Chocolate Zucchini Cake

When I first met my friend Loretta, she did not eat vegetables.

Seriously.

More than a little bit frightened for her health, I took to hiding vegetables in whatever seemingly non-vegetable dishes I could get away with. This recipe was one of my more successful efforts.

Sixteen years later, I'm pleased to report that Loretta's diet is now much improved -- and this cake still tastes great.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz butter
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
  
• 4 oz granulated sugar
  
• 8 oz brown sugar
  
• 3 eggs, beaten
  
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 12 oz all purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
  
• 1/2 tsp allspice
  
• 1 lb zucchini, peeled and grated
  
• 8 oz chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream butter, oil and sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and milk.
Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa and allspice together.
Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients.
Stir in grated zucchini.
Butter and flour a large lasagna pan or square cake pan.
Spoon cake batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of batter.
Bake at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, until a pick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cut into squares and enjoy warm or cooled.

Chocolate Hazelnut Brioche Pudding

Yes, even bread pudding is better with chocolate!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 1/4 + 1/3 cup whipping cream
  
• 3 oz. chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 Tbsp sugar
  
• 2 slices brioche or egg bread, cubed
  
• 2 Tbsp chopped roasted hazelnuts or almonds

Directions:

Butter four ramekins.
Bring milk and 1/4 cup cream to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 oz. chocolate until chocolate is melted.
Whisk eggs and sugar together.
Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Place bread and nuts in ramekins.
Pour chocolate mixture over bread.
Let sit for ten minutes.
Bake in a water bath at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
Bring 1/3 cup whipping cream to a boil.
Stir in two oz. chocolate until chocolate is melted.
Pour sauce over pudding.
Serve immediately.

Chocolate and Orange Scones

This recipe was inspired by my friend Rob.

To understand the significance of this, you need to know that Rob is not a cook.
When Rob invites me over for dinner, it is to eat food which his wife, Sumaya (an excellent cook), has prepared.
Even when Sumaya is out of town, dinner at Rob and Sumaya's means enjoying food which Sumaya has prepared in advance and left for Rob to reheat.
Rob, however, does know his scones.

Being a good British child, I have been eating scones for most of my life.
Those scones, however, were always laced with that staple of British baking: raisins.
Chocolate was something one occasionally ate a solid piece of. If we were lucky, we might be given half of a Cadbury's Flake bar stuck in a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like raisins just fine. But I like chocolate a whole lot more -- and since learning to cook myself have been working hard to make up for the lack of appreciation for the versatility of chocolate evident in the food of my youth.

I have developed a number of chocolate recipes over the years, as the pages of the Polyphagous Dragon will attest, but it was Rob who introduced me to chocolate scones.

Rob's scones are sinfully delicious. He shapes a batch into one large scone, which then needs to be sliced into wedges with a knife. I find it far too easy to eat far too much of Rob's giant scone, however, so I shaped mine into small, individual rounds.

It was still far too easy to eat far too many!

The moral to this story is: shape your scones however you like -- and figure out some external method for balancing the caloric consumption.

The more important moral is: Be careful not to overlook a potential source of culinary inspiration. Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unlikely of sources.

Thanks Rob!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. all purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 2 oz. unsalted butter
  
• zest of one large orange
  
• shaved chocolate
  
• 5 fl. oz. milk

Directions:

Mix flour, salt and baking powder together.
Incorporate butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly.
Add orange zest and chocolate. Mix well.
Add just enough milk to hold dough together, forming dough into a ball with your hands.
Shape scones as desired.
Place scones onto greased baking sheet.
Brush tops of scones with milk.
Bake for 7-10 minutes at 425°F.

These are best enjoyed still warm from the oven, but can be cooled on a wire rack and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. (If they last that long!)

Belgian Waffles

These are decadent. Seriously decadent. I don't make them too often because eating them makes my head spin, but they sure do taste good!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. butter, melted
  
• additional butter for greasing waffle iron
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 6 oz. sugar
  
• 12 oz. all purpose flour
  
• 12 fl. oz. milk
  
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
• fresh raspberries
  
• dark chocolate ice cream
  
• white chocolate ice cream
  
• chocolate raspberry cream liquer

Directions:

Beat eggs, sugar and melted butter together.
Sift flour with baking powder.
Add flour to egg mixture, alternately with milk, until all flour and milk has been incorporated.
Spoon batter (in batches) onto hot, greased waffle iron.
Close iron and cook until waffles are golden.
Place one hot waffle on a serving plate.
Sprinkle chocolate chips into the valleys of the waffle.
Cover with a second hot waffle until chocolate is melted (approximately 30 seconds).
Remove second waffle and top each chocolate-filled valley in the bottom waffle with one large fresh raspberry.
Replace top waffle.
Cut two one-inch thick slices of dark chocolate ice cream and two one-inch thick slices of white chocolate ice cream. Each slice should be 1/4 the size of your waffle.
Arrange ice cream slices in a checkerboard fashion on top of the second waffle.
Top with additional raspberries and a generous portion of liqueur.
Share these waffles with many friends!

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread is simple to make and wonderfully versatile. Try some of the additions suggested in this recipe for a delicious variety of flavours.

Basic Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 cup corn starch

Additional Ingredients (choose one combination):

• orange zest & finely grated dark chocolate
  
• lemon zest & minced candied ginger
  
• ground pecans & finely grated dark chocolate
  
• peppermint oil & crushed candy canes

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Stir in flour and corn starch until incorporated fully.
Stir in additional ingredients, if using.
Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick sheet.
Cut into rounds or shapes with cookie cutters.
Arrange cookies on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper.
Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for five minutes.
Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store cooled cookies in airtight containers at room temperature.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

A classic chocolate cookie batter which produces a delicious, moist cookie. Great for creating cookies with your favourite flavoured chocolate chips, and/or nuts.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• white, raspberry or mint chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs until mixture is light and fluffy.
Mix in melted chocolate and sour cream.
Sift baking powder, soda and salt into flour.
Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until well blended.
Stir in chips and/or other goodies as desired.
Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
Drop spoonfuls of chilled batter onto a greased (or non-stick) cookie sheet, allowing space between each spoonful for batter to spread as it cooks.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°F.

These cookies are delicious hot out of the oven.
If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool at room temperature on cookie sheets or wire racks. Then store at room temperature in airtight tins.

"Everything" Cookies

This is a great cookie dough for chocolate chip cookies or your favourite variation thereof. I like to mix different flavours of chips, with some shredded coconut as described in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
• peanut butter chips
  
• white chocolate chips
  
• shredded coconut

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in eggs until mixture is light and fluffy.
Sift baking soda and salt into flour.
Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until well blended.
Stir in chips, coconut and/or other goodies as desired.
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a greased (or non-stick) cookie sheet, allowing space between each spoonful for batter to spread as it cooks.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°F.

These cookies are delicious hot out of the oven.
If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool at room temperature on cookie sheets or wire racks. Then store at room temperature in airtight tins.

Basic Brownies

These brownies are delicious by themselves and also work great as a starting point for one of many wonderful brownie variations.



Ingredients:

• 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
  
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
  
• 6 eggs
  
• 3 cups granulated sugar
  
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose or cake & pastry flour

Directions:

Beat eggs until lemon coloured.
Add sugar. Beat until thickened.
Stir in melted chocolate and butter.
Fold in flour and incorporate fully.
Transfer batter to a greased and floured cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

Chocolate Orange Cranberry Cheesecake

This is a variation on my Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake and a favourite flavour combination for the Yule season.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
  
• 1/3 cup melted butter
  
• 2 lbs. cream cheese
  
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
  
• 2 cups granulated sugar
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• zest of one large orange
  
• 3 oz. orange liquer such as Cointreau
  
• 8 oz. fine bittersweet chocolate, melted
  
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
  
• 1 cup water

Directions:

To make the crust:

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.
Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 or 10 inch round springform pan.
Bake for 8 minutes at 350 F.

To make the filling:

Beat the cream cheese until soft.
Add 1 cup sugar and corn starch and beat until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Beat in sour cream, orange zest and liquer, then melted chocolate.
Pour filling over crust and bake at 350 F for 75 minutes (or until set).
Allow to cool completely (8 hours) before garnishing.

To garnish:

Heat water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves.
Add cranberries and bring to a boil.
Continue boiling gently until cranberries pop (approximately 5 minutes).
Remove cranberry sauce from heat and allow to cool but not set.
Spread cooled cranberry sauce evenly over top of chilled cake.
Refrigerate until sauce is set.

To serve:

Carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on serving platter.
Enjoy with many friends!

Chocolate Rollups

Here's another quick treat. It's a variation on my Cinnamon Rollups idea -- because everything's better with chocolate!

My friend Pam gave me a massive tin of fair trade genuine Belgian chocolate hot chocolate. But this is no flavoured cocoa powder with weird additives. This is the real deal. Shaved Belgian chocolate.

I'm not a milk drinker, and couldn't bring myself to simply melt the stuff into hot water, so I'm having fun with all of the baked goods one can easily whip up with a ready supply of shaved gourmet chocolate. This one is quick and simple, and so good I'm tempted to forget the whole "leftover pastry scraps" idea and whip up a fresh batch of dough for this recipe alone!

Ingredients:

• leftover pastry dough
  
• fine, shaved chocolate

Directions:

Roll out pastry dough into a thin sheet.
Sprinkle shaved chocolate nice and thickly over the dough.
Roll pastry up into a tight roll.
Bake at 450°F for 12 minutes.
Enjoy hot out of the oven.

Fruit Crêpes with Chocolate Sauce and Frangelico Syrup

I had some leftover crêpe batter from my Double Garlic Chicken Crêpes, a bit of Frangelico syrup and chocolate sauce made recently for my Yule Log still kicking around and, hidden away in the freezer, a container of wonderfully tasty wild raspberries. Obviously the Fates had conspired to compel me to create this wonderful concoction!



Ingredients:

• crêpes
  
• fruit
  
• Frangelico syrup
  
• chocolate sauce
  
• whipped cream or ice cream

Directions:

Spoon fruit onto crêpes.
Roll up.
Drizzle with syrup and chocolate sauce.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Sauce or Icing

Warm, this recipe makes a delicious and simple chocolate cream sauce. Allowed to cool to room temperature, it becomes spreadable and can be used to frost cakes. Choose a flavourful liqueur to match or compliment the dish it will be topping.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fine dark chocolate
  
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
  
• 1 tablespoon liqueur

Directions:

Chop chocolate into small pieces.


Bring cream to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in liqueur.

Pour heated cream/liqueur mixture over chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.


Use warm for sauce or allow to cool, uncovered at room temperature, until a spreadable consistency is reached, for icing.

Chocolate Hazelnut Yule Log

This recipe is very rich but not sickly sweet like the cheap sugary Yule log knock-offs sold in most grocery stores in my area.

It takes some time to make a real chocolate Yule log, but it's well worth the effort!
(This one is definitely another of my "invite lots of friends to share it with you" recipes!)



Ingredients:
For the cocoa genoise:

• 6 eggs, room temperature
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 3/4 cup flour

For the chocolate hazelnut cream:

• 2 oz. fine dark chocolate
  
• 6 tablespoons sugar
  
• 3 egg yolks
  
• 2 tablespoons flour
  
• 1 cup half & half cream
  
• 1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 100 grams ground hazelnuts

For the Frangelico Syrup:

• 1/4 cup water
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur

For the ganache:

• 8 oz fine dark chocolate
  
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
  
• 1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur

Directions:

Prepare cocoa genoise:

Line 10 x 15 inch baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper.
(Butter and flour paper if non-stick variety is unavailable.)

Mix eggs and sugar together in a large bowl.
Place egg/sugar bowl into bath of very hot tap water.


Boil water in small pot.
Mix in sifted cocoa to form a paste.


Melt butter in a small bowl.
(Microwaving at 40% power works well for melting butter, or use a heavy sauce pan over low heat.)

Whip warmed eggs/sugar mixture until thickened.


Add one cup of egg/sugar mixture to cocoa paste.
Mix until smooth.


Add one cup of egg/sugar mixture to melted butter.
Mix until smooth.


Sift flour into remaining egg/sugar mixture.
Fold in cocoa and butter mixtures.


Pour batter onto baking sheet and smooth out to fill sheet.
Bake approximately 20 minutes at 400°F.

(When cake is done, it should be springy in the centre and come away from the sides of the pan easily. Be careful not to overcook the genoise and dry it out!)

Cover baked genoise with a fresh sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool.

Begin preparing chocolate hazelnut cream:

Chop chocolate into small pieces.


Whip yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar together until smooth and light.


Beat flour into eggs until smooth.

Mix remaining sugar with cream and bring to a boil.


Temper eggs by slowly adding half of hot cream to egg mixture, one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Pour tempered eggs into pan with remaining cream and heat to boiling.
Stir constantly and continue to heat until custard is thickened.


Remove from heat.
Stir in liqueur.

Add chopped chocolate and mix until smooth.


Set cream mixture aside to cool.

Prepare Frangelico syrup:

Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove from heat and stir in Frangelico.

Begin assembling cake:

Turn genoise out onto parchment paper on flat surface.
Trim any dried crusty edges off the cake.

Brush cooled Frangelico syrup over genoise.


Finish preparing chocolate hazelnut cream:

Cream butter until fluffy.
Add to cooled chocolate hazelnut cream and mix well.
Stir in ground hazelnuts until well blended.

Continue assembling cake:

Spread chocolate hazelnut cream over genoise, leaving a one inch strip along one short edge uncovered.


Starting at the uncovered edge, roll up the genoise.
Wrap rolled log tightly in parchment paper.
Place on flat tray and chill in refrigerator.

Prepare ganache:

Chop chocolate into small pieces.


Bring cream to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in Frangelico.

Pour heated cream/liqueur mixture over chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.


Allow ganache to cool, uncovered at room temperature, until a spreadable consistency is reached.

Finish assembling cake:

Remove rolled cake from parchment paper.
Place onto serving platter.
Spread ganache around circumference of cake, leaving ends exposed.
Draw fork tines across the ganache, lengthwise along cake, to create the bark effect.
Immediately prior to serving, dust icing sugar onto cake to represent snow, and decorate as desired.
Serve THIN slices. (This is a rich cake!)

Chocolate Mint Pie

This recipe definitely falls into the "if you're going to indulge, make the most of your indulgence" category. This is not a dish to be consumed every day, but for those special occasions when you want a treat, it sure is good!



Ingredients:

• 1 + 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
  
• 1/3 cup butter
  
• 250 g fine dark chocolate, plus additional for decoration
  
• 6 egg yolks
  
• 4 tablespoons peppermint schnapps or crème de menthe
  
• 550 ml whipping cream
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 10-20 fresh mint leaves
  
• 1 drop blue + 2 drops green food colouring (optional)

Directions:

To make the crust:

Melt butter.
Combine melted butter and cookie crumbs.
Press onto bottom and sides of a 9" deep dish pie plate.
Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes.
Allow to cool.

To make the truffle filling:

Melt chocolate gently.
Whip 300 ml of the cream.
Beat two egg yolks and 2 tablespoons liqueur into melted chocolate.
Fold in the whipped cream.
Spoon over crust.
Chill.

To make the crème anglais:

Tear mint leaves into small pieces.
Beat sugar and 4 egg yolks together.
Gently heat mint, 2 tablespoons liqueur and 250 ml cream in a small saucepan.
Bring cream mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
SLOWLY add 1/2 of cream mixture to eggs, initially only 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating well after each addition.
Return egg/cream mixture to the pan with the remainder of the cream.
Return to a boil and simmer gently until sauce has thickened.
Strain crème anglais through a fine sieve to remove mint leaves.
(Crème anglais will be a pale yellow in colour. If you prefer green, add one drop of blue food colouring for a pale minty green colour and an additional 2 drops green food colouring for a stronger green.)
Chill

Spoon chilled crème anglais over top of chilled pie.
Decorate as desired.
Enjoy in small quantities with a large number of friends!

Strawberry Custard Tarts

This is a quick little dessert I threw together as an excuse to enjoy the raspberry pulp left behind when making my Chambord Coulis.



Ingredients:

• one quantity of your favourite shortcrust pastry
  
• raspberry pulp reserved from juiced raspberries
  
• custard*
  
• fresh strawberries
  
• 1 oz fine dark chocolate

Notes/Substitutions/etc.:

* There are some commercially prepared tinned custards available. You will want to choose a fairly thick one if you are going this route. Alternatively, you can make your own with:

• 3 tablespoons corn starch (or custard powder)
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2.5 cups milk
  
• vanilla or other flavouring to suit

Directions:

Prepare pastry as per your favourite recipe, rolling out into small disks and lining the bottom and sides of tart or small muffin tins, and bake blind.
Allow pastry to cool.
Mix 1/2 cup milk with corn starch, sugar and custard flavourings.
Bring 2 cups milk to a boil, stirring to ensure even heating and avoid scorching.
(Always watch milk cooking over high heat -- it can boil over VERY QUICKLY.)
Stir hot milk into custard paste.
If custard does not thicken, return it to the milk pan and heat gently until desired thickness is attained.
Allow custard to cool partially (but not set hard).
Spread raspberry pulp onto each baked and cooled pastry shell.
Fill tarts with cooled custard.
Wash and hull raspberries and slice in half lengthwise.
Top each tart with 1/2 strawberry.
Gently melt chocolate.
Drizzle chocolate from a spoon in a zigzag line across each strawberry.

Chambord Coulis with Summer Berry Salad

Research into the health benefits of eating berries has been rife with good news for those of us who love these delicious little fruits. Most are naturally sweet and delicious straight up, but for something a little more decadent, try this tasty treat:

Ingredients:
For the coulis:

• 600g raspberries
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup Chambord liquer
  
• juice of one lemon

For the salad:

• 1/2 pint raspberries
  
• 1/2 pint blackberries
  
• 1/2 pint strawberries
  
• 1/2 pint blueberries

Directions:

Press 600g raspberries through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Reserve raspberry pulp.
Combine raspberry juice with lemon juice, Chambord and sugar.
Slowly bring coulis to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Simmer coulis gently 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Wash fruit.
Hull strawberries.
Chop strawberries into pieces of similar size to the smaller berries.
Gently toss berries together.
Drizzle a small amount of coulis over berries and enjoy.

Notes:

Fresh berries are best enjoyed, well, fresh! Pick or purchase only the amount you need for today. The coulis has a longer shelf life and leftover sauce can be bottled and stored in the refrigerator.

Don't discard your raspberry pulp! It contains a lot of flavour and goodness and can be put to many a delicious use, especially as a low-sugar alternative to jam. Unlike jam, however, the fresh raspberry pulp doesn't keep well. Refrigerate any unused portions and try to enjoy them within a day or two of pulping. (I enjoy raspberry pulp as a spread on waffles, whole wheat pancakes, muffins or toast. It is also delicious in this little recipe.)

The presentation ideas shown below have drifted a fair distance outside the realm of "healthy" desserts, but if you've decided today is a day for indulgence:


Chambord Coulis and Summer Berry Salad with Waffles and Chocolate Ice Cream



Chambord Coulis and Summer Berry Salad with Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Made with whole grain flour, I could almost consider this banana bread a healthy treat -- if I didn't load it up with chocolate chips! The bananas are good for you, at any rate, and this is just about the only way I can stomach them once they cross the ripeness threshold.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
  
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
  
• 150 g premium dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease and flour a 9" by 5" loaf pan.
Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, incorporating well.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together over batter.
Blend flour mixture into batter.
Stir in mashed bananas.
Mix in coconut and chocolate chips.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350°F until centre of cake is dry (50-60 minutes).

This bread will mostly likely crumble if you attempt to serve it fresh out of the oven -- but so what? That's when it tastes best!

Any portion not consumed immediately should be allowed to cool in the pan, then slice into single serve portions, wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and store in a cool, dry place. (NOT the refrigerator!)

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

A much-loved specialty of the house and one I have been making for a long time. My father (who likes chocolate -- so long as it's not mixed with anything else!) poo-pooed this recipe for years -- until he finally tried it!

Makes one 9-10-inch round cheesecake and lots of very happy and well-fed friends!



Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
  
• 1/3 cup melted butter
  
• 2 lbs. cream cheese
  
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 4 cups raspberries
  
• 3 oz. liquer (I use Maple Leaf Distillers' "Creme de la Creme Chocolate Raspberry Cream Liquor")
  
• 8 oz. fine bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

To make the crust:

Combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.
Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 or 10 inch round springform pan.
Bake for 8 minutes at 350 F.

To make the filling:

Beat the cream cheese until soft.
Add sugar and corn starch and beat until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Beat in sour cream, 2 cups raspberries and liquer, then melted chocolate.
Pour filling over crust and bake at 350 F for 75 minutes (or until set).
Allow to cool 8 hours before removing from pan.

To garnish:

Carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on serving platter.
Decorate with fresh raspberries.

Enjoy! (With many friends!)

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cups

This recipe makes approximately one large pie, 12 tartlets or 40 miniature chocolate cups.



Ingredients & Special Tools:

For pie or tartlets you will need:

• your favourite pastry or cookie crumb crust - pre-baked as the filling does not get cooked.

For miniature chocolate cups you will need:

• a candy mould (I use a cup-shaped mould, 4 cm in diameter across the top and 3 cm deep)
  
• 250 g fine dark chocolate
  
• an icing brush (or other fine art brush - which has not been used in paint or other noxious chemicals!)

For the filling you will need:

• 250 g fine dark chocolate
  
• 2 egg yolks
  
• a favourite liqueur (I use a wonderful raspberry liqueur called "Chambord")
  
• 300 ml whipping cream, whipped

For the garnish you will need:

• 150 ml whipping cream
  
• 2 tsp sugar
  
• a favourite liqueur
  
• grated chocolate
  
• whole raspberries

Directions:

1a. If you are making a pie or tartlets, prepare your favourite pastry or cookie crumb crust and bake it. (Or, if you are strapped for time, you can cheat and purchase ready-made pie or tartlet crusts which just need to be baked.)

1b. If you are making miniature chocolate cups you will need some time, but these are beautiful and well worth the effort!

- melt the chocolate (gently! chocolate can burn)
- pour the melted chocolate into the candy moulds, filling each cup approximately 1/3
- paint the chocolate up the sides of the mould, coating all surfaces evenly
- refrigerate until set (approximately 20 minutes)
- gently pop the chocolate cups out of the moulds and place upright on a tray or serving platter

2. To make the filling:

- melt the chocolate - gently!
- beat in the egg yolks and liqueur (approximately 1 tablespoon of liqueur - but it doesn't hurt to be a little more generous if you like)
- fold in the whipped cream
- spoon filling into prepared pie shell, tartlet shells or chocolate cups
- refrigerate until set

3. To garnish:

- whip the cream with the sugar and liqueur
- top the pie or each tart/cup with whipped cream
- sprinkle grated chocolate on top
- top with raspberries (1 each for tartlets or miniature cups, make a ring or some other pretty design if making one large pie)

4. Invite some friends over and enjoy!