chocolate fridge cake

Happy New Year!

I hope this new post finds that each and every one of you had a beautiful holiday with your friends and family.

We spent our Christmas - here - in Virginia. This was my first time - ever - not spending the holidays with my mom, oldest son, and siblings/niece/nephews. I missed them terribly.  I did my very best to continue the many treasured traditions we've carried on over the years. I truly love traditions. They bring a special happiness . . . familiarity . . . and comfort. Being far away from home makes our family's traditions even more important than ever.

Even fairly new traditions can bring comfort. I started making Chocolate Fridge Cake almost 5 years ago. It's one of my favorite holiday traditions.

A friend of our family gifted our oldest daughter, Charley, her first cookbook, apron, and rolling pin when she was almost 4 years old. It's filled with fun and simple recipes, color photos, and step-by-step instructions.

I wasn't too surprised when she saw the page with chocolate fridge cake and asked me if we could make it. I happened to have all the ingredients, but opted to switch out the dried apricots, almonds, and raisins with Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe's.  Great decision, by the way!

I had never heard of Chocolate Fridge Cake before . . . and had no idea what it was going to taste like.

Honestly, it's hard to describe, but friends - - - it's crazy good!  So simple to prepare . . . and so good!

I love its versatility. The only limit when it comes to flavorings is your imagination, or what you happen to have in your cupboard.

You can pick and mix the fillings to suit your taste. I do recommend using graham crackers as the base "biscuit" of choice.  Your fillings can range from not-to-sweet dried fruits, raisins, and nuts; or our favorite, Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe's or Mint Oreos.  The fillings should add up to approximately 2 cups.

Ok, so let's talk chocolate . . . It's the most important element of a chocolate fridge cake. This is where you splurge on good, high-quality chocolate. Resist using plain chocolate, which gives a rather bitter character. I recommend a mix of milk and semi-sweet for the perfect balance of sweet and chocolaty.

You can pour the warm mixture into an 8-inch square pan, muffin tins, or a bread pan to set. I prefer a bread pan so that I can cut tall, pretty slices to share with friends and family.

I think a dusting of cocoa powder over the top is quite pretty, too!

Although I typically make chocolate fridge cake primarily in December and January, I think it would be amazing any of time year, especially during the Summer months when it's too hot to turn the oven on - and you're craving something sweet, or needing a quick dessert.

Enjoy!

chocolate fridge cake

.     .     .     .    .     .

5 ounces milk chocolate

5 ounces semi sweet chocolate

1/2 cup light or golden corn syrup

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces graham crackers

2 cups mint Oreo's, chopped into small pieces

cocoa powder, garnish

.     .     .     .    .     .

Use plastic wrap to line an 8-inch square pan. Leave extra plastic wrap hanging over the sides.

Break the crackers into small pieces with a rolling pin. 

Using a knife, cut the Oreo's into smaller pieces.

Melt chocolate, butter, and syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. 

The bowl should not touch the water. Stir occasionally. 

Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the broken crackers and cookies. 

Spoon the mixture into the pan. 

Level the surface by pressing it down with your hands, or the bottom of a glass. 

Allow it to cool, then put the chocolate mixture in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to set.

Turn out the cake and peel off the plastic wrap. 

Dust with cocoa powder. Cut the cake into 12 squares and enjoy!

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Simply Suzannes at Home

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chocolate & puff pastry pinwheels

Chocolate and puff pastry pinwheels remind me of a dessert that the Barefoot Contessa would serve to her friends. 

Maybe it's because I've watched her for years, and appreciate how she can transform puff pastry into delicious desserts using simple ingredients.

With a few chocolate bars that were gifted to me for my birthday, I thought I would transform puff pastry into Chocolate Pinwheels . . . 

                 . . . and I'm so glad that I did. 

Imagine with me . . . 

      creamy, smooth dark and milk chocolate pieces nestled in the curls of a light, flaky, buttery puff pastry crust. 

                                    Mmmmmm . . . .

Have you ever had a fresh baked croissant filled with chocolate?

           Well, these remind me of that heavenly French pastry.

If you follow my blog, then you know that I've become a big fan of galette's for their easy-to-prepare nature . . . and beautiful and rustic appearance, like here and here. They're also quite delicious. 

I'm finding it quite valuable to have a few desserts in my repertoire that have few ingredients and are easy-to-prepare like a galette . . . and these puff pastry pinwheels fit the bill.

I love chocolate, especially DARK chocolate . . . and my closest friends and family know that too. So when my birthday rolled around last month, I was given lots of it!

These chocolate bars were waiting for a special occasion . . . so they made their debut in this chocolate and puff pastry pinwheels dessert (smile!).

You don't have to use high-quality chocolates for this recipe, 

but it sure is luxurious when you do. 

For the milk chocolate lover, you can use all milk chocolate . . . and for the dark chocolate lover, use can use all dark chocolate. 

I chose to use a combination of dark and milk chocolate for this pinwheel. 

For entertaining guests, I feel that a mix of both chocolates is a nice balance of 

                      the deep character and vibrant notes through the dark chocolate . . .

          and the elegantl smooth texture of extra creamy milk chocolate. 

This simple, yet elegant pastry is the perfect dessert 

for when you're relaxing with your best-girl friends, or entertaining a group. 

You can dress them up with a drizzle of fresh raspberry sauce, 

or enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa.

Whatever you choose, I promise you'll enjoy!

Ingredients

5 ounces of high-quality chocolate, finely chopped

heavy cream

puff pastry

Preparation

Thaw puff pastry according to the directions on the box.

Leave in the refrigerator until you prepare this dessert.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Unroll puff pastry

Brush with heavy cream

Finely chop the chocolate, and then spread on top of puff pastry

* Leave 1/2-inch border at the far end

Roll puff pastry, as tight as you can

Pinch the end closed

Place puff pastry roll back into the refrigerator for 20 minutes

Remove and slice into 1-inch rounds, and place on baking sheet

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes

Cool on baking rack

Makes 12-14 pinwheels

Enjoy!

Here's a pictorial . . .

~ gently open roll of puff pastry ~

~ brush top with heavy cream ~

 ~ spread finely chopped chocolate on top of puff pastry ~

Leave a 1/2-inch border at the far end, so that you can pinch the roll closed.

 ~ slowly roll puff pastry as tight as you can ~

~ Gently pinch the roll closed ~

and place roll back into refrigerator for 20 minutes 

~ Cut 1-inch rounds and place on baking sheet ~

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees F

. . . and now, enjoy!

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home

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hot cocoa soufflé

We've had several house guests over the last two weeks, and I think they're  a great excuse to enjoy special desserts . . . 

and hot cocoa soufflé was my favorite.  

Served right out of the oven with a scoop of soft Snicker-doodle OR Java Ice Cream . . . it was heavenly!

Soufflé might be a fancy name, but this one was so easy to prepare . . . and if you're a baker, then I'm sure you'll have all the ingredients that you need in your pantry, which can make this dessert even more desirable to make. No special trip to the store for unique ingredients!

You can serve your hot cocoa soufflé with fresh berries, like strawberries and raspberries . . . or with ice cream. I recommend a vanilla bean, snickerdoodle, or java ice cream, as these flavors enhance chocolate. They're a match made in heaven! 

The sad thing about soufflés is that they SLOWLY deflate after being removed from the oven. 

This might have been my FASTEST photo shoot! And even with fast photography, I wasn't able to totally capture them at the peak of their beauty. 

BUT just because they deflate doesn't mean that it compromises their delicate flavor and texture. 

If you've had a sweet or savory soufflé, then you'll agree with me that each bite is like a cloud (thanks to whipped egg whites that are folded into the mixture!) 

No chewing required, just happy sighs . . .  as you savor each bite.

Bon appétit, friends!

  Ingredients
Butter, unsalted

3  Tablespoons sugar

2  Tablespoons HIGH QUALITY unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4  cup butter

1/2  cup sugar

1/2  cup HIGH QUALITY unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4  cup all-purpose flour

1  cup milk

4  egg yolks, lightly beaten

4  egg whites

2  Tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides of a 1-1/2-quart soufflé dish or oven going mixing bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the 3 tablespoons sugar and the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Sprinkle the inside of the buttered dish with enough of the sugar/cocoa mixture to coat bottom and sides; set dish and remaining sugar/cocoa mixture aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. 

Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually stir chocolate mixture into beaten egg yolks. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight) and the sugar is completely dissolved. Fold 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining beaten egg whites. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle top of baked soufflé with remaining sugar/cocoa mixture. Serve with scoops of coffee ice cream or if desired, place scoops of ice cream in center of soufflé and serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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The Dedicated House