Mexican Chocolate Lore and More

Death by Chocolate Cookies

2010-05-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

I just couldn’t resist! What better dessert for this past Mother’s Day than something chocolate. Of course Bob agreed because he could take some in his lunch everyday.

To make it special, I just served some cookies with vanilla bean ice cream and made a luscious chocolate sauce to drizzle over the top. Enjoy.

Death by Chocolate Cookies

2 packages (16 ounces) semi sweet baking chocolate
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup (half a stick) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop 1 package (8 ounces) of the chocolate, set aside. Melt remaining 8 ounces of chocolate. Stir-in brown sugar, softened butter, 2 eggs and vanilla.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture. Fold in chopped chocolate and nuts.

Using a cookie scoop, drop cookie dough scoops onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each cookie.

Bake for 12 minutes until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch.

Cool on wire rack for one minute then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 ½ to 3 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup half and half
1 stick cinnamon
½ disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Combine half and half and cinnamon stick in medium sauce pan and heat to scalding. Lower heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick before using.

Chocolate Challah Bread

2010-04-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Challah Bread

I wanted to experiment further with my new bread baking exploits. So, without a doubt, I made it chocolate, Mexican chocolate to be precise. My brother Jose is Jewish so I decided to make something in his honor since I couldn’t make it to his 70th birthday celebration.

Using my life-saving (and hand-saving) Kitchen Aid mixer and dough hook, I made this beautiful Challah bread that didn’t last long. The bread isn’t necessarily sweet although it does incorporate some brown sugar and bits of Mexican chocolate, but it was just sweet enough to have with a cup of coffee in the morning. It helped to do a coffee flavored glaze on top for good measure.

I also used a digital scale to measure out the dough to make the three ropes. Last time I tried making a braided bread loaf the various ropes measured differently and gave it a lumpy look.

Next time I intend to try that wonderful Apple Honey Challah that Martha Stewart had in her magazine a few months back. BUT, I think I’ll try it with some dried mango chips and a honey lime mixture instead. Who knows? It might come out pretty tasty.

Chocolate Challah Bread

3 ½ cups bread flour
1 packet (2 ½ teaspoons) of active dry yeast
¼ cup warm (110 degrees) water
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
4 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg at room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped Mexican chocolate, chopped into small bits

Coffee Glaze

1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
4 teaspoons of softened butter
Enough warm water (about 1 or 2 tablespoons) to make the glaze of drizzling consistency
¼ teaspoons instant coffee granules
Dissolve coffee in warm water. Combine all ingredients to smooth consistency.

Combine the yeast, ¼ cup warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar in mixer bowl. Allow to proof for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl. In a small saucepan, warm ½ cup water, butter, and brown sugar. Heat until butter is almost melted and temperature reaches 110 degrees. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 egg.

Add water mixture to yeast mixture in mixer bowl. Mix (using dough hook) on low just until combined. Add 3 cups of flour. Starting on low speed, incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for 5 minutes. Add a little more flour (from the remaining ½ cup) if dough seems too sticky and is not forming into a ball. Add pecans and chocolate bits.

After the mixing (kneading) time, turn dough out onto a floured surface for final kneading. Knead dough by hand a few times until dough feels smooth and elastic.

Oil or butter a large mixing bowl. Place dough into bowl and turn over once to butter the top. Cover and let rise for 1 ½ hours or until double in size.

Punch dough down and turn out onto floured surface. Divide dough into three equal pieces. This is where my new digital scale comes in. The total dough weighed 33 ounces. I divided into three 11-ounce pieces.

Roll out each piece into a long rope. Make sure each piece is of equal length.

Lay out ropes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Braid the ropes and tuck in the end pieces. Cover and allow braid to rise a second time for about an hour.

Make an egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water) and brush over the braid.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then drizzle over the top with Coffee glaze.

Truffles and Lollipops for Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

I was caught without a car to go to the store and with weather that was windy, rainy and blustery. So to make something special for Bob as a Valentine’s Day surprise, I had to make do with whatever I had on hand.

I’d come across this recipe from the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade site some time ago and thought I’d put it to good use. Normally truffles are made with good quality chocolate. But there’s nothing wrong with using a chocolate, like Hershey’s, to improvise.

Bob gave it a thumb’s up so they must be good. I can’t always tell with just my own opinion.

The lollipops are also another improvisation. I tried making these at Christmas but found that working with sugar is certainly a difficult thing to do unless you’ve been doing it for a while. In other words, I was just too slow and the candy mixture set too quickly for me to anything with.

This time I had everything ready and actually timed myself to make it happen. Lollipops are so easy and yet so difficult unless you have quick hands and prepare everything in advance, mise en place.

The great thing about this recipe is that you don’t need any flavoring oils or coloring gels to make the pops. You use regular old Jell-O. Can you imagine the possibilities? I think I’ll make green (lime) shamrock lollipops for Saint Patty’s Day.

Hershey’s Kiss Truffles

(Inspired by Sandra Lee)

28 dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kahlua
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whipping cream
10 pieces of chocolate candy (I used Rollos, caramel filled Kisses and M & M’s)
Red and white sprinkles
Cocoa powder

1. Remove wrappers from dark chocolates. Place the chocolates, cinnamon, Kahlua and whipping cream in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium (50% power) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at medium 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chocolates are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Cover; refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or until firm.

2. Remove wrappers from other chocolates. Using about 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate mixture for each truffle, shape chocolate around each separate chocolate piece; roll in hand to make ball. (Be sure to cover each chocolate piece completely.) Roll in sprinkles or cocoa powder; refrigerate until ready to serve. For best chocolate flavor, allow truffles to soften at room temperature about 5 minutes before eating.

Red Cherry Lollipops

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1 (3-ounce) box cherry gelatin dessert mix
Nonstick cooking spray

Special Equipment:

20 (4-inch) lollipop sticks
Metal tablespoon-size measuring spoon
Candy thermometer

Directions

Butter 2 large baking sheets. Arrange 10 lollipop sticks on each baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and butter in small saucepan over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Continue cooking for 7 minutes, or until candy thermometer registers 275 degrees F. Stir in gelatin until smooth. Using a metal tablespoon and working quickly, spoon syrup over 1 end of each lollipop stick. (I used heart shaped lollipop molds) Cool completely. Wrap each lollipop in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chili and Beer Bread

2010-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

With the crazy weather in El Paso lately, we’ll been sticking to soups and chili for a while. We have El Paso days with 60 degrees and above weather and we have unseemly cold days with snow, sleet and rain – not El Paso weather at all. With the chill in the air once the sun goes down, all you want to do is warm up. Now’s not really the time for anything served cold.

This recipe, Weeknight Chili with Chocolate, will be included in the new (print) Mi Chita’s Chocolate Recipes book that will come out this year, courtesy of of Copper Canyon Cookbooks (Gloria Chadwick). I’ve made it before but for some reason never got around to posting about it.

As time goes by, I will inform you more about the publishing of the new cookbook. For now, you can still purchase the Mi Chita’s ebook version via the link on this blog.

Weeknight Chili (with Chocolate)

2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (8 ounce) tomato paste
2 cups water
1 small can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 disk Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 12 ounce can of beer
1 to 2 tablespoons masa flour for thickening (optional)
2 cups cooked pinto beans (optional)
Grated Cheddar cheese, minced onions and sour cream as garnish, if desred

Brown ground beef and drain. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add remaining ingredients except for masa and beans. Cook mixture for at least 30 minutes on medium-low heat. Add beans and masa for thickening if desired. Serve hot.

What better way to serve this body-warming chili than with Beer Bread. I won’t lie to you. The bread pictured here actually came from one of those giant “Beer Bread” bottles they sell at gourmet stores. I bought one and stuck it in Bob’s Christmas stocking. It was actually quite tasty. You pour the mix from the bottle into a bowl and add a 12 ounce bottle of beer. Bake it for 45 minutes and it’s done. But I couldn’t give you a picture of the bottle and let it go at that so I found a recipe that might be just as good.

Beer Bread Recipe

http://www.recipezaar.com/Beer-Bread-73440

There are a few recipes for Beer Bread out there, but none as simple (and tasty!) as this one. You can even mix it in the baking pan for easy clean up. This is sensational when served with soups or just as a snack, but don't expect it to be around very long when your family gets a taste of it!
by Gerald Norman

3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can beer
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do just fine)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients and beer.
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Pour melted butter over mixture.
Bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

I hope you all are staying warm. Weather patters are a jumble right now and it's only the middle of winter.

Kahlua Cake Cookies

2010-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Yep! Cookies. I wasn’t quite ready for another cake so soon after the Rum Cake, but since Bob decided he was going to finish off the last of the chocolate chip cookies I made, I decided on Kahlua Cake.

I knew there was a way to turn cake mix into cookie dough and I found it. The ingredients used for the cookies are a little different than for the cake, but the taste is insanely delicious, so I will probably be experimenting on other cake mixes and add-ins for more cookie adventures.

Kahlua Cake

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
½ cup Kahlua
1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips or 1 disk of chopped Mexican chocolate
Powdered sugar
Freshly made whipped cream, optional

Mix first six ingredients then add chocolate chips and blend in well. Grease and flour Bundt pan. Pour in batter and bake in 350º F. oven for 1 hour. After cake is cooled, sift powdered sugar on top. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Instruction for Converting Cake Mix into Cookie Dough
http://www.ehow.com/how_4869707_convert-cake-mix-cookie-dough.html

Grease a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can also use vegetable oil spray or parchment sheets instead of grease, if desired.

Mix together 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mixing the wet ingredients together first helps prevent dry pockets of mix from occurring in your dough.

Add the cake mix to the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. You can use any flavor of cake mix that you prefer. Flavored cake mixes, such as lemon and strawberry, work just as well as the traditional chocolate, white and yellow cake mixes.

Include any optional ingredients at this point. You can add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, oatmeal, shredded coconut or anything else to make your cookies taste as though they have been made from scratch. Mix well after adding optional ingredients.

Roll the cookie dough into small balls and place them on the greased cookie sheet. You can use a teaspoon to help you make the cookies a uniform size, or may want to use a cookie scoop. Place the cookies at least 1 inch apart to allow for spreading as the cookies bake.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven when they are slightly browned on the bottom and place them on a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.

Note: I followed these instructions eliminating the chocolate pudding and sour cream from the basic cake recipe. Instead of adding vanilla to the dough I added 1 (slightly overflowing) tablespoon of Kahlua. Then I continued to shape the cookie balls and bake as directed. It’s kind of Kahlua Cake To-Go. Enjoy.

Bob's given these a thumbs up, so I guess they're pretty good. I love cookies.

Pinwheel Cookies

2010-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I made some Hershey Kiss Cookies for my son and daughter. One batch with pecans one batch without. This is another cookie recipe that my son Mikey likes to have around the holidays. I did make a batch, but Bob kept eating them, so I had to place them in a tin with a big note saying “Do NOT Touch”.

I felt bad about it so I decided to make my honey his own pinwheels. I think I’ll surprise him with a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped off with a couple of these delicious cookies for dessert after dinner tonight. He can take the rest to work with him (or else I’ll just eat them all!)

Pinwheels
(BAKER’S Book of Chocolate Riches)

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 squares BAKER’S unsweetened chocolate, melted

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Divide dough in half; blend melted chocolate into one half.

Roll chocolate and vanilla doughs separately between sheets of waxed paper into 12x8-inch rectangles. Remove top sheets of paper and invert vanilla dough onto chocolate dough. Remove remaining papers. Roll up on long side and then wrap in plastic. Freeze for 1 hour. Cut into ¼-inch slices and place on cookie sheets that have been been covered with parchment paper.

Bake at 375-degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or just until cookies have began to brown around edges. Cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen.

NOTE: I made these with a sprinkle of cinnamon in the vanilla dough and used almond flavoring in both vanilla and chocolate doughs. I wanted to use Mexican chocolate, but I would have had to reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe and I have not experimented yet to see by how much. So for now, I just gave it the flavor essence of Mexican chocolate.

Mexican Coffee Fudge

2010-01-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

I know it's crazy. It's past the holidays and I'm still craving chocolate. But hey, I've lost 14 pounds over the last 4 months, so a little more chocolate isn't really going to hurt. All things in moderation!

Look at that silky smoothness of the fudge. AND I didn't even use marshmallows to make it. A while back I realized I had accumulated way too many food and cooking magazines. It kills me to give them away or to throw them out GASP!!! But, in order for me to buy anymore, I really do have to weed out some of the ones I do have.

I found a couple of CHOCOLATIER magazines that I hadn't leafed through for a while and I found this little Mexican Coffee Fudge recipe. A few ingredients (no marshmallows) a little time and TADA! you have delicious fudge cut into little pieces that you can eat without feeling guilty (like when you eat a big old slice of cake). The only adaptation I made to the recipe was to reduce the amount of milk from 1 cup to 3/4 cup and add some Mocha Kahlua for the other 1/4 cup. Came out really tasty.

It's a recipe you might want to keep in mind as Valentine's Day rolls around. Enjoy.

Mexican Coffee Fudge
(Inspired by a recipe found in a 2005 CHOCOLATIER Magazine)

2 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup Mocha Kahlua Liqueur
3 cups granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped

Butter an 8–inch square baking dish and set aside.

Dissolve the espresso powder and cinnamon in 3 teaspoons of hot water. Stir until a paste forms. Set aside.

In heavy bottom saucepan heat milk, Kahlua, sugar, butter and chocolate over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Do not stir or scrape down sides.

Lower heat and add a candy thermometer. Heat without stirring until mixture reaches softball stage – 238 degrees F.

Remove from heat; allow to cool to 110 degrees F. and then with a spatula scrape in espresso mixture.

In an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, beat mixture until it loses its gloss and thickens.

Spread fudge evenly into prepared 8-inch square pan. Let cool 20 minutes and cut into small squares.

Note: I just added some craisins on the plate cause I was snacking on some.

Mexican Chocolate Capirotada

2009-12-09T11:55:00.001-08:00

Capirotada is simply Bread Pudding. Traditional Capirotada doesn't contain chocolate, by hey, I figured it couldn't hurt. Actually, I like this one even better, because of the Mexican chocolate of course. Capirotada is one of those traditional Mexican dishes often served around the holidays. And we're certainly right on top of those glorious days, aren't we? I really hope you enjoy my version of Capirotada. I added the traditional recipe at the end for all you non-conformists! :) Enjoy.

Chocolate Capirotada

8 slices of pound cake, cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/3-cup milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 medium granny smith apple, diced
1 cup Jack cheese, shredded

Chocolate Sauce*

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter a glass-baking dish.Place half the pound cake cubes into the baking dish.Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and brown sugar and pour half of this mixture over the top of the cake cubes in dish.Sprinkle half pecans, cherries or raisins, apple, and cheese on top.Add another layer of pound cake cubes followed by the egg mixture and remaining ingredients. Top with chocolate sauce.Bake 25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with remaining chocolate sauce if desired.

*Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup half and half1 stick cinnamon½ disk Mexican Chocolate, choppedCombine half and half and cinnamon stick in medium sauce pan and heat to scalding. Lower heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick before using.

*******************************

Traditional Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

8 slices bread, toasted
3 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup toasted, slivered almonds
½ cup unsalted peanuts
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 medium apple, pared, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
Panocha Syrup*

Preheat oven to 350º.

Butter a square baking dish. Place four bread slices in pan.Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour half of milk, eggs, and sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining ingredients.Add another layer of bread and repeat as above. Top Capirotada with Panocha Syrup and bake 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm or reheat, covered, for 15 minutes.Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Panocha Syrup:

2 cups brown sugar2 cups water1 cinnamon stickCombine ingredients in a medium size saucepan. Bring syrup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer approximately 15 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick.

Hershey Kiss Cookies for my Son

2009-12-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

What an amazing week we’ve had. Thanksgiving gave us a beautiful day with gorgeous weather. Actually we reached 70 degrees last week. Then, a few days later, we had a three day Winter Storm to end all winter storms. Rain, sleet and snow. We even made CNN news.

On Sunday Bob and I had a lovely surprise. My son Mikey came home for an unexpected visit. He was here on business but also to visit us. My heart was elated. I cried like nobody’s business. It was then that I decided to make his favorite holiday cookies.

These cookies come from a small cookbook I bought 20 years ago when we as a family traveled up to Pennsylvania to visit my mother-in-law. We drove to Hershey, PA on a day trip to visit the factory. (I’ve always been a chocoholic!) Driving into the town, we could smell the beautiful aromas of chocolate. The whole town was surrounded by chocolate. They even use the shells of the cocoa bean to fertilize the wondrous gardens they have.

In picking up various souvenirs at the shop, I also purchased this little cookbook. A few simple recipes made with Hershey’s chocolate. Of all the wonderful creations in this book, one stood out above the rest: Cocoa Kiss Cookies. So for 20 years we’ve been baking these every holiday season.

The tasty shortbread/butter cookie dough flavored with cocoa surround a delicious Hershey’s Kiss. I usually have to make 3 different types: one recipe without the pecans for my daughter Lily, one recipe with pecans and no powdered sugar for Bob and the original recipe for my son Mike.

I do hope you try these. They really are very good. Enjoy. :)

(Look at the delicious Hershey's Kiss right in the center of the cookie.)

Cocoa Kiss Cookies
(from the Hershey’s Make It Chocolate Cookbook)

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 cup finely chopped pecans
54 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped
Confectioner’s sugar

In a large bowl cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Combine flour and cocoa and blend into creamed mixture.

Add nuts and combine until well blended. Chill dough for 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mold 1 tablespoon of dough around each unwrapped Kiss, covering Kiss completely.
Shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool slightly then remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack.

Roll in confectioners sugar. Makes about 4 to 4 ½ dozen cookies.

Holiday Cocktails

2009-11-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

You can never have too many cocktail recipes on hand for the holiday festivities. So adding this particular one to your Thanksgiving table seemed appropriate. Not only does it have a delicious combination of tasty liqueurs, it also contains pumpkin pie spice and a dash of cayenne to open up the senses. Very tasty.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Cocktail(Sandra Lee, Cocktail Time Book)

¾ ounce vanilla flavored vodka
½ ounce Irish Cream liqueur
½ ounce Kahlua
½ ounce crème de cacao
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Ice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Sprinkle lightly with pumpkin pie spice. Makes one drink.

Of course you can't go without having some Hot Chocolate on hand for those chilly nights either. Here's one I decided to call, Not Your Mama's Hot Chocolate. It's absolutely decadent. It's creamy; it's made with real chocolate; it has a peppermint (candy cane) flavor that makes it feel like Christmas morning.

Not Your Mama’s Hot Chocolate
1 cup half and half
1 cup (liquid) Coffee-Mate Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer
¾ cup chocolate chips
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces Peppermint Schnapps

Heat half and half along with coffee creamer, chocolate chips and cinnamon. Stir, over medium heat, until chocolate is melted. Divide schnapps into each cup and top with hot chocolate. If you want to make this for the kiddos, substitute a teaspoon of peppermint extract for the schnapps. Makes 2 latte size cups or 4 regular size cups.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Chocolate Caliente Cookies

2009-11-21T16:36:00.001-08:00

I’m starting my Holiday baking journey. The first one I thought I’d try (are you surprised?) is a spicy Chocolate cookie. These little bits of joy are spiced with cinnamon and cayenne. That little pinch of cayenne is just enough to give the back of your mouth a little bite of excitement. Have these with a tall glass of milk and you’re set to sit down and write those Christmas cards…people still send out Christmas cards, don’t they? I so hope we haven’t become so “digitized” that all we send out are e-cards, emails and a “Hello” on facebook.

I hope you try these, they really are tasty. AND you can’t go wrong with chocolate. Pack some in small boxes or goody bags to have on hand for dinner guests or friends or neighbors. They make a nice little surprise that say Happy Holidays.

Chocolate Caliente Cookies
A Nestle Toll House Recipe
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
MICROWAVE 1 cup chunks in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Chunks may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until chunks are melted.

COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add melted chocolate; stir until blended. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with foil.

SHAPE dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on baking sheets.

BAKE for 12 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Immediately place remaining chunks, about 5 to 6 chunks per cookie, onto tops of cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Allow chunks to soften and spread melted chocolate evenly over tops of cookies.

TIP:• For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute three 4-ounce bars of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCOLATIER 53% Cacao Dark or 62% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces, for the semi-sweet chocolate chunks.

Cocoa Spiced Chicken

2009-11-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

Having chicken for dinner is not new. It's what you do with it that counts.

Chocolate is delicious as a dessert. It is also a delightful suprise when used as a savory flavoring on meats and poultry.

I baked this Cocoa Spiced chicken breast but it is also delicious when grilled. In keeping with the cooking for two, taking out a couple of chicken breasts out of the freezer and spicing it up with "chocolate" makes a special dinner. The addition of a salsa as a topper, in this case made with mangos and avocados makes this simple piece of poultry a complete dinner.

The salsa is the usual combination of diced onions, chopped tomatoes, diced mangos, diced avocados, minced jalapeños and drizzled with a mixture of lime and olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

To complete the dinner serve crusty french bread and a tall, cold gass of Tecate (Mexican Beer).
Spicy Cocoa Rubbed Chicken with Salsa
(recipe from the Southern Living Magazine)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
2 large chicken breasts
2 limes
2 teaspoons of honey
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mango
¾ cup large-diced tomato
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 minced jalapeño
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat grill. Use an outdoor or an indoor grill.

Stir together brown sugar and next four ingredients plus ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Rub chicken with the sugar mixture, coating well.

Grate zest from limes to equal 1 tablespoon; squeeze juice from limes to equal 2 tablespoons. Whisk together honey, lime zest and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add avocado and toss to coat. Stir in mango, next 3 ingredients and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.

Grill chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees. Serve with mango-avocado salsa.

Mexican Chocolate Biscotti

2009-11-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Need a self-indulging break from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays? Treat yourself to a Spiced Mexican Mocha and Biscotti delight.

I’d never made biscotti before. My daughter-in-law had made some for me a couple of years ago for Christmas so I thought I’d try it with some Abuelita’s Mexican Chocolate.

My family knows Christmas morning (for me) is not complete without a large cup of java and some biscotti. The holidays are when I love to indulge with this decadent bit of crispy cookie dipped in coffee.

I’m anxious this year for Christmas to come around more than usual. My children will be here. Ask me if I’m excited??!!! I’ve started making my food and shopping lists and we haven’t even hit Thanksgiving yet.

So, to keep me somewhat sane, I decided to experiment with this basic biscotti recipe adding some Abuelita’s chocolate and chopped almonds. I can see the pounds piling back on. I’ve managed to lose some weight in the last few months and I promise to take it back off after the holidays. But for now, it’s time to celebrate. My children are coming and I’m in heaven.

Mexican Chocolate Biscotti
Makes: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon espresso powder (or instant coffee granules)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped*
4 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped
6 ounces special dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon Kahlua
2 teaspoons shortening

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and cocoa powder. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour, the hazelnuts, and 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate with a wooden spoon.
2. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 9-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; slightly flatten each roll to 2 inches wide.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
4. Cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices, slicing carefully with a serrated knife. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheet.
5. Bake in 325F oven for 8 minutes. Carefully turn slices over and bake for 7 to 9 minutes more or until dry and crisp. Transfer to wire racks and let cool, about 1 hour.
6. Microwave chopped chocolate and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl on 50 percent power (medium) for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate; let excess drip back into bowl. Place cookies on waxed paper; let stand until set. Makes 2 dozen small cookies. If you want larger biscotti cookies make just one large log.
*Note: To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until nuts are slightly golden brown, stirring once or twice. Chop nuts and set aside.
To Store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.

Biscotti (or any cookie) wouldn’t be complete without some coffee or hot chocolate. What better way to serve the Mexican Chocolate Biscotti than with some Spiced Mexican Mocha. What can I say? I’m a Mexican Chocoholic!

Spiced Mexican Mocha
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
4 cups strong coffee, freshly brewed
2 cups whole milk, or half and half, or cream :)
1 tablespoon Kahlua
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or Mexican chocolate, like Abuelita's or Ibarra’s, grated
Vanilla ice cream or frozen whipped cream, optional
Chili powder, optional

Directions
Brew coffee and keep on warmer.
Bring milk to a simmer over low heat. Add next four ingredients and stir until chocolate is melted. Add strong coffee to milk mixture.
Whisk or blend it to make it light and foamy. The traditional way to do this is with a molinillo. A molinillo is a special wooden tool used for creating foam in hot chocolate.
If you desire, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen whipped cream and sprinkle (lightly) with chile powder or cinnamon.
You may make this ahead and reheat. Make sure to either whisk it or blend it in a blender to make it light and foamy before serving.

In memory of the brave men and women who lost their lives at Fort Hood.

Boris the Spider Cake

2009-10-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

In honor of Boris the Spider, I decided to make this cake today, Halloween. I don’t like spiders, but the Boris song (by the WHO) is pretty cool.

The cake itself is pretty easy to make, so is the decorating. I am disappointed that I resorted to using plastic spiders, but I couldn’t find the large gummy spiders I had originally seen at the bake shop. I bought little gummy spiders but they just looked like a little gummy glob of nothing. Now, if I had read Jenn’s left-over queen’s blog before completing this, I could have made my spiders out of prunes like she did. They look really cool – so life-like. Be sure and check out her blog to see for yourself.

Anyway, back to the cake. No recipe really, just a devil’s food cake mix, some Hershey’s fudge frosting or chocolate frosting of your choice. I used the Wilton Cookie Icing Ready to Use frosting in a bottle to create the web.

The spider eggs on top are brownie bites covered in melted chocolate and sprinkled with some black and orange sprinkles. If you have white cotton candy, you can wrap some around the eggs to make it look like a sack. I didn’t, maybe next time. The sides of the cake are just shaved chocolate from a Ghirardelli Bittersweet bar.

Making a holiday like Halloween fun for your family isn’t difficult. It’s fun with a little imagination. I love Halloween. It’s different now with the kids gone, but it doesn’t mean I can’t still have some fun.

Yeah, it’s a big cake for Bob and me, but I think sharing with our next door neighbors kids will be cool.

Happy Halloween everyone. Here's a clip of the Boris the Spider song just for you.

Other Halloween posts you might enjoy:
Rat’s, Cat’s and Witches Hats

Mexican Chocolate Capirotada

Mexican Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Popcorn

Chocolate Tiramisu for 2

2009-10-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

Still trying to reduce the cooking and baking quantities to accomodate 2. We love Tiramisu, but making a huge cake or pie would be just too much. This recipe - in chocolate of course, comes from the Sandra Lee magazine for October. Making this in one of my latte cups made it a perfect dessert to share with Bob. Sandra's recipe calls for assembling it in espresso cups, but I figured since Bob and I would be sharing, this cup would be just fine. Hope you try it. It's DELICIOUS.

Chocolate Tiramisu Cups
(recipe from the Semi-Homemade Magazine, Oct. 2009)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
3 tablespoons Kahlua
¾ cup espresso or strong-brewed coffee cooled to room temp
1 (3-ounce) package soft lady fingers
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Garnish: cocoa powder

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, ¾ cup powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add ½ heavy cream and 2 tablespoons Kahlua, beating until blended and smooth.

In a small bowl, combine espresso and remaining 1 tablespoon Kahlua.

Fill bottom of espresso cups (or other decorative dessert cups) with a quarter teaspoon espresso mixture. Line the bottom of each cup with lady fingers, tearing them to fit the cups. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon espresso mixture. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons cream cheese mixture over the lady fingers. Repeat layers.

In a small bowl combine remaining ½ cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar. Beat at high speed with mixer until soft peaks form and carefully spoon over tiramisu cups. Garnish with additional cocoa powder if desired. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Here you can see the bits of lady fingers sticking out. (Should have made TWO!)

Marble Magic Brownie Cake

2009-09-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Marble Magic Brownie Cake
(from “A Passion For Baking” by Marcy Goldman)

Marcy Goldman’s baking book is one of those books I bought on a whim. I wasn’t very familiar with her work as a pastry chef, but in skimming through her book, all the delicious bread and dessert recipes really caught my attention.

I’ve swallowed up her gorgeous photographs and have gone back to imprint some of her baking secrets into my mind. She is the first one I’ve read who talks about double sheeting –using double cookie sheets instead of one to keep from browning the bottoms of your cakes, cookies, breads, etc., from baking too quickly before the center is ready. After trying her tip the first time, I’ve never gone back. I use this method in all my baking. It really works.

One of the most mouth-watering recipes I read about in her book (well, actually an additional little booklet called, what else (?) “CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE” that came with my cookbook) was called Marble Magic Brownie Cake. It’s rich, it’s dense, it’s amazingly delicious and it’s not for the faint of heart, meaning if you can serve yourself a sliver, you’re OK, if not, expect a couple of pounds to be added on.

When I first try out a new recipe, I try and follow it to the letter. After that, I tweak it and make I my own. Aside from maybe making it in 2 smaller pans or maybe even as cupcakes, I’m leaving this one as is. This is a great recipe to have on hand for the upcoming Holidays. Enjoy everyone.

Look at those beautiful swirls of fudgy brownie and cake.

Marble Magic Brownie Cake

1 box yellow or white cake mix

Brownies:
2 cups unsalted butter, melted
2 cups white sugar
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1 ½ cups cocoa powder, measured and then sifted
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Generously spray a 1 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and line bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.

In a large food processor, prepare cake mix according to directions. Spoon cake mix batter into a bowl. Do not wash food processor bowl.
(I did do this differently. I don’t have a very large food processor, so I used 2 mixing bowls and a hand mixer.)

For brownies, using food processor blend butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Add cocoa, flour baking soda and salt. Blend well to a thick smooth batter. Spoon half of brownie batter into prepared pan. Spoon half of cake mix batter over the brownie batter.
Dollop the remaining batters of the top of the cake mix batter and swirl with a knife.

Bake until done, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes (Mine took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.) It’s ready when cake has risen and springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes and then spread the chips evenly over the top with a metal spatula. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

2009-09-12T09:25:00.001-07:00

It was time for a delicious, chewy, decadent chocolate dessert with a buttery shortbread crust. El Paso has finally broken the heat wave and we’ve been getting some thunderstorms, resulting in slightly chilly weather, so I was ready for some baking.

I wanted to surprise Bob with a filling dinner and a yummy dessert when he got home from work. He loves Pecan Pie, but I usually only make it around the holidays, so I opted for these mouthwatering Pecan Pie Bars.

I’ve made them before with either a “dunk” into melted chocolate or just plain. Today I was inspired by a recipe I saw on the Brown Eyed Baker’s blog with her Chunky Pecan Pie Bars.

I sure hope you try these luscious bars. They’re not difficult to make and are rather tasty. Look at all those pecans and chocolate chunks!

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
(Inspired by The Brown-Eyed Baker)

For the Crust:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

3 large eggs
¾ cup corn syrup
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chunks in a bag!)
I used chopped Mexican chocolate
1½ cups chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
2. For the crust, mix together the flour, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until crumbly. Press into the baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown.
3. For the filling, beat the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a wire whisk. Stir in the chocolate chunks and pecans. Pour evenly over the baked crust and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.
4. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the refrigerator if you live in a warm/humid area with no air conditioning).

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Black and White Pound Cake

2009-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to try this pound cake idea since I made the Black and White Cookies.

From the first time I tried this recipe, I knew it was a keeper. It has got to be the most delicious, moist and rich tasting pound cake I’ve ever had and believe me, I’ve got a ton of pound cake recipes on file. Over the next two months I will bring them to you (perhaps with some variations) via this blog.

Pound Cake is one of those desserts that is so versatile. If it’s rich and moist, just slice it and serve it with a good cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk. If you think it needs a little something, top it with a scoop of delicious homemade ice cream, or make a simple, yet tasty sauce to go over it and maybe some fresh fruit.

The origins of the pound cake date back to the 18th century with its birth in the Northern European countryside. The name pound cake came about because of it’s composition of ingredients. 1 pound of flour – 1 pound of butter – 1 pound of sugar – 1 pound of eggs! Can you imagine making something like this today? No leavening was used. It was whipped until sufficient air was incorporated into the batter to make it rise. There is a truly fascinating timeline description of the history of Pound Cake at the Food Timeline site.

This site excited me. I love studying the history of foods and the Food Timeline delves into many foods that we eat today. They state that food was not invented, but rather has evolved and they give you a wonderful history lesson on just about any vegetable, fruit, dessert, beverage, etc., that you can think of.

So, if you’ve ever wondered where a certain food had its beginnings, check out their site. You’ll stay on it for quite a while, I did.

For now, enjoy this delicious Black and White Pound Cake. I took that delicious recipe I found in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, divided the dough, added some cocoa to half of it and layered it. Left over chocolate dough was spooned over the top in dollops and a toothpick run through it to give it some design.

This design looks like the Zodiac Taurus, doesn't it? Have a magnificent weekend everybody.

Classic Pound Cake
(BHG Magazine, May 2009)

6 eggs
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) package cold cream cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ¾ cups sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons pure vanilla
3 cups sifted cake flour
Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, but no more than 2 hours. Generously butter and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 10-inch tube pan. Set aside. Using large bowl of stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat cold butter for 2 minutes on low speed. Dislodge butter from paddle periodically.

Add cream cheese and beat on low speed for 3 minutes again dislodging from paddle a few times. Still mixing on low, add sugar in a slow continuous stream. This should take about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Add salt. Continue creaming for 5 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl halfway through. Increase speed to medium and continue mixing 2 minutes more, scraping once.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating 20 to 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl after first 3 eggs. Beat in vanilla with last egg.

Gradually add 2 1/2 cups of the sifted cake flour on low speed, mixing until just blended. Turn off mixer and fold in remaining flour by hand with a rubber spatula, just until combined.

Turn batter into prepared pans and shake gently to distribute batter. Drop pans onto counter to dislodge large air pockets.

Place on center rack of cold oven. Turn oven setting to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes without opening door. Test for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick.

Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before serving.

* In retrospect, I think that instead of using 1/2-cup cocoa powder to flavor the “black” side of this pound cake, I will use melted chocolate next time. The pound cake was delicious, but the dark half was a smidgen less moist than the lighter half. Experiment for yourself and see which you think is better.

Mexican Chocolate "Speckled" Wedding Cookies

2009-08-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I’ve read recipes of Mexican Wedding Cookies for a long time now. The recipe resembles a shortbread recipe with some nuts incorporated into the dough and then dusted with powdered sugar when they come out of the oven.

Have I ever seen them at any Mexican wedding I’ve ever attended? NO. The traditional wedding cookie here in El Paso is the biscocho. I’ve always known biscochos as Polvorones. I learned how to make these with my Grandmother, Mi Chita, by memorizing the ingredients and many years later committing them to paper. These delightful little cookies are very often found at many Southwestern gatherings such as weddings, birthdays, baptismals and holidays like Christmas.

But my curiosity got the better of me. I’ve made the Pecan Sandies recipe found in the old BHG cookbook. This recipe reminded me of that. I looked in the Food Network recipe archives and found one that I knew I had all the ingredients for. Of course, I had to tweak it. I added some Mexican chocolate bits to it. The taste is quite delicious. So maybe I don’t go with the norm and make these as wedding cookies, but they do make a great treat. Enjoy.

(Mexican Chocolate Speckled) Wedding Cookies http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mexican-wedding-cookies-recipe/index.html

( I made half of the recipe)
Ingredients
1 pound soft unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup powdered sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons vanilla (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt (pinch)
2 cups finely chopped pecans (1 cup)
5 cups sifted pastry flour (2 ½ cups)
Powdered sugar for dusting
3/4 cup Mexican chocolate chopped into tiny bits

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and powdered sugar in mixer until light and fluffy, about 10-15 minutes.

Add vanilla, salt and pecans. Fold in Mexican chocolate bits. Remove from mixer and stir in pastry flour by hand being careful not to over mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to stabilize the dough.

Form into football shapes about the size of small walnuts and place on a buttered cookie sheet.
I used a cookie scoop to form small round dough shapes. Press lightly with bottom of lightly-floured glass.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to get the slightest bit colored on the bottom. Remove upon the first sign of color and set on a rack to cool. When cool enough to touch place in a bowl with powdered sugar on top and bottom and toss gently.

Occasionally toss with sugar while cooling, trying to get as much sugar as possible to stick. When cold, place cookies in airtight container and cover until ready to serve.

Rice Pudding – 2 ways

2009-08-24T11:44:00.001-07:00

The heat is finally beginning to waver. Instead of a steady triple digit temperature, we’ve cooled down into the ninety’s. It’s not cool enough to have the oven on for cookie baking or that luscious “black and white” pound cake I’ve been wanting to share with you (unless I get up at 5:30 in the morning and that’s NOT going to happen!). So I opted for something simpler…something comforting…something that reminds me of mom. Rice Pudding. This was one of her comfort foods. We always had rice at home (as well as beans, pinto beans) so eating it as something other than Mexican rice was quite a treat.

Well, you guys have come to know me well enough to know that I would take that delicious recipe and attempt a chocolate version. I wasn’t really sure how it would come out; I’ve never tried it before. But let me tell you, I’m making this again. The Mexican chocolate (Chocolate Abuelita) addition to the basic recipe made it a keeper. It doesn’t take much to make something special for yourself or for your family; you just have to want to do it. See what you have at home…in the pantry, and dress up an old recipe. You won’t regret it.

Basic Rice Pudding Recipe

2 cups water
Pinch of salt
¾ cups uncooked long grain white rice
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup raisins (or in my case, craisins…I love them)
2 squares Abuelita chocolate
¼ cup whole almonds
Ground cinnamon, optional

In a medium sized saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add the rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium heat. Allow to cook for 25 to 30 minutes until rice is completely soft.Add the evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, butter and vanilla. Continue to cook on low heat (uncovered), occasionally stirring to keep from sticking, for about 30 minutes.

Divide the cooked rice in two. Add the craisins to half and the chocolate to the other. Once the chocolate has melted, fold in almonds. Sprinkle ground cinnamon to the “white” rice pudding if desired.
Check out the Southern version of this delightful dessert over at Tina's Mommy's Kitchen. You'll love that one too. Enjoy.

Spiked Espresso Cooler

2009-08-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Two postings ago I showed you how I made my Mocha Frappuccino. I loved it and I hope you tried it. This time around, I wanted to tweak it just a bit. Cleaning out the freezer I found that my lovely husband had bought me some Haagen-Dazs Coffee ice cream in those tiny containers that I love. You can just grab and go. No need for a bowl. And if you just let it soften just a bit, there’s no need for a spoon, just sip it. Of course Haagen-Dazs does supply a tiny little plastic spoon right under the top, but I like to sip or gulp. I know, I know. Just ask my brother Jose. I’m “rustic” through and through.

Bob doesn’t get home until 8 o’clock tonight so I figured I’d treat myself to something special without getting the “look” and feeling guilty.

A little Mocha Kahlua, a little cream, some fresh espresso and two little (4 once) containers of coffee ice cream. Into the blender they go and my 102 degree hot afternoon cooled off rather nicely.

So here’s my way to stay cool in El Paso, A Double-Shot Espresso – Mocha Kahlua – Coffee Ice Cream Cooler. Delicious.

2 (4 ounce) cartons of ice cream, coffee or vanilla
2 shots espresso
1 shot Mocha Kahlua Liqueur
1 shot heavy cream (or half and half)
Whipped cream, optional

Place all ingredients in blender and blend. Pour into glass and top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy.

Black and White Cookies

2009-08-14T16:45:00.001-07:00

(I apologize for the lack of posts this week. Our internet service has been down more often than working. Apparently there was a fire at the cable company and they are running on generators!!!)

A few years go, we went to Mystic, Connecticut to visit my brother Jose and his family.
Before going, I knew that I wanted to visit New York at least for one day. I envisioned pretzels, hot dogs, street performers, taxi cabs (I refuse to take the subway – been there done that, won’t do it again!), and black and white cookies.

We took the train from CT into New York City. It was a lovely ride. Once getting to Grand Central Station, we walked and shopped and ended up eating at the Carnegie Deli. It was so good. The sandwiches were big enough to feed two people and the cheesecake dessert was large enough to feed four. My tummy was very happy.

What I never saw were the black and white cookies. I so wanted to savor that sponge-like sweetness covered in vanilla and chocolate fondant. Ah, well, maybe next time.

The thought has never left my mind though. So, I’m sitting here thinking, what the heck? Just make them at home. I’d seen the recipe in the Martha Stewart Cookie book I had as well as on the food network site, so I plunged ahead in hopes that my cookies would be just as good as what I’d read about them. I don’t (yet) know what New York Black and White’s (or Half Moons as they are sometimes called) taste like, but I sure did like the ones I made. I’m sharing them here with you. If you’ve seen or eaten the originals, don’t judge me too harshly. It was semi-difficult to get the white icing to cover completely, but they still taste delicious. Enjoy.

I used the Martha Stewart recipe for Black and Whites. The only difference was that I used Mexican Chocolate for the "black" side of the cookie.

Black and White Cookies
Martha Stewart Cookies
Ingredients
Makes 10.

1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cake flour, not self-rising
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons light corn syrup, plus more if needed
1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Add milk, and whisk to combine. Whisk in melted butter and extracts. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a smooth dough. Cover, and chill for 1 hour.
Line baking pans with Silpat nonstick baking mats. Using a 2-ounce scoop, drop five cookies per pan, 3 inches apart. Bake until edges are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper to cool.
In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons hot water, and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth. Using a small offset spatula, ice half of each cookie. Return cookies to rack to drip, if necessary.
Add chocolate to remaining icing. Stir until smooth. Add additional corn syrup to thin to desired consistency, if necessary. Spread chocolate icing over second half of each cookie. Allow cookies to set, about 10 minutes.

Hayley, from Buff Chickpea has a wonderful post on Black ad White Cookies. Here is a little of what she has to say about this tasty treat:

“Did You Know? "Back in the day, black and white cookies were actually made by bakeries from their leftover cake batters, with just a little extra flour mixed in so the cookie didn’t spread all over the place. Sometimes called Amerikaner Cookies, they’re also occasionally referred to as "half-moons" Upstate and in New England. However, with a chocolate cake base, not the traditional vanilla/lemon one, they’re not the same thing..." Deb of Smitten Kitchen.”

Another great recipe for black and whites was put out by Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes. You might want to read his version.

Whichever version you decide to use, I'm sure they will be delicious. Have fun.

"Everyday People Cartoons

Espresso Muffins and Mexican Chocolate Frappuccino

2009-08-07T12:03:00.001-07:00

Isn't this delightful? Originally I had intended to post this yesterday, but life being what it is, I got side tracked. Those beautiful espresso muffins come from the lovely Ms. Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice. I knew when I saw them on her blog that I had to make them for myself. The recipe was perfect. It made a whole dozen. No, I'm not going to eat them all in one sitting (although I could). I'll leave one or two for Bob.

The drink? It's my version of a Mexican Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino. The original recipe comes from the Recipe Zaar. And as we all do, I modified it to quench my own personal tastes. This recipe was also suppose to go up yesterday. My apologies to Megan from Megan's Cookin'. I'm sorry I let you down, but here it is. I hope you enjoy it. She's had some amazing coffee drinks on her blog lately which is what got me thinking about doing this one.

Hope you get the opportunity to give these little chocolate diddy's a try.
They are DELICIOUS.

Espresso Coffeecake Muffins

(Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)

The changes or additions I made are in red.

1 and 1/2 cups flour (1 ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup ground Abuelita chocolate)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant Espresso
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 chopped almonds (I didn't have almonds, so I used pecans)
3 tablespoons flour
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter

Glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl dissolve the Espresso in the boiling water. Add to flour mixture with the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla. Stir to combine, don't over mix. Batter will be thick.

Fill muffin tin/baking cups 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle with the topping, dividing equally among the muffins, press into batter gently.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 teaspoon instant Espresso
1 teaspoon boiling water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
vanilla extract, a drop (1 drop Abuelita syrup)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk

Dissolve the Espresso into the boiling water in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and use a fork to combine the two. Add a drop of vanilla. Add the confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons of the milk. Whisk until well combined. If glaze is thick add another teaspoon of milk. Whisk. Drizzle over the warm muffins.

Mexican Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
(original recipe from Recipe Zaar)

2 large glasses
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (Abuelita syrup)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (do not use if your using Mexican Chocolate)
1/3 cup strong coffee ** (I used my small French Press to make some VERY strong coffee)
1 cup ice
In a blender, combine everything but the ice, and blend until sugar has dissolved.
Add ice and blend until smooth (sometimes you will need a bit more ice).

Amazing how a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry can save you 3 to 4 dollars at the coffee shop!

French Press
2 rounded tablespoons coarse grind coffee beans
4 ounces water (195 degrees)

This will make 1/3 to ½ cup of strong coffee.

*********************
"If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?"

Lily’s No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

2009-08-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

Before heading out to Dallas, Lily wanted to cook a birthday dinner for her Dad since she was going to miss it by 2 weeks. She and Brian (her BF) made a delicious blue cheese topped rib-eye steak on the grill, Tony Roma’s Onion Loaf (recipe courtesy of meemoskitchen), ham wrapped and roasted asparagus and for dessert this delicious cheesecake.

I’m a sucker for food magazines, even if there are only one or two recipes that catch my fancy when leafing through it. Woman’s World magazine, the one you find at the checkout counter at the grocers, had this wonderful looking no bake cheesecake recipe in it. It’s called “No-Bake Mexican Flan Cheesecake”. Well, my daughter being my daughter and always looking to modify and adapt to her tastes (I taught her that!), she decided to top the cheesecake with that wonderful Dulce that Leche sauce we made a couple of months ago. Instead of using almond cookies, she used crushed Oreos. Needless to say, it turned out quite tasty. As you can see, this recipe just begs to be modified any way you like. Various toppings – various fruits – various bottom crusts. I hope you give it a whirl. Enjoy.

Lily’s No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
(Inspired by recipe found in Woman’s World Magazine, July 27, 2009)

1 dozen Oreo cookies
¼ cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
3 packages (8 ounces each) room temperature cream cheese
1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups Cool Whip

Dulce de Leche Sauce
Strawberries

Coat an 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pulse Oreos in a food processor until crumbs form. Add melted butter until well combined. Press firmly into bottom of pan.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine honey, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water. Sprinkle gelatin over mixture and let stand 5 minutes. Microwave 5 seconds and stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Beat cream cheese and milk on medium high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in gelatin mixture, cinnamon and salt, about 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the Cool Whip and spread cheese mixture in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap for 8 hours or overnight.

Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Transfer to a serving plate and spread Dulce de Leche sauce over the top allowing some of the sauce to drip down the sides. Top with the last cup of Cool whip and garnish with strawberries.

Cool Chocolate for Hot Summer Nights

2009-07-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

When we think of chocolate, most people think HOT chocolate, or they get visions of cakes and candy. But there are ways to enjoy your favorite flavor --chocolate -- in refreshing ways to keep COOL during the summer.

There's not one person who knows me who doesn't know that this is my all time favorite chocolate cocktail. The Mexican Chocolate Margarita. It's tasty, it has a nice little bite to it (because of the chipotle powder), it's refreshingly cool, and best of all - it's chocolate.

It's quite simple to make and you can whip up a batch of these tempting little drinks in no time at all.

Mexican Chocolate Margarita

First recipe:

Chocolate Chipotle Powder, recipe follows
1½ ounces dark chocolate liqueur
1½ ounces chocolate vodka
1½ ounces tequila
1½ coffee flavor liqueur

Chocolate Chipotle Powder
2 tablespoons Mexican Chocolate ground into powder
1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder (or red chile powder if you prefer)

Mix completely and set aside.
Spread the Chocolate Chipotle Powder out on a large plate. Rim 2 (8-ounce) martini glasses by rolling the edge of each glass on a clean wet sponge, then rolling the edge over the powder. Tap the glass gently to knock off the extra powder. Pour the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty. Strain immediately into the glasses and serve.

Second recipe:

¾ cup half-and-half or light cream
8 ounces dark chocolate liqueur (1 cup)
2 ounces vodka (1/4 cup)
Ice cubes
2 tablespoons ground Mexican Chocolate
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix ground Mexican Chocolate and cinnamon. Spread on a plate. Moisten rim of martini glasses with a wet sponge and dip into the chocolate-cinnamon mixture.

In a pitcher, stir together the half-and-half or light cream, chocolate liqueur, and vodka. Place ice cubes in a martini shaker. Add liqueur mixture; shake. Strain mixture into four to six chilled martini glasses

Are the kids giving you the evil eye while you enjoy your moment of pleasure with your Margarita??? No worries. Mix up a batch of Mocha Milkshakes (made with some Mexican chocolate) to keep them happy.

Mocha Shake

1 cup cold milk
1 cup strong black coffee, regular or decaf
1/2 cup Mexican Chocolate sauce*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pints coffee or vanilla flavored ice cream
Whipped cream Strawberries for garnish, optional

To a blender, add 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of coffee, 1/4 cup of chocolate sauce, and the cinnamon. Puree to combine ingredients. Add 1-pint ice cream and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 frosted fountain glasses or tall glasses and garnish with swirls of whipped cream, an extra pinch of cinnamon, and strawberry and serve. Repeat to make 2 more shakes. Makes 4 servings.

*Mexican Chocolate Sauce:

1-cup whipping cream
½-cup sugar
1 round disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Put all ingredients into medium saucepan. Heat until steaming but not boiling. Stir constantly to melt chocolate. Remove from heat and allow to cool 2 to 3 minutes.

Of course you could make some Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream to use instead of the store-bought. What ever is easier and most pleasing for you. Cooking and baking should be a pleasure..NOT a chore.

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

12 ounces Mexican Chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 quart half and half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler, over hot, not simmering, water, heat the chocolate, stirring often. It will not completely melt but will soften into a gooey mass.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the sugar.In a medium heavy pan over high heat, bring the half and half just to a boil. Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot half and half to the egg mixture. Return this mixture to the pan, set the pan over low heat, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens into a custard that will heavily coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and return the custard to the bowl. Add softened chocolate and vanilla and whisk until dissolved (the mixture will appear grainy). Cool to room temperature and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the film onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 5 hours and preferably overnight. Transfer the custard to the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Cover the finished ice cream tightly and store it in the freezer.

What ever type of ice cream you choose to use, allow it to put a smile on your face. Life's too short to keep yourself from enjoy some of life's simple pleasures...like chocolate.

Enjoy!

Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes

2009-07-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

What is it?

Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Recipes is an ebook-cookbook. It is filled with dessert and beverage recipes that use Mexican chocolate. Mexican chocolate has a unique taste, featuring a hint of cinnamon and almonds, and differs from the taste of regular baking chocolate. This ebook features dessert and beverage recipes, including "The Greatest Cheesecake Ever--Mexican Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake." Other recipes include cakes, cookies, snacks, cocoa, a chocolate Martini and more-- all with the flavor of Mexican chocolate.

Why an E-Book?

Our first cookbook, Aprovecho, A Mexican-American Border Cookbook, was published in the traditional way. Hardcopy and paperback versions of the cookbook are still available on-line at Amazon and in bookstores.

"For this cookbook, we decided to publish in an Ebook-Format in order to make it less expensive than our Aprovecho Cookbook. Cost reduction from traditional publishing allows us to sell the ebook for only $3.95. It's less expensive for those purchasing it, while we make the about the same as we would for each copy of Aprovecho that is sold. Everyone wins.

Where can it be purchased?

Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Recipes can be bought on Michita's Page. Payment can be made with a Pay Pal account or with most credit cards.

Mex Choc Brownies	Champurrado

Mex Choc 3 Leches	Rum Mousse

Drizzled Popcorn	Kahlua Cheesecake

Mex Choc Martini	Mocha Shake

These photos are just a sampling of some of mouthwatering recipes found in our Mi Chita's ebook. To view all the photos, take a moment to view the Picassa slideshow located over the right of this blog page. Hopefully it will entice you to make the small investment of $3.95 in order to savor the sweet and distictive flavor of Mexican Chocolate.

Can you think of a better way to impress your boss, in-laws, co-workers or neighbors than inviting them to dinner and offering this sweet ending to a fabulous meal? There is absolutely nothing that compares to making someone feel so special, just don't tell them how simple it was to prepare. If they want the recipe, send them here.

Before you know it, you and your Mexican Chocolate desserts and drinks will be the envy of all who love chocolate.

*** FREE RECIPE ***

Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
½ cup sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla
2 to 2½ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa, plus a little extra
1 disk Mexican Chocolate, finely ground

Drizzle Mix:

1 cup chocolate chips
¼ cup Mexican Chocolate, ground
1 teaspoon shortening

Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, Mexican Chocolate, and salt. Slowly, add flour mixture to butter mixture and knead to combine well.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes for easier handling.
Roll out a small portion of the dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper to ¼ inch thickness.
Dip cookie cutter in flour or cocoa powder and cut out desired shapes. Place cookie shapes on ungreased baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to help cookie hold its shape when baked. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (middle of oven) at 325°. Cool completely before drizzling with chocolate Drizzle mixture. Makes about 1 ½ to 2 dozen, depending on size of shapes cut.

Drizzle Mix:

Combine chocolate chips, Mexican Chocolate, and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir until melted. If not completely melted, microwave for 10 to 15 seconds more. Cool for 2 minutes. Pour melted chocolate into a zip lock plastic bag. Zip bag closed. Snip a tiny piece off the corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies.

Donuts from Biscuit Dough

2009-06-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

When Lily and I were watching a taped segment of Paula Deen’s Home Cooking, we saw a recipe we couldn’t resist.

Ever since they closed the Dunkin’ Donuts shop on the west side of town, we tend to crave donuts a little more than usual simply because they aren’t as easily available as they used to be.

Paula made quick and easy donuts with plain old buttermilk biscuit dough. You know, the kind you find in a can at the supermarket. We used Pillsbury Grand’s Buttermilk Biscuit Dough. I have to admit that while they don’t quite taste like Dunkin’s, they make a great substitute.

While I was preparing the Carnitas Dinner, Lily and Brian made the donuts. (“It’s time to make the donuts.” Remember that commercial?)

I was impressed. They prepared everything before hand. They melted some strawberry frosting I had in the pantry by micro waving it for a few seconds and made the chocolate glaze.

They heated the peanut oil in our fry daddy and went to work. Once the donuts had drained a bit over paper towels, they dipped them in the two glazes and as you can see even got creative with some drizzle effects. Not bad for a couple of college students. They fried up the donut holes as well and started munching on them while I finished dinner.

Try the recipe and see if you think they measure up to old Dunkin.
Canned Biscuit Dough Donuts and Holes
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients
Peanut oil, for frying
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Icings:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
5 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cans large buttermilk biscuits
Colored sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles

Directions
Heat 2 inches peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. (We used a fryer.)
In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk (the kids added some cinnamon and a teaspoon of almond flavoring) and set aside. This is the (Mexican)chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired

The Cost of Chocolate

2009-06-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the cost of chocolate is measured in more ways than just monetary terms.

Encouraging Sustainable and Responsible Cocoa Growing.

WCF The World Cocoa Foundation
“The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) was formed in 2000 to address these issues. Today, it plays a leading role in helping cocoa farming families by developing and managing effective, on-the-ground programs, raising funds and acting as a forum for broad discussion of the cocoa farming sector’s needs.”

Before you pop a piece of mouthwatering chocolate into your mouth, take a minute to be responsible. The WCF helped to develop the Harkin-Engel Protocol in response to the reports of child labor and forced adult labor conditions in West African Farms.

What emerged from the Protocol were the following guidelines:
Goal : Improve the lives of children and adults on cocoa farms – with a focus on cocoa farming labor practices

Approach: Collect information from cocoa farms on labor practices, related issues
Use this information to direct resources, guide programs – to address problem issues

Output: Individual West African governments issue a certification report which provides a detailed review of labor issues in their cocoa farming sectors, and identifies required actions to address specific issues

Credibility: Employ independent verification to ensure transparency, credibility

Outcome: Continued progress in ensuring that cocoa is grown responsibly, without the worst forms of child labor or forced adult labor; a continued reduction in unacceptable labor practices

Here are some cocoa farming facts:

Number of cocoa farmers, worldwide: 5-6 million
Number of people who depend upon cocoa for their livelihood, worldwide: 40-50 million
Annual cocoa production, worldwide: 3 million tons
Annual increase in demand for cocoa: 3 percent per year, for the past 100 years
Current global market value of annual cocoa crop: $5.1 billion
Cocoa growing regions: Africa, Asia, Central America, South America (all within 20 degrees of the equator)
Percentage of cocoa that comes from West Africa: 70 percent
Length of time required for a cocoa tree to produce its first beans (pods): five years
Duration of “peak growing period” for the average cocoa tree: 10 years

How You Can Help

"Each day, several million hardworking farmers take to the cocoa fields to carefully tend to their cocoa trees and harvest the crop. Millions more depend upon their success.
These farmers are dedicated, hardworking and passionate about growing the cocoa that makes the chocolate loved by so many worldwide. But they face tremendous challenges. They need help.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) works to help cocoa farmers, their families and their communities. WCF programs are helping cocoa farmers earn more for their crop, improving the quality of education for their children, and ensuring that cocoa is grown in a safe, responsible manner.
And, with your support, the WCF can do more.
Whether it’s raising awareness or providing support for a WCF program, you can make a difference in the lives of hard-working farming families who depend upon cocoa for their livelihood."

As Southeast Asia has entered into cocoa production, the WCF has put in place the following programs:

World Cocoa Foundation Programs in Southeast Asia:
Help farmers earn more for their cocoa crop through improved productivity, reduced crop loss and innovative farming practices
Organize farmers to help them sell their product in bulk and negotiate a better price paid for cocoa.”

Why am I patial to Hershey’s Chocolate?
Read this: http://www.thehersheycompany.com/social-responsibility/environmental-stewardship/cocoa.asp

Just take a moment to do a little research. Just as we support our American farmers and our natural, locally grown foods, we should be aware of the complexities of farmers around the globe and what industries are supportive and what industries are not. What major food producers follow the humanitarian path in assisting global farmers evolve with help and dignity and what food producers resist the Protocol and continue to support child labor atrocities.

Here is a list of the WCF Member Companies;
http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/about/member-companies.asp

“Chocolate companies world wide have given enthusiastic support to the WCF to encourage the safeguarding the welfare of cocoa farmers in producing companies.”

Thank you for reading this rant of mine. As a Chocolatier, I find the cocoa industry immensely fascinating and sometimes filled with information that allows us to make a choice to support certain products and not support others. Hugs.

Kahlua Mocha Desserts and More

2009-06-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am definitely in heaven right now. Deciding what recipes I'll be incorporating this delicious new concoction into is quite the dilema.

I'm certain that Kahlua Mocha is not new to some of you, but it is for me. I just got my first bottle last weekend. After savoring the aroma and taste testing (a lot of taste testing!), I sat down with pen and paper in my hand to decide what I wanted to bake with this delicious new liqueur.

So here is what I decided on, are you listening? (or reading, whatever the case may be)

Chocolate Cherry Baby Cakes
These delicious bits of Kahlua Mocha (K-M) infused chocolate baby cakes also have a hidden surprise inside of them. Dark cherry pie filling. But that's not all. Before putting in a spoonful of the pie filling into the baby cakes, the filling was prepared with 2 tablespoons of the K-M and chopped dark chocolate. AND THEN, the cream cheese frosting was also flavored with some of the liqueur.

The taste was incredible. Well, I didn't stop there. I wanted to be able to "wash" down the baby cakes with something that would enhance the delightful flavors floating around in my mouth so I decided on a Chocolate Cherry Milkshake. You guessed it, I flavored it with some more K-M. I'm sure by now you're thinking that I'm falling down on my behind with all the K-M I'm enjoying, but remember that these desserts are only "flavored" with the Kahlua-Mocha, they're not drowning in it. Here's a picture of the milkshake.

It hit the spot. I figure, on a hot summer afternoon, why not indulge in a little lift to the spirit. (spirit - get it?) Of course in looking up Kahlua Dot Com, it inspired me to come up with yet another drink. The Mexican Russian. Why not? They've got the Black Russian and the White Russian so why not add one more? It's fun to experiment so long as you keep moderation in mind. Recipes? Oh yeah. Sorry, I was enjoying one of my baby cakes while writing this post. Here they are. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Baby Cakes

1 Can Cherry Pie filling
2 tablespoons Kahlua-Mocha Liqueur
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 cup water
1/4 Kahlua Mocha
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

In a small bowl, stir in 1/3 cup fruit filling, liqueur and chocolate, chill. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, Kahlua, oil and eggs. Blend at low speed for 30 seconds until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Top each with 1 tablespoon of prepared cherry pie mixture.

Bake at 350°F. for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completed while preparing Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes about 2 dozen baby cakes.

Ingredients:
8oz package of cream cheese, room temp.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) soft butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons Kahlua – Mocha Liqueur
1 box powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
a little milk if mixture is too stiff

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese with butter and vanilla until creamy Add the powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and Kahlua, and mix well. If mixture is too stiff, add a little milk. If its' too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.

Frost your Chocolate Cherry Baby Cakes and top with left over prepared cherry pie filling.

Chocolate Cherry Milkshake

2 cups slightly softened vanilla ice cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup Kahlua-Mocha Liqueur
1 cup frozen cherries

Blend all ingredients in blender and serve. Makes about 2 –3 servings depending on the size of the glass. Top with additional frozen cherries if desired.

Mexican Russian

2 parts Kahlua Mocha
1 part Tequila
milk or cream

Give all ingredients a whirl and pour, over ice or not. Sip…don’t gulp.
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For additiona Kahlua reipes, check out the official Kahlua site. You'll be mesmerized!

Father's Day Smiley Face Cake

2009-06-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

I told my daughter Lily that this was the first time I'd seen such determination and long term attention span in her. She worked with such dedication to complete these two "gifts" for her father that it brought joy to my heart. So, I wanted to share her labor of love with you.

The first project she worked on was a "Bouquet" that she thought Bob would enjoy. She talked about the act of giving flowers and how it was mostly females that were the recipients of these lovely gifts. Then she talked about her Dad. She said the only bouquet he would truly appreciate was one he could eat, so she made one.

This simple act of love was made with brownie bites covered in white candy melts, dipped in colored sugars and attached to lollipop sticks. She added some tissue paper flowers to the back and stuck the sticks into a styrofoam ball that had been placed in a small wooden bucket. She also added some Tootsie Pop flowers, a few silk plant leaves and a bow to complete the look. Simple, yet loving.

Next she decided to make him a Father's Day cake. She settled on a Smiley Face. Remember how I told you we like to use M & M's to decorate, well, that's what she did. Check this out.
Her patience in placing all the M & M's on the cake gave me a new respect for my daughter. She's growing up. Seems like priorities are now slowly beginning to change. Slowing down that hectic pace she's kept up for so long (and that got her ill) is finally beginning to subside.

The cake is a simple vanilla cake with some chocolate chips added in for good measure. The frosting is a vanilla buttercream. The side (small) smiley faces are Oreos dipped in white candy melts with a smiley face imprinted on the top with mini M & M's. It took her all day to complete her gifts for her Dad, but it was worth it. She was quite proud of herself, as were Bob and I. Happy Father's Day!
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In honor of Father's Day, this is Bob's favorite joke.

Why don't cannibals eat clowns???

Because they taste funny!!!

Nestle Refrigerated Cookie Dough RECALLED

2009-06-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sad news for the chocolate world today. Nestle's has recalled their refrigerated cookie dough after the FDA concluded the possibility of an Ecoli bacteria having invaded the product. Nothing is said of the actual chocolate chips we use in our everyday cooking and baking, but the pre-packaged cookie dough has been taken off the market until further investigation.

Go to these links for more information. I'm so heartbroken for the company. Next to Hershey's. Nestle is what a use on a regular basis (except for Abuelitas).

This is a quick post just FYI. The news merits everyone taking precautions. Please go the attached links and read some more.

http://www.rr.com/news/news/article/rr/1110/8102060/Nestle_recalls_Toll_House_cookie_dough_products

The FDA says:

"The recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie
dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and
Ultimates cookie bar dough. It extends to chocolate chip dough and other
varieties, including gingerbread, sugar and peanut butter cookie dough. It does
not affect any other Toll House products, including ice cream that contains Toll
House raw cookie dough.The FDA also said consumers should not try to cook the
dough, even though eating cooked dough would be safe, because consumers might
get bacteria on their hands and on counters and other cooking surfaces.E. coli
is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration
and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure."

The Nestle Press Release:

http://www.nestle.com/MediaCenter/SpeechesAndStatements/AllSpeechesAndStatements/Toll+House+voluntary+withdrawal.htm

National Fudge Day

2009-06-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

June 16th was National Fudge Day according to The Nibble, an online food magazine about specialty foods. And even though I had everything ready to go yesterday, Bob and I decided we needed to get out of the house and away from computers and stuff. We went to see the Star Trek movie. Yeah, I’m a Trekkie at heart. I think Zachary Quinto makes the PERFECT young Spock. I’ve always enjoyed Quinto’s character of Sylar in Heroes, but now watching him revive the Spock character was just the most entertaining time I’ve had at the theatre for a while, well, other than seeing Angels and Demons.

But enough about me. Let’s talk FUDGE. I’ve grown fond of watching Alton Brown on “Good Eats” on the Food Network show. Recently he had on a segment regarding fudge. I watched, I laughed, I listened to his comprehensive and scientific teachings on his cocoa and fudge research. He’s not only fun to watch but also has a way of teaching you a thing or two about cooking. OK, I was talking about the fudge. I wrote down his recipe for what he considers the best fudge in the whole world. I followed it to the letter using my candy thermometer and the proper size pans and ingredients. Long story short…I’m still waiting for the fudge to set. I’m pretty sure at this point that either I screwed up on one of his instructions, or….?

My plate is lonely. WHERE is the FUDGE???

Being flustered, I prepared a pan of Mexican Chocolate Fudge. I melted, I stirred, I cooled and I waited for the fudge to set, I cut into squares and took a picture (or two) and Alton’s recipe is still not set. If it ever does set, I’ll take a photograph and show it to you.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this recipe of Mexican Chocolate Fudge to commemorate Fudge Day (which was yesterday, while I was at the movies with my honey).

YAY! My plate is not lonely any more. It's got CHOCOLATE Fudge...Mexican Chocolate Fudge!

Mexican Chocolate Fudge
(about.com/candy)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 disc (3.1 ounces) Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Prepare an 8x8” baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine the marshmallows and chocolate chips in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the butter, milk, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to let the candy boil, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
5. Remove from the heat. Stir in the marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla, mixing until well-combined.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.7. While fudge is still wet, sprinkle the chopped Mexican chocolate on top. Place in the refrigerator to set the fudge. Once set, cut into 1-inch squares to serve.
Look at how creamy and smooth it turned out. Sorry, Alton. But since your recipe STILL has not set completely, I guess I'm King (Queen) of the the (Fudge) Kitchen! :)

For a great bit of reading on the histoy and origin of fudge, go to the Nibble by following this link. It's very interesting.
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Check out a delicious recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork (Crockpot Style). Go to the Mexican American Border Cooking blog for the tasty recipe.

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Interesting Fact:

The Hershey bar was the first candy bar on the market in 1900. By the 1920’s, there were about 40,000 candy bars on the market.

Chocolate "Caliente" Soufflés

2009-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've always been a little leery of making a souffle. "Will it rise? Will it fall?" But I still wanted to try. I found several recipes that sparked my curiousity. The one that inspired this delightful dessert comes from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Desserts 2. With a few changes here and there in the ingredients, I devised the perfect after-dinner treat for any week night meal. I hope you try making this, it's really tasty. Enjoy.

Chocolate Soufflés
(by Sandra Lee)

Chocolate "Caliente" Soufflés
(by Teresa, the changes I made are in red)

4 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons sugar
5 ounces semisweet chocolate baking bar, cut up, Baker’s
I used Abuelitas Mexican chocolate, 1 ½ disks and only 1 tablespoon of sugar in the chocolate mixture. I also used 1-teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract and a pinch of cayenne powder.
2 tablespoons whipping cream
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
Unsweetened cocoa powder, optional I used the cocoa powder but I also incorporated ¼ teaspoon cinnamon into the powder before dusting.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease six 4-ounce ramekins and use 2 tablespoons of sugar to coat the inside of ramekins. I used four 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

On top of a double boiler, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the chocolate and whipping cream. Place over boiling water in bottom of double boiler making sure bottom of top pan does not touch the water. Cook and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat allow to cool for a minute or two and stir in egg yolks; set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Spoon into ramekins, filling each three-fourths full. Bake in preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or just until set. Serve immediately. If desired, dust with cocoa powder.

You can see the airiness and lightness of the soufflé in every spoonfull. My only concern with this dish is that it really must be prepared right before serving, otherwise it deflates quickly. If anyone can tell me how to keep a soufflé from falling after taking it out of the oven, I sure would appreciate the tip.
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Smile!
Among life's mysteries is how a two-pound box of chocolate can make a person gain five pounds!? :)
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Go to the Mexican American Border Cooking blog for a delicious recipe on Piri Piri BBQ Chicken.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

2009-06-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

We received the new Martha Stewart Cupcake Cookbook a few days ago and Lily and I sat there drooling over each delicious recipe. My daughter, despite her hectic schedule, decided we needed to make the Tiramisu cupcakes. On our trip to Dallas, we had eaten at the Cheesecake Factory where she had indulged in Tiramisu Cheesecake. So, she decided she wanted more of that same delicious flavor.

My beautiful daughter weighs a mere 90 pounds. While I thought, OMG if we make those cupcakes I'm going to gain another 10 pounds, I didn't mind her doing that. In my attempt to help her gain more experience in the kitchen, I told her if she wanted to make them to go right ahead. I would be standing close by in case she had any questions, or needed someone to taste test :).

The results were amazing. While she was a nervous wreck (she does this when making something from scratch), I was standing there grinning ear to ear...so proud of her.

We made a couple of small insignificant changes to Martha's recipe, but otherwise kept it pretty much as she wrote it. I mean come on now, I love vanilla bean, but I was not going to spend $16.00 for one pod. We used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla instead.

We also did not have Marsala on hand, so we used Kahlua. If you get the opportunity to puchase this new Martha book, do so. Some of the varieties of cupcakes will make you dance with delight.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

1-¼ cups cake flour, sifted
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon course salt
¼ cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
4 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
1-cup sugar

Coffee Marsala Syrup

Mascarpone Frosting

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard size muffin pans with paper linters. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Heat milk and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted. Let stand for 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and discard vanilla bean pod.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk by hand until, sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, mix until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir ½ cup of batter into the milk mixture to thicken then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

Divide batter among lined cups, filling each three-quarter full. Bake until centers are completely set and edges are a light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Brush tops of cupcakes with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid for 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

Coffee-Marsala Syrup

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee or espresso
1-ounce Marsala
¼ cup sugar
Stir all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Mascarpone Frosting

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and powdered sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

This cupcake is so lush and tasty you really need to eat it with a spoon so that you don't miss any coffee-syrup soaked crumbs. AND the mascarpone frosting...OMG delicious. Way to go my darling girl.
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Tip of the Day:

Chocolate stain removal: Rinse stain with cold water. Rub in liquid detergent and let sit for 5 minutes. Soak for 10 minutes in cold water, rubbing every 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. All gone!

Where did those piggies go?

2009-06-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

After I got through "bottling" my flavored salts, I quickly realized I was nowhere near done with my new obsession for organization.

I wanted to play around with some cupcake recipes I’ve been saving and started looking around for some new sprinkles I had recently purchased online. I’ll be darned if I could find them. Boy this was frustrating. I can understand if I can’t find the Halloween sprinkles I purchased last year, but these “piggy” sprinkles I just purchased online to make some piggy cupcakes for Lily?

BOLT OF LIGHTNING!! I didn’t have my cake, cupcake and cookie decorations in order. Of course I couldn’t find them, but it was my fault. So instead of making cupcakes, I set out to do some Search and Rescue of any and all sprinkles I had in the house.

When I got tired of going through the pantry, the cabinets, and the cupboards, my dining table was full of little bottles, big bottles, bags, baggies and an assortment of containers to hold my precious decorations.

Time to go back to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I needed more bottles and something to put them in.
I may not have as many as Bakerella does, but I must admit I have my fair share. I found all (? I think all) of my colored sugars.
I found some of my fancy sprinkles.
AND I even found some “rock-shaped” chocolate decorations I had purchased in Mystic, CT. when I went to visit my brother. Oh joy!
You can see I even keep mini-M & M’s for decorating sugar cookies. Lily and I buy the little tubes and then take time to separate them into the different colors. Just looking at these little gems made my heart do some flip-flops and cartwheels. The colors are so pretty. You know, just looking at all the decorations you keep on hand at a glance, really spurs the imagination.

Anyway, now that I found my piggy sprinkles, I can make my daughter her little piggy cupcakes. It doesn’t take much to put a smile on her face. I’m very fortunate that way. With my son Mikey, all it takes is giving him a new X-Men comic book.

Don’t have enough sprinkles and decorations you say? Go to the Cake Art Party Store online. I found this site while visiting Bakerella's blog. You know I absolutely love checking out her wonderful creations. Well, a while back she posted about where she buys most of her sprinkles (and other necessary baking items). It’s called the Cake Art Party Store. It’s located in Tucker, GA. Someday I will go there and pretend I’m at Disneyland and have the time of my life. You bakers out there know what I’m talking about.

But before you run out to the store for some new decorations to decorate a cake or cupcake or cookies you need to bake at a moments notice, or because that’s really what you want to do for yourself or for someone you love, check and see what you have on hand. Keeping it organized makes being a foodie a whole lot of fun. Enjoy the weekend everyone.

I wonder if I'll ever find my Halloween sprinkles???
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To put a smile on your face:
Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out. :p

Strawberry Cream Bars

2009-05-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

Aren't these gorgeous? The recipe (from the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade TV Show) started out as Lemon Cream Squares. Well, considering I'm the only one at home that like's lemon pastries, I figured I should change the recipe to please all the other hungry tummys around here. I couldn't resist doing a chocolate crust and then topping everything with some left-over strawberries dipped in chocolate I had in the fridge. [I've been using those Debbie Meyer Green bags...they really work. They keep produce fresh a whole lot longer.]

The beauty of this recipe is that you can change and mix flavors however you please. It's so very simple, you'll see. Here is the original recipe.

Lemon Cream Squares
(by Sandra Lee)

Directions
For Lemon Layer:
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounces) box lemon cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg

For Top Layer:
16 ounces cream cheese (recommended: Philadelphia) softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 (3-ounce) box lemon or lime gelatin (recommended: Jell-O)
2 eggs

Set up grill for indirect cooking over medium heat. (No heat source under cookies). Spray 9 by 13-inch foil pan with cooking spray and set aside.
For lemon layer:
In a large mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer on low speed the cake mix, butter, and egg until well combined and smooth. Press cake mixture evenly into prepared pan; set aside.
For top layer:
In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon or lime gelatin on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and beat until smooth.
Spread cream cheese mixture over cake layer. Place foil pan in a second foil pan for stability and insulation. Place on hot grill away from heat. Cover and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking. Remove from grill and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Indoor:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 by 13-inch baking pan lightly with cooking spray; set aside. Prepare cake layers as directed above. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake barely start to pull away from sides. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
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What I did to change the recipe was use a chocolate cake mix and added a teaspoon of cinnamon to it as well. This was for the bottom crust. For the top layer, I just used a strawberry jello mix instead of the lemon. Then I topped it off with a little whipped cream, a chocolate covered strawberry and a mint leaf. I also baked them indoors in the oven. They were delicious.

I think next time I'll make some mango cream bars, or pineapple cream bars, or blueberry cream bars. The possibilities are endless. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it. Love and hugs.
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If you would like to see what we had before dessert, check out the tasty beer-can chicken tortas we made. Delicioso!

Something To Put a Smile On Your Face

2009-05-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

I got this as it rolled down our family's email. One person sending it to the other. My beautiful "sister" Stella sent it to me and I couldn't resist sending it along to you all. Just a little something to put a smile on your face. :)

What's for Dinner???

Can't eat pork,

Swine flu...
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Can't eat chicken.

Bird flu.
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Can't eat Beef.

Mad cow....
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Can't eat fish.

Heavy metal poisons in their waters.
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Can't eat fruits and veggies.

Insecticides and herbicides.
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Hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M

I believe that leaves Chocolate!!!!!!!!

Remember - - - 'STRESSED'

spelled backwards! is 'DESSERTS'
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Here's me on my eliptical machine:

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Here's me in my bikini!!!

Have a great day everyone.

Chocolate French Toast

2009-05-22T19:56:00.001-07:00

As a chocoholic, I don’t mind in the least having chocolate morning, noon, or night. I know I need to allow other healthy foods to cross my lips so when I find a recipe that incorporates both I jump for joy. Next week I’ll be showing you a recipe I found for a Chocolate Flank Steak. I can hardly wait. But let’s start with breakfast.

A couple of posts ago I brought you chocolate waffles. Now, with these waffles you can serve them for breakfast or as a dessert. You pick. I’ll just have them for both. Then I found this chocolate French toast recipe from the Hershey site so I jumped at the opportunity to make them and enjoy my passion for chocolate first thing in the morning.

Did anyone catch Dinner Impossible on the Food Network this week? Robert Irvine, the chef on the show, ended up at Hershey West Chocolate Factory preparing a five-course meal for 150 employees. Each course had to incorporate chocolate in the dish. And he did it. This insane, intense chef was magnificent. Follow the link to see his wonderful recipes.

Enjoy the French Toast!

‘Le Chocolate’ French Toast(from the Hershey site)

3 eggs
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Hershey’s cocoa
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
8 to 10 pieces thickly sliced bread
Powdered sugar
Pancake syrup

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl until smooth.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Grease griddle with a little butter if necessary.

Dip bread in egg mixture. Place on griddle and cook about 4 minutes per side. Serve immediately with powdered sugar and syrup. Garnish if you would like. Enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Day

2009-05-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

May 15th – Chocolate Chip Day

Last Sunday, May 15th, was Chocolate Chip Day according to the Nibble, a magazine about specialty foods. Although I’m a day late and a dollar short, I wanted to commemorate the day with these Chocolate Chip Scones.

According to Dufflet, an online dictionary with cooking term definitions, scones are described as follows.

“SCONES: An English biscuit made from flour, butter, sugar, milk or cream and baking powder, not much different from the American version. Traditionally, they are made with currants but are now seen with other dried fruits and flavors. They are served at teatime with clotted cream and jam. “

Although I don’t practice the habit of having “teatime”, I think the idea of such is certainly lovely. I would certainly prefer to have “drinking chocolate” time.
So here is my version of a typical British afternoon, my style. Enjoy.

Special Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
(from the Hershey’s Chocolate Cookbook)
Makes 24 scones

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 cups (12 ounce package) dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts, optional
2 cups whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Additional granulated sugar
Powdered sugar, optional

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
Stir together flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Stir whipping cream into flour mixture just until ingredients are moistened.
Turn mixture out into lightly floured surface. Knead gently until soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal balls. One ball at a time, flatten into 7-inch circle. Cut the circle into 8 triangles. Transfer triangles to prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar if desired.

Drinking Chocolate(from the Hershey’s Chocolate Cookbook)
Makes 2 servings

2 sections (1/2 ounce each) Hershey’s unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons hot water
¼ cup sugar
Dash of salt
¼ cup milk, warmed
¼ teaspoon vanilla

Place chocolate and water in top of small double boiler. Melt over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Stir in sugar and salt, blending thoroughly. Gradually blend in warmed milk. Heat, stirring occasionally until hot. Stir in vanilla. Serve immediately.

(This is a thick version of what many of us are accustomed to. More the traditional method as inspired by the Aztecs. If the liquid is too thick for you, simply add additional milk or cream to your liking.)

My Children Love Me

2009-05-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day. My children and my husband spoiled me as usual.

Bob was tired of hearing me talk about wanting to refresh my French so he gave me the basic and intermediate Berlitz conversational course. I love it. So beware, I'll probably be posting a few "Frenchy" type desserts before long. Crepes, hm?

My daughter Lily made this delicious Hershey's Dark Chocolate cake for me. It's the first time she bakes a cake from scratch and let me tell you it was delicious. A lovely chocolate buttercream frosting topped it off along with some large, sweet and scrumptious strawberries.
Lily also got me this Mother - Daughter coffee cup. She says it will remind me of her when she takes off to live and go to school in Dallas in a couple of months. As if I really needed something to remind me of her!
My son Mikey and daughter-in-law Jenn, sent me a wonderul Mother's Day care package. CHOCOLATE!!! In the box I found this Creme Brulee Chocotini Mix and these beautiful chocolate dish towls. You don't need to tell me twice to pull out the vodka from the freezer. It was divine. But that just was enough for them. I also got these wonderful show gels.
There's milk, white and dark chocolate. I'm alternating each day. I guess my kids know me pretty well. So, right now I'm a happy mom. I hope you all had an equally wonderful day.

Luscious Dessert for Mother's Day

2009-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Mom's are so good all year long. They deserve a special dessert just for them on their day -- Mother's Day.

Say you start off with this. A little boring you say??
So, add a few ingredients. Ice cream, nuts and a special Dulce de Leche sauce.
Now here's a dessert that would make any mother proud. The secret (and the reason this dessert is on a chocolate blog) is the addition of Godiva Chocolate Cream Liqueur. Ahh, so good. But we're not done yet. How about adding this to her dessert table?
A delicious and satisfying Dulce de Leche Cocktail...just for mom. Let me tell you, I could linger at the table savoring these delicious treats long enough for someone else to clean up the kitchen.

However you celebrate Mom on her day, make memories. It's the one time of the year where kids can be mushy and pamper mom with moments and memories gone by. Take a ton of photos and present them to her on her birthday or at Christmas. You can really rack up the points with her. Just treat her like the special person she is and all will be well on this earth.

Pound Cake Dessert with Dulce de Leche Topping
1 or 2 slices of your favorite pound cake
1 scoop of brown sugar ice cream
1/4 cup Dulce de Leche Sauce
Pecans, optional

Assemble and serve.

Dulce de Leche Sauce1 cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup "La Lechera" Dulce de Leche
1 ounce Godiva Chocolate Cream Liqueur

In a small sauce pan, stir together brown sugar and whipping cream over medium heat. Add Dulce de Leche. Stir until it starts to boil. Allow to boil over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat source and add 1 ounce of Godiva Chocolate Cream Liqueur. Allow to cool for a bit. Serve over the ice cream. Enjoy.

Dulce de Leche Cocktail

1 ounce rum
1/2 ounce "La Lechera" Dulce de Leche
1/2 ounce Hershey's Caramel Ice Cream topping
1/2 ounce Godiva Chocolate Cream Liqueur

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a pretty glass just for mom. I used Lily's margarita (Chiquita Margarita) glass to make this drink. Cute, huh?
Have a lovely weekend.
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If you can't find "La Lechera" Dulce de Leche, make your own. Here's a recipe by Alton Brown that you might like.

Dulce de LecheRecipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

Have a lovely Mother's Day weekend everyone.

More Brownies Please

2009-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help myself. I'd been really good about not overindulging all week as I cooked and cleaned and went about my "domestic management" duties. But today is Saturday. So it's time to party. My idea of "party" is indulging in chocolate. (I know, I know...I need to get out more.)

Anyway, I decided to bake another recipe from the 'Chocolat" Cookbook. For some reason my hands refused to turn the page after I found the "Big Chocolate Brownie" recipe. I gave into fate.

The recipe calls for dark chocolate; a premium brand, preferrably from the Dominican Republic. Well...all I had was Nestle's Chocolatier Dark Chocolate, 53% cacao. Good enough...I'm desperate.

If you're a chocoholic like I am, you look for the closest product you can "quickly" get your hands on. This was it.

Now this is the first time I've made this particular recipe. Oh, I've made dozens of brownies in my life, I'm sure you have too. But I'd never made one with only a "scant" 1/2 cup of flour. I thought it would be really heavy and chewy. Boy was I wrong. The texture, though it looks dense, is rather light. I didn't incorporate Mexican chocolate (my favorite) into the recipe because this recipe called for dark chocolate, ground almonds and a couple of pinches of cinnamon. I did add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee though. I really believe that coffee brings out the full-bodied flavor of chocolate. The taste is divine. I can honestly say I will make this brownie recipe again.

Big Chocolate Brownie

7 ounces 52% or 70 % dark chocolate (a premium brand from the Dominican Republic is recommended)
3 eggs
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Scant 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons ground alonds
Ground cinnamon
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6-inch square baking pan and line the base with waxed or parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate gently in a bowl over simmering water.

Break the eggs into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Fold in the softened butter, flour, almonds, 2 pinches of cinnamon, the melted chocolate and finally the nuts.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 2 hours (HA!) before eating.

I really hope you try this recipe. It's delicious.
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Check this out.

See my little Russian nesting doll?
They're measuring cups! I saw them on either The Pioneer Woman's website or Bakerella's. Don't remember which one right now. But I was strolling through my favorite blogs right before Lily and I went to Dallas and came across a post talking about a store called Anthropologie. I had never heard of it before but Lily had. They have one in San Antonio. And after a lot of nagging about going to the store in Dallas I gave in, mainly because I really wanted these beautiful measuring cups. Yeah, I treat myself to a little something every once in a while. The store is amazing. It's a fru-fru boutique...a little pricey, but they do have a few extraordinary things, like the Russian Doll (Matryoshka) measuring cups. Anyway, I just wanted to share. Have a great weekend.

Chocolate Waffles

2009-04-29T12:49:00.001-07:00

For breakfast? Sure why not! Of course you could make them as a dessert, but if you could wake up to a delicious plate of chocolate waffles topped with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with strawberry syrup, wouldn't that give you an incentive to jump right out of bed? It would for me.

Anyway, this is the first of many recipes I want to prepare from the chocolate cookbook, "CHOCOLAT" that I wrote about in my previous post. If you'll notice, Gloria Chadwick's Strawberry Blossoms are peeking out at the upper right-hand corner of the picture. If you would like to see how to make these wonderful little bite-size bits of pleasure, check out my Mexican Food blog. It turned out to be a lovely combination. I'm trying to hurry in writing this post because my waffles are waiting for me. Hope you try the recipe. It's yummy.

Chocolate Waffles
(from"CHOCOLAT")

1/2 cup butter
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups milk
powdered sugar
whipped cream
fresh strawberries
strawberry syrup

Melt the butter over low heat and leave to cool. Cut the vanila bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the point of a knife.

Beat the sugar and eggs together in a bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Gradually beat in the milk until you have a fairly liquid batter. Finally, add the melted butter and vanilla seeds.

Cook the waffles in a waffle maker and serve them while still warm. Sift some powdered sugar over the top.

Offer whipped cream, fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup to complement the waffles. Enjoy.

Chocolate and Chef Bear

2009-04-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

Chocolat, by Stephan Lagorce, is a chocolate lover’s handbook. I bought this book on a whim. Why? Well, because when I was looking through the cookbook aisle at B & N I saw what looked to be an enormous chocolate bar sitting up there on a shelf. I mean BIG!

I pulled it off the shelf and sat down on one of their comfy chairs and started leafing though it. Goes without saying, I paid for it and brought it home.

The information contained in this book is total heaven for us chocoholics.
Some of the items you will read about in this delightful book are:

1. The types of chocolate available.
2. A detailed manner in having a Chocolate Tasting party.
3. Tasting with your different senses: sight, taste, sound, smell.
4. Having a drinking chocolate tasting party.
5. A tasting glossary.
6. How chocolate is paired with alcohol and various spirits.
7. Chocolate and coffee.
8. Chocolate and spices.
9. Ganache types.
10. Decorating with chocolate.
11. How to store chocolate.
12. How chocolate is made.

And of course there are the recipes.
* Chocolate waffles
* Marble cake
* Viennese hot chocolate
* Pound cake
* Butter chocolate squares
* Chocolate Madeleine’s
* Éclairs
* Chocolate Soufflé
* Iced Chocolate
* And many more

I will be baking some of these recipes and posting about them in future posts. I can hardly wait!
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Meet Chef Bear. I crocheted Chef Bear over the holidays when I needed to “escape” from reality. Boy was I surprised to find out she had developed a personality of her own. She dreamt of traveling and meeting other foodies like me (her mama) and learn from them as well. So I decided to send her to Gloria Chadwick from Foods and Flavors of San Antonio. As you can see in the picture, she traveled with her best (handmade) apron and chef’s hat, a journal so that she could keep a diary of her travels, and her trunk. In her trunk, she carried a small assortment of souvenirs from El Paso to her new friend Gloria. From San Antonio she is to travel to her next destination ( a birdy tells me it would be Tiersa from Chef Bliss). In the interim, Chef Bear sent me some souvenirs from San Antonio.
How lovely is that! I’ve asked Chef Bear to mind her manners and to be friendly and courteous to all she meets. I hope you get a visit from her. She’s well behaved and has a strong desire to learn. I miss you Chef Bear. I hope you’re having fun and learning a lot. Hugs and kisses, Mama Bear.

CASCARONES - Confetti Eggs

2009-04-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

I guess this post falls under the "and more" portion of my chocolate blog. I felt guilty about neglecting this blog after all the hopes and dreams I had for it.

My daughter Lily and her BF Brian made next Sunday's Easter Eggs yesterday. It was a moment designed to keep her happy, stress-free and relaxed as I hope we can accomplish before her surgery on the 17th. With the gathering of the Cordero Family on Easter weekend, Lily and my nephew Chase (4 years old) will be handing out these colorful confetti filled eggs to everyone in the family. (I heard that Chase might be dressed in an Easter Bunny outfit! I hope so. If he does, I'll take pictures.)

Have a lovely Easter.

CASCARONES

Cascarones are confetti-filled eggs that are enjoyed at Easter and many other holidays and fiestas in Mexico and the Mexican-American communities here in the United States. They have been a tradition for many centuries. It is said that not only will your wish come true if you break a confetti-filled egg on someone's head, but it will also bring that person some good luck. Here are the instructions on these easy-to-make confetti-filled cascarones. Enjoy them on Easter or any holiday or fiesta of your choosing. Make your own wishes come true and bring someone good luck while having some good old fashion fun!

1. Your first step is to prepare your eggshells. My family starts collecting shells about a month before Easter so that we can have plenty of them. Each time you use an egg, carefully crack open the pointy end of the egg with the back of a spoon. Lift off pieces of the egg shell and empty the egg white and yolk into a bowl. Rinse and set aside eggshells to dry.

2. The next step, after the eggshells are dry, is to color the shells. Use food coloring diluted in some warm water with a teaspoon of vinegar, or purchase any one of the commercial egg dyes available around Easter time.

3. You should now prepare your round tissue papers for covering the hole in the egg. Tissue of various colors add to the decorative nature of the cascarones; purple tissue on yellow-dyed eggs, blue tissue on pink eggs, etc. Have your confetti ready in a clean dry bowl. Do this while the dyed eggs are drying. Gather other coloring mediums to use on the eggs as well. My daughter likes to draw pictures on the dyed eggs with markers once they're filled and covered. Adds a nice, personalized touch.

4. Now it's time to fill the eggs with confetti. Set the dried eggs in the egg carton, hole-side up. Fill 1/2 to 3/4 full of colorful confetti. If confetti is not available, use a hole punch on some Sunday morning newspaper comics, it works just as well. When all the eggs are filled, apply a little glue (like Elmer’s) to the outer rim of the egg where the hole is. Place a round piece of tissue paper over the hole and press down gently on the tissue paper to adhere. Put the egg back in the egg carton to dry.

5. After the tissue has dried on the eggs decorate the cascarones with markers, paints, stickers, whatever suits your imagination. Fill a large bright basket on Easter Sunday with these colorful cascarones and watch the fun begin.

What's Your Chocolate Personality?

2009-03-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Lovers fall into different categaories all depending on what type of chocolate they like the best. In a study involving over 18,000 participants, Dr. Hirsch, M.D. (founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation) found that chocolate, full of pleasure boosting chemicals, is like a party for your brain. He also found that a persons' favorite exposes a lot of their personality traits. Check out your chocolate personality and see if you agree.

Dark Chocolate Lover:

You're a vivacious extrovert! You march to the beat of your own drummer and are the life of every party. You are an outgoing person and the perfect addition to any team. Dark chocolate carries a stronger sensory punch, more than any other type. For a lot of people, this would mean sensory overload, but not for you. No wonder you became a dark chocolate lover before it became a trend.

Chocolate with Nuts:

You're a super-friendly nurturer! You're amaiable, open-hearted and a consummate giver. You know that biting into crunchy foods purges aggression therefore reducing the need to take it out on others. So, gobbling down nutty chocolate guarantees that you stay sweet to others. The grainy and irregular shape of nutty chocolate shows that in life, you opt for substance over "look-at-me" packaging.

Mint Chocolate Lover:

You're opinionated and clever! Both mint and onions stimulate the same nerve. The nerve that makes you cry when you cut onions, also induces "wakefulness". The fact that you can handle that stimulation means that you have a higher threshold for stress. Whether you're coming up with verbal curveballs on the fly or standing up for friends in a fix, you're up to the task. You feel most alive during a debate -when you can think on your feet.

Creamy Milk Chocolate

You're a sensitive thinker! The sweet creamy chocoate is the perfect reflection of your kind, compassionate nature. This appeals to your contemplative side. Just like you savor the sweet, rich goodness of milk chocolate, you mull over ideas until they become refined theories. So it's no surprise that by the time you put them into action, they're absolutely flawless.

Caramel Chocolate

You're a go-getter! This ooey-gooey confection is an adult treat. Caramel cravers tend to be scupulous and detail-oriented. Caramel takes patience to eat. What's more is that people who love caramel exhibit a greater attention span. It makes sense that you always have your nose to the grind stone. You nuture every project you work on.

Which one am I? Well, I think that I am probably the exception to the rule (either that or I'm a victim a multiple personalities). I love them all!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

2009-03-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

How heavenly! Late afternoon coffee and a stack of Triple Chocolate Fudge cookies. I finally got some time after a couple of days of calking and painting. I looked around, and there were no cookies in sight. I love cookies. No one could believe I'd slipped up and not made any for days. It never even entered my mind since there are always cookies in the house.

I purchased a wonderful baking book by Marcy Goldman, A Passion for Baking. She bakes using a method she developed for keeping the bottoms of cookies from being over heated and therefore a little too crispy as compared to the rest of the delicious snack.

She stacks two cookie sheets and lines the top one with parchment paper. She then proceeds to bake her cookies this way. I tried it and it works beautifully. She also uses this method when making bread. She places the loaf pan on top of the double cookie sheets. This also keeps the bottoms of the loaves from browning too much before the rest of the loaf has had a chance to bake through. Now, I don't know about you, but I've always had this particular problem. I haven't tried this method with bread yet, but it sure worked with the cookies.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
This recipe is adapted from Marcy Goldman's cookie recipe: Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies. She is the author of A Passion for Baking. Her method of baking uses two cookie sheets stacked together to keep too much heat from over baking the bottoms of cookies. And, after testing, it really works.

¾ cups unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons butter flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup half and half
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper.
Cream butter and shortening together and blend in both sugars and salt.
Mix in eggs and vanilla.
In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda. Sift to eliminate lumps.
On lowest speed of mixer, add flour to butter mixture. Add half and half.
Fold in semisweet and white chocolate chips.
Chill batter for 10 minutes.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

I also added some M & M Premiums - Mocha Flavored to the tops.
Makes about 2 ½ dozen.

Emeril’s Dessert Coffee
I saw this recipe in the Woman’s World supermarket magazine. I’ve made coffee with Kahlua, with rum, with tequila but I’d never tried using amaretto. The taste was superb.

¼ cup Kahlua
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 tablespoons amaretto
hot coffee
whipped cream
chocolate curls

For each cup:
Dip rim of cup in Kahlua and then in cocoa. Add Kahlua and amaretto to each cup and fill with hot coffee. Top with whipped cream and chocolate curls or (as in my case) chopped chocolate. Divine! Enjoy.

Chocolate Horoscope

2009-03-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hi there. I know, I know...it's been a while since I've written a post for the Chocolate blog. SORRY. Really. Life takes precedence and right now there is a bunch of stuff going on that I have very little control over. But slowly I will inch my way back. I just hope that when I do come back full time my friends will not have forgotten about me and my obsession for chocolate.

I found this cool chocolate bar that I wanted to share with you. It's the creation of a company called Bloomsberry. The flavor is pleasant but what I found most fascinating in researching this company is their skill at packaging and marketing. Take a look here and here.

Your Chocolate Horoscope

Aries // March 21 – April 20
Eats the whole bar on the way home from the shop.

Taurus // April 21 – May 21
Loves good chocolate, especially if it is in expensive packaging.

Gemini // May 22 – July 21
Chooses their chocolate by taking a bite out of each piece.

Cancer // June 22 – July 22
Makes even the smallest bar last for at least a month.

Leo // July 23 – August 21
Likes to be in charge of dividing up the chocolate.

Virgo // August 22 – September 23
Cuts their chocolate into bite size pieces with a knife and fork.

Libra // September 24 – October 23
Chooses two bars: one for themselves and one for you both to share.

Scorpio // October 24 – November 22
Hides their chocolate and then becomes obsessed that someone will find it.

Sagittarius // November 23 – December 22
Will only eat imported chocolate.

Capricorn // December 23 – January 20
Likes to be seen eating only the best and the most expensive chocolate.

Aquarius // January 21 –February 19
Loves chocolate – but likes to think they actually prefer carob health bars.

Pisces // February 20 – March 20
Shares their chocolate and forgets to leave some for themselves.

I'm a Libra by the way and yes, I would buy two bars and share one with you! How does your Zodiac sign measure up to the ChocoScope?

I will be back later this week. I'm going to have some alone time on Friday so I plan to bake something up very special for you. Till then, have some chocolate and be well my friends.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T08:04:00.001-08:00

It doesn't take much to show someone you care. Something store-bought is special, but something homemade is even better. When my daughter asked if I was going to make a special Valentine's Day Dessert, I told her I was going to use the mini cupcakes I had in the freezer. The look on her face was priceless. "Mom, cupcakes...again?"

Well, yes. But these cupcakes are going to knock your socks off, I said.

She and I had been shopping at the Outlet Mall not too long ago and we went into the Kitchen Gourmet Shop. I found the coolest item.

This little jar of flavored powders, by Dean Jacobs, was right there on a shelf just waiting for me to pick up and take home. The flavors are:
Lemon
Orange
Blueberry
Raspberry
Strawberry
Green Apple

I couldn't resist. I kept thinking of the possibilities. They not only flavor the icing, but color it as well. It might not be a new item for many of you, but it was for me. We don't have a Williams Sonoma or Sur la Table in El Paso. If I want something special, I have to drive up to Albuquerque to get it.

I couldn't wait to get started. The mini frozen baby cakes I had were cinnamon chocolate, so I knew I was on the right track.

I whipped up a batch of White Chocolate Frosting and pulled out the flavorings. Here's the result.

The colors were light and the flavors were subtle, but obvious. They were fantastic. Topped off with a few SweetHearts and they made a gorgeous presentaton.

Well, my daughter, not to be outdone, took some of the left over baby cakes, dipped them in some milk chocolate ganache and made some squiggles on the tops after the ganache had set. She placed these in a heart-shaped box we had kept from last years Valentine's Day and made her baby cakes look like little truffles. She (with Brian's help) was quite please with herself.

So, it's turned out to be a delicious and easy Valentine's Day dessert even with all the researching on FAFSA, credit transferring, and apartment hunting we're doing for her for when she goes to Arlington next semester to complete her studies. We'll be going to Dallas next month for her advising and we'll make time to go to the cooking stoes and container shops (with my son Michael and daughter-in-law Jennifer) while we're there.

Have a loving and pleasant Valentine's Day with your loved ones. Remember it doesn't take much to show someone you care.

White Chocolate Frosting

6 oz. white baking chocolate (chopped up)
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 sticks butter
1 c. powdered sugar

Stir white chocolate and whipping cream in pan over hot water until melted and smooth. Cool. Add butter and sugar; beat on high until light and fluffy. Makes about 3 cups. Keeps well in refrigerator.

If you are going to use the Icing Flavors, I suggest you start out sparingly (about 1/4 teaspoon) and MIX THE POWDER IN WELL.

Enjoy the day and feel the love. Hugs everbody.

Cinnamon Chocolate Pudding and Puff Pastry Churros

2009-02-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

After doing all the puddings for the Mexican American Border Cooking blog, I realized I hadn't made one for the chocolate blog. My bad! So what better refreshing chocolate pudding than one with cinnamon?

Then, I was inspired with this wonderful Puff Pastry Churro recipe posted by Anudivya from…and a little bit more. Churros are so popular here in El Paso and I know they have grown in popularity across the states. But this recipe was so unique to me that I had to try it. Despite their deliciousness, churros are still fried. These puff pastry delights by Anudivya are baked and have the same cinnamon-sugar flavor that are particular to churros. Give them a try. They really are good.

The little heart in the pudding is made from a flour tortilla. I just used a cookie cutter and baked these as well then coated them with a little cinnamon sugar as well. Enjoy.

Cinnamon-Chocolate Pudding

2 cups milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping Shavings of Abuelita Mexican Chocolate

Beat milk, pudding mix and cinnamon with whisk 2 min.
Stir in COOL WHIP.
Spoon into dessert dishes.
Sprinkle with some shavings made from Abuelitas Mexican Chocolate.

Mini Churros - Baked Vs Fried
(by Anudivya)

Ingredients:
Puff pastry sheets
1Cinnamon
1 tspSugar
1/4 cup (They don't take up so much sugar, it is only for coating, you will have some left over)Eggwash
flour - To dust

Method:Thaw out pastry sheets according to package instructions. It should be at room temperature or slightly still cold.Preheat oven to 400 F.Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and keep them ready.Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.Unfold the sheet, dust a little All purpose flour if need be and roll out slightly.Cut into thin strips of desired lengths. I did mine about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick.Brush beaten egg on both sides roughly. Coat with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.Lay them on the cookie sheet with little space in between them so that they can puff up.Bake at 400F till slightly golden brown on top.

Valentine Treats

2009-01-22T15:47:00.001-08:00

These delicious chocolate butter cookies are a wonderful treat to have on hand for all of your Valentine sweethearts. They're filled with strawberry or raspberry jam and just melt in your mouth.

Chocolate Butter Cookie Sandwich Hearts
(makes 24 single cookies or 12 sandwich cookies)

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
Strawberry jam
Raspberry jam
White chocolate chips
Chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until blended. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Combine with the butter mixture until dough holds together in a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill dough for 30 minutes. Portion out chilled dough and roll until it is ¼ inch thick. Dip heart shaped cookie cutter in powdered sugar and cut out 12 hearts. Roll out additional dough and cut 12 additional hearts. Using a smaller heart shaped cutter, cut a small heart in the center of the second batch of cookies. Bake all cookies in a 325 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool on cooling rack to 10 minutes. Once cookies are cool enough to handle, spread you choice of strawberry or raspberry jam on the full cookies making sure not to go over the edge. Top with center cut cookies. Melt white and chocolate candy melts (separately) and drizzle over sandwich cookies.

My daughter and I made these cupcakes last year. They're just plain, ordinary strawberry flavored cupcakes topped with strawberry frosting. What made them special were the roses we created and placed on top of each little cupcake. The roses are made with fruit roll-ups. These are those lovely and delicious fruity rolls that come in all flavors. Ours were, you guessed it, strawberry. It's very simple really. All you have to do is unroll the fruit roll and starting at one end, start re-rolling and crimping in the shape of a rose. Heres a close-up:
They're super easy and a lot of fun to make. I hope you try it with your kids.

Well, Brian, my daughter's boyfriend, was not going to be left out of my daughter's and mine baking adventures. He wanted to do something he had never done before...bake a cake. Actually, his idea was to make a giant cupcake for my daughter to prove to her that he was willing to learn something new. BUT, he wanted to make a giant cupcake in a bucket! You can imagine how well that went over. My daughter went out and bought him an early Valentine's Day gift, a giant cupcake mold.
You can see how proud he was with his first baking experience. My daughter just gushed at his adventurous efforts.

They decided to name this left over piece of cake Mr. Angry Cake. They kept looking at it and decided it had a face to it, an angry face. So to keep Mr. Angry Cake from being angry, we ate him!!

Was the kitchen a mess? Yes it was. But, you know, I'd rather have a mess in the kitchen and hear them laughing than wondering where they are and if they're OK.

I wonder what we'll make next?
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I've gotten a couple of inquiries about the giant cupcake mold. Here's a picture of it.

Amazon: Giant Cupcake Mold Here's where you can find it, or just type in giant cupcake mold in your search line and it will give you some link options.

Chocolate Sushi

2009-01-05T13:28:00.001-08:00

Look at what I've been playing around with. Chocolate Sushi. We like to celebrate Chinese New Year's Day here at home. You see, we've got a very special member of the family that we celebrate with. Our niece Malia-Lin. My brother Jose and sister-in-law Linda adopted Malia at the tender age of 1 straight from China. She's an absolute love (she's 11 years old now) and smart as a whip.

The Chinese New Year begins on January 26th, 2009. It is the year of the OX. I was born in the year of the OX many years ago, so this celebration is very special to me.

I hope you enjoy this whimsical recipe of mine. It's quite tasty and makes a very cool dessert after a dinner of Sweet and Sour Pork and General Tso's Chicken.

Chocolate Sushi

1-cup long grain rice
1-cup evaporated milk
1 ½ cups water
1-tablespoon sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Combine milk, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick in pot. Bring to a simmer. Add rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Allow cooked rice to cool for 15 minutes. Cover a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Spread cooled, cooked rice in a thin layer over plastic wrap. Melt chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in microwave for 1 minute. Stir chips. If they haven't completely melted, microwave for an addition 30 seconds. Remove from microwave oven and stir until chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Spread melted chocolate over rice on cookie sheet. Using a spatula, spread chocolate completely over rice. Being careful and going slowly, lift the long edge of plastic wrap until rice and chocolate combination start to roll. Start rolling towards the center, lifting plastic wrap out of the way. Continue to roll until you reach the end. Secure the roll in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until the sushi roll sets, about 1 hour. Remove roll from refrigerator and carefully unwrap the plastic. Slice into 1 inch slices and serve.

Hot Chocolate versus Hot Cocoa

2008-12-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

Is there a difference? You betcha! You can’t tell by looking at these cups, but once you taste them the difference is amazing. Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder that is cocoa liquor, the term used for unsweetened baking chocolate. The cocoa liquor is pressed and half to three quarters of its fat (cocoa butter) removed and then the remaining solids are pulverized. Hot chocolate (drinking chocolate) is made with by melting actual chocolate bar shavings in milk and cream. There is a distinct difference in flavor, texture and “mouth feel”. Some chocolate purist’s will only drink Hot Chocolate claiming that the dry cocoa powder when prepared as per directions is overly sweetened and losses it’s chocolate flavor. I believe that it is all a matter of preference. I’m certainly not going to turn down a cup of hot steaming cocoa if it is offered to me. But I did want to make that distinction to you. There is a difference. Which do you prefer? I grew up drinking Hot Cocoa and have since evolved to Hot Chocolate. But believe me, I’ve never been one to turn down chocolate in any form. Enjoy these recipes and have fun making up some of your own.
Bebida de Chocolate(Hot Chocolate Drink)

6 sweet chocolate squares (Mexican Chocolate works best)
4 cups of milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place chocolate and milk in large saucepan. Heat over medium temperature until chocolate has melted. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into blender and process a few seconds at high speed until chocolate milk is frothy. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

Cocoa Kahlua
(This is my favorite.)
1-quart whole milk
1 quart half and half
2 round disks Mexican chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup Kahlua

Break chocolate disks into wedges. Heat milk and half and half to steaming but not boiling. Pour into blender with chocolate wedges and vanilla. Blend until chocolate mixes into the milk mixture. Add Kahlua and pulse several times to mix in. Serve in mugs. (You can top this off with whipped cream and cinnamon powder if you like.) Makes 8 cups.

Frothy Choco-Mex Coffee

½ cup packed light brown sugar
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 large strip orange rind (no bitter white part)
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ½ cups hot strong coffee
¾ cup half-and-half, warmed
orange rind, cinnamon sticks, chocolate-covered coffee beans, for garnish (optional)

Whirl sugar, chocolate, rind, allspice and cinnamon in blender to chop finely. Add coffee. Whirl until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Add warmed half-and-half. Whirl until frothy. Strain. Serve in cups. Garnish with rind, cinnamon sticks, and coffee beans if you wish.

Mex-Mocha Coffee

4 heaping tablespoons dark roasted coffee
8 cups water
1-tablespoon cinnamon
¼ cup nutmeg
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped Mexican Chocolate
1 cup half and half (or milk if you prefer)
1-teaspoon vanilla

Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the coffee grounds before brewing. Add water to your coffee maker and brew coffee.

Meanwhile, over low heat in saucepan, combine half and half, brown sugar, and chocolate. Stir constantly to melt chocolate and prevent it from burning. Stir in brewed coffee and add 1-teaspoon vanilla. Serve hot. Makes 8 cups.

Mayan Hot Chocolate
Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.

2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3 tablets Mexican chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine
Whipped cream

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.
Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp cornstarch (also known as cornflour and is the powder that causes the thickening)
4 tbsp sugar

Place the chocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and serve in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

Alton Brown’s Hot Cocoa

Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1-cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1-teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.
Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk

Copycat Starbucks Chantico Drinking Chocolate

2 bags (24 ounces) chocolate chips
5 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1-tablespoon vanilla
Melt the chocolate chips in the milk and cream over low heat. Add vanilla.

There you have it everyone. These few recipes should keep you warm over the next month or two. Don’t be afraid to experiment with spices, flavoring, marshmallows, liqueurs, coffees, milk, cream and water. Till the next time, I wish everyone a beautiful and safe New Year filled with love, health, peace, joy and prosperity. Abrazos y besos.

Chocolate Wine

2008-12-17T13:07:00.001-08:00

You should have seen me at the supermarket. I could hardly contain myself when I found this magnificent bottle of wine. CHOCOLATE Wine. You can smell the aroma of cocoa and dark chocolate upon opening the bottle. It also contains raspberries, which mixed in perfectly with the chocolate. How special, I thought, it would be to make my Grandmothers recipe of biscochos and serve them with a chilled glass of this delicious wine. So, check out the wine section of your market and treat yourself to a special little Christmas present.

The wine is called "Chocolate d'Vine" . It's bottled by Southwest Wines out of Deming, New Mexico. It cost $12. I loved it.

Annie’s Polvorones
(Biscochos)

2 pounds of flour
1 pound of lard
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup warm milk
Cinnamon-sugar mixture for coating

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add lard. Cut lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender (or do it the way my grandmother taught me; with your two clean hands, scoop up flour and lard and gently rub between the palms of your hands). Continue this until flour-lard mixture converts to pea-size pieces. Add warm milk. Combine until well blended. Do not knead dough for too long, as it tends to toughen the pastry - just like with pie pastry. Roll out small sections of the dough between two pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper. Remove top layer of paper and cut dough with cookie cutters dipped in flour or powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Allow to cool for 6 to 8 minutes. Coat cooled cookies with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Makes approximately 5-6 dozen small polvorones.

This is my grandmother's recipe for polvorones (biscochos). She never wrote it down, but rather taught me (show and tell) how to make them when I was 12 or 13. I in turn have taught my daughter Lily, my daughter-in-law Jenn and my niece Malia how to make this wonderful recipe.

Cheers to you my friends. I love you all.
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The Story of Weeweechu

It's a romantic full-moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.

Please, corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas,Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

Shop Chocolate

2008-12-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

There are 18 shopping days left til Christmas. So I thought I'd give you some ideas and some "chocolate" suggestions. What do you give someone who has all they need or want? CHOCOLATE! Go to THE CHOCOLATE SHOP and see if you find something inexpensive, something that you can get online (and not fight the crowded stores), to be delivered to you door (or you recipient's door), and absolutely chocolatey!
The selection includes everything for a chocolate Christmas; books, candy, chocolate, movies, clothing, linens, small appliances and a really cool assortment of stocking stuffers.

Cruise the store and see if there is something you'd like to buy for someone or for yourself.

Give Chocolate for Christmas
Don't forget that you can also purchase the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook for only $3.95.
Buy Now by clicking here.

You can forward the ecookbook to a friend or family member by email along with your holiday greetings.

Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins

2008-11-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well, it's the day after Thanksgiving. No! I did not go shopping. It's insane out there. People were actually camping out infront of the stores overnight to be the first in line to buy whatever it is they were going to buy. I just don't get it. But, that's me. I'll cook and crochet and make whatever comes to mind. If I happen to see something that I absolutely have to have for someone maybe I'll get and then again, maybe I won't. This commercialism is starting to get to me.

So, today, Bob's watching football and basketball. He's got that mighty remote in his hands and switching back and forth between games. I'm watching some old movies on the boob tube, my crocheting basket next to me and I'm sipping some hot peppermint tea and having some muffins. I'm still too full from yesterdays meal to have a full course. Life is nice and peaceful right now.

So, I wanted to share the muffins I made with you and ask you to relax. Sit back and enjoy these holidays. Stop and smell the roses...or the chocolate. Big hugs from me to you.
Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins

1 package plain devil's food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounce) chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup (8 ounce) sour cream
½ cup water
½ cup oil
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped Mexican Chocolate
1 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners, set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs. Blend with a mixer on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down sides again. Fold in the chocolate and pecans into the batter. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups to ¾ of the way full. Bake for 23 to 27 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Carefully remove muffins from pans and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
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You can find this recipe in the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook

Give Chocolate for Christmas

Buy Now by clicking here

My First Truffles

2008-11-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Make Your Own Truffles

If you missed out on the free truffle offer, no problem. Make your own. They are really super easy to make. They’re great stocking stuffers, gifts for neighbors and friends, and party favors for your holiday gathering.

One (or a couple) of simple plastic molds, some chocolate, cream, flavoring, patience and imagination will have you turning out truffles in no time. You can find molds at the craft store or online. They run about 2 dollars or less a piece. I strongly recommend you get a couple of the 12-count truffle molds. You can make one in chocolate and one in white chocolate. You can use regular baking chocolate or you can use the packaged candy wafers. Use whatever is easiest and most comfortable for you. Whatever you do, just put your heart into it. People will love and appreciate it. Make it from the heart not the wallet.

Here are 4 recipes for homemade truffles that you can make in a snap. Now, I like to use molds because I don’t make very good hand rolled truffles. It just seems easier for me. But you can make the filling, chill it, scoop up some chilled ganache filling with a small melon baller and dip in the chocolate cover or nuts or cocoa or anything you can think of.

The four recipes I want to share with you are:

Hot and Spicy Chocolate Truffles
Candy Cane Peppermint Truffles
Amaretto Truffles
Kahlua Truffles

Two are covered in dark chocolate and two are covered in white chocolate. Mix and match to give away. I made the Candy Cane Peppermint Truffles and the Hot and Spicy Truffles. Experiment. Find flavors that you, your family and friends would enjoy. Then just have FUN making them.

Hot and Spicy Chocolate Truffles

Enrobing truffle chocolate
1-pound dark or bittersweet chocolate

Ganache (filling)
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper powder
Habanero Sea Salt, for garnish, optional

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling (stir to keep from burning).
Take cream off the stove, add chocolate and let it sit for 2min.
Stir chocolate and cream together. If the chocolate is not completely melted, return the saucepan to the stove over low heat and stir until melted.
Add cayenne pepper and stir.
Transfer to a pastry bag.
Allow the filling to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
When it is ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before use.

Directions:
Melt your enrobing chocolate. Fill the cavities of your chocolate molds, swirling around to make sure all crevices are filled. Tap mold on counter to remove any air bubbles. Turn mold over melted chocolate container to remove excess chocolate. Scrape the mold around the cavities to remove any remaining excess. Allow chocolate to harden 4 to 5 minutes. If time is an issue, place mold in refrigerator to speed the process.

Fill each cavity with your prepared ganache filling. If you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, remember to allow the filling to come to room temperature. Leave a 1/8 inch space to fill with more melted chocolate to seal the truffle. Scrape off any excess.

Chill in the refrigerator 5 to 6 minutes until the chocolate pulls away from the mold and the truffle has set.

Turn the mold over onto a plate or cutting board. Tap the mold lightly and the truffles should release. If you are adding a garnish topping, swirl a bit of the melted chocolate on top of the candy piece and add whatever garnish you desire. What I did with the Hot and Spicy Chocolate Truffles is I sprinkled some of the Habanero Sea Salt on the melted chocolate. I love the taste of sweet and salty in these truffles. They are now ready for packaging.

Candy Cane Peppermint Truffles

Enrobing Chocolate
1 pound white chocolate

Ganache (filling)
1-pound bittersweet chocolate
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons dark rum

Garnish
1/2 pound candy canes or peppermint candy, crushed

Directions
Melt the white chocolate and prepare your truffle molds as before.

Melt bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a microwave oven. Let cool. Melt butter; cool. Pour cooled butter into bowl of electric mixer and slowly add evaporated milk. Add cooled chocolate and rum. Pour into a pastry bag as before and allow to set up, about 1 hour.

Fill truffle mold cavities. Scrape excess and leave a 1/8 inch headspace. Cover with melted white chocolate to seal. Allow to set.

Crush candy and spread on a piece of waxed paper. After truffles are done, pipe a bit of melted white chocolate to top of truffle and sprinkle with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.

Amaretto Truffles

Enrobing Truffle Chocolate
1-pound White chocolate or Wedding White Candy Wafers (Wilton)

Ganache (filling)
8 oz. dark sweet or white chocolate
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 1/4 tbsp. Amaretto
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Prepare your enrobing chocolate the same as for the Hot and spicy Truffles. Allow to set.
Simmer cream in saucepan. Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl. Add hot cream to chocolate and gently whisk to melt chocolate. Add Amaretto and almonds. Pour mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip and refrigerate until cooled but not hard. A couple of minutes should do it.

Fill prepared mold cavities with ganache, scraping excess and leaving a 1/8 inch headspace. Cover ganache with extra melted white chocolate to seal truffle. Allow to set as in previous instructions. Remove molded truffles and package.

Kahlua Truffles

Enrobing Chocolate
1-pound bittersweet chocolate

Ganache (filling)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks1/2-cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons Kahlua

Garnish, if desired
Espresso Flavored Sea Salt

Prepare molds as instructed with your bittersweet chocolate.

Filling:
Place the chocolate in a metal bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in the Kahlua. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about three hours.

Fill the molds as per previous instructions. Seal with melted bittersweet chocolate. Allow to set. Remove truffles from mold. Dot the top of each truffle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with Espresso Sea Salt if desired.

And there you go. Seems like a lot, but it really isn’t. Once you get into the groove, you move right along and finish quickly. Prepare and plan to save yourself some time. Make one different truffle recipe each day, or plan on one day of truffle making. It’s a great recipe to enjoy making with your children or friends. This is one of those memory-making times that you will enjoy reminiscing about in years to come. Enjoy.

Cupcakes and Chocolate You Don’t Want to Eat

2008-11-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would do the homemade truffles today, but I’m going to wait one more day. Late yesterday afternoon, the mailman delivered a greatly anticipated package I’d been waiting for from Nazarina at Giddy Gastronome. Last week I went onto her site because I absolutely love her artistic and creative design in everything she does: food and soaps. I had to contact her and tell her “I want some of those for my girls.” I could envision her giggling when she responded with “No problem.”

Look at this. Aren’t they the most adorable things you ever saw? The cupcake soaps smell of chocolate and raspberries. Nazarina not only did a great job in sending me the soaps I had ordered from her, but she included a surprise just for me. She added a bar of chocolate soap. She included it with a note saying, “I know how much you love chocolate, but you better not try eating this one! LOL.” It looks and smells like chocolate! Bob was getting a little worried about me sitting there for an hour just smelling soap. It was heavenly.

They are absolutely perfect stocking stuffers.

Here’s one that my daughter Lily wanted. It’s called H2O Required. It smells divine.

And of course, I had to order one just for me. The Asian Energizer. The aroma of Eucalyptus just filled the air as I opened the package.

I ask that you visit Nazarina at Giddy Gastronome for a look at some of the amazing work she does. Even her food posts are always beautifully and artistically arranged and designed. Such a talented young woman. You rock, Nazarina.

After celebrating the reception of my wonderful soaps, I got on the computer and had a note for me to visit her blog. Lord Almighty! She’s given baby chocolate blog 7 awards. I was totally speechless. These seven awards are:

This award now goes to: Michele at Life, Lightly Salted

This award now goes to: Nikki at Nik Snacks

This award goes to: Goes to Adam at Baking with Dynamite

This award goes to: Gloria at Cookbook Cuisine

Goes to Jenn at The Left Over Queen

Goes to Ben at What’s cooking?

Goes to Prudence at the Glass Slipper Cakery

Now I can think about my truffles! Abrazos y besos a todos!

Tea and Crumpets

2008-11-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

I’m feeling very British right now, well maybe not. I actually didn’t make crumpets, but I did make these delicious Espresso Chocolate Chip Scones I found on Megan’s Munchies blog. I like Megan’s blog. The cool part, they are LOW-FAT! With all the eating I anticipate doing over the next couple of months, I gladly welcomed Megan’s recipe. Thanks Meg. You are one cool lady. You and Adam are doing a great job of keeping a watch over us foodies here and making sure that we don’t overindulge.

Of course I couldn’t just eat this delicious scone. I had to drink something with it. Hot Chocolate? Well, normally it would have been a given. But then I realized I would be defeating the purpose of eating this scrumptious low-fat scone. So I pulled out a box of CHOCOLATE tea I had been saving for the right moment. I couldn’t think of a better time than now.

I found this curious Mayan Cocoa Spice Tea at the Organic shop awhile back. It’s by Yogi Tea. The tea mix itself is comprised of cinnamon bark, chicory root, cardamom seed, ginger root, clove bud and black pepper. The chocolate part comes in the form of cocoa shells, chocolate and cocoa flavor, and cocoa powder. It was worth a shot, I bought a box. I set my teapot to boil and brewed up a cup. The minute I pour the boiling water over the teabag, the aroma just filled the air. I knew I was going to like this.

It’s been a week of reflection, transition and adjustment for me. So what better time than this to indulge in something so decadent yet so sensible. Go to Megan’s Munchies and check out her blog. You won’t be disappointed. She is a lovely lady. So for the rest of today, I bid you adieu. I’ll finish up the Tamales presentation on the Mexican American Border Cooking blog tomorrow. And I’m thinking…homemade Truffles for baby chocolate blog next time around. Big hugs to all.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Scones

2/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp instant espresso powder (use more if stronger taste is desired)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients. Pour into a pie plate and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
**********************************
Q. Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous?
A. Because no one wants to quit!

Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

2008-11-16T13:20:00.001-08:00

It's always nice to have choices. While I wouldn't turn down pumpkin or apple pie for Thanksgiving, it's gratifying to know that I can have a slice of CHOCOLATE pie too.

This one is sooooo easy. That's my objective here. To make it simple, delicious, quick and easy for you. NO STRESS!!

Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

4 ounces Mexican Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) whipped topping, like Cool Whip
1 graham cracker pie crust
Garnish options: whipped cream, chocolate curls, strawberries or raspberries

In a saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate in milk. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into graham cracker crust. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Garnish (optional) with additional whipped topping and a dusting of cinnamon. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Use Chocolate Abuelita or Chocolate Ibarra. If you can't find either Mexican chocolate, use German Sweet Chocolate and add cinnamon and a little almond flavoring to it.

If I Could Bake You a Cookie

2008-11-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

If I Could Bake You a Cookie…
It would be heart shaped and covered in chocolate. Delicious and sweet, just like you.

If I Could Bake You a Cookie…
It would be diamond shaped. Sparkling with joyous light, just like you.

Shortbread cookies are super easy to make. Basically one recipe two ways. You can make a ton of them starting now, freeze them and then prepare them with the chocolate cover and drizzle right before you’re ready to put them into pretty little boxes to give away for the Holidays. Be sure and keep some for your self though. They are pretty tasty.

Christmas is the perfect time to show displays of affection. It doesn’t have to cost money, or be difficult, or be a burden to show someone you care. All it has to do is be from the heart, a labor of love. Cookies are so perfect to give to people you care about; your kids, your friends, your neighbors, anyone. Spend your time in the kitchen, not your money in a store. Here are a couple of cookie recipes from my heart to yours. If I could bake you a cookie, they would probably be these.

Chocolate Covered Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups powdered sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2cups of flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together until well combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour and salt and incorporate well. Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for about a 1-½ hours.

Roll dough between two sheets of waxed or parchment paper. Dip cookie cutter in powdered sugar and cut out shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Melt chocolate with the shortening. When cookies are cooled, dip each one in the chocolate and place on a parchment covered baking sheet and allow chocolate to set.

Cocoa Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups powdered sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate
2 teaspoons shortening

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare dough and bake the same way as with Chocolate Covered Shortbreads but instead of using cookie cutters, cut out diamond shapes.

Melt white chocolate with shortening. Drizzled cooled cookies. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and allow chocolate to set.
*******************************
Quote:
If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
*******************************

Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library

Mi Chitas Mexican Chocolate Ecookbook

FREE CHOCOLATE!

2008-11-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

OMG! Can you believe it? Someone's giving away FREE CHOCOLATE! Sure, it's an advertising ploy, but who cares? It's FREE.

Haydee Chocolatier is having a promotional GIVEAWAY. All you have to do is click onto their site, fill in your name and address and they will send you an 8-count sample of their delicious truffles. No shipping and handling charges either. What a bargain. Now, the only sad thing about this is that it is only valid in the US., but hey, if you can get it why not? I found this wonderful offer while surfing through some of my favorite Chocolate Blogs. This particular one is one of my favorites. Heather at Chocolate Bytes, is a blog I check regularly. She finds these amazing Giveaways and Promotions as well as post some pretty good chocolate recipes.

So if you want some FREE chocolate, click on the Haydee Chocolatier site, fill in your information and then wait patiently by your mail box. I am!
********************************************

Meanwhile, here's my giveaway for today. A delicious and easy to prepare Kahlua Cake recipe. There is nothing difficult about this cake other than trying to keep yourself from slicing up another piece to devour.

It starts out with the gorgeous aroma of melting chocolate pieces in the batter, Kahlua (just for you Gloria) and hints of cinnamon and almonds. Ends with a divine flavor that will leave your mouth asking for more.

You can make this as a bundt cake, cupcakes, a loaf, mini-bundts, or even in rounds. Whip up some whip cream flavored with some additional Kahlua (or not) and sit back and enjoy.

I like to make mine in a regular bundt pan with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top. But I also compromise with my daughter with the flavored whipped cream.

Making this recipe into small loaves or mini bundts, makes a great little gift for neighbors and friends for the holidays. This coming week I'll be putting out some more inexpensive gift giving ideas. Time's running short. And there's nothing that says Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, or I Love You, than a gift of CHOCOLATE.

Kahlua Cake

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
½ cup Kahlua
1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips or 1 disk of chopped Mexican chocolate
Powdered sugar
Freshly made whipped cream, optional

Mix first six ingredients then add chocolate chips and blend in well. Grease and flour bundt pan. Pour in batter and bake in 350º F. oven for 1 hour. After cake is cooled, sift powdered sugar on top. Top with whipped cream if desired.
*************************************
Quote:
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.

Give CHOCOLATE For Christmas

2008-11-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Would You Like To Taste The World's Greatest Cheesecake?How about making it at home? We'll Show You How!
Memories of Christmas Eves past swirl through my mind with the smell of chocolate. I'm sure they do for you too. All that baking and cooking and hustle and bustle in the kitchen. Watching my Grandmother and my Mom hurrying to get the Chocolate Atole: Champurrado, a thick and delicious masa-based chocolate drink - almost like a healthy chocolate soup and (you can't leave this one out) the Capirotada (Bread Pudding) ready for when family arrived to start our holiday fiesta.

With the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes Ecookbook, it's easy to turn back the clock and relive some of those wonderful memories created in your Grandmother's kitchen.
So now, it's your turn to make memories of your own with your children, family and friends.
But...times have changed, haven't they? So, how does this sound?
Mexican Chocolate Nachos with Fruit Salsa and a refreshing Mocha Milkshake.

Your kids will love you for making them feel so special. Of course if you don't have time and the kids are having a spur of the moment get-together, the recipes are easy enough for them to prepare for themselves and their friends.

Mi Chita's eCookbook was written with loving memories of my own childhood years. Sharing some of these moments in time have allowed me to keep celebrating my own cultural background and form new ones with my children.Friends and family that enjoy Southwestern cooking and traditions look forward to participating in creating new memories as well.

Mi Chita's does this for you, and more.
You get the story of how the greatest gift Mexico ever gave the world came to be. From the Aztecs to the present.
You get 25 specially selected recipes that guarantee to help make you the Mexican Chocolate Queen (or King) of the kitchen.
You get resources for buying Mexican Chocolate online.
You get a list of amazing books that are recommended if you are a true Chocoholic.
You get a beautiful photograph with every recipe.

Your ecookbook comes in PDF format. This means you do not have to be on the internet to access your recipes. The ecookbook is accessible to all operating systems: PC and Mac. All you need is Adobe Reader and most people already have that on their computer, but just in case you don't, we'll show you how to download the reader for FREE.

This ebook is Not Expensive. We could have had it printed and sold it for $10.00 at the bookstore.But we wanted to share something special with you and help you make new memories of your own.
So, we created Mi Chita's. Purchase it here, without waiting, at the low price of $3.95. That's right – three dollars and ninety-five cents!
Buy Now by clicking here to go directly to PayPal and as soon as your payment clears you will get an email showing you how to download Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate eCookbook and the Adobe Reader should you need it.

We encourage you to purchase Mi Chita's and share the wonderful recipes that you prepare in your own kitchen with your families and friends.

No kids around you say? No worries. Here's a couple of pictures of recipes you can prepare for yourself and that "special " someone.
Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee and Rum Mousse

Can you think of a better way to impress your boss, in-laws, co-workers or neighbors than inviting them to dinner and offering this sweet ending to a fabulous meal? There is absolutely nothing that compares to making someone feel so special, just don't tell them how simple it was to prepare. If they want the recipe, send them here. Before you know it, you and your Mexican Chocolate desserts and drinks will be the envy of All Who Love Chocolate.

FREE RECIPE from Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook

Cupcakes with Mexican Chocolate Ganache

1 box cake mix prepared into 24 large cupcakes

Filling:
1 cup whipping cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Place chopped chocolate in mixing bowl. Combine whipping cream and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate in bowl. Let this mixture stand briefly and then stir until all chocolate is melted and smooth. Refrigerate until chilled thoroughly, about 1 hour. Beat chocolate mixture with electric beater until fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Ganache:
8 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream over both chocolates that have been placed in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to melt chocolate. Cool for 30 minutes.

Assembly:
If you used paper baking cups for cupcakes, remove them from cooled cupcakes and turn cakes over (bottom side up) back in the paper cup.
Fill pastry bag fitted with a plain round metal tip with the white chocolate cream. Insert tip about a quarter of the point into the cupcake and squeeze the bag to fill with about a tablespoon of filling into the cupcake.
Cover the cupcake with ganache by spooning carefully over the top. If it doesn't cover completely, it's ok. If you do want complete coverage of the cupcake, you will probably need to make 2 batches of the ganache.

Finish off the cupcake by adding sliced strawberries or whole raspberries on top (or leave plain if you like, maybe a light dusting of powdered sugar is more to your liking).

This recipe and recipes for all the pictures shown (and more) are in the Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Ecookbook. The holidays are right around the corner and what better gift can you give to a chocoholic or yourself for the price of a cup of coffee? Hope you enjoy the recipe. There will be more coming weeks. BUY HERE

(c) 2008, Teresa Cordero Cordell

FACT: Chocolate IS Good For You

2008-11-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

I know that during the holiday season a lot of chocolate can be found in every corner of your life. Don’t worry about it. Chocolate, despite what you’ve been taught since you were young, is not bad for you. Yes, if you overindulge, like with any other food or beverage, there will be consequences. Use some restraint and practice moderation. With moderation, you can enjoy all sorts of marvelous things in life.

I wanted you to read what the Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society had to say about chocolate. I’m providing a couple of links so that you can continue reading all the Facts and Fallacies surrounding this decadent Food of the Gods.

Top Antioxidant Foods
*ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the ability of foods to subdue harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies. Source: Data from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

ORAC* Grams (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) Units per 100
Dark Chocolate 13,120
Milk Chocolate 6,740
Prunes 5770
Raisins 2830
Blueberries 2400
Blackberries 2036
Kale 1770
Strawberries 1540
Spinach 1260
Raspberries 1220
Brussels sprouts 980
Plums 949
Alfalfa sprouts 930
Broccoli florets 890
Oranges 750
Grapes, red 739
Red bell pepper 710
Cherries 670
Onion 450
Corn 400
Eggplant 390

http://www.chocolateusa.org/Science-and-Nutrition/healthy-antioxidants.asp
http://www.chocolateusa.org/Science-and-Nutrition/science-of-chocolate.asp

Quote:
Exercise is a dirty word... Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate!

Mexican Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Popcorn

2008-10-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

This actually does taste as good as it looks. It's fresh homemade popcorn, peanuts and cashews drenched in a delicious homemade caramel sauce and then drizzled in a decadent Mexican Chocolate ganache. It's perfect for snacking on while watching a movie at home with your better half late in the evening when the kids are asleep. You don't need to go spend an outrageous amount at the movies, stay at home. Of course there's no one watching if you two decide to snuggle up either!

This recipe can be found along with other tasty dishes in my ecookbook, Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes. You'll find recipes for beverages and desserts that can be whipped up quickly for family and guests especially during the holiday season. They're easy and simple to prepare and will have you taking bows when served.

These next two months will be the last time this ecookbook will be offered at the low price of $3.95. Bob and I are already working on a second edition of the cookbook with more recipes and pictures added. This second edition will be offered in print as well as in digital format, but because of the cost of POD (print on demand) the cost will be slightly higher. BUT, the good news is you'll get a bigger cookbook and the choice to have it in print or as a PDF download.

So take this opportunity to get the Mi Chita's ecookbook now before the new one comes out. You won't regret it. Those of you that know me know that I put alot of love and effort into my cooking. I know you won't be disappointed. Thank you my foodie friends.
And, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mexican Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Popcorn

10 cups popped corn
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cashews
1/2 c. corn syrup (white)
Mexican Chocolate Ganache*

Pop corn. Put corn and nuts in roaster and keep warm in oven set at 225° while making syrup.
Boil sugar, butter and syrup over medium heat until it reaches 280° on a candy thermometer. Take off heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over popped corn and nuts. Spread caramel covered popcorn in jellyroll pans that have been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Allow to cool. This will set up quite fast. Drizzle with Mexican chocolate sauce and allow to set.

*Mexican Chocolate Ganache

½ cup whipping (heavy) cream
½ disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped finely (for easier melting)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Kahlua (optional)
Place chopped chocolate in large mixing bowl. Heat whipping cream over medium heat until very hot and simmering but not boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add Kahlua. Pour over chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in cinnamon.

Midnight Delight....For Two

2008-10-26T14:36:00.001-07:00

(Sigh) “Well, I think that was the last of them.”

He looked at her and thought, she goes through this every year. Every Halloween she gets excited upon seeing the little ones all dressed up and Trick or Treating and then it’s over. It makes her sad to wait 12 months before she can open the door to the children again…a reminder that she can never have any of her own.

“Marie, you look so heartbroken every year when Halloween is at an end.”

“I know, it’s just that I won’t be seeing the children for a full year.”

“Yes,” he said with a smile,” that is true. However, you have been giving the little ones treats for almost two centuries now, and you’ll see the princesses, witches and devils for hundreds of years to come.”

“Of course, you’re right,” said Marie. “You always know what to say to brighten my dark moods. It’s barely midnight, what shall we do?”

“Let’s have our own little celebration, what do you think?” he replied.

“Did you have something special in mind?” He’d aroused her curiosity.

“I have a surprise for you.”

He led her into the dining area where he had candles lit, a bottle of wine on ice and a scrumptious dessert for her.

“Chocolate? My Beloved, you said chocolate would be the death of me!”

“I promise, every year so that you might remain happy on Halloween, I will have a special chocolate dessert waiting for you.”

“And then I will have something special for you, my love,” Marie said with a glint in her eye.

A short (VERY short) little story for you by Teresa & Bob. Happy Halloween everyone.)

Midnight Delight, A Chocolate Dessert for Two

Mexican Chocolate Brownies
½ cup all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ round disc Mexican chocolate, pulverized
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, diced, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

For brownies:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°. Generously butter 8X8X2 inch metal baking pan; dust with flour. Mix first three ingredients in small bowl. Stir chocolates and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Let chocolate stand over water.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until mixture thickens and falls in soft ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture in 2 additions, blending well after each. Gradually add warm chocolate to egg mixture, beating until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake brownies until top is set and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
Once cooled, top with a layer of Mexican Chocolate Mousse.

Mexican Chocolate Mousse

4 ounces (about 1 ½ disks) Mexican Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) whipped topping, like Cool Whip

In a saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate in milk. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon mixture over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Using a round cookie cutter (or like in my case, I used a cocktail shaker), cut rounds of the brownie and mousse dessert.

Set on small round plates and top off with Flavored Whipped Cream.
Decorate if desired.

Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Chocolate Vodka

Combine whipping cream and vodka in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form. Fill a pastry bag with the whipped cream and top off your Midnight Delights with a swirling of the topping. Optional, add raspberries of chocolate shards or curls.

Wine: Vampire Wine

Chocolate Shards: Midnight Reverie by Ghirardelli

Marie, Mistress of the Night: Lily

Her Beloved: Brian, Lily’s BF

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Quote:
"Stress wouldn't be so hard to take if it were covered in chocolate."
-Anonymous

Mexican Chocolate Capirotada

2008-10-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, this is the dessert I made with that second loaf of the pound cake I made a couple of days ago. Mexican Chocolate Capirotada.

Capirotada is simply Bread Pudding. Traditional Capirotada doesn't contain chocolate, by hey, I figured it couldn't hurt. Actually, I like this one even better, because of the Mexican chocolate of course. Capirotada is one of those traditional Mexican dishes often served around the holidays. And we're certainly getting close to those glorious days in a hurry, aren't we? So, I figure it's never too early to start my "traditional" baking. I really hope you enjoy my version of Capirotada. I added the traditional recipe at the end for all you non-conformists! :) Enjoy.

Chocolate Capirotada

8 slices of pound cake, cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/3-cup milk
1-teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1 medium granny smith apple
1 cup Jack cheese, shredded
Chocolate Sauce*

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a glass-baking dish.

Place half the pound cake cubes into the baking dish.

Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and brown sugar and pour half of this mixture over the top of the cake cubes in dish.

Sprinkle half pecans, cherries or raisins, apple, and cheese on top.

Add another layer of pound cake cubes followed by the egg mixture and remaining ingredients. Top with chocolate sauce.

Bake 25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve with remaining chocolate sauce if desired.

*Chocolate Sauce:

1 cup half and half
1 stick cinnamon
½ disk Mexican Chocolate, chopped

Combine half and half and cinnamon stick in medium sauce pan and heat to scalding. Lower heat and add chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick before using.
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Traditional Capirotada (Bread Pudding)

8 slices bread, toasted
3 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup toasted, slivered almonds
½ cup unsalted peanuts
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup raisins
1 medium apple, pared, cored, and thinly sliced
1 cup Jack cheese, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350º.
Butter a square baking dish. Place four bread slices in pan.
Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour half of milk, eggs, and sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining ingredients.
Add another layer of bread and repeat as above. Top Capirotada with *Panocha Syrup and bake 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm or reheat, covered, for 15 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Panocha Syrup:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients in a medium size saucepan. Bring syrup to a boil. Lower heat and simmer approximately 15 minutes until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick.

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Chocolate Quote of the Day:
"Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso." (Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)
Spanish proverb

Mexican Chocolate Marble Pound Cake

2008-10-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of the year when my house smells like chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, butter, and cakes and cookies. I’m so excited. I now have a legitimate excuse for keeping the oven busy and the gas bill at its highest.

There are so many recipes and not enough time. I have promised my family that I will really try to think about actual cooking of meals and not just try and serve them dessert for lunch and dinner.

I was thinking about Capirotada, Mexican Bread Pudding. But I didn’t want to make it with French bread. And there is no way (Jose) that I’m going to use frozen store bought pound cake. Not that you can’t use it, I have, but I wanted this Capirotada to be special. Bob and I celebrate our 20th Anniversary this week, and he really likes the bread pudding. So it’s got to be extra special. So, today I made a double loaf of Mexican Chocolate Marble Pound Cake. One loaf that Bob and Lily will be munching on and the other to use in my Capirotada. Check back on Wednesday, I’ll give you the picture and the recipe.

For now, here’s that gorgeous marbled pound cake. I hope you like it. There are so many ways to serve this. You can serve it with ice cream or whip up a little whipping cream and flavor it with vanilla or Kahlua or serve it with fruit. Afternoon coffee and a slice of this heavenly cake will keep the hunger growls at bay and you won’t have to rush through the kitchen to get everyone fed.

To all my lovely foodie friends who wished me a happy birthday, I thank you. I’ve had a difficult week, so your wishes were very special to me. They really touched my heart.

Abrazos a todos, hugs to all.
MARBLE POUND CAKE
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
8 tbsp. Crisco
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 bar Abuelita Mexican Chocolate, melted
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract

Measure and sift flour, salt and baking powder. Cream butter and Crisco, add sugar gradually and continue creaming until light. Add eggs, one at a time, continue beating. Add lemon and vanilla flavorings. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Pour 1/3 of batter into separate bowl and add chocolate. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (or a tube pan). Divide remaining vanilla batter into each loaf pan. Spoon chocolate batter over vanilla batter in dollops. Swirl once around entire pan with wooden spoon handle to marbleize.

Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool before icing.

ICING:

1 box powdered sugar
8 tbsp. cocoa
1 stick softened butter
¼ cup of milk (or more to thin out frosting)
1 tsp. vanilla
Sift sugar and cocoa together. Add butter and blend in well. Add milk a little at a time, mixing well. Add vanilla and beat til smooth.
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Chocolate Quote of the Day:
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
"The Pickwick Papers"

Rats, Cats and Witches Hats - Oh My!

2008-10-13T16:26:00.001-07:00

Rats, Cats and Witches Hats
It’s Almost Halloween

I love Halloween. As the 31st of October approaches, my mind floods with memories of Halloween’s past. All the homemade costumes. All the store bought costumes. The baking, the candy, the Jack O’lanterns. We’ve had so much fun with our kids over the years. Memory-making times. I’ve got a ton of picture that I’ve taken over the years with Bob, my son, my daughter and me all in costume and acting silly, but having a whole lot of fun.

Take this time to enjoy your kids and grandkids. Let you hair down and enjoy the moment. If there are no children in the picture, get together with some friends and party. You don’t have to spend a lot to have fun. What counts is the laughing, the talking, the dancing, and the joy of making memories.

Take a look at these cookies. They’re simple, they’re cute and they’re tasty. If you have kids, let them help. I’ve had my kids and their friends over for cookie decorating parties. Yes, there will be frosting and chocolate on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, but who cares? It can be cleaned and forgotten. What won’t be forgotten are the smiles on their faces as they try something new, like making a cat or a rat out of cherries and Hershey kisses. Enjoy the unofficial start of the holiday season with Halloween. But don’t forget Dia de Los Muertos. We’ll talk about that one later. Wait till you see the delicious brownie and sugar skulls we’ll be making.

For now, make some Rats, Cats and Witches Hats. They’re simple to make.
Here’s what you need.

1. Fudge Strip Cookies, the ones with the fudge bottom. This is the side you’ll be using.
2. A jar of stemmed maraschino cherries. Make sure they have the stems on them. These work as tails on the rats and the cats.
3. Chocolate! (of course) for melting and dipping the cherries in.
4. Hershey Kisses. The kisses will be the heads for both the rat and the cats. They will also be the tops of the witch’s hats.
5. Frosting. Here, you’ve got a choice. You can make some royal frosting and color it the different colors you want to use, OR, you can cheat and get the Cake Mate frosting tubes. I also got a couple of tubes of the frosting gels for the eyes.
6. You’ll need some sliced almonds for the rat’s ears.
7. Some mini chocolate chips for the cat’s ears.
That’s it.

Turn the cookies over on a cutting board with the fudge side up. Melt the dipping chocolate and let it cool down a bit. Meanwhile rinse and drain the cherries and let them dry. Unwrap the kisses. Assemble the almonds slices, mini chips, cherries and kisses. Do it assembly-line style.

Rats:
Dip cherries into melted (cooled) chocolate and lay it on the cookie. Lay a kiss right next to it. Place the rat ears, the almond slices, in between the cherry and the kiss. When you finish making as many as you’re going to make, place the cutting board in the fridge and let the chocolate set, about 15 minutes.

When the chocolate has set, remove the cookies from the fridge and using red gel, draw eyes on the rats. Using frosting, decorate the flat part of the cookie if you like.

Cats:
These will take a little more work, not much though. First prepare your cat’s heads. Cut off the tip of the Hershey Kiss to give it a semi-round face. With a toothpick, gently carve out a mouth and whiskers. Make a small indentation for the nose and eyes. Fill-in the nose and eyes with the frosting gels. I used red for the nose and green for the eyes. Set these aside for a moment. Get a second cutting board and lay out your cookies, fudge side up. Dip the cherries in the chocolate and lay the cat’s head next to it on the cookie. Dab a little melted chocolate onto the bottom of the mini chocolate chip and place on the cat’s head for ears. Make sure your hands are cold so that the chips don’t melt in your hands. Once you’ve made as many as you’re going to make, place the cutting board in the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden. After 15 minutes, take the cookies out and decorate any way you wish.

Witches Hats:
These are the easiest to make. Squirt a little frosting on the bottom of the Hershey Kiss and place the kisses in the center of the fudge cookie. When you’ve prepared as many as you’re going to make, take all your frostings and decorate the hats however you like.

These are a lot of fun to make with kids. Relish the moment.

Cherry Covered Chocolate for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

No, I didn’t make a mistake. I know you normally hear chocolate covered cherries, but not this time. To participate in the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month blog event sponsored by Ley at Cilantro and Lime, I decided to make Piggy Cupcakes. It’s cherry butter cream frosting over Mexican chocolate cupcakes. The recipes aren’t important. You all know how to make chocolate cupcakes and either make homemade butter cream frosting or open up a can of prepared frosting. Easy to decorate. Half a large pink marshmallow for the snout. Make two little slits and insert a chocolate mini M & M in each slit. Cut the corners of strawberry flavored sugar wafers for the piggy ears. Eat the rest. Spread cherry frosting over your cupcake, center the snout, top with piggy sugar wafer ears and add two more mini M & M’s for eyes. Couldn’t be simpler.
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But now on to the important stuff. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Ley writes:

“As many of you may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a disease that affects an enormous amount of people every day, but many of us don't know much about it or how to take steps to prevent it. I'm hoping to promote awareness of breast cancer and its effects by posting information about it here and drawing attention to the issue through the participation of you guys in baking for this event.
What is this event, you ask? Well, it's called "Baking for Breast Cancer Awareness," and I'm asking for you guys to bake something up that promotes awareness in some form. You can bake something healthy, you can decorate your entries with a theme, or you can make it pink- whatever you choose, just make sure it's obviously tied in to breast cancer awareness! I'm not even going to be picky about the definition of "baking"- it doesn't have to be sweet, it doesn't have to be carb-y, and, you know what?- it doesn't really even have to be "baked." Bake a healthy chicken, make a pink trifle, create something that looks like boobs. It doesn't matter. Just make it. And spread the word.”
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While the women in my family have been fortunate enough never to have suffered from breast cancer, we have not escaped the terror of cancer altogether.

Bob, my beloved husband, had prostate cancer 8 years ago. He was diagnosed in April of 2000, after a routine checkup by our family doctor. Even though his PSA was only at 4.5, Dr. May decided Bob should have further testing since his father had passed away from this dreaded disease. (Keep in mind that a normal PSA reading is a 5.) Bob made an appointment with an urologist and Dr. Annabi decided to take a biopsy. One tiny microscopic cell was found. We were told that Bob could choose not to do anything since it probably meant nothing at the moment. Or he could choose one of various treatments.

Bob and I decided to seek a second opinion. We were told the same thing. The decision was ours as to what action to take. We researched the Internet and talked to others who had prostate cancer. After long discussions and a lot of prayers, Bob decided he wanted it out. However small or whatever size it was, he just wanted it out.

Keep in mind that he was first diagnosed in April of that year. The decision to have it surgically removed came in July. That was only three months later. During the course of those three months, the one microscopic cell had grown 1000 %. We found this out right after surgery when Dr. Annabi came out and called me over. He was so animated, I really wasn’t listening. I was crying and wondering what was causing him to be so excited.

He informed me that it had been removed entirely using a new nerve sparing (experimental) technique another surgeon had performed: a total (and miraculous) success.

Needless to say, I give thanks to the Almighty everyday for allowing us a second chance at life. Bob has been president of the Board of Directors of the El Paso Cancer and Chronic Disease Consortium for the past six years. He is a dedicated advocate for cancer research and a loving husband and father.

Everyone is affected by cancer one way or another. Please help us spread the word to keep research going not only for Breast Cancer, but also for any and all types of cancer still haunting us today. Thank you for letting me share this story with you.

Please visit Ley at Cilantro and Lime and join in this most important blogging event.

Birthday Crème Brulee

2008-10-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

My daughter Lily just turned a whopping 19 years old this week. I was prepared to make her a delicious cake smothered in her favorite frosting. It’s always been some type of character or kooky looking creation. But, she informed me that this year what she wanted was Crème Brulee. This really surprised me because each year her choice gets more and more outrageous in what she wants as her celebratory tribute.

My son Michael ALWAYS wants a cherry cake. I don’t think he’ll ever change that. He’s had a cherry cake since he was a tiny little guy, and there’s nothing tiny about him anymore. He’s turning 31, also this month, and is 6’2” and weighs over 200 pounds. But mama always made him a cherry cake.

My baby girl has had a football shaped cake, a jukebox cake, a Barney (remember him?) cake, you name it and she wanted it. This year she asked for Crème Brulee. I asked her why and her reply was, “Well, Mom, you never have a cake on your birthday. You always ask for an apple pie. Why can’t I ask for Crème Brulee?” Well, made sense to me. I guess she’s growing up. She hates the fact that this is her last teenage year. “Why can’t I just stay 19 forever?” Oh boy. She takes 15 hours at UTEP and she works about 30 hours a week. She’s tired, she’s stressed and she wants to stay 19. Don’t we all wish we could keep them little forever?

So Mama made Crème Brulee. This picture is the one from my “Mi Chita’s Mexican Chocolate Dessert Ecookbook”. I didn’t have the opportunity to take a picture of the one I made 2 days ago because it was gobbled up quickly. But I wanted you to see a picture of it and know that the taste and creaminess of this dessert is heavenly. I hope you try it. It’s a very simple and easy recipe.

So, for my baby girl, “Happy Birthday my Angel”. May you reach all your dreams and desires and my God protect you when I can’t.

Crème Brulee

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half & half
8 ounces (about 2 ½ disks), chopped Mexican Chocolate
8 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Cinnamon-brown sugar topping (8 tablespoons brown sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
Amaretto Cherries*, optional

Preheat oven to 300°.
Bring whipping cream and half & half to a boil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Whisk egg yolks and 1/3-cup sugar. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain.Divide custard among 8 custard cups.
Place filled cups in a large, deep baking pan. Add hot water to the pan to come ½ way up the outside of the cups. Bake until custard is set, about 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool 2 hours on a cooling rack.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Sprinkle each cup with 1 tablespoon cinnamon-brown sugar topping. Use a small butane fueled torch to caramelize the sugar topping. If you don’t have one, broil in the oven until sugar turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye though, sugar burns quickly. Refrigerate until set. Serve with a tablespoon of Amaretto Cherries if desired. 8 servings.

*Amaretto Chocolate Sauce with Cherries:

2 cups chopped Mexican Chocolate
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup Amaretto
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon instant coffee
Dash of cinnamon
Maraschino cherries

Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Place chopped chocolate in medium size mixing bowl. As soon as cream mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stir in instant coffee and cinnamon and whisk until coffee is dissolved. Add cherries and allow to stand until cherries absorb the flavors of the chocolate mixture. Makes about 1¾ cups.