Chocolate Bark!

If you like chocolate, you will love chocolate bark🍫 that is basically tempered ( melted ) chocolate!

The fun is you can choose whether, you want the base to be milk, white or dark chocolate. My preference is bitter sweet chocolate. Also you get to add toppings, like sweet or salty nuts, of your choice and create your own style of chocolate.

I like the toppings to be in  many colours, texture and sweet and salty. You can have fun making it your way and surprising your guests for a little chocolate treat after dinner or just indulge in some yourself:) after all its a chocolate, and who doesn't like some!!

Do try out this very simple but special treat.

Ingredients are very basic

8 ounces chocolate, bitter sweet chocolate

2 ounces of white chocolate

Toppings your choice 

1/4 cup salted peanuts, or your choice of nuts

1/4 cup M&Ms

1/4 tsp or less butter ( optional but I used some just for making sure the chocolate doesn't stick to bowl while tempering)

                                           

  

Ingredients

                                                                   

Melt chocolate 

                                                                           

Melting chocolate

Pour chocolate  on the template 

Add toppings 

Sprinkle white chocolate 

Chocolate Bark 

 Doesn't it look yum! so do try out the simple steps and make some.

Method:

1. Cut the slab of chocolate, into pieces, put into a microwaveable bowl and microwave at intervals of 20 seconds. .In the first batch, chop approximately 5 ounces of chocolate and temper (melt) in microwave. As it melts, don't over melt.

Add remaining 3 ounces, continue and melt.

2. With the help of a pencil and ruler, mark out a rectangular shape on the parchment paper. Turn the paper and pour the melted chocolate on the side that has no pencil marks.Using a spatula, spread out the melted chocolate in a way that it stays within the marked rectangular shape.

3.Start adding toppings of your choice, while the chocolate is still in melted stage. Lightly press with hands, making sure the toppings get embedded. Now refrigerate fo 2 to 3 hours.

4. Temper some white chocolate, in a bowl in microwave and sprinkle on top of ready cooled chocolate bark.

Cut out shapes using a knife or just by your hand. Enjoy with friends and family, or at parties.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Chocolate lovers favorite dessert. Easy to prepare and is gluten free too!! The baked cake comes out light,crisp on the outside and moist in the inside. The recipe includes simple ingredients, and  is a perfect dessert for sweet indulgence!!

Ingredients

12 ounce plain Chocolate chopped
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
6 Eggs, separate egg whites and yolks
1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 tsp Coffee powder
Coco powder for dusting the 8 inch cake pan
1/4 tsp Pure vanilla essence 
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup confectioners sugar for dusting over the baked cake (optional)
Mixed berries (optional to add on the top)





                                               

Ingredients

Melt Butter and chocolate in microwave

Separate egg whites and yolks

Add egg yolks to melted chocolate

Beat egg whites 

Add whipped egg whites to cake batter

Fold in care fully the egg whites

Dust cake pan with coco powder

Add prepared cake batter to cake pan

Dust baked cake with confectioners sugar and add raspberries and blueberries 

Method:
1. Preheat  oven to 350 F . Using two bowls, separate egg whites from yolks, using a hand beater, beat  egg whites till they form soft peaks.Keep aside.
2. In a medium bowl,add broken pieces of chocolate,  add butter, stir together and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from microwave and stir to melt the chocolate.
3. Add egg yolks one by one to  melted chocolate. Next I like to add coffee powder as it enhances the flavor of  chocolate. Also add salt, and vanilla essence.
4. Add sugar to the beaten egg whites and next add this egg whites to the cake batter. Fold in the cake batter, don't over mix.
5. Dust a round cake pan, approx 8 inch in diameter, with coco powder. Pour cake batter and bake at 350 F, for 1 hour and to test if it is ready, put a toothpick in the cake, and making sure it comes out little wet but not too gooey. Cool the cake on a rack, and later dust with confectioners sugar on the top, and you can add some berries too for the added touch.
Alternately, instead of putting confectioners sugar and berries, you can add vanilla frosting or other fruits of your choice too!

Oatmeal butterscotch cookies

Holidays are almost here!! and the crisp cold air calls for some freshly baked warm cookies. Previously  having baked chocolate chip cookies, I decided to try out something different and so tried out a recipe that uses old fashioned oats with butterscotch chips.  Oatmeal butterscotch cookies, are crisp outside, and soft, chewy on the inside. 
I tried these at my friends place and just wanted to try make them, so here is a  recipe. Do try some yourself they taste delicious and fills the house with sweet freshly baked cookies aroma!!

Ingredients   
1 1/2 cup All purpose flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 pack butterscotch chips

                                     

        

Ingredients

Stir and cream both butters and sugar 

Sieve dry ingredients 

                                                           

Add oats and butterscotch chips to cookie dough

Baking till the cookies appear crisp and baked ! at 350 F

Oatmeal and butterscotch cookies are ready to eat !

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Using an electric hand beater or wooden spoon, and a large bowl cream butter and both sugars till light and fluffy.
2.Add vanilla essence ,and eggs and mix well.
3.Sieve flour, add baking soda, cinnamon and add stir the dry ingredients, stir together and add in oats and butterscotch chips and mix well.
4.Using an tablespoon, scoop out approx 2 inch dough and place onto the cookie sheet ( Lined with parchment paper) and bake for 10 minutes or until they appear light golden in color.  
  After they are  baked continue to cool them for few minutes, on a wire rack. Enjoy and they store well in a sealed container.  

No Bake Bars!!

 These no bake bars are a great source of energy, and  kids love them. For adults, too with our busy life styles, these oats bar are great to take along on the  run, they are packed with  the goodness of Oats!! perfect health benefits combined with taste. Also they store well. You can make more and store them in the freezer too.

I find these super easy to prepare and the best part there is no baking to do.Also by preparing them myself I know exactly what ingredients I am eating or giving my family , as most of the store bought bars are filled with ingredients like High fructose corn syrup, you don't want to have that!!! in your diet.

Ingredients:

1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup quick cooking oats /instant oats
1/4  cup butter
2 tsp Molasses
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp  mini chocolate chips
2 tsp sunflower seeds, optional



                                                 

Ingredients 

Butter and brown sugar, add molasses and vanilla extract to this 

Mix the dry oats and rice krispes with the wet mixture  

Flatten mixture on baking tray , sprinkle chocolate chips on top

No Bake Bars!

Method:

1. First mix oats and rice crisps, keep aside.
2. In a separate pan, on medium heat, melt butter, honey, molasses and brown sugar until it gets bubbly. Stir in vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the dry mixture, mix well together. Lightly grease a  baking sheet , add this  mixture onto the baking sheet and using a spatula  to press down the mixture uniformly.
3.  Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the mixture and press them slightly.Cover with parchment paper &  refrigerate for at least an hour before you cut them into equal sized bars. 
4.Wrap the cut bars, in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Left overs, if any :)) freeze them to  Enjoy later!
I added some sunflower seeds later for added nutrition , but its optional :))

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse, a light fluffy dessert,  perfect for entertaining guest and the presentation makes them happy and for chocolate lovers, its hard to resist the indulgence of this light ,fluffy smooth textured dessert.

Ingredients
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tspn butter
1/4 cup fresh raspberries for garnish
3/4 cup heavy Whipping  cream
1/4 cup sugar 
1/4 Vanilla extract
1 tspn Fine sugar
4 Eggs , separate the yolks from whites.

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Method
1. Using a medium size heat proof bowl, over simmering water (double broiler) melt the chocolate chips and butter, over little heat, stirring well till  chocolate appears melted well and smooth.
2. Remove from heat and add in egg yolks one by one carefully incorporating into the melted chocolate, add in 1/4 tspn vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites to form peaks,adding in 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whisk till  peaks are formed.
4. Gently add in  whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture.Next  beat the whipping cream with 1 tspn sugar till it gets thickened and forms peak, now gently fold in the whipping cream into the chocolate mixture.
5. Fill the cups (ramekins) about 3/4 th with the  ready chocolate mixture , cover each cup and refrigerate for couple of hours. Serve garnished with dollop of whipped cream , chocolate shavings, or fresh raspberries.