It’s chocolate time! This luscious chocolate mousse is one of my favorite ways to get my chocolate fix. It’s rich and creamy, and it doesn’t require an official chef’s hat. Big bonus in my world of quick-and-easy. Luscious Chocolate Mousse 1 pkg unflavored gelatin 2 Tbsp cold water ¼ cup boiling water 1 cup sugar ½ cup cocoa 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream ½ tsp vanilla Additional cream, whipped, for garnish (optional) Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; stir and let stand one minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved (mixture must […]
Category Archives: chocolate
Chocolate Fix: Cocoa-Coco Muffins
I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for another chocolate fix! Wait. Belay that! It’s always time for a chocolate fix! Last time we made Black Bean Brownies. This time, it’s muffins! Hurrah! I love muffins, and the only “healthy” addition we’re making to these is coconut. This recipe has been in my collection for a long time, and the recipe card should probably be replaced is well used. We make them for breakfast, but sometimes we have them for dessert. They’re always good. My kids love them, and it’s one of the recipes they requested for […]
Chocolate Fix: Black Bean Brownies
I’m a little excited. It’s time for another Chocolate Foray, and I looooove chocolate. (In case you hadn’t figured that out yet.) Black Bean Brownies. I know, I know, they sound weird and suspiciously healthy. I can’t really vouch for the “health” quality except that there is chocolate in them and chocolate is the other food group. Beans are good for you. There is also applesauce. The original recipe didn’t call for it, but the original also turned out very, very dry. Eww. Applesauce makes these kind of gooey and fudgey. And there’s chocolate, of course. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Black Bean Brownies […]
Chocolate Fix: Any-Nut Torte
Do you know what time it is?? It’s chocolate time! This time we’re doing a cake. It’s yummy and it’s easy. (Okay, putting the nuts on the sides is a little challenging, but well worth the effort. Don’t let it intimidate you!) When you make it—you know you want to!—be sure to let me know how it turned out. Send me pictures! ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Any-Nut Torte 1 cup flour 1 tsp. Baking powder Dash salt ½ cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ tsp. Vanilla 4 egg yolks ⅓ cup milk 4 egg whites ⅛ tsp. Cream of tartar 1 cup […]
Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Magic Custard Cake
When I was a little girl my mom spearheaded an annual Baking Campaign that started in October or November and came to a glorious, beautiful, tasty finale at Christmas. She set up a long, narrow table covered with a red tablecloth and decorated with gold tinsel. A basket shaped like a sleigh held old-fashioned, don’t-touch-it, fiberglass “snow” and some of her antique ornaments. She made a beautiful gingerbread house. There were fancy bowls of ribbon candy. But the best part was the cookies. Two shallow, rectangular baskets held rows and rows of cookies. Each row was different, and it was […]
NaNoWriMo 2014!
Greetings, dear readers! It’s the first Friday of the month, and time for A Drift of Quills to get together and chat about books and writing. You may also have noticed that it is November, and November means NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). While Patricia is off flitting about the countryside, Kristie and I are knee-deep into the crazy, wonderful writing frenzy that is NaNoWriMo. Do you know what that means? Hundreds of thousands of people around the world leap headlong into the challenge of writing a novel (50,000 words long!) in thirty days. (Though if I wrote through Thanksgiving Day, […]
Chocolate Fix: Cinnamon Toasties
There is a bag of chocolate chips in my pantry in severe danger of being exterminated. Or… I might break down and make a family favorite. Cinnamon Toasties. Now, they’re not 100% chocolate (I know, shocking isn’t it?) but they are just so darned good it’s hard to eat just one. And they have chocolate chips IN them. In the world of “almost chocolate,” these little items are hard to beat. And they’re ridiculously easy and quick to make. Always a bonus. photo by Boyd Lythgoe Once upon a time this recipe had no chocolate chips. It had raisins. You should […]
Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Molten Cakes
Happy Valentine’s Day! Today ranks right after National Chocolate Day on the scale of chocolate yumminess—even if my husband is jonesing for some soft sugar cookies. Being the dear that he is, he even suggested topping them with our favorite glossy, soft, messy chocolate frosting. Aside from the concoction not being straight up chocolate, what’s not to like? And I have a simple, quick cure for that! Whether you’re a boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife—or even a good friend—you have plenty of time to whip up this decadent little somethin’ somethin’ for Valentine’s Day. Oozing chocolate with the first bite, […]
Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
It’s been a while since we had a chocolate fix—online, anyway. 🙂 You don’t really think I’d go without, do you? I’ve got some serious scrumptiousness lined up for you. I hope you’re not tired of ice cream yet. I’m not. I thought that when the temperatures started going down I’d crave something new (and warm!), but nooooooo … So I have to indulge in one more chilly, creamy confection before winter actually sets in, and then I’ll find something more suitable to the season to share with you. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Chocolate Orange Ice Cream (modified from the recipe at Scoop Adventures)Yield: about 1½ quarts […]
Chocolate Fix: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
In a moment of weakness (or genius), we bought a new ice cream maker. It’s one of those nifty new machines that has a double-insulated freezer bowl with a cooling liquid between the walls—No ice! No salt! “Indulge your tastebuds!” the company urged. So we have been. We’ve had, thus far, Dark Chocolate Sorbet, Chocolate-Orange, Cherry Lane (a spectacular chocolate-cherry invention from my father-in-law), Orange Cream, Raspberry, and Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I’ve probably made more ice cream in the last couple weeks than I’ve made since we got the original ice cream maker for our wedding a loooong time ago. […]