Chocolate Cooler Food

ICED COFFEE CHOCOLATE COOLER

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and using the ice crush setting, whirl until the mixture is thick and frosty.
• Pour cooler immeidately into 4 decorative glasses and serve.

SLOW-COOKER HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Add the milk, cream, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk until combined and the cocoa is dissolved. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
• Cover and cook on low, whisking every 30 minutes, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is hot, about 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Ladle into mugs and top as desired with either some marshmallows or whipped cream sprinkled with crushed candy canes, or drizzled with caramel sauce.

CHOCOLATE COOLER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine milk and chocolate syrup. Divide into 6 glasses.
• Divide half of the pint of ice cream into the 6 glasses.
• Fill glasses with cream soda, stir until blended.
• Top each with a scoop of remaining ice cream.
• Serve immediately.
• For one serving, use 3 Tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup, 2 scoops vanilla ice cream, and 6 oz. cream soda.

CHOCOLATE ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer at low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and add the egg and vanilla. Beat for about 20 to 30 seconds, just until combined.
• Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, and stir gently until combined.
• Divide the dough in two and roll each into a 2-inch-wide cylinder. Wrap the cylinders in wax paper, twisting the ends to seal them. Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Place baking racks at the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Slice the dough into 1/4-inch rounds. Place the cookies on the sheet pans 1 inch apart.
• Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Switch the sheet pans so that the top pan is now at the bottom, and vice versa. Bake for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pans for 1 minute. Transfer them into a wire rack and let them cool completely.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

SLOW-COOKER HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Pour the milk and double cream into the slow cooker. Add the dark chocolate and milk chocolate, then cover and cook on low for 2 hrs, stirring halfway through cooking.
• Remove the lid and stir again, then continue to cook for a further 15-20 mins. Ladle into mugs and top with the marshmallows, dollops of cream and grated chocolate.

CHOCOLATE MINT COOLER

Steps:

• Put hot chocolate powder in a sml pan & stir in 1/2 cup milk. Heat gently (stirring) till almost boiling. Remove pan from heat.
• Put hot chocolate milk in heatproof bowl or lrg pitcher & whisk in the remaining milk.
• Add the yoghurt & peppermint extract & whisk again.
• Pour the mixture into 4 tall glasses, filling them no more than 3/4 full. Top ea drink w/a scoop of ice cream. Garnish w/fresh mint leaves to get fancy. YUM!
• VARIATIONS: For "Chocolate Vanilla Cooler", use light cream instead of yoghurt + 1 tsp vanilla extract instead of peppermint extract -- or -- For "Mocha Cooler", dissolve the chocolate in 1/2 cup strong black coffee & reduce milk to 1 1/4 cups. Use cream instead of yoghurt & leave out the extract.

HOW TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• 1. Finely chop 1 1/2 to 2 pounds chocolate. Smaller amounts make it difficult to control the temperature changes.
• 2. Place two-thirds of the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place a candy thermometer or digital thermometer in the chocolate and stir frequently with a rubber spatula.
• 3. Do not let the temperature of the chocolate exceed 120°F for dark chocolate or 105°F for milk or white chocolate. When the chocolate has fully melted, remove the bowl from heat. Wipe the bottom of the bowl to get rid of any condensation.
• 4. Stir in the remaining third of the chocolate a little at a time. Let it melt before adding more.
• 5. Let the chocolate cool to about 82°F. It it is warmer, keep stirring and let it cool some more. If it is cooler, begin reheating in the next step.
• 6. Once the chocolate is 82°F, place it back over simmering water. For dark chocolate, reheat to 88°F to 91°F. For milk and white chocolate, reheat to 85°F to 87°F. Remove the bowl from heat once you have reached the right temperature.
• 7. Spread a small spoonful of chocolate on a piece of wax paper. If it looks dull or streaky, re-temper the chocolate, starting with step 2. If it dries quickly with a glossy finish and no streaks, the chocolate is in temper.
• Keeping chocolate in temper
• Once melted chocolate has been tempered, it must be used before it cools and sets. If it cools to about 84°F to 86°F and is still fairly liquid, it can be reheated to a liquid consistency. If it has completely cooled and solidified, it should be re-tempered. Heat it for 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring and checking the temperature before reheating. For dark chocolate, reheat to 88°F to 91°F. For milk and white chocolate, reheat to 87°F to 88°F. If you keep your chocolate within these temperature ranges, it will stay in temper and be liquid enough to use.
• Easy alternatives to tempering chocolate
• Several products exist for those who do not want to temper chocolate. They are called confectionery coatings, coating chocolate, summer coating, or chocolate bark coatings. They are usually made of vegetable fats that melt smoothly and set up quickly to a finish that is very similar to tempered chocolate. They may not contain actual chocolate. Nothing can perfectly duplicate the taste and mouth-feel of tempered chocolate, but quality coatings can be good substitutes. They can be cooled and reheated quickly, and as often as necessary.