I don’t think that I would have ever thought to try white chocolate and sweet potatoes together before, but I’m definitely intrigued now:

White Chocolate & Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Filling
1½ pounds cream cheese
8 ounces granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 cup sweet potato puree (roast potatoes, then peel and pass through food mill)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces white chocolate, melted over double boiler
Pinch salt

Crust
1 cup pecan halves or pieces, finely chopped
2 cups vanilla wafers, finely ground
¾ cup melted butter
½ cup sugar
Pinch salt

~ Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all the crust ingredients and press onto bottom and sides of a 10-inch cake pan. The filling should be even throughout and pressed firmly to the pan.

~ For the cake filling, cream the cheese and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the potato puree, eggs, salt and vanilla and mix until combined well.

~ Stir in the melted chocolate, then pour into the cake pan, place this in a larger pan and fill the outer pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake

~ Bake until the middle is just set, 1-1¼ hours. It will feel slightly soft in the middle, but will finish cooking even once the cake is out of the oven. Let chill overnight before serving.

~ Makes one 10-inch cheesecake.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Using Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread, and chocolate chips Giada has created an easy chocolaty pizza dessert that’s sure to hit the spot after any meal. This would be a lot of fun to have the kids help out with and after the pizza has cooled you could easily decorate the top with seasonal or holiday-colored sprinkles and candies.

Chocolate Pizza
from Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound homemade pizza dough or purchased pizza dough
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, toasted

~ Position the oven rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.

~ Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the dough to a 9-inch-diameter round. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

~ Using your fingers, make indentations all over the dough. Brush the dough with butter, then bake until the crust is crisp and pale golden brown, about 20 minutes.

~ Immediately spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the pizza then sprinkle all the chocolate chips over. Bake just until the chocolate begins to melt, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the pizza. Cut into wedges and serve.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Translated from French, pots de crème means “pots of cream.” It’s a French dessert of a usually baked then chilled custard served in small dishes, or ramekins. It’s traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk and vanilla, and chocolate is easily added.

The video above shows you how to make a version of chocolate pots de crème using chocolate chips, egg substitute, vanilla and scalded cream. The ingredients are placed in a blender and blended until smooth. The mixture is then poured into ramekins and refrigerated — no baking required! It’s arguable that this is a pot de creme at all instead of just a basic pudding, but if you don’t feel like turning on an oven, it’s a great substitute.

Chocolate Pot de Crème

1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup egg substitute (Egg Beaters)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup half and half

Place chocolate chips, egg substitute and vanilla extract in a blender. Scald half and half in a pan until bubbles form around the edge. Pour half and half over ingredients in the blender and blend for 20-25 seconds or until smooth. Pour mixture into ramekins and refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving.

For more traditional methods of making pots de crème, check out:

~ Chocolate Chile Pots de Crème
~ Gale Gand’s Chocolate Pots de Crème
~ Chocolate Pots de Crème

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Using sections of PVC piping, Chef Jean creates a dessert using hazelnuts (or almonds, walnuts or pecans), ground chocolate chip cookies, ganache, whipped cream, cocoa powder, and raspberries.

What’s so great about this is that I’ve got everything in my kitchen to make this right now (except for the PVC, but I could make a five minute run to the store), and because it’s so easy (though not necessarily quick – it needs several hours in the freezer!) I can make it for a delicious after-dinner surprise and not feel like I’ve spent so much time on something that’ll be gobbled up within minutes.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Of course, even with it planned out there are nights I completely space. And instead of serving “boring” ice cream — which is usually a good standby — you can mix it up a bit with some root beer and chocolate milk and make Mud Sodas!

Mud Sodas

Chocolate milk, chilled
Root beer, chilled
Chocolate ice cream

Pour 1/2 cup of chocolate milk and 1/2 cup root beer in an 8 oz glass and stir. Top with 1/3 cup of chocolate ice cream.

It doesn’t necessarily look great, but it’s tasty and the kids will love it!

[image: pillsbury]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Needless to say it was a hit and aside from the cooling down periods it was fast and easy to make.

Cherry Chocolate Pie

11 large marshmallows
1/3 cup milk
3 oz milk chocolate (the only milk chocolate I had on hand was some Dove, which worked well)
1 8 oz container Cool Whip, divided
1 graham cracker crust
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

In a saucepan, combine marshmallows, chocolate and milk over low heat until melted and combined. Cool completely.

Fold 3/4 cup Cool Whip into chocolate mixture and spoon into graham cracker crust. Top with cherries, cover and put in the fridge for at least half an hour to set. Top with remaining Cool Whip and let cool in the fridge for several hours before serving.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

What could be better than coffee served in a chocolate mug? The mug above apparently held some Bailey’s coffee mousse, and the spoon and little bean are both chocolate as well.

This yummy-looking picture is from flickr user diongillard.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

During the summer months I try to avoid dessert recipes that require turning the oven on, but I make an exception for this one! We like ours topped with strawberries and peaches.

Chocolate Pizza Pie

3/4 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. flour

FILLING:
10 oz. chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
8 oz. cream cheese
GLAZE:

1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Mix butter, sugar and flour and press in pizza pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Melt chocolate chips and whipping cream in microwave, then beat cream cheese into the mixture and spread on top of crust. Place cut up fruit on top (strawberries, peaches, grapes, etc.) Mix sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice and lemon juice and drizzle on top.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

I had a van full of kids to drive to dance class the other day, so I thought I’d whip up a batch of cookies for them. However, I used a new recipe that turned out way to runny to be cookie batter. With a few minor changes I poured it all into a square pan, hoping for the best. Luckily for everyone, these turned out to be decadent, fudgy brownies that were thoroughly devoured by all.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, baking powder, and flour. In a saucepan, melt butter and 1 cup chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and beat in sugar, then eggs and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture to flour mixture, mixing until smooth. Stir in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 8×8 square pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan, then cut into squares and enjoy!

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Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Last weekend I made a chocolate tiramisu torte that was heavenly. It was not the tiramisu recipe, but rather a much less fiddly version. I like that. Then it is much quicker getting to the eating part. Not all my family was impressed though. It was a little too boozy for some, which you could probably get around by using rum extract in place of the rum, or just leaving it out altogether. It is also a more bittersweet flavour of chocolate than some people are used to. I had to take matters into my own hands and finish it up myself, and I was okay with that. Here’s the recipe so you can see what you think of it.

Ingredients:
7 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup strong coffee or espresso
7 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup strong coffee or espresso
1 tub (approximately 250g) mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp rum (or 1 tsp rum extract)
1 Tbsp strong coffee or espresso
1 Tbsp rum (or 1/2 tsp rum extract)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Chop the 7 oz of chocolate. In double boiler (or microwave), melt chocolate. Stir in 1/4 cup coffee. Let cool.
In large bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar. Add melted chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining sugar, 2 Tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Spread evenly over a wax-paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until crusty on top. Let cool. Invert cake onto tray. Peel off paper. Cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise in half to make four layers.
To make the ganache filling, chop the 5 oz of chocolate. Melt chocolate with 3/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 cup coffee. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Beat until fluffy.
To make the mascarpone filling, beat mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup whipping cream, and 2 Tbsp rum together in a medium bowl.
To make brushing liquid, stir 1 Tbsp coffee with 1 Tbsp rum in small bowl.
To assemble the torte, brush liquid over first cake layer. Spread with half the mascarpone filling. Top with second cake layer. Brush with more liquid, then spread with half the ganache filling. Repeat with remaining cake, liquid, mascarpone, cake, liquid, and ganache.
Refigerate for up to 24 hours before devouring (if you can wait that long). Let torte stand at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before slicing so it won’t splinter.

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Post from: Chocolate Bytes