Chocoholic Recipes

I admit it. I'm a Chocoholic. If you're one of our Facebook fans or Twitter followers you already know this. Why? Because I began a discussion about dessert sauce at 10AM yesterday. I was wondering if someone would reply that it was too early for chocolate. Instead you all confirmed that you too are chocoholics! Many of you even admitted to eating our dessert sauces by the spoonful right out of the jar! Well friends, at least we're in this together. It seems that we're all so excited to eat our chocolate that we don't pause to whip up a dessert recipe. Today I'm going to make us all a bit more civilized. I'm here to share recipes to use with our dessert sauces...now put down the spoon and pick-up these other ingredients!

 Dark Chocolate Toffee Semifreddo

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-teaspoon vanilla
• 1 12 ounce jar Stonewall Kitchen Dark Chocolate Toffee Sauce

1. Whip heavy cream in a chilled mixing bowl with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and vanilla. Fold in the Stonewall Kitchen Dark Chocolate Toffee Sauce. Place in a covered container that can go into the freezer.
2. Place semifreddo in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight. Best if used within 3-4 days.

 

Mocha Brownie Ice Cream Bars

• 2 boxes Stonewall Kitchen Triple Fudge Brownie Mix
• 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 4 Tbsp. water
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 pints premium quality ice cream
• 1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Coffee Caramel Sauce, Mocha Espresso Sauce or Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge Sauce

1. You will need 2 (two) 8 inch square baking pans for this recipe
2. Line the pans with heavy duty foil and butter the foil generously
3. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Divide the contents of the brownie mix into their components- you should have two bags of each. Chop the chocolate chunks into smaller pieces and set aside
5. In a bowl, stir together the oil, water, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the fudge packets
6. Divide the batter between two prepared pans and sprinkle the tops with chopped pecans and chopped chocolate
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack
8. When cool, gently peel the foil away from the brownie. Wrap the brownie(s) individually in plastic wrap and freeze

To assemble:

1. Place the ice cream in the refrigerator 45 minutes before using. Unwrap the brownies and place one, upside down, in a plastic lined 8-inch pan.
2. Spread the softened ice cream over the brownie. Place the second brownie on top of the ice cream.
3. Bring the wrap up and cover the brownie well. Freeze until solid, about three hours.

To Serve:

1. Remove the brownie from the freezer. Unwrap and cut into 6 or 8 squares.
2. Place on a serving plate and drizzle with your favorite Stonewall Kitchen dessert topping. ENJOY!

 Mocha Dream

• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. light cream or whole milk
• 2 Teaspoons Stonewall Kitchen Mocha Espresso Sauce

1. Fill a 6-ounce glass with ice. Pour ½ ounce Kahlua over the ice.
2. Heat Mocha Espresso Sauce slightly until it is fluid, but not too hot. Drizzle 1 teaspoon Mocha Espresso Sauce around the inside top of the glass.
3. In a shaker place more ice, ½ ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce vodka, 1 teaspoon Mocha Espresso Sauce, and 2 ounces light cream or whole milk. Shake vigorously. Strain and carefully pour cream mixture over the ice … enjoy your Mocha Dream. 

 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie

Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs, made by crushing chocolate graham crackers
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Filling:
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate morsels
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
• 1/4 cup English toffee bits
• Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce, heat until pourable

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Crush chocolate graham crackers in a food processor fitted with a metal blade or by placing the crackers in a zip-lock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
3. Add melted butter and confectioner’s sugar to the crumbs and mix. Place crumbs in a 9 inch pie pan, pressing to line bottom and sides of the pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
4. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine the peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, mascarpone cheese, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until combined making sure to not over mix. Gently fold in whipped cream. Spread the filling evenly in the baked crumb crust.
5. Sprinkle the pecans and English toffee bits over the top of the pie. Generously drizzle Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce over the top of the pie. Chill pie until ready to serve.

Time for Soup?

Soup-ah's On!

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous. Afternoon temperatures reached a sun drenching 70 degrees in some towns. This is highly unusual for us up here in the Northeast, but we gladly took advantage of it and pretended it was late spring all over again. And in typical New England fashion, we are back to seasonal temps. today.

One particular neighborhood in Dover (Dov-ah), NH, where our new event planner resides, hosted their ninth annual Soup-ah party on Saturday. Usually reserved for colder, pre-winter days, this year’s event was greeted with bright sunshine and plenty of warm soup. The gist of the event is as follows: Everyone brings a pot to share-and places it upon a home-made outdoor stove-top; a grate over a bed of coals, in a neighbor’s yard. Neighbors, friends and friends of friends show up to enjoy the soups and good company. Thirty-nine soups in all were in attendance this year, varieties included Chicken Gumbo, Alligator Chili, Corn Chow-da and Pumpkin Coconut-Milk Bisque, to name a few.

What a great idea!  This of course got us thinking about the inevitable colder days that lie ahead and delicious soups that will keep us warm many a long winter’s night.

How did you spent this past weekend, was it as warm in your neck of the woods?  Do you have any great neighborhood events to celebrate the impending arrival of winter? Share with us!

 One of our favorite soup recipes:

Corn-Crab Chowder

ingredients

3       3 tablespoons unsalted butter

·          2 small white onions finely chopped

·          1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

·         ½  lb. small waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered

·         3 cups fresh (from 5 medium corn ears)or frozen corn kernals

·         1 large garlic clove minced

·         1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

·         ¼ cup white vermouth or dry white wine

·         4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 cups (16 oz.) lump crabmeat

·         ½ cup heavy cream

·         ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

·         Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

·         1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Spicy Corn Relish or your favorite vegetable relish

directions

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions and celery until the onions are translucent and the celery is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, corn, garlic, and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the vermouth and raise the heat to high. Allow the vermouth to come to a bowl, and cook until the pan is almost dry. Pour the chicken stock into the pot, bring to a boil, and add the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the soup, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf, then puree the soup in two or three batches in a blender or food processor. (There is no need to scrape down the sides of the blender – the vegetable chunks will give the soup a nice texture.) The soup can be made to this point and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the crab, cream and cilantro. Cook just long enough to heat the crab through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with 1 heaping tablespoon of corn relish. Serve immediately. Enjoy!