we try

Let's face it, sometimes we just need cake.  And we just can't wait any longer than five minutes.

Perhaps need isn't quite correct. Except sometimes, I just really, really want it. That's sort of close isn't it?  And yes, this IS a recipe for a five minute cake.  From start to finish even!

And rarely, albeit very rarely, do I not feel like stepping foot into the kitchen. Or I just haven't planned for my chocolate pangs in advance. This, I do not recommend. Always plan in advance for dessert, or risk the possibility of going without. I recommend that even less.

However, that being said. It happens that there is no dessert in the house. Otherwise known as a state-of-emergency. But if you're moving, or just tired of the winter (supposed to be spring) weather we've been having, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Perhaps you've heard of cake in a mug? In the microwave? Now, before you completely roll your eyes back in your head and start snoring, this isn't your ordinary microwave cake. I've had those, microwave cakes, and yes, they aren't usually good.

But this one?

It's good. In fact, it's really quite extraordinarily fine. It is a little extra good with a smidge of ice cream, whipped cream, or even a bit of a creamy liqueur. I prefer it with bacio ice cream.

The best part about the whole thing? It takes barely a couple minutes to get all the ingredients into the mug, a few stirs of a spoon, and the only dirty dishes are a couple spoons, a fork, and a mug. That's it. I did mention that this is actually GOOD right?



Quick Cake in a Mug - aka Five Minute Chocolate Cake

large coffee mug
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp coconut oil (or canola)
2 tbsp egg (whisk with a fork first)
3 tbsp chocolate chips
3 tbsp milk

1. Vigorously stir all of the ingredients together.
2. Microwave on high heat for 60-90 seconds, until steaming hot, and the batter is firm all around. Let cool slightly before devouring!
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game food, well kinda

I'll admit it.  I didn't even watch the Superbowl game yesterday.  Not even the half-time show.  Well, I saw a snippet, but it was just so unbearable I figured, why bother?  We don't even get the good commercials in Canada anyways.  I had a baby to play with, so that was more fun.

We did make some game-style food anyways.  There were mini-calzones stuffed with capicollo, basil, mozzarella, and vegetable spread.  We also made a version of the famous sandwiches available at the Nerbone food stall located in the Mercato Centrale in Florence.  Basically, it's a better version of beef dip, what it was destined to be in a better life.  Boiled meat doesn't sound quite as appetizing does it?  Bollito does though!  Then we had walnut and chocolate chip brownies with Nutella ice cream for dessert.  Somehow the only shot of that was... after the fact.

I make the dough, and Jeff makes the calzones.  Once again, the secret is a very, very hot oven.  We use a pizza stone pre-heated to 550 degrees Fahrenheit on convection.  Also, when it is cold outside, I place my dough in the microwave to rise.  I turn it on for 30 seconds, and let the dough sit for as long as time allows.




I think they look sort of cute. But, I like the look of raw dough; it looks so cushy!


If only my oven was always full of these little puffs of deliciousness.... sigh.


Yum.


Here's the resulting bollito, served on a crusty roll with salsa verde with parsley and capers, all alongside some broth for dunking. It was adapted from David Rocco;  we used a whole roast, and cooked it for a few hours.  You could actually cook it indefinitely.  The tender meat, and soft carrots from the broth was great for baby too.  I missed the chile sauce, but it just didn't happen.  There's always next time!


Apologies! The brownie recipe is here, and the bacio ice cream recipe is here though!


p.s. I know I promised fries. Soon! I promise! I also need to tell you about Charcut! Okay, now it's all in writing, it has to all get done. Stay tuned.
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homemade dark hot chocolate mix & marshmallows too

Homemade. Yes, the marshmallows too!

I thought it would make cute gifts I could give friends and family for the holidays. The best part is that the marshmallows are good for a few weeks, at least. So, if I missed seeing someone on a particular day, it wasn't like their foodie gift would become any less indulgent, as it might with say, cookies or fudge.

I put them in these cute little cellophane bags, and tied them with a little green bow.


I like that the ribbon is green, so it's festive, but not too overdone.


I found these sweet gift tags, and scribbled the cooking instructions on the back.


I did say cooking instructions, because I added cornstarch to the mix to make it a little thicker, and in my mind just that much richer. It does need a bit of whisking, or forking, if you will, and a tad of time to simmer. The cornstarch also helps to create the illusion of dairy, so you can use water or other non-dairy beverage to avoid dairy altogether.


I have to admit though, that I did just happen (an accident of sorts) to consume vast amounts of hot chocolate and marshmallows, just to be sure that I had the mix just right. It was tough, but it appears, I am yet unscathed!


So far, that is... These homemade marshmallows are incredible. Next time, I will scrape in the seeds of a vanilla bean.  Crushed pink peppercorns would also be fun with all their little pink bits peeking out.

I mean really.


I forgot to mention that the hot chocolate mix has grated dark Callebaut chocolate. It's just so wrong that it's good. Leave a cup of this out for Santa, and he'll surely never leave.


Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

1 cup Callebaut Dark Chocolate Chunks
1 cup cocoa
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch

For the mix:
1. Place the chocolate chunks in a food processor, and pulverize until nearly a powder. I suggest wearing ear plugs!
2. Combine the ingredients together in a large bowl, and stir until well combined

For a serving:
1. Warm one cup of whole milk slightly.
2. Add 1/4 cup of the hot chocolate mix, and whisk.
3. Continue to heat until the milk simmers, and the mixture has thickened slightly. It should resemble the consistency of heavy cream, but not quite so far as a pudding or yogurt. Add marshmallows, and enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packets of Knorr unflavoured gelatin, or approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons of unflavoured gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup (light or golden)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp best quality vanilla, or the inside of a vanilla bean
plenty of icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
candy thermometer
pastry brush

1. Combine the gelatin and a 1/2 cup of cool water in a mixer with a whisk attachment. Allow to rest for a half hour, or as long as it takes to make the candy syrup below.
2. In medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and a half cup of water. Heat to medium, and stir only until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring.
3. Fill a small bowl with water, and use it and the pastry brush to dissolve any remaining sugar crystals that are clinging to the sides of the pan. Be semi-generous with the water.
4. Begin to monitor the temperature with a candy thermometer. Be careful! Bring the mixture to 244 degrees Fahrenheit, and then remove from heat.
5. Being careful, pour the syrup into the mixer with the whisk attachment. Starting slowly, whisk until the total amount has tripled in volume, approximately 10 minutes in length.
6. While the mixture is whisking, place nearly copious amounts (a little less than a 1/4 centimeter) of icing sugar in the bottom, and slightly up the sides of a 9 x 9 baking pan (metal or glass).
7. Spread the whipped marshmallow into the pan, and allow to cool and dry for at least twelve hours. No need to cover.
8. Using a hot knife, loosen the marshmallow from the sides of the pan. Turn the gigantic marshmallow out onto a cutting board. Have more icing sugar at the ready. Continue to rinse and heat and dry the knife. Slice the marshmallows into desired sizes, and lightly dust with more icing sugar to prevent the creation of another giant marshmallow.
9. Place the marshmallows in an airtight container, and therefore, ready to be enjoyed!
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perfect chocolate chip cookie

I have made a lot of cookies. So very, very many cookies. It is difficult for me not to, because as soon as I make them, they disappear nearly instantly. Quite miraculous. The more I make them, the faster they disappear. Perhaps my technique is improving?  My technique of demolishing them before they even hit the cooling rack.

One thing I do know, is that despite my vast amount of cookie consumption, is that the cookies found here, and here, are good. Quite good in fact.  The best part is the sprinkle of fleur-de-sel over the top, but I found it worked best if the cookies were removed from the oven part way through their journey for a little salt shower.

And I have this complex about cookies, specifically chocolate chip cookies. You know, how chocolate chip cookies seem to only be good for only the split-second they come out of the oven. Well, these cookies are amazingly delicious even the very next day. That is, of course, if they last that long.
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brownies, to live for

These super-chocolatey (is that even a word?) and walnut brownies are from a fabulous book by Bev Shaffer, and is aptly named Brownies to die for! Of course, I want to make everything cover to cover. I mean who isn't a sucker for Rocky Road Frosted Brownies, or brownies with All the Time in the World Caramel Sauce?  Got me, hook, line, and sinker.

I like the Old Fashioned Brownies for the everyday brownie, that is actually quite extraordinary.  No special ingredients required, and no ensuing brownie strike just because there's no chocolate in the house.  Cocoa it is, and it's amazingly delicious.  Everyone who has a taste will beg for the recipe, but will probably start by begging for more.

Old Fashioned Brownies adapted from Bev Shaffer

1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a 13x9 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2.  Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together all of the ingredients, except for the walnuts, and chocolate chips.  Mix those in after everything else is thoroughly combined.
3.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool before cutting.  Enjoy, and do share... at least a few!

p.s.  The batter will seem impossibly thick, but it squishes in nicely with some wax paper.

p.p.s.  These can also be made into a most excellent thicker brownie in an 8x8 pan.  Bake for approximately 40 minutes.
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chocolate and peanut butter sandwich cookies

oatmeal peanut butter chip AND chocolate chip cookies sandwiched with chunky peanut butter and nutella I am a sucker for cookies. Particularly ones with oatmeal. Or is it the chocolate? Or perhaps the peanut butter chips? Who cares when the cookies are soft and oh so very gooey? I found the inspiration for these fun little sandwiches in the adorably delicious book by Alyssa Torey, More from Magnolia Bakery. Yes, the same NYC bakery with equally delightful cupcakes. I just loved the idea of having peanut butter chips in an oatmeal cookie. And, while peanut butter chips are good on their own, I had to experiment of course, they seem just a little bit better when half the chips are chocolate. Butterscotch chips are an awesome stand-in for the peanut butter chips on short notice. When paired up with nutella or peanut butter into cute little sandwiches, things get even more enticing. Your kitchen will soon be standing room only, just wait. Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Nutella and Peanut Butter Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened 3/4 golden yellow sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 2 tsp best-quality vanilla 1 cup flour 1 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips 1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Cream the butter and sugars as much as you can. A mixer is great. 3. Add the egg, and vanilla. Stir, stir, stir. 4. Then simultaneously add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix, mix, mix. 5. Add the oats, and work those forearms, or get a mixer. 6. Add the chips of choice. I love the chocolate peanut butter combo. 7. Using an ice cream scoop to dole out the dough, place teaspoon size amounts onto a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven, and gently flatten with a spatula. Place back in the oven for another minute or two. The cookies should still be quite soft and appear nearly raw in the center. This is key to achieving perfectly soft cookies. Remove the cookie sheet, and allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two before removing to a cooling rack. 8. Devour as many as you can before your newly found friends do.
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super moist chocolate cake & to-die-for nutella frosting

There is absolutely nothing that can be said to make me stop you from liking this cake. I suppose it is possible for you to like the nutella frosting more than the cake itself, but that remains to be seen. It truly is to-die-for. You don't have to take my word for it. But you should. The only thing wrong with this recipe, is that you probably haven't tried it yet because you are still licking the screen, and I really can't help you there. I'm still dealing with withdrawal. No it doesn't look like much, but a little mouse, aka husband, thought that he would generously get me a piece of cake before I had taken pictures of it. How thoughtful. Well, for me, and perhaps not so much for you, since it doesn't look quite as pretty as it really, truly was. And you know, Jeff was being helpful since pregnant women are supposed to eat their greens and all. Yes, there is some sautéed puréed spinach in this cake. If you can taste it, you have issues. Serious issues. Even Dad can't taste it, and that is of nearly epic proportions. I can't really blame Jeff for taking a few pieces of cake out of the pan, as he did also enthusiastically frost the cake. Yes, that means he got to lick the beater. Not that I ever, ever, do such a thing, but I slightly envious of someone who does. Super Moist Chocolate Cake & To-Die-for Nutella Frosting Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup cocoa 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp kosher salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk (or make your own) 1/2 cup canola oil 1 cup boiling water including a shot of espresso, or a cup of coffee 1 tsp vanilla 3 tbsp steamed and very finely pureed spinach (I keep a container full in the freezer) 1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, this seems low, but will help to keep the cake from rising in the middle and cracking. 2. Grease or spray a 9x13 baking sheet. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 4. Add the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, coffee, vanilla and spinach to the dry ingredients before mixing. 5. Mix together just until combined. 6. Pour into the prepared baking pan, and place into a pre-heated oven. 7. Wait 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. To-Die-for Nutella Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup nutella 1 tbsp softened butter 1 cup icing sugar 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream 2 tsp vanilla 1. In an upright mixer with a whisk attachment or food processor, thoroughly combine the nutella with the butter. 2. Slowly add the icing sugar, and scrape down the sides. 3. Add the heavy cream, and the vanilla. Combine. If the frosting appears too thick, add a touch more cream. 4. When the cake is cool, ice the cake carefully with a spreader. This frosting will be thick, but not so thick that it is impossible to ice the cake. 5. Enjoy!
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chocolate chip cookies for the new house

This cookie looked lonely. So I helped it. Yes, I made chocolate chip cookies. I had to test the oven of this new house to make sure it didn't just look pretty. I thought about calling the new house a home, but the thing is, not all the cookies have been devoured yet. Although, the house is getting there. Probably having some furniture in the living room and the kitchen would help the home front along. The cookies were a good start though. I know I don't need an excuse to make chocolate chip cookies, but how else was I to know if the oven will really cut it? I mean if it burnt all the cookies, or wouldn't bake them at all, then surely we would have to move out, right? Maybe not, but I do like to test out an oven based on it's cookie baking abilities. They can be finicky you know, and I had to double check...just in case. Yes, this IS coming from someone who in her student days was able to bake chocolate chip cookies in a toaster oven. It's not impossible trust me! Just laborious. One of my favourite chocolate chip cookie recipes is from Anna Olson (yes another one of her cookie recipes, but they are great recipes!). Simply fabulous. No extra ingredients for flavour or texture, but this recipe is classic. And yes, the cookies stay soft on the inside from the addition of the corn starch. I now add a couple teaspoons of cornstarch to nearly every cookie recipe, it works that well. Once I have the batter made, I scoop out slightly smaller than golf ball size amounts, with an ice cream scoop, onto a silicone lined baking sheet. The trick is to put the cookies into the oven for a few minutes before removing them to slightly squish with a spatula. Before I squish them, they look a little less than raw, but not too cooked either. I find this keeps the cookies softer, and helps them cook evenly for the last few minutes. I place the squished cookies back into the oven for another 4-6 minutes. It is important to pull the cookies out while they are just a tad golden around the edges, but still appear just a little raw in the center as they will continue to cook. Chocolate Chip Cookies Adapted from Anna Olson Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup golden yellow/light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated white sugar 1 egg 1 tbsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1 tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 cup chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Thoroughly combine the butter, and the sugars. Add the egg and vanilla until well combined. 3. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Thoroughly mix. Add the chocolate chips until combined. 4. Using an ice cream scoop, place 8 pieces of dough onto silicone lined baking sheets. Place the sheet into the oven for 4-6 minutes. 5. Remove the pan from the oven and slightly squish the cookies using a spatula. If the dough appears to be too gooey to squish, then place back into the oven for another minute or two. 6. Continue to bake for another 4-6 minutes until the cookies are just barely golden around the edges, and still have a slightly raw appearance in the middle. This will help to keep them soft. 7. Allow the cookies to firm up on the cookie sheets for another couple minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. Allow to cool only briefly before transferring to a sealed container, that is if there are any left of course! Enjoy! And do be kind enough to share.
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world's richest chocolate-hazelnut ice cream

This is so unbelievably rich, you will hardly believe it. I prefer to make ice cream from absolute scratch for my own peace of mind. But, in a pinch, this will do much more than make do. It's absolutely sinful. 1 can of condensed milk 2 cups of whipping cream 1 cup of nutella 1. Place an empty container, that will later hold the ice cream, into the freezer to cool. 2. Combine the ingredients in the blender. Decide who will lick the nutella spoon. 3. Pour the mixture into the ice cream dasher, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. 4. Freeze for at least another 1-2 hours, depending upon freezer temperature. 5. Serve, and do at least try to share.
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nutella & hazelnut stuffed french toast with maple butter

If a little gluttony is what you want, then this is what you need. If you can't deal with chocolatey, buttery, ooey-gooey and delicious, then this isn't for you. If you are at my house on a weekend morning, then you would witness a serious crime against the world of cooking. I become terribly lazy, and attempt to recover from my weekday oatmeal, which is overdose by the weekend. I sit around for good while, and then realize that I am overwhelmingly hungry, and it is an urgent manner. Quite often, there is at least a segment of a baguette lying around, and so I rush into action with a dollop of nutella on pieces of baguette, and continue merrily relaxing. It's simple, and good. But today, I thought it needed a little dressing up, something a little bit more involved. Perhaps something I could actually serve to another human being, and not feel completely embarrassed by it. I also felt compelled to find another use for my replication of Clinton Street Bakery's maple butter, which I had left in my fridge from last week's attempt at outdoing their pancakes. I was close with the pancakes, but the maple butter is pretty spot on. I started with a paska (any bread you can thickly slice), nutella, 2 eggs per slice of bread, and a couple handfuls of hazelnuts (1 tbsp per serving). Using a mini chopping food-processor, I chopped up the hazelnuts. It made about 1/2 cup. I carefully toasted the hazelnuts in a non-stick frying pan, on medium-low heat. Be careful to stir occasionally, and have a dish ready to transfer the hazelnuts to once they are brown! The tasty toasted hazelnuts. Maple butter is absurdly delicious on pancakes or french toast. Also use a ratio of 2:1, for example, a 1/2 cup of butter to a 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Place both in a glass bowl or measuring cup in the microwave for no more than 20 seconds. Stir vigorously, with a fork, until the butter and syrup are combined. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, and let it sit for longer (or refrigerate) if it is too runny. The resulting mixture should be somewhat thick. It is fun to dip pieces of pancake straight into it! You can use any bread, but make sure you can slice it quite thick. Using a small serrated knife, create a "pocket" in each slice. This is where the nutella and hazelnut treasure will go! Once you have inserted the pocket in each slice of bread, start by using a spoon to sprinkle about a tablespoon of toasted hazelnuts inside. Then, with another spoon, place roughly another tablespoon of nutella inside; push on the spoon with one side of the bread to remove the nutella from the spoon. In the same nonstick saucepan use to toast the nuts, heat some butter on medium-high heat, until it foams. Place the french toast to be in a little beaten egg bath. Each slice of bread will take approximately two eggs. Let it soak a few seconds per side. Cook each side until beautifully golden brown. Serve with sliced bananas, and be generous with the maple butter! Enjoy until the very last bite!
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creamy, dreamy chocolate layer cake

A chocolate layer cake that is impossibly difficult to resist. In fact, that is the original name for this to-die-for cake, but no one really seems to know where the recipe is from. I just have a photocopied magazine page that might be at least twenty years old, perhaps from Woman's Day or Family Circle, which sounds a little peculiar for such a divine cake, but just trust me. I know it looks quite sweet, and while the recipe isn't unsweet, the lovely thing is that it's not excessively sweet. The recipe doesn't call for chocolate, but uses cocoa instead, and I think that helps. Lately, I have tended to ensure that I have plenty of dark chocolate on hand just for baking, but a recipe with cocoa is also more precise in my eyes. There are fewer quirks between brands of cocoa than chocolate, and that's ignoring the measurement of chocolate altogether...sometimes ounces, sometimes grams, it always seems to fluctuate depending on where the recipe originated from. I also added a shot of espresso, to enhance the overall chocolate factor, just in case. Frosting. I LOVE this frosting. It is absolutely fabulous. The best frosting recipe I know. It's essentially whipped cream with whipped cream cheese. Who doesn't love whipped cream? And cream cheese icing is right up there godliness, but I prefer chocolate icing overall, and this frosting recipe over chocolate icing. This just pillows and oozes over the cake; not too sweet, but just right. Last weekend, it was my niece's sixth birthday dinner, so I pounced at the opportunity to make this cake. My mother used to make it for birthdays of her friends, when I was small. Of course I loved the cake, but I liked the beater's too. Perhaps I should say licked. No, it's not the cutest cake for a child, but it's so impossibly chocolatey, and ridiculously rich, that no one can refuse. And besides, how much cake does a child eat? Ok, ok, I'm just joking, but her adult compadre's did devour our fair share. But can you blame us? But check out the hue of the two different cocoa's I used, one was a store-bough dutch-processed cocoa (the light cocoa), and the other was purchased at Calgary's Bernard Callebaut (darker). Curious isn't it? More often than I care to admit, I have added unsoftened butter into the mixer, and expected it to work itself out. Try to pull out the butter soon enough, at least an hour in advance, and slice the butter into little chunks. When I remember to follow this simple step, I breathe a huge sigh of relief, since it saves many attempts at slicing the butter with a knife in the mixing bowl... Never forget to grease a cake pan for a layer cake, unless of course you like fewer layers. But I try to think of greasing the pan as a nice way to moisturize in the dry season. Yes, it is impossible to resist, but it is also impossible to slice a small piece due to the layers. Oh darn! Creamy Dreamy Chocolate Layer Cake Adapted from Diane Mogelever Cake Ingredients: 3/4 boiling water 3/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder 1 shot espresso 1 cup buttermilk 2 1/2 cups unsifted-all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)butter, softened and divided into smaller chunks 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla Frosting Ingredients: 1 container (8 ounces) whipped cream cheese 2 cups whipping cream (heavy cream) 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/4 cup icing sugar (confectioners' sugar) chocolate curls for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (f). Grease and flour 3 9-inch-round layer-cake pans. 2. In an medium-sized bowl, pour boiling water and espresso shot over the cocoa powder to dissolve the cocoa. Whisk out the lumps. Add the buttermilk to cool the mixture. Set aside. 3. In another medium-size bowl, combine with a fork: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 4. In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed - the softened butter (divided), and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. 5. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with cocoa mixture - beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared pans, dividing the batter equally. 6. Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for at least 10 minutes. Then turn cakes out of pans onto the racks to cool completely. 7. Prepare the frosting: In an electric mixer, beat the container of whipped cream cheese on low to soften. Beat in 1/2 cup icing sugar until smooth. Add vanilla. Beat in another 3/4 cup icing sugar until smooth. Add 2 cups whipping cream and slowly increase the speed until high. Beat until stiff. 8. To make the chocolate curls use a vegetable peel on room temperature chocolate. Carefully slide onto the top of the cake. 9. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread over one-third of the frosting with a spatula. Stack with another cake layer and repeat with another third of frosting. Repeat with the final layer, and the remaining frosting. Sprinkle over the chocolate curls. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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zotter chocolate

Organic, Fair-Trade, and delicious? Yes, it does exist, and it is very, very good. Zotter Chocolate comes from Austria, and I was nearly camped out at Bite Groceteria awaiting their arrival. I called, and emailed, and then once the chocolates arrived I eagerly helped to take them out of the boxes. Pathetic patience, I know. I will go out on a limb and say that these are now some of the best chocolates available in Calgary, if not the best, depending upon an individual's preference, or even mood. I am taking into account the ability to buy different and unique flavours of chocolates, not just pure chocolate, but the hand scooped and balleros chocolates shockingly taste like something, and the pure chocolate is superb. There are so many facets to describing the brand, but I think I'll start with the taste. Love it. The chocolate is smooth, creamy, and silky. Flavourful, nutty, and there are so many unique flavour combinations. The balleros, pictured above, are essentially little ball-like shapes and different flavours of chocolates. I adore the hazelnut balleros, and the chocolate-covered-almond with rose petals (below). But there is also cocoa in cocoa and coffee arabica (chocolate-covered coffee beans). The chocolate covered almonds with rose petals are quite heavenly, although they do resemble rocks in a photograph. Best rocks I've ever had. The photo below reveals most of the stash I bought, and I'm sure that the owners of Bite, Julie and Doug, think I am certifiably insane. I think I took one chocolate bar from nearly every box that arrived, but I didn't take any of the drinking chocolate (with the insistence that it is spring). Don't worry, I haven't eaten all of it yet..... The balleros are on the right hand side, the hand scooped chocolates are mostly in the middle, the labooko or plain and pure chocolate bars are in little folding "books" at the bottom, and the basic or baking chocolate bar is on the left hand side. I felt like it was Halloween!! Zotter invented a few new chocolate varieties, and a new chocolate production technique called hand-scooped. Zotter's website indicates that hand scooped chocolates have developed a cult-like following. He wanted to create distinctive chocolates to create a product that would make his chocolates unique from the usual pure chocolates. Apparently, there are machines out there which will "hand-scoop", but it was misunderstood by manufacturers who attempted to replicate the process, as it should not be pouring chocolate into a mould, but used instead to create layers in which the chocolate and the fillings melt at different stages. This is what the inside of the hand scooped balsamic caramel bar looks like, notice the three distinct layers. Below are a few of the varieties of hand-scooped chocolate bars available from Zotter. I love each of these on their own, but think of the multitude of flavour pairings available to enjoy along with the chocolates. A little wine, a small bowl of stawberries with aged-balsamic, or a little chunk of cheese. Why not? The Labooko chocolates are pure chocolate, and very smooth and silky. They come in pairs, organized like little books with one percentage chocolate on one side, and something slightly different on the opposing side. The sneaky thing with these chocolates is the surprising quality of the chocolate in such fantastically designed packaging. I would be more than happy with the chocolates any which way I could get them, but the packaging is creative, and beautiful too. A nice touch. These are all phenomenally tasty, but for originality, I am drawn to the yogurt and fruit yogurt (on the left with Carmen Miranda). They both lightly chocolatey and feature the use of yogurt instead of milk powder. The fruit yogurt is practically pink! Super delicious. It is also advised to enjoy chocolate slowly, for the ultimate indulgence, to "unveil the secret of the taste of chocolate, we recommend to first let the chocolate “breathe” in an opened state at room temperature and to nibble it afterwards in small pieces. For even a small piece of zotter chocolate contains enough power and intensity to convince." I am sorry to say that I have no idea how much each bar is, as nothing was priced at the time I gathered up my bag of chocolates. I am going into Bite Groceteria this afternoon to pay my bill. I'll keep you posted. Zotter.
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