VALENTINE DAY DESSERT - COCOA-PECAN COOKIES

Got to be quick..off to a black tie charity event...hope my husband buys me something sweet (not this kinda sweet) at the silent auction!!!

These are nice and crispy with a touch of butterscotch

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cup flour

3 tbl unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

10 tbl unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbl + 2 tsp light corn syrup

2 tbl whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Stir butter and next 5 ingredients in another medium bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture then nuts. Cover and chill until firm at least 4 hours. This can be made a day ahead but keep chilled.

Place one oven rack in top third of oven and one at bottom third. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll 2 tbl fulls of dough to form balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten a bit. Bake two pans for 8-10 minutes and reverse their place on the racks both top and bottom about half way through the cooking process. Move cookies to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile melt chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies....oh my.....and let cool for about 30 minutes.

VALENTINE'S DAY SOON!

ENJOY!

VALENTINE DAY DESSERTS - STOUT FLOATS WIHT COCOA SYRUP

The man in your life will LOVE YOU so much if you make this for Valentines. Another great Bon Appetit recipe, it incorporates a lot of his favorite things..Beer, Kahlua and Ice Cream...did I mention BEER! I think I may even like these. Weird that I don't like chocolate except in chocolate ice cream. The cocoa syrup can be made ahead, 2-3 days, and chilled which may help keep it cold and the ice cream from melting.

Ingredients:

For the Cocoa Syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla
salt

For the Floats
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
6 tbls Kahlua
Chocolate ice cream
3 (12 oz) chilled stout beer

For the Cocoa Syrup, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan. Pour just enough of the boiling water in to form a smooth paste (3 tbl) and then whisk in the remaining water. Simmer syrup for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool to room temperature then cover and chill at least a few hours.

To make the floats, using an electric mixer, beat cream and vanilla until peaks form. Cover and chill about an hour. Pour 1 tbl of Kahlua and 1 tbl cocoa syrup in the bottom of a tall 10 oz glass. Place a LARGE scoop of ice cream over that. Add beer pouring gently down the side of the glass to prevent foaming - all the way to the TOP. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top and drizzle that with a little cocoa syrup. Should make 6 servings...or in my case 2...Serve Immediately!

A PERFECT GROWN UP DESSERT!
ENJOY!

VALENTINE DAY DESSERTS - BEST EVER BROWNIES

Valentine's Day...well my husband and I don't celebrate it...think it's a bit foolish....and I don't eat desserts so this is a tough blogging time for me.....so I have asked for help today from Bon-Appetit Magazine. My husband and kids love brownies. I cheat and make them from the likes of Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines boxes, but this recipe seems like a true winner and it is Bon Appetit's Best Ever!!!!! Described as the best ever - fudgy in the middle and chewy on the outside with a shiny crackly top.....sounds great to me!

Ingredients:

10 tbl unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
1-1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup + 1 tbl unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup walnut pieces
salt
non-stick spray
tin foil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Position oven rack to bottom third of the oven. Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with tin foil pressing firmly along the sides and leaving a 2 inch overhang. Coat the foil with non-stick spray.
Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter stops foaming and browned bits form at the bottom, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 tsp water, vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes, but it will still be hot. Add eggs to mixture one at a time beating vigorously to blend after each one. When it looks shiny and thick add flour and stir until blended Beat vigorously for 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer to coated dish.
Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean about 25 minutes. There can be crumbs on the pick. Cool on a rack. Using the foil overhang lift the brownies out of the pan. Cut into 4 strips and each strip to 4 brownies. They can be made 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container.


IT'S CHOCOLATE TIME!
ENJOY!