German Chocolate Food

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE

Steps:

• For the batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy with an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce to a low speed. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut flakes and pecans, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, vanilla, egg yolks and evaporated milk. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Stir constantly. Let the mixture boil for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the coconut and chopped pecans mixture. Stir until completely incorporated. Put in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to cool and thicken.
• For the frosting: In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cocoa powder with an electric hand mixer on medium-high until light and creamy. Add in the vanilla. Add in the milk. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing between each addition. Add more milk as needed until you reach the desired consistency. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble, pull out the centers of the cooled cupcake with a cupcake corer. Fill with the coconut pecan filling. Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Place a small amount of coconut pecan filling on top for garnish.

SUNNY'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a stand mixer or large bowl using a hand mixer, blend the butter, both sugars, vanilla and eggs. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and blend until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and pecans.
• Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with 14 or 15 paper liners.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In a third bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk and flour mixtures alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Don't overmix! Fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to be sure it's mixed.
• Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. (I use a 2-inch ice cream scoop.) Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
• Coconut Frosting:
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the evaporated milk, brown sugar, and egg yolks and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. If the mixture looks a bit curdled, beat it vigorously with a whisk. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, coconut, almonds, pecans, and salt. Allow to cool for about an hour. Frost the cupcakes with a knife or small metal spatula.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
• Microwave the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl on high power for 45 seconds; remove and stir. Microwave again at high power in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted completely; set aside.
• Beat the granulated sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the milk, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just incorporated. Add half the milk, and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, making sure not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, run a thin spatula around the edges and then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (They will have a sugary "crust" on the top. This is from the melted chocolate and is not a problem. It will soften once the cake is assembled or if the layers are baked the day before.)
• For the filling: While the cakes cool, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Finely chop. Whisk together the milk and egg yolks in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes. (It will be similar to the thickness of eggnog.) Pour the mixture into a large bowl. (Don't worry if it seems thin. The coconut and nuts will bind it.) Stir in the coconut and pecans; set aside to cool.
• For the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Let stand a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth; let stand at room temperature (or put in the refrigerator if your kitchen is hot) until thick but not set, 20 minutes to 1 hour. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cream to the chocolate mixture, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat, or it will become hard and grainy). The frosting should hold medium peaks and will continue to firm up a bit as it stands. Spoon about 1 cup frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• To assemble: Put one cake layer right-side up on a serving plate, and top with half the filling. Top with the second cake layer and the remaining filling, spreading it to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Frost the sides, and decorate around the top edge of the cake with the frosting in the pastry bag.
• Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. Unwrap and serve.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture. Add coconut, chocolate and pecans and mix to just combine.
• Portion the dough in 2 tablespoon scoops and roll them into balls. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until dry on top but still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately tap the sheets against a work surface to deflate them slightly. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.