Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Testing

https://aflavorfulbite.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/#recipe

1 - I really liked these! I think the browned butter creates the flavor of the browning that happens around the edges and on the bottom of regular cookies. Ben felt like there was too much chocolate (which he surprised himself with saying), and I'm ok with dialing it back.

2 - Looks like 4oz of chocolate is the right amount. But I'm not going to change anything because now I can't remember if I did 4 or 6oz...

Makes: 9 Cookies

1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1/2 cup (113g) butter, cubed (after browning, will have a bit more than 87grams)

6 Tbsps. (72g) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

6 oz (170g) 4oz (?g) 72% dark chocolate, broken into chunks, plus more for topping cookies

flaky sea salt, optional

1. In a small saucepan under medium heat, melt the butter and cook while stirring. The butter will first start to foam as it cooks and later take on a nutty aroma as the milk solids starts to brown. At this point, remove the browned butter from the heat. Transfer into a large mixing bowl to cool to room temperature, about 6-8 minutes.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl with cooled browned butter, add and whisk to combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract.
4. Next, mix in the dry ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms. Fold in dark chocolate chunks. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Using a 1.5 ounce (3 tablespoons) cookie scooper, scoop chilled cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Bake no more than (6) cookies on one baking sheet evenly spaced out.Top with additional chunks of chocolate, optional.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies look golden brown with crisp edges.
8. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, optional. Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Tart with Fresh Figs - Untested

https://food52.com/recipes/37981-chocolate-ganache-tart-with-fresh-figs

I don't like the recipe in the link above, but I'd wonder if I can Frankenstein it with my Pear and Chocolate tart recipe?

https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2016/09/pear-and-chocolate-tart.html

Cake Crumb Cookies - Untested

https://www.tastemade.co.uk/videos/leftover-cake-4-ways/cake-crumb-cookies/

400g leftover cake
100g butter
200g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
200g flour
50g choc chips
2-3 tbsp milk

1. Cake crumb cookies: preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan) and line two flat oven trays with baking paper. Put the leftover cake into a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Once light and fluffy, beat in the egg, vanilla, salt and baking soda, then fold in the cake crumbs, flour and chocolate chips. Add a few tablespoons of milk, if needed, to bring the dough together.
3. Scoop 2 tbsp dough at a time and place, well spaced, on your lined baking trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes until spread out and golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for a few minutes then move on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Caramel Tart - Untested

https://thescranline.com/how-to-make-a-chocolate-short-crust-pastry-shell/#recipe

https://thescranline.com/baked-chocolate-caramel-tart/#recipe

Chocolate Short Crust Pastry Shell

200g flour, plain flour

40 g Dutch processed cocoa powder

50 g powdered sugar, icing sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

110 g butter, cold and cubed

1 large egg, 55g, whisked

1. Line the bottom of your 10-inch tart tin with removable bottom with parchment paper.
2. Thoroughly combine the flour, powdered sugar and salt to a large bowl.
3. Pinch or rub in the butter until it is like coarse sand. Add the whisked egg and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in until the dough begins to clump together, then gently press into a ball to chill. Turn it out onto a floured surface and form into a rough disc shape. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
5. On a lightly floured surface, slowly and gently roll the disc out to 14" wide.
6. The dough will be very fragile. If cracks appear pinch them together and continue rolling.
7. Carefully place the dough in the tart tin. Avoid stretching the dough, otherwise it may shrink in the baking.
8. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork.
9. Chill the dough again for about an hour before blind baking.
10. Preheat the oven to 350F.
11. Blind bake your pie shell lined with parchment paper and pie weights.
12. Remove the pie weights and bake for a final 15 minutes. Once baked, allow to let it cool before adding the filling. A warm shell filled when still warm can cause it to go soggy.

Baked Caramel Filling

125 g butter

70 g brown sugar

55 g golden syrup, or honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

395 g sweetened condensed milk, see notes

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Over medium heat melt butter, sugar, and syrup/honey and heat until it begins to bubble around the sides. 
3. Add the condensed milk and continuously stir until the mixture begins to bubble again. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. It will darken slightly in color. 
4. Take off the heat and add the vanilla and salt and stir until combined.
5. Pour into the cooled blind baked tart shell. Bake for 8 minutes. Once baked, allow to cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Ganache

420 g chocolate (70%)

3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 Tbsps. (28gr) butter

1 Tbsps. brandy (optional)

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. 
2. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. 
3. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. 
4. Stir until smooth.
5. While still hot and flowing, pour on top of the cooled and set caramel. 
6. Place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. 
7. Optional: sprinkle with sea salt flakes once the chocolate is fully set. Slice and serve!

Gâteau moelleux au chocolat et à la bière - Untested

https://www.regal.fr/recettes/desserts/gateau-moelleux-au-chocolat-et-a-la-biere-1069076

200 g chocolate 

200 g butter 

3 eggs

200 g flour 

125 g icing sugar

20 cl beer (fruity, dark or guiness)

salt

1 h 10 min (45 min to bake)

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
3. Whisk in the butter in chunks until perfectly blended.
4. Separate the eggs.
5. Combine the yolks and the sugar. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the flour.  
6. Gradually whisk the milk into the sweet yolk mixture, then add the beer. Combine completely.
7. Whip the egg whites with salt to stiff peaks. Gently add the egg whites.
8. Pour into a prepared cake tin, greased and lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake for about 40 minutes.
10. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely. 
11. Optionally, you can powder with icing sugar and cocoa powder as decoration.

Chocolate Pastry Cream (Crème pâtissière au chocolat) - Untested

https://thescranline.com/chocolate-pastry-cream/#recipe

https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2016/07/pastry-cream.html

https://scientificallysweet.com/chocolate-pastry-cream-creme-patissiere/#recipe

https://www.callebaut.com/en-CA/chocolate-recipe/1446/milk-chocolate-pastry-cream

GET WEIGHTS

1 cup (250g) milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 egg yolks

¼ cup (50g) sugar

1 Tbsp. (10g) flour

¼ tsp. salt

10 g cocoa powder (pref. Dutch process), sifted

100g dark chocolate, chopped fine

75g butter, cubed and cold

1. Put the milk in a saucepan. Heat to a simmer, remove from heat, add vanilla, cover, and set aside to cool about 10 minutes. 
2. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale, then whisk in the flour, salt and the sifted cocoa powder. 
3. Gradually whisk the milk into the sweet egg mixture. 
4. Pour this back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Just when it starts to boil, turn off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and continue whisking until the chocolate completely melts, about one minute. Remove from the heat.
5. Whisk in the butter until completely uniform. 
6. Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool. 

 

S'mores, Deconstructed - Untested

Smores are not part of my childhood, but I totally appreciate them now. I want to make a deconstructed smore recipe, and I can see there are all sorts of ways the parts can be combined, so here links to some ideas to build from. Then, I want to make homemade marshmallows with golden syrup (and I want to make my own golden syrup to use.

Deconstructed Smores Ideas

https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/kosh89263c09s001r009/deconstructed-smores

https://systemofstrength.com/check-yourself/recipe/deconstructed-smores

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/deconstructed-smores-2239540 (ALSO contains recipe for homemade graham crackers)

Marshmallow

https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2011/12/marshmallow-candy.html

- w. golden syrup

https://sugargeekshow.com/news/homemade-marshmallow-recipe/

https://ashbaber.com/homemade-marshmallows/#homemade-marshmallows

https://kidswithfoodallergies.org/recipes/marshmallows-using-lyles-golden-syrup/

Chocolate Gelato - Untested

https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/recipes/chocolate-chili-gelato

https://www.recipesfromitaly.com/chocolate-gelato-recipe/

https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/chocolate-gelato-recipe/

4 egg yolks

50 g + 100 g (3/4 cup) of granulated sugar

250 ml (1 cup) of whole milk

250 ml (1 cup) of heavy cream

50 g (1/2 cup) of bitter cocoa powder

100 g (3,5 oz=2/3 cup) of 70% dark chocolate

OPTIONAL: 1 1⁄4 tsp chilli powder

a pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the KitchenAid Ice Cream bowl in the freezer for 24-hours.
2. Attach the whisk attachment to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Add the yolks and 50g of sugar into the mixing bowl, then turn to speed 4 and whisk for one minute - or until light and fluffy. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, add the milk, cream, and remaining 100g granulated sugar. Whisk to fully incorporate. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins steaming.
4. Carefully remove 100ml of the hot liquid and slowly pour it into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Then, pour the tempered yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly while adding.
5. Increase the heat to medium-low. Use a pastry spatula to stir constantly, being sure to scrape the bottom to prevent scorching. Cook until mixture is thickened and coats spatula. DO NOT BOIL.
6. Remove from the heat and add in cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, spices, and salt; whisk until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Immediately strain the custard into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
7. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface of the custard and chill for at least two hours.
8. When ready to churn ice cream, remove the Ice Cream Bowl from the freezer. Lock the bowl into place on the stand mixer, insert the dasher into the bowl, and pour in the chocolate custard base into the bowl. Lock the mixer head in place, turn speed to Stir, and set the timer for twenty minutes.
9. When ice cream is done churning, spoon it into an airtight freezing container and freeze for six to eight hours before serving.

TIP

1. If using, you can use whichever ground chilis you prefer. This particular blend goes well with the dark chocolate. If you don’t like a lot of spice, you can cut the amount in half. You could also substitute milk chocolate or semisweet instead of bittersweet.

Buttercrunch Toffee with Chocolate - Untested

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/chocolatealmond/?fbclid=IwAR2ppRg1h9IGAxqDSnW1ZrXX0OcZpglrdN6-MYOC5UuVlOsM6Wa10HUPsUA

2 cups (8 ounces, 225 g) toasted almonds or hazelnuts, chopped between 'fine' and 'coarse'

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces

a big pinch of salt

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (45g) packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 ounces (140g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Form half the nuts into a rectangle about 8″ x 10″ (20 x 25 cm) on an ungreased baking sheet.
2. In a medium, heavy-duty saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, heat the water, butter, salt, and white and brown sugars. Cook, stirring gently if necessary, until the thermometer reads 300ºF (150ºC) degrees. Have the vanilla and baking soda handy.
3. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
4. Quickly pour the mixture over the nuts on the baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula, or similar utensil, spread the warm mixture over the nuts. (If you want to sprinkle some cocoa nibs or some flaky sea salt over the buttercrunch mixture, do it at this point.)
5. Strew the chocolate chips or pieces over the top and let stand 2 minutes, then spread the chocolate in an even layer.
6. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the chocolate and gently press them in with your hands.
7. Cool completely and break into pieces to serve. Store in an airtight container, for up to ten days.

Brownies - Testing

https://davidlebovitz.substack.com/p/phils-brownies?fbclid=IwAR1FUzOe97SJAhVI3cH1k-7poOtNIkpdEYX2TldjMtC9vqa7VaFOGMOjogo

1 - A successful first try. I used my metal bread tin and I just don't like that baking dish! The middle of the brownie sank, and I repeatedly get similar results in that pan no matter what I bake in it. I must try this again, but in a different dish, to see if the results change.

3/4 (150g) cup sugar

6 Tbsps (60g) all-purpose flour

5 Tbsps (40g) Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 oz (70g) coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1/4 cup (35g) toasted almonds hazelnuts, whole

5 Tbsps (2 1/2 oz, 70g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch (22 x 11cm) loaf pan. Cut a long, narrow strip of parchment paper that will line the bottom of the pan and go up the two smaller sides of the pan, which’ll help you lift the brownies out later.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
4. Stir in the chocolate and nuts, then the cooled melted butter then the egg, mixing just until combined. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. If it’s thick, use a spatula or the back of a soupspoon to even it out.
5. Bake until the center of the cake feels barely set, about 22-25 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. When cool, lift out the brownies using the parchment paper as handles, and cut into bars.

Chocolate Brownies - Untested

https://kellyneil.com/double-chocolate-buckwheat-brownies/

¾ cup buckwheat flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup butter, room temperature to soft

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly butter a square 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23-cm) baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Place a medium-sized pot on the stove with 1 to 2 inches of water inside. Find a heatproof medium-large bowl that sits snugly on top of the pot without touching the water. Bring the water to a boil. Add the dark chocolate and butter to the bowl and heat both together until smooth and melted, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove the bowl from the pot and heat. Add both sugars to the melted chocolate and whisk to combine.
5. Add the eggs to the chocolate, one at a time, whisking each until well blended. Add the vanilla and whisk well.
6. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the buckwheat flour into the chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold the brownie batter together until the flour is just mixed in. A few streaks of flour in the chocolate is ok. 
7. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared square pan. Bake the brownies for 28 to 30 minutes or until just set in the middle. Remove the brownies from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Let the brownies cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

Pastador - Untested

https://culture-crunch.com/2021/01/04/pastador-grand-mere-pate-a-tartiner-au-chocolat/

https://www.cooking-chef.fr/espace-recettes/desserts-entremets-gateaux/pate-a-tartiner-pastador-maison

I recently discovered that my ancestors on my mom's side are from Nord-des-Pas-de-Callais, so I've started doing a deep dive on recipes from this region. I have to look back to see if they would have been in the region when chocolate was available but, nonetheless, I'll accept that my lineage springs from a people who have adopted this as a mainstay.

1 boîte de lait concentré sucré (396 g) froid

1 plaque de chocolat noir (200 g)

200 g de beurre doux ramolli

1⁄2 cuillère à café d'Arôme naturel de vanille bourbon

1. Casser le chocolat en morceaux dans une casserole.
2. Faire fondre le chocolat au bain-marie.
3. Une fois le chocolat fondu, ajouter le beurre mou et bien mélanger. Laissez refroidir 10 minutes.
4. Ajouter ensuite le lait concentré sucré.
5. Bien mélanger le tout jusqu’à obtenir un mélange lisse et homogène.
6. Mettre dans un pot ou un bol.
7. Envelopper de film plastique.
8. Mettre au réfrigérateur durant au moins 12h.
9. Sortir du réfrigérateur et déguster !

Chocolate Mousse - Untested

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basicchocolatemousse_93648

170g/6oz good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 60 per cent cocoa solids, roughly chopped (dairy free, if necessary)

7 free-range egg whites (use pasteurised egg white from a carton if you have concerns about raw eggs)

¼ tsp lemon juice

40g/1½oz caster sugar

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water).
2. Whisk the egg whites and lemon juice in a large, clean bowl until they form soft peaks. The lemon juice will stabilise the egg whites, make them easier to work with and help to prevent over-whisking.
3. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until firm peaks form when the whisk is removed. Do not whisk beyond this stage - the egg whites will start to collapse and separate into dry froth and runny liquid, and you'll lose all the air that you've whisked in.
4. When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the hot chocolate quickly and vigorously, until thick and well combined. If you add the egg whites in too slowly, their cold temperature can make the hot chocolate seize, solidify and result in a lumpy mousse.
5. Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture, using a spatula, until all of the egg white has been completely incorporated into the chocolate. Don't overmix at this stage as you'll knock out the air bubbles and the mousse will be dense.
6. Spoon the mousse mixture into four Martini glasses. Chill in the fridge for 2–3 hours, or until set.
7. Alternatively, use the mousse to make a hot chocolate soup. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Divide the mousse among four small ovenproof pudding bowls or ramekins. Place the pudding bowls into the oven and bake the chocolate mousses for 3–5 minutes, or until puffed slightly and warmed through.

Chocolate Budino - Testing

https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/06/chocolate-budino/

1 - Quite successful, but it's so similar to the Petit Pots de Crème that I think it may just be doubling.

5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, plus another 1/2 cup for making whipped cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (60 percent range is perfect here), finely chopped
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Two pinches of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons bourbon, brandy, or another liqueur (optional)

1. In the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until fully combined. Slow drizzle in 2 cups of cream, whisking the whole time. 
2. Warm mixture over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it is thick enough that it coats a spoon. (Don’t let it simmer or boil.) 
3. Place chopped chocolate in the bottom of a large bowl and set a fine-mesh strainer over it. Pour egg yolk mixture through strainer, onto the chocolate. 
4. Remove strainer and stir; the heat of the egg yolk mixture should melt the chocolate. Add butter, salt, and vanilla, and mix until butter is melted and combined. 
5. Divide between small cups (you’ll have about 2 1/2 to 2 2/3 cups of budino mixture) and chill until fully cold and set. 
6. Either right before you serve it or, when the chill is off the custard enough that it won’t melt the cream, whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream to very soft peaks. Spoon generously over each cup. Serve cold, with strong coffee, and your favorite biscotti.

French Hot Chocolate Bowl - Untested

https://www.thefrenchcookingacademy.com/recipe/hot-chocolate/

500ml milk 

1 piece of cinnamon bark

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 Tbsp cocoa 

1 tsp sugar

1 pinch salt

100gr 70% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. In a pot over med-high heat, add the milk, cinnamon bark and vanilla.
2. Heat until it just comes to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and reduce to lowest setting. Allow to slowly cook for about 10 minutes or until the cinnamon infuses into the milk. 
3. Remove the cinnamon bark.
4. Add the cocoa and whisk in. If there are bits that won't incorporate, strain through a fine mesh filter and return the liquid to the heat.
5. Add sugar and salt.
6. Dump in 70% chocolate and stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated in the milk.
7. You can serve immediately or cook on very low temperature for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on how thick you want it (the hot chocolate will continue to thicken the longer you cook it.)
8. Serve with a bowl of sugar on the side if guests like it sweeter.

Chocolate Paté - Untested

 https://www.canadianliving.com/food/recipe/chocolate-pate-with-fig-topping

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup icing sugar

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup whipping cream

Fig Topping:

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup orange liqueur

3 Tbsps orange juice concentrate

4 fresh green figs quartered

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

16 fresh raspberries

1. Line 5-3/4-x 3-1/4-inch (625 mL) loaf pan with plastic wrap; set aside.
2. In saucepan, melt together chocolate, butter and sugar over medium-low heat until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, one at a time; cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until thickened and glossy. Transfer to large bowl; let cool to room temperature.
3. In separate bowl, whip cream; fold one-quarter into chocolate. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Spoon into prepared loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or until firm. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.) To unmould, gently pull on plastic wrap to loosen top edge of pate from pan; unmould onto cutting board. Cut into 8 slices.
4. Fig Topping: Meanwhile, in saucepan, bring sugar, water, orange liqueur and orange juice concentrate to boil; boil for 5 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in figs and lemon juice. Spoon onto 8 dessert plates; top with slice of pate. Sprinkle plate with raspberries.

Chocolate sauce - Untested

 200g/7oz dark chocolate, at least 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped

175ml/6fl oz milk

2 tbsp double cream

30g/1¼oz caster sugar

30g/1¼oz chilled butter, cut into cubes

1. Bring a little water to the boil in a pan, then reduce the heat until the water is simmering. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate and melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until very smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.
2. Bring the milk, cream and sugar to the boil in a saucepan over a medium heat, whisking continuously.
3. Pour the boiling cream mixture over the melted chocolate, whisking continuously until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
4. Return the chocolate and cream mixture to the pan and heat until just simmering, stirring continuously. Allow to bubble over the heat for a few seconds, then turn off the heat and whisk in the butter, a cube at a time, until the sauce is smooth and glossy and all the butter has melted.
5. Strain the chocolate sauce through a fine sieve, then serve immediately. (Serving suggestion: pour the chocolate sauce over ready-made meringues.)

Chocolat Chaud - Testing

 I'd been looking for a recipe that looked as thick and rich as the hot chocolate Juliette Binoche serves Dame Judy Dench in the film Chocolat, and never found it, so I made up my own. Ben calls it my melted chocolate bar drink because I like it so thick! You can add more cream if you like. 😉

1 - I've made this at Valley Home but not since, and I didn't write down the quantities I used, but I have the gist of it written down here.

2 - This is apparently too decadent for most. I'm crossing it out and replacing it with a Parisian hot chocolate from David Lebowitz to try out. https://www.davidlebovitz.com/parisian-hot-ch-1/?fbclid=IwAR3lr5thKWBFIs3m9CUQiUCuuBdnzstzoPyZD7a2Fu5HHpy7zu6iryD1I3Y
3 - This new version works very well. It's pretty simple, and I can start to experiment with the spicing. It doesn't thicken like the hot chocolate in Chocolat, but I have my other hot chocolate recipe to achieve that level of decadence. I still have to try making it ahead and letting it sit to rewarm to see if it does indeed improve. I should note that this time, when I made it, it was to add some spiced rum for a hot cocktail, and it was amazing! 

2 cups (500ml) whole milk (or half and half cream)

5 ounces (130g) bittersweet chocolate, (best-quality), finely chopped

OPTIONAL: up to 2 Tbsps. light brown sugar

OPTIONAL: 1 shot of spiced rum per 1 cup

TO TRY :

Cinnamon, ground

Cayenne pepper

Clove, ground

1. Heat the milk in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Once the milk is warm, remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melted. For a thick hot chocolate, return to heat and cook at a very low boil for about 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Be careful and keep an eye on the mixture, as it may boil up a bit during the first moments.
3. Taste, and add brown sugar if desired.
4. Serve warm in demitasse cups, or small coffee or tea cups.

Note: This hot chocolate improves if made ahead and allowed to sit for a few hours. Rewarm before serving.

Nutella - Testing

https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/homemade-nutella-chocolate-hazelnut-spread/
https://leitesculinaria.com/78672/recipes-homemade-nutella.html

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/236553/chocolate-spread/

1 - I tried the Leites Culinaria recipe with melted chocolate chips and it turned into a solid block! Tasty, and it melted readily when chipped out of the container and put on hot toast, but really hard to get out of the pot. Next time it will be from Crunchy Creamy Sweet with cocoa powder.

2 - The cocoa powder version works so much better. 

8 oz. hazelnuts (I'm using hazelnut butter)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp mild vegetable oil canola or coconut; I used melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

(Optional) 1/4 cup chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Place hazelnuts on the sheet. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch them after the 10th minute if they are not browning too fast.
2. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a clean kitchen towel. Let cool until safe to the touch.
3. When cooled, gently rub the nuts with the towel until the skin comes off.
4. Place nuts in food processor and process until finely ground. Scrape the sides of the food processor bowl as needed.
5. Process nuts until the start to liquify. It can take about 5 minutes. Stop the food processor as needed to scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. In a mixer on the slow setting, start mixing the hazelnut butter. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa. Mix until well combined.
7. With the food processor running, Turn up the speed and drizzle in the oil and vanilla. Process until smooth.
8. Add the salt and process for 5 seconds.
9. (Optional - do the above in a food processor and add I added the chocolate chips are this point and processed until it all comes together. You may need to add more oil if the mixture clumps up.)
10. Scrape the spread into a clean jar. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
11. If using coconut oil, you may need to let the spread sit on the counter to soften before using.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding - Untested

https://honestlyyum.com/25014/chocolate-croissant-bread-pudding/

6-8 large croissants (day old)
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
creme fraiche (for topping)
powdered sugar (for topping)

Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together in a large Pyrex mixing bowl. In a saucepan, whisk the cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, milk and cream over medium heat until the cocoa is fully incorporated and the milk just starts to bubble around the edges. Add the bittersweet chocolate, sugar and vanilla and whisk until melted.
Slowly add a bit of the hot chocolate-milk mixture to the eggs while whisking the eggs to prevent them from turning into scrambled eggs. As the chocolate gets incorporated into the eggs add more of the chocolate-milk mixture until fully incorporated.
Butter a 9 x 13 inch Pyrex baking dish. Slice the croissants in half lengthwise and place the bottom half of the croissants in the dish. Cut the croissants as necessary to cover the entire bottom of the dish with the bottoms of the croissants. Pour half of the chocolate custard mixture over the croissants. Place the tops of the croissants and pour the rest of the chocolate custard mixture over the tops of the croissants. Let the dish rest for at least 30 minutes to soak in the chocolate, occasionally pressing the croissants down with a spatula so it soaks in more chocolate.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the pudding is just set in the center. Test this by gently shaking the baking dish and the center should just barely jiggle. The internal temperature in the center should be 170°F for complete doneness.
Allow the pudding to cool and dust the tops with powdered sugar through sieve. Serve a large scoop of the pudding with a small dollop of tangy creme fraiche or fresh whipped cream.