Creamy Earl Grey Cocoa

For 2 servings:

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil, in the microwave or on the stove.

Add 2 earl grey teabags, or 2 teaspoons loose leaf.

Steep briefly, 1-2 minutes.

Spoon in 1/4 cup of Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa mix (or 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cocoa powder).

Stir thoroughly, and strain through a fine mesh sieve, if necessary.

Pour into mugs, and pour 1/3 cup warmed milk (2% or higher milkfat) over the top.

Double Chocolate Creme de Menthe Cupcakes

COOKIES

Peppermint Bark Cookies, from Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
  
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
• 2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan.

Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk.

Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes.

Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

When cool, chop cookies into desired sizes, about penny-sized if using for cupcakes, or larger if eating as cookies. If desired, crumble extra cookies and add to cupcakes just before baking for a special surprise.

CUPCAKES

For cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot water
• Crushed peppermint bark cookies or 1 1/4 cups mini bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin pans with paper liners.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla, half of flour mixture, then 1 cup hot water. Add remaining flour mixture; beat just until blended. Let batter stand until cooled and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter among muffin papers (about ¼ cup batter each).

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely in pans.

For ganache:
6 oz white chocolate (or 1 cup white chocolate chips)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp creme de cacao
Red, green, or blue food coloring, (optional)

Melt white chocolate chips over double boiler (or carefully in microwave). Stir in 1/4 cup whipping cream, reheating if necessary. Stir in 1 tbsp creme de cacao and a few drops of food coloring, if desired. Chill until spreadable.

Assembly:

When cupcakes and ganache are cool, melt 3 oz dark chocolate plus 1 tsp canola oil in microwave or on the stove.

Using pastry bag (or ziplock bag with a hole cut in the tip, if desperate), apply ganache to cupcakes in a spiral motion. Drizzle with melted chocolate, and top with a bit of peppermint bark cookie, or cookie crumbles, if desired.


Some cupcakes may fall apart or crumble. Not to worry! With any leftover cupcakes and frosting, cake pops can be made!

CAKE POPS:

Leftover cake
Leftover frosting (ganache)
Leftover chocolate, melted
Skewers, straws, or Popsicle sticks
Sprinkles, special sugar, or cookie crumbles (optional)

Crumble cake pieces until they are fine crumbs. Adding a teaspoon of frosting at a time, combine cake crumbs and frosting, just until the crumbs hold their shape when formed into a ball. Form each into a 1 1/2 inch diameter ball, and place on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Melt leftover chocolate. Dip each cake ball into the chocolate, return to parchment paper, and immediately spear with skewer, straw, or popsicle stick. Quickly garnish, and return to freezer briefly, to harden.

Can be left at room temperature. Serve at room temperature.

Smultboller (Sour Cream Doughnuts) and Eggnog

Season of sweets: donuts and nog.

The doughnut recipe came from my most favorite cookbook, EVER, called Prairie Cooks, which I found in a little shop in Medora, North Dakota. Smultboller is the Norwegian name for these quick, but magical doughnuts. The cardamom is key.

The eggnog is cooked, and I thin it quite a bit, as thin but flavorful nog is my personal preference.


Smultboller

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Lightly flavored oil for frying (vegetable, canola, etc)
Cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, for dipping

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. In separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until mixture is thick and pale. Beat in the sour cream. Quickly add the dry ingredients mixture to the sour cream mixture, but only until just combined. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut 3 inch diameter circles, with 1 1/4 inch centers cut out. Cut as many rounds as possible, then gather the scraps together and re-roll the dough.

Heat oil over medium low heat (about a 4 on a scale of 10), to 375˚F. Fry about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Remove doughnuts from oil with a slotted spoon and drop in sugar of choice to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Eggnog:

Wash 6 large eggs.
Beat eggs with 1/4 cup sugar.
Add 2 cups whole milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until 160˚F. Let the eggnog rest 5 minutes, then stir in:
3 cups 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg Serve chilled.

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Torte

Ingredients:

About 50 chocolate covered cherries, preferably homemade

3 cups chocolate ganache:
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (do not exceed 61% cacao)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Bring cream just to boil in heavy small saucepan. Place chocolate chips in medium bowl; pour hot cream over. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand at room temperature until cool and firm, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, chill ganache until cool and firm, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.)

1 recipe Maraschino Cherry Cake:

3 c. cake flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
2 tbsp oil
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. maraschino juice
1/4 c. cherries, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in milk and maraschino juice. Slowly add dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. In separate bowl, beat whites of eggs until peaks form. Fold egg whites and cherries into batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool completely before filling.

To fill and frost:
Place one layer cake on serving plate. Cover with chocolate covered cherries, setting them as close as possible. Fill any gaps with chocolate ganache, until top is flat for the next layer to rest on. Top ganache with second cake layer. Frost with extra ganache.*

* Leaving the sides of the cake unfrosted creates an impressive presentation, but if the cake edges look messy, frosting the sides is advised.

Garnish with extra maraschino cherries, slivered almonds, and chocolate shavings.

Cookies and Cream Cake

This cake incorporates components from Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and milk.

...a killer cake. Literally.

Chocolate Oreo cake:

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1 cup crushed oreos

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans, or three 8-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Mix in boiling water - the batter will be quite thin. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle each evenly with oreos.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then tap the cakes out of the pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate chip cookie dough filling:

2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

3/4 C unsalted butter, melted

1 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 T vanilla extract

6 T milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients, thoroughly. When Oreo cake is cool, invert one cake, so the oreo side is facing down. Spread chocolate chip cookie dough filling evenly over top. Top with second layer cake, Oreo's facing up.

Frosting:

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp gelatin
1 tbsp water

Combine gelatin and water, and let sit for several minutes. Microwave for 1 minute, or until clear liquid. Whip the cream right before frosting the cake (ideally right before serving). Add the sugar. When cream begins to form soft peaks, whip in gelatin at high speed. Frost cake.

Garnish with extra Oreo crumbles and/or chocolate chips. Serve thin wedges with milk.

Earl Grey Truffles (and Meyer Lemon Cardamom and Balsamic Satsuma)

OMG YUM.

I think I feel some Christmas gifts coming on...

Chocolate Earl Grey Truffles (Recipe courtesy of Hipcooks Portland)

2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves, Loose tea leaves tend to be of higher quality than tea bags, giving the truffles a fresher, more distinct flavor.
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for rolling, or tempered dark chocolate for dipping

Bring cream and butter to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and stir in tea leaves. Remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes. Don’t oversteep or it will become bitter.

Meanwhile, finely grind chocolate in a food processor and transfer to a bowl. Pour cream through a fine-mesh sieve onto chocolate, pressing on and discarding tea leaves, then whisk until smooth. Chill ganache, covered, until firm, about 2 hours. Mmmmm. Earl Grey.

Spoon level teaspoons of ganache onto a baking sheet. Put cocoa in a bowl and dust your palms lightlywith it. Roll each piece of ganache into a ball. Drop several balls at a time into bowl of cocoa and turn in cocoa to coat. Transfer as coated to an airtight container, separating layers with wax paper. If you prefer to dip in truffle into chopped nuts, then chop pecans or almonds and roll the truffle.


OTHER TRUFFLE IDEAS:

Balsamic Satsuma: Steep the peel of 1 satsuma in the milk (instead of the tea) and add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar along with chocolate.

Meyer Lemon and Cardamom: Steep the peel of 1 Meyer lemon in the milk (instead of the tea) and add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon grated cardamom along with chocolate.

Peppermint Candy Brownies!

These might just be the best brownies you'll ever consume.

This is a "cocoa brownies" recipe adapted from Bon Appetit magazine to be much more festive, and delicious!

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cold large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Starlight mints or candy canes, crushed

4 oz. white chocolate

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the top, saving about 1 tablespoon of the finest powder from the crushed candies.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Melt white chocolate carefully in microwave, or on double boiler. Drizzle over warm brownies, sprinkling with leftover peppermint candy powder for a frosty look.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Homemade Nutella

This is more on the Nutella side of chocolatey hazelnut spreads than most.

2 cups hazelnuts
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup nut, canola, or vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Process hazelnuts in food processor until finely ground. Add cocoa, salt, and sugar. Process until combined. Slowly add milk and oil, and blend until smooth. Add vanilla, and process until as smooth as possible.

Hazelnut Cinnamon Granola

2 cups oats
3 rice cakes, finely crushed (pieces should be about a quarter inch in diameter)
1/4 cup 9 grain, buckwheat, grits, or other hot cereal, uncooked
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla or hazelnut extract
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl. In separate pan, melt butter. Mix in the sugar, extract, cinnamon, and salt. Pour over dry ingredients. Thoroughly combine until completely coated. Bake at 325 for about 15 minutes or until crispy and browned, stirring occasionally.

Cinnamon Roll Rice Pudding

Who needs Cinnabon?

Combine over medium heat until simmering:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Simmer until slightly thickened-should leave a thin layer on a spoon dipped in mixture.


In separate pot, bring to a simmer:
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups 2% milk

Cook, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Add cinnamon mixture to rice, plus:
1 cup 2% milk

Cook until thickened. To test this, place a spoon with the pudding in the freezer, and see if it thickens to pudding consistency.

At this point, take the pudding off the heat, and cool briefly. Stir in:
1 cup sour cream

Serve rice pudding warm or refrigerated, with vanilla wafer cookies.