Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These are great recipes to try out while we're all on break :)!

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or less to taste
• Butter (for cooking)

In a small saucepan, combine the butter and milk. Place over low heat just until warm and the butter is melted. Let cool slightly. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Whisk in the milk mixture. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until barely blended. Add the chocolate chips and mix.

Heat a griddle or large skillet (nonstick works best) over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of butter and melt until bubbly. Ladle 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake onto the hot surface and cook until bubbly on the top and golden brown on the bottom. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 30 seconds more. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Serve these hot, and eat them with your favorite toppings - syrup, butter, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or (the ever-present healthy option...) fruit.

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: associatedcontent.com

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake!

This is a pretty uncommon dessert (I haven't seen it too much when it's in these layers), but it's absolutely delicious and it works great for parties, too. This recipe is easier than it looks, trust me.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 40 ounces (5 packages) cream cheese, room temperature - I'd recommend cutting this down to
  
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Put the butter and brown and granulated sugars into a mixer bowl; mix on medium until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, eggs, and yolks. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the cream. Afterward, stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
2. For each of the 5 layers, drop one level cup batter onto center of a baking sheet lined with parchment (keep unbaked dough refrigerated). Using a small offset spatula, spread into an 8-inch circle. Bake until edges are pale golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven. Use offset spatula to reshape circle. Return to oven; bake until edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. This can be stored airtight up to 1 day.
3. Mix cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in clean mixer bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Spread onto 4 cookies. Stack cookies, placing an unfrosted cookie on top. Refrigerate until the frosting is set (at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours). Serve at room temperature.

ENJOY! I hope some of you will try this out, especially since it's break :)

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: marthastewart.com

Classic Chocolate Fudge

Here's definitely a timeless chocolate classic - FUDGE. Can't do without this in your cookbook! Here's an awesome recipe for the kind of fudge that you keep in your refrigerator; it also marvelous when you warm it up in the microwave.

Ingredients (makes 25 pieces)

• 2 ounces 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar
• 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with waxed paper. Place chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate, and sweetened condensed milk in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir the mixture occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Stir in the vanilla extract and nuts. Spread fudge evenly in prepared baking pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm. Cut into diamonds or square pieces, and store it in the refrigerator.

Even if you haven't used a double boiler before (it's easier than it sounds), this is one of the simplest fudge recipes. A lot of cookbooks require waiting for the mixture to get to a certain temperature after boiling - usually around 236F - which takes a long time and a lot of patience.

Hopefully some of you will try this during break :) Enjoy!

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: godiva.com

Chocolate Banana Bread

Here's a relatively simple recipe for chocolate bread - make some on the weekend, and eat it (as a yummy alternative to bread) throughout the week! This tastes much better than regular banana bread, trust me - it's awesome that you can add chocolate to so many things. (note: the picture below is for an alternative recipe that works with pecans and walnuts)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
4 bars (1.5 ounces each) dark chocolate (bittersweet works best; semisweet also) finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.
   
2. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.
   
3. Beat butter and sugar in mixing bowl 2 minutes or until light, using electric mixer at medium-high speed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add bananas and vanilla extract at low speed, mixing until combined.
   
4. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Add chocolate and blend just for a few seconds. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Cool in pan set on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

And there you have it! This is a simple bread recipe, and it's much less fatty than other chocolate indulgences :)

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: delishfood.wordpress.com