a fresh mint leaf.

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CHOCOLATE BOURBON KISSES

2/7/2018

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Makes 48 kisses

12 tablespoons sweet butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups rich brewed coffee
½ cup bourbon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ ground cloves
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Confectioner’s sugar for finishing
Valentine candies for decoration

Mini-cupcake tins and liners

Heat oven to 325º.
Butter a 10” springform pan and dust with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
In a medium saucepan warm coffee, whiskey, 12 tablespoons of butter and ¾ cup of cocoa powder. Whisk occasionally until butter is melted and ingredients are mixed.
Add both sugars and whisk well until all sugars are dissolved and incorporated. Remove from the heat and cool completely before continuing. The entire saucepan can be placed in the freezer for about 5 to 7 minutes if you are in a hurry.
In a medium to large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves.
In another smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and the vanilla extract.
Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture.
Add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into mini-cupcake liners inside mini-cupcake tins.
Bake in oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool on rack.
Dust all cupcakes with confectioner’s sugar and decorate with the Valentine candies of choice.

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Chocolate Peppermint Flourless Torte

Chocolate Whiskey Cake

CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT CUPCAKES

CHOCOLATE BOURBON KISSES

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