Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I came across this recipe in AllRecipes when I was having an bad attack of chocolate craving. These cookies were nice. I used local baking cocoa, which may be why the texture is a tad bit dry. But the recipe wasn't kidding about it being chocolatey!

Ingredients:
2 cups All purpose flour
3/4 cup Baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Butter ; or margarine; softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

Instructions:
1. PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

2. COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chunks. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Cocoa Brownies

I never thought cocoa brownies will taste this good and stay so moist. I've always attempted recipes which use baking chocolate, in addition to cocoa powder, but this recipe by Alton Brown beats all the previous ones I've made.

For the love of brownies, do try this out!

Ingredients:
Soft butter ; for the pan
Flour ; for dusting pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar ; sifted
1 cup brown sugar ; sifted
8 ounces Butter ; melted
1 1/4 cups cocoa ; sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour ; sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Butter and flour bottom of an 8-inch square pan. Sift sugar individually.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean.

When it's done, remove pan to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool. For clean cut pieces, refrigerate before cutting.

This recipe yields 16 brownies.

Chocolate Mousse

My parents went out to a dinner event the other night. When they got home, my dad was raving about the mousse served at the dinner. Now, mousse is a dessert I've been thinking of making.. just not so soon. However, with the dinner fresh in my parents' minds, I figured if I made the mousse now, I'll be able to glean some comparison with the professionally made mousse.

I came across this post in David Lebovitz's blog and decided to purchase some pasteurised eggs. The mousse had great texture. Only thing was, it was really way too sweet for me. Definitely cut down on the sugar if you intend to attempt this recipe.

This recipe is adapted from here and serves 3.

Ingredients:
43 grams semisweet chocolate ; chopped
43 grams Unsalted butter ; cut into small pieces
1/12 cup dark-brewed coffee
1 large eggs ; separated
43 grams sugar
1/2 tablespoons dark rum
1/4 tablespoon Water
1/4 pinch salt
1/4 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Heat a saucepan 1/3 full with hot water, and in a bowl set on top, melt together the chocolate, butter and coffee, stirring over the barely simmering water, until smooth. Remove from heat.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.

3. In a bowl large enough to nest securely on the saucepan of simmering water, whisk the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, rum, and water for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, like runny mayonnaise. (You can also use a handheld electric mixer.)

3. Remove from heat and place the bowl of whipped egg yolks within the bowl of ice water and beat until cool and thick, as shown in the photo above. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape. Whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla. Beat until stiff.

5. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated, but don''t overdo it or the mousse will lose volume.

6. Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl or divide into serving dishes, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.

Storage: The mousse au chocolat can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Happy Birthday Pa

Delectable Brownies

I remember the first time I made brownies. I just came back from university and was in one of my baking phase. I passed a few along to my relatives and my cousin (bless her!) told me she loved it. I still have that old recipe but I am going to try out new ones to compare and contrast. This particular one makes very moist brownies, with quite an intense chocolate flavour. I don't like my desserts very sweet, so these brownies are just nice for my tastebuds. Put in more sugar if you like very sweet desserts. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Yields 8 big brownies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
5.5 ounces quality sweetened dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
4 ounces butter (1/2 stick)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 177 degrees.
2) Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 8.5x6x2.5 pan.
3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder. Add in the walnuts. Prepare a large sized double boiler. Place the chocolate, the butter, and the instant coffee granules in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined and remove the bowl from the pan. Mixture should be room temperature.
4) Add two eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the remaining egg and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
5) Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt/walnut mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula fold the dry into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.
6) Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake the brownies for 25 minutes (rotate the pan half­way through baking) and check to make sure the brownies are completely done by sticking a toothpick into the center of the pan. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Cool the brownies completely before cutting and serving.