These recipes are provided below:

Cecilly’s  Fudge

My Heart, My Truffles

Basic Brownie Bonanza

Chocolate, Chocolate Chunkies

Chocolate Mousse with Antlers

Chocolate Musings

Types of Chocolate

Unsweetened Chocolate Squares does not contain sugar or flavors.  Use only for baking and is often calls unsweetened baking chocolate.

Semisweet Chocolate Pieces contain unsweetened chocolate with sugar, cocoa butter and flavorings such as crème de coco or mint.  These are the classics for chocolate chip cookies.   A 12-ounce bag measures 2 cups.

Milk Chocolate is a candy bar.  It starts with a base of unsweetened chocolate with chocolate liquor, extra cocoa butter, milk or cream, sugar and flavorings added.

Unsweetened Cocoa is cocoa powder with no sugar and about 16% cocoa powder.  Dutch Process Cocoa has a strong flavor and color.  Resembles and tastes like dirt.

Hot Cocoa Mix contains cocoa, sugar and instant milk products. Add more sugar and get Nestles Quick for cold drinks.

Chocolate Flavored Syrup is a mixture of cocoa, sugar, corn syrup and flavorings. 

Chocolate Fudge Topping is a mixture of cocoa, sugar, corn syrup, flavorings, and cream or butter.

Crème de Cocoa or chocolate liqueurs are available in a variety of added flavors such as mint, orange, coconut and hazel nut.

Melting Chocolate

Double boiler - Safest and best method.  Never let water boil.

Microwave - Depends on microwave strength.  Start with sessions of 30 seconds or less; never longer than 45 sessions.  Better to heat water for “glass bowl” double boiler in microwave.

Direct Heat - Never leave unattended.  Very risky.

Oven - Warm oven and turn off, then place chocolate in oven.

Tips for Melting Chocolate

Cut large pieces of chocolate into smaller chunks for faster, easer melting.

Never add water to melting chocolate.

Never hurry melting process.

For chocolate shavings, use a carrot peeler.  Paint non-poisonous leaves with chocolate. Make chocolate cutouts with cookie cutters on a sheet of melted chocolate.

Cecilly’s Fudge

3 cups (18-ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk – not evaporated

Dash of salt 

½ to 1 cup chopped nuts

One ½ tsp. Vanilla extract

 In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with eagle, brand and salt.

Remove from heat, stir in nuts if desired and vanilla. Spread evenly into an 8 X 8 pan lined with foil or wax paper.  Cool in fridge and cut into 1-inch squares when firm. (Makes 5 dozen pieces or two pounds) 

 My Heart, My Truffles

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 cup semisweet, bitter or milk chocolate

Dutch Process Cocoa

Combine cream, butter and corn syrup and simmer over low hear.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate.  Cool for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature.  Whip with an electric mixer until lightens in color.  Pipe onto cookie sheet lined with foil or wax paper and cool for 1 hour. Keep cool while coating truffles in cocoa. Put in candy papers.  (Makes 3 dozen large truffles)

Variations:  Roll in ground almonds, pistachios or macadamia nuts. Pipe truffle mixture over candied cherries or citrus rind.  Add liqueur flavoring or extracts such as mint, orange or almond.  Make a nougat of marzipan or peanut butter - - pipe directly into candy papers.

Basic Brownie Bonanza

2 eggs

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup butter

¾ cup ground chocolate

2/3 cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter in a bowl.  Add chocolate flour, baking powder and salt.  Add nuts if using and spread into a greased 8 X 8 pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes depending on desired doneness.

Variations:  Before baking, sprinkle broken mints on top.  Add ¼ cup almond paste and 1 teaspoon almond extract when mixing butter and eggs together and then sprinkle with almond slivers before baking. Add chocolate or white chocolate chips on top before baking. Add zest from one orange. After cooling, dust powder sugar over top using paper snowflake as a template.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chunkies

2 packages (8 squares each) Baker’s semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ stick butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup flour

¼ tsp baking powder

2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coarsely shop 8 squares or one package of chocolate and set aside. Microwave remaining 8 squares of chocolate is large bowl on high for 1 minute, turn and another 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Stir in sugar butter, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add flour and baking soda. Stir in chopped chocolate and nuts (optional).  For large cookies, drop 1.4 cupfuls onto cooking sheet and bake 12 to 13 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack.  (Makes 18 large cookies)

Chocolate Mousse with Antlers

1cup sweet or semisweet baking chocolate, melted

6 tablespoons softened butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup sweet or semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed and slowly add the powder sugar.  Transfer into another bowl. Put the melted chocolate and butter into the mixing bowl.  Beat until smooth – a minute or two and add the whipped cream.  Mix until just blended and transfer to individual serving bowls. 

Place the 1/3 cup of chocolate chips into a small plastic bag and microwave for 30 seconds, rearrange and microwave for 20 seconds.  Message to melt all the chips before snipping off a small corner triangle of the bag.  On a cookie sheet lines with wax paper or foil, use the piping bag to draw antlers.  Make a pair for each mousse serving and place in fridge until set – about 10 minutes.  Stick the antlers in the mousse just before serving.  (Makes 6 servings)