Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse is a great dessert for entertaining because 1) it looks pretty, 2) everyone gets their own serving, and 3) you can make it a day ahead of time. In fact, you do need to make it at least several hours ahead of time. I decided to prepare chocolate mousse using the darkest chocolate I could find (Trader Joe's has some Belgian 70% cocoa 1 lb bricks). Chocolate mousse is a little bit tricky. If you incorporate the egg yolks when the chocolate is too warm, it will cook, if too cold, it will seize up when the other ingredients are added. If you stir and not fold the egg whites and whipped cream in, your mousse will not be fluffy, but dense.

Almost all recipes I reviewed called for bittersweet chocolate. From what I can tell, bittersweet has a bit more sugar and a bit less cocoa than the 70% dark chocolate I used. If you are going to serve the mousse straight - with no added cream or fruit, and you love the taste of barely sweet dark chocolate, your mousse will be perfect with the 70%. If you layer in fruit (raspberries complement the chocolate quite well) and or more whipped cream, you'll want either to add sugar or use bittersweet chocolate to begin with.

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons espresso or very strong coffee (I used decaf espresso from a local Starbucks)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon sugar

(Optional) Raspberries and extra whipped cream

METHOD

1 Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.

2 Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

3 Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

4 When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

5 Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

Serves 5-8, depending on the size of the servings.

Chocolate Truffles

Please welcome guest author Garrett McCord who is helping us get ready forValentine's Day with these easy-to-make chocolate truffles. ~Elise

Want to show me romance and sweep me off my feet? Then cook for me.

Flowers are a sweet gesture, but I don't have a vase so they end up sitting on my table in an Indiana Jones Big Gulp cup and then my cats end up eating them anyway. Gifts and tokens are sweet and while I may say thank you out loud in my mind I'm saying, "Great, now I have more crud in my house and no place to put it!"

No, if you want to make me swoon, then cook for me. If you don't know how to cook, make me truffles.

Truffles are the simplest of candy to make; cream, chocolate, and time is all it takes to create something blissfully elegant, decadent, and delicious. Be sure to use high quality chocolate, and if you can find it, chocolate that is 62% cacao or higher, and organic cream, as the quality of these ingredients will effect the final product.

Chocolate Truffles Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

Basic truffle ingredients

• 8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Optional base flavorings:

• Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup)
• Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods)
• Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons)
• Almond extract (1 teaspoon)

Truffle coatings

• Cocoa powder
• Finely chopped walnuts
• Finely chopped almonds

METHOD

1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).

If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe.

2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)

3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

4 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.

Blackberry Slump

Have you ever heard of a dessert called a slump? The Joy of Cooking defines a slump as "steamed fruit topped with dumplings". I first encountered the idea of a slump in a cookbook about the cooking of Newport, Rhode Island, in the first chapter on colonial cooking. Apparently, this dessert goes back to colonial days. It's synonymous with a "grunt", and which word you use, slump or grunt, depends on the locale. In Rhode Island, slump is used. In Massachusetts, grunt is more common.

Etymology aside, what's cool about slumps is that they are like cobblers, except they're made on the stove-top instead of the oven, and they have dumplings instead of biscuits. Yes, berries cooked with sugar, topped with dumplings. (You should have seen my dad's face when I explained the dessert I made for him. The way he lit up when the word "dumpling" was mentioned was priceless.) Soft, fluffy dumplings, bathed in sweet, tart, ruby berries, and doused with cream.

Sigh.

Dad practically ate the whole batch!

This recipe uses blackberries because that's what I happened to have, but you could use any berry. Traditionally in New England native blueberries are used. I do recommend serving this with cream or vanilla ice cream. Blackberries can be quite tart, which the cream can help cut.

Blackberry Slump Recipe

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 30 minutes

This recipe uses blackberries, but you could easily use any berry you would like, such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.

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INGREDIENTS

Dumplings:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk

Berries:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen (defrosted and drained) blackberries
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (depending on how sweet your berries and how sweet you would like your slump to be)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup water

• Whipping cream or vanilla ice cream for topping

METHOD

1 In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your clean hands, cut the butter into the flour until the flour resembles a coarse meal. Add the milk all at once and stir until the flour is just moistened. Handling the dough as little as possible, form into a ball. Set aside.

2 In a 2-qt saucepan, add the berries, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon zest, and water. Heat until boiling, stirring a few times so that the berries are well coated with the sauce. Once the berry mixture is boiling, tear off spoonful chunks from the dough ball and drop onto the fruit around the edges of the pot. You should have enough dough for 6 dumplings. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, without peeking at the dumplings.

Place dumplings in serving bowls and top with berries. Serve with cream or ice cream. Serve hot or chilled.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

"I found my thrill, on Blueberry Hill..." While I'm pretty sure this song isn't about blueberries, every time I hear it all that comes to mind is a huge mound of them waiting for me to dig in. (Like Rock Candy Mountain, but made of blueberries.) During the summer when they're in season, I can't get enough of them. I'll buy baskets of blueberries just for me to eat, all by myself. No guilt. No justification needed (though if you do need a reason, they're great for your brain and are considered a superfood). Half a basket gets dumped into the morning's cereal, the rest nibbled throughout the day. We keep bags of frozen blueberries around forpancakes or smoothies; fresh ones are usually just eaten straight. With this blueberry frozen yogurt recipe, you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries, though you might want to lean to the frozen as you are going to freeze them anyway, and the frozen berries are usually cheaper. The tartness of the yogurt seems to just intensify the flavor of the blueberries, and a little cinnamon adds a touch of spice.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Recipe

Frozen blueberries work great for this recipe.

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INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 1 1lb)
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet your blueberries are, and how sweet you want the result to be)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups full fat plain yogurt (full fat yogurt is preferred, if you use low-fat or non-fat yogurt, substitute 1/4 cup of it with heavy whipping cream)
• 1/2 cup whole milk

METHOD

1 Place the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until all of the sugar has dissolved. While the mixture is heating, use a potato masher to mash up the blueberries. When all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

If you want a smooth result, you can process the cooled mixture in a food processor, or skip, in which case you'll have pieces of blueberries which can add flavorful texture to the frozen yogurt.

2 Stir in the yogurt and milk until completely incorporated. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.

3 Process the blueberry yogurt mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (usually about 25 minutes). Serve immediately (it will be soft) or let it firm up a bit by freezing it for several hours.

Make about 1 quart.

Red Velvet Brownies

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Our red velvet brownies are a bite-size version of the classic cake. Top them with cream cheese frosting for an ultimate holiday dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
• 3/4 cup butter $
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs $
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
• Garnish: white chocolate curls

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. 2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
3. 3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).
4. 4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares. Garnish, if desired.

Note:

Line pan with foil by trimming two long foil pieces to a 9-inch width. Fit strips, crossing each other, in the pan.

Strawberry cheesecake

in sean

Paul Rankin layers citrusy crushed biscuits, stewed strawberries and cheesecake in this easy yet dramatic dessert.

Ingredients

For the biscuit layer

• 150g/5¼oz crushed digestive biscuits
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tbsp freshly grated lemon zest, very finely chopped
• 6 tbsp orange juice or juice from the strawberries

For the strawberry layer

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in a little cold water or orange juice
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 1kg/2lb 3¼oz strawberries, cleaned and sliced

For the cheesecake layer

• 2 sheets gelatine
• 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice
• 350g/12¼oz cream cheese
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 300g/10½oz thick Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract

To serve

• whipped cream
• sprigs of mint

Preparation method

1. For the biscuit layer, mix all the biscuit ingredients together and reserve.
2. For the strawberry layer, place the lemon juice and water into a small saucepan and mix in the cornflour well.
3. Bring to the boil and when the cornflour is dissolved, mix in the sugar and the strawberries.
4. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool and thicken.
5. For the cheesecake mixture, soften the gelatine in the lemon juice and a spoonful of water if needed, for 3-5 minutes.
6. Heat the mixture gently over a low heat in a small saucepan until the gelatine is completely dissolved.
7. Meanwhile whisk the cream cheese and the sugar in a mixer or blender on medium speed.
8. When the sugar is dissolved turn down the speed and add the yoghurt and the gelatine.
9. When the mixture is blended together add the vanilla extract.
10. To assemble, place the biscuit layer into the base of six wine glasses, add a good dollop of cheesecake mixture, then add some strawberries. Chill the mixture for a few hours and top with whipped cream and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

Apricot and Yogurt Parfaits

Apricot yogurt, my favorite French yogurt, was the inspiration for these parfaits. The presentation transforms the mixture of apricots and plain yogurt into a beautiful dessert

1 cup apricot puree

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

2 cups low-fat (2%) thickened yogurt or Greek-style yogurt

1 tablespoon finely chopped almonds, toasted or raw

1. Make the apricot purée as directed. If desired, add to it 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.

2. Spoon 1/4 cup thickened yogurt into the bottom of each of four tumblers or parfait glasses. Top with 2 tablespoons of the apricot purée. Make another 1/4 cup layer of yogurt on top of the apricot purée, and finish with another 2-tablespoon layer of apricot purée. Cover tightly and chill for at least one hour. Just before serving, sprinkle finely chopped almonds over the top.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: The assembled parfaits will hold in the refrigerator for a day. Sprinkle on the almonds just before serving.

Nutritional information per serving: 165 calories; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 24 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 39 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein