Let's Talk Chocolate ( News Letter ) Fri, 24 Sep 2004, at 1:27 p.m.

This news letter is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission of host Judee.

Welcome back Around Our Kitchen Table. Tonight, We're Talking Chocolate, and we're serious about it! Get ready to indulge, throw those diet plans to the wind for the next hour, and get your coffee cup or milk glass ready, cuz HostFoodJudee has done it again! Yummy, amazing, gorgeous....How many adjectives will you find to describe tonight's luscious chat? Enjoy the Chocolate Fest, friends!

Death by Chocolate Waffles

1 1/3 C. flour
1/3 C. whole-wheat flour
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
1 T. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 C. butter
3 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 T. granulated sugar
2 1/4 C. whole milk
2 eggs, beaten until frothy

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa, baking powder and cinnamon. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, melt butter, chocolate and sugar. Whisk to smooth, remove from heat, then whisk in milk and eggs.

Make a well in dry ingredients, pour in chocolate mixture and blend just until everything is combined. Let batter stand for several minutes. Pour about 1/2 to 3/4 cup batter into very hot waffle iron and bake until waffles are golden and crisp. Serve hot. Makes 4 waffles.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Wafer Crust
Makes 14 to 16 servings.

Chocolate Wafer Crust:

1 (8 1/2-ounces) package chocolate wafers (Chocolate Teddy Grahams can be used)
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter, melted

To make crust, crush wafers. Add melted butter to make crumbly dough. Press into bottom of 9 - inch spring form pan. Set aside.

Filling

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
9 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 (3 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsps. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Whipped Cream (optional)

To make filling, melt butter in top of double boiler over hot water. Add chocolates and heat until melted, stirring until smooth. Beat cheese until creamy. Add vanilla and whipping cream. Stir in chocolate mixture. Beat eggs with sugar and slowly beat into chocolate mixture. Turn into crust and bake at 350 degrees F 40 - 45 minutes, or until cake puffs slightly in center. Cool, then chill thoroughly before unmolding. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Mountain Bundt Cake

1 devils food cake mix
2 large chocolate flavor Jell-O Instant Pudding mixes
1 large package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 & 1/2 cup of water (slightly less)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees stir all ingredients until mixed well (should take a few minutes).

Place mixed ingredients in greased bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick or fork comes out almost clean from "cake portion" of mixture (err to the gooey side).Allow to cool approx. 30 minutes. Turn pan over on plate or in pan.
Great eaten alone or with vanilla ice cream, Best eaten still warm.

Known to satisfy even "hard core chocoholics"!
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Raspberry Heaven

Filling:
12 ounces (1 1/2 pkgs) cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups raspberries

Cake:
1 cup melted margarine
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a bundt or tube pan.

Cream cream cheese with sugar and vanilla. Mix in chocolate chips and set aside. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Beat the eggs, gradually beating in the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Beat in the melted margarine, then the milk, water and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Spread half the batter into the pan. Drop spoons of the cream cheese filling evenly over the batter. Sprinkle raspberries over top. Cover with remaining batter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 1/4 hours.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
1 pk Chocolate cake mix
1/2 c Butter or margarine -- Softened
1 Egg
1/2 c Pecans -- chopped
Filling:
8 oz Cream cheese -- softened
14 oz Sweetened condensed milk
1 ts Vanilla
1 Egg

Heat oven to 350. Grease 13 x 9 pan.

In large bowl, combine cake mix, margarine and egg; mix at low speed until combined. Stir in pecans. Reserve 1 cup for topping; set aside. Press remaining mixture evenly in bottom of greased pan. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy. Add remaining filling ingredients and beat at medium speed until smooth. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.
***End of Recipe***

If you are looking for a great chocolate frosting here is one I think you will like. Not only delicious but easy to make.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

In double boiler melt chips and add heavy cream, mix until smooth take off of heat.
In mixing bowl cream together sugar and cream cheese until smooth, slowly add chocolate mixture. Mixture will thicken up as the chocolate cools.
***End of Recipe***

Double Chocolate Mocha Trifle

"This is a great party dessert for the chocolate lover in all of us. Optional: decorate top with canned whipped topping swirl and shaved chocolate curls. Make sure you get a little of each layer in every serving. Enjoy!" Yield: 15 servings.

1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
1 3/4 cups cold milk
2 (3.3 ounce) packages instant white chocolate pudding mix
4 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons warm water
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee bars, chopped

Prepare brownies according to package directions. Bake and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch cubes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and pudding mix until mixture begins to thicken. Dissolve coffee granules in water and stir into pudding mixture. Fold in whipped topping.

In a glass serving bowl, layer one-third of brownie cubes, one-third of pudding mixture and one-third of candy. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used. Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator before serving.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Cake Surprise

"If you like sinful desserts, then this is for you. You may use pecans instead of walnuts if you prefer." Yield: 1 - 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.

2 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch pan. Sprinkle walnuts and coconut evenly over bottom of pan.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in water, oil, and eggs. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine cream cheese and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Stir in confectioners' sugar. Pour cream cheese mixture in rows (lengthwise) over the top of cake mix. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the batter to create a marbled effect.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
***End of Recipe***

CAPRI CHOCOLATE TORTE

Named for the famous resort island in the Bay of Naples, this chocolate nut cake is one of Italy's few chocolate desserts. It's a specialty of all the fancy pastry shops in Chiaia, the district of Naples closest to the dock where the ferries leave for Capri. The cake is often decorated with a stencil of the island and of a solitary palm tree.

1 1/2 cups walnuts (about 7 ounces)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
14 tablespoons sugar
7 large eggs, separated, room temperature
Powdered sugar

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 deg. F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Line bottom with waxed paper round.

Finely grind walnuts with flour in processor; set aside. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water. Cool chocolate slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and 7 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Mix in ground walnut mixture.

Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until beginning to form soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 7 tablespoons sugar and beat to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites.

Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides and cool cake completely (cake may fall as it cools).

Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Transfer cake to platter. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Cut into wedges and serve. 10 Servings Bon Appetite
***End of Recipe***

Black Bottom Pie

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup rum
4 egg whites
1/4 cup cold water

Dissolve gelatin in cold water, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, mix cornstarch, 3/4 cup sugar, milk, and egg yolks. Cook, stirring, until bubbly and thick. Remove from heat, and add vanilla. Divide mixture in half. Add chocolate chips to one half, and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into pastry shell. Chill.

Stir gelatin mixture into the other half of the hot egg yolk mixture. Stir in rum. Chill until slightly thick.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat to stiff peaks. Fold into partially set gelatin/rum mixture. Chill until mix will mound, then spoon into pie shell on top of chocolate layer. Chill overnight.
***End of Recipe***

Chocolate Apricot Jam Truffles

12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
7 ounces of apricot jam (the highest quality with the least sugar)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
enough bittersweet coverture chocolate to use for covering the truffles (about 14 ounces)

Melt the 12 ounces of chocolate, then stir in the cream, jam, and vanilla to blend thoroughly, (Used a little whisk to make sure the jam is evenly dispersed into the chocolate). **Note: since I wrote this, I found that stirring the jam with the cream and the vanilla thoroughly before adding to the chocolate ensures better blending.

Chill for an hour, and then scoop out the truffles onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and chill for an hour.

Melt the covertures chocolate in a bowl, and dip each of the truffle centers and return to the waxed paper and chill until hard.

If you like apricots and chocolate, you will love these. :-)
***End of Recipe***

Candy Bar Fudge

Yield: 2 3/4 pounds.

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
30 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 tablespoon water
2 cups salted peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar and milk. Microwave until mixture boils. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave caramels and water until caramels melt. Stir in peanuts. Spread mixture over chocolate layer.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine semisweet and milk chocolate chips; microwave until melted. Spread over caramel layer. Chill for 2 hours, or until firm.
***End of Recipe***

Our last recipe should warm you on a chilly winter night.

Moscow Hot Chocolate

1 fluid ounce vanilla flavored vodka
3/4 fluid ounce amaretto liqueur
1 tablespoon instant hot chocolate mix
4 fluid ounces hot milk

Into a coffee mug, pour in the vanilla vodka, amaretto, and add the hot chocolate mix. Pour in the hot milk and stir to blend well.