Tag Archives: chocolate

Spiced Chocolate Macaroons

Hi! Figured I was gone for good, didn’t you? I don’t blame you — it has been a while.

I wish I had a super exciting story as to why I’ve been MIA for so long, but I don’t. I did sell my condo and move, which was pretty exciting (to me, anyway), but you probably don’t care too much about that. I traveled a bit (for work and for play), watched my brother get married, celebrated my sixth wedding anniversary and drank some pretty good beer, but again, I won’t bore you with the details. However, I will provide a few pictures as evidence that I haven’t been a total hermit for the past few months.

Let’s just say I took an extend break and leave it at that, shall we?

During that extended break, the hubs and I traveled to San Francisco to visit our friends, Jen and Naz, for Thanksgiving. Jen has always been a great baker, but recently she began eliminating refined sugars and grain from her recipes. Sounds impossible, I know — but it’s not. Start with these macaroons, for example. She made these during our visit, and I really loved them. We also enjoyed a pumpkin pie with a nut and date crust — delicious.

I came home eager to begin experimenting with grain and refined sugar-free recipes. Not because I plan on eliminating these things completely, but because I think every little bit helps. Plus, if everything tastes as good as these macaroons, why not?

Spiced Chocolate Macaroons (makes approximately 18 cookies)

Recipe from The Urban Poser via Against All Grain

What you need:

2 cups unsweetened fine-shredded coconut
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon, plus more for garnish
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 – 2 tablespoons full fat coconut milk (You may need more or less depending on how finely your coconut is shredded. The finer the shred, the more coconut milk you’ll need.)
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. Place another cookie sheet under the lined one. Coconut oil burns easily, and adding an extra cookie sheet will help prevent the bottoms of the cookies from scorching.
In a large bowl, combine together the first five dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the wet ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and using your hands (the easiest way, trust me), mix the dough until all ingredients are combined.
Using a rounded one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop up some dough, tightly filling the spoon. Dispense the dough onto the cookie sheet. It should be a nicely formed mound that holds together. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 or 11 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheet itself. Otherwise, they’ll fall apart.
After they’ve cooled completely, melt the dark chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Carefully dip the bottom of each cookie in the chocolate, and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with all cookies, then put the entire tray in the freezer until the chocolate hardens. Sprinkle additional cinnamon on top as garnish.

One Bowl Red Wine Chocolate Cake

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While I love crazy desserts as much as the next gal, sometimes simple is best. And this cake, which can be made in one bowl and only takes 30 minutes to bake, is proof. In fact, it’s my new go-to recipe. (And it has wine in it! Go figure.)

I’ve made this cake a few times and while I prefer it sans frosting, the original recipe calls for a whipped mascarpone topping which helps jazz it up a bit. However, I find it’s wonderful as-is with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

The perfect weeknight treat when spending hours in the kitchen just won’t do.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

What you need:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup red wine (it doesn’t matter what kind)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup 100% whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment, then grease the parchment and the sides of the pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until incorporated. Add the wine and eggs and beat on slow speed until combined.
Next, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the same bowl as the wine mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until two-thirds combined, then use a spatula to fold everything completely together.
Put the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be glossy on top.
Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. (Don’t forget to remove the parchment!) Serve topped with sifted powdered sugar.

Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl

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While some people may say that no brownie is a bad brownie, I disagree. I happen to be pretty picky about brownies and in my opinion, not all are created equal. My awesome brownie checklist includes the following:

Chewy edges (corners prefered) with a slightly undercooked center
Fudgy texture rather than cakey
NO nuts (I have something against nuts in brownies)

I’ve absolutely made a few unsatisfactory brownie recipes in my day, so when I find a good one I stick with it. And this one is definitely good. Chewy edges? Check. Fudgy texture? Check. No nuts? Check (although I suppose you could add nuts if you really wanted to). The vanilla bean mascarpone swirl is completely optional, but highly recommended.

Fudgy Brownies with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Swirl

Slightly adapted from Food and Wine

What you need:

For the brownies:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the vanilla bean mascarpone swirl:

8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped of the seeds

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch-square baking pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the whole eggs, one at a time. Whisk the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until the brownie batter is smooth.
In a bowl, whisk the mascarpone with the egg yolk, 1/4 cup sugar and the scraped vanilla bean seeds until well combined.
Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture on top and cover with the remaining batter. Dollop on the remaining mascarpone mixture and swirl the batter a few times with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake the brownies for about 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool before cutting.

Decadent S’mores Pie

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Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t like s’mores? If there is, I certainly haven’t met them.

Last month when I visited Big Sur with my husband and friends, we ended each day by making s’mores in the wood fireplace. It was Jen’s idea, and it was a good one. The sound of the crackling fire called us in, and none of us were ever able to stop at just one.

Our craving for s’mores expanded well past the dates of our trip, and I wasn’t surprised when Jen showed me the recipe for this s’mores pie. She had made it for her husband, and I knew I had to try it, too.

It’s everything you love about a s’more — the nostalgia, the stickiness, the sweetness — all without the campfire.

It’s the best s’more you’ll ever have.

Smore’s Pie

From The Pasty Affair

What you need:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, whisked
1 bag of small or large marshmallows

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until everything is coated. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
Meanwhile, combine heavy cream and milk in a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until warmed. Add chopped chocolate and salt and whisk until completely melted. Slowly whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
Carefully pour the chocolate into the prebaked crust and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the chocolate filling is set and doesn’t move when the pie is gently shaken.
Place the marshmallows in concentric circles on top of the pie (if you have large marshmallows, cut them in half with kitchen scissors first). Set the oven to broil, and put the pie under the broiler (watching it carefully) for approximately 2 to 5 minutes or until the marshmallows have browned slightly.
Let the pie set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
To serve, use a sharp knife sprayed with cooking spray to slice. The Pasty Affair recommended nuking each slice for 7-or-so-seconds before serving, and I also recommend doing the same. It’s good cold, but really good warm.

Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

11 Replies

Last Friday morning, when I was T minus 2 hours away from departing on a weekend-long wedding road trip, I discovered half a pint of raspberries sitting alone in my fridge. Rather than eat them by themselves, which would have been perfectly fine, I decided to bake something to take along on the trip. And what better than raspberries and chocolate?

These muffins are really good — super moist and chocolately. And the best part about them is that they’re made from ingredients that are almost always found in the standard pantry. No room-temperature butter. No buttermilk. Just the baking staples. And in 20 minutes, you have some awesome muffins. What could be better?

Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins (makes 12)

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

What you need:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry, and fold together with a spatula until well mixed (it’s okay if the batter is lumpy). Add the chocolate chips and raspberries and very gently fold them into the batter.
Distribute the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Snackwiches

11 Replies

While I grew up in the Chicagoland area and still live here (another story entirely), most of my family lives in the great state of Ohio — specifically Cincinnati. I have a special place in my heart for Skyline Chili, Graeter’s Ice Cream, Montgomery Inn Ribs, LaRosa’s Pizza, Grippo’s Pretzels…you get the idea. But one of my all-time favorite Ohio-influenced foods is the Buckeye — basically a peanut butter ball dipped in chocolate. If you’ve spent any time reading this blog, you’re well aware of my peanut butter obsession, so this Buckeye thing shouldn’t be a surprise to you.

To bring PopChips week to a close, I decided to take the basics of the Buckeye and give it a crunchy spin by sandwiching the peanut butter filling between two of the chips…and then dunking it in chocolate. Not complicated by any means, but pretty darn tasty. Plus I’m pretty much diggin’ the saltiness factor that PopChips bring to the party.

By the way, if you haven’t entered to win a PopChips variety pack (12 snack-sized bags of various flavors), there’s still time! All you have to do is one (or more!) of the following:

Comment in this post (and/or any of the posts this week)
Follow me on Twitter @FreshandFoodie
Follow PopChips on Twitter @PopChips or @PopChipsChicago
Retweet or comment on this giveaway on Twitter and include the hashtag #FoodiePopChips

I’ll choose one winner out of all “entries” received next Monday (the 30th) using random.org. For shipping purposes, winner must be a residents of the continental United States. Good luck!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Snackwiches

What you need:

2/3 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
2 snack-sized bags of PopChips original potato (about 40 chips)
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

How you do it:

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar and one tablespoon of butter with a hand mixer until well blended.
Gently spread a tablespoon or so of the peanut butter mixture onto 20 of the PopChips, and use the other 20 to create a sandwich. Put the sandwiches on the baking sheet and put in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to harden slightly.
In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and one tablespoon of butter, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Dip half of each sandwich into the melted chocolate and place back on the wax paper-lined baking sheet. After all sandwiches have been dipped, put the tray in the refrigerator for at least 15 minute to harden.
Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Chocolatey Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

10 Replies

During the week, I don’t have much time for breakfast. I usually have a bowl of oatmeal or toast with eggs — nothing special. But on the weekends when I have more time, I like to splurge a little. Why not, right?

This idea was inspired by one of my favorite chocolate shops, Vosges. They make a Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix that I’ve been dying to try, but I can’t seem to get past the $12 price tag — especially when it’s something I could make myself from scratch. So, here’s what I came up with. Simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes (with some cocoa powder mixed in for good measure), topped with crispy, salty bacon, creamy chocolate chips and thick, sweet maple syrup.

Oh yeah, baby. Now that’s a breakfast worth splurging for.

Chocolatey Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

What you need:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 pieces of bacon, cooked until very crispy and chopped
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Maple syrup (the real stuff!)

How you do it:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cocoa powder.
In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. If the batter seems thick, add a smidge more milk (these measurements worked well for me, though).
In a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, add the batter, one ladle full at a time, making any size pancakes you like. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until bubbles form in the center. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serve each stack of pancakes with a sprinkling of bacon and chocolate chips. Top with warm maple syrup.

Boozy, Fudgy Brownies (featuring Half Acre Beer and Lion’s Pride Whiskey)

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It’s about time adults got their own brownie, don’t you think?

One of me and my husband’s favorite pastimes is exploring Chicago’s thriving beer scene and discovering our local favorites — Half Acre being one of them. We might be a tad biased as my husband races for their cycling team, but their beer really does speak for itself. One of my favorites is the Big Hugs imperial stout, a specialty brew (aka: only available as a special release) that’s big (10% ABV) and chocolatey.

Chocolatey, you say? This very idea inspired me to combine my favorite chocolatey beer with my favorite chocolate dessert — the brownie. And why not throw a little Lion’s Pride whiskey from Koval — a local distillery — in there, too? You know, for good measure. How bad could it be?

As it turns out, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, my husband declared this recipe his all-time favorite, and I’d have to agree — I think they’re my new favorite, too. Perfectly fudgy and outrageously chocolatley with a hint of edge from the booze, they’re a match made in chocolate heaven.

Boozy Brownies

Adapted from craftbeer.com (who knew!)

What you need:

Butter for coating pan
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup Half Acre Big Hugs stout
2 tablespoons Lion’s Pride whiskey
3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by buttering (I used the butter left behind on the wrapper from the stick required in the recipe) and dusting the inside with cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat until completely melted. Add chopped chocolate, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool to luke-warm. Stir the sugars into the chocolate and mix well.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, yolks, vanilla, stout and whiskey until smooth. Sift flour and salt in to the mixture and stir to combine.
Add cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/stout/flour mixture a little at a time, folding to combine, until all the chocolate has been added. Fold in chocolate chips, being careful not to over-mix.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour. Let cool before cutting.

Peanut Butter Nutella Bars

21 Replies

OK, so I’m a few days late for Worldwide Nutella Day. No excuses. BUT, I did make something to contribute to the Nutella love…and it didn’t even require any baking! You’d think with all the snow and cold temperatures we’ve had in Chicago lately that I’d be eager to use the oven to generate a little extra heat in the house, but no. Not really. I was feeling lazy, so this was the perfect recipe.

But don’t confuse laziness for lack of deliciousness — these are really good! Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my all-time favorite combinations, and these taste like jazzed up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In fact, I recently read that what makes the peanut butter in that famous candy so good and unique is ground up graham crackers, which is exactly what you do in this recipe. Cool, huh? And for some extra love, I added Nutella to the chocolate layer on top. Perfection!

Peanut Butter Nutella Bars (makes 16 bars)

Adapted from many sources

The guest of honor…!

What you need:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Nutella

How you do it:

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter and powdered sugar until well mixed. Pour mixture into an ungreased 8 x 8 baking dish.*
In a small saucepan (or in the microwave if you’re careful not to burn the chocolate), carefully melt the chopped chocolate and Nutella over low heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Once it’s smooth, pour over the peanut butter mixture, carefully spreading to cover.
Put dish in the fridge and let cool for at least an hour before cutting.

*Note: Next time I’d line the dish with parchment paper first — the bars require a little elbow grease to remove from the pan.

The PERFECT Cookie

12 Replies

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, and delicious food. And if you’re still scrambling to find the perfect cookie recipe, look no further. This is it. The one. I promise.

Everyone has a favorite recipe. A go-to, never fail, crowd pleaser. This is mine. I’ve made these cookies so many times that I have the recipe memorized. And to date, they’ve never let anyone down.

The best part about this recipe is that it’s customizable. Like more chocolate? Add it. Peanut butter chips? Add them. Nuts? No problem. Coconut? Sure, why not. You could add pretty much anything to this cookie (well, within reason, or course) and it’d be delicious.

The PERFECT Cookie (makes approximately 24 cookies)

Adapted from Real Simple

What you need:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of any combination of mix-ins you like (in this batch I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chunks that I cut from a bar of white chocolate)

How you do it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Lower to medium speed and add the egg and vanilla.
Whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Fold in your mix-ins.
Place cookies on a cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the centers are set. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.