Dark Chocolate Coffee Food

DARK CHOCOLATE COFFEE

Steps:

• Pour half a cup of milk into a microwave proof container.
• Place it in the microwave on HIGH power level for 30 seconds.
• Remove from microwave.
• Now, melt the chocolate in the microwave on HIGH power level for 30 seconds.
• Remove and keep aside.
• Prepare a mixture of coffee powder, melted chocolate, sugar and a little milk.
• Whisk well to ensure that there are no lumps.
• It should be frothy as well.
• Add a drop of hazelnut syrup.
• Grab a serving glass.
• Put 1 tbsp.
• of the coffee mixture in it and pour half a cup of hot milk over it.
• Mix well.
• Prepare foam in the hot cup of cold milk with a foamer and pour into the glass.
• Sprinkle cinnamon powder over it and serve rightaway.
• Similarly, prepare more glasses of delicious chocolate coffee with the remaining milk and coffee mixture.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, shaking off the excess.
• Mix the chocolate into the hot coffee in a medium bowl and stir to melt. Set aside to cool completely.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, oil, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes. (This batter is fluid and tends to get lumps; mix carefully with the paddle, or even use the whisk attachment on low speed to avoid lumps.) With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl and continue mixing on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. (Don't worry about overmixing at this stage; you need to make sure the batter base is fully mixed.)
• Stir the buttermilk into the coffee mixture. In alternating batches, add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter base. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter should be thick but fluid. Stir or mix by hand to get rid of any lumps; strain if you feel compelled.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the toffee: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the butter, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-high heat to 300 degrees F (the hard crack stage), 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour over the prepared baking sheet and let cool completely. Break into small pieces, then process into a powder using a food processor or coffee grinder.
• For the buttercream: Combine 339 grams of the sugar, the water, corn syrup and salt in a heavy saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium, being careful not to let the flames go up the sides of the saucepan. The target temperature for the syrup is 250 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When the syrup has reached 230 degrees F, run the mixer on medium speed until the egg whites get frothy. Sprinkle the remaining 30 grams sugar into the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed. (The egg whites should increases in size and form soft peaks by the time syrup reaches 250 degrees F.) Once the syrup reaches 250 degrees F, increase the mixer to high speed and carefully pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl, being sure not to hit the whip. Whip the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment. Gradually beat in the butter, a few cubes at a time, on medium-low speed. Mix until the buttercream comes together, then mix in the vanilla bean paste.
• Mix 3 to 4 ounces of the powdered toffee into 1 cup of the buttercream and set aside.
• For the chocolate feuilletine crunch: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt the dark chocolate and milk chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and mix in the feuilletine. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and let cool. Crumble into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• To assemble the cake: Set one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with a thin, even layer (about 1/4 inch) of the buttercream, then spread with a thin, even layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of the toffee-buttercream mixture. Top with feuilletine crunch. Repeat with the remaining layers. Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream.

COFFEE CARAMELS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang; lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray. Set aside. Prepare a large heatproof bowl of cold water that will accommodate the bottom of a large heavy saucepan.
• Place the cream, granulated sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and espresso powder in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugars have dissolved and the butter is melted. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is thick and bubbling and reaches a temperature of 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla and salt. Cool the caramel to room temperature by placing the bottom of the pan in the prepared water bath.
• Pour the caramel into the prepared baking pan and let stand, uncovered, until set, at least 8 hours.
• Lift the caramel out of the pan using the parchment overhang, and slice into 1-inch cubes.
• To finish, dip the bottom half of each caramel into the melted chocolate. Top with cookie crumbles. Set aside until set, about 30 minutes

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix until smooth; the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15-inch rimmed baking sheet and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, white sugar, and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Add in 1/2 of the coffee and buttermilk, and mix until just combined. Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with coffee and buttermilk, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan; smooth into an even layer. Tap pan firmly on the counter several times to remove air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Place cake on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat butter in a large bowl until completely smooth. Mix in cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Mix in vanilla. Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in heavy cream and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream.
• Spread frosting over the cooled cake.

BLACK COFFEE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Beat it all together in one big bowl.
• The batter will be very thin.
• Pour into a greased and floured 13 x 9 inch pan or two 9-inch layer pans.
• Bake 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
• * This is great when filled with creamy peanut butter and frosted with dark chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE COOKIES

Steps:

• Set oven to 350°.
• Set oven rack to second-lowest position.
• Prepare/grease a large cookie sheet.
• Cream sugars with butter and shortening (about 2 minutes).
• Beat in egg and maple extract.
• In a bowl, sift dry ingredients, and add to the creamed mixture; beat until combined.
• Add in the chocolate chips and nuts.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes (don't overbake!).
• Cool and remove to a wire rack.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8 inch round cake pans, line them with parchment paper, and butter the parchment, Dust the parchment with flour and knock out excess flour.
• In medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder and sour cream with 1 1/4 cups hot water and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
• Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes - the mixture will appear to string or ribbon throughout the bowl. Add the sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing about 10 to 15 seconds after each addittion until the egg is incorporated into the mixture. Then turn the mixer to low, add the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.
• Beginning with the dry ingredients, add the dry mixture and the cocoa mixture to the mixer bowl in three alternating parts, ending with the dry. Divide the batter amond the prepared pans. Use an offset spatula to level the batter. Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, rorating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the coffee buttercream: In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool (this takes about 7-9 minutes; however, you can speed up the process by pressing bags of frozen berries or frozen corn around the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl). Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about another 1-2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and coffee extracts and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface, and evenly spread about 1 1/4 cups frosting on top. Add the next layer, trim and frost it, then add the third layer. Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake and put it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up. (This is known as the crumb coating and will help you keep loose cake crumbs under control when you frost the outside of the cake.) Spread the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate it for 15 minutes to firm it up.
• Make the chocolate glaze: Place the butter, chocolate, and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir the glaze to release excess heat. Drizzle glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake about 15 minutes to set the glaze before serving.
• Glaze the cake: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your cake on a wire rack over the baking sheet. Slowly pour about 3/4 of a cup of the glaze over the cake. Use a small offset spatula to smooth it out to the edges. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to set the glaze. Remove from the refrigerator and slowly pour the rest of the glaze over the cake. It should run down the sides in thick streams. You should be able to control the size and length of the streams by the pour. Feel free to experiment, and have no fear n plaing around. This is the fun part, and there is no right or wrong way. Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans. Chill the entire cake for approximately 20 minutes, or until glaze is set, then transfer to a cake plate. Serve at room temperature.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

BEEF CHILI WITH COFEE & DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Grab a medium sized bowl from it's home. Dump in the flour salt and pepper and use a fork or whisk to mix together until well blended. Add in the cubed steak and toss around until every bit of red is covered in a dusting and you've got what looks like a ton of bubble gum flavored marshmallows (but don't confuse them because I don't think it would be very tasty).
• In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil until shimmering over medium high heat. Grab some of the cubed meat, (about a third) and shake off any excess flour. Carefully add to hot oil being sure not to overcrowd the pot. Let each be for a minute or two until browned, the flip and wait. Repeat until all sides are browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the nicely browned meat chunks and pile up in a large bowl or plate. Repeat this process until all meat has been nicely browned.
• While your pot of oil is still hot, add in the onions (if it's looking a little dry, you can add in a bit more oil) and turn the heat down to medium. Give a sprinkle of salt and pepper to them now and grab a spoon and stir them a bit. Let the onions cook, while stirring every now and then until they start to turn translucent.
• Once the onions have cooked down a bit, add in the bell pepper, poblano and smashed garlic (if you ended up mincing your garlic, add it in right after you add the spices, otherwise you may end up burning the tiny particles of flavor). Again, give a nice sprinkle of salt and pepper to the pot. Let it all cook down, stirring when you're not having a taste of your margarita (by the way, you should be drinking a margarita) until the peppers begin to soften (they don't need to be soft and mush because it's going to simmer away on the stove top for a bit).
• In between cooking down the vegetables and enjoying a margarita, mix together your spices. Grab a small bowl and combine the chili powder through the red pepper flakes. Mix them together.
• Once your peppers have softened, pour in that beautiful spice blend and stir. Give a big ol' stir to everything to make sure you've got every bit of onion and pepper and garlic coated with those fragrant spices. You want to keep it moving so you don't burn any spices. Heating the spices for a couple minutes like this will help to bloom them and bring out lots of great flavor.
• After a couple minutes, pour in some of your brewed coffee (about a 1/2 cup) and it will sizzle and steam. Take this opportunity to go in and scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon. Get every last bit up off the bottom and mixed into the coffee and vegetables. Then, go ahead and add in almost the rest of the coffee, saving about a 1/4 cup (you'll see why next).
• Carefully pour the can of tomatoes in (especially if you've got white countertops). Before disposing of your can, rinse it out with the reserved coffee. Add the caffeine water to your empty can, swirl it about to clean off any tomato residue and then add to the soon to be simmering pot.
• Finally, add in the beans and the chipotle peppers. Grab your plate of browned beef and add them to the pot along with any liquid that has seeped out. Combine it all nicely with your spoon and crank the heat to high. When it begins to boil, put the lid on and turn the heat down low. Let it simmer away for 2 hours, giving it a stir every now and then (if you forget, it won't be the end of the world). This will make all the delicious fat in the steak melt into the chili, the flavors will meld and your meat will turn very tender. Use this two hour window to clean up, make a pitcher of margaritas, prep any condiments you want to serve it with and chop your chocolate.
• After the 2 hours are up, if you're still standing, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Sprinkle over the dark chocolate and let it melt in as you slowly stir the giant pot of chili. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
• Serve with chips or cornbread, sour cream or greek yogurt, cheese, avocado, more chopped chocolate...you get the idea...it's chili.