Love and Chocolate

 

Love and chocolate!  A dynamic duo that fits all types of love and all types of chocolate.  And while I may not be able to make any promises about your love prospects (I'm sure they're fabulous, by the way!), I can promise you all the scrumptious chocolate eats that your heart and palette can hold.

So if you’re looking to make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter, then I’ve got seven ways to make that happen in this roundup of my favorite chocolate recipes I've shared here over the years.

Choose one (or more) to express your love to those who are special to you and enjoy all the delicious goodness and good vibes that result. From morning to night, and all in between, these sweet treats are the perfect indulgence.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Hazelnut Bark

Chocolate Croissants

Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Cookies

Chocolate Sorbet

Raspberry-Topped Chocolate Cake

Here’s to love, chocolate, and Happy Eating!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Let's just say that my affinity for chocolate and peanut butter combined knows few, if any, bounds.  From childhood, peanut butter has always been one of my absolute favorite tastes.  (I actually have a family member or two who find it totally distasteful, and every so often I have to insert the incredulous side-eye/eye roll to this madness. 😏) 

As I was saying, PB (with, or without, the J) is a delicacy I find scrumptious from cookies (it's my favorite kind and perpetual "go to"), to candies, and beyond.  And while I'm not the world's biggest chocoholic, chocolate peanut butter cups--or any variation of those ingredients--squarely amount to confectionery delights of the grandest proportions.  Translation: it's not safe to keep them around for long...or my hips and waist may be impacted.

Still, everyone deserves a special indulgence (or two or three or more) every so often.  And these homemade goodies more than fit the bill of indulgent, undeniable goodness.   And served to someone special?  There's no denying the love that's involved.  

So for all my fellow chocolate-peanut butter lovers, this one's for you.

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients:
9 ounces milk or semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Method:

1. Set 18 mini paper baking cups on a baking sheet. Melt 4 ounces of the chocolate either over a double boiler on the stove top or in short bursts in the microwave. Spoon 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into each cup. Use an offset spatula or a small spoon to spread the chocolate slightly up the sides of each baking cup; make sure you have an even chocolate base at the bottom of each cup. Let cool at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes until mostly solid.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. (Make sure the peanut butter is well-combined in the jar before you measure it.) Transfer the peanut butter mixture to a resealable plastic bag and seal it tightly.
3. Cut one corner of the plastic bag and pipe 2 to 3 teaspoons of peanut butter mixture into the center of each cup. With a very lightly moistened finger, tamp down the peanut butter and make it flat and even, but leave a bit of space between the peanut butter and the edge of the paper cup (you should be able to see a ring of chocolate peeking from below the peanut butter).
4. Melt the remaining 5 ounces of chocolate. Spoon 1 teaspoon of chocolate onto the top of each cup. Use an offset spatula or a small spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the top and down the sides of the cup. Refrigerate until solid, about 30 minutes.

 Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of New York Times Cooking
    

{Love in the Kitchen}: Raspberry Scones

I happen to love scones, although I don't bake them as often as I have in times past.  (And the reason for that is purely to steer clear of the temptation they bring...)  Still, whenever the opportunity for an occasional indulgence arises, like my recent Afternoon Tea fete while vacationing, I pause for the cause of scrumptious eats.  

The recent Valentine's Day stirring got me to contemplating recipes that I could make with a Valentine's twist.  And my beautiful copper biscuit cutters that I snagged during my travels last month, which happened to include heart-shaped ones, became just the inspiration I needed to return to the world of magnificent, homemade scones.  (Heart-shaped, no less.) 

I was drawn to the recipe for Raspberry Scones because, well, it included the traditional 'red-themed' accent that comes along with traditional V-day territory. (A bit corny, perhaps.)  And it read like a dream--although I've only used dried fruits in my scones in the past, so kneading the fresh raspberries into the dough, without making the biggest mess ever, was a feat.  The final look was a bit messier than usual, but taste trumps all, in the end.

So, if you're up for some love in the kitchen (and who isn't?), give these scones a try.  They come together and bake off quickly--and the bright and gorgeous raspberry hue gives them a rustic finish that's quite beautiful, if you agree that less than perfect can still be beautiful.  Finally, pair them with some delicious jam, or whipped cream, or both, for the ultimate breakfast, brunch, and tea bite.

Happy Eating!

Raspberry Scones
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar  

1 tablespoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt  

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

3/4 cup buttermilk  

1 large egg yolk 

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (6 ounces)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, pulse together flour, cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk. Slowly pour buttermilk mixture through feed tube into processor, pulsing until dough just comes together.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle raspberries on top. Knead three times to fold in raspberries (there may be loose pieces of dough and a stray berry or two). Gather and pat dough into a 1-inch-thick square and cut or pull apart into 2-inch pieces. Place pieces, about 2 inches apart, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle tops with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let scones cool slightly on sheets on wire racks. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!
 


 

Chocolate Croissants

Making croissants from scratch is no small feat.  I learned this first hand last year when I attended a baking class for that very purpose.  It was a multiple hour endeavor filled with lots of learning, technique, precision and, finally, indulging!  But my takeaway (besides the fruits of my labor) was: this is serious work.  And while I'm not one to shy away from something I love because of the effort involved, I can certainly appreciate a well-suited shortcut to get me to my end goal.  And in the case of making croissants in my own kitchen, thankfully, there was such a shortcut to be had.

Keeping my class recipe notes at bay, when I decided to bring the same flaky, buttery deliciousness I love in a good great croissant into being, I went for one of my favorite ingredients: store-bought puff pastry.  I'm a big fan of how easy it is to create both sweet and savory delicacies with it, and I enjoy using it in everything from turnovers to sticky buns to tops for my homemade pot pies and more.  It's an indispensable "star ingredient" when I need good pastry in a relative hurry.

So what could be better than the flaky, buttery goodness I was describing?  The same with chocolate and sea salt tucked inside!  (These days sea salt and chocolate are virtually inseparable in my kitchen.)  With my ingredients at the ready, scrumptious chocolate croissants were waiting to be devoured in a matter of minutes.  And breaking open a croissant to see the melted chocolate oozing on the flaky dough was the icing on top.

Whether you're talking breakfast, breakfast in bed, brunch, or breakfast for dinner, this recipe will have you off to the perfect sweet start--and finish.  It deserves all the love you'll want to give it, and it will definitely love you back.

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Croissants

printable recipe

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 chocolate bar, chopped in small squares, or chocolate chips
Sea Salt
Flour, for dusting the work surface
1 egg, beaten
Turbinado sugar, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roll out pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into large squares (6 to 8), then cut each square diagonally to form triangle pieces.  Place the chocolate on the dough closer to the wider end and sprinkle with the salt.  Roll the dough towards the narrow end to seal, being sure to tuck in the overhang.  Round the sides inward to form the crescent/croissant shape.  Brush the croissants with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if using.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Link Love: The Valentine Edition

There's no dearth of Valentine's Day inspiration during this time of the year--and for good reason.  It's the one day when it's not only excusable--but expected--that we pull out all the stops for those who are special to us. 

I've happened upon my own batch of inspiration from around the web and want to share the love with you.  So here's to link love with a Valentine's twist!

1. A Valentine's Day Gift Guide (for The Food Freak in Your Life)

2. Recipes for Romance + More!

3. Valentine's Day Playlists

4. Date Night: Cooking Classes

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo Memory from Legendary Chez Black, Positano, Italy

xoxo!