These Hazelnut Cherry Brownies have it all: they’re super fudgy, ultra decadent and are filled with crunchy hazelnuts and sour cherries. Brownies are one of my favourite treats, when they’re done right. And by ‘right’ I mean they’re chewy, fudgy, with an intense chocolate flavour. Some people prefer cakey brownies, but they’re definitely not my…
chocolate
Kahlua Chocolate Cake
If you love coffee and chocolate, you must try this Kahlua Chocolate Cake! It makes for an impressive yet simple dessert, with Kahlua and chocolate in every bite.
I got the idea for this cake one evening while enjoying some Tiramisu. Tiramisu consists of ladyfingers dipped in espresso (sometimes spiked with a liqueur), and layered with a lightly sweetened mascarpone cream.
Salon du Chocolat Expo
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Salon Du Chocolat at the Javits Center, the world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate and cocoa. The expo started in 1994 and this was the first ever one held in New York City. The internationally renowned event connects cocoa producers, chocolatiers, pastry chefs and thousands of individuals who love chocolate.
At the expo there was live recipe demonstrations and workshops, chocolate from around the world available to purchase, a Valrhona Hot Chocolate Festival, chocolate sculptures, and even a chocolate fashion show.
Hotel Chocolat
I recently had the pleasure of attending a chocolate tasting at Hotel Chocolat, situated in Midtown Manhattan, close to Grand Central. Lisa Saraceni, the store manager, gave me 8 different chocolates to try and walked me through each one.
We started with the darkest plain chocolate first, and worked our way down to milk, and then white. Lisa got us to smell the chocolate first, then break it in half. Different varieties have their own unique ‘snap’ to them. Then we placed it on our tongue and allowed it to melt, while taking in all the flavours that came to mind. Quality chocolate contains complex and intriguing flavours that are not typically associated with chocolate (berries, floral, coffee, spice, citrus, caramel, etc).
Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Perfect for whenever that chocolate craving strikes, these Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies will hit the spot every time!
One of the things I love most about this recipe, is that there is no chilling time. How many times have you wanted a freshly baked batch of cookies, only to realise when you read the recipe that it will be several hours before you can enjoy your cookies?! Well now you can have these irresistible double chocolate cookies baked fresh from the oven and into your tummy within the hour. Or within half an hour, if you’re like me and can’t wait for them to cool.
Raw Caramel Slice
If I know one thing, that is surely sweet treats. And you and your family are going to go crazy for this raw caramel slice.
I have had quite the love affair with the caramel slice over the years. I know exactly what constitutes a great one, and unfortunately a lot of them don’t make the cut: Too sickly. Gritty caramel. Not using quality chocolate. The list goes on.
The caramel slice I grew up with was typically made with condensed milk, which would bake in the oven (or still in the can, on the stovetop) until a rich, golden caramel was achieved. It was then poured on top of a coconut shortbread base. Once the caramel was set, melted dark chocolate was poured over the top. True decadence. But sadly, if you’re eating healthy and try to steer clear of sweet treats, it’s not an option for many people. A life without caramel slice?! How depressing. But fret no more! If you want a healthy version of this classic treat, then you have to make this.
Dessert Goals, Party Animal Edition
The very first Dessert Goals festival was held in 2016, and since then, there’s been 7 festivals both in New York City and Los Angeles. The festivals celebrate indulgence and things decadent. They are highly curated, featuring the very best in dessert. This past weekend saw dessert lovers from all over New York City gather at Sound River Studios in Long Island City for Dessert Goals, a festival dedicated to the best in dessert. The theme this time around was ‘Party Animal’, and guests were encouraged to dress up.
Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread
This Cinnamon Swirl Chocolate Chip Quick Bread makes for a delicious snack any time of the day. And let’s be honest; who doesn’t love cinnamon and chocolate together? This quick bread has it all: it’s soft, tender, moist and has an irresistible ripple of cinnamon, and lots of chocolate chips. We’ve been having some very…
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
This has been one crazy week, to say the least! I left New Zealand on Tuesday to return to New York City and I was feeling a range of different emotions. Even though my Mum has made an amazing recovery in the past 7 months, I still worry about her a lot and it was very hard to leave her. For now, we will have to make do with phone calls and video chats. It eases my mind somewhat to know she has a great support system around her. We really made the most of our last few weeks together, including a trip down to Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. The beaches down there are among my favourites, and we took her dog Jessie with us, and she was loving all the bush and beach walks.
Dulce De Leche Brownies
In the brownie world there are two distinct types: the fudge kind and the cake kind. If you are like me, and fudge brownies are your thing, then you are going to need to make this recipe! Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of brownie recipes, and had issues such as the brownies being too flat, too dry, or not chocolatey enough. This recipe has none of these issues, and the addition of gooey dulche de leche really takes these brownies over the top, into new territory.
A traditional dessert that originated in South America, dulce de leche directly translates to ‘sweet of milk’ in English. It can be used as a filling, a topping or enjoyed straight from the jar. Because who doesn’t enjoy sneaking spoonfuls of caramel while nobody is looking?!