Homemade Chocolate Easter Eggs

Like any other holidays, Easter is celebrated within US with equal gusto, as it heralds Spring into most parts of the country. However, Easter is always extra special for kids, as they have lots more activities to do compared to some other festivals. Right from Easter bunnies to Easter Egg Hunts, to colorful costumes and flavorful candies, there are tonnes of family activities to engage your tiny tots, the most preferred one being Making Chocolate Eggs! Though its customary to dye egg shells, kids are more excited to make Chocolate eggs which they can relish at the end, rather than make painted eggs. This simple recipe is a great way to start your kids on early in the Easter fun! [photo courtesy of Woman's Day magazine]

How To Make Chocolate Easter Eggs

The basic recipe calls for using baking chocolate and some egg-shaped moulds to make your chocolate eggs - a great way to use up some wholesale chocolate, by the way! Then how you decorate them is all your choice. There are tonnes of edible Easter decorations available in markets today - you can just buy whatever suits your theme and stick them onto your finished eggs. From flowers and birds to simple candy dots and sticklers, you will definitely find something to suit your budget, and your child's fancy. So let your child's imagination run wild, and help them create their edible Easter masterpieces!

Instructions
1. Melt the Chocolate first by placing it into a small bowl which you place inside a larger bowl which has some hot water in it (double-boiler method) Be careful not to get any water into chocolate as this will make the chocolate go wrong and not set properly.

2. While the chocolate is melting clean out the Chocolate Egg mould using a small amount of cotton wool.

3. When the chocolate is melted and has no lumps, pick up the large brush and start painting the inside of the Chocolate Egg moulds. Once you have coated the whole of the inside of the mould with chocolate, place it into the fridge for five minutes. Repeat as many times as you like, forming a thick layer inside the mould. Leave it in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to set firmly.

4. Once set, you can remove the egg from the mould. Place the mould upside-down onto the table and give a gentle tap on the top. Then gently lift the mould and the egg will stay back on the table.

Decorating the Chocolate Eggs
Mix up some royal icing in a pot, add tints of colors to make leaves or flowers, and then fill this into separate icing bags. Use proper icing attachment and pipe your desired shapes onto the chocolate eggs. You can also stick some ready-made edible Easter decorations by sticking them onto the eggs using royal icing as glue.

Chocolate Raspberry Pudding

Though its the season for Cranberries, I would urge you to make this beautiful change and go for some raspberries instead! Combine them with the gooey goodness of dark and white chocolate, topped with whipped cream and some slivered almonds, and you have the perfect dessert ready for Thanksgiving, or for a romantic dinner for two! Creamy Chocolate Raspberry Pudding - the name says it all - rich and creamy, warm and luscious, with a taste of decadence in every spoon, this is my favorite Pudding recipe. its quick and easy, can be served by itself, or with some ice cream, and looks beautiful if served in stemmed dessert glasses!

Sending these off to Sourashtra's Kitchen for her latest collection of desserts and pastries, co-hosted by Sudeshna.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt )
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp warm whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 oz semisweet chocolate, grated
1 oz white chocolate, grated
Splash of Chambord (raspberry liqueur)- optional
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Method
Mix together the sugar, salt, cocoa, cornstarch and milk in a small bowl until it makes a paste.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just before scalding, then add the dark and white chocolate, stir, and add the cocoa paste. Mix well and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the Chambord and the vanilla. When the pudding begins to thicken, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 2 minutes.

I love it warm, so I serve it immediately, topped with fresh homemade raspberry puree, and some whipped cream.

But to make an elegant dessert, pour the pudding into temperature-resistant bowls or ramekins and refrigerate until set (at least 30 minutes). Let cool before serving.

Top with raspberry puree, whipped cream, and sprinkle some slivered almonds on the top and serve immediately.

Chocolate-Kissed Walnut Cookies

Sometimes one wishes to indulge into a little sweet treat, but at the same time, its nice if one can make something that takes very few ingredients, and less time to prepare, yet can satisfy your craving. On a cold Saturday afternoon, that's precisely what I felt. I was bored, and wanted to bake something simple. SO I opened my pantry and the first thing I saw was a bag of walnuts gawking straight at me. SO I picked it up, and went for the quintessential all-purpose flour, sugar and butter, and decide to bake these simple yet beautiful and crunchy walnut cookies. With less than 5 ingredients, it is indeed one of the most easy recipes, with an end product that is sure to delight you and your family! I just added some chocolate topping to give it that extra zing!

I'm sending these to Aparna who's hosting this month's Monthly Mingle featuring High-Tea Treats! Hope she likes them:)

Ingredients
Makes about 18-20 cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
4 oz butter - at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
Hershey's chocolate syrup

Method
Preheat your oven to 350 deg F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about 7-8 mins.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour and ground walnuts and add to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until well combined to form a soft dough. Do not knead a lot as this can get pretty sticky. Use some all-purpose flour for dusting.

Now refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This makes is easier to shape the cookies.

Take a teaspoonful of dough in your hand, form a small ball, and press lightly in the center with your finger to make a shallow hole (use light pressure with your thumb or index finger). You can even roll out the dough to make a big 1/2 inch thick round, then use a cookie-cutter to make smaller cookies.

Arrange the cookies on the baking trays, 2 inches apart. Leave enough space as they will spread a bit as they bake. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly colored and the cookies look firm.

Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then you can store them in an air-tight container. Right before serving, fill the holes with Chocolate syrup. Or, you can fill the holes with melted chocolate ganache, then refrigerate them till it solidifies, and store in an airtight box for a few days.

Mini Chocolate & Fruit Trifles

Fruit Trifles have been a favorite at holiday gatherings - layered with a piece of sponge cake, topped with whipped cream, fresh fruits, chocolate, nuts and your favorite toppings, they not only look elegant, but are the perfect end to a holiday dinner! So I tried to re-create the magic of trifles, albeit, in a smaller size, which suits perfectly for individual servings. Layered with fresh bananas, berries, mixed-fruit puree, whipping cream, rich swiss-mocha chocolate syrup and crushed chocolate cookies, these Mini Fruit & Chocolate Trifles are all set to win you tonnes of accolades at your next party!

Inspired by traditional trifles, I was tempted to try a miniature version which not only looks pretty, but can also be relished as a dessert without much guilt! Instead of sponge cake, I used bite-sized brownie pieces, and some fresh chocolate ganache made by melting my Swiss-mocha chocolates. I blended some mixed berries for my fruit puree, and chopped some bananas as they go great with both chocolate, and cream! And the crushed cocoa-cookies were the final touch - you can never imagine a tiny serving could hold so much flavor within!

Ingredients
Makes 4 mini trifles

4 brownie-bites - (or two brownie pieces, cut into 4 each)
1 large banana - chopped or sliced
1 oz of your favorite chocolate
4 tbsp + 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (sweet)
mixed berries - blended (or other fruit topping)
4 tbsp sugar - for the fruits, if required
crushed cookies - for garnish
4 drops lemon juice - for the bananas
a pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Method
Transfer the berries to a pan on low-heat; add the sugar and let the fruit macerate for about 8-10 mins. Remove excess water/syrup and keep the fruit aside. You can even puree it if you like.

Take the chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe bowl and add 2 tbsp whipping cream to it. Stir and heat for 30 sec. Then remove, stir again, and repeat two more times to form a thick chocolate ganache.

Slice the bananas and sprinkle some lemon juice and nutmeg over it to prevent them from getting brown; nutme adds a lovely flavor too!

Now cut the brownies into small pieces and keep aside. Coarsely grind the cookies and keep aside.

Whip the remaining 4 tbsp cream till it becomes a little stiff and holds shape.

Assembling the Trifle
Take the bowls/cups that you are going to serve the trifle in. Layer with the brownie bites, followed by the sliced bananas. Top this with the chocolate ganache, followed by the whipped cream and the fruit puree. Repeat with another layer of everything. Finally, sprinkle the crushed cookies on the top. Add a creme wafer for garnish.

There, the perfect Fruit & Chocolate Trifle to end a fun-filled evening! it serves to be an excellent individual dessert, and the best part, it can be improvised to use whatever fruits you have on hand!

Related Recipes:
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Can you imagine the divine taste of Nutella, all wrapped up in a dark chocolate layer and packaged as a decadent cookie?? If you haven't started salivating already, I'm pretty sure you will, as soon as you lay your hands on these truly delicious Nutella Chocolate Cookies! After devouring endless Nutella crepes in our recent trip to France, I thought it would be great to bake some cookies with Nutella! and of course, there can't be christmas cookies without chocolate, at least for me, so I combined my two favorite ingredients and set forth to bake these decadent Dark Chocolate Nutella Cookies, that are crunchy to eat, and yet melt in your mouth as soon as you start savoring one!

I'm sending these to Susan at Foodblogga for her Eat Christmas Cookies event. Check out all the other delicious entries up here! This also goes to Santa's Holiday Challenge at Tasty Treats, as well as Cookie Baking event over at Neivedyam!

Ingredients
makes 16-18 small cookies
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
3 tbsp Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread
2 tsp finely ground hazelnut powder

Note: I didn't exactly measure my Nutella spread while making these, so I might be a wee bit off in the measurement list. So if you feel your dough is a little soft to handle, just refrigerate it for a couple hours as suggested, and the cookies should turn out fine.

Method
Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside.

Melt the dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl by heating and stirring for 1 minute, in 20-second intervals. Allow it to cool a little.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the Nutella spread. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and stir until combined.

Add the melted dark chocolate and the ground hazelnut powder and mix well.

If the dough looks a bit clumsy to handle, wrap it in a cellophane paper and refrigerate for about 10 mins. This will make it easier to shape into cookies.

Now shape the dough gingerly into small round cookies, or drop them using rounded spoons on the baking sheets, about an inch apart from each other. Press gently with the backside of a fork if you like.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until dark brown in color or until the edges are just set. Let cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes. Then remove and cool completely on wire racks.

Related Recipes
Coconut Cookies with Vanilla Icing
Peppermint & Vanilla Butter Cookies
Fat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Layered Chocolate Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

When it comes to Layered Cakes, a beautiful layered Chocolate Cake enhanced with fluffy white frosting, and drizzled with some chocolate shavings on the top will never go out of style! Though I love original chocolate cakes with deep dark chocolate buttercream frosting, the white and brown in this recipe creates a wonderful contrast, both, in looks and in flavor. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or a special occasion, Layered Cakes are the best ones ever! Showing off my recent coursework from my cake decoration class, here's a delicious and moist 3-Layered Chocolate Cake with luscious and fluffy White Cream Frosting.

You can use regular White Buttercream Frosting too, but I found this really nice fluffy frosting recipe from a friend that works much better, as it stays soft and fluffy. It compliments the chocolate cake quite well, which is a recipe I adapted from Martha Stewart Living. By using sour cream and hot water, you end up getting a really moist cake with firm texture. This goes to Lorraine for her Best Chocolate Cake challenge!

Ingredients
Good for 3 individual 9" cake layers

For the Cake
16 tbsp (2 sticks) butter , softened
3 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup cocoa powder , sifted
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising flour)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot water

For the Fluffy White Icing
5 large egg whites
2 cups icing sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed chocolate shavings - to garnish the top

Method

Making the Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with butter; line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and vanilla; add to brown sugar mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat 1 minute on high speed.

Sift together cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; add to brown sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Sift flour. Add 1 cup to batter and beat on low speed until just combined. Add 3/4 cup sour cream to batter; beat on low speed until just combined. Alternate adding flour and sour cream to batter until there's none left. With mixer still running on low, slowly add hot water, beating until just combined.

Scrape bowl thoroughly; beat batter on low speed about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl thoroughly once more, then divide batter evenly among the three pans, about 3 cups per pan. Bake 30 to 33 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan. Remove from oven. Cool layers in pans about 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to one night before assembling.

Make the Frosting
In large deep bowl, combine egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. With hand-held mixer, beat until foamy at low speed, about 1 minute. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that bottom of bowl does not touch the water. Beat constantly at low speed until mixture reaches 160F, about 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, add vanilla, and beat frosting at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

Assembling the Layered Chocolate Cake
To assemble the cake, level each cake layer by slicing off their tops. Place bottom layer on a serving platter cut side up. Spread 1/2 cup filling on top. Place middle layer cut side down on top of bottom layer. Spread remaining filling on top. Place top layer cut side down on top of middle layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Top with a few chocolate shavings, reserving half for later. You can even plaster some crushed peanuts or almonds to the side of the cake as I did. Allow to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the frosting sets well.

Transfer the layered Chocolate Cake onto a serving platter, then garnish with the reserved chocolate curls or shavings. Then just grab a fork, dig into the cake, pop it into your mouth, close your eyes and experience a taste of sensuous happiness that very few other things can provide!!:)

Related Recipes:
Mocha Pistachio Brownies
How to Frost a Cake in 5 Easy Steps
Mango Cake with Streusel Topping

Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee Cake - From the Archives

Chocolate-Hazelnut Coffee Cake is my all-time favorite, and I never fail to order one whenever I stop at a Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee. I just love the flavor and the taste that blends so well with my mocha. So when I found this Mocha-Banana bread recipe at Amy's blog, I couldn't resist to try out a variation myself. I skipped the bananas, and instead added hazelnut, coffee and nuts. I also changed the sugar and butter contents to make my bread a little more cake-like, just the way I like it! This is kind-of a mix between a coffee cake and a bread, yet it is not as sweet as a cake, so pairs well with your morning breakfast. And with chocolate flvor to bring it all together, there's no resisting a piece of this delicious Chocolate-hazelnut Coffee cake!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter-softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp instant hazelnut coffee powder
1/2 cup walnuts and pecans - chopped
Cooking spray

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.

Use a sieve and pass the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder through this and combine all 3 in a medium bowl. Add salt, and break any lumps with your fingers.

In another bowl combine the sugar and butter, beating with a mixer or a wooden spatula until well creamed (about 2-3 mins). Add eggs and beat well. Add the vanilla and the hazelnut flavored coffee and beat again. finally add the flour mixture, stir in the chopped walnuts and pecans and combine and beat until you can see stiff peaks. Do not add milk or water. Spoon the batter into a small greased loaf pan (preferably square or rectangular so it's easy to slice the bread later).

Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely after done. Do not try to slice while hot otherwise the bread will crumble and you won't get clean slices.

Cut into thin cake-like slices and enjoy with a sizzling hot cup of coffee or tea!! This Hazelnut Coffee Cake is a perfect recipe to entertain with at cocktail parties!

Related Recipes:
Espresso Kahlua Brownies
Chocolate-Banana Bread
Persimmon & Chocolate Spice Cake

Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe - Revisited

After my recent post about egg substitutes, I tried using them to revisit my old eggless chocolate cake recipe! Eating a cake is sinful for some, but not with this recipe that uses whole wheat, no eggs, minimal butter and all the goodness of chocolate! Cakes and desserts don't necessarily have to be elaborate and high in calories - this simple, healthy and wholesome cake is a classic example of how you can indulge without being overly guilty! The ghiradelli chocolate that I used gives it a rich texture, and the applesauce and sour cream make it soft and smooth without using eggs! perfect for a weeknight dessert, this eggless chocolate cake recipe is for keeps!

Ingredients
1 cup wheat flour (or whole-grain pastry flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1.5 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup applesauce or 1/2 mashed banana
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter - at room temp
1 tsp vanilla essence

Note: you can skip the butter altogether if you use AP flour; but with wheat, you do need the butter to make the cake soft.

Method
Take a bowl and mix the sour cream, butter, applesauce (or mashed banana) and essence properly.

Seive the wheat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Now add this to the sour cream mixture and beat properly in one direction. Whisk continuously for 5-7 mins till the mixture starts to fold and form peaks.

Melt half of the chocolate chips in the microwave, then add this to the cake mixture. Add the remaining chocolate-chips and blend in to just fold everything together.

Preheat oven at 350 deg F.Grease a 9 inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Pour the mixture into it. Bake for about 20-25 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Microwave Method
You can also pour the cake mixture into small ramekins or microwave-safe bowls, then bake on high for 8 mins. Repeat this for another 8-10 mins, until the cake is done.

Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Then slice into wedges, dust with some powdered sugar, and top with a few berries. Serve this delicious Eggless Chocolate Cake to your guests, or indulge in a guilt-free dessert yourself!

Related Recipes:
Nankhatai - Eggless Almond Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate Banana Bread or Cake

Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Chocolate Ganache is widely used in desserts, and is perhaps one of the best ways to enjoy the real taste of dark, luscious chocolate! Ganache is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Some say it originated in Switzerland, while some believe it was invented in Paris. To make ganache, hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and the mixture is stirred until velvety smooth. The proportions of chocolate to cream can vary depending on its use, and you can use dark, milk, or white chocolate and add different flavorings such as liqueurs and extracts to make Ganache variations. Discussed below, is the basic Ganache recipe, its techniques, and different uses and variations for you to experiment with!

A legend proposes that "Ganache" was the outcome of a culinary accident, whereby a chocolatier's apprentice spilled cream in the chocolate he was melting. The chef called the apprentice 'Ganache', a word meaning, figuratively, 'fool'. Masterpieces are created by accidents, and may Lord bless that "ignorant fool" for giving us the legacy of Ganache!

The taste and quality of the Ganache is primarily dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with. A chocolate with a higher cocoa butter content will produce a ganache that is firmer than one made with a chocolate that has a low cocoa butter content. A chocolate with a velvety smooth texture will produce a ganache that is velvety smooth. The most important point to consider when choosing a chocolate for making ganache is whether you like the chocolate when eaten out of hand.

There are 2 ways to make Ganache:

1. The chocolate is melted, cooled to room temperature and the cream is beaten into it
2. The cream is brought to a boil, removed from the heat and the chocolate is beaten into it.

The second method is generally recommended, as there is less chance of burning the chocolate this way. But you are free to try both and choose the one that works out best for you. The proportion of chocolate to cream is critical, as this determines the stiffness of the resulting Ganache. Add more cream and you will get a softer product, add more chocolate and you'll get a stiffer mixture.


Ingredients
Makes about 1 and 1/2 cup of ganache

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate - chopped into pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp liqueur (optional, like cognac, grand marnier, kahlua, etc)

Method
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just barely to a boil; do not over-heat, else the cream will get scorched and burnt.

Now place a damp towel on your counter, place the pan of hot cream on the towel, and then add the chopped chocolate to the cream. Let it stand for 5 mins, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the liqueur to flavor the ganache.

Tips & Tricks:
To make a smoother ganache, set the pan in a larger pan of hot water and stir until it is soft enough to spread like a sauce.

In order to make a stiff ganache, place the pan in a larger pan of ice water to cool the mixture just until it comes to spreading consistency. Remove from the ice bath at this point to make sure it doesn't harden too much. Use this mixture as a filling between cake or cookies.

You can store the ganache for three days at room temperature, or up to one week in the refrigerator. You can even freeze it for up to three months. Just soften or melt it before using.

Recipes with Ganache
There are several ways you can use Ganache in your dessert recipes. It can be used in filled chocolates, in frosting cakes, making truffles, as topping on pies & ice-creams, as a glaze on cakes, donuts or muffins, or simply to add a smooth choclatey flavor to lattes, drinks or any other deserts. Depending on how you want to use it, here are a few recipe variations that could come in handy.

Chocolate Glaze or Sauce - use 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate. Pour immediately over cake or ice-creams or desserts, when its barely warm and still liquid.

Chocolate Truffles - use 1 part cream to 2 parts chocolate. Allow the ganache to cool completely, then refrigerate it for 15-20 mins. Then scoop some mixture and shape into truffles, and set again to refrigerate till ready to serve. Coat with cocoa powder, powdered sugar or chopped nuts to form various kinds of truffles.

Chocolate Frosting - use 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, or even a bit chilled so it becomes spreadable, then use it to frost a cake. Pour the ganache in the center of the cake, then quickly spread with a spatula over the sides, using big strokes to create an even coating of frosting.

Gooey Chocolate Filling - use 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate. Use immediately in cakes or molten muffins and pastries, while still in melted form. It can also be refrigerated and stored, then used as a filling later after warming it a little.

These are more than enough ways to start enjoying the rich chocolate flavor. Be it cakes, truffles, tarts, ice cream, molten muffins or something as simple as chocolate-covered strawberries, Ganache can make it look beautiful and taste divine! So experiment with melted chocolate, and get the most out of a simple Ganache Recipe!

Related Recipes:
Moist Espresso Kahlua Brownies
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
Mini Chocolate-Strawberry Heart Cakes

Related Tags
chocolate, desserts, fruits, basics, entertaining

Moist Espresso Kahlua Brownies

One of my favorite chocolate indulgences comes in the form of these heavenly Espresso Kahlua Brownies; with chocolate, coffee and a hint of Kahlua liquer, there's hardly anyone who could resist these moist brownies! They are soft, cake-like, yet chewy at the same time, just how I like them! Its really easy to make these brownies, and you can experiment with several flavored coffee powders to make a version that works best for you. Though these are a perfect treat any time of the day, the espresso and chocolate make it an ideal choice for breakfast! A piece or two of these ultra-moist and delicious Espresso Brownies will be enough to get you up and running in the morning!

Ingredients
Makes 8-10 brownies - adapted from Epicurious' Kahlua Brownies

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup bittersweet dark chocolate - chopped
1/2 cup butter (1-stick)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp kahlua liqueur (optional)
1-1/4 cup sugar (or adjust to your taste)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar(optional)- for dusting

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 11 x 7-inch (or 10" square) non-stick baking pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolates and butter over a double boiler & stir until smooth to make a ganache. Then remove from heat and keep aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and espresso. In another mixing bowl, beat sugar, egg and vanilla on medium high until light colored, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the chocolate until well combined. Add the flour mixture slowly into the egg mixture until well blended. Finally stir in the Kahlua liqueur. If you like your brownies a bit fudgy, leave it like this; but if you need a more cake-like texture, beat the mixture for another 1 min, to aerate it even further.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 2 inched from the side comes out clean.

Cool completely, then cut into 8-10 rectangles. Dust them with a sprinkling of powdered (confectioner's) sugar if you like!

Tip: To make clean cuts of the brownie, allow it to cool entirely (about 45-60 mins) once out of the oven. Then use a plastic knife to cut into even slices.

Variations: You can use amaretto instead of kahlua, and use other flavored coffee instead of plain espresso.

Serve these classic Espresso Kahlua Brownies with a hot cup of cappuccino or top them with some whipped cream for a party dessert! Off these go to Dhangitt who's collecting Party Dishes for her daughter's b'day!

Related Recipes:
Sour Cream Raspberry Brownies
Layered Kahlua CheeseCake
Marbled Cream Cheese Brownies

Related Tags
chocolate, desserts, brownies, cookies

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries - Easy Healthy Dessert

Summer means bountiful berries and delicious desserts, but when it comes to ripe and luscious strawberries combined with rich and dark chocolate, more often than not, a platter of Chocolate Covered Strawberries can easily serve to be the perfect answer for your dessert needs, without being overly heavy! The summer in California gives us huge red strawberries that can be amazingly sweet, and with a packet of Ghiradelli's delightful dark chocolate, you are all set to make a dessert that's pretty and healthy. So for our bbq last evening, I chose to make a dessert of strawberries dipped in chocolate ganache, and as expected, everyone loved it!

Ingredients
6 ounces semisweet chocolate - chopped
15-20 large strawberries - washed and dried very well

Method
Wash all the strawberries, and make sure to keep their stems.

Put the semisweet chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then turn off the heat; set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Keep stirring until it becomes smooth and silky. (Alternately, melt the chocolate in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or so until melted.), in batches of 30 seconds each.

Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set the strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries.

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes, or you can refrigerate them for 15-20 mins too, or until its time to serve!

Drizzle your strawberries with some white chocolate if you like. Serve the beautiful chocolate-dipped strawberries with some cold coffee or a round of chocolate-coffee martini!

Related Recipes:
Chocolate-Banana Bread
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake
Liquer-Infused Chocolate Heart Cakes

Related Tags
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Chocolate Banana Bread or Cake

Chocolate Banana Bread has been an old favorite, and needs no preamble or praise. The pairing of chocolate and bananas is one of the most reliable ones where baking is concerned, and though bananas were traditionally baked with walnuts or pecans for the classic banana-nut loaf, this new combination has indeed found a place in the hearts and minds of foodies. Chocolate can get really overpowering, especially in baked desserts; but this Chocolate-Banana Bread recipe still focusses on the distinct flavor of ripe bananas, while chocolate, nuts and dried cranberries make it both festive as well as delicious! Every chef will certainly have their signature banana bread recipe, but there's always room to improve it, right?! So here I share my recipe with you - a classic recipe adapted to make it eggless and also to suit my tastebuds!

Banana Bread is pretty similar to a Banana Cake, except for its shape; while one is baked in a loaf pan, the other uses a non-loaf pan!:) But this, to me, is not really a valid difference! I chose to bake my chocolate-banana bread cum cake in a rectangular pan rather than a standard loaf one, and believe me, it still tasted as great as ever! Serve this with a cup of tea or coffee for a bread-like feeling; drizzle some chocolate syrup and whip cream on the top and it transforms into a decadent dessert. So now you have not one, but two wonderful reasons to put those 4-day old ripe aged and yellow-skinned bananas to good use! Also, a tip from Stephanie's chocolate-banana bread recipe about sprinkling some brown sugar on the top to get the crusty golden texture while it bakes sounds interesting! This beauty is on its way to the Banana-Bread Bakeoff hosted by Not Quite Nigella!

Eggless recipe - A banana bread or cake is the most appropriate type of recipe to make into an eggless version. Mashed bananas impart the same texture and softness to the cake that egg yolks would; you might have to compromise just a tiny bit on the fluffy part, but if you use self-raising flour, even that difference would melt away! So for an eggless version, omit the eggs, use self-raising flour instead of regular one, add 1 more banana, and 1/2 tsp more of baking soda.

Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tspn baking powder
1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 large egg
2 large ripe bananas (yellow-skinned ones)
1 tbsp milk
3 tbsp walnuts - coarsely chopped
3 tbsp dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, or a 9x9 inch cake pan and set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well till it becomes light and fluffy.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cranberries, poppy seeds and walnuts.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed sugar mixture and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour (depending on oven and pan size), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (Do the toothpick test after 45 mins, then bake a little longer if needed).

Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan, then use a buttered knife to cut into slices.

Suggested Variations: White chocolate chips, raisins, pecans, macadamia nuts, toasted walnuts

This delicious Chocolate Banana Bread is great with your morning tea. The cranberries and poppy seeds add a nice flavor as well as a crunch to the loaf, at the same time balancing the sweetness of bananas. As bananas tend to give out a distinct smell as they get old, it is best to consume this bread within 2-3 days while keeping it refrigerated.

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Hazelnut & Mocha Bread
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Persimmon & Chocolate Spice Cake
Fried Banana with Ice Cream

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cakes are so called because the center of the cake is a thick liquid chocolate that oozes out when cut, just like molten lava. These make a great individual dessert and, although pretty simple to make, will definitely impress your guests. Molten Cakes are more chocolate than flour, and that is what makes it rich and gooey. And no, it has nothing to do with Betty Crocker's recipe, just one bite and you’ll know why this intense, gooey chocolate sensation is one of the best crowd-pleasers!! It's really easy to make, so go ahead and try it yourself.



The major difference in molten cakes from regular ones is in the way its cooked, as you want the center to be liquid. So the general rule of thumb for individual cakes is to check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake.



Ingredients

6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (I use ghiradelli's 70% dark chocolate bar)

6 oz butter (diced, at room temperature)

3 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

butter for greasing ramekins



Method

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 6 small ramekins or muffin tins (use butter for best results, and not cooking spray) and set aside.



Melt the chocolate on low flame in a double boiler or microwave for 1 minute. Stir after 30 seconds, then add the butter and melt it again till smooth and creamy. Remember to stir after every 30 seconds so that it does not scorch or burn and remains smooth.



Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in the melted chocolate and then the flour mixture.



Take the buttered individual ramekins, and pour in the chocolate batter. Do not fill upto the brim, keep some room to allow it to rise a little. Bake for about 8-10 mins at 350 degrees.



You can even microwave each ramekin for upto 2 mins instead of baking them. If using microwave, make sure you do only one ramekin at a time, and do not cook for more than 3 mins else it will turn hard. Check after 1 min, if the cake is still not sone, microwave in 1-second intervals until you get the desired hard crust and molten center. Molten cakes are ideal microwave cakes due to the liquid chocolate inside. It keeps them moist and soft.



Baking a Molten Cake

The outside of a molten cake will form a crust like any other cake, but the center should remain a thick liquid. Watch the tops of the cake to see how done they are. Touch the top of the cake with your finger. When done, you should be able to press down slightly on the cake and have it spring back but when you insert a toothpick into the cake, the toothpick should come out with wet batter on it. The trick is to cook the cakes as little as possible for a liquid center yet long enough that a firm cake-like exterior forms that won't fall apart when you take it out of the pan.



Serving Suggestions: Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a paring knife and invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm topped with whipped cream! But I chose to serve these in the cups or ramekins itself; just dust with some confectioner's sugar and they are delicious just like that! I'm sending these to Srivalli who's hosting MEC-Cakes event this month.



Chocolate lava cakes can also be made ahead of time. Place them in an air tight container and refrigerate until needed. When ready to serve, microwave the cakes for approximately 30 seconds to melt the center again. This is a classic dessert, one of my favorites, and the microwave-recipe makes them really easy to prepare and a treat to the palette and the soul!



Similar Recipes:

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

Chocolate Heart Cakes with Strawberry Topping

Warm Chocolate Muffins with Hot Sauce

Fat and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are cherished by kids and adults alike, and the best part is that you can always use a basic cookie recipe, throw in any of your favorite ingredients into the dough and bake them into something delicious! Whether its a special occasion, a holiday celebration, or just a desire to gaze a a jar full of cookies, these tiny treats are a neat way to watch your calories without giving up your cravings! But ask 10 people what's their favorite cookie recipe and 9 out of those 10 would unsurprisingly say "Chocolate Chip Cookies"!! As a matter of fact, they seem to be my favorites too, and I've been trying to master the recipe for those perfect chocolate-chip cookies which are fat and chewy, rich and gooey, and baked to a golden-brown color. Looks like I have finally found what I sought - this is the best recipe for baking the classic chocolate chip cookies at home. Try it and see for yourself.

I opted for the traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can substitute white, milk chocolate, or peanut butter chips for them in the recipe. I also threw in some raisins as I love them in my cookies. Nuts, M&M's or shredded coconut could be other nice variations.

The recipe below yields about 18-20 medium cookies

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until just combined.

Now cover the dough and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. This just makes it easier to handle and shape into cookies.

Take a scoop from the dough and use your palms to shape into cookies, then line them on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 15 minutes.

Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These chocolate-chip cookies are truly decadent, fat and chewy, just as I like them. They can be stored for about a fortnight in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Sauce (For St.Patrick's Day)

St.Patricks's Day is around the corner, and most of the lucky ones are going to enjoy a 3-day weekend in the US! St.Paddy, as he's lovingly called, is supposed to have been responsible for a lot of miracles, and of course, spreading of Christianity in Ireland (though he was born in Britain). March 17th is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and non-Irish too (mainly in Australia, North America, and Ireland) as an annual Feast Day to celebrate the essence of the bishop St. Patrick. Celebrations, including food, are themed around all things Irish, which means anything that is green or orange, and contains a lot of booze!! Curious if you are on how alcohol came to be so much a part of this day's celebrations, here's an ancient legend to read. Chocolate always tops my list of dessert ideas, but as I was trying to make this an irish dessert, and I didn't have anything green, I chose to go with orange:) Trust me, this is no ordinary Chocolate Cupcake as the list of ingredients will show you; but the icing on the cake definitely has to be the fragrant, citrusy-sweet and rich Orange Cream Sauce, which I think has been one of the best sauces I've ever concocted on my own in my kitchen!

We don't celebrate this festival, per se, but we have a neighbor who is highly enthusiastic about holidays and decorations, and you'll always find her house and yard decorated with seasonal themes that kind of infect you with the spirit!(in a nice way, of course:)) She has this huge hand-crafted Shamrock (the symbolic 3-leaf clover) and famous Irish hat hanging in her front yard, and when Emiline from Sugar Plum called out to us to join her St.Paddy's day Pub Crawl event(read booze here:)), and Cookthink asked for a recipe using Maple, I was tempted to join in the celebrations. So without further ado, I present to you, my spectacular Chocolate Cupcakes topped with Orange and Maple Cream Sauce!!

Ingredients
Makes about 12 small cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 tspn vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4-1 cup hot water
1 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream liquer (optional)
1 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange liquer)(optional)

Orange and Maple Cream Sauce
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (you can use light too)
2 tbsp cream cheese - softened
2 tbsp orange zest (for sauce and final garnish)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar (or a little less, adjust to your taste)
2 tbsp milk (only if needed)

Method
For the chocolate cupcakes, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the flour and hot water alternately to the creamed mixture, mixing well every time. Blend until well-combined. Finally, add in the irish cream liquer and the grand marnier and give a final swish with your hand.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degress F for 20 to 25min, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For making the Orange Cream Sauce, take the cream cheese and beat well, or blend in a mixer. Slowly add the whipping cream, maple syrup and blend again. Now scrape the sides, and keep adding the sugar a little at a time and continue to blend until you achieve a thick and creamy consistency. You can add some milk only if needed; Remove in a bowl, add 1 tbsp orange zest and mix barely to fold in. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve. The maple syrup really adds a nice flavor to the sauce, and this would actually be a great topping for pancakes too!

By this time, your kitchen must be bursting with the citrusy fragrance of orange combined with the aroma of baking a chocolate cake! So you are already feeling high, and to this, add the effect of the irish cream and grand marnier and you will feel like you are floating in heaven! Take the cupcake, warm it just a little in the microwave (say 15 seconds), then place it on a serving dish. Drizzle with a generous helping of the orange cream sauce, then garnish with some more fresh orange zest, and get ready to enjoy your dessert, totally the Irish way!!

Traditionally, cupcakes need to be frosted, but that's just way too much cream for me and kind of overpowers the flavor of the cake. So, defying tradition, I opted to top my cupcakes with this cream sauce that adds the correct amount of creamy texture without killing the actual taste of the chocolate cake. But if you are the frosting-kind of a person, feel free to ice your cakes with orange frosting!:)

Happy St.Patrick's Day to one and all!!

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Liquer Infused Heart-Shaped Chocolate Cake

Love is in the air, and it's time to woo your loved ones with sweet delicacies, chocolate taking the center stage. Its traditional to present a heart to your valentine on v-day, and though until now I'd prefer that to be store-bought, now that I've proved myself to be a cook, I know my hubby would not accept anything but a home-made one! It also gives me a chance to practise my hand at a little culinary art, so I decided I'll make an edible heart this time. So this year, my romantic mantra is this: "Every Kiss begins with Cake", and I am counting on my dearest hubby taking a trip to Jared (yeah, I'm getting influenced by all those "He went to Jared" ads:)!) after tasting this delicious heart-shaped chocolate cake, infused with bourbon liquer and layered with dark chocolate sauce and some fresh strawberry sauce! You could even garnish these with some ice cream or whipped cream. These individual dessert cakes are perfect for a romantic evening, anniversary, engagement celebrations or simply to celebrate a bond of love!

The recipe below makes 5-6 mini cakes. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cakes.

Ingredients
1 cup Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix
1/2 tspn baking soda
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp Bourbon Liquer (or any other flavored liquer)
1 cup brown sugar
1 extra-large egg
1 tspn orange zest (optional for flavor)
Hershey's Chocolate Sauce - for garnish
Strawberry Sauce - for garnish
Fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Spray a 9"x9" baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Sift the cake mix, baking powder and baking soda together into a bowl. Stir in the oil, milk and pure vanilla extract.

Combine the sugar and egg in a medium bowl and whisk together by hand. Slowly whisk into the flour mixture. Fold in the orange zest and the Bourbon Liquer and beat everything together to form a smooth cake batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 mins, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Lightly grease a heart-shaped cookie cutter and use to cut the cake into individual servings. With a toothpick, gently outline a smaller heart-shape in the center of each cake and fill it with strawberry sauce. Drizzle Hershey's chocolate syrup on the cake's outline and serve by itself, or with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

I am hoping this heart-shaped cake can bring me the diamond ring!:) fingers-crossed!! Wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!

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Molten Chocolate Cupcake with Raspberry Filling

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling - Preparing for Valentine's Day

The second month of this New Year has kicked in, and we all know that February is the month to celebrate love, as people all around the world have begun to plan for the Valentine's Day. Love and chocolate go hand in hand, so its natural that I decided to practise my hand at some chocolate art to prepare for my valentine. I always wanted to make Molten Cupcakes, those sweet delights with a gooey chocalatey center that melts in your mouth! But as I was ready to go all out, I went for combining some raspberry sauce alongwith the chocolate sauce, and also try a hand at making some patterns with white chocolate. The result was this decadent dessert where the sweet chocolate was balanced perfectly by the tartness of the raspberries, giving a spoonful of heaven in every bite!

Ingredients
3/4 cup semisweet dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp oil
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate cake or brownie mix
8-10 tbsp raspberry sauce

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 nonstick muffin cups and set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and half of the butter. Microwave on high power for 45 to 60 seconds, stirring twice during cooking, or until chocolate and butter are melted and mixture is smooth. Cool for 5 minutes. Repeat the same with the white chocolate chips to melt it.

In a large bowl, combine eggs and beat with a mixer at high speed for 4 to 6 minutes until foamy and doubled in size. Gradually add cake mix to the beaten egg mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in melted dark chocolate sauce. Carefully pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them upto half level in each cup. Then add 1 tbsp of raspberry sauce in each cup, and layer it with molten white chocolate. I used a cone made of plastic bag to form star-shaped designs with my white chocolate, as you can see in the picture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or just until edges are set. The centers of the little cakes will still be soft. Cool on wire rack for 2 minutes. The design on the top didn't turn out as pretty as I had imagined, but I'm happy that it did create a contrasting pattern of white on brown background!

Serve these delicious molten chocolate and raspberry cupcakes while they are still warm. You can drizzle with more chocolate syrup, or top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream! Keep coming back for more valentine day recipes!!

Almond Mocha Iced Coffee (Frappucino)

Simple pleasures in life often come in small packages, and this is something that we experienced last night. Dinner was done, we were playing cards with friends, and suddenly all of us had this huge urge for something sweet. Coffee was another unanimous choice as we had a long night ahead (full of poker can cards:)), and I for once was not in the mood to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen. So we settled for some simple Cold Coffee. Ideally, that would be paired with ice cream, but as our fridge did not hold any, I had no choice but to settle for a simpler version. As luck would have it, I had some almond essence, hersheys chocolate syrup, and whip cream! Yes, the result couldn't have been any better at 11 pm at night!! The Almond Mocha Frappucino was a perfect light dessert for our midnight craving!:)

Ingredients
2 cups milk
5-6 ice cubes
2 tbsp Hersheys chocolate syrup
2 tsp almond essence (optional)
2-3 tbsp instant coffee powder
Whip Cream - for topping
cherriies - for garnish

Method
I don't think I need to write anything here, but I'll just be formal. Drop the ice cubes, milk, chcolate syrup, almond essence, sugar and coffee powder into a blender. Blend for 3-4 minutes until coffee has fully dissolved. Then pulse for 5-6 times to create the froth. Pour in serving glasses and top with whipping cream and a cherry! There, your delicious Flavored Mocha Frappucino is ready to dazzle! Who says simple can't be pretty??!!

Give in to your indulgence by drizzling it with more chocolate syrup. These can serve to be ideal individual desserts for your Parties too; all the glory without half of the fuss, now that's what I call Entertaining:)

Marshmallow-Chocolate Mud Cookies

That chocolate chunks go best in cookies is a well-known fact, but another such ingredient which enhances the flavor of cookies is Marshmallows. Yes, that tiny white, soft and chewy ingredient that imparts taste and texture to your cookies! Mud Cookies are traditionally loaded with chocolate, both dark and white, and are baked a little more than regular cookies to give them the dark brown mud-like color. But don't go by the comparision to mud - it ends in the name!! The double chocolate mud-cookies are very tasty, not too sweet, and make for lovely goodie-boxes for the festive season!

Recipe and Image Source: Southern Living

Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tspn vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Method
Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat well. Finally blend in the vanilla and melted chocolate.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and pass it through a sieve. Add this slowly to chocolate mixture, continuously stirring until well blended. Stir in the chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks.

Now take a baking sheet lined with butter paper. Spoon two tbsp of the dough onto the paper sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into the center of each cookie dough.Preheat oven to 350° and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove and allow to cool on the wire rack.

Store in an air-tight container and enjoy these lovely cookies anytime of the day. These marshmallow-chocolate chip cookies taste great with plain milk too! So next time your kid throws a tantrum while drinking milk, add a cookie to his glass and see him lick it to the last sip:)

Update (01/24/08): This photo had been wrongly submitted to DMBLGIT and I apologize for the mistake and any inconvenience caused thereof.

Warm Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Sauce and Fresh Strawberries

As life gets busier and work get more demanding day by day, its easy to resort to "semi-homemade" and "30-minute" meals for preparing our dinners. A full-time engineer myself, I know how difficult it can get at times when you have to sacrifice a gym session just because you still have to cook, and its inviting to gather the semi-cooked ingredients and spend less time cooking, at the same time still winning loads of compliments for your culinary skills(yeah, who knows I used something right off the shelf!:)) But as a cook, I can say that most of the joy and satisfaction that I derive from cooking is in the actual process, making something from scratch, trying out variations and methods, the smells and flavors that fill up my kitchen, getting involved as the delicacy takes shape, form, color and texture in the oven or on the stove, and finally, taking that extra step to make my meal more attractive and appealing! The joy of these small wonders can't compare to the packaged food!

I'm all for semi-homemade cooking, and using ingredients to ease your process is encouraged, but at least don't deprive yourself of the enjoyment while you cook! I needed some tonic for my body after this, and I went home and baked these Simple and Easy Chocolate Muffins, layered with homemade sauce, and served with fresh strawberries. I would use this as a basic muffin recipe, and you can play around with ingredients and flavors to make muffin variations. It works perfect as breakfast served with your morning coffee or as a quick evening dessert.

Note: This recipe makes 6-8 muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp skimmed milk
1 egg
2 tbsp sunflower oil

For the Chocolate Sauce
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tspn vanilla essence

Method
Preheat oven to 350 deg F and grease a muffin pan with non-stick spray. Sieve the cocoa into a large bowl, then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then make a well in the centre.

Beat the milk, egg and oil together in a jug, pour into the well, then stir quickly to make a batter. Spoon into the muffin tin, then bake for 15 mins or until risen and firm to the touch.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and whipping cream. Remove after 30 sec, the stir, then repeat the process (keep stirring) until smooth. Add in the vanilla, and let the sauce cool a little.

Turn out the muffins while they are warm (not hot!) and pour the custard over them. Slice some fresh strawberries on the side, and enjoy a delicious dessert any day of the week!

Tip: You can make the chocolate sauce and store it in a fridge. Just melt it anytime you want to use it. Also feel free to indulge by pouring some vanilla ice cream on the top to make it one luscious dessert!