This traditional French chocolate cake has a velvety molten chocolate center that flows seductively onto your plate the moment it’s touched with a fork. The chef at Geneva’s Hôtel d’Angleterre (17 Quai de Mont Blanc) named the dish after Sokoto, a town in Nigeria where the cocoa beans originate for this 58 percent pure chocolate. He serves it with homemade passion fruit and banana sorbet and mango coulis as a dessert, but for afternoon tea, you can serve it simply with a dollop of whipped cream, some fresh raspberries or strawberries, or with a purée of fruits.

convert Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 ounces Sokoto or other couverture-style chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Fresh berries, for serving (optional)
Fruit coulis for serving (optional)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray eight 4-ounce ramekins with cooking oil and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate with the butter.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour 1 cup of flour and the chocolate-butter mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared ramekins and bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops are firm.

4. Run a knife around the sides of the chocolate cakes and invert the cakes onto serving plates. Top with whipped cream, fresh berries, or fruit coulis, if desired. Serve immediately and instruct your guests to cut into them so the molten chocolate center flows onto their plates.

Recipe © 2009 Margaret M. Johnson. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

This fast and easy fudge has the surprise addition of roasted and lightly crushed cacao beans, called nibs—in other words, pure chocolate! Their bittersweet, toasty flavor and irresistible crunch is a wonderful contrast to this super-creamy fudge. You won’t need a thermometer to make this fudge because marshmallow cream ensures a smooth texture.

convert Ingredients
2/3 cup evaporated milk
One 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème
2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pan
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup cacao nibs, divided

Method
1. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with foil, folding the excess over the sides to form handles. Grease the foil and set the pan aside.

2. Put the evaporated milk, marshmallow crème, butter, sugar, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan often, as this mixture is apt to burn.

3. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly; it will caramelize a bit, which is fine. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and the vanilla, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add half of the nibs, stir to combine, and pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining nibs and allow to set.

4. Once the fudge is firm, lift it out of the pan using the foil handles and cut it into small squares with a long, sharp knife on a cutting board. The fudge will keep in an airtight container.

Recipe © 2009 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

This dense, luscious flourless chocolate and vanilla marble cake has a texture a little like fudge and a little like cheesecake. A small slice goes a long way. To slice this moist marble cake neatly, use a hot knife (run it under hot running water and dry it), and wipe the blade clean between slices.

convert Ingredients
For the vanilla batter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate batter
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum or espresso
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch table salt

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Method
1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until well blended and no lumps remain. Add the egg and vanilla and beat just until blended. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, rum or espresso, vanilla, and salt on medium high until the mixture is pale and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

4. To combine and bake the marble cake, spread about half of the chocolate batter in the bottom of the pan. Alternately add large scoopfuls of each of the remaining batters to the cake pan. Using a knife or the tip of a rubber spatula, gently swirl the two batters together so they’re mixed but not completely blended. Rap the pan against the countertop several times to settle the batters.

5. Bake the marble cake until a pick inserted about 2 inches from the edge comes out gooey but not liquid, 40 to 42 minutes; don’t over-bake. The top will be puffed and slightly cracked, especially around the edges. It will sink down as it cools. Let the cake cool on a rack until just slightly warm, about 1 1/2 hours. Loosen it from the pan by holding the pan almost perpendicular to the counter; tap the pan on the counter while rotating it clockwise. Invert the cake onto a large flat plate or board, then remove the pan and carefully peel off the parchment.

6. Sift some cocoa powder over the cake (this will make it easier to remove the slices when serving). Invert the cake again onto a similar plate so that the top side is up and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight, or freeze.

Make ahead and freeze: Wrap the cooled cake (unmolded as directed in the recipe) in plastic and refrigerate until firm and well chilled. Slide the cake from the plate and wrap it again in plastic. Freeze for up to a month. To serve, unwrap the cake and set it on a flat serving plate that’s been sprinkled with a little more cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for an hour or two.

Recipe © 2009 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

These luscious Kahlúa truffle triangles cookies are perfect for a party. Because they’re a bar cookie, they’re not fussy to make and they yield a but batch of pretty and delicious treats.

convert Ingredients
For the crust
6 3/4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 ounces (3/4 cup) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces (3/4 cup) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, more for the pan
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the kahlúa truffle filling
1 pound semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, broken into squares or very coarsely chopped
3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
4 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlúa

Method
Make the crust
1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, allowing foil to overhang the long sides of the pan to act as handles for removing the cookie later. Lightly butter the foil.

2. In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Process the ingredients briefly to combine, about 15 seconds. Scatter the cold butter pieces and the vanilla over the flour mixture and process, using short pulses, until the dough begins to form small clumps, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

3. Turn the dough into the prepared pan. Using lightly floured fingertips, press the dough into the pan in a smooth, even layer. Bake until pale golden, especially around the edges, 22 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake or the crust will be hard and crispy. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).

Make the kahlúa truffle filling and bake the cookies
1. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate, milk, and butter together over a pot of barely simmering water or in the microwave. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and Kahlúa on medium-high speed until foamy and lighter in color, 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the chocolate mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour the chocolate batter over the baked crust and spread evenly. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out wet and gooey but not liquid, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack. As it cools, the center may sink a bit, leaving the edges slightly (about 1/2 inch) elevated. While the truffle filling is still warm, use your fingertips to gently press the edges down to the level of the center, if necessary.

4. When completely cool, cover with plastic and refrigerate until very cold, at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. Using the foil as handles, lift the rectangle from the pan and set it on a cutting board. Tipping the rectangle, carefully peel away the foil.

5. Using a hot knife, cut the truffle rectangle lengthwise into 1 1 2-inch strips, wiping the blade clean before each cut. Cut each strip on alternating diagonals to make small triangles. Let the truffle cookies sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving. The baked truffle cookies can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to two days.

Make ahead and freeze: You can bake these truffle cookies up to one month ahead: Wrap the cooled baking pan in heavy-duty plastic wrap and freeze (no need to cut them into triangles first).

Recipe © 2009 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.

Do you nibble around the edges first? Do you swallow it quickly in two big bites? If you can tell me in vivid detail how you eat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, then these luscious chocolate–peanut butter pudding cups are especially for you. Made with half-and-half, a double dose of chocolate, and a dollop of creamy peanut butter, the flavor is intense and continues to blossom as it chills in the refrigerator. Rich and thick enough to stand your spoon in, these chocolate–peanut butter cups are best eaten in small doses. For a softer texture, make the pudding with whole milk instead of half-and-half. Both methods produce a delicious result.

convert Ingredients
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (heaped) semisweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream for topping
Chocolate jimmies for sprinkling

Method
1. Into a medium saucepan, sift together the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half, until the mixture is combined and smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, until smooth.

2. Cook the pudding over medium heat, whisking continuously, until the pudding starts to thicken and large bubbles form and plop, like slowly bubbling hot lava, on the surface of the pudding. Reduce the heat to low, and continue cooking, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Check the consistency of the pudding by running your finger across the back of the stirring spoon; if it leaves a trail that does not immediately fill in, it is thick enough.

3. Remove from the heat and stir the vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate chips into the hot pudding until thoroughly melted and combined.

4. Place eight 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the pudding into the cups, using a damp paper towel to clean up any drips. Cover the custard cups with plastic wrap. Alternatively, pour the pudding into a large bowl and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the pudding until very cold, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

5. To serve, top the chocolate–peanut butter cups with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate jimmies (also called chocolate vermicelli). If refrigerated in the larger bowl, you can scoop it into small dessert dishes and top with whipped cream and chocolate jimmies.

Recipe © 2009 Jill O’Connor. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.