Chocolate!

[tiggs]

Okay so this is a new twist on an old favorite, I love date bars but I love them even more with chocolate!!!



Oatmeal Crust:

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup pure cocoa powder

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Date Filling:

3 cups pitted dates - chopped coarsly

2/3 cup espresso (or strong coffee)

3 squares bakers dark chocolate

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour (or use a non stick cooking spray) an 8 x 11 inch or a 9 x 9 inch pan. Set aside.

Date Filling: Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook on medium temp. until mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature and set aside.


Oatmeal Crust: In the bowl of a mixer place the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. mix to combine. Then add the butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the base of the prepared pan.

Spread the dates evenly over the oatmeal crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough evenly over the top of the dates and press lightly to form an even crust. Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once the squares have cooled, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator at least one hour or until firm enough to cut easily into squares.

These will keep, covered, in the refrigerator up to a week.


If you want to make it even more chocolatey you can melt some chocolate chips in a pan and spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag (or zip lock baggy with the corner cut out if you don't have a piping bag), and drizzle this over the bars when they have cooled a bit.

[Lady_Wu]

Lindt has come out with a new dark chocolate bar:
A Touch of Salt !!!
This is a bar of dark chocolate with a small amount of large French Sea Salt crystals sprinkled throughout. This tastes awesomely mouthwateringly good! What could be better-great chocolate combined with a great salt? Zui Hao-the best!
Lady_Wu

[tiggs]

I haven't tried chocolate and salt before but I have to say that chocolate and red chili pepper ice cream is amazing!

If you love the contrast of sweet and savoury try sautéed strawberries in fresh cracked peppercorns flambéed with a little cognac it's amazing!! Serve it over a high quality vanilla bean ice cream or even with crème brule mmmmmmm

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by tiggs

I haven't tried chocolate and salt before...

Oh no, Tiggs? Not even chocolate covered pretzels?? (Those are one of my favourites!!!


~LadyBlue

[2myladyblue]

Cranberry Squares

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c self-rising flour (plus extra for dusting)
1/2 c unsalted butter
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 1/4 c light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 c fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

Topping ingredients:
2/3 c sour cream
6 Tbsp superfine sugar (does this mean confectioners/icing sugar?)
2 Tbsp self-rising flour
4 Tbsp soft margarine
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 Tbsp coarsely grated semi-sweet chocolate (for sprinkling)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
Grease a 7 x 10 1/2 inch cake pan & dust lightly with flour.
Combine the butter, cocoa & sugar in a saucepan & stir over low heat until melted & smooth.
Remove the melted mixture from heat & stir in the flour & eggs, beating until thoroughly mixed.
Stir in the cranberries, then spread the mixture in the prepared pan.

Make the topping by mixing all the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Beat until smooth, then spread over the cranberry mixture.
Sprinkle with the grated chocolate & bake for 40-45 minutes, or until risen & firm to the touch. Cool in th epan, then cut into 12 squares.

[Leigh]

There you go again bringing up again ~ and this time, I don't even have any

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by Braedon

There you go again bringing up again ~ and this time, I don't even have any

LOL....aww Braedon....a little cocoa & sugar will go a L-O-N-G way my friend!

And soon you'll be finding your way to my place & we'll have some yummy stuff together!

Blue

[ravfem]

Chocolate Pretzel Rings

Ingredients
• 48 pretzel rings or mini twists
• 1 (8 ounce) package milk chocolate kisses
• 1/4 cup M&M's

Directions
1. Place the pretzels on greased baking sheets; place a chocolate kiss in the center of each ring. Bake at 275 degrees F for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Remove from the oven. Place an M&M on each, pressing down slightly so chocolate fills the ring. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Store in fridge or room temp.

alternatives & suggestions
Following the same procedure, use tiny pretzel twists or the waffle shaped ones make a nice base, too. Instead of kisses, individual Rollos. On top, press in a toasted pecan half. Basically, they are Pretzel Turtles.

if you are using white and milk chocolate - be sure you don't put them on the same cookie sheet, because they definitely melt at different times!

I found that the caramel was just a bit too much, so I cut the rolos in half and put them on top of the pretzels (caramel side facing up, unless you want a nasty, sticky mess)

I used miniature peanut butter cups with m&m's

there is literally a 15 second window of perfect meltiness. In my oven, it was 2 minutes, 45 seconds. 15 seconds less and it was still hard in the middle, 15 more and it was too melty. For some reason, my milk chocolate ones would NOT melt. Ever. They went from hard to cooked. Very odd. The peppermint ones were yummy, but did not hold their colors as well as the hugs. I used regular Cmas themed m&ms and also mint ones. The regular m&ms got a little chalky colored and lost their gloss - maybe because I put them in the freezer to cool? The mint ones I cooled in the fridge and did NOT loose their color or gloss.

I like more crunch & salt so I squished the melted kisses between 2 square snaps. Just the right chocolate to salt ratio for me, and super fast and easy.

[2myladyblue]

Once upon a time, my mother made these stovetop cookies that she called "spiders". I remember that they involved oats, cocoa, sugar & butter (Maybe even coconut), but I don't know the recipe! They mixed up in one pot & then set in the fridge.

My nieces are all coming over next week & I'm hoping to find the recipe before then! Does anybody have a recipe like this???


~LadyBlue

[Abigail Crabby]

Chocolate - one of my favorite ways

[Lady_Wu]

I've even heard of chocolate-covered BACON! Of course, if one can deep-fry a twinkie...
Lady_Wu

[Abigail Crabby]

Originally Posted by Lady_Wu

I've even heard of chocolate-covered BACON! Of course, if one can deep-fry a twinkie...
Lady_Wu

Chocolate bacon? OMG I would be in heaven lol - but then again I'm staying off bacon these days

[Leigh]

Originally Posted by 2myladyblue

LOL....aww Braedon....a little cocoa & sugar will go a L-O-N-G way my friend!

And soon you'll be finding your way to my place & we'll have some yummy stuff together!

Blue

I'm not doing anything on Canada Day (thursday) ~ maybe I can come hang out with you and get into some chocolate trouble *bwahahahaha*

[Enchantress]

I am craving a chocolate covered potato chip (and I don't even like chips). Ah, the power of the divine (aka dark chocolate)...

[WingsOnFire]

Originally Posted by 2myladyblue

Once upon a time, my mother made these stovetop cookies that she called "spiders". I remember that they involved oats, cocoa, sugar & butter (Maybe even coconut), but I don't know the recipe! They mixed up in one pot & then set in the fridge.

My nieces are all coming over next week & I'm hoping to find the recipe before then! Does anybody have a recipe like this???


~LadyBlue

hmmmmm... did you ever find your answer?? the closest I can think of are nobake cookies... cocoa, milk, butter, sugar, oatmeal and peanut butter... if that is what you are looking for just google nobake cookies... you can make them with or without coconut...

I always set them out on wax paper to harden.. but depending on the climate or humidity they may not set up and have to be refrigerated... Hope you find what you are looking for!

Becca

[ravfem]

This isn't them, but your post did remind me of something my granny used to make, and then hide from me so i wouldn't eat every single one!

CHOW MEIN NOODLE HAYSTACKS
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate bits
1 (6 oz.) pkg. butterscotch bits
1 (6 oz.) can of Spanish peanuts
Large can of chow mein noodles (the crunchy kind, i think the brand she used was La Choy)

Melt bits over hot water. Add other ingredients and mix well. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet an push together to form mounds.

(i don't remember if hers had butterscotch in them).

Originally Posted by 2myladyblue

Once upon a time, my mother made these stovetop cookies that she called "spiders". I remember that they involved oats, cocoa, sugar & butter (Maybe even coconut), but I don't know the recipe! They mixed up in one pot & then set in the fridge.

My nieces are all coming over next week & I'm hoping to find the recipe before then! Does anybody have a recipe like this???


~LadyBlue

[2myladyblue]

Originally Posted by MidnightBlueEyes

hmmmmm... did you ever find your answer?? the closest I can think of are nobake cookies... cocoa, milk, butter, sugar, oatmeal and peanut butter... if that is what you are looking for just google nobake cookies... you can make them with or without coconut...

I always set them out on wax paper to harden.. but depending on the climate or humidity they may not set up and have to be refrigerated... Hope you find what you are looking for!

Becca

No bake cookies.... Those are the ones & yours sound EVEN BETTER!!! I'm gonna go find some yummy recipes...
Thanks Becca!

[2myladyblue]

Chef at Home’s Chewy Chip Cookies

Cream:
1 stick of cold butter
1 c. brown sugar
Add:
1 Tbsp. Corn syrup
1 egg

Mix in:
1 Tbsp. Vanilla

Combine & mix into wet ingredients:
1 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Stir in 1 c. chocolate chips & bake at 375F for 12 minutes.



~LadyBlue

[diamondrose]

I love those frozen bananas dipped in chocolate on a hot summer day.. yummy

[Leigh]

I've been craving chocolate all night, and here this thread has to come up on the home page ~ now I gotta run across the way to 7-11 to get some

Damn this thread