Category Archives: Chocolate

Gluten-free Coconut Blondies

Bars, Chocolate, Gluten-free March 14, 2013 Leave a comment

BlondiesOkay, so James has never made these for a show, a Wine and Unwind, or even just as a simple dessert after a casual meal.  However, I have no doubt he WILL make them when faced with a gluten-intolerant cast in the future!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been experimenting in the world of gluten-free baking and this recipe is mostly my own design.  I’d had a remarkable gluten-free blondie at my local coffee shop and wanted to try and recreate it.  Oh, sure, I Googled “gluten-free blondies” and found many, many recipes.  And I bought a packet of Bob’s Red Mill fava & garbanzo flour  (I know, ick, right?) that had a recipe on the back for blondies, but there was just too much extra stuff in it (no coconut, though.)

So I made up this recipe, with a little from here and a little from there.  The kiddies can’t get enough of these bars!

Just a couple of notes:  I’ve found that it’s a great idea to weigh your gluten-free flours for absolute accuracy, so I have given you the exact weights to shoot for.  There is little room for error in gluten-free baking.  This sounds all sorts of off-putting but really it’s not (if you just happen to have a postage scale that likes the metric system.)

I also recommend bringing your eggs (and shortening) to room temperature before starting.  I know this is something you’re supposed to do with any type of baking, gluten-free or not, but I am a lazy, lazy baker and take tons of shortcuts.  I’ve never bothered with this niggly little step in regular baking.  No can do in the world without gluten.  Trust me on this.  You’ll be glad you did.

Last, I think this recipe lends itself to being veganized very easily.  I’ve indicated the substitutions at the end of the ingredients list.  I’ve never actually tried the vegan version though, so if anyone does, please let me know how it turns out.

And really last, don’t be intimidated by this series of notes and reminders and dictums (dicta?).  You can probably ignore them all and the blondies will still come out fine.  But then again, if you’re going to go to the trouble of whisking together 4 different kinds of flour, you don’t want to end up with a doorstop instead of a treat!

Gluten-free Coconut Blondies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (100 grams) coconut flour
3/4 cup (100 grams) brown rice flour
1/4 cup (25 grams) tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch)
1/4 cup (25 grams) garbanzo & fava bean flour mix
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
*1/3 cup butter
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
*1 cup chocolate chips
*Simple subs to make this vegan:
Use soy margarine instead of butter; use 2 tablespoons flax meal whisked with 6 tablespoons warm water for eggs;  use vegan chocolate chips.

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Grease an 9 x9 inch baking pan with shortening. Set aside.

3.  Mix coconut powder, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt together until blended.

4.  Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  mix in eggs

5.  Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until blended. Add nuts and toasted coconut and mix just until blended. Spoon into prepared baking pan, top with reserved toasted coconut and pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until top looks dry and edges have separated from the pan.

6.  Cool in pan for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack — allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes approximately 16 blondies.

And the Cheesecake Bake-off Winner is . . .

Cakes, Cheesecake, Chocolate March 9, 2013 Leave a comment

Lisa Bracigliano!!

Lisa was James’ production assistant on Jon Robin Baitz’s “Chinese Friends” that premiered at Playwright’s Horizons in 2004.  Lisa has gone on to fame and fortune as the Executive Pastry Chef and Founder of The Chocolate Swirl.  (You HAVE to check our her website, or her shop if you’re lucky enough to live in Queens!  There’s an Iphone birthday cake on the site that is absolutely remarkable!)  So, I guess she was a bit of a ringer, but with a cake of such delicious decadence, who’s going to complain?

Cheesecake1

The cheesecake awards were handed out by Shannon Oliver, the current Miss New York,  and Katie Berry, the current Miss Manhattan.

Cheese3

James just knows everyone, doesn’t he?

The event raised $700 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  A total of 13 cheesecakes were baked and over 60 people attended.  We’ll be posting selected recipes over the next few weeks.

Lisa Bracigliano’s Crown Winning Cheesecake with Caramel, Chocolate and Pretzel Topping

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

2 cups Pretzels (crushed)
2/3 cup Butter (melted)
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

For the Chocolate Layer:

7 ounces Dark Chocolate (chopped)

For the Filling:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Topping:

Crushed pretzels
Melted dark chocolate
1-2 packages soft caramels (unwrapped)
Heavy cream (can also use skim milk, or whatever milk you have on hand)

Method:

1.  For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 9 inch spring form pan with butter. Lay two large pieces of aluminum foil crosswise on your work surface. Place the cake pan in the middle and crimp the aluminum around the pan.

Stir the crust ingredients together in a medium bowl. Once fully incorporated press into the bottom and sides of the prepared spring form pan, creating an even layer.

2.  For the chocolate layer:

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour over the prepared pretzel crust. Transfer the spring form pan to the refrigerator for 5 minutes or until chocolate has set.

3.  For the filling:

Whip together the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and salt and stir together until incorporated.Pour the filling over the prepared crust and chocolate layer.

4.  Transfer the cake to a roasting pan and carefully fill the roasting pan with warm water until it comes 1/3 of the way up the sides of the spring form pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the center only jiggles slightly. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Refrigerate Overnight

5.  For the topping:

Remove cheesecake from Springform pan. Crush up pretzels and put them on top of cheesecake. Melt the unwrapped caramels in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals.   CAREFUL!  IT WILL BE HOT. Once melted add 3-5 tabl spoons of heavy cream and mix well. If it is still sticky put it back in microwave. Pour evenly over pretzels and let it  drip down sides.

NOTE: If you want you can easily omit this step and use jarred caramel sauce, that will work well too 🙂

Melt more dark chocolate and drizzle over cake

SERVE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

Valentine’s Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies, Holiday February 15, 2013 Leave a comment

So how did the cast and crew of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” celebrate Valentine’s Day?   With a tin of chocolate heart cookies baked by James, of course!

vday cookies

There’s really not much else to do here but offer up the recipe which is so very simple and divine.

Please to enjoy . . .

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 cup vanilla chips
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1.            Cream butter and sugar, beat in vanilla.  Combine flour and cocoa in a separate bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture.

2.            On lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with heart cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

3.            For icing, melt vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon of shortening.  (I do this in the microwave in short, 10 second bursts, stirring between each zap.)  Dip both end of cookies into melted mixture. Heat semi-sweet chips and remaining shortening and drizzle over dipped cookies.  (I find the best way to drizzle is to scrape the slightly cooled, melted chocolate into a zip top bag, seal it, snip off a tiny corner and squeeze.)

Salted Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies February 6, 2013 Leave a comment

Last week’s Wine and Unwind cookies came to be because of a challenge. Last year, James was working at The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC (winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Regional Theater!) stage managing a production of Two Gentlemen of Verona.  Across the street from the loading dock in the back is a wonderful tea emporium and restaurant called Teaism.  Serving a variety of teas as well as bento boxes, udon noodles and an amazing salted chocolate oatmeal cookie, it was a favorite lunch stop for the cast and crew.   The actress Natalie Mitchell, who played Silvia, challenged James to make his own version of the cookie.  It took a couple of tries, but James thinks this recipe is closest to theirs.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies

Salted Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup margarine
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 cup  cocoa powder (in the 1/4 cup I like to include 1 Tablespoon of Black Cocoa to intensify the chocolate. It can be found at baking shops or online at King Arthur flour but it is optional)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup  flaked coconut toasted LIGHTLY.
3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate.

Method:
1.            Boil water in a pot, and in a stainless steel bowl combine butter and bittersweet chocolate. When water boils, turn off the heat and rest bowl on the pot of boiling water. It will calmly melt the chocolate and butter together. Add sugars and combine. When cool enough, add in both eggs and vanilla.

2.            Meanwhile, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a  large bowl — add to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Add the rolled oats and coconut and mix, then finally add the chopped chocolate. Chill dough for at least a half hour — while oven preheats to 375 degrees F.

3.            Place golf-ball sized chunks of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and flatten slightly (dough balls should still be quite thick). Sprinkle tops with more kosher salt or if you have, flaked sea salt. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Make sure that they do not brown too much or they will become dry and tough. Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes and then remove them to cooling racks.

2009 Cotes du Ventoux

The wine being served was a 2009 Cotes Du Ventoux. It is a very good wine under $12.00. James first served this wine at a Wine and Unwind during a production of KING LEAR at The Public Theatre. It soon became Sam Waterston’s favorite.

Natalie Mitchell says:

“These cookies are divine! I made them this year and brought them to my husband’s family’s house in Costa Rica.   Since there was oatmeal in them, they thought they would taste healthy but they loved them!! In fact they said I can cook healthy whenever I want. It’s the perfect cookie for a health conscious person or just for someone who loves chocolate! I sometimes eat them for breakfast because there’s oatmeal in them! Yum …”

Chocolate Chip Blondies with Praline Topping

Bars, Chocolate, Wine and Unwind January 29, 2013 1 Comment

Last Sunday was hair supervisor Monica Costea’s last day at Virginia Woolf and she aptly requested “Blondies.”  Monica’s moving next door to the Shubert to work on the new musical Matilda  (previews start on March 4.)  But she’ll still be able to stop over and enjoy WINE AND UNWIND on Sundays.

Monica not only styled the women’s hair for Woolf, she also cut the male actor’s hair and has been a Broadway fixture for almost three decades.   Her first show was Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night at Ballyhoo, and she’s worked steadily ever since, doing hair on Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Lion King, Wicked, The Music Man, A Class Act, Ghost, Sister Act and Hair, to name just a few.

Since she is a Southern girl, James decided to top the Blondies with a praline topping.  (He would usually use pecans but Monica wanted walnuts, so he substituted.)

blondies

Chocolate Chip Blondies with Walnut Praline Topping:

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Method

1.  Heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with the cooking spray. Line the pan with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides; spray the parchment with the cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Then, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and mix in the brown sugar and vanilla. One at a time, mix in the eggs; mix in the flour mixture until just combined (do not over mix). Add the pecans or walnuts and chocolate chips.

3. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool completely in the pan.

4.  Make the praline topping: In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbling, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla, 1 tablespoon of water, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spread over the cooled blondies and sprinkle with the nuts. Let the topping set, 10 to 15 minutes.

5.Holding both sides of the paper overhang, lift the cake out of the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Triple Layer Double Decadence Death by Chocolate No. 17

Cakes, Chocolate January 25, 2013 1 Comment

Mmmm . . . What better way to celebrate a birthday than the chocolatiest most decadent cake imaginable??

Yesterday was Carrie Coon’s birthday, “Honey” in Broadway’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.   I imagine she just signed up for a chocolate cake on James’ “Birthday Information Form” that first day of rehearsal, never expecting that she would get treated to this:

Death by Chocolate No. 17

BTW, James tells me that the reason behind the name of the cake is that he experimented with 16 varieties of Chocolate Layer Cake before finally settling on this one as the ne plus ultra.  How lucky are we to know someone who would experiment with chocolate cakes that thoroughly.

Happy birthday, Honey!!

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Triple Layer Double Decadence Death By Chocolate No. 17

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1.4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups hot coffee or espresso
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder (not dutch process). James likes to use 1/4 cup of black cocoa as part of that 1/2 cups
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, use 1 1/2 cups whole milk (minus 2 Tablespoons) mixed with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of vinegar.
1 tsp vanilla

Ganache Icing
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 300. Spray three 9” round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment and spray again.

2.  Combine chips and hot coffee. Let it stand and whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking power, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl  beat eggs until thick and yellow (3-5 minutes), slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and chocolate mixture to the eggs beating until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium until JUST combined.

3.  Divide batter between pans and bake in the middle of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean- 40-50 minutes.

For ganache icing
1.  In saucepan whisk together cream, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate chips, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Cut butter into 3 pieces. Add to mixture, whisking after each addition until smooth.

2.  Chill for 45- 60 minutes until spreadable. If it is in the refrigerator too long, just bring back to room temperature before frosting.

3.  Keep cake covered and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving. Amazing!!!!

James’ note: “I use a cake comb on the sides of the cake when frosting to give it linear texture.”

Of course you do James, of course you do!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

Cakes, Chocolate, Gluten-free, Wine and Unwind January 15, 2013 Comments: 3

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

On Sunday morning, James posted the following to his Facebook page:  “With complaints that the sweets at WINE AND UNWIND were causing distress to waistlines, I respond with a new version of a flourless chocolate cake. I pray I will not be serving a giant hockey puck.”

Well, James outdid himself for this past Sunday’s “Wine and Unwind”.  No hockey puck here (although, it would be a cool thing to serve at a hockey-themed birthday party.  Just sayin’.)  Not only is this recipe super easy to make (the cake itself only has six ingredients) but it’s also gluten-free!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter

Method:

1.   Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder.
2.   In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.
3.   Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

For the Glaze:

1.   In a small saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, the corn syrup and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chopped chocolate, swirl pan to mix, do not mix, and allow to stand until melted, about 3 minutes.
2.  Whisk 1 tablespoon butter into icing until melted and the chocolate is shiny and smooth.. Put wax paper under the cooling rack then pour glaze evenly over cake. Use a spatula to ease icing out to edges of cake and down the sides. Sprinkle the ground almonds around the top edge of the cake. Allow icing to cool and set before slicing.

Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies January 10, 2013 Leave a comment

One of James’ delightful traditions is a Sunday night “Wine and Unwind” gathering in the stage manager’s office.  He’ll bake some decadent treat and pair it with a sturdy red wine to send everyone into the day off.  He’s currently working on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” — on a show as fraught with drama as that one (onstage, not off!) everyone definitely needs a way to unwind.

Last week’s invitation went something like this:

Image

Here’s the recipe for the Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies (oh, my teeth hurt just reading through it1):

Peanut Butter Fudge Sandwich Cookies

 1 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup softened butter*
1/2 cup softened margarine*
2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

*Backstage Baker’s note:
For cookies that are softer use 1 cup of shortening instead of the butter and margarine.

Filling:
1 (14 ounce) can  Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
For Cookies: Beat peanut butter, butter, margarine, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to creamed mixture and mix with wooden spoon until blended. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Press down with bottom of a glass or the traditional way of making a cross hatch with a fork.

Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For Filling: Microwave sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in vanilla. Let cool 15 minutes. Spread generously on flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down, to form sandwich cookies.

(Pictures for the above are on the home page of this blog!)

The wine was a La Pilar Malbec courtesy of an anonymous fan who insisted on giving Amy Morton (who plays Martha) $40 to buy drinks for the company.  I hope she reads this and knows that her contribution was thoroughly enjoyed.