Velvet Chocolate Torte

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup light brown sugar
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 TBSP Kahlua

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spread the pecans and walnuts on a small baking sheet and bake until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
3. Place the nuts and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and with the machine running, add the melted butter in a slow stream through the feed tube and process until combined. Reserve 2 TBSP of the nut mixture for the topping and press the remaining mixture evenly across the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan.
4. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heat proof bowl set over barely simmering water and stir until melted. Set aside.
5. To make the meringue, combine the egg whites, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6. In a clean bowl using clean beaters, whip the cream with Kahlua until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overbeat.
7. Place the chocolate in a large bowl and add one-third of the meringue, stirring until well combined. Fold the remaining meringue in 2 additions, being careful not to overmix. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the mixture, and pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved 2 TBSP of the nut mixture over the top, wrap the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.(I refrigerated for 2 hours and then moved to the freezer).
8. To serve, slice the cake using a thin, sharp knife dipped in warm water and arrange on 12 plates.

Kahlua Chocolate Sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetended cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup Kahlua
1. In a heavy saucepan, comibine the water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from the heat.
2. Stir in the cocoa powder, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the salt, cream, and butter and return the pan to moderately low heat, whisking until the butter is melted. Simmer the sauce until thickened slightly. This should take about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and Kahlua.
3. Cool the sauce completely. Makes 2 cups.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake with Satsuma Caramel Sauce

sugar cookie dough(leftover from frosted cookies)
2 1/2 lbs cream cheese
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 TB flour
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
6 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1. Press sugar cookie dough into 10 inch spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes on 350F and set aside.
2. Cream the cheese until soft. Add in the sugar and mix well. Decrease the mixer speed to low and add the flour.
3. Add eggs in one at a time scraping bowl down to make sure that there are no lumps.
4. Stir in the vanilla. The chocolate and cranberries can be added now; they just get stirred in. If you wish to melt the chocolate and add in this was that is fine.
5. Pour batter into the pan. Bake in a water bath at 350F for approx 2 hours. Let cake sit at room temperature until cool, then chill overnight.
1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 cup Satsuma juice(or just oranges if you don’t have satsumas) about 5 satsumas or 3 oranges
Remove zest from 2 satsumas. Squeeze juice from satsumas and strain through a fine sieve. Measure out 1 cup juice.
Cook remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into a deep golden caramel. Add zest and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Tilt pan and carefully pour in juice (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved, then cool sauce.

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBSP instant espresso powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
White Chocolate for dipping

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Working together with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may be crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl , add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead un any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into a 12 inch long logs. Flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular, then carefully lift the logs onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each log with a little sugar.
Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack-and that’s fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes.(Leave oven on)
Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet-you’ll have an army of biscotti-and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes.
Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool.
If you want you can melt some white chocolate in a double boiler. Pour it into a shallow baking dish. Take the biscotti and dip which ever part you would like to be covered in chocolate. Set on a rack to harden.

White Chocolate Truffles Infused with Pear Skins, Wildflower Honey and Nutmeg

1/3 cup, plus 1 TBSP heavy cream
9 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
peels from one pear
1 TBSP wildflower honey
1/2 tsp freshy grated nutmeg
crushed sugar cookies(for rolling truffle in)

In small, heavy, nonaluminum saucepan, combine heavy cream and pear skins. Over low heat, heat until cream comes to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cover tightly; allow to stand 20 minutes at room temperature.
Shortly before cream standing period is up, combine white chocolate, nutmeg, honey, and butter pats in medium heatproof bowl. When cream has stood 20 minutes, remove cover. Reheat cream mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer again. Remove from heat. Strain through fine-meshed strainer into white chocolate mixture. Press down on the pear peels left in the strainer to extract all the liquid from it.
Place white chocolate mixture over warm water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl). Stir frequently just until almost melted; remove from heat and hot water. Stir until melted and smooth. (Note: White chocolate, even of excellent quality, can be stubborn about melting. If there are small lumps of white chocolate in your truffle base, transfer the truffle base to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; process at high speed just until smooth.)
Transfer truffle base to small bowl. Chill at least 4 hours (overnight is fine, too), covering tightly when cold.
Form balls of about 1 inch diameter from the cold truffle base(I use a melon baller). Drop into the crushed sugar cookies. Roll in cookie crumbs until well-coated, then place in a storage container. Continue until all base is used.
Store truffles airtight in refrigerator for up to one week; freeze for longer storage. To serve, remove from refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes prior to serving time. Let stand at room temperature, covered, until serving time.
This made about 24 truffles.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 cup shortening
3 eggs, seperated
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 TBSP baking powder
3 TBSP cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375F. Cream butter and add sugar and egg yolks, mixing until well combined. Add graham craker crumbs, baking powder, cocoa, salt, milk, vanilla extract, and nuts; mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. pour batter into two greased and floured 9 inch round pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Sauce
1 cup Whipping cream
2 tablespoons Sugar
4 ounces Bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
Combine the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and heat to a boil. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Stir until completely melted and smooth.
Strain through a fine wire mesh strainer into a serving bowl. Serve warm.

Peanut Butter Blondies with White Chocolate and Pecans

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips*
1/2 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Preheat oven to 325F.
Grease and lightly flour and 8 inch square baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter with the peanut butter and the sugars until smoothm about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in the pecans, chocolate chips and the white chocolate, reserving 2 TBSP of each.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved pecans, chips and white chocolate evenly over the top and, using a spatula, gently press into the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean with moist crumbs attached.
Do not overbake. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.