Chocolate Guinness Bundt Cake

Cook’s notes: This cake is so good that I once made it 3 times during a two-week period. It fetched $55 at a silent auction for charity. It is very similar to a Nigella Lawson version baked in a spring-form pan, but a Bundt pan is easier to deal with. Nigella’s version has 10 Tbsp butter and 3/8 cup sour cream. Someday, I’ll see if the reduced amount of butter works in this recipe). The cake is so moist that it doesn’t need a ganache glaze, cream cheese frosting, or even a sprinkling of powdered sugar. It tastes wonderful served plain.

Best chocolate cake ever

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (16 Tbsp)
1 cup stout (such as Guinness Extra Stout)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process; preferably Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa by King Arthur)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Heat oven to 350F. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray or melted butter well; make sure you get in all of the nooks and crannies. (Carroll Pelligrinelli recommends using a pastry brush to brush on solid shortening and then dusting the pan with flour. She says, “Make sure all areas are covered, especially the center cone.”)

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend.

Melt the butter and bring it to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Gently stir in the stout. Whisk in the cocoa powder until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-cocoa mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture in two batches, and beat briefly on slow speed after each addition. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool completely in the pan, then turn the cold cake out onto a rack.
Adapted from smitten kitchen

Nutty Clusters

Cook’s notes: No baking required. These almond bark clusters combine sweet and salty flavors with crunchy and soft textures. They are a nice addition to the holiday cookie platter. Note: One cup of chocolate chips equals 6 ounces.

1 cup slivered almonds
2 heaping cups puffed rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3 cups white chocolate chips – 1.5 x 12-oz bags (I like NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Line 2 or more rimmed cookie sheets with wax paper.

Place almonds in a dry skillet and warm over medium-high heat, stirring often, until they are toasted.

In a large bowl, combine the toasted almonds, cereal, peanuts, and marshmallows. Stir well to combine.

Heat the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, stirring often.

Pour the melted chocolate over the nut and cereal mixture. Stir well to combine.

Using a teaspoon scoop, drop mounds of the mixture on wax paper and let dry. You may wish to refrigerate the clusters for 20 minutes until firm. Package in an airtight container.

Makes a large batch (at least 8 cups of mixture).

Source: Adapted from a recipe at http://www.jennylovesfood.com/?p=259. Tips on melting chocolate: see http://www.ehow.com/how_4514814_melt-chocolate-double-broiler-microwave.html.

Best Recipe: Dark Chocolate Syrup

Make a simple syrup with 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup white sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Whisk in 1/4 cup unsweetened Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa powder (from King Arthur Flour) and 1/16 tsp kosher salt (half of 1/8 tsp). Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens. Off heat, stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Makes about 1/2 cup. Store sealed in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Add 1 Tablespoon of this syrup to a glass of milk for the best chocolate milk ever.

Best Recipe: Dark Cocoa Brownies

This is our household’s new gold standard brownie. I have deleted all other brownie recipes; this “Minimalist” recipe by Mark Bittman is the “one true brownie” — perfect and fudgey (not cakey), easy to make, and all ingredients are typically in our pantry. I substituted dark cocoa powder (Double Dutch by King Arthur) for 3 to 4 oz of melted chocolate. Regular cocoa powder would be too light. A glaze or frosting is not needed. They’re even good eaten stone cold out of the fridge. I also changed the directions so that this recipe is now a “one bowl” method.

Tips:

• Mark Bittman says, “As long as you keep the flour to a minimum and don’t add chemical leavening like baking powder, you will produce a true and beautiful brownie.”
• Proportionally, this recipe is the same as a half batch of Supernatural Brownies made with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate.
• For gluten-free brownies, use a gluten-free baking mix instead of plain flour.
• Recipe makes 16 brownies. You can double the recipe and bake in a 13×9 pan.

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, heat butter in 30-second increments on High until it is melted. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, stir in cocoa and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add flour, optional salt, and vanilla, and stir to incorporate. Stop stirring when no traces of flour remain.

Pour into pan, and bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until set and barely firm in the middle. Cool on a rack before cutting.

Yield: 16 brownies

Source: Adapted from Mark Bittman. And food author Michael Ruhlman also uses Bittman’s recipe. Ruhlman’s book Ratio provides formulas for basic items. While it was a fun read, it does not include a brownie recipe. No matter; this is the one.

Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes

Cook’s Notes: A friend of mine loves German Chocolate Cake, and he recently had a birthday. The cupcakes are rich and decadent: they call for 2 sticks of butter, melted chocolate, and sour cream. After looking at the ingredient list, I couldn’t bring myself to make the traditional coconut-pecan frosting for the cupcakes.

Here are the treats I made for his party:

• Make 24 “Dark Chocolate Cupcakes” from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
• Chocolate glaze: Cook 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 2 Tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture boils. Turn off heat, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Continue to stir until chips have completely melted and glaze is smooth. Spoon chocolate glaze over cupcake tops in a circle. (From the book Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor)
• Sprinkle sweetened flaked coconut on the top of each cupcake; gently press down so coconut sticks to the glaze.

Tip: 12 cupcakes fit into a 9 x 12-inch pan for transport:

Best Recipe: Chocolate Almond Button Cookies

Cook’s Notes: Baked in a mini-muffin tin, these round, puffy cookies are a variation on the Chewy Bar Cookies. They are a little more work than just bar cookies, but they are cute as a button. With both almond extract and chopped almonds, the toasted nut flavor really comes through.

Makes at least 55 cookies (I got 58). See my list of other suggested bar cookie variations for more ideas.

1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the almond extract and eggs. Beat in the baking soda and flour until just combined. With the mixer on the slowest speed, beat in the chocolate chips and chopped almonds.

Drop the dough with a teaspoon-scoop into the prepared mini-muffin tins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just the tiniest bit brown. Use a toothpick to check for doneness in the center.

Best Recipe: Black and White Bar Cookies

Cook’s Notes: This excellent version of Chewy Bar Cookies is similar to brownies. They have the flavor of chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos. My co-worker referred to these as “better than Hostess Ding Dongs.” The contrast of dark chocolate batter with white chocolate chips is simply delicious. Makes 32 to 40 bars.

See my list of other suggested bar cookie variations for more ideas.

1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (King Arthur brand Double-Dutch preferred)
1 cup white chocolate chips (vanilla flavored)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Beat in the salt, baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder until just combined. With the mixer on the slowest speed, beat in the white chocolate chips.

Press dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan. (I put on food-safe handling gloves and press it in by hand.) Smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are just the tiniest bit brown. Use a toothpick to check for doneness in the center. Cut into bars.

Notes on Bar Cookies

Revised 7/25/2009
After trying this recipe several times, I now have two tried-and-true variations. I have split the original post, which became quite long post, into several shorter posts (this is to save ink and paper when printing individual recipes). Posts include the following:

• Almost Shortbread Bars: These cookies are almost like shortbread, except it uses one egg. These are rich, buttery cookies that are not too sweet. Mini chocolate chips are the right size for the dainty squares.
• Chewy Bar Cookies: This recipe makes bar cookies that are taller than the shortbread bars. Their texture is like cake, but more dense. The Chai Spice bars are especially delicious.
• For future reference: A list of other suggested bar cookie variations that are untested, but they sound delicious

The bar cookie recipes yield 32 to 40 bars, depending on how you cut them. Cut the bars small: just one or two is enough. Makes about 32 bars or up to 40 bars (1.5-inches each side) – the glass pan I use is more like 8×12-inches, instead of 9×13-inches, but they come out fine.

Tried-and-True Variations

• Black and White Bars combine dark chocolate batter with white chocolate chips. These would be elegant served with fresh strawberries. Like a tuxedo, they would fit in to high-toned gatherings.
• Butterscotch Pecan Bars: For add-ins, use 1 cup butterscotch chips and 3/4 cup chopped pecans. Sweeter than usual, due to the chips.
• Chai Spice Bars are especially delicious with the sugar glaze
• Chocolate Almond Button Cookies are made in a mini-muffin tin
• Vanilla Coconut Bar Cookies combine coconut and white chocolate chips for a casual cookie with a tropical flair

Postscript: Skip making bar cookies with a boxed cake mix – I tried several times and was bitterly disappointed in the results. Any time saved by using cake mix instead of flour and sugar was not worth it. The cookies were tasty when they first came from the oven. However, after sitting out at a party for just 3 hours, the cookies were rock hard. I really liked the convenience of the bar cookie, however. Researching recipes suggested the cake mix formula was too low in fat (the recipe called for an 18.25 oz cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, and 2 teaspoon vanilla). They probably should have had at least 1/2 cup butter or oil to improve the texture.

Coconut Joys (Mini Mounds)

Coconut Joys

Cook’s notes: Makes about 3 dozen (36 to 40) candies. These freeze well. I made a double batch (yield: 86) and combined two bars of dark chocolate for the topping: 3.52 oz Hershey Extra Dark 60% Cacao bar and 3.5 oz Lindt Excellence Intense Dark 70% cocoa. I got the candy cups from Michael’s (made by Wilton). To reduce the sweetness, use unsweetened coconut.

Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut: 7 ounce bag contains 2-2/3 cups; 14 oz bag yields about 5 cups.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups (8-ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
Optional: 1 T milk
3.5 to 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted)

Lay out rows of bon-bon sized fluted candy cups on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; remove from heat.

Add powdered sugar, coconut, and optional milk. Mix well. You may find it helpful to put on food-safe handling gloves and knead the mixture by hand to combine.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls (I used a teaspoon-size cookie scoop).

Wearing food-handling gloves, smooth each ball and drop in a candy cup.

Spoon melted chocolate over each coconut ball.

Chill until firm to set chocolate. Place candies in zip-top bags and store in refrigerator.

Other finishing options:

• Drizzle the chocolate over the coconut balls in stripes.
• Make an indent in the center of each ball. Fill centers with melted chocolate.

Source: Adapted from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/candy/coconut-joys-recipe.html

Best Recipe: Toffee Matzoh and Other Cracker Cookies

Making Passover-friendly desserts can be a challenge. Who knew that something so simple — matzoh crackers soaked in a homemade toffee and topped with chocolate — could be so good? The toffee matzoh recipe I have used for at least 10 years is by Marcy Goldman. There’s no need for me to reprint the recipe here; just go to her site and follow her instructions exactly. She recently updated her signature recipe for “New Vanilla Version Matzoh Caramel Buttercrunch.” David Lebovitz has another version of the toffee matzoh recipe with gorgeous photos. You may also enjoy the article on Passover Desserts posted on the Smitten Kitchen site.

If it’s not Passover, you can make these treats as Praline Cookies. Use graham crackers instead of matzoh, omit the chocolate, and sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.

Make these treats with saltine crackers and peanuts and you have Texas Toffee.

The “Is It EDible?” blog has instructions for making this “Fab Toffee” in a microwave. Ed says. “I was also skeptical about the saltine thing. But, I took a leap of faith, and wouldn’t you know, this stuff rocks! Of course, anything with a cup of sugar and lots of butter will taste heavenly.”

There is another variation, too — my friend Kathy and I used to refer to the Club cracker version with almonds as CRACK-ers. They are that addictive.

David Lebovitz says, “Although don’t say I didn’t warn you if you do: it’s almost impossible to stop snacking on. …it makes a pretty fine breakfast treat if you’re lucky enough—or smart enough—to stash away a few pieces all for yourself.