Iced Hot Chocolate

Recipe adapted from Parenting Magazine.

The original recipe was a little too strong for my milk chocolate-loving family.  I've adapted it here to make it a little more milky, sweeter, and less bitter.  The original proportions are included below if you prefer a darker, richer drink.


1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
2 cups ice cubes
whipped cream

Combine cocoa powder and sugar in blender.  Add milk and blend for about 20 seconds to combine.  Add ice gradually, blending after each addition, until you have a thick slush.

Pour into 4 glasses and top with whipped cream.  Serve with a straw and a spoon.


Tips and Hints:
*The original recipe called for 1/2 cup cocoa powder, which makes for a much more hot chocolate flavor.  I loved it as it was, but the kids (and my husband) voted for a lighter chocolate.
*If the drink is too thin after adding two cups of ice, add up to another cup of ice to thicken.  If it's too thick, you can add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk to thicken.

Almond Fudge Topped Shortbread

Buttery, chocolaty, and a few almonds.  Yum!

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups (12 oz pkg) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13x9 inch baking pan.

In mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Mix in flour.  With lightly floured hands, press into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate ships with condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.

Spread evenly over baked shortbread.  Sprinkle with almonds; press down firmly.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm.  Cut into bars.


Tips and Hints:
*If you like an extra almond flavor, you can mix 1/2 tsp almond extract into the chocolate layer before pouring over the shortbread.
*This makes a thick, soft shortbread cookie, with an equal layer of fudge.
*You can substitute milk chocolate chips for the semi-sweet for a sweeter fudge flavor.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

These look really impressive, but are super easy to make!


1 pkg (8 oz) semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tub (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Coatings of your choice

Microwave chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until almost melted, stirring after 1 minute.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted, microwaving in 30-second intervals as needed.

Stir in peanut butter until well blended.  Gently stir in whipped topping until just blended.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Scoop truffle mixture with melon baller or teaspoon, then shape into 1 inch balls.  Roll in coating.

Store in refrigerator.  Makes 3 dozen.



Tips and Hints:
*Do not over-mix the whipped topping.  Stir just enough to incorporate it into the peanut butter mixture.
*After refrigerating, let mixture sit for about 5 minutes at room temperature.  The softer mixture is easier to scoop.
*Suggested coatings: powdered sugar, chopped nuts, sweetened shredded coconut, finely crushed cookies, colored sprinkles, crushed Butterfinger bars.  I used powdered sugar and Butterfingers.
*For extra peanut flavor, use chunky peanut butter and roll truffles in crushed peanuts.

Cookie Crunch Fudge

Originally from Kraft Food and Family

Have I mentioned how much we like fudge?  This one didn't turn out quite as I would have liked.  I think next time I will double both layers so it's thicker.  It was a little thinner than I thought it would be.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, divided
3 chocolate chip cookies, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Line 8" square pan with foil or parchment paper.

Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and 2/3 cup milk in medium microwavable bowl on medium (50% power) for 90 seconds, or until chocolate is almost melted.  Stir until completely melted.  If needed, heat in 30 second intervals until chocolate melts.

Add chopped cookies and vanilla.  Mix well.  Spread mixture on bottom of prepared pan.

In a clean microwave safe bowl, microwave white chocolate and remaining milk on medium for 90 seconds, or until almost melted.  Stir until completely melted.  Spread over dark chocolate layer.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.  Remove from pan and peel foil.  Cut into 1" pieces.


Tips and Hints:
*You can melt the chocolate on the stove, but you risk scorching the chocolate.
*I made homemade chocolate chip cookies to put in this, but you can certainly use your favorite brand of packaged cookies.  A crispier cookie works better and will hold its texture.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Fudge

More fudge!  And chocolate and peanut butter!

2 cups (1-12 oz package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips

Line 8 inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.  In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk and vanilla.  Stir regularly to prevent scorching.  When smooth and blended, remove from heat.  Add peanut butter chips and stir just enough to distribute through mixture.  Chips will not melt completely.

Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.  Chill at least two hours or until firm.  Remove from pan and peel off foil or paper.  Cut into 1" squares.


Tips and Hints
*Make sure you have condensed milk, not evaporated
*Normally I use generics for everything.  Brand name peanut butter chips (Reese's) just taste better, so I recommend using those.
*You can also make this in your microwave.  Heat chocolate chips, milk, and vanilla at 1 minute intervals and stir each time.  Once melted, follow the rest of the directions.  You don't have to worry about scorching the mixture, and it won't heat up your house like using the stove.

Chocolate and Peppermint Fudge

I love making fudge.  It makes a large amount.  It makes people happy.  And it's super easy.  So we make lots and lots of fudge just about every year.  The other great thing about fudge is that it's versitile.  You can add peppermint and it tastes different.  Change the semisweet chips to white chips and you get something different.  AWESOME!

I normally make fudge with marshmallow creme, which makes a very fluffy candy.  This year I experimented with some condensed milk fudges, which are denser and a little sweeter.


2 cups (1-12 oz package) milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4-1/2 cup crushed hard peppermint candy


Line 8 inch square pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.

In medium sized heavy saucepan, melt both chocolate chips with condensed milk over low heat.  Stir regularly to prevent scorching.

Once melted and blended, remove from heat.  Stir in peppermint extract.  Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with peppermint candy.

Chill at least two hours until firm.  Remove from pan, peel off paper, and cut into 1" squares.

Tips and Hints
*Make sure you have condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk.
*You can use candy canes or starlight mints for the peppermint candy.  Candy canes crush really easily.  You can crush the starlight mints in your food processor; trying to smash them with a rolling pin doesn't work well.
*There is a difference between peppermint extract and mint extract.  Mint extract has more of a spearmint flavor, not the crisp, stronger peppermint flavor.  It is personal preference, but I always use peppermint extract in Christmas projects.

S'More Sandwich Cookies

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

These little cookies are super adorable, but a little time consuming.  Ok, a lot time consuming!  I used a 1" cookie cutter to cut them out, but I would recommend using a 2" to make them easier to handle.  (My picture of these didn't come out well-- I'm going to use the picture from the magazine for now until I try them again.)

Sugar Cookie Dough

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add flour and baking soda; mix well.  Refrigerate dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325.

Roll dough to 1/8" thickness on lightly floured surface.  Cut into cookies, re-rolling as necessary.  Sprinkle half the cookies with colored sugar.

Place all cookies on well greased cookie sheet, or use parchment paper.

Bake 12 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool on baking sheet 1 minute.  Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

When cool, spread bottom side of each of the plain cookies with approximately 1 tsp Marshmallow Creme.  Cover with sugared cookies to make sandwiches.

Melt two squares Semi-Sweet baking chocolate or 1/3 cup chocolate chips and spoon into ziplock bag.  Snip a small corner from bag and drizzle chocolate over cookies.



Tips and Hints:
*Definitely use a 2" cookie cutter.  I was cutting and sandwiching cookies FOREVER.
*Refrigerate the dough and keep it cold in between rollings.  It rolls better and it spreads too much if you let it get warm.
*Roll the cookies thin, but not too thin.
*Don't overbake-- they should be just barely golden around the edges.

Brownie Chunk Cheesecake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

31 crème filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

4 eggs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped brownies

Topping

8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 oz white chocolate, melted

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  In medium bowl, stir together all crust ingredients.  Press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch springform pan.  Wrap pan with heavy-duty foil; freeze 30 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Beat in sour cream and 1 cup cream.  Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended.  Slowly beat in flour.  Fold in brownies.

Place springform pan in large baking or blroiler pan.  Pour batter into crust (batter will come to within 1/4 inch of top edge).  Add enough hot tap water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.  Bake 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or until edges are puffed and top is dry to the touch.  Center should move slightly when pan is tapped but should not ripple as if liquid.

Remove springform pan from baking pan; remove foil.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Refrigerate overnight.

Melt milk chocolate and 1/3 cup cream in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Pour over top of cheesecake.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour white chocolate into small resealable plastic bag.  Snip off corner of bag and drizzle chocolate over cheesecake.  Refrigerate at least one hour.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Thoughts and Tips:
You can use any kind of brownies that you desire in this.  For ease, I made a batch of Betty Crocker from a box.
Leave fairly good size chunks of brownie and fold them in gently.  If the pieces are too small, you lose the flavor in the final cheesecake.
There will be water in the foil around the pan, so have a towel handy when you remove it and be very careful as it will be hot!
You can melt the chocolate for the topping in the microwave.  Place chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat on high for 30 seconds, stir, then heat in additional 15 second increments until completely melted.

Let's face it, brownies and cheesecake and chocolate glaze are probably a bit of an overkill, but WOW is this a great dessert!  The cheesecake is nice and creamy and the combination of flavors is definitely amazing.  Cut small pieces (about 1/16th of the cake) because it is very rich.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

My amazing husband made this up as a surprise for my birthday!

15-20 Mint filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

2 cartons (1 1/2 quart) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

1 jar hot fudge sauce, warmed to pouring consistency

15-20 Chocolate filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbled

Press crushed mint cookies into bottom of 9” round springform pan.  Spread ice cream over top to about 2 inches thick (you may not use a full carton).  Pour hot fudge sauce over ice cream, sprinkle with chocolate cookies.  Spread another 2 inch layer of ice cream over top (again, you may not use all the ice cream).  Freeze for several hours or overnight.  Remove from freezer and allow to soften at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Thoughts and Tips:

Do not use premium ice cream for this, as it will freeze too hard.  We like Kroger brand mint chocolate chip ice cream for its texture and flavor.  Generic brand cookies and hot fudge sauce are just as good as the name brand as well.

If you don't have a springform pan, you can make this in a round cake pan.  Line the pan with foil so you can lift the cake out for easy serving.

If desired, top with additional fudge sauce.

This was amazingly good and pretty easy to put together.  Leave some larger chunks of the chocolate cookies in the middle; if you crumble them too small, you lose the flavor and texture they add.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

 1 pouch sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 to 1/2 tsp mint extract

6-8 drops green food color

1 egg

1 cup crème de menthe baking chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color, and egg in bowl until soft dough forms.  Stir in both types of baking chips.

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Serve warm or cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

These cookies are awesome!  Super easy to make and everybody loved them.  If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will love these!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toffee and Coconut

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups self-rising flour

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white baking chips

3/4 cup toffee bits

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease baking sheets. 

In large bowl, beat butter and shortening at medium speed 30 seconds or until blended.  Add sugar and brown sugar; beat until combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended.  At low speed, slowly beat in flour.  Stir in chocolate chips, white baking chips, toffee bits and coconut.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes or until  light brown.  Place cookies on wire racks; cool completely.

Thoughts and Tips:

If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, for each cup of flour you can substitute 1 cup of flour plus 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda.

I really didn't think that the coconut added anything to these and will leave it out the next time.  They also didn't have enough toffee or chocolate for our tastes, so I will probably double the amount of each of those chips and leave out the white chocolate chips next time.  Definitely do not over bake or they get really hard.  Err on the side of underdone!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake

Originally from Cooking Pleasures Magazine

Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cartons (1.75 quart) vanilla ice cream

4 cups chocolate chip cookies, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon in medium bowl until crumbs are moistened.  Stir in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips.  Press into bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan.  Bake 6 minutes until set.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot and steamy.  Remove from heat.  Add bittersweet chocolate chips.  Let stand 1 minute; stir until melted and smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool 20 minutes or until room temperature.

Place ice cream in refrigerator 20 minutes or until slightly softened.  Spread half of the ice cream over crust; quickly spread with spatula to level.  Sprinkle half of the cookies over ice cream.  Quickly spoon 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate sauce over cookies and ice cream; spread with spatula to cover.   Freeze 15 minutes to firm sauce.

Quickly spread remaining ice cream over sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining cookies.  Drizzle with remaining sauce.  Sauce will not completely cover top.

Freeze 2 hours to firm.  Wrap tightly; freeze overnight or up to 1 week.  Remove from freezer to soften slightly before serving.  Cut with warm knife.  Store in freezer.

Thoughts and Tips:

Do not use premium ice cream in this; it freezes too hard!

Soften the ice cream only to the point where it's easy to spread.  If it melts too much, the texture will not be good after it refreezes.

If ice cream is not soft enough to spread when you start, microwave in 30 second intervals on 50% power.

We liked this, but it was a bit of a pain to put together.  The graham cracker crust wanted to stick to the ice cream; if I were making it again, I would experiment with making a cookie crust instead.  I used homemade cookies, but you could definitely use store bought.  The bittersweet chocolate sauce was a little too dark for most of the family; I would use semi-sweet the next time.

No-Melt Sundae Pie

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

15 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (approx. 1 1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed, divided

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg (4 serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding

2 squares Semi-Sweet baking chocolate OR 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.  Reserve 1/2 cup whipped topping; refrigerate.

Pour milk into large bowl.  Add dry pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.  Gently stir in remaining whipped topping.  Spoon into crust.  Mix melted chocolate and condensed milk until well blended.  Spoon over pie.  Cut through chocolate mixture several times with knife for marble effect.

Freeze 6 hours until firm.  Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving.  Top with reserved whipped topping.  Garnish with maraschino cherry if desired.

Thoughts and Tips:

To speed up the process, use a premade chocolate crust instead of the cookie crumb crust.

Melt chocolate easily in the microwave:  use a microwave safe bowl.  For one square of chocolate, microwave on high for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  (squares will retain their shape.)  Add 10 seconds for each additional square.  Continue to microwave in 15 second intervals until melted.

I was a little dubious about this pie--frozen pudding?!-- but it turned out to be delicious.  The filling is super creamy and it has just the right amount of chocolate so you can still taste the vanilla.  Emily especially was a fan of this one.