Deep Dark Chocolate (14 page)

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Generously
butter each cup of a 6-cup popover pan.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer set on low speed, beat the ¼ cup butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Alternately add the melted chocolate, then the egg and vanilla, blending well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream.

For tall cupcakes, fill each cup about two-thirds full (about 6 tablespoons of batter); some batter will be left over. For tall, mushroom-capped cupcakes, divide the batter equally between the cups (about 8 tablespoons of batter each). Bake until a long tester or skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 25 minutes. Then, to remove them, loosen the caps by running a thin knife under them, then turn the pan over and gently tap it on the counter. Let cool completely on the rack.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
In a medium bowl, mix or whisk the sour cream and powdered sugar until blended. Stir in the chocolate until blended and smooth. Top the cupcakes with a thick and even layer of frosting.

Variations

Our kids came up with this one. For
Six Moms and Their Kids’ Cupcakes
, follow the main recipe for the mushroom-capped cupcakes. After the cupcakes have cooled, cut off the tops or caps for the kids and reserve the lower portions for the moms. Frost both.

For
A Dozen Little Ones
, follow the main recipe using twelve 3¼-ounce, 2-inch paper party cups (available from Wilton Industries Inc.; see Sources) on a baking sheet or a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.

Deep Chocolate Pies Tarts, and a Cheesecake

SOME MORE S’MORE PIE, PLEASE

Marmalade and Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts

Wednesday Wild’s Wintertime Chocolate-Caramel Tart

a little chocolate cheesecake with mocha affogato

Some More S’more Pie, Please

serves
6
makes
one 9-inch tart

WHO CAN RESIST THE COMBINATION OF DARK CHOCOLATE,
crunchy graham crackers, and warm, melt-in-your-mouth marshmallows, especially when you can dispense with hauling wood for the campfire? If you’re on the lookout for a plate-and-fork way to enjoy one of the most revered trinity of treats, this scrumptious, deeply homey pie is for you.

Crust

1
¹
/
₃
cups graham cracker crumbs

¹
/
₃
cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

5 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

½ cup whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

18 large, fresh purchased marshmallows

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended and crumbly. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch freezer-to-oven pie pan and lightly press onto the bottom of the pan. Bake until set and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter
until the butter is melted and small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Stir to combine. Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for several minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla until blended. Let cool completely. Pour into the crust and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
Heat the oven broiler to low. Cut each marshmallow in half crosswise and arrange the halves, cut side down, to cover the top of the pie. Place the pie on the lowest rack in the oven until the marshmallows toast. Watch carefully; once they start to brown, they toast quickly. Serve while the marshmallows are still warm.

Marmalade and Bittersweet Chocolate Tarts

makes
8 4-inch tarts

THESE DARK, RICH, VELVETY TARTS ARE IDEAL AS A SIMPLE
dessert with coffee or tea, or an end-of-dinner flourish with a fine dessert wine. If you like, you can garnish the tarts with grated orange zest. A small scoop of orange sorbet also complements the flavors.

Crust

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons grated orange zest

Pinch of salt

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, frozen and cut into small pieces

¾ cup premium orange marmalade

9 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped

¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream

Finely grated orange zest or candied orange peel for garnish (optional)

TO MAKE THE CRUST:
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, orange zest, and salt until well blended. Add the butter. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly and some pea-sized pieces of butter remain. If time permits, refrigerate the flour mixture for 30 minutes.

Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all the flour is moistened and the pastry just clears the side of the bowl (add an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons water if needed). Using lightly floured hands, gather the dough into a ball. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 8 wedges, then reshape each wedge into a disk without reworking the dough (if needed, let it sit out to soften slightly for easier handling). Roll each disk out to a 5-to 6-inch circle on a pastry cloth or lightly floured board with a cloth-covered rolling pin or between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Transfer a circle of the dough to a 4-inch tart pan, easing it into place. Trim the overhanging pastry along the pan’s edge. Repeat with remaining disks. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the bottom of each crust with a fork, line with a circle of parchment or aluminum foil, and fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the center of the oven until the edges begin to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment and bake until the crusts are golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
In a small saucepan, warm the marmalade until it is warm to the touch and slightly runny, and strain it through a sieve, discarding any pulp. Brush the bottom of each tart shell with some strained marmalade.