My 25 Favorite Chocolate Desserts

What do you make for Valentine's Day? Do you go out, stay home and most importantly do your make a homemade treat?

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been thinking this week about Valentine's Day because I love to try something different for dessert each year as well as make an "old stand bye" recipe that I love. I thought I would share twenty-five treats with you today that I make often, just in case you need a recipe or two for your special Valentine. 

Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Moist Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Pancakes

Double Chocolate Bourbon Brownies

Tripple Chocolate Oreo Bars

Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding

Tripple Chocolate Blondies

Decadent Dark Chocolate Torte

Trisha Yearwood Brownie

Tripple Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Chocolate Banana Cake

Baked Chocolate Fudge

Magic Bars, Hello Dolly Bars

Joy the Baker Brownies

Brownie Tart Sundae

Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Skor Toffee Bar Cheesecake 

Caramelized Almond Dark Chocolate Bark

Cookies and Cream Brownies

By the way, this same post can be found on my other blog Pine Cones and Acorns, I thought I would share my favorites in both places because some people only follow that one and some only follow this one. 

I hope that you have a very Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope that you celebrate love, the love of family, friends, pets, and whoever else you love.

Have a great day!

Chocolate Babka French Toast

Recently I made a few loaves of this "Better Babka" from Smitten Kitchen and let me say it is delicious; rich, buttery and chocolaty. Deb os Smitten Kitchen writes the best recipes and things that seem complicated, like braided chocolate yeast bread, just come out easier and better when using her recipes. I love this bread best right out of the oven when the chocolate is still warm and gooey.

The recipe itself is so good that you should not have any leftover for anything like fresh toast but I purposely saved a few slices to make this over the top, decadent, chocolate breakfast. After all, I think a sweet treat is the perfect way to start the day!

French Toast

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 slices of babka bread

Butter, powdered sugar and syrup for garnish

In a skillet over medium heat melt butter or spray with cooking spray. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla then pour into a shallow dish. Dip bread into egg mixture and cook bread until golden brown then flip and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Remove to plate and serve with syrup or butter, powdered sugar and fresh fruit. 

I hope that you make the Better Babka from Smitten Kitchen and if you do set aside a few pieces so you can make this sweet, scrumptious breakfast as well. I promise that you will not be disappointed!

Enjoy!

Linking to:
Flour Me with Love

The Best and Most Decadent Hot Chocolate EVER

I love hot chocolate and drink it everyday, sometimes twice a day. I have my "go to recipe" but am frequently searching for that chocolat chaud that takes me back to my travels in France and Italy. If you have been to either country you know the sort of drink I am talking about, almost like a liquid ganache. Rich, chocolaty and so good that you really only need an espresso cup full.

This recipe is the closest I have come to the chocolat chaud at Angelina's in Paris and frankly it could not be easier. 

Decadent Hot Chocolate 

Recipe from Tasty

8 oz. 72% chocolate chopped

11/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar or to taste

In a saucepan over medium heat add the cream, milk and powdered sugar, whisk to combine. When bubbles form around the edges turn to low heat whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted and incorporated. Pour into cups and garnish with whipped cream.

It is excellent the first day but I think it tastes best the next day or even the day after, it gets thicker and richer. 

Enjoy!



Linking to:
Flour Me with Love

Chocolat Chaud or French Hot Chocolate from Dorie Greenspan

As we are in the path of the storm of the century I have armed myself with all of the provisions needed especially a pile of books and a pot of chocolate chaud. What more could you ask for?

This recipe a perfect treat on a cold day, or any day for that matter. It is from one of my favorite cookbook authors and bloggers Dorrie Greenspan, it is her version of Laudree's chocolat chaud.

Chocolat Chaud or French Hot Chocolate

Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

11/2 cups of whole milk

21/2 Tablespoons of water

21/2 Tablespoons of sugar

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium saucepan combine the milk, water and sugar, place over medium heat and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to just a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate, whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted. Then blend the mixture with an immersion blender or pour mixture into a traditional blender. If using a blender BE CAREFUL and when you put the top on do not add the little plug and put a towel over the hole. Blend for 1 minute. 

Pour into cups and enjoy! You can garnish with whipped cream and cocoa powder if you like. 

Enjoy!

Sharing at:
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style

Sipping Chocolate

Good morning~ and a happy start to a new week! Bitter cold mornings make me not want to leave my bed much less the house. All I feel like doing on days like that are staying in, stoking the fire and reading, of course a cup of cocoa, or hot chocolate is always welcome as well. 

Sipping Chocolate

Recipe from Ann Bramley Eat Feed Autumn Winter

11/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup cream

5 teaspoons sugar

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Combine the milk, cream and sugar in a medium pan and bring to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a blender. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate and blend until smooth and frothy.

Enjoy!

Mississippi Mud Pie Hot Chocolate

Good morning! Another chilly day here in the South, but I guess that is ok as it is Winter. On cold mornings like these I love the make a big pot of hot chocolate so that I can start the day with not only something that I love but something that is chocolaty and delicious.

So much better tasting than oatmeal, not necessarily healthier but definitely more chocolaty, that is unless you are having some of my scrumptious Chocolate Chip Oatmeal. 

Mississippi Mud Pie Hot Chocolate

Recipe from Phillip Ashley Rix

The Local Palate Magazine December 2015

11/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heave cream

1 vanilla bean split

4 oz. dark chocolate

2 oz. milk chocolate

1 tsp. Ceylon cinnamon

2 oz. bourbon(optional)

mini marshmallows for garnish

In a medium pan combine milk, cream and the scraped beans from the vanilla bean as well as the pod. Set over medium heat until hot.

Add chocolates, stir until completely melted and incorporated. Turn to low, add cinnamon and stir.

Remove the vanilla bean. Mixture will thicken as it simmers, be careful not to scotch the mixture.

Stir in the bourbon and remove from heat. Pour into cups and add garnish.

NOTE: I do not add the Bourbon when I make this, but a lot of people love it this way for an afternoon or evening drink.

I hope you try this or one of my other Favorite Hot Chocolate Recipes! Stay warm and have a great week.

Bailey's Frozen Hot Chocolate Cocktail

Happy 2016! It sounds strange to say that because I cannot figure out where 2015 went. I think it is as they say, time seems to go faster as I age. I actually meant to post this before the holidays were over because I thought it would be a tasty cocktail for New Years eve but I did not have the time. If you are a hot chocolate fan or a Bailey's fan both of which I am, I think you will enjoy this easy and tasty treat. 

Bailey's Frozen Hot Chocolate Cocktail

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk, divided

1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa powder

4 ounces 65% chocolate chips

1 scoop vanilla ice cream 

3 tablespoons Baileys  

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

whipped cream for garnish

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the milk with the cocoa powder, just until mixture begins to boil.  Remove pan from the heat, and add the chocolate chips, stirring until melted and smooth.  Set the mixture aside to cool.

In a blender, combine the cooled chocolate milk mixture, the remaining 1/4 cup milk, ice cream, Baileys, and ice cubes, then blend until completely smooth.  Divide into glasses and garnish with whipped cream. 

Enjoy! 


linking to:

Savvy Southern Style