Chocolate Potato Cake

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold, plain, mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
Pinch salt
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch round cake pan and line the base with wax or parchment paper.

Whisk together sugar, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in potatoes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in another bowl. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and stirring with a spoon or rubber spatula.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top springs back when touched lightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack and let cool thoroughly. Transfer to a plate and sift confectioners’ sugar over top.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
1/4 cup hot, strong coffee
3/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large egg whites, at room temperature (see Tip)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Dissolve cocoa in coffee in a medium bowl; let cool to room temperature. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in a small bowl.

Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a large bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat just until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.

Sift the flour mixture over the beaten egg whites in 3 parts, folding in gently after each sifting. Stir approximately 1 cup of the egg-white mixture into the coffee mixture. Fold it back into the egg-white mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Smooth the top and run a small knife or spatula through the batter to remove any air pockets.

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean and the top springs back when touched lightly, 50 to 60 minutes. Invert the pan over the neck of a bottle and let cool completely. With a knife, loosen the edges and invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Chocolate Cookie Cups

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops almond extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300°F. Coat 4 baking sheets with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.

Combine cocoa, granulated sugar, flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add egg whites, oil, butter, vanilla and almond extracts and process until smooth.

Make 2 cookies on each baking sheet: spoon 2 tablespoons batter for each cookie, spreading with the back of a spoon into 6 1/2-inch circles; leave at least 2 inches between cookies.

Bake only one sheet of cookies, until centers are firm and dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Have a muffin tin ready.

Immediately lift parchment or foil from baking sheet and place on a work surface. After 30 seconds, carefully slip a long, flat metal spatula under each cookie to loosen. Cut paper in half and return one cookie, on the paper, to the baking sheet. Place in oven for about 1 minute to soften cookie. Quickly but gently press cookie into muffin tin, pleating the edges. Repeat with the other cookie.

Transfer cookie cups to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Repeat with remaining batter.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Egg 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Butter flavored Crisco
1 1/4 cup Firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Baking soda
1 cup Pecan pieces

Heat oven to 375. Cream brown sugar, milk, butter flavor Crisco, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually.

Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist) Do not overbake or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.

Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes. Remove to cool rack.

Coconut Choco Pudding

14-ounce coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tbs sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 tsp raz el hanout spice blend
3 tbs alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted 1 3.5-ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend, and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.

When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting.

Now drizzle the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla.

Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of spices.

French Silk Chocolate Pie

1 Pie shell, baked & cooled
1 oz Chocolate square
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
Whipped cream and walnuts - for topping, optional

Make your favorite single 8 inch pie shell. Cream butter, add sugar slowly, creaming well.

Blend in melted and cooled chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition.

With electric mixer use medium speed. Turn into cooled, baked pie shell. Chill 1 to 2 hours.

Before serving top with whipped cream and walnuts, if desired.

Whole Wheat and Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

9 oz / 255 rolled oats (not instant)
4.5 oz / 125 g whole wheat flour
1 1/2 oz / 45 g wheat bran (or germ)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

8 oz / 225 g unsalted butter
6.5 oz / 185 g natural cane sugar or light brown sugar
6 oz / 170 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
285 g semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped and shaved into chunks and splinters

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180 C, with racks placed in the middle. Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Either by hand, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar for 3+ minutes, scraping down sides a few times along the way. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla - scraping the sides of the bowl another time or two. Add the dry mixture, and stir until everything barely comes together. Then stir in the chocolate, mixing until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Use a small ice-cream scoop, spoon, or 1/4 cup measuring cup, to make uniform dough balls. I used a metal 1/4-cup measuring cup, filling it about 3/4 full. Arrange each cookie at least 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. They'll flatten out quite a bit. For extra crisp cookies, bake until deeply, deeply golden on the bottom, about 15+ minutes. Rotate the pans once about 2/3 the way through baking - back to front, top to bottom. Like your cookies a little chewier? Bake for less time. Cool on a rack.