Archive for October, 2011

ice cream with home made chocolate sauce

Ice cream socials are a tradition in Iowa. And what is better than home made ice cream with home made chocolate sauce; men discuss weather and farm, children play softball and the women serve the delightful afternoon snack. Life is good.

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 large can evaporated milk
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Instructions
- Boil sugar and evaporated milk in heavy sauce pan for 2 minutes;
- Melt chocolate in double boiler and add milk and sugar;
- Beat until smooth and then add butter;
- Mix well, then add vanilla and salt and stir.
Enjoy it over some ice cream.

Chocolate cantuccini delight

Biscotti (pronounced /bɪˈskɒti/, Italian pronunciation: [bisˈkɔtti]) more correctly known as biscotti di Prato (English: biscuits of Prato), also known as cantuccini (English: little hiding places (translated by M. Bulpitt)), are a twice-baked cake originating in the Italian city of Prato. The cakes are large almond biscuits, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven or can also baked with chocolate.

Ingredients
120 g dark chocolate (70%)
120 g butter
2 eggs
200 g sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
335 g flour (Typ 405)
1.5 tbsp baking powder
60 g cocoa powder (no instant and without sugar)
1 tbsp salt

Baking Instructions
- melt butter and chocolate with double-boiler method;
- whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla sugar until foamy;
- add butter-chocolate mix while steering;
Mix flour with cocoa, add salt and sieve it, knead it to get a firm dough which should not be sticky;
- Divide the dough and form 2 long sticks; lay them on a baking tray on baking paper and bake them in pre-heated oven on 175 degrees C or 345 F  for 25 minutes;
- let them cool off a bit  then cut them in 0.5 inches thick slices.
- place them again on the baking tray and bake them another 20 minutes on 100 degrees C or 200 F – when done let them cool off. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee.