Super Easy-No Machine Chocolate Ice Cream

Recipe and photo compliments of Cook's Illustrated

Makes 1 quart

If you plan to store the ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface before freezing. See Notes below.

1	teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1	tablespoon hot water
4	ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
1/2	cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract
	Pinch salt
1 1/4	cups heavy cream , cold

1. MELT CHOCOLATE BASE Combine coffee (or espresso) powder and hot water in small bowl. Let stand until coffee dissolves, about 5 minutes. Microwave chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and coffee mixture in bowl, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool.

2. MIX AND FREEZE With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Freeze in airtight container until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

STEP BY STEP

Follow these steps for chocolate ice cream that’s incredibly easy—and delicious.

1. Skip the double boiler. Start by microwaving the chocolate, coffee, and condensed milk until the chocolate is melted.

2. Skip the ice cream machine. For fluffy texture that mimics churned ice cream, gently fold in whipped cream.

3. Skip the stirring. Simply pour the mixture into a container and freeze for at least six hours.

NOTES:

• We used sweetened condensed milk in place of cream because it maintained its velvety texture in the freezer.
• Instead of a double boiler, we kept things simple and used the microwave to melt the chocolate and combine the ingredients.
• For a fluffy, light texture similar to churned ice cream, we took a cue from the Italian dessert semifreddo and folded in whipped cream.
• Bittersweet chocolate also worked well in maintaining the texture. To heighten chocolate flavor even more, we turned to instant coffee powder. The note of bitterness intensified the chocolate without making it taste like a cup of coffee. It also helped balance the sweetness of the condensed milk.
• A pinch of salt and a little vanilla extract rounded out the flavors.

Lemon Tea Cookies

This is a delightful recipe I found on RecipeZaar posted by Lavender Lynn. This recipe is extremely close to the one I use for catering. These are very easy to make. You can use store-bought lemon curd for convenience. They are always a hit.

3 hours | 1¼ hours prep

Yield: 3 dozen

Cookies

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Filling

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten

1. In large bowl, Beat butter, 1/3 C powdered sugar, and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended.
2. Stir in flour until dough forms.
3. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes
4. Heat oven to 350°F Shape dough into 1" balls.
5. Place balls 2" apart. Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
8. In 1 qt saucepan, heat all filling ingredients over low heat about 25 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.
9. Cool about 15 minutes.
10. Fill each thumbprint with rounded 1/4 tsp filling. Sprinkle 1 T powdered sugar over cookies.

Super Quick and Easy Blueberry-Banana Cheesecake

The first time I tasted this I just couldn't believe how fantastic the combination of blueberries and bananas tasted...it's a slice of heaven. I now put blueberries and bananas on my cereal in the morning! This is pretty darn quick and easy. Your kids would love to get into the act on this one.

Yield: 2 cheesecakes

12 Ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
8 Ounces Cool Whip®
4 Each Bananas, sliced
1 Can Blueberry Pie Filling
2 Each Graham Cracker Crumb Pie Crusts

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together first 4 ingredients, then fold in Cool Whip.
2. Place slices of 2 bananas on bottom of each pie crust.
3. Pour cream cheese mixture over bananas.
4. Spoon half can of blueberry pie filling over each pie.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Rice Pudding with Orange Zest

The Winelady was kind enough to send me this blog post via Foodbuzz. I liked it so much I decided to share it here on Southern Flavor Zone. Enjoy!

Recipe and photo courstesy of Mangia! Winelady Cooks

I'm a dessert lover and rice pudding has always been a favorite. However, in recent years I stopped making it because it was way too rich and not very healthy with all the eggs and cream. Not that eggs and cream are unhealthy, but for my personal health concerns I started cutting back on the rich foods that add too many calories making the pounds add up faster than I can say grandma.

I came across this recipe in Woman's Day magazine. I made it several times, and based on the critiques I received from my "tasters" I made a few changes and came up with a very tasty rice pudding. I splurged with "real" whipped cream which is a "must have" on rice pudding.

Ingredients

* 2/3 cup Arborio rice
* 8 cups water
* pinch of salt
* 3 cups 1% milk
* 1 5 oz. can "evaporated" milk
* 3 TBLS. packed light brown sugar
* 2 TBLS. granulated sugar
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 tsp. grated orange zest
* 1/4 tsp. cinnamon


Directions
#1. Place rice in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir with your fingers to remove some of the surface starch. Place the rice in a 5 quart saucepan with the 8 cups of water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium and then boil for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is just tender. (Try not to overcook the rice). Drain rice and return to the pot.

#2. Stir in the milk and sugar into the rice, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat to a slow simmer.

Simmer, stirring frequently at first and then continuously toward the end for about 25 minutes, or until the rice doubles in size and is soft and tender. (The mixture will be very liquidy. Don't panic.)

#3. Pour into a bowl, stir in the vanilla, orange zest and cinnamon. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

Let cool on the counter before refrigerating. Refrigerate at least 4 or 5 hours. The liquid will be absorbed into the rice and will then be ready to serve.

#4. Add grated orange zest and cinnamon to garnish and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Rich Moist Zucchini Chocolate Cake

The Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Cocoa powder

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Canola oil

1/4 cup Unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup Granulated sugar

1/2 cup Light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Instant coffee powder

3 eggs

1/4 cup Milk

2 cups Zucchini, grated then chopped slightly

The Topping

3 tablespoons Light brown sugar

1/2 cup Pistachios, toasted and chopped

The Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 360F/180c for 15 minutes.
2. Grease and flour a 9 inch spring-form pan. You can use cocoa instead of flour.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour,cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. In a medium bowl add oil, applesauce, sugars, vanilla extract and coffee powder. Using a hand mixer beat the mixture in medium speed for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs in 3 additions beating it after every addition. Now also add the milk and beat until well combined.
6. Reserving half a cup of the flour mixture, add slowly the remaining flour to the wet ingredients, while beating it in low speed. Combine well the grated zucchini, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of flour. Add this to the batter and mix it well. Note that the batter is thick at this stage. So don’t worry.
7. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan and smooth it out using a spatula. While using a spring-form pan it’s advisable to place the pan on a baking sheet, so that the batter or baked cake does not fall down if the pan is not locked properly.
8. Prepare the topping by mixing the brown sugar and pistachios. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Mine was done in 45 minutes.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

This is delicious and very easy to make. Enjoy!

1 9″ pie shell, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
whipped cream
confectioners sugar

Take a little more than half of the berries and mash them in a bowl with sugar and cornstarch. Place the mixture in a double boiler and cook until it thickens and becomes a glaze. Remove from heat. Take all but 4 of the remaining berries and slice them lengthwise. Place slice berries on the bottom of the cooked pie crust. Pour cooked berries over and let set. When completely cool and ready to serve, cover entire top with whipped cream. Dip the last 4 berries in confectioners sugar and use to garnish the pie.

Churros, OMG Sweet Hot Churros!

These fried fritters are just delightful. They are served by street vendors all over Mexico and Spain. They are best eaten hot from the fryer which usually means homemade or from a vendor who is actually frying on the spot. They are inexpensive and easy to make.

Yield: About 20 4-inch long

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon safflower or corn oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
peanut or safflower oil for frying
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the water, milk, salt and oil in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once, lower the heat, and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a stiff, dry ball.

Transfer the dough to the large bowl of an electric mixer and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Beat it on medium-high speed for 1 minute, or until the dough softens and becomes more malleable. Add the egg and continue beating. At first the dough will be in pieces, but as you continue to beat it, it will come together to form a smooth mixture. Set it aside to cool. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat at least 1 inch of oil in a deep 8 or 9-inch skillet until it reaches 350 degrees. Cuff the top of a 12-inch pastry bag and insert a large star or fluted tube (1/2-inch opening). Fill the bag with half of the dough, push the dough down towards the tip and twist the top of the bag closed. Hold the bag perpendicular to the skillet about 3 inches above the oil and squeeze out a 3 or 4-inch length of dough directly into the hot oil. Cut the flow of the dough off with a knife. Squeeze out 2 or 3 more lengths of dough depending on the size of the skillet. Fry each churro until golden brown on one side before flipping it over to the other side to brown. Drain on Absorbent paper, sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture, and serve immediately. Instead of the sugar/cinnamon topping, you can dunk them into chocolate.

Chocolate for Churro Dunking

4 ozs dark chocolate, chopped

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons sugar

Place the clocolate and half the milk in a pan and heat, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about five minutes. Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes. Remove and whisk smooth. Pour and server in cups or bowls for dunking churros. Do not pour over churros, but use the mix for dunking churros after every bite. Served warm.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Another great recipe from the Thermador contest. This is the winner from Alabama.

Submitted By: Trish Waller

These cinnamon rolls are the product of a tried and true, family recipe. The Wallers generously share the bounty of their culinary skills with their friends and family in the form of these sweet, gooey confections.

Yield: 12 buns

The baking tradition is an important one in the state of Arkansas. This recipe is a perfect example: It belonged to Trish's grandmother, who gave it to Trish's mom, who gave it to Trish. These rolls are wonderful for breakfast, for brunch, or as an anytime treat.

Dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 ¼-ounce packages dry yeast
⅓ cup warm water
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
4 cups all purpose flour

Filling
1 cup (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick) butter

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 tablespoon whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add milk, sugar, and salt and bring just to simmer. Pour into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with dough hook. Cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over ⅓ cup warm water in small bowl. Stir to dissolve.

Beat yeast mixture and eggs into milk mixture. Mix in potato flakes. Beat in flour 1 cup at a time. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead until smooth. Transfer dough to oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For filling: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in bowl. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface to 4x9-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick. Brush dough generously with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar
mixture. Beginning at 1 long end, roll up dough jelly-roll style. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Arrange on baking sheets. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Brush roll tops with remaining melted butter. Bake until cooked through and slightly golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

For frosting: Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle rolls with frosting just before serving.

Muddy River Mocha Bars

Efforts like this are worth repeating...

Story and recipe courtesy of Lorie

A few years ago, the good people at Thermador Ovens sponsored a contest whereby entrants sent in their best recipes themed to fit their state. I created these bars for that contest and they are a spin-off of the classic Mississippi Mud Cake. I won for Mississippi and had my recipe printed in their cookbook, Taste of America, which is a beautiful cookbook, by the way.

I hadn't made these bars in a while and I was dying to use my new 9-inch square spring form pan that I won in a contest recently. It worked perfectly. Once the metal rim was removed, I could cut the bars with ease.

Let me give you a warning. These are seriously rich bars. I can only eat four at a time.

Bottom Layer

Non stick cooking spray

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

3 large eggs

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Middle Layer

2 (7-ounce) jars marshmallow cream

1-1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

Top Layer

1/4 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1/2 cup butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

Cocoa powder for dusting top

Bottom Layer

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate chips and butter over low heat until melted, stirring often; set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place the warm water in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon coffee granules and stir until dissolved. Add eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt to the coffee mixture and whisk until smooth. Blend in the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour, mixing well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until puffed at edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Middle Layer

1. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir together the marshmallow cream and crushed cookies. Drop by spoonfuls over warm bottom layer.

Top Layer

1. Place the milk in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon coffee granules and stir to dissolve. Stir in butter and cocoa. Increase heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour warm frosting over marshmallow layer, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting into bars.

Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. I was out, so I buttered it instead. This is my new pan. I'm about to break it in.

Melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Dissolve 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules in a 1/4 cup of warm water.

Whisk in 3 eggs, 1 cup of light brown sugar, the vanilla, and the salt.

Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.

Whisk in the flour...

...and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until puffed around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the marshmallow cream and crushed cookies. Yes, it is a little hard to do because it is so sticky, but it is worth it.

While the base is warm, drop the marshmallow mixture on top by spoonfuls, then lightly spread. The recipe doesn't call for it, but I would refrigerate it at this point to set the marshmallow cream before adding the chocolate frosting. I didn't do it this time, though.

Place the whole milk and 1 tablespoon of coffee granules in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved.

Add the butter and cocoa powder and bring to a boil, stirring often.

Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the vanilla and the powdered sugar.

Waste no time stirring in the pecans. This frosting sets up quick. If it gets too thick, stir over low heat for a few seconds longer.

Mine did get too thick because I was taking extra time to take pictures. When I poured it on the marshmallow base, I got more of a swirl effect. No problem though...

...because the next step is to dust it with cocoa powder.

Chill for at lease 2 hours. Cut into bars. They are sticky. You might want to spray your knife with nonstick cooking spray first.

I store these in the refrigerator because the marshmallow cream can get oozy at room temperature.

For die-hard chocolate-coffee lovers only.

Charleston Poppy Seed Cake

Remember to keep poppy seeds refrigerated, as they go rancid quickly. Always smell for off odors before adding poppy seeds to anything.

Makes 10 servings

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1/3 cup poppy seeds

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup dry sherry

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. Batter should look well combined and thickened and the poppy seeds should be well distributed. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.

Bake cake until it's golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and sides are pulling away from pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so that the cake is right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely, 30 minutes or more.

Creamy Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Recipe courtesy of Kittencal

Servings 9-12

Ingredients:

CRUST:

2-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

FILLING:

2 (8-ounce) packages Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (can use the juice of 1 whole lemon mixed with bottled to make 1/2 cup)

2-4 drops yellow food coloring

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease an 11 x 7-inch baking pan.

For the crust; in a bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs with pecans and sugar.

Add in melted butter; mix to combine (set aside about 1/2 cup).

Add in yellow food coloring until you have reached desired shade of yellow.

Bake for 6 minutes then remove and cool slightly.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed beat the cream cheese until fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add in condensed milk and sour cream; beat until smooth and combined, then beat in the lemon juice and zest until blended.

Pour over the crust in the baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup reserved crumb mixture over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until just set (this should not take more that 30 minutes to bake).

Cool until almost room temperature then refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving.

Double Chocolate Pudding

Serves 4 to 6.

Serve the pudding with whipped cream, if desired.

Ingredients

6 Ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 Cup granulated sugar
1/8 Teaspoon table salt
1 Cup light cream
3 Large egg yolks
2 Cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. To melt the chocolate, chop and place it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost simmering water, stirring once or twice until smooth. You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave at 50 percent power for 3 1/2 minutes, stopping to stir after 2 minutes. If the chocolate is not yet completely melted, heat up to 30 seconds more at 50 percent power. After melting, allow to cool slightly.
2. Sift cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt into large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Slowly whisk in light cream, followed by yolks, then milk. Stir in chocolate. (Chocolate will form clumps that smooth with cooking.)
3. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with whisk, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Pudding will gradually darken and thicken. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring gently but constantly with wooden spoon until pudding very thickly coats spoon or instant-read thermometer registers about 200 degrees, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
4. Pass pudding through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing with rubber spatula. Leave residue in strainer. Stir butter and vanilla into pudding. Serve warm or directly cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap, cool 30 minutes, and refrigerate.

Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord.

Fondue has finally made a comeback, as most culinary fads eventually do, but this time with a bit of spark. Back in the seventies a party wasn't groovy unless a fondue pot was rolling. Nowadays, fondue fountains and fondue restaurants are all the rage but few people seem to be doing them at home, which is a shame considering how easy (and cheap) it is. Fondue gatherings are also a great chance to be interactive at the table and even those who don't cook can enjoy the simple play of dipping and eating.

Chocolate fondue in particular is laughably simple. Melted chocolate becomes the base for infinite varieties of dippables. Plus the chocolate can easily be flavored to perk the senses and create astounding flavors and variety. While great for a party, chocolate fondue is also the perfect way to end a romantic meal at home. The set up can be done way in advanced and the only thing you have to do later is turn on a little flame to get your own flame burning.

Using a fondue pot isn't mandatory, but it does make it easier and adds a certain sense of class. If you are using a regular pot, once the chocolate is melted put an oven mitt down on the table and place the pot on top and begin to dip. The chocolate may cool rather quickly if it is in a regular pot. However if you are using a fondue pot, with a little flame underneath it, the chocolate will keep nice and warm, and melted much longer.

As for what to dip feel free to pick and choose; many people enjoy baked goods such as brownies, pound cake, marshmallows, and the ever lovely ladyfinger. Fresh fruit such as strawberries, pears, or bananas are always romantic and a bit healthier. And as always dried fruit such as apricots or large chunks of candied ginger make for a nice set-up.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces of dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped if from a block)
• 8 ounces of heavy cream
• A pinch of salt
• Dippables such as strawberries, banana pieces cut into 1-inch chunks, dried appricots, candied ginger, apple pieces

Method

1. Warm the cream over moderate heat until tiny bubbles show and begins to lightly and slowly boil. Add the chocolate and whisk until smooth and full incorporated.
2. Immediately transfer to a fondue pot heated at low or with a low flame, or serve straight from the pot.
3. Arrange the dippables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot. Use a fondue fork, bamboo skewer, seafood fork, or salad fork to dip the fruit pieces and other dippables into the hot melted cream chocolate mixture. Eat immediately.
4. If the fondue begins to feel a little stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and stir. It will help it go a little longer. Eventually, it will cook down though and you may need to start a new pot.

Variations

Add a tablespoon or two of Bailey's Irish Cream to the chocolate. Other liquors such as Grand Marnier, Amaretto, or Kirsch are equally yummy.

Add a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and ancho chili pepper for a nice Mexican Chocolate.

The contents of a vanilla pod or some vanilla extract are always a decadent touch to chocolate.

A good pinch of espresso powder can do wonders!

Orange zest or grapefruit zest is nice way to create a slightly fruity chocolate.

A few tablespoons of Torani flavoring syrups (the kind used for coffee or Italian sodas) can add a nice dimension of flavor as well.

White chocolate is always a nice change, and spiked with a little liquor or citrus zest becomes heavenly.

Steeping the cream for an hour beforehand and while heating it can add a nice subtle flavor, lemongrass for white chocolate or a bag of Earl Grey tea for dark chocolate are particularly stylish and contemporary.

Cafe Reconcile Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

This recipe for one of their featured desserts recently was shared by Cafe Reconcile. Founder Craig Cuccia and past chef Don Boyd collaborated on its creation. A variation of the sauce has bananas in it. The secret ingredient of the restaurant version might be the Leidenheimer French bread.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

1 loaf stale French bread, or more, to fill pan

3 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup rum

1 ½ tablespoons banana extract

4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons butter

CARAMEL SAUCE

¼ pound butter (1 stick)

¼ cup light brown sugar

¼ ounce rum

¼ ounce banana extract

*Optional: 1 sliced, medium-ripe banana.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 12- by 12- by 2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Tear the bread into 2-inch pieces, enough to fill the pan.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 ½ cups sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, cream, ¼ cup rum and 1 ½ tablespoons banana extract.

In a saucepan, bring milk just to a boil and melt butter in it. Temper* egg mixture into milk mixture. Pour liquid over the bread and fold in thoroughly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then foil. (The plastic wrap keeps the moisture in and it does not melt.)

Place the baking dish into a larger baking pan and carefully add enough water to come 1 inch up the sides of the baking dish, to create a water bath.

Bake for an hour. Remove foil and plastic. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with caramel sauce.

To make caramel sauce: Melt a stick of butter on low heat in a saucepan. When butter is melted, add a quarter- cup brown sugar. Stir well and continue to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, or until brown sugar begins to caramelize.

(Optional: Add banana a couple of minutes before removing sauce from the stove.) Add ¼ ounce rum and ¼ ounce banana extract. Stir and serve warm.

*Tempering is a technique that lets you raise the temperature of eggs gradually by adding hot liquid. If the liquid is added too quickly, the eggs could curdle. In this recipe, drizzle a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk constantly. Continue to slowly add the hot milk while whisking into the eggs, until all the milk is incorporated. Once half of it is incorporated, you can add more of the liquid at a time.

Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake

Recipe Source:
Morton's Steak Bible, Author Klaus Fritsch, co-founder Morton's The Steakhouse.

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the souffle cups
• Granulated sugar
• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 large egg yolks, plus 7 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 18 fresh raspberries
• 6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter six 6-ounce souffle cups and sprinkle each with granulated sugar. Tap out the excess sugar.

In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together. Remove the top of the double boiler pan from the heat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set on low speed, beat the egg yolks and eggs for about 2 minutes, or until light and smooth. With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and mix for about 2 minutes longer.

Put the confectioners' sugar and flour in a fine-mesh sieve and sprinkle into the chocolate mixture. With the mixer on medium speed, beat for 30 seconds, or until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared souffle cups, leaving about 1/4 inch of space below the rim. Set the souffle cups on a baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and about 1 inch higher than the rim. The centers will be soft but not sticky.

Remove the cakes from the oven and immediately invert each onto a serving plate. Remove the cup, and garnish each plate with three raspberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.