Ingredients for Chocolate Dough

• 2¼ all purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetend cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp chocolate extract

Ingredients for Vanilla Dough

• 3 all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

In a bowl, combine flour, [cocoa],  & salt.

In a mixer, beat butter &  sugar. Add the egg and the chocolate/vanilla extract

Add the flour mix, and beat until combined. With your hands form a ball. Flatten ball and refrigerate for at least an hour.

—-

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Place half of the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll.

Use Cookie cutter to cut shapes.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack and transfer into a sealed container.

Comments

I made both vanilla and chocolate the previous day. Right out of the fridge the dough was not elastic enough. once the dough was warm it was too soft… I kept the dough inside the fridge between batches.

To make the bears cookies, I used a simple round cutter to cut the bear’s face.

I used one of my small leaf shapes to cut the ears.

Then used the “other” dough for the facial details by rolling the dough into thin “worms” and carefully placing them on the bear’s face.

This process took a really long time. Even though it looked really cute, I am not sure it was worth the effort… I also made a few batches of single flavor dough with a simple cookie cutter, and the kids (ages 6-7) liked them just as much.

This dough even in one flavor was  a big hit with anybody who tried it.

Rating:  

I used an Ikea Danish Cake Mix, and used this filling for half of the dough. It was a great hit.

1/3 cup sugar
1/8 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg white, beaten until foamy
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Make the chocolate streudel
1. In a medium bowl or a food processor, mix the sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, and cinnamon together. Cut the butter in with your fingers or process until crumbly.

Assemble the coffee cake
1. Punch down the dough and turn it out on a lightly floured board and knead lightly until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Cut the dough in half. Roll one half into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Spread evenly with half of the Chocolate Streusel. Roll up and place, seam side down, on a buttered baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, placing the loaf on a separate buttered baking sheet.

2. With clean scissors, snip each loaf at 3/4-inch intervals, cutting three-fourths of the way through the dough. Starting at one end, pull and twist each cut slice on its side to lie flat on alternate sides. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush the loaves with the egg white and sprinkle with the nuts. Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 325°F (160°C), and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the loaves to wire racks to cool completely. Cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices to serve. Or, wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.

Rating:  

(Still need to figure out how to make the chocolate more runny)


My older girl loves loves chocolate lava cakes. This is a spin on the traditional recipe, but we make it in a muffin pan.

Servings : Makes a 12 mini lava cakes
Preparation Time : 15 Minutes
Cooking Time : 10 Minutes
Equipment: traditional metal 12 muffin pan

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. Bitter-Sweet or Semi-sweet Chocolate (60% or 70%)
4 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate (100%)
4 oz. Butter
4 Eggs Separated
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Flour
Butter for muffin pan

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Melt chocolate and butter slowly in the microwave.  When all the chocolate melts put aside to cool.
3. In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites and sugar, until it creates white foam.
4. Add in the yolks, and melted chocolate
5. Add the flour.
6. Butter the muffin pan.
7. Use ice cream scooper to scoop batter into the muffin pan.
8. Cook for about 10 minutes.

NOTES:

You can prepare the cake recipe ahead of time. After all ingredients are combined, cover the mixer bowl, and refrigerate. 30 minutes before you plan to serve, heat the oven to 350, butter the pan, and scoop the batter into the pan. bake for 10-12 minutes and serve.

I was able to double the amounts without too many mishaps.

When melting the chocolate in the microwave one should be really careful not to overheat the mixture! It ruins the chocolate. Be patient. Work slowly. Use 30-50% heat. Mix/check every 25-30 seconds.

Rating:  

This is a favorite of my family. I make way too many, freeze leftovers when they cool in a Ziploc bag, and the girls eat them from breakfast, or a quick snack.

Servings : 40  small pancakes
Preparation Time : 5 Minutes
Cooking Time : 30 Minutes
Equipment: nonstick square pan

INGREDIENTS :

1 ¾ cups flour

4 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

2  cups ButterMilk

½ cup mini chocolate chips

PREPARATION:

1. In a medium bowl stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl stir the eggs and buttermilk.
3. Add at once the wet ingredients into the dry.
4. Stir until combined.
5. Add the mini chocolate chips. (Do not over mix).
6. heat pan over medium heat.
7. When pan is hot, using a small ice cream scooper, pour mixture on the pan.
8. Flip pancakes. Pancakes are ready to be flipped when have bubbly surface, and slightly dry edges.
9. Remove pancakes. Pancakes are ready to be removed from the pan when the edge that touches the pan turns brown.
10. Serve. Cool leftovers. Freeze in a Ziploc bag.

NOTE:

To unfreeze pancakes, wrap a few in paper napkin and heat on low capacity in the microwave.

Rating:  

Servings : 36 cookies
Preparation Time : 25 Minutes
Cooking Time : 30 Minutes
Equipment: 3 Silpat baking mat (or parchment paper) covered cookie sheets

INGREDIENTS :

4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)

1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks (or chips)
1 cup walnuts (optional)

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 380 F with the racks on the lower third and upper third.
2. Coarsely chop the 4 oz bittersweet chocolate and the 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, and place in a microwavable bowl with the 6 tbsp of butter.
3. Carefully melt the chocolate and the butter  in the microwave (start with a minute on half or less power). Stir and return to microwave, gradually heating and mixing the mixture until smooth.
4. In a mixer bowl place the melted chocolate and butter with the sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment until combined.
5. Add one egg at a time
6. Add vanilla and chocolate extract
7. Add flour and salt. Mix until combined. Add chocolate chunks/chips and nuts.
8. With a small ice cream scooper (1.5 inch)  form balls on the cookie sheets.
9. Start by baking for 7 minutes on lower rack. Move to higher rack and bake for 7 more minutes
10. Cool on cookies cooling wire
11. When completely cold transfer to airtight container.

A certain blond is really fond of lava cakes so I am working on perfecting a recipe for her.

Servings : 6
Preparation Time : 15 Minutes
Cooking Time : 14 Minutes
Equipment: 6 four inch ramekins

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz Dark Bittersweet Chocolate (Ghirardelli)
5 tbsp butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 eggs

PREPARTION:

1. Preheat oven to 425 (F).
2. Grease 6 ramekins
3. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl (50% for 1-2 minutes) and stir with whisk until all melted.
4. Add sugar and flour
5. Add eggs
6. Using an ice cream scooper place blended batter in buttered ramekins
7. Bake for 14 min (or until cakes are firm around the edges but soft in the center)
8. Let the cakes cool for a minute, then run a knife around the cakes and invert them on small plates.
9. Serve immediately.