And In The End, The Love You Make Is Equal To The Love You Bake

My family and I had company over and we had a great time having Beef and Black Bean Stew with a lovely red. After dinner, and dessert, we had a wonderful time playing poetry challenge, which inspired me to write  a poem for today's recipe post.

John Keats I am not, but I doubt he could bake a cookie as tasty as I do.

Ode to the Chocolate Chip Cookie

A kitchen of smells and mellow spiciness, 

Close bosom-friend of the delectable bun;

Conspiring with him how to make a mess

With fresh fruit the sugars grow in the warmth of the sun;

To bake with desire, and on our hands and knees, 

And fill all bellies with deliciousness to the core;

To swell the taste buds, and bellies all too well;

With a sweet tooth; to keep eating more,

And still more, later dipped into our teas,

Until the crusty baker decides to cease,

For I have a recipe I have decided to tell. 

Spiced Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 and a Half Sticks Of Butter, softened

1 Cup of Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup of White Sugar

2 Eggs

Splash of Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup

3 Cups of Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tps of Salt

1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1/2 Tsp Allspice

1/2 Tsp Cloves

1 Cup of Chopped Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 f. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes. Add sugars and beat for 3 more minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and maple syrup and blend.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and spices and sift together. Add to the butter mixture in two batches. Add chocolate chunks. 

Spoon into your hand and make a ball. Place on baking sheet and flatten. Bake for 9 - 11 minutes.

Serve with Pomegranate Seeds or Orange wedges for garnish.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Sweet. 

Binary Chocolate Operation

Well, I won't lie to you: when I was in grade school, we had a Home Economics class as well as shop, music and et al. In Home Ec., we did some sewing and stitching (both of which I was absolutely terrible at) and we also had a dab at baking. Though I didn't really notice it at the time, my baking was really quite good. Somehow, even at a tender age, I had a knack for making little treats like cookies and biscuits and the teacher would even point it out to me. If my mother and I were fortunate to land a spot on Fergie Oliver's Just Like Mom, my mother would have no trouble eating whatever I would have made. I suppose it came naturally to me the same way a naturally gifted child doctor can convince another kid to play doctor with them. Although, I didn't really develop an interest in any form of cooking or baking until much later. Well, I have officially lost credibilty in being humble . . . .

Before I get into the recipe, a quick story: early in my relationship with my girlfriend (now my wife), I stayed an afternoon at her house while she went to work. While she was there I thought I could do some baking to pass the time and to impress the family. I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies using the recipe from the package. They turned out all right but the family seemed to be impressed by how quickly I made them and how well they turned out. The recipe was so easy but that didn't seem to matter. Point is, if you need to kiss up to somebody, bake them cookies and you'll win them over.

I have seen huge cookbooks dedicated to cookies. The possibilities are endless. If you have a base to go with, then go for it. Add whatever you want. I just made these with my kids from a kids cookbook but made a change or two to make it our own and to avoid plagiarism.

Double Chocolate Cookied Biscuits

8 Chocolate Cubes, about 225 g
200 ml Unsalted Butter
Two Heaping Spoonfuls of Smooth Peanut Butter
20 g Salt, about a 1/4 teaspoon
20 g Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp.
250 Sugar, about 1 Cup
125 g Flour, about 1/3 Cup
2 Eggs
125 g Chocolate Chips

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. Remove and add peanut butter and stir until blended.

Preheat oven to 325.

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and sugar and mix. Add chocolate and mix. Add flour in three stages and fold until well blended.

Let stand (or if you feel like sitting) for 30 minutes. Then spoon small amounts on baking sheet and bake for 13 - 15 minutes.

Cool on racks.

Makes 30 small cookies or 20 medium cookies or 10 large cookies or 1 massive cookie, your choice

A Humble Chef's tip: try not to taste this one as you go, it's very addictive.

Variation: I actually haven't tried this yet, but next time I do I'm adding some chili powder. That's the fad these days, Spicy Chocolate.

Don't Worry. No Poblano!

Despite the fact that yours truly is of Guatemalan descent, there aren't many Latin American recipes on my blog. Truth is, my training is classical and the places where I've worked prepares mostly traditional cuisine.

Growing up, fresh tortillas and refried beans was certainly a staple for weekend mornings. My mother takes pride in the simplicity of this style of cooking. On top of that, it is comfort food for myself and my brothers since it transports us to our childhood.

Yet, my mother never really showed me all the unique flavours and techniques Latin cuisine has to offer. We did do some staples like fried plantains, tamales, frijoles, fresh tortillas, fajitas and burritos. We even did pupusas with spiced coleslaw from time to time. For the most part, my mother cooks very simple North American foods like anybody else. And so even though I have a base knowedge of Latin foods, much of what I know of this type of cuisine is either self taught or through expirementation.

Mole Poblano is a classic sauce that hasn't really become too known outside Mexico. Yet, Mole Poblano sauce is nothing new. In fact, it has roots in Aztec culture. The thought of adding chocolate to savoury dishes seems unsavoury to many people but whenever I offer my chili to guests with the secret ingredient of chocolate, I get nothing but raves.

It can be a little off putting for some palates, but in time I'm sure you will appreciate the unique flavour and density of this sauce. If the sauce tastes a little bitter to you, a little sugar can offset that unwanted flavour.

For the adventurous, there many more Mole sauces: Amarillo, Negro, Rojo, Verde and Cacahuate. I'm sure there are more but this gives you an idea how many types there are.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mole Poblano Sauce

1 Cooking Onion, chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, whole
Small Handful of Sesame Seeds
Small Handful of Almonds
1 Ancho Chile (if available)
Small Blend of Spices: cumin, cinammon, nutmeg, coriander, chili powder
2 Roma Tomatoes, chunked
100 g Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
Dab of Butter
6 Chicken Breasts
100 g Pecans
Salt, Sugar and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 325.

In a sauce pan, heat butter until a little brown. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. About 7 - 10 minutes. Add spices and continue top cook for another minute. Add seeds, almonds, chocolate, tomatoes and ancho chile and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Let simmer and puree. Adjust to seasonings.

Using a frying pan, heat oil until very hot. Sear skin side of chicken until golden. Remove from pan and using a pastry brush, spread a layer of sauce on top of chiken. Roll in pecans and place on cookie sheet with a rack. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let rest five minutes and serve with sauce.

Serves 6.

A Humble Chef's tip: if the onion caramelizes enough, you may not need to add sugar. Taste the sauce at the end and add what your instincts tell you.

Variation: there are many interpretions and variations to this sauce but before you change it, I would stick to one classic recipe and make changes when you're more comfortable. This works well with pork chops and really well with turkey.

The True Test

In any art form, it is a rare thing to make something completely original. After all, originality is the art of concealing your original source. To be innovative in baking can be difficult for me (and many chefs) because it requires several testings and I simply don't have the time to test one idea several times over to perfection. Or, I can do some research through some cookbooks or the internet and use some recipe that a test kitchen made several times over to perfection.

Besides, I am the type of cook to take classic stuff and interpret it. A sort of a Shakespearean Chef.

This recipe was from a cooking class I taught recently. It collected an excellent reception and I know that I would have never even thought of this recipe completely on my own.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

500 g A.P. Flour
125 g Cocoa Powder
10 g Baking Powder
7 g Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
400g Chocolate Chunks
125 ml Oil
125 ml Buttermilk
500 g Sugar
3 Eggs
3 Zucchinis, grated
10 ml Vanilla
1 Zest of an Orange

Orange Glaze

350 g Icing Sugar
Juice of Two Oranges

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking dish 0f your desire: muffin tins, bundt pan, 8" springform, whatever.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk and eggs, Add sugar and whisk well. Add zucchini, vanilla and zest. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine. Add chocolate and pour batter into pan and bake. 35 minutes for muffins or 50 - 60 for a cake. If you're not sure, stick a toothpick in the centre and it should come clean.

In a sauce pan, bring juice to a boil. Add sugar and whisk. Let cool and brush glaze on top of cake.

Makes 12 muffins or 1 cake.

Variation: I used yellow zucchini instead of green. It tasted the same but the yellow added some nice colour. A small handful of pecans add a very nice crunch.

A Humble Chef's tip: grate the zucchini as freshly as possible. Also, be sure to use fresh vegetables.

Chocolate Wrapper

Ever try to make phyllo pastry? I'll be honest here. I haven't. Even in cooking school, we used store bought. I cannot imagine a reason to justify me making this pastry from scratch. I imagine some readers may be disappointed by my honesty but here I have to be. If someone asked me for a recipe, I would look foolish.

For this recipe, I strongly recommend using the finest chocolate available to you (I used Milk Chocolate Pyramids from a great chocolatier downtown) and of your preference. White, dark, milk, whatever.

Keep this simple and you'll have no trouble at all.

Milk Chocolate Pyramid Wrapped in Phyllo with Strawberry and Blackberry Coulis

8 Milk Chocolate Pyramids
3 Sheets of Phyllo, cut in 16 rectangles
10g Unsalted Butter, melted
Icing Sugar for Garnish


Preheat oven at 325 celsius.

On your countertop, lay out 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush, apply small amount of butter. Lay another sheet and lightly brush some butter. Place chocolate in center and fold up pastry to cover. Place on some parchment on a cookie sheet.

Repeat with other chocolates.

Back for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown on top edges. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Dust with icing sugar and serve with coulis.

Serves 8.

Strawberry and Blackberry Coulis

1 pint of strawberries, washed and trimmed
1/2 pint of blackberries, washed
40 g sugar
Splash of Vanilla Extract
Splash of Maple Extract (optional)

In a small sauce pan, heat berries and sugar and extracts. Add splash of water and cover. Bring to boil on medium high heat. Remove cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Using a blender, purée until smooth. You can strain through a fine mesh chinois to remove seeds though not completely necessary.

Let cool completely and place into a sqeezee bottle.

Serves 30 desserts.

Chocolate Cake Without the Bouquet of Flours

Valentine's. Sometimes I surprise my wife with a decadent treat for her to come home to. This is a relatively easy recipe that I've adapted and changed over the years.

Working with chocolate can be fun or a headache depending on the chocolate you buy and how much you eat during the process. I usually over measure my chocolate a gram or two to compensate for quality control. Because you never know when the chocolate you just bought could have, uh, gone rancid or something. Really.

When melting your chocolate avoid boiling the water. You don't want to burn the chocolate or get any moisture inside the chocolate.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Unsalted Butter and Flour, for preparing the pan
200g Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
110g of Unsalted Butter (1 stick is good)
4 Eggs, separated
Splash of Vanilla Extract
8g granulated sugar
Splash of Espresso

Preheat your oven at 375 degrees.

Butter a springform pan and lightly dust it with flour. Turn upside down to remove excess.

To melt chocolate, place a stainless steel bowl on top a pot of simmering water and add the chocolate and remainder of the butter. Taste it as you go and wash your hands before you handle the next stage of the recipe.

In a bowl, combine egg yolks, espresso and vanilla and briefly whisk. Pour into melted chocolate and vigorously fold in. Taste it. Wash your hands again. Ask your spouse to taste.

To make meringue first refer to a previous post. If you forget, quite simply start with sprinkle of sugar on the bottom of a pan. Add egg whites and whip like crazy. Slowly add sugar until egg whites are glossy and shiny and have stiff peaks (appropriate for Valentines). Do yourself a favour and use an electric mixer.

http://ahumblechefrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/08/forget-salsa-chicks-dig-meringue.html

Gently fold into chocolate mixture and taste one last time. Pour into springform pan. Bake fo 20-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Let cool for 15 minutes. Pop out cake carefully and if you have a wire rack, go ahead and cool it down on that for an hour.

Serves 1-12 (depending your fondness for chocolate)

Chef's tip: Garnish with something. You can use fresh berries, whipped cream, chocolate mousse (no, it isn't too much chocolate), mint oil or all the above. Your call. As you can see, I used Icing Sugar and Berries.

Chocolate Chaud-Froid

It has been a while hasn't it? I fear I may lose my readership. I will make it up by giving an absolutely flawless dessert that I frequently fall back on in case of emergencies: last minute dinner parties, pot luck events you forgot or a make-up dessert to make your significant other in case you forgot an important date.

It doesn't get much better than Chocolate Mousse with fresh berries. Use good quality chocolate for this one boys and girls, no regrets I guarantee. It is a recipe that I've combined from one a steakhouse and one I've found in a very reliable cookbook.

When whipping, you are trying to aerate whatever it is you are whipping. Try practicing whipping in a figure "8" rather than in circles around the bowl.

Chocolate Mousse with Flaming Berries
2 Egg Yolks
1 Egg White
20 ml Dark Rum
15 g Sugar
125 g Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely choppped
10 g Unsalted Butter
200 ml Whipping Cream
200 g Mixed Berries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries
20 ml Vodka for Flambe

Over simmering water, melt chocolate with butter in a stainless steel bowl. Let cool slightly.

Over simmering water, combine yolks, rum and half the sugar in a stainless steel bowl and whisk vigorously for 8 minutes; eggs should double in volume. Add melted chocolate and continue to whip until completely combined. The chocolate will seize; meaning it will become more difficult to whip.

In a separate bowl, combine egg white and sugar and with a hand or stand mixer, whip until soft or medium peaks.

In yet another bowl, whip cream until peaks once again.

Add one half of whipped egg whites to chocolate and fold to incorporate. Repeat with remainder of egg whites. Finally add cream and fold until incorporated.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and spoon on dish.

In a very hot pan, sear berries for 20 seconds. Add vodka and when vodka gets hot, light liquid with a match. Quickly spoon onto plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I like using mousse as a garnish for a flourless torte with the flaming berries. A sure fire hit.

Tried, Tested and True

Before I forget, this was the recipe I put on the other blog. Just in case it gets missed I've put it here so it get lost. Try this one when you are not on a diet.


Nutella Brownies

4 large eggs
800 g Nutella (or other hazelnut spread)
100 mL of melted butter
5 mL of vanilla extract
125 mL of flour
5 mL of baking powder
Pinch of salt
200 mL of semi-sweet chocolate chips
300 mL of chopped pecans

Beat eggs. Add butter, vanilla and nutella and mix well.

In a separate bowl, blend flour, baking powder and salt. Blend with chocolate mix. Add chips and nuts and fold.

Pour into a buttered 13 x 9 inch pan (3.5 L) and bake in 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) for 30 – 40 minutes.

Let cool overnight. Preferably in a dish.