OT almost, special chocolate

I'm trying as hard as I can to recover from a brutal cold/flu/sinus/allergy
attack. May even have pyromania. I needed something that didn't take any
sense and have been assembling the wonderful sacks of " I Spy" that Susan
carefully cut and shared. DH says it looks like a mess. I forgive him
since he hasn't even threatened to put me out of my misery.
Food Network has gone chocolate crazy getting ready for Valentine's Day.
Today, Ina Garden was recommending adding a few spoonfuls of instant coffee
granules to brownie batter. She says it intensifies the chocolate. My
sister insists that a dash of cinnamon is great in chocolate. ( Ugh). I say
chocolate good stuff requires a pinch of salt.
Let's plan a chocolate party. Bring something. Want my fudge recipe?
Polly

I'll make my chocolate(dark)-raspberry flourless cakes in small ramekins.
So rich they're nearly deadly.

Steven
Alaska


"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
I'm trying as hard as I can to recover from a brutal
cold/flu/sinus/allergy attack. May even have pyromania. I needed
something that didn't take any sense and have been assembling the
wonderful sacks of " I Spy" that Susan carefully cut and shared. DH
says it looks like a mess. I forgive him since he hasn't even threatened
to put me out of my misery.
Food Network has gone chocolate crazy getting ready for Valentine's
Day. Today, Ina Garden was recommending adding a few spoonfuls of instant
coffee granules to brownie batter. She says it intensifies the chocolate.
My sister insists that a dash of cinnamon is great in chocolate. ( Ugh).
I say chocolate good stuff requires a pinch of salt.
Let's plan a chocolate party. Bring something. Want my fudge recipe?
Polly

i wanna make chocolate covered strawberries and i know they sell a special chocolate mix that you heat and you pour over any fruit and it hardens instantly. you know where i can find it in alabama.

'Caroline's Chocolate Cake' -- the finest chocolate cake ever to pass
between my lips. And then I added espresso as part of the boiling
liquid. Oh my.... to die for.

I'll post the recipe tomorrow -- um, later this morning. Polly, I hope
you get over the creepin' crud soon.

Hugs and soft tissues,
Sunny

I vote with your sister! Lindt put out a special drinking chocolate
for Christmas with a bit of cinnamon. Divine!
Don't need extra caffeine in my brownies, they already give me
palpitations if I eat more than 1.

Fingers crossed that your killer sniffles go away soon. We want I Spy
pictures!
Roberta in D

On Wed, 2 Feb 2011 22:23:52 -0600, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

I'm trying as hard as I can to recover from a brutal cold/flu/sinus/allergy
attack. May even have pyromania. I needed something that didn't take any
sense and have been assembling the wonderful sacks of " I Spy" that Susan
carefully cut and shared. DH says it looks like a mess. I forgive him
since he hasn't even threatened to put me out of my misery.
Food Network has gone chocolate crazy getting ready for Valentine's Day.
Today, Ina Garden was recommending adding a few spoonfuls of instant coffee
granules to brownie batter. She says it intensifies the chocolate. My
sister insists that a dash of cinnamon is great in chocolate. ( Ugh). I say
chocolate good stuff requires a pinch of salt.
Let's plan a chocolate party. Bring something. Want my fudge recipe?
Polly

On 03/02/2011 10:38 AM, Sandy wrote:
In ,
"Polly wrote:

I'm trying as hard as I can to recover from a brutal cold/flu/sinus/allergy
attack. May even have pyromania. I needed something that didn't take any
sense and have been assembling the wonderful sacks of " I Spy" that Susan
carefully cut and shared. DH says it looks like a mess. I forgive him
since he hasn't even threatened to put me out of my misery.
Food Network has gone chocolate crazy getting ready for Valentine's Day.
Today, Ina Garden was recommending adding a few spoonfuls of instant coffee
granules to brownie batter. She says it intensifies the chocolate. My
sister insists that a dash of cinnamon is great in chocolate. ( Ugh). I say
chocolate good stuff requires a pinch of salt.
Let's plan a chocolate party. Bring something. Want my fudge recipe?
Polly


That answer to that is, of course, *yes*!G And I've also heard that
coffee/espresso powder adds a richness to chocolate. I didn't believe it
until I tasted a cake done that way -- OMG! Heaven! You don't taste the
coffee, but the chocolate just *sings*. Now here's my contribution:

===============
Strawberry-Chocolate Pie

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 pie shell, blind baked from your favorite recipe
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 3 ozs cream cheese
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 3 cups fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsps cornstarch


METHOD:

1. Set aside baked pastry.

2. Place margarine and cream cheese in glass mixing bowl.

3. Microwave at HIGH, uncovered, 20-30 seconds or until softened. Beat
with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar,
beating until well blended.

4. Microwave chocolate in small glass dish at HIGH for 2-2 1/2 min. or
until melted, stirring once. Beat chocolate into butter mixture. Beat in
vanilla. Add egg and beat at high speed about 3 min. or until light and
fluffy. Spread evenly in cooled pie shell. Refrigerate abut 2 hours.

5. While pie is chilling, wash and hull strawberries. Set aside 2 cups
berries. Process remainder in food processor until smooth. Place in
4-cup glass measure. Add water to make 1 cup. Blend in 1/3 cup sugar and
the cornstarch until smooth.

6. Microwave at HIGH, uncovered, 2-3 min. or until mixture boils and
thickens, stirring twice. Cool to lukewarm.

7. Slice reserved berries and arrange on chocolate mixture. Spoon glaze
mixture over berries, coating evenly. Refrigerate several hours or until
served.
SERVINGS: 10
SOURCE: Microwave Times


===============

I've had this recipe for years, made it several times (though not too
recently) and had raves each time. I think chocolate and red fruit like
strawberries are perfect for Valentine's Day.

This reminds me of chocolate dipped strawberries...a decadent treat that
we make when strawberries are in season here. Wash strawberries and
let them dry. Do NOT hull them. Melt some semi-sweet chocolate with
just a little bit of milk. Dip the strawberries - just the bottom half
- and lay on a piece of wax paper until the chocolate hardens. (It helps
if you put them in the fridge). To eat: pick up by the leaves and bite
off the end. Mmmmmmmmmm!!

Nutmeg and coffee both enhance chocolate.
Have to make a cake today for my DD it's her B-day.
Chocolate frosting on chocolate cake sounds appropriate!!
Homemade Gnocchi tooo.

Bump...

Chocolate pie. The old fashioned kind that Mama used to make with
home made filling and real merangie. Darn can't spell today but you
get the idea. You know the white stuff of top of a pie made with egg
whites then browned under the broiler. Or home made chocolate fudge
with walnuts. Or chocolate cake with whipped icing, or chocolate ice
cream with almonds, or hand dipped chocolates.

How about a Mississippi Mud King Cake with all that chocolate
filling. Home made cocoa with marshmellows.

Polly got your chocolate buzz on yet.

I got your stuffed up nose and I'm hidden under a towel over a bowl
of hot water. Got a big box of tissue so I blow my brains out in a
little while.

Kate T. South Mississippi

On Feb 2, 10:23*pm, "Polly Esther" wrote:
I'm trying as hard as I can to recover from a brutal cold/flu/sinus/allergy
attack. *May even have pyromania. *I needed something that didn't take any
sense and have been assembling the wonderful sacks of *" I Spy" *that Susan
carefully cut and shared. *DH says it looks like a mess. *I forgive him
since he hasn't even threatened to put me out of my misery.
* * Food Network has gone chocolate crazy getting ready for Valentine's Day.
Today, Ina Garden was recommending adding a few spoonfuls of instant coffee
granules to brownie batter. *She says it intensifies the chocolate. *My
sister insists that a dash of cinnamon is great in chocolate. *( Ugh). I say
chocolate good stuff requires a pinch of salt.
* * Let's plan a chocolate party. *Bring something. *Want my fudge recipe?
Polly

I hope you are feeling better soon, Polly. If the chocolate fix
doesn't cure you, nothing will. My contribution is chocolate covered
cherry cookies, a cake type cookie with a cherry in the middle with
fudge frosting on top. mmmm.....all these suggestions are mouth
watering, aren't they? Donna