Cioccolate Nero Gelato

 

Taking a moment to visit TALLblonde's Italian roots with a rich, decadent, frozen bowl of deliciousness.  I researched a number of recipes from cookbooks and the internet and came up with what TALLblonde feels is second best to a real Italian Gelato shop. The consistency in the home ice cream freezer will remain loose and soupy but have no fear it will set up with that traditional dense and chewy texture.  NOTE:  Remember to let your freezer container sit in the freezer for at least 48 hours before using for best results. Delizioso!

Sour Cherry Chocolate Bread

Here is a cheerful bread recipe that mixes a simple savory dough with that classic combination of cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips. This recipe comes from Master Bread Baker Paul Hollywood.  It is his recipe that TallBlonde has adapted the measurements to Imperial instead of metric.  This makes two medium loaves, one for you and one to wrap and gift to a friend during the holiday season.. Serves 8.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce

 

Perhaps the best dark chocolate sauce on the planet.  This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen and I cannot find any room for improvement.  It is perfection in a bowl and simple to make. Makes 10 servings.

Vegan Choco Cake

 

There is some debate if this chocolate cake recipe is truly vegan due to the use of refined sugar.  The process of making white sugar involves the sifting through bone dust. The only sugar that does not undergo this process is powdered sugar but that has corn starch added and not proper for baking a cake. You may chose to substitute using brown rice syrup, date syrup, maple syrup, molasses or agave,  This cake recipe is intended for those folks that are vegan in order to reduce cholesterol intake. Remember most honey is not considered vegan. Serves 6.

Gin Tonic Cake

 

Perfect for a New Year's Eve party. This Gin & Tonic cake is very easy and wonderfully refreshing when served chilled just like your favorite classic libation.  In this recipe you may use a box cake mix. (I said it would be easy)

Kitchen Sink Cookies

 

TALL Blonde has been baking in my head the ultimate, unctuous, throw everything to the wall cookie for a couple years.  Have you ever eaten a cookie and thought, this would be better if you added (fill in the blank). I tried to assemble all those "ifs" right here.  I purposely developed this cookie recipe for a small commitment of ingredients and time. Sometimes I get in the mood for a home baked cookie to fill the kitchen with that wonderfully sweet smell but you may be low on ingredients, or for me I would rather not take time to bake several episodes of cookie trays in succession.  One and done is sometimes a very good thing.

The butter used in this recipe is unsalted, but if you like that salt and sweet combination go for the salted butter version.  You may substitute dark brown sugar over light brown sugar but I think the flavor may be a bit too heavy. Always, always pre-toast nuts before using in any recipe, and that include this one.  Be careful not to burn them.

1 Minute Cake

HOW-To Video:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LrC__aV-Ng

Sexy Brownies

All kidding aside, TALL Blonde guarantees you will kill it at every party you bring these raspberry-rich semi-sweet chocolate brownies.  Invitations will come flying your way just to get another morsel of these sweet chewy beauties.

Pain Au Chocolat

I have been binge watching The Great British Baking Show recently, and I have always been too chicken to try to make my own puff pastry. This is the stuff that French Croissants are made.  I make a pretty mean Beef Wellington which is frequently part of Christmas dinner or some lucky dinner guests during the rest of the year and sometimes my husband's birthday. This Australian (not English) recipe uses a buttery delicate puff pastry wrapped around roast of filet mignon with a nutty Madeira sauce. I always thought why would I ever make my own when the store bought is just as fabulous?! Maybe this was my way of justifying not putting in the effort--until today.

Below is the recipe I used from the King Arthur Flour company, but added a small square of Hershey's Milk Chocolate square and shaped the  baseball-sized packages into squares instead of rolling the dough into croissant triangles.

Amp'd Up Shortbread

Such a simple recipe that any child the age of 8 and up can make.

TALL Blonde took a simple Mayonnaise Cookie recipe, which is basically a richer and lighter shortbread cookie and made it sinfully delicious.

Flourless Brownie Cake

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chips

Remember the near fabled Mrs. Field's Chocolate Cookie recipe that was making the rounds in the 1980's via chain letter? (pre-email) Whether you believe the fable or not, this truly is one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes ever.  Now this gal was really thinking when she launched her red and white clad cookie shops.  Who would spend a couple bucks back in the day on one cookie, and how many cookies need to be sold in a month to cover all expenses including a downtown retail storefront?  Well she got everyone hooked as she blew the warm sweet aroma of the kitchen out to the street and all the lunchtime pedestrians.

Salted Caramel Cookie

Yummy right!  I will have the receipt below (and I will tell you where I got it from).

NO BAKE-Chocolate Peanut Butter

Mocha Ice Box Cake

Blast from the past and when flour is difficult to source, this may be the answer to satisfy your cake cravings.

Here is a wonderfully simple dessert idea from mid-century Americana. Icebox Cake traditionally made with multi-layered cookies and whipped cream and allowed to set 24 hours.  I had heard about Icebox Cake from my childhood and being the offspring of immigrants I had no idea what it was.  My first attempt was for Father's Day weekend and this recipe was perfect with one tiny exception, the recipe calls for 8-inch springform cake pan and five layers.  I used a 10-inch pan and built three layers.  Thanks to Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, she revved up the flavor to give it a distinctly European flavor thanks to the coffee liquor.  BTW-Day two after assembly is even better.

CHOCO-SOUFFLE : Make Ahead

This technique only works for the individual chocolate soufflés, which can be made and frozen up to two days before baking. For a mocha-flavored soufflé, add one tablespoon of instant coffee powder dissolved in one tablespoon of hot water when adding the vanilla to the chocolate mixture. If you are microwave oriented, melt the chocolate at, 50 percent power for three minutes, stirring in the butter after two minutes.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Dense - Chewy - Rich - Ahhh

Silky Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Lava Cake