When I first started as a pastry chef, I was handed a recipe for a chocolate-hazelnut torte and told to fix it. Not just make it, but make it special. I think I succeeded, and apparently so did the judges at the very first Taste of Ashland (Oregon), who awarded this torte a first for [...]

Categories: baking, chocolate, dessert, technique
Tagged: baking, chocolate, dessert, technique

There are times when only chocolate and roses will suffice; Valentine’s Day is often one of those times. With décor chocolate, also known as modeling chocolate and sometimes chocolate plastic, you can have chocolate roses. I first learned how to make décor chocolate from a chef who’d learned from someone who learned from Roland Mesnier, White [...]

Categories: chocolate
Tagged: chocolate

Christmas morning, fresh snow on the ground. Is there a better time for hot chocolate? I think not. Here’s what I made this Christmas morning while admiring the fresh snow. Hot Chocolate ½ cup half-and-half 1½ cups whole milk, ½ cup reserved 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon ground [...]

Categories: chocolate
Tagged: chocolate

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