KITCHEN QUICKIES

RECIPES FOR GOOD FOOD FAST

This Valentine’s Day, spoil the sweeties in your life with these decadent desserts. Recruit the kids
and head to the kitchen! Tip: Since my kids love to lick the bowl (who doesn’t?), I use Egg Beaters
pasteurized egg product when baking to avoid possible salmonella contamination.

SWEET TREATS

Death by Chocolate

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder, double-acting
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons high-quality cocoa powder (I like Pernigotti cocoa)

How-to
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa three times (really, it’s important). With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs until the sugar is dissolved. Add butter and mix until well incorporated. Add sour cream, vanilla, water and mix well.

Put the mixer on its lowest speed and add the flour/cocoa mixture until just mixed (do not over-mix!). Put the mixture into a well-buttered bundt pan and bake for an hour.

To serve, sift powdered sugar on top.

Death by Chocolate Pudding

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (I use Pernigotti cocoa), sifted
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
1 ounce high-quality semisweet chocolate (I like E. Guittard)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream (use the rest for schlag; recipe to follow)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

How-to
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Lower the speed and add the cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly pour the milk into the bowl. Mix well on low speed and then add the contents of the bowl back to the saucepan.

Over low heat, cook the mixture and whisk constantly until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the butter, vanilla, chocolate and cream. Mix well.

Put into a serving bowl (or individual ones) and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Schlag

2 cups heavy cream (it’s okay if it’s a little less if you used some of it to make the pudding)
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

How-to
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream just until it gets thick, before peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form. If you over-beat, the schlag will be too thick and will have the consistency of butter.

Chocolate No-Bake Truffles

(My friend James gave me this recipe back in high school and I have been making these truffles ever since. They make a great gift!)

6 ounces Nestlé’s Semi-Sweet Morsels
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons rum
1 8.5-ounce box Famous Chocolate Wafers
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 cup chopped walnuts
Chocolate sprinkles and additional confectioner’s sugar, to decorate

How-to
In a blender, chop all the wafers, 2 or 3 at a time, to a fine powder. Make sure there are no lumps!

When all the wafers are done, do the same thing with the walnuts. Again, no lumps!

On top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Stir constantly to prevent burning.

To the melted chocolate, add the orange juice. Then, add the rum.

Add the finely ground chocolate wafer cookies, the walnuts and the sifted confectioner’s sugar. It will be difficult to stir, but keep at it!

Cover the pot and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

When the mixture is chilled, take a teaspoon or so of the mixture and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into sprinkles or powdered sugar. Place balls on a cookie sheet covered with tinfoil. When all the truffles are done, place the cookie sheet in the fridge and chill for another hour.

Vanilla Pudding (for those who don’t like chocolate!)

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 quart whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

How-to
In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, eggs and cornstarch. Put the saucepan over medium-low heat and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture is just about to boil and remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla and stir until combined.

Pour into a serving bowl (or individual ones) and chill for at least 4 hours.