Ingredients
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and eggs. Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda and salt, gradually blend into the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. For bar cookies, press dough into a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Source: yummychocolaterecipes

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Normally, vices aren’t good for you… except when it comes to chocolate. Thank God! But with so many brands and confusing labels like organic, fair-trade, shade-grown and rainforest alliance, it’s hard to figure out which ones are best. We’ll break it down for you and tell you our favorite brands. That way when you’re playing Easter Bunny in a few weeks, you and the kids can break off the best squares. And enjoy!

This sweet treat that some say is better than sex, is good for you in small quantities. It’s loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants and protect our bodies from aging caused by free radicals. Like red wine, the antioxidants protect against heart disease and help relax blood pressure and balance certain hormones in our bodies.

So now that you know it’s good for you, here’s what you should look for when buying your sweets. Dark vs. Milk: Pick dark. The darker the chocolate, the less fat and more healthy fats like olive oil. It also has eight times the number of antioxidants than strawberries. Organic: The cocoa trees used to make chocolate are grown without chemicals and pesticides. It also has organic ingredients like milk, sugar and natural flavorings.

Fair-trade: Most of the chocolate we eat in the US is imported. It’s also estimated that up to 40 percent of cocoa farms have slave laborers, some of which are children. When you buy fair-trade you know that the farms are paying their workers a fair wage, aren’t exploiting them and avoid cost-cutting practices that are destructive to the environment. Usually organic and fair-trade go hand-in-hand.

Rainforest Alliance: This certified chocolate is based on the three pillars of sustainability -- environmental protection, social equity and economic viability. Shade-grown: These cocoa trees are grown under the canopy of the rainforest rather than cutting down trees to create a clear-cut field. The trees grow better in the shade, are much more resistant to disease, and it creates a habitat for birds.

Source: organicauthority

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Savoring a delicious morsel of chocolatey goodness can bestow the bod with a rush of endorphins capable of reviving a less-than-perky attention span – plus let’s not forget that modern science has officially praised the cacao bean’s nutritional profile, meaning that we all deserve to throw caution to the wind and finally get down with it! (Okay, maybe a steady diet of chocolate isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered, but nibbling on a little here and there certainly has its benefits.)

But any old run-of-the-mill chocolate munchy won’t do. Those who really care about what they fuel their bodies with will probably agree that the organic battle cry should also extend to the treats that we occasionally indulge in. So... if you’re going to have a little fun, seeking out any (or all) of the treats on this list will boost your spirit while also going easier on the environment, since in all cases, the beans are sustainably raised. Let's hear it for eco-chocolate bars – long may they melt ever-so-satisfyingly on our tongues... and forget about the 'lifetime on the hips' business. Just eat, savor, enjoy...

Crispy Cat Organic Chocolate Sundae Candy Bar
Available in three 100% USDA certified organic varieties including toasted almond, mint coconut and chocolate sundae, these gluten and dairy free delights trick the tastebuds into thinking that they’re surrounded by naughty decadence when brown rice syrup and agave are actually working their sweetening magic.

Figamajigs
These dense, toothsome bars – available in original, raspberry and almond varieties – have the consistency of a truffle but none of the dietary guilt since the texture is achieved via an angelic, nutrient-rich fig base drenched in dark chocolate. This harmonious flavor combination enables your sinning heart to achieve sainthood with none of the sacrifice.

Newman’s Own Chocolate Cups
For close to 20 years, Paul and his pioneering organic-lovin’ cohorts have created a carefully crafted range of natural foods which are now inarguably complemented by the five Rainforest Alliance Certified dark and milk chocolate cups that they offer, including caramel, peppermint cream and peanut butter. Lacking the cloying sweetness of conventionally manufactured varieties, these gems offer pure flavor and tastebud satisfaction with no chemical junk.

Seth Ellis Chocolatier’s Sun Cups
Looking for a sweet treat that has absolutely no peanutty vibe? This Boulder, Colorado-based micro chocolate artisan blankets the popular sunflower seed spread known as Sunbutter in their organic milk and/or organic dark chocolate, offering two protein packed cups per package. The result – a treat that's far more angel halo than devil horns.

Go Max Go Foods
If you’re not entirely convinced that going vegan can pave the way for countless pleasantly surprising culinary experiences, than sink your teeth into one or all of Go Max Go Foods’ positively delish candy bars, including their Buccaneer, Mahalo, Twilight or Jokerz. Really and truly, you won’t miss the dairy one single bit. Instead, you’ll enjoy all sorts of satisfying textures, flavors and plain old yumminess thanks to a surprisingly wholesome array of ingredients that you’ve actually heard of before. Imagine that!

Sjaak's Organic Chocolates
So many aspects of this company, Eli’s Earth Bars, are sooooo good: The flavor (most definitely) but also their shockingly vegan, fair trade and organic pedigree. The result of all their tender loving care is a collection of three super-tasty bars (the vegan ‘treasure bar’ with peanut butter, caramel and chocolate, the vegan ‘dream big bar’ with peanut butter, caramel, whole peanuts and chocolate, and the ‘celebrate bar’ with coconut-caramel, whole almonds and chocolate) that are well worth plowing into with reckless abandon.

Enjoy Life Foods
Ideal for those with various food allergies who still crave a treat, this company’s boom Choco Boom bars – in crispy rice, rice milk and dark chocolate varieties – are not only free of peanuts and tree nuts… they’re also free of animal-based products, soy and gluten! Not too shabby for something that is genuinely healthy for you.

Q.Bel
Oh Q.Bel, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… you’re crispy, you’re creamy, you’re melt-in-my-mouth good. Need I say more? Well, I’ll just add that their peanut butter wafers dipped in dark chocolate are so scrumptious and flavorful that they really should NOT be missed!

Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups
Boulder, Colorado has yet one more reason to be thankful – Justin’s Nut Butter is in the house! This nut alchemist (just try their Maple Almond, Honey Almond, Honey Peanut or Chocolate Hazelnut Butters for all the proof you need that they deserve that lofty title) has wisely poured their organic peanut butter into organic, fair trade milk/dark chocolate cups for a simple yet satisfying pick-me-up that grows on you with each new two-pack that you rip open.

Angell Organic Candy Bars
With fair trade, organic ingredients and packaging emblazoned with retro-graphics, these slim bars instantly send you back to a simpler day and age when there was no funny business in our food. Instead, you’ll get four crowd-pleasing candy bar varieties naturally sweetened with organic honey and cassava (a starchy tuber) and flavored with real vanilla, coconut, peanuts, almonds and chocolate. The result is pure heaven.

Source: organicauthority

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I often get asked if I can make a cake or cupcakes that does not have any wheat in it.  After a lot of trial and error I have come up with this recipe that I am going to share with you.  I have been told by my clients that these gluten free chocolate cupcakes taste just like a regular chocolate cupcake.  I have even been told that when clients have served these cupcakes to their guests, their guests did not even know that these were gluten free.  So why not give this simple recipe a try??!!

Chocolate Gluten Free Recipe
* please note this recipe will make 24 cupcakes or a double layer 9″round cake *

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C)

Cake Ingredients:

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1/2 cup of sorghum flour

1/2 cup of white rice flour

1 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum

1 cup of cocoa powder

1 tsp of baking soda

2 tsp of baking powder

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of white granular sugar

3/4 cup of salted butter (softened)

3 large eggs (room temperature)

2 large egg yolks (room temperature)

3 tsp of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of milk

2 tbsp of vinegar

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use 24 cupcake liners in cupcake/muffin tins or lightly grease the 9″round cake pans.
Step 2:
In a small bowl add 1 1/2 cups of milk and the 2 tbsp of vinegar; mix with a spoon and set aside.  Essentially you are creating “buttermilk in this step.
Step 3:
Sift the sorghum, tapioca, and white rice flours together.  Add in the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda to the flours and whisk together in a medium. bowl.
Step 4:
In a separate large bowl cream the soften butter with an electric mixer. Slowly add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar; whip until fluffy.
Step 5:
Add the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time; continue beating with the electric mixer at a medium speed.  You will notice that the mixer is having to work harder with all the eggs so you may have to turn up the speed.
Step 6:
Add the vanilla extra. Turn the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the “buttermilk”.
Step 7:
Fill each cupcake liner only half way as the batter will rise quite a bit or pour into the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch.  Do not over bake.  You will know when the cupcakes or cake are done when you insert a clean toothpick and it comes out clean.  The newly bakes cupcakes or cake will be very springy to the touch.  You will notice that the texture is very light and airy.
Here in Canada, we mainly find specialty flours in health food stores and not in our general grocery store.  You can contact your local health food store to see if they carry the specialty flours that you will need for this recipe.

Source: cakejournal

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Whether you're baking for a crowd or looking for a simple comfort dessert that's great alone or served a la mode, chocolate chip cookies are can't-miss. But sometimes, you may want just a little ... more. Chocolate chip cookies with extra chips and extra cookie. In bar form. Oooh. Enter the thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie bar recipe. It calls for two cups of chocolate chips. Oooey-gooey yeah!

Ingredients
2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position.
Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.
Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Source: thestir.cafemom

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You’ll need a microwave oven for this recipe. These cakes are great served with custard.
Makes 1 large mug (serves 2)
4 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
¼ tsp ginger powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped, plus a drizzle of syrup
Using a very small sieve or a tea strainer, sieve the dry ingredients into the largest mug you have. Use a fork to whisk in the remaining ingredients, along with a very small pinch of salt.
Place in the microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power, about 1,000 watts. Leave to cool until the cake settles and stops rising. Run a knife around the edge of the mug and transfer the cake onto a plate. Serve with ice cream or custard, and a drizzle of ginger syrup

Source: telegraph

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For this wonderful recipe, I recommend a good dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids because it gives a more chocolatey, fuller flavour to the chocolate cake. Green & Blacks chocolate is my favourite for this chocolate cake recipe.

Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
200g Green & Blacks dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
200g light muscovado sugar
140g butter, softened
5 eggs, separated
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder

For the chocolate cake icing:
250ml double cream
55g marshmallows
250g Green & Blacks dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Line a 20cm loose based cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Boil a pan of water and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Put the chocolate pieces into a bowl and melt it over the pan of simmering water.
When all the chocolate has melted, put it to one side to cool a little.
In a large bowl beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat them well as you add them.
Gently fold in the flour and baking powder, then stir in the melted chocolate.
In a separate bowl whisk together the egg whites until they form peaks.
Fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate cake mixture.
Tip the finished cake mixture into your ready prepared cake tin.
Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes.
Check it’s ready with a skewer, if it comes out of the cake clean then it’s ready, if not then bake for a little longer.
Cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, heat together the cream and marshmallows until the cream is just boiling and all the marshmallows have melted into the cream, you must stir the icing all the time.
Add the chopped chocolate to the mixture and stir until it’s smooth and creamy.
Chop your cooled chocolate cake in half horizontally and spread over a little of the icing. Sandwich together and then spread the rest of the icing over the top of your cake.

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Here's bummer for a post-Easter-binge Monday: The longtime rumor that chocolate causes acne may be true. BBC News reports that the discussion over whether or not eating sweets will lead to bad skin is one that is still actively being debated by the medical community.

Despite a widely accepted study from 1969 that claimed chocolate had little affect on the skin of its fans (which, ahem, was financed by the Chocolate Manufacturers' Association of the United States of America), medical student Samantha Block wasn't buying it and decided to conduct her own research. Though still in trials, Block reports that her chocolate-eating subjects suffer from skin irritation and breakouts.

Source: blogs.villagevoice

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Jo, my long-term PA, is wheat intolerant and so I have tweaked this recipe to suit her allergy; and you'd never know it didn't contain wheat. It's a lovely rich cake and because it's made with Guinness, it isn't overly sweet.

225g butter, plus extra for greasing
350g soft dark brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten
400ml Guinness
100g good-quality cocoa powder
150g dark chocolate (60 per cent cocoa), grated
225g Dove's Farm self-raising wheat-free flour

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Butter and line a 24cm x 6-8cm-deep cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then gradually add the beaten eggs.

Mix together the Guinness and cocoa in a separate mixing bowl, then add the grated chocolate. Gradually add to the cake mixture alternately with the flour, stirring between each addition until completely mixed.

Pour the cake mix into the cake tin and bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake with foil or greaseproof paper after about 30-45 minutes to prevent the top from browning. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool.

Source: independent

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I remember the first time I had mascarpone,  Mama Jeanette had made a cheesecake for dessert, it was a  blend of ricotta and mascarpone,  a different type of cheesecake than I had been use to and my introduction to that wonderful cheese.  I kept calling it mars-capone, and Mama Jeanette would laugh and say “Sonny boy, just because the moon is made of green cheese don’t think that Mars is made of  mascarpone ” , she would laugh and tell me what a silly boy I was.    So many things remind me of the days I spent under Mama Jeanette’s tutelage and so many foods take me back to those times.    Food can trigger so many memories, just like a song, it can magically transport you to another place and time.

I’ve found many uses for that creamy version of Italian cream cheese that Mama Jeanette shared with me, but cheesecake has got to be my favorite way to showcase that glorious cheese.

My wife loves cheesecake, but after two pieces she’ll leave the rest for me…..sigh, thank goodness for neighbors!   I do enjoy a good cheesecake and although I do like ricotta cheesecakes, my favorite will always be New York style.    Of course I did take some liberties with the ingredients in my version using half mascarpone instead of all cream cheese.

I like a simple cheesecake, without too many additions, but I’ve been known to get a little adventurous with my ingredients depending upon what I have on hand.    Thankfully I still have a good supply of Meyer Lemons, and you know what my philosophy on Meyer Lemons is,  ”When life give you Meyer Lemons…..You gotta Bake”

I kept thinking about a sour cream topping for my cheesecake and even had some Lemon Greek Yogurt that would have worked nicely in the  topping, but I decided a layer of white chocolate would add just the right touch to my Meyer Lemon Cheesecake.    My crust included salted toasted pistachios so when I served my cheesecake, along with the fresh blueberries I added a few of pistachios.  What a nice combination of flavors!

If you like lemon, this version of my cheesecake should be on your must make list, and when you do make it I hope you enjoy it as much as Lisa and I did.

Author: Chef Dennis
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
crust
11/2 cup digestive biscuits orgraam cracker crumbs
½ cup ground pistachios
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup sugar
? cup Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
Topping
10 ounces white chocolate- melted
Instructions
crust
Place the digestive biscuits in a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb, place in mixing bowl
Add pistachios to the food processor and pulse to finely ground, add to mixing bowl
Add melted butter and mix well.
Press crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of a 10 inch springform pan.
Bake crust for 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees
Cool on a wire rack.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cheeses, sugar, lemon juice, zest and vanilla until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, beat on low speed just until combined.
Pour over crust.
Wrap filled springform pan with foil around bottom and part way up the sides, then place the pan into a roasting pan big enough to hold it adding water until it comes up halfway on the springform pan.
Bake at 325° for 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top begins to brown.
Remove springform pan from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Topping
Place a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt white chocolate, making sure not to allow any water to get into the chocolate. Make sure heat does not get too high or it will burn the chocolate.
Allow chocolate to cool for about 10 minutes then spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
Place back into refrigeration until chocolate sets up, about 30 minutes.
Slice Cheesecake with a warm knife and serve with blueberries or fruit of your choice

Source: askchefdennis

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