chocolate – Page 3 – morestomach

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough + Coffee Ice Cream – gluten free + vegan

Published on February 15, 2016February 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach2 Comments

it’s still heavily february,
i mean,
it registers as 22F
right now,
which means ice cream is
the very last thing on one’s mind,
i know.
but when one celebrates
Ice Cream for Breakfast Day,
a day that falls
smack dab in the middle of winter,
well,
it’s gotta be something
special.
i’ve never been a fan of
raw batter or cookie dough.
i have to wrestle
the whisk
out of dw’s hands
and immediately dunking it
into soapy water,
lest he licks it clean.
but the cookie dough used
in this recipe is eggless,
and because i don’t know
how i feel about raw flour,
i used almond meal instead.
the coffee base is strong,
not one that i could consume
much of at night,
so, for breakfast it is!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough + Coffee Ice Cream – gluten free + vegan + raw
makes about 2 pints

raw cookie dough:
makes about 18 small balls

2 TBL creamy peanut butter
1 TBL coconut oil, softened but not melted
1 TBL maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond meal
small pinch salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

in a bowl add all the ingredients, and using your hands mix everything together. form small balls and try now to eat them all.
can be stored in fridge, covered, for up to a week.

coffee coconut ice cream:
2 cups of strong ass black coffee
2 cans of full fat coconut milk
drizzle of maple syrup, sweetened according to taste

in a vitamix add in the two cans of coconut milk with the 2 cups of black coffee. drizzle in the maple syrup (i would say maybe 1/2 – 1 cup) and blitz until fully frothy and mixed.

ice cream:
churn the coffee + coconut milk mixture in the ice cream maker, according to machine instructions.

after reaching desired soft serve consistency, transfer half the ice cream into container. add in about half the cookie dough balls. pour in the rest of the ice cream and then add in the remaining cookie dough balls. if you want, mix it around but be gentle and quick. put in freezer to firm up.

BAM!

1 year ago: savory sticky rice – gluten free
2 years ago: lychee jelly hearts – vegan and gluten free
other ice cream treats

Chocolate Espresso Dacquoise – lactose free

Published on December 16, 2015January 15, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach4 Comments

did you watch the Great British Bake Off
earlier in the season?
are you watching the american dessert version now?
did you make your husband stream the recent british season?

i did/am doing all three.
then i re-watch an old season on netflix,
as well as a myriad of cooking/food shows
(as well THE BLACKLIST which befuddles me cus
i both hate it and love it)

this particular fancy concoction was
created on both the GBBO and America’s Test Kitchen.
obviously it had to be made.

nuria cried before and during the making
i cried before, but only because dw
gifted me a much desired gift,
this year has been so overfull with goodness
i can’t even begin to list them out.
instead, let’s have cake.

Chocolate Espresso Dacquoise – lactose free
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

meringue
3/4 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 TBL cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

coco-cream
3/4 cup lactose free half/half
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBL water
1 1/2 TBL instant espresso powder
1 cup refined coconut oil, soft, but not liquid

ganache
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup lactose free half/half
2 tsp honey or maple syrup or agave nectar
12 whole hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted

for meringue:
preheat oven to 250F. using pencil, draw 4 6″ circles on parchment paper. grease baking sheet and place parchment on it, ink side down.

in a food processor, whiz the almonds, hazelnuts, cornstarch and salt until finely ground. add 1/2 cup of sugar and pulse to combine. set aside.

in a stand mixer with whisk, whip the egg whites + cream of tarter until it’s foamy. increase speed and whip until soft, and while the mixer still running, add in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form.

carefully fold the nut mixture into egg whites in two batches.

with offset spatula, spread the meringue evenly onto the prepared circles on parchment, stay within the lines.

bake for 1 1/2 hours, turn off oven and cool for another 1 1/2 hours. do not open oven at any time. remove from oven and cool to room temp.

for coco-cream:
in a small sauce pan heat up half/half until barely simmering. in a bowl whisk the yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until incorporated and smooth. remove half/half from heat, and while whisking constantly add a ladle-full of hot liquid into the yolk mixture to temper. keep whisking until liquid is incorporated. pour the tempered yolk-milk into the saucepan and return to heat, all the while whisking continuously, until mixture has thicked into pudding. transfer the pastry cream to bowl, cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

*when making the rest of the coco-cream, take the pastry cream out of the fridge and allow to get to room temp*

stir together the water + espresso powder, set aside.

in a stand mixer with paddle, beat the coconut oil until smooth, add the pastry cream in 2-3 batches. last add the espresso mixture and continue to beat until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl down often.

for ganache:
place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl. warm up half/half and honey to simmer in small saucepan. Pour mixture over chocolate and allow to stand for 1 minute. stir mixture until smooth, set aside and it’ll cool slightly and thicken.

to assemble:

place 3 circles on wire rack. using an off set spatula spread ganache evenly over surface of each meringue (aim for a thin layer, you’re not using all of the ganache). refridgerate until ganache is firm, about 10-15 minutes. set aside remaining gananche.

with off set spatura, on the remaining circle spread about 1/2 cup of coco-cream. place on wire rack. invert 1 ganache coated meringue, placing it on top of the buttercream and press down. repeat with remaining meringues, spreading the meringues with 1/2 cup of coco-cream and topping another inverted ganache coated meringue. with remaining coco-cream spread all over the cake, sides and top. it doesn’t have to be pretty.. refrigerate until coco-cream is firm, about 2-3 hours.

when ready, warm up the leftover ganache over barely simmer water, stirring often until the mixture is fluid but not hot. with the coco-creamed cake on wire rack, pour ganache over the top and with off set spatula spread the ganache over the top of the cake, you’re aiming for an even, thin layer and letting the excess flow down the side. spread the ganache over sides in thin layer.

garnish the top layer with hazelnuts and for the sides, gently press the almonds onto the side. chill on wire rack, uncovered, for at least a few hours, or overnight. transfer to platter or stand.

slice and serve.
BAM!

previous year: gingerbread cake
2 years ago: peppermint chocolate ice cream

cayenne chocolate ice cream

Published on June 10, 2015June 9, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach38 Comments

making ice cream at our house is a production
— a happy one
but a production nonetheless
i’ll ask dw to put our ice cream canister thing in the freezer
which means we play frozen food tetris
to make room for it.
we’ll return to whatever we were doing:
washing the dishes
playing crossword puzzles
5 minutes will pass,
sometimes hours.
then the question will come up:
what flavor are we making??
likely i don’t have a flavor in mind,
not exactly.
dw is always game for whatever i concoct,
as long as it’s not chocolate + fruit
i know, i know, I KNOW.
during a recent very quick skim of pantry items
we kept it simple.
kinda.

cayenne chocolate ice cream
makes about 3 1/2 cups

*note: the spicy kick creeps up on you. you’re busy savoring the creaminess and cold and chocolate and then there’s heat. it’s not unpleasant.

4 egg yolks, from large eggs
scant 1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 cups lactose free half/half (this was on hand, i’d make this with canned coconut milk, or any plant/nut based milk)
1/2 TBL cornstarch or potato starch
3-4 TBL good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

in a saucepan gently heat the half/half with the sugar and cocoa powder, medium heat. whisk until warmed though and the sugar has incorporated. in a bowl have your egg yolks ready. ladle in a bit of the warmed milk, whisking the yolks all the while. add in another 2 ladle-fuls and whisk. the temp of the yolks should be warmed through. add the yolk mixture to the saucepan, but leave about a ladle-ful in the bowl, and continue whisking all the while. the mixture will thicken slightly.

for the remaining mixture in the bowl, add the cornstarch or potato starch and mix until incorporated. add to the saucepan. mix some more.

sprinkle a dash or two of cayenne pepper, i would say it was about 1 tsp, but use at your discretion to your liking.

pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. allow to cool completely, ideally overnight.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s instructions.

BAM!

————-

1 year ago: diy sperm cornhole
2 years ago: vegan strawberry sweet biscuit

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – dairy free
tangerine ice cream – lactose free
not interested in ice cream, try the spicy pudding version

chocolate meringue kisses

Published on February 16, 2015February 15, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach23 Comments

there’s been no kissing for us lately:
dw was sick last week
and i’m fighting UFC-style
to not get what he had.
it’s too soon to determine
who the winner is.
in the meantime,
i managed to whip up this treat
for our valentine’s day/
4 year anniversary of our first date.
it’s just one egg
a whole lot of mixer action
and the end result is
the perfect sub
for kisses,
but without the germs.
stay warm and healthy friends.

chocolate meringue kisses
adapted from movita beaucoup
makes 40

*note: movita’s bossy, and in this case, correct: don’t be lazy and do your mise en place.
**note: if you’re like me, and forget to leave your egg out to reach room temp, put your egg in some hot TAP water for about 5 minutes. you should be good. scientifically speaking i might be off a few degrees but whatever.

1 large egg white, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp chocolate extract
2 TBL boiling water

preheat oven to 225F.

in a stand mixer bowl, add your egg white with sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, chocolate extract, and vinegar and with your whisk attachment, mix on low. it’s going to look like a hot mess, just keep at it. at some point that tickles your fancy use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the bowl. you want the cocoa powder to be fully incorporated. keeping the mixer on low speed, add in the 2 TBL of boiling water.

incrementally pump up the speed until medium-high and let it go. you’re aiming for glossy stiff peaks, about 15 minutes.

pipe meringue on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. i used a Wilton 1M tip, cus it was the first one i grabbed and let’s be honest, the easiest tip to wash. i came up with exactly 40.

bake for an hour. movita says to check around 45 minutes. i live on the edge. and i was too lazy to get off the couch and i let it go the full hour. turn off oven, ignore for an hour to allow to cool and dry completely.

serve with whipped cream + berries, like a fancy pavlova or an eton mess, or just on its own.

BAM!

previous vday treats:
lychee jelly hearts

CMP : chocolate, marshmallow & peanuts ice cream

Published on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

in our Real Life
it’s no secret that
woodberry kitchen is dw’s favorite restaurant.
i like it just fine,
(ahem. fine enough that we had our wedding there…)
but dw really likes wk.

they have this dessert
that is simply put:
amazing.
so good that it made it on
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
so delicious that
we requested it for our wedding.
the recipe changes every so often:
i’ve had it with chocolate mint sorbet,
in the video malt ice cream is used,
it’s whatever ice cream flavor they have
and for me,
i can request it made dairy free
and that, friends,
is why i usually have one all to myself.
and then i stare longingly at dw’s too.

we made this version in preparation
of Ice Cream For Breakfast Day.
the marshmallow fluff recipe made an assload amount,
so that’ll be coming with us to the party
the ice cream base is vegan
and as such, we upped the chocolate flavor.
and the wet peanuts:
well. we used a combo of honey+water
though the first time we attempted it
it was all just honey and it solidified.
oops.

super chocolate ice cream – vegan
*note: i made the ice cream base less sweet than usual, because i knew it was being consumed with sweetened nuts and fluff. if eaten alone, i’d up the sugar amount to maybe 1/2 cup or even 2/3 cup.
**note: we used king arthur’s marshmallow fluff recipe, using honey instead of corn syrup, without the vanilla, and used organic, cage free, free range eggs
***note: the wet peanuts was just raw peanuts that were coarsely chopped, roasted in a dry frying pan and then doused in some water and smidge of honey

2 cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 generous TBL cocoa powder, we used Scharffen Berger
1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips, we used enjoy life
2 tsps pure chocolate extract, we used Nielsen-Massey
1/2 TBL cornstarch

in a saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 1/2 cans of the coconut milk. don’t scald the liquid, you want it to be just warmed through and the sugar to dissolve and be fully incorporated.

mix in the cocoa powder, stir for a minute or two, just until the coconut milk is a lovely shade of brown. next add in the chocolate chips. you want the chips to melt and to be fully mixed in. it’s going to look all fleck-y as the chips melt, just keep a consistent stir. add in the extract.

with the remaining coconut milk stir in the cornstarch, then add to the hot liquid. mix thoroughly.

pour into bowl and allow to cool completely befor covering with plastic wrap. store in fridge over night.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s directions.

to assemble, layer the wet peanuts and ice cream and top with marshmallow fluff. if you’re feeling fancy, you can make sugar shards and/or torch the fluff.

BAM!

lan-devin-eng-00798 photo courtesy of luke eshelman