The Broke Baker

Tag: chocolate

  • Chocolate Pudding

    Chocolate Pudding

    There was a time in my life where finding a plastic carton of supermarket chocolate pudding in my lunchbox would have absolutely made my day. And, while I still love a good chocolate pudding, my tastes have gotten a little more “grown up” since then.

    Don’t let the plethora of boxed mixes fool you. Making your own chocolate pudding is easy, and SO MUCH better than the store-bought or instant stuff. For an extra-special treat, top your pudding with whipped cream and some chocolate crisp pearls for a dessert that will impress both young and old dinner guests.

    Chocolate Pudding

    Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

    Ingredients

    • 2 Large Egg Yolks
    • 2 tbsp. Cornstarch
    • 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk, Divided
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch processed, if you have it)
    • 1/4 tsp. Salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    In a medium, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Once smooth and incorporated, set aside.

    Place the sugar, cocoa, salt, and remaining milk in a saucepan, and bring to barely a simmer over medium heat.

    Remove the pan from the heat. While whisking constantly, dribble the hot cocoa into the egg cornstarch mixture very gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time. Once you have incorporated about half of the chocolate milk mixture into the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan.

    Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding has thickened and comes to a full boil.

    Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate pudding so that a skin doesn’t form. Alternatively, divide the pudding equally in 4-6oz ramekins or pudding cups, then cover. Refrigerate for four hours or until completely chilled. Served your chocolate pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

  • Chocolate Covered Apple Cider Caramels

    Chocolate Covered Apple Cider Caramels

    While the rest of the country is enjoying the changing colors of autumn, we South Floridians have to make do with palm trees and sun. That doesn’t mean that we can’t get into the spirit of fall with some great fall spices, though! And, since October is the month for Halloween candy, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with homemade candy. Chocolate covered apple cider caramels, to be exact.

    I originally stumbled across these while I was looking for a way to infuse apple flavor in caramel. It seemed like it had already been done before by adding apple cider syrup to the caramel mixture. You can buy premade apple cider syrup and save yourself a lot of time and trouble, but you can also make your own by buying a quart of cider and boiling it down on your own. And, I made them extra decadent by covering them in chocolate.

    Cider Caramels

    One thing that I noticed about the apple cider caramels is that they need to be cooked to a higher temperature than traditional caramel recipes. I was squeamish on my first attempt and cooked my caramel to 249 degrees. I wound up eating that caramel with a spoon. For these, I cooked my caramel to 253 degrees and they still needed to be kept in the refrigerator to stay firm enough to dip. I recommend using compound chocolate or chocolate melting wafers instead of chocolate that needs to be tempered for dipping the caramels. Otherwise, your cold caramel squares will ruin your temper during the dipping process.

    Chocolate Covered Apple Cider Caramels

    Adapted from this recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup boiled cider (see *NOTE at the end of this recipe)
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 1/4 cup light corn syrup (optional, but will help with crystallization)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • Dark chocolate melting wafers (I used about 12oz)

    Directions

    Line the bottom and sides of an 8in square baking dish with parchment paper. Alternately, you can use silicone molds. I used silicone mini brownie molds.

    In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the cider, butter, sugars, cream, corn syrup, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 253 degrees or until the mixture reaches the firm ball stage. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the cinnamon.

    Pour the mixture into your prepared pan (or molds). Let the caramel cool completely, at least 2 hours. Remove caramel from pan and cut into small squares. If caramel is too soft to cut easily, refrigerate it to firm it up.

    Melt the dark chocolate using your preferred method of melting. Dip the caramel squares into the melted chocolate, one at a time. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to cool and harden. Store candies in an airtight container.

    *NOTE: If you cannot find boiled cider, you can make your own by boiling 1 quart of cider and reducing it until you have about 1/2 cup of liquid left.

  • Chocolate Coquito Macarons

    Chocolate Coquito Macarons

    Ah, macarons.  They are such wonderful and enigmatic things.  The first time that I tasted a macaron was at a chocolate festival.  There was a French bakery showcasing these delicate meringue and almond flour confections, and it was love at first bite.  Since then, they hold a special place in my heart.

    Making them, on the other hand, can probably bring a seasoned chef to tears.  Even an experienced baker can botch these things.  It seems like it takes equal amounts of skill and luck to get the almond flour, meringue, and sugar to come together in just the right way.  The meringue has to be stiff, but not too stiff.  The batter can’t be overmixed or undermixed.  The weather can’t be too humid.  The stars need to align.  The baking gods need to smile upon you. You need to say a prayer.

    I honestly don’t know what possessed me to try making them the first time.  Perhaps I am just a glutton for punishment.  Still, I tried, and failed.  Then, I tried and failed again.  And, I kept trying and trying.  Then, I would sometimes succeed, but I still fail most of the time. (more…)

  • Malted Chocolate Cheesecake

    Malted Chocolate Cheesecake

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    After Halloween, I did something really stupid.  I went to the store and perused the racks with the clearance Halloween candy, and ended up leaving with enough candy to last me several months.  Normally, this isn’t really a problem.  I have a candy jar at my desk at work that was always in constant need of refills.  But, then they moved me to an isolated cubicle on a mostly empty floor, and the candy jar remained untouched.

    What’s a woman to do with a bunch of leftover Halloween candy?  Eating it would be a simple answer, but so pedestrian.  Besides, I easily had at least 20 bags of candy lying around.  So, I decided to start getting creative.  This malted milk ball cheesecake was inspired by the Whoppers candies that I sifted out of a giant variety bag of candy.  The cheesecake itself doesn’t contain any Whoppers, but it’s a light chocolate cheesecake flavored with malt. (more…)

  • Chocolate Dulce De Leche Rolls

    Chocolate Dulce De Leche Rolls

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    One of the plus sides of knowing your way around the kitchen is that food is quite often an acceptable form of currency in my social circle.  Oftentimes, people will happily trade goods and services for the right dish.  And, really, who ISN’T more likely to lend a helping hand if it means you will almost definitely get some good food out of it at some point?

    So, when one of my friends helped me out of a serious bind, I promised her something delicious in return.  Since dulce de leche is one of her absolute favorite things, I wanted to make something that had dulce de leche in it.  This recipe for chocolate dulce de leche rolls came to me in the morning of the day that she was scheduled to come and collect on my debt. (more…)

  • Kit Kat Cake

    Kit Kat Cake

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    I have a serious problem.  I obsess over things.  All it takes is for the small seed of an idea to be planted, and the idea grows at an exponential rate and grabs hold of my brain.  Then, it won’t let go.  It’s this tendency to obsess that will lead me to do things like read a big book or watch an anime series in its entirety in a day or two, or go through dozens of web pages for “research” purposes when there’s a recipe or dish that catches my interest.

    This is exactly what happened about a month ago, when a coworker asked me if I could make a cake with Kit Kats (her favorite candy bar).  Well, several hours (okay, maybe DAYS) and hoards of web pages later, my mind was made up.  The seed was officially planted.  Challenge accepted. (more…)

  • Miami Fine Beverage, Chocolate, and Food Show 2014

    Miami Fine Beverage, Chocolate, and Food Show 2014

    Everyone knows that I don’t generally turn down a food festival when there is chocolate involved.  So, March 9th found me wandering around Pinecrest Gardens and sampling all sorts of delectable bites.  Compared to last year’s event, this was one considerably smaller.  It was a bit of a letdown, but it was still a beautiful day to be out trying new things! (more…)

  • Molten Chocolate Cake

    Molten Chocolate Cake

    One upon a time, a molten chocolate cake or chocolate lava cake was classy ending to a fancy meal.  Then, it started cropping up at chains like Red Lobster, Chili’s, and Applebee’s.  And, when you can get a dessert at a place where a group of servers will sing to you on your birthday while cursing their lot in life, there is no room for pretentiousness. (more…)

  • Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

    Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

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    You know those people that go to the grocery store and grab a bunch of stuff that they don’t need because it’s on sale?  Well, guilty as charged.  In particular, I grab ingredients that might come in handy for baking.  I can’t help myself.  It goes into my shopping cart as I imagine all of the delicious things that I might be able to do with it. (more…)

  • The Search for the Ultimate Cocoa Powder (Conclusion)

    The Search for the Ultimate Cocoa Powder (Conclusion)

    The results are in! Each batch of cupcakes was baked the same way. Same recipe. Same quantities. Same baking time. The only difference was the brand of cocoa powder added in each batch of cupcake batter. Even before the tasting, you can see the subtle differences! (more…)