Recipe: Faster Easy Chocolate Dipped Donuts

From Denny: OK, on the weekend (or any day for that matter...) there is nothing like a fresh hot donut dripping and overflowing with chocolate ganache or a simple chocolate icing like she does here. Neither one of you wants to go to the trouble to get dressed, get in the car and go around the corner to the local donut shop. What's your alternative? Paula Deen already thought of that one and has your easy answer. Make them with a good canned biscuit brand! :) (Chocolate makes everything taste better.)

Chocolate-Dippy Doughnuts

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

Peanut oil

1 can store-bought biscuits

1 (4-ounce) bar sweet chocolate (recommended: Baker's German's)

1/2-ounce (1/2 square) unsweetened chocolate

1 stick unsalted butter

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat fryer with peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

Separate pre-cut biscuits. Make a hole in the middle with your hand and sculpt dough into a doughnut shape. Place doughnuts into fryer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping to fry both sides. Place doughnuts aside onto a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk, blending well. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vanilla then remove the pan from the heat.

Stick a fork through the doughnut holes and dip the doughnuts immediately into the chocolate mixture before the chocolate starts to cool. Place the doughnuts on a plate and serve when the chocolate on the doughnuts sets, about 5 minutes.

Recipe: Chicken Mole Poblano

From Denny: Tyler Florence is one of my favorites over at Food Network. He works fast in the kitchen and he is able to easily teach as he is working quickly - quite the combination! He also is not judgmental and is so flexible he can work with anyone. Here is his recipe using chocolate in a savory dish from his show on Flavors of Central America.

Chicken Mole Poblano

From: Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence @ Food Network

Prep Time: 25 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Mole sauce:

2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded

2 dried anaheim chilies, stemmed and seeded

2 dried chipotle chilies, stemmed and seeded

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup whole almonds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican, broken in pieces

1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 serrano peppers, stemmed and seeded

6 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Mexican, chopped

1 capon or large chicken, cut into 10 pieces

1 lemon, juiced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1 lime, juiced

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions
For the mole: Tear the ancho, anaheim, and chipotle chiles into large pieces and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they change color a bit, about 2 minutes. Put them into a bowl with the raisins and cover them with hot water. Soak unti softened, about 30 minutes. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the almonds, sesame seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, oregano, and thyme. Toast for 2 minutes, grind in a spice grinder, and add the powder to a blender.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, onions, garlic, and serrano. Cook until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, then add to the blender. Add the chocolate and the soaked chiles and raisins to the blender along with some of the chile soaking liquid. Puree, adding more soaking liquid as needed, to make a smooth sauce. (This makes about 4 cups sauce, the recipe uses 2 cups, the extra can be frozen).

Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet and brown the chicken on all sides; remove the browned chicken to a plate leaving the oil in the pan. Pour 2 cups of the mole sauce into the hot skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the onion and radish slices into a bowl. Add the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Mix well and serve with the chicken.

Serve over cooked white rice with the onion and radish salad. Garnish everything with cilantro leaves.

Recipe: Smores Chocolate Brownies

From Denny: The weather is heating up and because nearly everyone is watching their budget, family vacations will be low-key this summer and maybe a retro return to camping in a state park. The first camp food that comes to mind are those gooey Girl Scout S'mores! Definitely kid food but adults like to indulge once in a while on the sly...

From Food Network comes this recipe, enjoy those fond childhood memories and share them with a favorite child!


S'more Brownies

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: hr min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Serves: about 12 (2-inch) squares


Ingredients Crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch fine salt

Brownie:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

4 large cold eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

4 cups large marshmallows


Directions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Copyright 2007 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

© 2009 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

Recipe: Marcarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

Yum! Ghiradelli double chocolate chips Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: We watch a lot of Food Network's Giada at our house and we thought this an awesome recipe!

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 18 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 25 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 21 bars

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough (recommended: Pillsbury)

2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided (recommended: Skor)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Ghirardelli)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted * see Cook's Note

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.

*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Appetizer Recipe: Chocolate Bruschetta

From Denny: Sometimes, you just don't want all the sugar interrupting the nirvana taste of your chocolate. Well, here is an interesting take on Italian "toast"! I'm used to having bruschetta with marinara sauce or olive tapenade.

The last thing I would have thought of would be to spread it with chocolate, cool! I have seen chef Giada on the Food Network spread her pizza bread with Nutello (hazelnut chocolate spread) that Europeans swoon over like we do peanut butter in America.

The restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia are leading the way with something unusual but very tasty for an appetizer - again. You can make it as a savory or as a sweet version, your choice! Mmmm... fresh and cooling mint...

I think the Great American Oracle (me) predicts this recipe will be adopted eagerly at our house for regular snacking! :)

Chocolate Bruschetta

From: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hands on time: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves: 12


Ingredients:

12 ( 3/4-inch) slices baguette (about half a loaf)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 tablespoon fleur de sel (or other coarse-grained sea salt)

Mint leaves for garnish


Instructions:

Brush bread with the olive oil. Toast on a grill or under a broiler until golden brown. Remove from heat and spread a generous amount of melted chocolate over each slice. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and garnish with a mint leaf.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 160 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 4 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (6 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 583 milligrams sodium.

And a couple of traditional bruschetta recipes:

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