planning ahead...it's still a loving way to share

why not freeze some dessert for Valentines Day and take it out-zap it or pop in the oven for a short time and it's like fresh baked. These freeze great and taste like you spent hours even though you don't. Perfect for any occasion yet since we're being flooded with Valentines Day ideas...go for it!

Delightfully Chocolate Caramel brownies

These are a delicious blend of textures and flavors that are rich yet not too sweet. Pair them with a variety of fruit and teas, coffee or wine.

Preheat oven to 325° and prepare the pan by spraying it lightly and overlapping parchment paper going in both direction. It will make it so the brownies lift out easily when they’re done cooking and the parchment lines the pan as you press the sided of it into the edges of the pan. Prepare either two mini-muffin tins lightly spray and place muffin tin liners (for brownie bites) or prepare a 8”sq pan.

Caramel center

Melt about 1 1/3 cups of caramels and mix in aprox. 1 Tbs strong, smooth coffee like Columbian.

Right before you need it, pour it into a parchment paper cone or something that you can work quickly to place the caramel into the brownie batter or finished brownie bite.

Brownie batter

10 Tbs unsalted butter

1 ¼ c sugar (I made it with half coconut crystals half white sugar)

¾ cup plus 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp pure vanilla

2 cold large eggs

½ cup tapioca flour

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine the first four ingredients in the top of a double boiler pan. Stir occasionally so the ingredients get warm to touch as they melt and get mixed together. The texture stays granular so don’t worry, it’s ok because it gets smooth and rich with the next step. After they melt and are really warm, remove and let sit for about 3 minutes depending upon how the batter is. You don’t want it to cook the egg when the next set of ingredients get added.

Add each of the remaining ingredients until well combined, without over mixing. Mixing makes brownies tough even if they are gluten free.

Bake for about 15 minutes for brownie bites and between 20-25 for brownies *

(until the toothpick is almost clean)

*For the brownie: after about 10 minutes of the bake time squirt about ¾ tsp of caramel into the center of what will become the center of the brownie serving after they’re cut. This will be about 4-5 squirts of caramel across for four to five small brownies.

For brownie bites: after they’re cooled less than five minutes, press the point of the parchment paper cone into the center of the top of the brownie and then squirt. It will sit on the top mostly and that’s ok.

Place a chocolate covered nut or coffee bean into the caramel spot and then sprinkle chocolate covered cocoa nibs around it. You want them to stick to the caramel as it cools so you need to do this right after they come out of the oven

If your decorations are falling off still you can thin the caramel a little more with coffee and drizzle over the top of the brownies or brownie bites.

Cut small brownies so they’re bite size and enjoy!

Menu ideas for the Week...Valentines Day Week

There's lots of ways to get ready for Valentines Day and I say taking care of being happy with yourself is a good start. I'm going to see if I can share a different menu pairing for your chocolate, each day this week as we approach Valentines Day. I may be able to sustain it after...we'll see how much shoveling there is.
Today the breakfast idea to warm up your day..

Put blue corn tortilla chips with two eggs and some chipotle goat cheese-cover the bowl with a slight gap for breathing and poach for shy of two minutes in the microwave. Top it with slices of grilled chicken apple sausage and have your hot chocolate made with almond milk. You're ready to go.

appreciating all the reminders of why I love 'The World of Chocolate'

 

Corne Port Royal chocolate...I try not  to be wooed by packaging because it's what makes prices go up on the end product..yet this packaging was so seductive as the neat folds of the box opened to a delicately layered tissue that had a fold. The fold was the perfect tab to lift up and reveal these most delicous chocolates. What a treat to open it and find the whole box full of dark Belgian chocolates. Smooth melt in the mouth flavor and qualities that sing with the essence of the flavors themselves. Just another reminder why I love 'The World of Chocolate'!

Getting ready for New Years one recipe at a time...

The gingersnaps with chocolate chunks were pretty good and gluten free, the truffles with cocoa nibs and coconut milk would have been better without the goat cheese and today...let's see...what will compliment french onion soup, turkey and cranberry panini sandwiches...I think menus at this time of year and ideas for a way to make each day warm up with flavor. 

Are you struggling to figure out how to keep your family coming back to the table to talk for at least 20 minutes before they go in different directions? I'm all about quick, pretty, easy and of course tasty.

Test out some ideas...

• tapas of spicy pieces of chicken, salsa with sharp cheese and olive tapanade and cauliflower or asparagus with  with hot chocolate and a little espresso splash for a change.
• breakfast turkey sausage wrapped with a crescent roll and slices of fresh fruit and a mini chocolate fondue in a small coffee cup or crock to dip.

Let me know how you do!

Connecting to joy with chocolate

I wanted to share this here first...chocolate and joy are synonymous. When you find a way to share and to connect with your family and friends through the experience of making cookies, doesn't it make sense?

That's what happened to me when my daughter made chocolate cookies for me as a Channukah gift. It was the best!

I posted the recipe she found on the 2theworldofchocolate blog

Popovers that melt in your mouth

Can you imagine it? Breakfast on the patio, popovers that are filled with organic strawberry jam, almond paste and a touch of garbanza flour and another batch were with flax seed, cracked pepper and fresh grated parmesan. It was so good with the hot tea, sitting listening to the birds and taking in the day. They were both from the recipe on the King Arthur gluten-free flour mix. I just adapted it by using the coconut oil and then my fillings/dustings.

I haven't disappeared, I'm experimenting. Trying new things, new ideas that include vegan options for baking and gluten free/wheat free. The popovers were a winner over the biscuits and corn bread. They were more like hockey pucks.

winter dessert is really cool

You know it's sort of like having a taste of both oreo ice cream and peppermint stick ice cream, all in one bite. Just crush the whole thing over your favorite bowl of ice cream, rice dream or tofutti and you're there!