Tag: chocolate

With Our Powers Combined

Sadie2 Comments

This graduation season was a big deal for my family because my older brother graduated Law School.  Exactly what my family needs, another lawyer…  But seriously, he definitely took the road less traveled during law school, not necessarily by choice, but because he had tremendous obstacles, and that made all the difference.  We are all very proud of his perseverance, and are crossing our fingers that the Bar goes smoothly and employment in the field of law is on the horizon.

Graduation = Celebration

and

Celebration = Special Dessert

I asked my brother for his flavor profile of choice for his special dessert and his answer was: chocolate.  Typical.  I decided to combine a couple recipes that I found recently: mocha shortbread, and mocha icebox cake.  I used the mocha icebox cake recipe, but nixed the coffee, so it was just chocolate.  And rather than using chocolate ship cookies, I made a couple batches of mocha shortbread to layer with the mascarpone mixture.  Then to add even more texture, I introduced some mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate Mascarpone Icebox Cake with Mocha Shortbread

adapted from Ina and Martha

Ingredients for Mocha Shortbread (you will make 3 batches of this total)

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs AP flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 Tbs instant coffee granuals
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch salt

Ingredients for filling

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 12 oz. mascarpone cheese
  • 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 10 oz bag of mini chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Start with one batch of mocha shortbread baked in the bottom of a 9 in spring form pan to act as the bottom crust of the cake.  Cream together room temp butter and  sugar.  Add the rest of the shortbread ingredients.  Mix until clumpy, then press dough into the bottom of the spring form pan.
  3. Bake 20 minutes and set aside to cool completely.
  4. Make a double batch of the mocha shortbread on a cookie sheet to break up and use as layers in the cake.  Allow to cool completely before layering in cake.

    The extra shortbread for layering
  5. Prepare the filling by mixing together all ingredients except for the chocolate chips.  Mix until it is the consistency of a heavy whipped cream.  Remove a third of the mixture to a different bowl, and add a cup of mini chocolate chips to the third for the middle layer of filling.
  6. Use the shortbread in the bottom of spring form pan as the bottom crust and add half of the filling from the “plain” bowl without chocolate chips.  Spread it out evenly and break up pieces of the shortbread from the cookie sheet to layer on top of the filling.
  7. Add the portion of the filling with chocolate chips on top of the shortbread.  Then repeat another layer of shortbread.  Finish off with the rest of filling as the top layer.
  8. Garnish the top of the cake with a handful of chocolate chips, and place in the freezer or fridge to allow to set.  If you freeze it, allow at least a half hour for it to soften up before serving, or move it to the fridge a couple hours before serving.

    Look at those layers of goodness.

Double Trouble

Sadie1 Comment

What do you know about Hartford, Connecticut?  My answer is: not much.  Which is interesting because that is where I am spending the summer.  I got a great summer internship in Hartford, so I had the fun task of finding a place to live for 10 weeks.  I hate apartment hunting, I seem to do it too often.  This is my 6th apartment since college, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but I had my five year college reunion this year.  That means I average less than a year in each apartment (not to mention a few stretches at the parents house between places).  At this point I can move with the best of them.

Pack the apartment? easy.

Cancel my utilities and start the new utilities?  no problem.

Deal with the cabel guy(s)? with pleasure.

Forward my mail? duh.

Change addresses for everything important? no sweat.

Hand over the old keys and get the new keys? ok.

Corral my brothers to do the heavy lifting and UHaul driving?  I’m going to need back up:

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Espresso

From Martha

Yields about 2 dozen (maybe less)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbs espresso powder
  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (4 oz to melt, and 4 oz to chop)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt), and set aside.
  3. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add eggs and vanilla.
  4. Add espresso powder to melted chocolate and combine with wet mixture.  Make sure the chocolate is not too warm because it will cook the eggs.  Combine slowly and keep mixing to avoid this problem.  Slowly add in dry mixture.  Finally, fold in chopped chocolate.
  5. Spoon dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Remove cookies and allow to cool.

I’ve concluded that there is no such thing as an “easy move,” and my brothers will be in bad mood reguardless of the baked goods provided.  But these are certainly a step in the right direction and a much needed shot of sugar/chocolate/energy, during a long day of moving.

Do you have any good tricks or advice to make a move easier?

“Surprise” Cookies!

Sadie1 Comment

The men folk in my family are way into the peanut butter and chocolate combination.  Don’t get me wrong, I love it too, but not like these guys.  My default favorite dessert flavors are more in the vanilla, strawberry, or apple directions.  But I digress…  Anyway, the last time one of my brothers got a year older, I decided to find a good chocolate and peanut butter cookie recipe to try out.  I found a good one from Martha, who else, and have a made it a few times since, because it’s just that good.  It’s a little extra effort because the “surprise” means that there’s a special filling inside the cookies.  But it’s worth it!  My brother can testify!

Chocolate Peanut Butter “Surprise” Cookies

slightly adapted from Martha

yields about 2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter

Method

  1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, dry coffee, and cocoa.  Set Aside.
  2. Use an electric mixer to cream together butter, shortening, white sugar, and 1 cup of the brown sugar. Mix until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla extract gradually and mix until light and fluffy.
  3. Add dry ingredients gradually to wet, then mix in the chocolate chips until combined.  Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
  4. Mix together peanut butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar for filling.
  5. Preheat oven to 350.
  6. Spoon chocolate cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheets 1 Tbs at a time.  Form dough into little cups and fill the cups with a small amount of the PB filling.  Cover up the cookies with more cookie dough and make sure to seal in the peanut butter so it doesn’t leak out.
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.