That glistening, dark river of sauce on the ice cream is made with balsamic vinegar. Not just any balsamic, of course, but a Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar from Benessere, an oil and vinegar store in downtown Portland. Coffee and chocolate are an excellent pairing, so I also used some Espresso Sugar from The Spice and [...]

Categories: chocolate, condiments, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, pantry, sauce
Tagged: chocolate, condiments, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, pantry, sauce

When I first learned to make chocolate truffles thirty years ago I didn’t know I was learning the recipe originally conceived, or at least credited to, Fernand Point (1897-1955), one of the greatest French chefs. He trained or mentored such giants as Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, and Jean and Pierre Troisgros, which should give you [...]

Categories: chocolate, dessert, entertaining, gluten-free, mother recipe, vegetarian
Tagged: chocolate, dessert, entertaining, gluten-free, mother recipe, vegetarian

I have to thank Martha Stewart for this one, or, more likely, the unnamed but talented chef Martha Stewart paid for this recipe. It comes from Martha Stewart’s Cookies. Peppermint Meringues 3 egg whites ¾ cup sugar ½ teaspoon peppermint extract Mix the whites and sugar in a metal bowl or the metal bowl of a stand mixer. [...]

Categories: baking, chocolate, cookie, dessert, eggs, entertaining, gluten-free
Tagged: baking, chocolate, cookies, entertaining, gluten-free

Back when I was a pastry chef I made this almost every day, frequently doing a double or even triple batch. It isn’t piped into individual serving bowls; it’s molded in a loaf pan. That makes for easier service and doesn’t require any special dishes. Typically, I served it on a bed of Crème Anglaise [...]

Categories: chocolate, dessert
Tagged: chocolate, dessert

The Mayans turned cacao beans into a drink, but it was the Aztecs who added vanilla and honey to make it sweet. If they had invented sorbet, I’d like to think they would have made something like this.

Categories: chocolate, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: chocolate, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian