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

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a simple recipe for a vegan chocolate dessert (at Richa's request). The recipe doesn't really differ too much from normal chocolate chip cookies (SEE MY FIRST POST!).

(makes almost 2 dozen cookies)
Ingredients **make sure these are all at room temperature - the recipe works much better.
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
2 cups Vegan chocolate chips
1 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water – add a little more if the batter is too dry.

Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of this, and set aside.

In a medium size bowl mix he vegan sugar and oil. Add the vanilla and the water, and then pour this mixture into the well in the other mixture. Mix this until just blended (don't overmix this). Spoon them out onto cookie sheets and be sure to flatten them out - these cookies won't spread too much because they don't contain any butter. Bake for 5 minutes and then flip the cookies over; then put them back in for another 4-7 minutes.

The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be (see the March 9th post - "Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies). Take the cookies out when they're done (usually 10-12 minutes total) and let them sit on the sheets for a few minutes; move them to cooling racks after a while if you want to.

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: hubpages.com

Chocolate sculptures, revisited

First off - HAPPY NATIONAL CHOCOLATE-COVERED RAISIN DAY! (thanks Daniela)

Next up - here's a compilation of some of the coolest chocolate sculptures (a special thanks to Amiti for showing me quite a few of these). It's amazing how much you can do with chocolate!

Chocolate calculator (just for Harker)

White Chocolate Wii controllers

Chocolate baseball player (SO CUTE)

Chocolate letters

this should be self-explanatory

Chocolate Tool kit

Chocolate Swiss Army Knife (this makes me hungry..)

Chocolate stamps


Chocolate Nikes (MY FAVORITE)

The Chocolate Chronicles
photocredit: toxel.com & links to the rest