Day four of The Twelve Days of Chocolate Christmas Cookies brings a chocolate bar cookie to your dessert table.  These bar cookies have been a staple in my Mom’s kitchen and now mine since the recipe first came out.  I kid you not when I say I make a pan of these a week from Thanksgiving through New Years.  It is not an exaggeration.  Everyone loves these!  They are easy, rich and addicting.  You can change the chocolate up and do milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate.  I have also substituted mint chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips.  The world is your oyster, or I guess in this case, the world is your cookie.  If you are feeling truly decadent…serve a nice chunk of these Seven Layer Chocolate Cookie bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  If you do the mint chocolate chips, a scoop of peppermint ice cream will make you swoon!

Seven Layer Chocolate Cookie Bars

Makes 24 Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed
1 cup finely chopped nuts of your choice (I like walnuts)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I like to use dark chocolate, chopped.)
1 cup white chocolate chips (I use white chocolate chopped.)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F. Line a 9″x 13″ pan with foil or parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan. In order, sprinkle the nuts, chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into small bars.

Seven Layer Chocolate Cookie Bars

Sweet dreams tonight!

Annmarie Kostyk

Red Sanding Sugar

It’s already day three of The Twelve Days of Chocolate Christmas Cookies!  Today we’re doing chocolate sugar cookies.  I’ve tried numerous times to make a rolled out sugar cookie with cocoa and it just never seems to work.  This is a recipe based on a recipe from Martha Stewart.  I like to use red, green and clear sugar crystal for the top.  It

Lars' Own Pearl Sugar

makes them a bit festive.  There’s also something called Lars’ Own Pearl Sugar that looks beautiful on these cookies.  It looks like the have a dusting of snow on them.  Of course, you can also leave them plain or dust with powdered sugar after they cool.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/2 t vanilla

optional: sanding sugar (I used red, green and clear mixed together) or Lars’ Own Sugar Pearls for sprinkling on cookie dough prior to cooking, and/or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to add to mix, or powdered sugar to dust on top when cooled

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in butter. Beat again until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips , if desired, by hand.

Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat, 6 cookies per sheet. Using your hand, quickly and gently pat them slightly flat. Sprinkle sanding sugar or Lars’ Own Pearl Sugar on top of the cookie dough. Bake until edges are firm, 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Enjoy!

Annmarie Kostyk

Day two of The Twelve Days of Chocolate Christmas Cookies! This is an updated recipe of my Nana’s Pecan Tassies, but with a chocolate crust and some chocolate in the filling to push it just over the edge.  They’re little chocolate pecan pies in a chocolate crust.You’ll love these.  They were always the first cookie I ate in my Nana’s Christmas cookie tin, and everyone else’s for that matter, over the holidays.  I suggest a double batch.    How could you go wrong?

Chocolate Pecan Tassies

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Combine the flour and cocoa. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, for filling, combine the brown sugar and butter in a small bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Roll cream cheese mixture into 1-in. balls. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Spoon filling into cups.
Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans to wire racks.

yum!

Annmarie Kostyk

Chocolate Pecan Tassies

Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved Christmas!  Not just for the gifts either.  At a young age, I knew what was important in life.  I remember the first snow falls every year, fresh cookies made by my Nana, the traditional Ukrainian  Christmas Eve dinner, the bubble lights on my Baba’s tree, all the ornaments on our tree that were all ruined in a basement flood, the heat of the kitchen, my Mom’s huge Christmas Day dinner, hiding in the corner with the tin of rum balls, a splash of wine at dinner in my water, grossly overdone outdoor Christmas decorations, Christmas movies, chocolates galor and my lines from my kindergarten play (10 days til Christmas.  Time to find a tree.  Looking for a cedar.  That’s the job for me. – Acted out, of course.  Probably overacted if I know me. ) If you know me well, you know I’m already all over the Christmas feel good movies on TV every night.  I’ll watch them until they stop just after the holidays, over and over again…snuggled under a blanket like it’s the first time I’ve watched them.  Just like a child.  Give me a fire and some hot chocolate with it and I’m good for an entire month… an easy to please date.

So I bring you the Twelve Days of Christmas Chocolate Cookie Recipe Series.  I’m starting early because, well, just because.  One recipe a day through the end of November.  This way you can collect them all and then make them over the course of December. Plan ahead.  Make a bunch.  I’d still rather have something that someone made me than bought for me for Christmas.  Gifts coming from the heart are always the best.  Someone not only thought of you, but took the time to make something for you.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside anytime of year and I’m sure you’ll brighten a lot of people’s lives.  Enjoy and don’t forget to pace yourself!

One the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

Chocolate Gingerbread People

Makes 36 Cookies (depending on size of cookie cutter-politically correct)

Ingredients:

Gingerbread People:
3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray.)

Decorating Frosting:
2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Directions:

Gingerbread People: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses.  Beat until well combined. Melt chocolate in a double boiler.  Add chocolate to mixture and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat and set aside while you roll out the dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out cookies.  With an offset spatula lift cut out cookies onto baking sheet, placing cookies about 1 inch (2.54 cm) apart. If you are hanging cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at top of cookies with straw or end of wooden skewer.

Bake for about 8 – 12 minutes depending on the size of cookies. Small ones will take about 8 minutes, larger cookies will take about 12 minutes. They are done when firm and edges are just beginning to brown.
Remove cookies from oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minutes. When firm enough to move, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Decorating Frosting: In a medium bowl, cream butter until smooth and well blended.  Add vanilla extract. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl and beater. Add milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).  Add a little more milk if too dry. Place frosting in pastry bag fitted with decorative tip and decorate gingerbread people as desired.

Delicious little people!

Annmarie Kostyk

Chocolate Gingerbread People

Cuppa

I sit here in Chicago on a blustery, but sunny, day all deck out in my British attire.  I’ve got on my fisherman’s knit sweater and my Wellies drinking my Yorkshire Gold Tea (with cream, of course).  Getting ready for the third season of Monarch of the Glen this afternoon.  Salty Chocolate Shortbread in the oven.  I’m a Brit in the making!  Today we finish up part four of chocolate crimes.  Thought I would take a different angle today for a bit of excitement.  I bet I got you all excited about more British chocolate crime while I was setting the mood.  Sorry.  Today we’ll be everywhere!

Drinking Chocolate

Murder.  Got your attention.  Yes, there were some serious crimes involving murder and chocolate in America.  Interestingly enough, since high quality chocolate is very bitter, you cannot taste poisons that may be added to it.  You have to remember that during this time, all chocolate was of a high quality, chocolate candy had not yet gone mainstream.  The earliest report of death by chocolate did happen in Britain.  King Charles II died in 1685 after eating a dish of chocolate that was served to him by a footman of the Duchess of Portsmouth.  Turns out the death of Charles was not from poisoned chocolate, but from kidney disease.  Death by chocolate sounds so much more exciting though!

Arsenic

Boston, 1735 – Murder is attempted on a wealthy family of four.  Arsenic was added to the family’s skillet of chocolate which they enjoyed daily at breakfast.   No telling who added the arsenic to the chocolate.  The physician attended to the family in time and saved their lives.

1750, the New York Post reviews a story from the year before about the Turkish Pasha of Rhodes to massacre the Knights of Malta by poisoning the knight’s water supply used to make their coffee and chocolate.  The plot was uncovered before any lives were taken.  Should this plan have succeeded, the Pasha would have received life in prison.

Frederick, King of Prussia

Prussia, 1790 to1792 – Numerous assassination attempts were made on Frederick, the Great King of Prussia.  Oddly enough, Frederick was a forgiving soul.  Those who attempted to kill him were let go since they had not succeeded.  A few people always had to try Frederick’s drinking chocolate before he consumed it.  He was a little anxious about the whole thing.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Of course, there has to be a chocolate crime involving love and murder.  If it isn’t power, it’s love.  What would a chocolate crime story be without on involving Napoleon Bonaparte?  The culprit?  Napoleon got around.  It was a mistress called Pauline Riotti.  Napoleon promised Pauline marriage and he didn’t marry her.  He also promised to take care of her and his child.  He did not.  I suppose you know what happened. Bonaparte frequented a monastery that Pauline had been taken to when she became destitute.  Napoleon was a foodie and loved his morning chocolate drink. Pauline decided to prepare Napoleon’s chocolate drink and add a bit of poison.  Ah, a woman scorned.  Fortunately for Napoleon, the kitchen staff was on its toes and saw Pauline add something from her pocket to the chocolate drink.  A note was sent to Napoleon’s guard.  Napoleon called for the person who prepared the chocolate and made Pauline drink it.  She fainted, convulse and died within an hour.  The cook was rewarded with a pension. Napoleon was left unmoved by the entire event.

Silver Plated Chocolate Pot with Ivory Handle

Carlisle, Pennsylvania 1879 – Mr. Wynkoop and Mrs. Zell conspire to murder Mrs Mary Kiehl. Mrs. Kiehl was in her 81st year.  She became ill and after suffering for three days, she died.  The cause?  Death by chocolate.  Mrs. Kiehl had a fondness for both coffee and drinking chocolate.  Turns out that there was arsenic present in both her coffee and chocolate pots after an investigation.  The body of Mrs. Kiehl was exhumed and her organs were tested for arsenic poisoning.  CSI in the 19th century!  Conclusion?  Mrs. Kiehl was murdered through ingesting arsenic.  Who did it?  It wasn’t the butler.  It was a man called Wynkoop, the town’s Justice of the Peace, who was brought in fro questioning.  Why?  He wanted Mrs. Kiehl to leave her money to him, she decided it should go to a relative instead.  Mr. Wynkoop was released on $5,000 and Mrs. Zell was arrested and put on trial.  There are no records to find out how it all ended.

Dark Chocolate Bar

Something scary?  In the 19th century, attempted death by chocolate was an accident.  Hundreds of people became ill after eating chocolate bars wrapped in green paper. Turns out that green pigments used in printing at that time had traces of arsenic in it.  Remember how I told you that chocolate is a sponge and must be stored properly or it absorbs flavors and tastes of other foods?  Well, it absorbed the arsenic from the ink in the paper.  No one died, but a lot of people became very sick.

I hope you enjoyed the series on chocolate crimes.  Not sure what next week will bring, but I enjoy it that way!  I hope you do too.

Annmarie Kostyk

The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger

Since a lot of the chocolate crimes happened in Britain, I thought I’d share one of my favorite shortbread cookie recipes with you.  It’s from The book Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger (of Scharffen Berger) and Robert Steinberg.  You really can’t go wrong with cocoa and salt.  They were born to be together.  Enjoy and please pass the recipe on!  Cookie baking season is almost upon us!

Salty Chocolate Shortbread

(adapted from Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg)

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon course sea salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix together the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until light colored and fluffy. Add in the vanilla.

Slowly add half of the flour-chocolate mixture and mix on low speed. Add the rest of the flour and cocoa and mix until just combined. Stir in the salt. The batter should form a kind of doughy ball. If needed, at this point you can refrigerate the dough for up to a week, but no refrigeration is required.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters or a knife, cut the dough into whatever shape you want. I used a small glass to make circles. Sprinkle a few grains of coarse sea salt on top of the cookies for extra salty deliciousness.

Place the cut-out cookies onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway. They should be slightly firm but not hard when done. Let cool on wire racks.

You can store these in an airtight container for up a week. They are nice warm and soft straight from the oven, but also develop a deeper flavor and texture over a few days.

Scharffenberger Salty Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate crimes weren’t just limited to London, England. They happened in North America too. All of the crimes listed here were reported in various newspapers and magazines during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Today, blackmail and theft. In 1881, a Canadian chocolate maker by the name of John Mott was blackmailed. The request? Chocolate or your life! No, not really. It was, “Hey chocolate man, give us $600 in gold coins or we will kill you.” Mott went to the police with the blackmail letter and the extortionists were trapped in a police scheme to follow through with the blackmail threat and were arrested. Mr. Mott was able to continue making chocolate.

Sterling Silver Chocolate Pot

During the Colonial period in America, a lot of chocolate theft was happening. It wasn’t just the finished chocolate bars either. It also involved chocolate making equipment and chocolate serving utensils. You have to remember that these serving utensils, primarily chocolate pots, were made of fine porcelain or sterling silver and were considered an art form themselves. They were worth a lot of money. What was really interesting is that rewards were put out for anyone who turned someone in and they were guilty. Remember last week we learned about chocolate being branded? Well, it was branded in North America too. Not the smartest thing to steal. Between March and August of 1808, there were two chocolate burglaries reported. In one case, someone stole 24 pounds of chocolate branded by the Baker Chocolate Company on Long Wharf in Boston Harbor. A thief cannot lie about something that is clearly marked not theirs! Two robberies later that year for the same amount of chocolate resulted in a reward of $5.00 and $50. The $50 reward also included coffee and tea in the booty. I’m guessing if you add about the zero after that you can considered the reward in modern day equivalents. I guess it’s like stealing diamonds or gold today. The most famous chocolate thief was Thomas Mount. He lived in New England and dabbled in every sort of crime. Mount’s life of crime eventually caught up with him and he was executed after admitting to stealing in order to sell what he stole for basic necessities to live. Mount said that he stole chocolate mostly from women. Ah, Mr. Mount! Probably would be the same case today!

Don’t miss the conclusion of chocolate crime next week!

Annmarie Kostyk

This is my Nana’s  Chocolate Sour Cream Cake. You can tell it came from the 50s by the use of oleo in the recipe. I try not to touch that stuff. In my opinion, it will kill you. I like to substitute applesauce. It works perfectly well. Now, no disrespect to Nana, but I prefer my Cream Cheese Icing recipe on this rich chocolate cake rather than the chocolate icing that it calls for in the recipe. Please also keep in mind that I have a bit of a sugar problem, so the recipe makes a LOT of icing. I like to slice each layer horizontally to get four layers of cake. I’ve also tried it with Nutella between the layers and the Cream Cheese Icing on the outside. Lots of people loved it. I, myself, didn’t care for it. Thought it was too squishy. You’ll love this creamy rich cake. I guarantee it!

Chocolate Sour Cream

Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

(Cake recipe comes from the kitchen of my long gone Nana – Ann Janicki)

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup oleo (margarine or shortening) I use applesauce.
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (I used a good 90% cocoa content bar.)
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (You CANNOT use regular flour for this!)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2- 9 inch cake pans. Cream butter and applesauce with brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and continue beating until very light and fluffy. Fold in melted chocolate and sour cream; beat 1 minute at medium speed.. Add dry ingredients and water. Beat 3 minutes. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Once cakes are cool, I cut them each in half horizontally.

Baker’s tip pastry chefs use…Did you know that we cut off the dome top of the cake? We then use the top for the bottom so it’s flat.

Ingredients:
32 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar. Frost cake. Cake will need to be kept refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature before serving.

Cake is cooling…photo is coming…sorry, white icing just doesn’t photograph all that well.  Will garnish with berries tomorrow…

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Chantal Coady

Chantal Coady, the founder of Rococo Chocolates, did not start out in the world of chocolate. Chantal graduated from Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts with a Textile Design degree in 1981. She always had a love for chocolate and, from what she says, she had recurring dreams about being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as an active participant. Her next stop? The job in the famous confectionery department of Harrod’s department store which fueled the fire for her dream for everyone to enjoy the finest chocolates in the world. She then went on to take a business class and her mother secured a loan for her with

Rococo Chocolates

her house to open Rococo Chocolates. Rococo Chocolates became a reality in 1983. Chantal did not know how to make chocolates. Her idea was to buy other people’s chocolate and sell them in her shop. She knew what good chocolate was and she only wanted to sell the best. None of the sugary violet and rose creams so popular in Britain would be sold in her shop. She sold chocolates from small chocolate makers and sugared almonds found at a trade show in Cologne. She opened just before the Easter holiday with the help of family, friends and generous suppliers. Chantal grew into her business and became part of the neighborhood. Within a decade, Rococo would be producing its own chocolates made in the kitchen at Chantal’s home with the help of another chocolate maker. Shortly after that, Rococo would seek certification for their organic, artisan chocolate bars.

The Grenada Chocolate Company

The year 2002 brought the attention of the Grenada Chocolate Company to Rococo Chocolates. Chantal loved the Grenada Chocolate Company’s chocolate bars and visited the island of Grenada for the filming of a chocolate documentary by Eli Peleg. The little island of Grenada was hit with two hurricanes within a year. The Theobroma cacao was completely devastated. In honor of the island and The Grenada Chocolate Company, Rococo Chocolates created a bar made from both their own organic chocolate and The Grenada Chocolate Company’s chocolate forming a bar called the

Rococo Chocolate's Orange & Geranium Chocolate Bar

“Hurricane Emily” chocolate bar. Proceeds from the bar went to the relief fund to aid the island to rebuild. Years later, a small cocoa farm came up for sale and a partnership formed between The Grenada Chocolate Company and Rococo Chocolates. The year is 2007 and the agreement is to produce fairly trade, ethical chocolate. They named the cocoa farm GROCOCO and became part of The Grenada Organic Farmers’ Cooperative. This farm supplies 100% of its organic Trinitario beans to The Grenada Chocolate Company where they make their own chocolate bars. All of Rococo Chocolate’s Organic House Blend is made from a mixing of their beans with the Grococo beans. In 2008, Chantal Coady was awarded the special prize for “Changing the Way People Feel About Chocolate” by the Academy of Chocolate.

Rococo Chocolate's Nougat

Rococo Chocolate’s first shop opened in March of 1983 on King’s Road in Chelsea. It was an exciting new beginning for a true chocolate lover. Chantal’s goal was to make people excited about real chocolate and not the type of chocolate candy that everyone grew up eating. The shop looks like you stepped into a child’s picture book full of walls spread with pink icing and she had a sugar chandelier made especially for the store, mixed it with 18th century elegance and a sort of funkiness that could only come from Chantal’s artistic background. In 1986, she started the Campaign for Real Chocolate teaching people the difference between sugar laden chocolate candy and the real thing. As the campaign grew, The Chocolate Society was launched with both Chantal and Nicola Porter at the helm. The British press gave attention to their cause and the British became aware of what it meant to eat real chocolate.

Rococo Chocolate’s new flagship store open in December 2007 and it sitting on Motcomb Street in the Belgravia neighborhood. In the back of the shop, you will find yourself stepping back into another world. Awaiting you sits a colorful Moorish courtyard to sit and pass time with friends or just enjoy a good book with your own steaming mug of hot chocolate. If that was not enough, you can excite your inner child by viewing the luscious chocolate bars and truffles being created through the viewing window. Want Rococo to host a party for you? They have a special place that seems it was designed with you in mind.

Rococo Chocolate's MaRoCoCo Garden

The Marylebone is the newest of the three shops. The Rococo Chocolate shop seems to be quite satisfied sitting among an elegant mixture of restaurants and specialty food shops on High Street continuing to bring the highest quality of chocolate mixed with a lot of whimsy and humor to their customers.

Rococo Chocolates also offer chocolate making classes to entice your inner child, caters, and hosts parties for both children and adults. Chantal Coady is the author of five books on chocolate including Chocolate: The Food of the Gods, Real Chocolate, The Chocolate Companion, The Connoisseur’s Guide to Chocolate: Discover the World’s Finest Chocolates, and Rococo: Mastering the Art of Chocolate.

Okay my friends!  It’s the season for pumpkin and pumpkin pie!  I just had some decadent pumpkin ravioli with brown butter for dinner last night.  It made me think of this recipe and I dug it out.  It’s super easy.  The kids can even help!  Try this fabulous recipe before Thanksgiving and see what you think.  I bet it will grace you Thanksgiving table this year and everyone will be asking you for the recipe!

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can pumpkin (16 oz.)
1 unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup dark chocolate (chopped), melted with 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin in a medium bowl. Mix well. Add eggs. Stir in half and half and chocolate. Mix thoroughly and pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes longer, until custard tests done.

Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Enjoy!  Annmarie Kostyk

In the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries, England was a hub for the cocoa and chocolate trade. What does this mean for London? There was a lot of crime happening revolving around cocoa and chocolate. There is a huge collection of court documents from the Old Bailey Trial Archive which was located on the west side of London dealing with crimes of chocolate origin.

The Old Bailey Courtroom, London, England

You would think the crimes were pretty simple and very few occurred. You would be wrong. There was murder, simple grand larceny, burglary, receipt of stolen goods, shoplifting, petty larceny, highway robbery (yes, literally), assault, forgery, housebreaking, counterfeiting and fraud. People really knew the value of chocolate and cocoa! In these records found at Bailey, a total of 82 crimes by 113 different defendants were involving cocoa, cacao or chocolate. The earliest court document comes from May 31, 1693.

Cocoa Shells

But still, chocolate and cocoa cases as a whole were not violent. Most of them involved some form of theft or another. Only 2 of 82 cases were considered to be of a violent nature. One of these cases was committed by someone only named as D.P. They were charged with murder. A witness says that he and D.P. had conspired on the preceding day before the murder while drinking cups of chocolate at the Bridges Street Chocolate House in Covent Garden. D.P. was convicted, but the records did not indicate what his punishment was for the crime. I’m guessing it was not no chocolate for a year.

Cocoa Powder

Highway robbery happened quite frequently back then – literally. This was considered as severe a crime as murder. Dec. 6, 1721, Sir Edward Lawrence was both beaten and robbed by a Mr. Butler Fox. Fox stole the contests of Lawrence’s purse as well as six pounds of chocolate. The testimony at the trail revealed that Fox and his accomplice enjoy a cup of hot chocolate made from the stolen chocolate after the incident. I did not make that up.

America

Of the 113 people brought to trial for chocolate and cocoa related crimes in 82 cases, 62 percent of the defendants were convicted. People were serious about chocolate and cocoa crimes. Remember from last week, these are commodities and they were rare at the time. Sentences ran from 6 pence to 30 shillings monetarily. Other punishments for the defendants include printed apologies, branding (ouch), whipping (ouch, again) or incarceration for one to three years in either the Newgate prison or an unspecified prison location. Unbelievably, some even received the sentence of “transportation” which meant that they were deported from England to either America or Australia for between seven and fourteen years. My guess is at that point they would rather stay in America or Australia, but who am I to judge?

Chocolate

Would you believe that some defendants were executed for chocolate crimes? You could be executed for the following: stealing manufactured chocolate, cocoa or cocoa nuts (cocoa beans), cocoa shells (shelled cocoa beans they used to make tea with – I need to research this more because it sound like a brilliant idea!), or chocolate related manufacturing or serving equipment and utensils. Basically, don’t steal anything chocolate or it could cost you your life.

Can you imagine someone getting a death sentence for stealing a case of chocolate bars today? Things were tough back then. It just shows that envy, greed and temptation follow people wherever there’s money to be made. Cocoa beans, shells and manufactured chocolate were easy to sell. Chocolate making equipment could be taken apart and sold for parts or transported for sale elsewhere. The interesting fact is that most of these crimes were reported in court to be spur of the moment crimes committed on a whim by employees and servants. Watch your chocolate and cocoa, you just never know who is after it.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons walnuts or almonds, ground
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1½ cups raw sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened
5 whole eggs
¼ teaspoon sea salt
optional:  powdered sugar and berries for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter.  Brush spring form pan with butter and dust with 1 tablespoon nuts.  In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate.  Add sugar, butter and salt.  Remove from heat.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs and add remaining nuts.  Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.  Pour into spring form pan.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut and serve dusted with icing sugar and berries.

Annmarie Kostyk

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake

I work with someone who is vegan and she asked me if I have any chocolate vegan recipes.  Turns out, I realized that I have a lot of friends that are either vegan or on special diets.  I thought I’d post some of my chocolate vegan recipes for all of those people to try, but also for those of you not vegan to give them a go.  Keep your mind open and your taste buds as well as your conscious may thank you…

You don’t have to have meat in your chili.  I love an all bean chili, and, on occasion, I like to use ground soy.  You can find the ground soy in the freezer section.  So far, no one could tell that I was feeding them soy!  It will be our secret.  Dark chocolate added to chili will blow your mind!

Vegan Chocolate Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 pound ground soy (or 16 oz black beans)
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I like to use 70-80%)
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water
28 ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 small can green chiles, drained
15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the soy, onion and garlic until browned.  In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, dark chocolate, oregano, cumin and salt.  Stirring constantly, cook for one minute. Stir in water, tomatoes with juice, and chiles.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20.  Add soy mixture, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Add beans, cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chip,  cornbread or soft, warm tortillas.

Vegan Chocolate Chili

Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

(adapted from Morgan’s Menu Blog)

Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black eyed peas (soaked overnight, rinsed and then boiled until soft)
12 ounces silken tofu
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate, chopped (65-70%% cocoa)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1 cup soy milk (chocolate soy milk, if you have it)
Garnish: powdered sugar

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, blend together the black-eyed peas with the tofu until smooth. You may have to do this in batches, but it is critical that you get it as smooth as possible. If you need to, you can use some of the soy milk to help loosen it up and blend better.
Add the sugar and blend again.

Over a double boiler, melt down the chocolate  until smooth.  Add the melted chocolate to the bean mixture and blend again.  Add in the cocoa, espresso, baking powder and soda and blend again until smooth.
Add in the soy milk to loosen up the batter. You can use a little bit less if you want to.  Ideally, the batter should be smooth and slightly runny when pouring but this depends on the quality of your blender or food processor. My beans stayed a little chunky so I had to resort to a hand mixer to really smooth it out–the soy milk really helps this process.

Lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking/baking spray.
Bake in oven for 70-80 minutes  or until done. You can check it with a toothpick or knife to see if the center is still runny. Even when cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, it might still wiggle a little bit because the warm cake needs to settle into itself once cooled. Lightly dust with confectioners sugar.

Photo Courtesy of Morgan's Menu Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

I published this recipe in the spring and got lots of positive feedback.  People loved it!  I really like rice pudding and to add chocolate to it really put it over the edge.  The only thing I had to change was the milk.  I still tasted the same.  Don’t tell anyone…

Vegan Dark Chocolate Rice Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups unsweetened soy, almond, rice or “grain” milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup rice
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa content), finely chopped
Garnish:  slivered almonds or a poached pear

Directions:
In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, bring the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to nearly scalding temperature. The milk will not simmer, but it will steam when stirred at the near-scalding point.

Add the rice to the milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 22 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender. Remove the cinnamon stick from the pudding and discard it.

Add the vanilla and the chopped dark chocolate to the hot rice and stir until the chocolate is melted and thoroughly incorporated into the pudding. Divide the pudding into 4 bowls. Serve warm or chilled.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Rice Pudding

Have a chocolicious day!  Annmarie Kostyk

Today is the third part of the four part series Swiss Chocolate Pioneers. Today we will be discussing Johann Rudolf Lindt. Lindt was born in Bern, Switzerland in 1855. Lindt was interested in machines and manufacturing at an early age. Remember the Kohler family? Well, Lindt went to study chocolate making with the Kohler family at the age of 18. Lindt was a distant cousin to the Kohlers. It seems as if all of the great chocolate makers of Switzerland were somehow related. Kohler’s competitors were Peter, Nestle and Cailler. Lindt learned a lot about the chocolate business by observing the chocolate business practices of all of them.

The Swiss Chocolate Makers

Rudolf Lindt

When Lindt completed his apprenticeship with the Kohlers, they gave him money to start his own chocolate business in Bern. The properties he purchase had been previously damaged by fire, but there was milling equipment on the premises that was not damaged. Lindt converted these machines into chocolate processing machines. He made what he had work for him.

Lindt purchased his used Bozelli machine (a chocolate grinder) from a local Italian man by the name of Branif who made confections locally. With Lindt’s interest in machinery, he modified the Bozelli’s trough so it could hold more chocolate. Lindt called this machine the “conch” because he thought the trough he carved out looked like a conch shell.

Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar

A great story. Up to this time in history, chocolate had been very crumbly, gritty and pasty. It was available in both bar and other molded forms, but they were not smooth. Lindt is attributed to the discovery of “chocolat fondant”. How did this happen? It seems by accident as great inventions often occur. Legend has it that Lindt neglected to turn the chocolate conch machine off after going home for the weekend. When he returned to his chocolate factory on Monday, the machine was still running. Much to his surprise, the chocolate was not only smoother but it also had a more intense flavor to it. Lindt’s absentmindedness led to the chocolate we know today. He called this end product “chocolat fondant”. His customers loved the new chocolate and we continue to love it today in countries throughout the world.

Next week…the evolution of Lindt & Sprungli in the final part of the Swiss Chocolate Pioneers Series.

I thought you might enjoy a wonderful Warm Chocolate Pudding recipe that is perfect for the upcoming cool evenings and weekends. A dollop of whipped cream and a shake of cocoa powder and you have yourself a warm, rich comforting dessert to share with family or friends.

Warm Chocolate Pudding

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pinch sea salt
9 ounces dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content), chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped cream and cocoa powder as garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; whisk in milk, cream, and salt until blended. Cook over medium heat, whisking gently, just until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove pan from heat. Stir in chocolate, butter, and vanilla until smooth. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat until light and fluffy. Divide pudding into 4 (6-ounce) bowls. Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream and a shake of cocoa powder if desired.

arm Chocolate Pudding