Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I hate nuts in cookies. Nuts just don't belong in cookies, breads, or cakes. If I really wanted texture, I'd add more chocolate or oatmeal. I found that slaying a block of chocolate with a hammer and 1" blade chisel was very therapeutic during this recipe adventure.

In this batch, three types of chocolate were used: Ghirardelli dark chocolate, organic unsweetened cocoa, and a dark European chocolate.

1/2 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks, softened)
1 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. organic cane sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. unbleached white flour
1/4 c. organic cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven oven to 375 degrees.

Bowl #1: Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together.

Bowl #2: Cream butter, sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix well.Mix dry with wet, until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Line baking pan with parchment paper and drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about an inch apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I'd taken a few liberties with the basic bundt cake recipe for lack of ingredients in my pantry. I didn't have heavy cream nor buttermilk, so substitutions were used to some degree of success. This produces a dense, yet moist chocolate cake. I used Dutch-processed (contains alkali) cocoa; it doesn't make much of a difference in taste.

2 1/4 c. unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp allspice (optional)
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp instant coffee (or decaf)
3/4 c. hot water
1 1/2 c. organic cane sugar
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 large egg whites1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup soft tofu (optional, or use 1/2 c. buttermilk)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Mixing bowl #1: sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup: whisk together cocoa, instant coffee, and hot water until blended; set aside.

4. Mixing bowl #2: Blend on low speed--sugar, oil, egg whites, and whole egg. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in cocoa mixture, chocolate, and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until combined, scraping bowl occasionally with rubber spatula.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pan; invert onto wire rack. Cool completely.

6. Serve with chocolate rum sauce.

Chocolate Pudding

1 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk cream, milk, and egg.

2. In a medium bowl: whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Add to saucepan mixture.

3. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, whisking constantly.

4. Strain the pudding in a glass baking dish. Stir in butter and chocolate until melted.

5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.

Note: The color will be off from what you're used to. It is ok. This is how it is supposed to look like without any of those unnatural artificial colors. Also, if you don't want a "skin" to form on top of the pudding, you may place parchment paper on top of the pudding as it chills.

Egg Custard

This one recipe that I actually wrote onto an index card before ever trying it. The idea was to create a dough that would be moist enough to withstand being rolled out more than once. The "hockey puck" consistency is one I often encounter when making pastry-like desserts such as this. #1 reason is from overworked dough. This recipe, however, does not yield the flaky crust from using shortening or lard. Believe it or not, I came across this crust from making cranberry bread (a total flop!). It makes a great base for tartlets. 

Crust: 

3/4 stick butter, softened 

1 egg 

1 c. unbleached white flour 

1 tbsp. baking powder 

1/4 tsp. salt 

1/4 c. sugar 

Filling: 

2 eggs 

1/3 c. water 

1/4 c. sugar 

1. Boil water and sugar together until sugar dissolves. 

2. Whisk sugar syrup into eggs. Strain. 

3. Press crust dough into tartlet tins to form an even layer and up the sides of the tin. 

4. Fill tartlet shell with filling 1/2 to 3/4 full. 

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes on a baking sheet until light golden brown on top. 

7. Remove and serve. 

Makes 8 tartlets. I used 10cm loose bottom tartlet tins for this recipe. The removable center makes it easier to unmold the tartlets.

Pumpkin Bread (with tofu)

This is a pretty good dessert to bring into one's workplace. People always like eating healthy things, mostly.

Dry ingredients:

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 c. granulated sugar

Wet ingredients:

2 c. pumpkin flesh, mashed
One 10.25 oz pkg. soft tofu, any brand
2/3 c. milk
4 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Mix wet with wet. In a separate bowl, mix dry with dry. Gradually add dry to wet and mix until blended thoroughly.

2. Grease bread pan with olive oil and dust lightly with flour. Fill bread pan with mixture and bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

3. Let cool on rack before emptying the pan.

Makes 2 loaves.