Baked Sunday Mornings

a sweet journey through baked: frontiers | explorations | elements | occasions

You are here: Home / Archives for chocolate

Roundup: Mocha Fudgecicles

by Leave a Comment

Our broken comments are working again and we’ve gone back and added previous links! If you have old entries to add just leave a comment in the appropriate Leave Your Links post and we’ll get it into the roundup.

Now for this week’s roundup, Little Baker Bunny continues to go rogue with the always delicious Baked Brownie. And her mocha fudgecicle looks picture perfect.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


In the Oven: Mocha Fudgesicles

by Leave a Comment

We’re giving our ovens a break this week — it’s time for some frozen pudding pops! Posting date is June 16!

Mocha Fudgesicles
 
Print
Author:
Yield: 8-10 pops
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 ¾ cups whole milk
Instructions
  1. Put the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, flour, and cornstarch. Add the egg and cream and whisk until combined.
  3. Place the saucepan over medium heat and slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. After the mixture boils, continue to cook, whisking, for another 2 minutes.
  4. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the butter. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute to cool slightly. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes, whisk vigorously for 1 minute, then pour into ice pop molds. Freeze until hard, about 6 hours. Release the pops from the mold by quickly running some hot water along the plastic surface of the mold (be sure not to let the water touch the pops), then pull the pops out of the mold.

 

In the Oven: Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake

by Leave a Comment

We’re coming back to the classic Baked three-layer cake. This one is a Whopper in cake form. Posting date is May 5!

Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cake
 
Print
Author:
Yield: 1 (8-inch) cake
Ingredients
For the malt cake layers
  • 2 1⁄4 cups cake flour
  • 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup malted milk powder
  • 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups ice cold water
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
For the milk chocolate frosting
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softbut cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
To assemble the cake
  • Malted milk balls for decoration
Instructions
Make the malt cake layers
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
  2. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together into a large bowl. Whisk in the malted milk powder. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
  5. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
Make the milk chocolate frosting
  1. Place both chocolates in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil, then remove from the heat and immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. With the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on medium speed gradually add the butter pieces and mix until thoroughly incorporated. The frosting should be completely smooth and have a silky look.
Assemble the cake
  1. Refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes (but no more), until it can hold its shape. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface and evenly spread about 1 1⁄4 cups of the frosting on top. Top with the next layer, trim and frost the top, then add the third layer and trim. Crumb coat the cake and put the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up the frosting. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish the cake with the malted milk balls and refrigerate again for 15 minutes.
Notes
How to store: This cake will keep beautifully in a cake saver at room temperature (cool and humidity free) for up to 3 days. If your room is not cool, place the cake in a cake saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

 

In the Oven: Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust and Easy Fudge Sauce

by Leave a Comment

Next up on the schedule: a no-bake, frozen pie! Posting date is March 24.

Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust and Easy Fudge Sauce
 
Print
Author:
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Ingredients
For the chocolate cookie crust
  • 30 chocolate wafer cookies (about 6 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the peanut butter filling with chocolate bottom
  • ½ cup (3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon light corn syrup
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
For the easy hot fudge sauce
  • 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (64% cacao), finely chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
Instructions
Make the chocolate cookie crust
  1. In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1½ cups. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar.
  2. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides. You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust.
  3. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Make the peanut butter filling with chocolate bottom
  1. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave oven or in a double boiler (see page 23). Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Put the crust back in the refrigerator while you make the peanut butter filling.
  2. Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and completely smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a clean bowl, use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until the mixture is uniform in color.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once the pie is frozen, you can cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 days.
Make the easy hot fudge sauce
  1. Place both chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolates. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until completely smooth. The hot fudge sauce, cooled to room
  3. temperature and covered tightly, will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm the sauce in a microwave oven on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the sauce is warm; or reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat.
  4. Place a frozen piece of pie on a large serving plate and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of the warm sauce directly over the top of the pie. Eat and enjoy immediately.

 

In the Oven: Millionaire’s Shortbread

by 1 Comment

Next up on the schedule: the “Rich Man’s Twix.” Posting date is January 27!

Millionaire's Shortbread
 
Print
Author:
Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
For the caramel filling
  • 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk (two 14-ounce cans)
For the chocolate glaze
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
Instructions
Make the shortbread
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended.
  3. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6-by-6-inch square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.
  5. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the caramel filling
  1. Stovetop method: Put the sweetened condensed milk in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of boiling water over low heat. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until thick and caramel colored. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat until smooth.
  2. Microwave oven method: Put the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50 percent power (medium) for 4 minutes, stirring briskly halfway through, until smooth. Cook on 30 percent power (medium-low) for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.
  3. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about two hours.
Make the chocolate glaze
  1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.
  2. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.
  3. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so as not to crack the chocolate glaze. Cut into squares and serve.
  4. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

 

In the Oven: Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

by 3 Comments

Time to make pies! Posting date is December 2.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
 
Print
Author:
Yield: One 9-inch pie
Ingredients
  • 1 ball of Classic Pie Dough (½ recipe; page 94), chilled
  • 2 cups pecan halves, toasted
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, folding any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coarsely chop ¾ cup of the pecans. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Whisk again until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.
  4. Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell. Slowly pour the filling on top of the chocolate chips. Arrange the remaining 1¼ cups pecan halves on top of the filling.
  5. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again.
  6. Cool the pie on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

 

In the Oven: Monster Cookies

by Leave a Comment

Next up on the schedule: Monster Cookies (equal parts oatmeal cookie, peanut butter cookie, and chocolate chip cookie). Posting date is September 9!

Monster Cookies
 
Print
Author:
Yield: 36 cookies
Ingredients
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5¾ cups rolled oats
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) M&Ms
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the oats and stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and pale in color. Add the sugars and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  3. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth (about 20 seconds) and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.
  4. Scrape down the bowl and add the peanut butter. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the oat mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
  5. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 5 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out the dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies just begin to brown. Let cool on the pans for 8 to 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.