Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 3/4 c butter
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c water
• 1/2 c unblanched almonds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c nuts

Preparation

Bring to a boil the first 5 ingredients. Heat to 290 F (or until the mixture turns golden brown), stirring constantly. Take off heat and stir in baking soda. Pour into a greased 9 x 15 jelly roll pan and spread out. Melt chocolate, then pour over the candy and put the nuts on top. Allow to cool overnight (in the refrigerator or outside if desired). Break into pieces. Make about 1 1/2 pounds.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 2 c. peeled, shredded zucchini
• 2 c. chocolate chips, semi-sweet

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the zucchini. Pour into a greased 9x13" pan. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Penzey’s

Ingredients

• 1 c. Nutella (which does contain milk)
• 1/2 tbsp. baking soda
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation

Combine the sugars, applesauce, vanilla and Nutella in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add the flour and baking soda and mix until combined. The dough should be sticky and easy to remove from the bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll into tbsp-sized balls, and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle (or roll) each cookie in a small bit of sea salt, kosher salt, or fleur de sel. Bake for about 10 minutes until the cookies are puffed and crinkled (they will look under-done, this is normal). Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes on a baking sheet and about 5 minutes on a rack.

Emma, Mama Ozzy’s Table

Ingredients

• About 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, for the pan
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour, for the pan
• 6 ounces (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (gently packed) fresh chocolate mint or peppermint leaves [CP: we used more, more like 1 cup]
• 12 ounces premium bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp. granulated sugar
• Garnish with powdered sugar

Preparation

Preparing the pan: Generously butter a 9 inch springform pan and lightly dust the interior with the flour. Turn the pan upside down and bang out the excess flour. Wrap a large square of heavy-duty aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan and partially up the sides. Turn the pan right side up and set it in a shallow baking pan or on a half-sheet pan.

Infusing the butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the mint leaves and let the butter sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes to absorb the flavor of the leaves.

Butter and chocolate mixture: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Create a double boiler by selecting a medium (10-12") stainless-steel mixing bowl that will rest on top of large (6-quart) pot. The top of the bowl can extend beyond the rim of the pot, but the bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. Put about 2" water in the pot and bring it to a simmer. If the butter has cooled, heat it again to thin it. Pour the butter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl and press the leaves with the back of a spoon to extract all the butter. Add the chocolate to the bowl and place it over the simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then remove the bowl from the water.

Eggs: Beat the eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for a full 10 minutes. They should quadruple in volume and become light colored, very thick and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then very gently fold in the remaining egg mixture until completely incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Baking: Put the baking pan with the cake on the center oven rack and pour in enough water to come about 1/2" up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until an instant-thermometer inserted in the center of the cake register 155 to 160 F, 25 to 30 minutes. The top of the cake will lose its glossiness and be slightly mounded, but it should not bake so long that it rises and cracks. If you insert a skewer into the center, it should come out gooey. Let the cake cool completely in its pan on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and remove the outer ring. The cake will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, ice cream or custard sauce.

Recipe from “The Herbfarm Cookbook,” via the GardenWeb Herbs Forum

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• (kosher salt)

Preparation

You know what to do. Sprinkle with salt after spreading in pan.

Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 box (9 ounces) thin chocolate wafers (such as Nabisco Famous chocolate wafers)
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (do not use chocolate chips)
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract or vanilla
• Cocoa powder
• Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulverize chocolate wafers in a food processor. Add melted butter; process to mix. (Alternatively, place wafers in zippered plastic bag; finely crush with a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl; stir in melted butter.) Pat crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of a generously buttered 10-inch springform pan. Bake until set, 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees. For filling, melt chocolate in small bowl in microwave oven on medium (50 percent power), 50 to 60 seconds. Stir until smooth; cool slightly.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer (or food processor) until light. Beat in granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Transfer 1 cup of this batter to the melted chocolate; mix until smooth. Beat pumpkin into remaining batter in mixer bowl (or food processor). Add cinnamon and chocolate extract; mix well.

Pour pumpkin batter over cooled crust in springform pan. Dollop chocolate batter over pumpkin batter. Swirl chocolate into pumpkin with a small knife making a marbled effect. Bake until set yet still wiggly in center, 50 minutes. Turn off oven, open door slightly and let cool, 1 hour. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Serve dusted with cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients

• 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 pure vanilla extract
• 2 cold large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Preparation

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.

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

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

Alice Medrich, Epicurious

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 3.52-ounce bars Toblerone bittersweet chocolate or 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Assorted fresh fruit (such as whole strawberries, 1-inch-thick slices peeled banana, peeled pear wedges and orange segments)

Preparation

Bring cream and honey to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add chocolate; whisk until melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in kirsch and extract. Pour fondue into bowl; place on platter. Surround with fruit. Serve with skewers.

Bon Appetit, December 1997

Ingredients

• 1 quart milk
• 5 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• 3.5 ounces cocoa powder

Preparation

Pour the milk, sugar, and pepper in a medium-size saucepan. Keep stirring to avoid burning the bottom until almost cooked. Put the cocoa powder in a big bowl and add one cup of the hot milk. Mix the milk and cocoa powder. Add the mix to the rest of the milk in the pan and keep stirring. Stir until it starts cooking and thickens. Pour the hot chocolate into cups and enjoy.

Makes 4 mugs.

Kees Raat, via National Geographic

Ingredients

Shortbread:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still cool, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch, divided
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 heaping teaspoon coarse fleur de sel or sea salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Preparation

Place 1/2 stick of butter (4 tablespoons) in small saucepan over moderate heat. Melt and cook until butter stops foaming, smells toasty and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. The browner the butter, the deeper the flavor, but don’t let it blacken or burn. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the remaining butter (12 tablespoons) in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until creamy. Add the sugars and salt and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and cooled brown butter. Mix to combine. Then add flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Chill the batter for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in the middle. Butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan. Divide dough into 8 rough portions and arrange them evenly in the pan. Press dough into an even layer to fill the pan.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a pinch of salt. Brush mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle hazelnuts over the top; press down lightly. In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over nuts. Sprinkle fleur de sel or sea salt over the top.

Bake, rotating the pan once halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and cut into 1- to 2-inch squares or diamonds. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Using a very small-tipped pastry bag or the tines of a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the shortbreads.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette