Friday's Recipes: Chocolate!

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle. ~Amy Bloom

Sauces can help you create desserts out of simple homemade or purchased items such as pound cake,angel food cake or sweet breads. The following two sauces are great for drizzling! The next two recipes speak for themselves with their chocolatey goodness.

Chocolate Mint Sauce

Ingredients:
6 ounces of chocolate covered mints
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk or cream

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine all the ingredients. Cook on high for 1 minute or until the mixture is hot. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Or do this same procedure in a double boiler. Serve warm. Makes 2/3 cup.

Cocoa Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
5 envelopes (3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) hot chocolate mix.

Heat the milk and butter in small saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the cocoa mix until sauce is smooth. Reduce heat to low; cook while stirring constantly, for 5 to 8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve over ice cream or desserts. Makes 1 cup.

Mounds Bars

Ingredients:
5 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
14 ounces flaked coconut
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Blend the condensed milk and the vanilla together in a bowl. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, blending each time until smooth. Stir in the coconut. Pat the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and chill until firm. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl that is microwave-safe and heat on high 1 minute at a time, stirring after each minute, until melted. This is where the recipes vary. You can cut the bars first (1x2 inches) and dip into the chocolate OR pour the chocolate over the top of the uncut bars and cut after they have chilled and the top is firm. I think for a potluck it's easier to cut the bars later, and either keep them in the pan to take to the potluck or put them on a platter once there.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 tablespoon water
2 eggs
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, beat together the shortening, water, and eggs. Add the cake mix, and mix until smooth. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls, and roll in the confectioners' sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes and cool on racks.

We have more chocolate treats on OFL:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/chocolate.html