Flourless Chocolate Cake

Or, as Tyler put it:  "Death on a Fork."  Here you go, Hannah! 

1 1/2 lbs. Bittersweet or Semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 lb (3 sticks) Real Butter
10 eggs
1 tsp (or to taste) vanilla, almond, mint or amoretto extract (optional)

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler over low heat.  Cool slightly.  In large bowl, beat eggs utnil 3x their original volume.  Add flavoring, if using.  Fold 1/2 chocolate mixture into eggs.  Fold remaining chocolate in until there are no streaks left.  Pour into 8" sprinform cake pan.  Cover the bottom of the pan with 3 layers aluminum foil.  Place pan into a 9x13" baking dish and pour boiling water around cake pan to come up the sides about 1 inch.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Lay a sheet of foil over the top and bake for 10 minutes more.  The cake won't look done in the middle.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired.  Best at room temperature.

Note:  This is really rich, so serve small slices.

Chocolate Ice Cream

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling water.  Gradually whisk in the milk and heat, stirring constantly, unitl smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.  Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minutes more.  Add the cream, vanilla, and salt and whisk to blend.

Pour the chocolate mixuture into the cream mixture and blend.  Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 to 3 hours, depending on your refrigerator.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Yeild: 1 quart

Note:  This is our favorite chocolate ice cream.  It is great alone, but we also like it with crushed mint oreo's or as Rocky Road with marshmallows, mini-chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

¾ cup dried, pitted cherries
1 Chocolate cookie crust, baked in 9-inch springform pan, cooled
2 lbs. Cream cheese, softened 3-4 hours at room temperature
1 ¼ cup plus 2 TB sugar
2 TB unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
1 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB whipping cream
6 oz. Semisweet chocolate, chopped into approx. ½ -inch pieces

Put the cherries in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them, just to cover the cherries. Let the cherries sit in the hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the cherries and pat dry with paper towels.
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with curst with a large piece of heavy aluminum foil and place it in a large baking pan with sides at least 2 inches high.
Put the cream cheese in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until the cream cheese is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour. Add the eggs, two at a time, mixing the batter smooth after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl twice during this mixing. Mix in the vanilla, almond extract, and the lemon juice. Mix in the whipping cream. Stir in the soaked and drained cherries and chopped chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Put the cheesecake in the oven and pour hot water into the large baking pan to reach 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 1 hour, or until when you give the cheesecake a gentle shake, the top looks firm. (see note at bottom)
Cool the cheesecake, covered loosely with paper towels, in the water bath for 1 hour on a wire rack. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath. Remove the paper towels and cool 1 hour more. The cheesecake should feel cool to the touch. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Rachel's note: I didn't bother with the crust when I made this. Also, after the cheesecake baked for one hour, instead of taking it out of the oven and cooling it on a rack, I left the oven door closed and just turned off the oven. I let it sit there for another hour before taking it out of the oven to cool for another hour on the counter. This cheesecake is so thick it really needs the extra "baking" time.

Chocolate Crinkles

I got this recipe from Family Fun magazine about a year ago, and finally just tried it yesterday. They were really good!

3/4 c melted butter

1/2 c cocoa

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 ounces mini chocolate chips (I just used regular chocolate chips)

3/4 c powdered sugar

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, cocoa, and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a large spoonj to slowly add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chips. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours. Heat the oven to 350. Form the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll them in powdered sugar. Bake the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then lightly dust the cookies with the remaining powdered sugar. Makes 4 dozen.

Zucchini Bread

Another really delicious recipe from my neighbor Cecily.

I know the zucchini season is over, but I had some in my freezer I needed to use, so I made some muffins and bread and took a picture and you get the recipe now.

Cream together:
3 eggs
2 c sugar
3/4 c applesauce
1/4 c oil
2 t vanilla


Add:
2 c zucchini, shreaded
Mix.

Add:
3 c flour
1/4 c cocoa
1 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c chocolate chips.

Place in 2 greased loaf pans, bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Bake muffins for 15 min.

No Bake Cookies

This recipe came from my Parker-Egin cookbook and was submitted by Bron Orr.

2 c. sugar
1 cube of butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
2 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa

3 1/2 c. oatmeal (quick oats or regular)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut butter

Combine the first 4 ingredients in saucepan and boil for 1 1/2 min.
Remove from heat, then add last 3 ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever found

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (opt.)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE at 375 for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Aimee's note- I usually have to add 1/2 c of flour and then they are perfect.

Mom's Hot Chocolate Cake

I thought I'd start our recipe blog off with a classic! Thanks, Mom, for all the countless times you've made this for us. What a great tradition you started for us.

Hot Chocolate Cake

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c cocoa
2 sticks margarine/butter melted (Mom prefers 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 sticks)
1 c water
2 eggs
2/3 c milk with 2 T vinegar to sour milk

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet in another, then mix all together. Bake at 350 for 35 min.