Chocolate Wizard

List of ingredients:

8 oz of semisweet chocolate chips, reserve 1 tablespoon of for garnish.
20 oz of Mori-Nu lite firm tofu.
1 cup of honey.
1/4 cup of brown sugar.
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
1 graham cracker crust from scratch.
Whipped topping (optional).

Directions:

In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate chips.

Place the tofu, honey, sugar and vanilla extract in food processor or blender. Use pulse button and pour in the melted chocolate while running. Blend until smooth.

Pour into the pie crust.

Sprinkle with reserved chocolate chips and chill for one hour.

Source: Tofu Recipes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
1/4 cup of dried apricots.
1/3 cup of butter, softened.
2/3 cup of granulated sugar.
1 large egg.
6 tablespoons of apricot preserves.
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sift together the flour and baking powder, then set aside.

Chop or snip the dried apricots into pieces slightly smaller than the chocolate chips.

Cover with boiling water; then set aside.

In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and creamy.

Add the egg and apricot preserves and continue to beat until blended thoroughly.

Stir the sifted ingredients into the creamed mixture until it is blended well.

Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips.

Drain the water from apricot pieces; then fold them into the batter.

Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges of cookies are slightly browned.

Source: Apricot Recipes.

A great Halloween recipe, chocolate pumpkin muffins are a sweet treat made from this beloved Autumnal vegetable.

List of ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
1/2 cup of sugar.
2 teaspoons of baking powder.
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
1 cup of milk.
1/2 cup of solid pack pumpkin.
1/4 cup of butter, melted.
1 medium egg.
6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
1/4 cup of nuts, finely chopped.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Form a well in the center.

In a small bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, butter and egg; then add to the well in the flour mixture.

Add the semisweet chocolate chips and stir until the dry mixture is moistened.

Spoon mixture into greased muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of chopped nuts over each muffin.

Bake for twenty minutes, then allow to cool for five minutes. Remove from pans, then allow to completely cool on racks.

Source: Pumpkin Recipes.

Ingredient list:

1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.
4 tablespoons of fresh mint, finely chopped .
48 almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped.
24 figs, halved.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips, chopped mint and almonds, stirring thoroughly.

Press a bit of this mixture into each fig half.

Lightly spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil.

Place the figs on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Fig Recipes.

List of ingredients for this biscotti:

2/3 cups of sugar.
1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
1 tablespoon of grated orange peel.
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.
2 medium eggs.
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour.
1 teaspoon of baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
4 ounces of melted semisweet chocolate.
Grated orange peel.

Preparation method:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of grated orange peel, vanilla and eggs.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.

Shape half of dough at a time into a rectangle, 10 * 3 inches, on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Cut crosswise into half-inch slices.

Place the slices, cut side down, on cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and light brown.

Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate.

Sprinkle with orange peel.

Place on waxed paper until the chocolate is firm.

Source: Biscotti Recipes.

Here’s a great choco pie recipe, including how to make the shell:

SHELL
2 medium egg whites.
1/8 teaspoons of salt.
1/8 teaspoons of cream of tartar.
1/2 cup of sugar.
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
1/2 cup of pecans.

FILLING
1 bar (4 oz) of Bakers German Sweet Chocolate.
3 tablespoons of water.
1 teaspoon of vanilla.
1 cup of whipping cream.

SHELL
Preheat your oven to 300F. Beat the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the sugar, two tablespoons of at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue beating until very stiff peaks are formed. Fold in the vanilla and pecans. Spoon into a greased eight-inch pie pan to form shell, building up sides. Bake for 55 minutes.

FILLING
Melt the chocolate with the water and remove from heat. Add the vanilla and allow to cool. Whip the cream and fold in chocolate mixture. Spoon into the cooled pie shell and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Source: Pie Recipes.

List of ingredients:

3 cups of water.
1/2 cup of sugar.
1 lemon peel twist (2-inches).
6 Northwest Bosc pears.
6 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate.
2 tablespoons of shortening.

Method:

In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar and lemon twist; bring to a boil.

Pare the pears and trim slightly to level bottom; remove core from the blossom end, leaving the stem intact.

Add the pears to poaching liquid, then reduce heat.

Cover and gently simmer about 90 minutes or until tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife, turning and basting occasionally.

Remove pears from liquid and stand on a flat dish. Allow the pears to cool.

Melt the chocolate and shortening over very low heat.

Dry the pears with paper towels.

Holding each pear carefully by the stem, spoon the chocolate mixture over pear to coat.

Allow to stand in a cool place for the chocolate to set.

Serve as desired.

Source: Pear Recipes.

List of ingredients:

1 cup of fondant.
2 tablespoons of simple syrup.
½ lb of semisweet chocolate, chopped.
24 fresh gooseberries, husks on.

Method:

In the bowl of a small double boiler, combine the fondant and 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup. Heat the fondant, stirring with a wooden spoon. The mixture should be light but able to coat the back of a spoon. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the remaining simple syrup. In another double boiler heat the chocolate, stirring occasionally until the chocolate melts.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel back the husks from each berry. Holding the husks, dip each berry three-quarters of the way in the fondant. Place the berries on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until the fondant is firm to the touch, about 30 minutes.
Holding the husk, dip each berry in the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove and serve on a serving platter.

Source: http://www.gooseberryrecipes.org/chocolate-dipped-gooseberries.html

A Norfolk headteacher has said there have been no exclusions from his school since he started rewarding pupils with chocolate for good behaviour.

Dr Andrew Sheppard began the scheme in 2005, since when exclusion days at Redcastle Furze Primary in Thetford near Norwich in Norfolk have dropped from 65 a year to zero.

Critics said he was contributing to childhood obesity and dental problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Ok, this isn’t fondue in the same way that cheese fondue, but it is certainly an interesting eat. Give it a try:

Ingredients:

5 ounces of chocolate, chopped.
1 cup of cocoa powder, sifted.
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
1 1/4 cups of water.
3/4 of cup heavy cream, plus.
1/4 of cup corn syrup.
1 tablespoon of heavy cream.

Your choice of cake, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Your choice of fruit, also cut into bite-sized pieces.

Method:

Sift the cocoa into a mixing bowl and then set aside.

Put the water, sugar and corn syrup in a pot and bring to boil.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sugar solution has reduced by about 30%.

Pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend with a whisk until smooth.

Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over a medium heat.

Add the heavy cream; bring to boil and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate.

Pour into a fondue pot and keep warm.

Source: http://www.fonduerecipes.org/chocolate-fondue.html