Baked Hot Chocolate

What do you do when there is close to 3-feet of snow on the ground and you really do not feel like doing much at all? If you are anything at all like me, you do things like catch up on reading, dance and color with your toddler, think about getting dressed in something other than sweats (but never do), bake, and eat lots of food. I finished up the container of hot chocolate that I made on Friday, and instead of making some more (especially since we are a bit low on milk), I made this amazing baked hot chocolate instead. It is made with rich semisweet chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar - that's it. Since Greg is not feeling too well he decided not to have one of the two mugs of this deliciousness that I made, so I got to eat both over the past 24 hours. I did share a little with Wendy, and she was pretty crazy about it, as she yelled "more, more" after every bite I gave her. I am pretty sure you will also love baked hot chocolate. It has a thin layer of crunchy, a middle layer of smooth, and you will not stop eating it until you reach the bottom. It is kind of like a cross between a chocolate lava cake, chocolate pudding, and hot chocolate! I found out that tomorrow is another snow day for me, so more baked hot chocolate making and eating is at the top of my to do list! I might even put on some jeans, too. Enjoy!

Recipe for Baked Hot Chocolate

INGREDIENTS: 
5 ounces of semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (I used SCHARRFEN BERGER 62% baking bar)
3 1/2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

SNOW DAY + BAKED HOT CHOCOLATE = HAPPINESS

2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. of pure cane sugar (or granulated)
A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Position the oven rack to the middle and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put two 8-ounce oven-proof mugs or ramekins into a baking pan or roasting pan.

Put an inch of water in the bottom pan of a double boiler and set over medium high heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Put the chopped chocolate and butter in the top pan of the double boiler and set over the simmering water, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Set aside. Leave the bottom pan with the water on the stovetop and continue to let it simmer.

Put the eggs, sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and whisk together with a fork. Then use the handle of the saucepan to hold it over the simmering water for a few minutes or until warm, almost hot to the touch(I just literally held it over the steam from the water - it's a good workout...). Then use a hand mixer set on medium-high speed to beat the egg and sugar mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, making sure that there is no water from condensation on the bottom of the pan that drips in (I used a towel to wipe the bottom of the pan before I added to chocolate mixture). Use a spoon to gently fold the eggs and chocolate together until smooth and you don't see any streaks. Pour or ladle into the mugs or ramekins. Pour very hot water into the baking dish, being careful not to let water splash into the mugs, until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the mugs. VERY carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny. Remove from oven, use a hot pad holder to remove the mugs out of the water, and place mugs on a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving. I topped mine with plain cream and some chocolate chips. I am sure it would be amazing with some fresh whipped cream too!

Baked hot chocolate is best enjoyed hot (in my professional opinion), but it can be also eaten at room temperature. You can cover well with foil and store in the fridge for up to one day. To reheat, first let it come to room temperature and then bake at 350 for 5 - 8 minutes.

Recipe Adapted from: The Essence of Chocolate Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate
Recipe serves 2. 

A shot of our home in the snow!

Roasted Cherry Brownies

Ever since I started my cooking blog, I've gotten emails from people that include recipes that they think would be good for me to share (especially from my mom)! My sister told me that she made these roasted cherry brownies from Annie's Eats, and she said they were really good. Well, since I love Annie's website and because I love cherries and brownies, I decided to try out the recipe. I'm sure glad that I did!

Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you that these brownies are healthy. They don't have too much sugar (compared to other brownie recipes), and the brownies are  loaded with antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. One 9.7 oz bar of SCHARFFEN BERGER bittersweet chocolate also has 50% of your daily iron intake. And let's not forget about all the health benefits you'll get from the cherries...

I made these brownies on Saturday to bring to a cookout, but I accidentally left them at home. Who does that? After enjoying a few myself, I sent the rest of them in with Greg to take to work today. He said they disappeared from the lunchroom very quickly! Enjoy.

Recipe for Roasted Cherry Brownies

I ate one before the picture - sorry! 

INGREDIENTS:
For the roasted cherries:
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
For the brownies:
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into quarters
7 oz. of high quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (such as SCHARFFEN BERGER)
3 Tbsp. of cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
For the roasted cherries:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the cherries on the baking sheet, flesh side up. Sprinkle the cherries evenly with the 2 Tbsp. sugar, and then toss gently to coat. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven, and roast for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove cherries from oven and cool. Turn off oven.

For the brownies:
Prepare a double boiler filled 1/4 full with water. Place it over medium heat. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a pot. Once the boiler begins to barely simmer and steam, place the pot on top of the boiler and stir a few times until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate and butter mixture and beat on low until well combined.  Add in the flour, and stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the roasted cherries.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9"x9" pan with foil and spray it with a little bit of baking spray. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Place pan in middle rack of oven. Bake for 35 minutes.

Place pan on a cooling rack and cool brownies completely, at least 2 hours. Once cooled, remove brownies out of pan by lifting up on the foil. Place brownies on a cutting board and cut into evenly-sized squares.

Store brownies in the fridge in an airtight container.

Source: Annie's Eats

This cherry pitter turned out to be very handy! 

A great tool for pitting the cherries - a cherry pitter! My mother gave me one of these to me several months ago. My husband and I had joked "what the heck do we need a cherry pitter for?" Well, it sure came through when I made the brownies. Thanks, mom!

NOTE:
Cherries are in season right now. They taste great & they are on sale - I got mine for $1.99/lb. Score!