To get the best brownies, use the best chocolate, and use a lot of it. This recipe yields a really serious brownie that the chocolate lover with thank you for.
With a container of this mix in the house, a warm cup of hot chocolate takes just a bit of hot milk. If you want to dress it up then add marshmallows and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching which seems to be all about chocolate. Give these moist, chocolaty, and low-fat brownies to your sweetie. You’ll be showing your love by not overloading your Valentine with zillions of calories.
These warm soufflés are rich with chocolate and perfumed with cinnamon and cayenne. The cayenne is such a great little sneaky surprise.
Chocolate Soufflés
Soufflés really aren’t that hard to make. To make sure that your soufflés rise always use eggs at room temperature and make sure you don’t over-fold your mixture before baking.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 Cups Milk
1/8 Cup Butter
Seeds From 1 Vanilla Pod
1/3 Cups Unbleached Flour
2 1/2 Ounces Chopped Dark Chocolate (Good Quality)
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Rum
1/8 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease 4 ramekins with butter and add a small amount of sugar. Turn to coat the sides and bottom. Tap out any excess. In a small-size saucepan heat 1 cup milk with butter and vanilla seeds over a medium-low heat. In a small-size bowl mix remaining milk with flour until smooth. Stir into hot milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir continuously. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before mixing in chopped chocolate and 1 egg. Separate remaining 3 eggs. Beat egg whites with kosher salt to form peaks. Place in fridge and chill. Beat egg yolks with sugar and run until a thick, light mixture forms. Mix with cooled milk mixture. Tip beaten egg whites onto mixture and fold through (do not over-fold). Divide soufflé mixture equally between the four ramekins. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 20 minutes until puffy. Serve immediately. Serves 4
© Victoria Hart Glavin
The ricotta cheese really adds to this chocolate cake. Plus the chocolate frosting has ricotta too! Delicious!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Sugar
1 3/4 Cups Unbleached Flour
3/4 Cup Cocoa
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3 Eggs
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Boiling Water
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Prepare a bundt pan (grease & flour) or use two 9 inch round cake pans. In a large size bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Add the eggs, ricotta, olive oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water. Don’t worry that the batter may look a bit thin. Pour into the cake pan(s) and place into the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remember that all ovens heat differently so check at 30 minutes. If you are using a bundt pan then baking may take a bit longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan(s) and cool completely before frosting. Frost with Ricotta Chocolate Frosting. Serves 10.
Ricotta Chocolate Frosting
1/2 Cup Softened Butter
2/3 Cup Cocoa
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/3 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Soften the butter by leaving out on the counter for 30 minutes. In a large size bowl add the butter. Stir in the cocoa. Add the powdered sugar, ricotta and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Makes about 2 cups.