Recipe: Baked Chocolate Custard

I worked on this recipe for Baked Chocolate Custard for quite awhile. I was dissatisfied about one thing or another each time…. until I finally came up with a chocolaty tasting custard (not pudding) that I liked.

Most recipes that you find for Chocolate Custard are not custard but a pudding…. the difference lies in the eggs and the baking.

I really like Classic Baked Custard… a lot…. Where I grew up in New York… delis always had custard in small individual sized aluminum foil cups…. I absolutely loved them. You know by now… I love chocolate too… and it just made sense to me to combine the two… well... it was easier said than done.

Non-blog worthy, aka recipes in the recipe graveyard, were either not chocolaty enough or grainy. I had tried using powdered chocolate and that just didn’t work.

Then I had a moment of inspiration… I tried using chocolate syrup… and added a couple of tablespoons of brewed coffee ( I add coffee to a lot of chocolate recipes to bring out the chocolate flavor)… and it worked. The syrup didn’t separate in the baking process and solved the grainy texture issue….The result was a chocolaty custard worthy of my blog and the calories it would add to my hips.

I decided to post this recipe today since we’re coming off a chocolate sugar high from yesterday’s Mocha Crepes… I figured we might as well continue the buzz.

Now here comes my real inspiration…. I had some Mocha Whipped Cream in the fridge (imagine that)… and added a dollop on my chocolate custard…. I thought I died and went to heaven… it was magic…

So you may want to consider doing adding that dollop of Mocha Whipped Cream on top of your custard… this also makes a really nice “guest dessert… just add some chocolate shavings on top of the Mocha Whipped Cream… and your guests will be so impressed…. and no one will know how easy it was to make.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Baked Chocolate Custard

All you need:

3 eggs
¼ cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
Pinch of salt
½ cup Hershey chocolate syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons brewed coffee

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the custard cups or ramekins into a deep dish baking dish and set aside.

In a tea kettle, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil (for the water bath)… when water boils turn off the heat and leave the kettle until needed.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, vanilla, chocolate syrup, coffee, sugar and salt.

Pour milk mixture into custard cups.

Place the baking dish with the custard cups into the preheated oven.

Carefully pour the hot water from the kettle into the baking dish so the water comes to about ½ to 2/3 of the custard cups.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the custard is set (a knife inserted into the center should come out clean).

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Makes 4-6 servings depending on the size of the custard cups.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a dollop of Mocha Whipped Cream on top.

Read more...

Recipe: Mocha Crepes

This recipe for Mocha Crepes is so easy and …. It is sooooo decadent. If you love coffee and chocolate… then you are a mocha person and this is the dessert for you…. it’s a perfect blend of rich creamy coffee ice cream inside a crepe with the hint of vanilla flavor…drizzled with a rich chocolate sauce and topped off with a fabulous mocha whipped cream….

When I was growing up my Mom and I used to go to a fantastic restaurant called The Magic Pan…. if you’re a regular reader here… you’ve heard mention them before. My absolute favorite dessert there was their Mocha Crepe. The first time I had it… well… let’s just say it was love at first bite. I don’t think I ever ordered another kind of dessert crepe there…. I just mooched off others for taste tests of other desserts… but nothing came close to their Mocha Crepe…. it was positively orgasmic.

I’ve spent time in the kitchen perfecting my version of that wonderful crepe… the result is this recipe.

What’s also wonderful about this recipe is that it’s perfect as a show stopping dessert for guests. Simply make the crepes ahead… stack them with waxed paper in between them… reheat them until they’re just warm… so if you refrigerate them … then allow them to get to room temperature again or reheat them for 20 seconds or so on high in the micro.

The whipped cream can also be made ahead… just refrigerate it until you need it… I would make it the same day I plan to use it.

Make sure you use a good quality coffee ice cream… I used Häagen Daz… Starbucks is good too.

You can use chocolate syrup for the chocolate sauce, but the Chocolate Sauce recipe from Hershey is really wonderful and easy to make..

I would figure one crepe per person… so you can either cut the crepe recipe in half or use them for other crepe recipes…. if you need less.

I provided links to the crepe recipe and posted the chocolate sauce and mocha whipped cream recipes…. they are all very easy.

A word about the picture…. I put a lot of mocha whipped cream on that one… I ate it… I admit it… I loooove mocha whipped cream… usually a dollop would be enough …. But restraint when it comes to Mocha Whipped Cream is … well frankly out of the question…so now you know I pigged out… smiling the whole time!

Try this fabulous dessert.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Mocha Crepes

All you need:

Crepes
Coffee Ice Cream, slightly softened
Chocolate sauce (see previous post)
Mocha Whipped Cream (see previous post)

All you need to do:

Lay a crepe in the middle of a plate.

Scoop about 3 small scoops of coffee ice cream down the middle of the crepe.

Fold the crepe over the ice cream.

Drizzle the chocolate sauce or syrup over the crepe and plate.

Put a dollop or two (or three or four) of mocha whipped cream on top.

Serve and take bows for a spectacular dessert.

Read more...

Recipe: Mocha Whipped Cream

Mocha Whipped Cream soooo good…. it can go on so many things… particularly Mocha Crepes… it’s a great topping for chocolate pudding or chocolate custard also.

It takes minutes to make and …well… probably lasts that long too!

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Mocha Whipped Cream

All you need:

1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons General Foods International Suisse Cafe´ Mocha instant coffee
1 tablespoon sugar

All you need to do:

Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat until the whipped cream has soft peaks.

Read more...

Recipe: Chocolate Sauce

This Chocolate Sauce is my favorite … it comes from the folks at Hershey. I love Hershey chocolate.. . and this recipe is so easy… a lot of chocolate sauce recipes are complicated… using a double boiler… I hear food network chefs make a big deal of melting chocolate… I sit there and roll my eyes….honestly… I’ve never had a problem melting chocolate…. I like to do it in the microwave and I use Hershey chocolate… it comes out perfect every time.

I am a firm believer that cooking does not have to be complicated or difficult… and I try to make recipes that are tried and true… this recipe is one of them.

You can find it on their website… they call it Hershey’s Favorite Chocolate Gift Sauce….. nice idea to give it as a gift… mine never makes it out of my house.

Just a quick note…. this recipe uses evaporated milk… not sweetened condensed… there is a big difference.

This recipe makes approximately 3 cups.

Here is the recipe… it’s wonderful over cake, ice cream and desserts like my Mocha Crepes.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Chocolate Sauce

All you need:

½ cup ( 1 stick) butter or margarine
¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 ¾ cups sugar
Dash of salt
1 ½ cups (12 ounce can) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

All you need to do:

Place the butter in a medium sized microwaveable bowl… you could also use a 4 cup glass measuring cup.

Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 1 – 1 ½ minutes or until melted.

Add the cocoa, and stir until smooth.

Add the sugar, salt and evaporated milk…. stir until well blended.

Microwave on HIGH for 5 -8 minutes or until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Just a note… mine rarely boils.

Beat with a whisk until smooth.

Add the vanilla and stir.

Variation: I sometimes add 2 tablespoons brewed coffee.

Read more...

Recipe: Tomatoes with Basil Pesto

I like to serve sliced tomatoes with basil pesto drizzled over them… they make a perfect appetizer… or even a side dish to a meal. It's a perfect accompaniment to Parmesan Chicken (Milanese). I like to serve the chicken with a small salad made up simply of baby greens drizzled with a vinaigrette.

You can also alternate slices of fresh mozzarella…. I usually only do that as an appetizer… when it’s a side dish, I keep it simple with just the tomatoes.

I didn’t list quantities in the recipe… it all depends on how many servings you need. Figure one medium tomato per person.

I posted the basil pesto recipe previously.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Tomatoes with Basil Pesto

All you need:

Tomatoes, sliced
Basil Pesto

For the Basil Pesto:

3 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

All you need to do:

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a plate.

Drizzle the pesto down the center of the tomatoes.

For the Basil Pesto:

Place basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor.

Pulse until well chopped and incorporated.

Slowly pour olive oil into the processor while it is running.

Pour the mixture in a bowl and add the Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Read more...

Recipe: Chicken Parmigiana

This is a classic Italian recipe for Chicken Parmigiana…. It was one of the first things I learned to make when I started cooking as a young teen. It has been a staple in our house… my son absolutely loves this… and I do too. It’s nice and easy… cooks quickly and can be made ahead. I always make enough for leftovers… which reheat well and also make great Chicken Parmigiana Subs.

The base recipe for this is the same as Parmesan Chicken (Milanese) that I posted last week… all you do is add some tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake it until the cheese melts… very easy.. I promise.

I hope you try this wonderful recipe.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Chicken Parmigiana

All you need:

4 thin boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
¾ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
About 6 turns on a pepper mill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
Dash of milk
1 cup Italian season bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Tomato Sauce (homemade or your favorite brand)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Olive oil cooking spray

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

If your cutlets are not really thin, then place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound then thin with a kitchen mallet. If you don’t have a mallet, you can use the back of a skillet.

In a shallow bowl, mix the Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese until they are fully mixed.

In another shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder until they are fully mixed.

In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the dash of milk.

Line up the bowls…. first the flour mixture…. then the egg mixture… then the bread crumbs.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlet in the flour… making sure it’s completely coated… shaking off any excess.

Then dip it into the egg mixture…. coating it completely with the egg.

Then put the cutlet into the bowl with the bread crumbs. Press down gently to fully coat the bottom side with crumbs…. flip it over and do the same for that side…. Any “bald spots” .. just take a spoon and drip a bit of egg mixture on it and then pat with bread crumbs.

TIP: I used to do the dredging, egg mixture and bread crumbs with my hands… I’d end up with fingers thick crusted with bread crumbs… and I had to constantly run my hands under water….whatta mess! Then I had one of those “duh” moments… I use 3 forks… one in each bowl … works like a charm.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add the cutlets when the butter/oil mixture is hot. Make sure the skillet is hot… otherwise the cutlets won’t crisp up. To test the skillet… drop a few bread crumbs into the oil if they immediately sizzle… the pan is ready.

Cook the cutlets about 3 minutes a side (assuming the cutlets are thin)…. they should be golden brown and crispy.

Drain on paper towels.


Lay the cutlets in a large baking dish (13 x 9 size works well). Don't overlap them.

Spoon a generous amount of tomato sauce on top of each cutlet.

Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce on each cutlet.

Spray the cheese with a little olive oil cooking spray. (This will help the cheese to melt and get gooey)

Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and starts to brown a bit.

Serve with pasta and additional tomato sauce.

Read more...

Enter for the Give-Away!

In celebration of Cooking Tip of the Day’s first anniversary …. we’re having a giving away of the Jar Opener to one lucky winner courtesy of Jardina Communications. It retails for $19.99 (US) … so this is a great value give-away! You can read all about this Jar Opener in the Product Review post.

This Give-Away Contest will end at midnight November 12th 2009 EST…. so be sure to enter….

Entering is easy…

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment on the original Give-Away post….. and you get one entry

Become a follower… you get another entry

Subscribe to Cooking Tip of the Day …. you get another entry

Indicate in your comment if you are following and/or subscribing. Let me know how you want me to contact you…. or you can check back when I post the winner and email me at Cooking Tip of the Day.

So celebrate with us and enter to win today.

Read more...

Recipe: Parmesan Chicken (Milanese)

I’ve made this recipe for years and years… it’s a family favorite… and so simple and quick… I must admit to making it quite a lot just because it is quick…. this is one of those 30 minute meals that really does take 30 minutes to make. You can serve this with baby lettuce drizzled with a vinaigrette.

This dish is very similar to the German Schnitzel…. The main difference is that Milanese uses Italian seasoned bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and a little garlic.

Be sure to make extra…. I like to double the recipe… the leftovers are delicious cold. I also use this recipe as a base for several other recipes.

Depending on the size of your boneless chicken breast cutlets…. will determine how many per person to make.. I usually make 2 cutlets per person. This recipe is for two servings ( 4 cutlets… 2 each).

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE

Recipe: Parmesan Chicken (Milanese)

All you need:

4 thin boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets
¾ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
About 6 turns on a pepper mill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
Dash of milk
1 cup Italian season bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

All you need to do:

If your cutlets are not really thin, then place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound then thin with a kitchen mallet. If you don’t have a mallet, you can use the back of a skillet.

In a shallow bowl, mix the Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese until they are fully mixed.

In another shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder until they are fully mixed.

In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the dash of milk.

Line up the bowls…. first the flour mixture…. then the egg mixture… then the bread crumbs.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlet in the flour… making sure it’s completely coated… shaking off any excess.

Then dip it into the egg mixture…. coating it completely with the egg.

Then put the cutlet into the bowl with the bread crumbs. Press down gently to fully coat the bottom side with crumbs…. flip it over and do the same for that side…. Any “bald spots” .. just take a spoon and drip a bit of egg mixture on it and then pat with bread crumbs.

TIP: I used to do the dredging, egg mixture and bread crumbs with my hands… I’d end up with fingers thick crusted with bread crumbs… and I had to constantly run my hands under water….whatta mess! Then I had one of those “duh” moments… I use 3 forks… one in each bowl … works like a charm.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add the cutlets when the butter/oil mixture is hot. Make sure the skillet is hot… otherwise the cutlets won’t crisp up. To test the skillet… drop a few bread crumbs into the oil if they immediately sizzle… the pan is ready.

Cook the cutlets about 3 minutes a side (assuming the cutlets are thin)…. they should be golden brown and crispy.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot or cold.

Read more...