Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

For the crust:
* 1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

For the cake:
* 32 ounces cream cheese
* 1-3/4 cups sugar
* 5 eggs
* 1/2 cup Amaretto
* 8 ounces Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Baking Bars
* 7-ounce tube almond paste

For the topping:
* 2 cups Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
* 1/3 cup heavy cream
* 3 tablespoons Amaretto
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
3. Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and chocolate powder and stir until well blended.
4. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the pan, covering the bottom and about one third up the sides.
5. Pinch off pieces of almond paste, press it flat with your fingers, and layer it across the crust.
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Stir in the amaretto.
9. In a small bowl, break the chocolate baking bars into chunks. Heat for 30 seconds at 50% power in the microwave. Chocolate will start to melt but still keep it’s shape. Add more time in ten second increments as needed. Stir until it’s completely melted.
10. Gradually stir the melted chocolate into the batter and mix just until well blended.
11. Pour the batter into the crust and bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until it’s set.
12. Cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan.
13. Meanwhile, using the same method as above, melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl. They’ll be warm but still retain their shape. Add the cream and amaretto and stir until completely melted and smooth.
14. Spoon the melted chocolate over the cake and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Chill for at least another hour before serving.

Source: Our Life in the Kitchen

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup natural brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, 60% cocoa
3/4 cup nuts, chopped
1 (1.5 to 2 oz) dark chocolate (60% cocoa or more) bar, grated

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place oats in a food processor and process until it turns into a powder.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered oats, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. In a large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars for three minutes on medium speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in dry ingredents. Stir in grated chocolate. Add chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
5. Roll or scoop dough into two-inch balls and place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
6. Cool two minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes 25 cookies. You can freeze scoops of dough to bake later. Add 1-2 minutes to bake time for frozen dough.

Source: Whole Grain Gourment

Hot Chocolate Recipe

1-3/4 ounce dark chocolate (70-100% cocoa butter), grated
8 ounces milk
Sugar to taste

Heat milk in a saucepan. Just before the milk starts to boil, add the grated chocolate and stir until the chocolate dissolves and the drink has slightly thickened. Do NOT let boil.

Stir in sugar to taste, depending on how sweet your chocolate was. Spoon in a tablespoon of double cream if you wish, and serve.

Additions: If desired, add any of the following to your hot chocolate:

• ground cinnamon
• nutmeg
• chili powder
• lavender
• Arabic spice
• caramel flavor
• cardamom.

Adapted from: Nigel Slater's Classic Hot Chocolate Recipe

Chocolate Earl Grey Pots de Creme

Pots de Creme is a thick and rich pudding that's baked and served chilled.

2 cups cream
120 grams dark chocolate, chopped
   (4.24 ounces - just over 1/4 of a pound)
2 bags of Earl Grey tea
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center.
2. Heat cream in a pan over medium heat, with the tea bags fully submerged, until the cream is almost simmering. Try to keep the tea bags moving, so the tea can infuse the cream.
3. Press and remove the tea bags.
4. Add the chocolate and stir until fully blended. Remove from heat.
5. Mix egg yolks with the sugar until smooth.
6. Add the hot cream mixture gradually to the egg yolk mixture, whisking together.
7. Set your ramekins (small, glazed ceramic or glass serving bowls that you can bake in) or mugs onto a baking pan.
8. Distribute the pudding evenly into the pudding dishes.
9. Add hot water to the pan until it comes about halfway up the pudding dishes.
10. Bake for about 25 minutes on middle racks, or until the top and edges set.
11. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If desired, add whipped cream and desired garnish and serve.

Makes about six 3/4 cup ramekins or three to four mugs.

To make a Cointreau (an orange-flavored liqueur) cream, blend together the following ingredients:

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons Cointreau

Source: Open Source Food

Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts

1. Cream together butter and sugars with electric mixer.
2. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add flour mix to butter mixture, beating on low speed.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
6. Spoon one tablespoon of batter at a time onto greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake in 375-degree F degree oven for 9 minutes.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Source: All the Pages