The Chocolate Casket » Chocolate Treats

Chocolate Chip and Yogurt Muffins

Cherrie Carew — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:47:41 +0000

This is one of my favourite chocolate muffin recipes, you can use plain yoghurt if you prefer or miss out the vanilla essence if it makes it a bit heavy on the vanilla flavour for your taste. These freeze very well and are great for lunch boxes.

Ingredients

135 gms or 3/4 cup light brown sugar- packed but not too firmly
120 gms or 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
250 mls or 1 cup vanilla yoghurt
1 egg
5 mls or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
210 gms or 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
50 gms or 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
8 gms or 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
150 gms or 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350F, 180C.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
Mix the sugar and butter together in a medium bowl.
Add yogurt, egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder together into a large bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, stirring until just barely blended together.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the mix into the muffin cases and bake for approx 25 minutes.

Hot Chocolate – 1

Cherrie Carew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:03:36 +0000

I have many recipes for Hot Chocolate, this is probably the most basic and is ideal when you want it NOW!

1 – 2 oz (25 – 50 gms) good quality chocolate, broken to pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) milk, cold
8 fl ozs (200 mls) hot, but not quite boiling, milk
A large spoonful of double (heavy) cream

Put the chocolate and cold milk into a heavy saucepan and warm over a gentle heat
When it starts to melt and before the liquid boils, remove from the heat and allow the chocolate to soften
Beat into a smooth paste with a small whisk
Slowly add one or two tablespoons of the hot milk to dilute the paste, then slowly add the rest of the milk, continuing to stir all the time
If necessary reheat just a little but do not allow it to boil or you will lose the lovely chocolate aroma!
Pour into a large cup and drizzle the cream across the top.

Curl up in your favourite armchair and drink slowly.

Quick and Simple Chocolate Truffles

Cherrie Carew — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:20:43 +0000

You just have to start with chocolate truffles – and these are so quick and simple to make… They will keep for quite a while and will freeze, if they last that long!

Ingredients:

8 oz (200 gms) Semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup (80ml) Milk
1/3 cup (80 gms) Unsalted butter
2 Egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling

Instructions:

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the chocolate with the milk and butter over a low heat, stirring until smooth.
Remove from heat. Put the egg yolks into a medium sized bowl and stir 1/4 cup of the hot mixture, then whisk the yolk mix into the rest of chocolate mixture in the saucepan.
Add the vanilla essence and beat well.
Pour into small bowl, cover and refrigerate until firm.
You can store in refrigerator for up to 2 days at this point
Form small teaspoonful sized amounts into balls, roll in the cocoa powder and shake off any excess.

Makes about 2 dozen