Orange Chocolate Tea Bread

      1    Stick butter, softened
    3/4 c  Sugar
      2    Eggs
      1 tb Plus 1 tsp. grated orange
           -zest
      2 tb Orange liqueur such as Grand
           -Marnier
    3/4 c  Half and half
      2 c  All-purpose flour
      1 tb Baking powder
    1/4 ts Salt
    1/2 c  Chopped walnuts
      7 oz Semisweet chocolate, chopped
      1 tb Water

Preheat oven to 350øF. Grease or spray a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in orange zest and 1 tablespoon of liqueur. Pour in half-and-half and beat to combine. (Do not be concerned with curdling.) In another bowl, stir and toss together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture and gently beat just to combine. Stir in nuts and 4 ounces chopped chocolate. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 1 hour, until top is golden. Cool in pan on rack. Invert onto serving platter and cool completely. When bread is cool, combine remaining chocolate with water and remaining tablespoon of orange liqueur in heavy saucepan. Place over low heat and melt, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top and chill to set. Yield: 1 Loaf


Yield: 1 Servings

Orange Chocolate Mousse

    1/2 c  Brown rice syrup
      2 ts Vanilla
      1 lb Firm tofu, cut into chunks
    1/4 c  Unsweetened cocoa powder
    1/2 ts Grated orange zest
           Water as needed

Place rice syrup & vanilla in a food processor. Process, adding the tofu a few chunks at a time. Then add cocoa & orange zest. Add water to thin as needed. Pour into serving dishes & chill.


Yield: 6 Servings

Orange Chocolate Crunch

      2 c  Orange sections; about 6
           - oranges
    1/2 c  Orange juice
      2    Eggs
      1 ts Vanilla
    1/4 ts Almond extract
  1 2/3 c  Flour
      1 c  Sugar
      1 ts Baking powder
    1/2 ts Salt
    1/2 ts Baking soda
    1/2 c  Brown sugar
      1 c  Walnuts; chopped
      6 oz Semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350~. Peel and section oranges. Cut sections into small pieces. Combine the orange pieces and orange juice. Beat eggs and add oranges, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add all at once. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan. Combine the brown sugar, chocolate chips and nuts. Sprinkle on top of cake. Bake at 350~ for 45-50 minutes.


Yield: 1 Servings

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cookies

  2 1/2 c  Flour
    1/2 ts Baking soda
    1/4 ts Salt
      1 ts Grated orange peel (1 med
           -orange worth)
      1 c  White sugar
    1/2 c  Light brown sugar, packed
      1 c  Salted butter, softened
      2 lg Eggs
      1 ts Pure orange extract
  1 1/2 c  (8oz) semisweet chocolate
           -bar, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 300F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and orange peel. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, blend sugars with electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and beat to form a grainy paste, scraping sides of bowl if needed. Add eggs and orange extract, and bet at memdium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and chopped chocolate. Blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Drop by rounded tbsps onto an ungreased cookie sheets, 1-1/2 inch apart. Bake for 22-24 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula. Makes 3 dozen.


Yield: 3 Servings

Orange Chocolate Chip Bread

    1/2 c  Skim milk
    1/2 c  Plain nonfat yogurt
    1/3 c  Sugar
    1/4 c  Orange juice
      1    Egg; slightly beaten
      1 tb Orange peel; freshly grated
      3 c  All-purpose biscuit baking m
    1/2 c  Hershey's mini chips semi-sw

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or spray with vegetable cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together milk, yogurt, sugar, orange juice, egg and orange peel; add baking mix. With spoon, beat until well blended, about 1 min. Stir in small chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 mins or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 mins; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing. Garnish as desired. Wrap leftover bread in foil or plastic wrap. Store at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.


Yield: 1 Servings

Opera Creams

      4 c  Sugar
      2 c  Heavy cream
    1/2 ts Cream of tartar*
      1 ts Vanilla...add later
      1 lb Dipping chocolate
  * 2 tb corn syrup for softer candy.

Combine sugar, cream & cream of tartar in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan. Cook ove low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cook to 236 deg.. Watch carefully to avoid boiling over. If sugar crystals form on the side of pan, wipe them off. <> Pour out onto marble slab ; let stand until lukewarm, about 5 - 10 min. Work like fondant, until creamy & light in color. Add vanilla & work into mix. Shape in pieces as desired. . Dip in melted chocolate. Makes 3 1/2 lbs. Note: May chill in freezer before dipping. Good if you can dip the same day on this.


Yield: 12 Servings

Onion-Chocolate Chip Cookies

  2 1/2 c  All purpose flour
      1 ts Baking soda
      1 ts Salt
      8 oz Butter, softened
    3/4 c  Brown sugar
    3/4 c  Granulated sugar
      2    Eggs
      1 ts Vanilla
     12 oz Pkg. chocolate chips
      1 md VIDALIA onion, chopped

Yes! Tease your friends with these unusual cookies. The onion gives a coconut like texture. PREHEAT oven to 375F.Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. BEAT together butter,white and brown sugar til creamy and light.Beat in eggs one at a time with vanilla. STIR in flour in two lots; mix well. Dough will be quite stiff.Stir in chocolate chips.Spoon by heaping spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.Flatten with wet fingers and sprinkle onions on top of each cookie.Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes about 30 cookies.


Yield: 6 Servings

One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting

--COCOA FOR FROSTINGS--
    1/3 c  For Light Flavor
    1/2 c  For Medium Flavor
    3/4 c  For Dark Flavor

--FROSTING--
      6 tb Butter Or Margarine;
           -Softened
  2 2/3 c  Confectioners' Sugar
    1/3 c  Milk
      1 ts Vanilla Extract

Cream the butter in a small mixing bowl. Blend in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar, alternately with the milk, and continue to beat until a spreading consistency is reached. Additional milk may be needed. Blend in the vanilla. Yield: About 2 Cups Of Frosting


Yield: 2 Servings

One Bowl Devil Cake

      2 c  Sifted cake flour
  1 1/2 c  Sugar
      2 ts Baking soda
    1/2 ts Cream of tartar
    1/2 ts Salt
      1 c  Shortening
  1 1/2 c  Buttermilk
      3    Eggs
  1 1/2 ts Vanilla
      4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, melte

Sift cake flour, sugar, soda, cream of tartar and salt into large mixer bowl. Add shortening, half the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in remaining buttermilk and melted chocolate. Beat additional 2 minutes. Spread into 9x13" greased cake pan. Bake at 350~ for 40-50 minutes. Cool in pan.


Yield: 12 Servings

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

  1 1/2 c  Milk
      4 oz Unsweetened chocolate (sqs)
      4 c  Sugar
      3 tb Light corn syrup
    1/4 ts Salt
      3 tb Butter or margarine
  1 1/2 ts Vanilla

1. Combine milk and chocolate in medium-size heavy saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar, corn syrup and salt and cook, stirring constantly, to boiling. 2. Cook, without stirring to 234F on a candy thermometer. (A teaspoonful of syrup will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water.) Remove from heat at once. Add vanilla and butter or margarine, but do not stir in. 3. Cool mixture in pan to 110F, or until lukewarm; beat with wooden spoon until mixture thickens and begins to lose its gloss. (This will take about 15 minutes.) 4. Spread in a buttered 8x8x2" pan. Let stand until set and cool; cut into squares. Makes about 2 pounds.


Yield: 1 Servings

Old-Fashioned Deep Chocolate Layer Cake

  1 3/4 c  Sifted all purpose flour
    3/4 c  Unsweetened cocoa powder
      1 ts Baking soda
    1/4 ts Salt
      2 lg Eggs
      2 c  Sugar
    1/2 c  ( 1 stick) unsalted butter,
           -cut into 4 pieces, room
           -temperature
      2 ts Vanilla extract
      1 c  Buttermilk
  5 1/2 oz Semisweet chocolate,
           -coarsely chopped
    1/2 c  Plus 3 tablespoons unsalted
           -butter, cut into small
           -pieces
      4 c  Powdered sugar (about 1 -pound)
      1 tb Unsweetened cocoa powder
           -Pinch of salt
      1 tb Plus
      1 ts Vanilla extract
      7    To 8 tablespoons sour cream

Have a piece of this cake with a cold glass of milk, and you 're a kid all over again. Cake Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350''F. Butter three 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment or waxed paper. Butter paper. Dust pans with flour; tap out excess. For cake: Insert Steel Knife. Place flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in work bowl. Process to "sift," about 5 seconds. Transfer contents of work bowl to large sheet of waxed paper. Place eggs, then sugar into work bowl. Process until mixture is thick, about 1 minute. Add butter and vanilla. Process until mixture is fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of work bowl, about 1 minute. Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk in about 3 additions each, pulsing just to combine each addition. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans (about 1% cups in each). Bake until tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 24 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out onto rack. Peel off paper. Cool. For frosting: Melt chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. (Or to microwave: Place chocolate and butter in 4-cup microwave-safe bowl. Cook uncovered on High 1 minute. Stir well. Cook on High until almost melted, about 30 seconds longer. Stir until chocolate mixture is smooth.) Steel Knife: Place powdered sugar, cocoa and salt in work bowl. Process to "sift," about 5 seconds. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla. Process until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add 4 tablespoons sour cream. Process to blend, about 8 seconds. Scrape down sides of work bowl. Thin to spreadable consistency by adding enough remaining sour cream by tablespoons, processing to blend after each addition. Place 1 cake layer on serving platter. Spread with 3/4 Cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread with 3/4 Cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared I day ahead. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.)


Yield: 1 Servings

Old World Chocolate Cheesecake

      6 tb BUTTER, melted
           L/8            cup
           -SUGAR
           L/8            tsp
           -GROUND CINNAMON
           L/2            tsp
           -VANILLA

Here is the Old World Chocolate Cheesecake from the Old World Restaurant in LA. It was given graciously by the Old World Restaurant and is a favorite of many Southern Californians.


Yield: 2 Servings

Old World Chocolate Cake

  1 1/2 c  Cake Flour; Sifted
  1 1/4 c  Sugar
    1/3 c  Cocoa; Baking
      1 tb Instant Coffee
  1 1/3 ts Baking Soda
    3/4 ts Salt
    2/3 c  Vegetable Shortening
      1 c  Buttermilk
      1 ts Vanilla Extract
      2 ea Eggs; Large

--SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM--
      1 c  Heavy Whipping Cream
      2 tb Sugar
      1 ts Vanilla Extract

Sift the cake flour, sugar, cocoa, instant coffee, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening, 2/3 c of the buttermilk and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer, set on medium speed, for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/3 c of buttermilk and eggs. Beat, at medium speed, for 2 more minutes. Pour batter into 2 greased 8-inch round cake pans. Bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; and completely cool. Place one cake layer on serving palte. Spread with Sweetened Whipped Cream. Top with second cake layer. Frost cake with remaining Sweetened Whipped Cream. Refrigerate until serving time. SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM: Chill mixing bowl and beaters. Place cream, sugar, and vanilla in chilled bowl. Beat with electric mixer, at high speed, until soft peaks form and mixture is of a spreading consistency. DO NOT overbeat. (If you do, you will have butter.)


Yield: 12 Servings