Sanguinaccio

The Robber and I have been treating ourselves to what I think this is at Cafe Venecia in Palo Alto for the last few years-- I'll admit this recipe is the reason I saved any of the Italian newspapers in the first place. I'm hoping it delivers when I actually make some. From AdriBarrCrocetti.com. Serves 4 or more, depending on serving size.

Ingredients

3 T cornstarch
1 C sugar
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
1 1/2 C whole milk
1 1/2 C heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean
4 oz 62% semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Whipped cream, to garnish

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a 2 qt saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the seeds into the saucepan and add the bean. Heat over a medium flame until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover and set aside to steep for 20 min.

2. Blend the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Add the cream and combine. Add the egg yolks and beat well.

4. Slowly pour all the hot milk over the cocoa mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir over a medium low flame until it thickens and comes to a boil, about 7-8 minutes.

5. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.

6. Remove the milk mixture from the heat. Remove and discard the vanilla bean. Add the melted chocolate, stirring until smooth. Garnish with whipped cream.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

I saw this recipe on my friend R.G.'s Facebook page a while back and tagged it, feeling like R.G. ought to know what was good and what was not. She is down to earth, reliable, smart, and used to live in Sweden. The cake is somewhat opposite-- gooey and sweet, runny and soft, but so tempting... I made it for our Valentine's celebration this year and the Robber ate and ate of it. Definitely a treat for two.

I realized I didn't have cocoa powder so I subbed in Ghiradelli hot cocoa mix which was good but I think created a sweeter product. To tone down the sweetness I served it with some tart and creamy Greek yogurt just barely sweetened and with strawberries mixed in. I preferred to eat it that way, while the Robber ate his along with some swallows of whole milk. Either way, it was delicious.

Barely adapted from AllRecipes.Com.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/swedish-sticky-chocolate-cake-kladdkaka/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=kladdkaka&e8=Quick+Search&event10=1&e7=Home+Page

Ingredients:

1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 C. white sugar

1 T. vanilla extract

1/2 C. butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Heavily grease and flour an eight inch pie plate.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt, set aside. In separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar and beat until thick and smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture (or vice versa) and mix until thoroughly combined (but avoid over beating). Add in the vanilla and melted butter and stir until homogeneous. Pour into the prepared pie plate.

3. Bake on the lower rack of a preheated oven (to avoid burning the top) until the center of the top had a set crust-- about 35 min. The remainder of the cake may still appear gooey at the edges. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least one hour before serving. Can serve either warm or cold.

Toffee Mocha Cream Torte

What Sister F. made us for dessert. I liked the cake part of this and the Robber loved the whipped cream and the toffee part of this. It is unlikely that I will make this cake in all of its parts again but I liked the chocolate cake from scratch part enough to want to keep the recipe. I couldn't taste the coffee flavor at all, Sister F. says it just enhances the chocolate flavor, which maybe is true as this did taste quite chocolately in a satisfactory way.

This is from the Taste of Home Blue Ribbon Desserts.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 C. butter, softened

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 2/3 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 C. buttermilk

2 tsp. instant coffee granules

1 C. boiling water

For the topping:

1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules

1 tsp. hot water

2 C. heavy whipping cream

3 T. light brown sugar

6 1.4 oz. Heath candy bars, crushed

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; add to cream mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Dissolve coffee in water and stir into batter.

3. Pour into three greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350F for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

4. For topping, dissolve coffee in water in a large bowl, cool. Add cream and brown sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Place bottom layer cake on a serving platter, top with 1 1/3 C. of topping. Sprinkle with 1/2 C. of crushed candy bars. Repeat twice. Store in the refrigerator.

Coconut Hot Chocolate

Because I have the sniffles today I deserve this, don't you think?

Note: This is very rich even using "lite" coconut milk, and especially with whipped cream (I didn't do the meringue) on top. I could barely drink half of it myself. I think little girls would love it in small tea cups. Who knew coconut milk could even be used in hot chocolate? I want to try this with white chocolate. The end.

From the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/dining/111arex.html

Ingredients:

For the hot chocolate:
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 15-oz. can coconut milk
1/4 C. dark brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the meringue:
1 large egg white
3 T. superfine sugar.

Directions:

1. Whisk cocoa into 1/3 cup boiling water.

2. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in hot cocoa and chocolate until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

3. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg white on medium speed until it begins to foam, about 1 minute. Add superfine sugar tablespoon by tablespoon as mixer is running. Beat until egg white stiffens to soft peaks and is shiny, 5 minutes. Dollop onto cups of hot chocolate.

Yield: 2 (-4) servings.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirly Fudge Cookies

I made these because my sister-in-law L. sent me the link with a really excited exclamation mark next to it. The recipe comes from this blog Picky Palate, which, no offense to the Picky Palate author, looks like a direct path to morbid obesity. The idea is that all the recipes on it would be enjoyed by say, a three year old. So while I am sure everything on the blog is very good, it's a little antithetical to what I am trying to do with my life right now. But the Robber and I had contracted to bring goodies to a family in the ward with a three year old, so why not give these a whirl? I'll be honest. The dough was very very good but the cookies were too crumbly in the peanut-butter parts and too tough in the chocolate parts unless warmed up into a goo-ball and overall not very exciting to someone who thinks cookies are the enemy. Nonetheless, I'll blog these because who knows? Some day I might have a three year old too.

From Picky Palate:

http://picky-palate.com/2011/08/01/chocolate-chunk-peanut-butter-swirl-fudgy-cookies/

Ingredients:

1 C. creamy peanut butter

2 sticks softened butter

1 C. sugar

3/4 C. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. good quality chocolate chunks (I used chocolate chips)

1 C. cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place peanut butter into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chunks, slowly mixing until just combined. Drop dollops of frozen peanut butter into dough and turn mixer on for just a few turns of the mixer to get swirls of peanut butter through the dough.

4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk.

Yield: Makes 3 dozen cookies

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

I made these for dessert on R-DAY for our guests and even the Robber, not usually a fan of chocolate and berries together, deemed these a hit. Thanks again, Annie! I love that it is a way of fancying up something as easy and simple as shortcake and making it seem decadent.

From Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan by way of Annie: http://annies-eats.net/2011/08/12/chocolate-strawberry-shortcakes/

Ingredients:

For the shortcakes:

1 1/3 C. whole milk (I used 2%)

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 1/3 C. all-purpose flour

2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 T. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ C. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used semisweet)

1½ sticks (12 T.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small piece

For the strawberries:

1½ lbs. strawberries, hulled and sliced or quartered

3-4 T. sugar

Squeeze of lemon juice

For the whipped cream:

1 C. heavy cream

2-3 T. confectioners’ sugar

Dash vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

2. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla and egg. Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ½ cup of sugar. Stir to combine. Add in the butter and toss to coat the butter in the dry ingredients. Working quickly with a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the pieces of butter are no larger than small peas. Mix in the chopped chocolate and toss to combine.

3. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and stir gently until a sticky dough forms. Very gently knead the dough just until most of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overwork the dough.

4. Scoop the dough in about 1/3 cup mounds onto the baking sheets, leaving a few inches in between. Gently pat the mounds to about 1-inch thickness. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the shortcakes are puff and give just slightly when lightly pressed, about 15-18 minutes total. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. To make the strawberries, combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss well to coat the berries with the sugar and let macerate at least 30-60 minutes. If desired, mash lightly with a fork.

6. Just before serving, make the whipped cream. Place the chilled cream and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Blend in the vanilla.

7. To serve, split each shortcake horizontally. Top the bottom half of each shortcake with a dollop of whipped cream, spoon some of the berry mixture over the top, and replace the top half of the shortcake. Serve immediately.

Banana Cream Pie ala La La Liz

This recipe, from everythingpies.com claims to be Elizabeth Taylor's favorite pie! As R. said, "This tastes like a pie Elizabeth Taylor would like-- something you eat after you break up a marriage, or to celebrate a marriage... a bit boozy, a bit extravagant, and over all over-the-top."

That about sums up this pie. Contrary to what the website says, the Robber thought the pie got better with age. We all wanted it to have a larger cream-to-custard ratio. I used my standard pie crust recipe, and substituted 1 tsp. each of artificial rum and almond flavorings for the liquors in the recipe-- and yet it still tasted boozy. I don't know that I will make this exact pie again. I liked the white chocolate-banana combination, but to be honest right now I am a little disillusioned with banana cream pies in general. I think I would be just as happy mixing up a bunch of bananas in plain whipped cream and putting it in a pie tin as I am with any custardy recipe. The Robber said I could stick with coconut cream pies, which may just be what I end up doing. But for anyone wanting to try something for the times and a little off the beaten path, I give you Elizabeth Taylor's favorite pie recipe:

http://www.everythingpies.com/elizabeth-taylor-banana-cream-pie-recipe.html

Ingredients:

Pastry dough - double crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1/2 ice cold water

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cold corn oil

Filling Layer One - White Chocolate Pastry Cream

1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise

1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

3 large egg yolks

1/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped in small pieces

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

pinch of salt

Filling Layer Two - White Chocolate Whipped Cream

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

4 medium ripe bananas

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons banana liqueur or rum

1 1/2 tablespoons white creme de cacao or Amaretto

Garnish for top

5 ounces white chocolate curls for top

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting top

Directions:

1. Prepare the pastry: Roll the pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Chill the pastry for about one hour.

2. Pre-baked the pie crust shell in a 450° F preheated oven and set aside to cool.

3. Prepare Filling one: Warm the milk and the vanilla bean in a heavy non-aluminum pot over low heat. Mix in the white chocolate chunks. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melting. The mixture will speckle with white chocolate. Remove from heat.

4. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a non-aluminum bowl. Mix until mixture is a pale yellow.

5. Add the cornstarch and salt to the egg mixture. Whisk it well.

6. Slowly pour the warm chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture while you are mixing.

7. Return the mixture to the pot and heat until it thickens. Continue to stir mixture while it is cooking. In about 10 minutes or more the mixture will start to bubble.

8. Remove it from the heat and stir until smooth, about 1 minute.

9. Pour the white chocolate filling into a glass bowl and smooth the top with a spatula.

10. Cover the pie filling with plastic wrap. Press the plastic directly onto the surface of the filling, to prevent a skin from forming. Let the pie filling cool in the refrigerator until cold and firm, 2-4 hours or overnight.

11. Whipped Cream: Chill a glass bowl. Beat the cream until it is stiff but not to grainy and refrigerate.

12. Thinly slice the bananas and toss with the lemon juice to prevent darkening.

13. Fold the bananas and the liqueurs into the chilled pastry cream. Be sure to remove the plastic. Carefully this mixture pour into your prebaked pie crust and level it with a spatula.

14. Gently cover the pie with the whipped cream. Fully spread it right to the edge of the crust.

15. Gently scatter some white chocolate curls over the whipped cream.

16. Very lightly dust the white chocolate curls with unsweetened cocoa powder.

17. Serve at once or chill up to 2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Wafers (for Chocolate Cream Pie)

This recipe came with the Chocolate Cream Pie recipe from Kim at pieloveyou.blogspot.com. The recipe is adapted from Bubby's Homemade Pies and is used to make wafers that become part of the crust for the chocolate pie. I haven't made the wafers myself, since I used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers for my crust, but I imagine that these are good so I'm blogging the recipe for future use if needed.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Shape the dough into a 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap it well and chill completely—at least two hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Slice the dough into 1/8-inch slices and place them 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes, until they smell good and remain firm when lifted with a spatula.

3. Cool the cookies on a wire rack, uncovered, overnight or until they are completely dry and wafer-like.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Nothing vegetable about this-- the only cupcake left of two dozen (in two days.)

Craving cupcakes (and needing to bake for the medical school talent show bake sale), I turned to the New York Times (via The Confetti Cakes Cookbook by Elisa Strauss) for this delectable recipe:

Red Velvet Cake

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/dining/141vrex.html

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3½ cups cake flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
1½ teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2¼ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2½ teaspoons white vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.

2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

5. Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes (or about 30 minutes for cupcakes). Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Yield: 3 cake layers (or about 30 generous cupcakes.)

and...

Red Velvet Cake Icing

(NYTimes via The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook by John Doherty with John Harrison)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/14/dining/142vrex.html

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream, cold

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

12 ounces mascarpone (I used 15 ounces of "Farmer's Cheese" which was soft and came in a tub)

½ teaspoon vanilla

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted.

Directions:

1. Softly whip cream by hand, in electric mixer or in food processor. Cover in bowl and refrigerate.

2. Blend cream cheese and mascarpone in food processor or electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, pulse briefly, and add confectioners’ sugar. Blend well.

3. Transfer cream cheese mixture to bowl; fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate until needed.

Yield: Icing for top and sides of 3-layer cake (or bucket loads of cupcakes, piled to overflowing).

(Don't forget the sprinkles. Amazing.)