Dark Chocolate Cream Food

DARK-CHOCOLATE CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Whisk yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Bring cream, milk, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour a third of hot cream mixture into yolk mixture, whisking until combined. Pour yolk mixture into pan with hot cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Pour hot mixture over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Strain through a sieve into a medium bowl, then set in ice-water bath, stirring often, until cold. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of chocolate cream, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME

Steps:

• Place the chocolate in a blender. Whisk the milk, 1 cup cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula and almost boiling, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. Cover and hold the lid with a thick kitchen towel; blend until combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed. Divide the chocolate mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
• Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer or in the blender until soft peaks form. Top the chilled pots de creme with whipped cream.

MASCARPONE AND DARK CHOCOLATE CREAM IN WHITE CHOCOLATE CUPS

Steps:

• Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners. Melt the white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each paper liner. Using a pastry brush, coat the chocolate evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the liners. Freeze until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Remelt the white chocolate in the bowl. Spoon 1 tablespoon into each cup and brush over the bottom and up the sides, forming a second coat. Freeze until completely set, about 1 hour.
• Melt the bittersweet chocolate in top of a clean double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. At this point, set aside to cool completely.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, melted bittersweet chocolate, orange peel, and vanilla in a large bowl just until smooth and glossy, about 30 seconds (do not overmix). Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture in 2 batches. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the mousse into the white chocolate cups. Sprinkle the white chocolate curls over the mousse and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight, and then let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix 1/2 cup sugar and flour together in a small bowl.
• Mix remaining sugar and egg in another bowl. Add to flour mixture and mix together.
• Heat milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until warm, about 5 minutes; do not let boil. Stir sugar mixture into milk and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble, about 5 minutes, stirring quickly the entire time to ensure it doesn't burn. Let bubble for at least 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Pour pudding into serving bowls, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours, to overnight.

DARK CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Line crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edge is golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 3-6 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. , Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. , Gently stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted. Spoon into crust. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. If desired, serve with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

SOUR CREAM DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
• Dissolve cocoa powder in boiling water in a bowl; set aside to cool completely.
• Beat white sugar and canola oil together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Stir vanilla extract into creamed mixture.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Mix flour mixture and sour cream alternately into the creamed mixture. Beat cocoa mixture into batter until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared baking pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.
• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth; scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, into the creamed butter until sugar is incorporated. Add salt and beat on medium-high until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Place one cake on a serving plate; spread 1/4 the frosting on the top of cake. Place second cake on the frosting layer; spread 1/4 the frosting on second cake. Place the third cake atop the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top cake and around sides of entire layer cake.

DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in double boiler over hot (not boiling) water.
• Gradually whisk in milk, stir until smooth.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Gradually whisk in sugar, then continue whisking 1 minute, until completely blended.
• Add the cream, vanilla, and salt; whisk.
• Add the chocolate mixture; blend well.
• Cover, chill, and freeze according to ice cream maker's directions.

DARK CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.
• Stir in milk and chocolate.
• Cook and stir over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly.
• Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in butter and vanilla.
• Spoon into baked pastry shell.
• Cool on wire rack.
• Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

DARK CHOCOLATE COCONUT CREAM TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom. Pulse the toasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add the cookie crumbs, granulated sugar, and salt. Pulse until combined. Gradually add the melted butter and pulse until a dough forms. Pat the mixture into and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake until the crust is set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Pour the ganache into the prepared crust. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Bring the coconut milk and whole milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until pale and thickened. Gradually add a quarter of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in the remaining milk and return the mixture to the saucepan.
• Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens (do not boil). Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and toasted coconut. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cooled, about 30 minutes.
• For the almond whipped cream: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add the almond extract, if desired, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Spoon the whipped cream over the tart and garnish as desired.

DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Bring whole milk and 1/2 c sugar to 175 degrees in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat remaining 1/4 c sugar with yolks until mixture turns pale yellow and thickens, about 2 minutes. Beat in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth.
• Slowly beat 1/2 c hot milk from pan into yolk mixture. Pour this mixture back into saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook this mixture over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until custard reaches 175°F on a thermometer and coats the back of a spoon.
• Remove saucepan from heat; strain custard into a plastic bowl with a lid. Add chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate to the hot custard and stir constantly until chocolate melts. (note: I grated my chocolate instead of chopping it so it would combine easier.) Whisk in heavy cream and vanilla.
• Cool custard to room temperature. Seal container and refrigerate until custard is cold, about 4 to 8 hours. (Note: I usually make the ice cream mixture the night before, then chill overnight and make the ice cream in the ice cream maker first thing in the morning, that way I know its cold enough!).
• Pour into an ice cream machine and freeze as directed (I have a cuisinart and it takes 25 minutes).

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix; set aside.
• In a large bowl place remaining cake mix, 1 of the eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Blend 1 to 2 minutes with an electric mixture on low speed until well blended.
• Press mixture into prepared pan.
• In medium bowl mix remaining 3 eggs, sour cream, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup melted butter with electric mixer set on low speed until well blended.
• Add reserved cake mix, beating 2 minutes on medium speed until mixture is smooth; stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour over prepared crust.
• Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until just set and light golden on top.
• Cool completely.
• Cut into bars and sift with cocoa powder if desired.

DARK CHOCOLATE CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Bring cream and half and half to boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot chocolate mixture. Strain.
• Divide custard among eight 3/4-cup custard cups. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set, about 50 minutes. Remove from water; chill 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon sugar. Broil until sugar turns golden, watching closely to avoid burning, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate until custards are set, 1 to 2 hours.