table of contents

100 Simple Recipes
for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes,
Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other
Good-to-the-Last-Crumb Treats
cake keeper
Cakes
comfort food that
takes you home again
Absolutely Chocolate
175 Favorites from
Mother’s Bistro & Bar
L a u r e n C h at t m a n
c h o c o l at e
irresistible excuses to indulge
f
or years, most cooks only worried about choosing between
Lisa Schroeder
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semi-sweet and milk chocolate when whipping up chocolate creations.
These days, however, it’s vital to know the origins, varieties, and unique characteristics of each ingredient to create perfect recipes. The experts at Fine
DamGoodSweet
S
Cooking magazine have taken the guesswork out of making more than 100
scrumptious sensations from layer cakes, tarts, and pies to muffins, cookies,
and brownies to candies, truffles, and hot cocoa. Each recipe features mustdesserts to
satisfy your
sweet tooth,
know tips on choosing and buying just the right chocolate; step-by-step, can’tNew Orleans
Style
S
fail instructions; and authoritative advice from America’s most respected
f r o m t h e e d i to r s a n d c o n t r i b u to r s o f f i n e c o o k i n g
experts. In other words,
Chocolate is absolutely fabulous!
David Absolutely
Guas
& Raquel Pelzel
Absolutely Chocolate
Irresistible Excuses to Indulge
Editors and Contributors
of Fine Cooking
•H ardcover
• ISBN-13:978-1-60085-133-9
•EAN:9781600851339
•8 1⁄4 x 10 1⁄4 , 288 pages
•5 0 full-color photographs
throughout
• Product #071278, •$29.95 U.S., $37.00 Can.
• On Sale October 2009
Filled with pages of inspiration and information for cooks of all skill levels, Fine
Cooking magazine features hands-on, how-to advice and recipes from America’s
culinary experts. Visit Fine Cooking’s Web site www.finecooking.com
125 Fool-Proof Chocolate Concoctions
• Triple-tested recipes work for both novice cooks and experienced bakers
• Expert advice from the culinary world’s most respected magazine
• Friendly, hands-on instructions
• 50 full-color photographs, 75 black and white photographs
sample
recipe list
• Milk-Chocolate Pecan
Lace Cookie Sandwiches
• Chocolate Cherry Coconut Macaroons
• Peppermint Brownies
• Kahlúa Truffle Triangles
• Brown-Butter Banana Cake
with Chocolate Chips
• Chocolate-Raspberry Tart
with Gingersnap Crust
• Chocolate Caramel Tart with table of contents
Macadamia Nuts & Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream Triple
• Bourbon-Chocolate Mousse
Working with
Chocolate
Fun and fancy
chocolate desserts
Cookies
Ice creams and
frozen desserts
Brownies and bars
• White Chocolate Soufflé Cakes
with Raspberry-Chocolate Sauce
• Black Forest Trifle
• Coffee & Cream Icebox Cake
Bread and chocolate
• Fried Chocolate-Hazelnut Pies and tarts
Candies and
confections
Puddings, mousses,
and soufflés
Sauces and drinking
chocolates
• Chocolate Terrine with
Cakes and cupcakes
Wontons with Orange
Dipping Sauce
Whipped Cream & Almond Brittle
• Coffee Ice Cream with Sour
Cream Bittersweet Ganache
& Toffee Chips
• Bittersweet Hot Chocolate
a
r e c i p e
f r o m
A b s o l u t e l y
C h o c o l a t e
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
the luscious texture of cheesecake plus the seductive flavor of chocolate—what more could you want in a dessert?
The texture is best the next day, and one cheesecake serves a crowd, so this is a perfect choice for a big dinner party or holiday gathering.
Serves sixteen
For the crust:
1-1⁄2 cups very finely crushed
chocolate cookie crumbs
(from about 30 Nabisco
Famous Chocolate Wafers)
3 tablespoons
granulated sugar
teaspoon ground
cinnamon (optional)
1⁄
8
2 ounces (1⁄4 cup)
unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1⁄ cup sour cream
2
2 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee
granules or espresso powder
8 ounces bittersweet
chocolate, melted
24 ounces (three 8-ounce
packages) cream cheese,
at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsweetened
natural cocoa powder,
sifted if lumpy
1⁄
4
teaspoon table salt
1-1⁄4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room
temperature
Make the crust: Heat the oven to
400°F. In a medium bowl, stir the cookie
crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon (if using)
until blended. Drizzle with the melted
butter and mix until well blended and
the crumbs are evenly moist. Dump the
mixture into a 9-inch springform pan
and press evenly onto the bottom and
about 1 inch up the sides of the pan (to
press, use plastic wrap, a straight-sided,
flat-based coffee mug, or a tart tamper).
Bake for 10 minutes and set on a rack to
cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
Make the filling and bake: Mix the
sour cream, vanilla, and coffee granules
in a small bowl. Set aside and stir
occasionally until the coffee dissolves.
Melt the chocolate and let cool slightly.
With a stand mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment, beat the cream
cheese, cocoa, and salt until very smooth
and fluffy, scraping down the sides of
the bowl and paddle frequently (and
with each subsequent addition). Add the
sugar and continue beating until well
blended and smooth. Scrape the cooled
chocolate into the bowl; beat until
blended. Beat in the sour cream mixture
until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a
time, and beat until just blended. (Don’t
overbeat the filling once the eggs have
been added or the cheesecake will puff
too much.) Pour the filling over the cooled
crust, spread evenly, and smooth the top.
Bake at 300°F until the center barely
jiggles when the pan is nudged, 50 to 60
minutes. The cake will be slightly puffed,
with a few little cracks around the edge.
Let cool to room temperature on a rack
and then refrigerate until well chilled,
at least a few hours, or overnight for the
best texture and flavor.
To serve: Unclasp the pan’s ring,
remove it, and run a long, thin metal
spatula under the bottom crust.
Carefully slide the cake onto a flat
serving plate. Run a thin knife under
hot water, wipe it dry, and cut the cake
into slices, heating and wiping the
knife as needed.