Chocolate 101

Here are a few of the recipes from our latest class. The hot chocolate recipe should be sold for millions of dollars, but we both feel it is our duty to save souls from some of the stuff people dump in their water. How fun it is to teach a class about how to enjoy chocolate. It is like teaching people how to breath, it comes pretty naturally. Remember to use dutch processed cocoa where possible, and good quality chocolate.

Mom’s Hot Chocolate

2 2/3 cup dry milk
1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons cocoa
Small pinch of salt

Combine in saucepan with:
7 ½ cups water
1 can evaporated milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Heat slowly on low stirring occasionally and serve. Makes 11 cups.

Note: This is delicious served with a little whipped cream and chocolate shavings or maybe a few Andes mints dropped inside. Sweet mercy!


Chocolate Bundt Cake
Taken from The Sister's Cafe
This cake is so dense and rich and such a simple cake to make, you will want to make this for every birthday or special gathering, or whenever! Be sure to use semi-sweet chocolate chips!

1 devils food cake mix (do not make according to package)
1 (4 serving) instant chocolate pudding mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
½ cup warm water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and continue to mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared (generously grease, then flour or cocoa) bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, rotating half way through baking time. Cool for 20 minutes (you can make the Chocolate Glaze while cake is cooling) and then run a knife careful around edge of cake in pan and invert carefully onto a serving platter. Glaze cake while cake is warm, not hot. You can also just dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 Tablespoons butter (not margarine)
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk (or 2%)
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in cocoa and milk. Bring mixture just to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar with electric mixer until thickened and smooth. Pour warm frosting over warm cake so that it forms pretty "drips" over the side of the cake. (This recipe makes a lot of frosting, so you won't use it all.) When the glaze and cake have cooled a bit, you can also add chocolate shavings for a triple chocolate, totally delightful experience!

Note: This can be made with peppermint candy cane pieces (put in baggie and break up) sprinkled on top before glaze cools and served with peppermint ice cream for a fabulous holiday treat. You could also try using a white frosting glaze with coconut extract added, and sprinkling coconut on top and around sides of cake platter. Ooooh! Coconut and chocolate together!


Perfect One Bowl Brownies
Adapted from The Sister's Cafe
We've tried A LOT of brownie recipes and this one has definitely passed the "Sister's Test!" So yummy and easy that we promise you will never go back to "the box!"

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup(slightly heaping) cocoa (can of dutch processed mix is best)
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips to sprinkle on top (We like to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl melt butter in microwave, then stir in oil, sugar and cocoa. Using a wooden spoon (so you don't over mix), stir in the remainder of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9 x 13 pan (glass has worked well) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. (You can also "bang" the pan on the counter to smooth out the batter more!) Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You know they are done when they start pulling away from the edge of the pan, but a clean toothpick means you've cooked them too long...be careful not to over bake!

Note: We think these are best when they are cooled so they are allowed to increase in density and chewiness...WOW! Serve them alone or these make delicious brownie sundaes with ice cream and chocolate syrup on top.