Spicy Chocolate BBQ Rub

We've been doing a lot of grilling on our little hibachi bbq this summer and, I discovered that one of the things I like about cooking is mixing things together. A little salt and pepper didn't quite satisfy my desires, and Ben took over the actual bbq part of the affair. We'd made some spice rubs at a fundraising event in Los Angeles for the charity my brother-in-law started with a friend of his, called Food Forward. We ran out of that and Ben bought a dry rub at the grocery store and I didn't like it so much. I decided to look for some interesting rub recipes and this is where I realised that one of the things I love about cooking is mixing stuff together and seeing what happens. This is my second rub recipe and the first that I would like to save. With Ben's increasing skill at the grill, we eat very well indeed.

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup salt
1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
½ tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsps granulated sugar

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, spice grinder, or mortar and pestle. Grind until the pepper flakes are crushed into a fine powder. Store leftovers in a tightly covered jar for up to one month.
2. It is particularly good with lamb, but also good with steak, and accompanied by grilled red onion.
3. To Try - with a cut of pork.

Chocolate Sauce

Generally speaking I try to avoid using corn syrup. However, I haven't yet found a substitute for a chocolate sauce that remains liquid at room temperature. I wonder what the sweetness difference is between honey or maple syrup is, and how much of their flavour comes through when mixed in the the chocolate? Corn syrup is sweet but has no other flavour. Maybe agave syrup? I believe in the edict "Avoid, don't eliminate". This is from Fran Bigelow's book Pure Chocolate.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is recommended here because it is de-bittered therefore is milder.

1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup (try substituting with Golden Syrup)
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted into a mixing bowl

1. In a saucepan stir together cream and sugar; heat gently 'til sugar dissolves. Stir in the corn syrup and bring just to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and pour in ½ of the mixture into the sifted cocoa; whisk until smooth, then add the remaining sweet cream and whisk again until smooth.
3. To make sure there are no lumps, pass through a fine-meshed sieve back into the saucepan. Put over low heat and slowly cook until there are large bubbles that begin to break the surface and the chocolate is glossy, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for as long as two weeks.

Frosting to improve hips - Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yes, a butter frosting. Usually for this type of recipe an unsalted butter is recommended, but I like to use salted - I always find that salt improves flavour, even when it's a sweet. Although I have made this by hand, I prefer to use an electric mixer to cream the butter. All I'm saying is that, in a pinch, you can beat the butter with a wooden spoon by hand; it may in fact offset a bit the calories...

NOTE: you can choose how sweet you want your frosting by playing with the quantity of icing sugar. Two cups may be a bit skimpy and create a bitter-sweet chocolate frosting, but I find four cups way too sweet. I recommend you start at 2 cups and add to taste after that.

ANOTHER NOTE: It's best to sift light powders like cocoa and icing sugar after measuring - the measuring process can compact it again and cause it to lump.

YET ANOTHER NOTE: Notice that the darkness of the chocolate frosting will lighten depending on two things: 1) how much sugar you use and 2) how long and how vigorously you beat the mixture (especially if you use an electric mixer).

1 cup (8oz/228gr) softened salted butter

1⁄3 cup (2.8oz/78g)crème fraîche

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup Dutch processed or de-bittered cocoa powder, sifted after measuring

2 to 4 cups (1 cup = 5.1oz/145g) icing sugar, sifted after measuring

1. Beat butter until creamy (it will become pale, almost white).
2. Blend in crème fraîche and vanilla; beat until very smooth.
3. Add the cocoa and icing sugar.
4. Beat on high until smooth, no longer than 45 seconds or depending on the colour you want.

Home made chocolate cake store bought mix

What I like most about experimenting with food is trying recipes that seem insane but turn out really well. I discovered this chocolate cake recipe on what used to be Recipezaar.com but is now called Food.com. When I first made it, the batter which is very runny made me nervous. But it turned out wonderfully moist and rich, and is terribly simple to make. In fact, it reminds me so much of those instant cake mixes we used when I was a child, although the flavor is infinitely better. Definitely not a low-cal dessert, especially with the frosting I recommend. The original has been altered since I prefer a little less sweet with my chocolate and I love the taste of vanilla. I think it's the perfect classic home-made chocolate cake for birthdays.

NOTE: I use dutch process or de-bittered cocoa powder for this recipe. The flavor is smoother and more pleasant.

2 cups (10.5oz/300g) flour

2 cups (14.5oz/410g) sugar 

3⁄4 cup (2.6oz/75g) unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs

2 Tbsps vanilla

1 cup strong coffee, cooled

1 cup cream (any liquid will do but I like the richness)

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsps white vinegar

1. Set oven to 350°F.
2. Generously grease two 8 inch cake rounds. The batter does tend to stick, so you may elect to cut out some parchment paper circles to lay at the bottom of your pan (grease the pan first, lay the parchment paper over the surface and press to make it stick - this will prevent batter from leaking under the parchment paper. Then grease the surface of the parchment paper).
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour with sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. Add in eggs, cooled coffee, vanilla, cream oil and vinegar; mix until blended and smooth. Remember, the batter will be thin. Ta-da, all in one bowl!
5. Pour into prepared baking pans (approx. 750g).
6. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Savory Chocolate Chilli

This is not just delicious, it is an attractive chilli. The yellow corn kernels and the red peppers shine like gems against the dark mahogany of the chilli, and if you choose to top it with bright white sour cream, fresh green cilantro and creamy cheese, well, they say that presentation is 90% of the meal! Excellent with a good corn bread or corn chips.

6 Tbsps chilli powder

1⁄2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp cumin

2 tsps dried oregano

1 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch ground cloves

1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsps grapeseed oil or bacon fat

2 lbs ground beef

2 onions, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup corn kernel

2 x 28oz (796 mL) cans diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 x 19oz can beans, rinsed and drained OR 1 cup/8oz dry beans, soaked and cooked

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, to taste

4 oz 70% chocolate (or to taste)
OR 2 Tbsps cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp sugar (add sugar for preferred bitterness balance in chocolate flavour)

hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

fresh cilantro (to garnish)

sour cream (to garnish)

grated cheese (to garnish)

1. In a small bowl, prepare the spice blend, from chilli powder to coriander.
2. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the beef, onions, bell pepper, and garlic; stir and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add the spices, corn, black beans, diced tomato. Bring to a boil then cook at medium-low temperature, uncovered, until excess liquid reduces and tomatoes disintegrate, about an hour.
4. Finely chop chocolate and add to chilli. Cover, reduce heat to low and let sit another twenty minutes. Add the lime juice. While adjusting seasoning to taste, add hot sauce, to taste.
5. Now, the garnish of fresh cilantro, sour cream and grated cheese is more than just to make it pretty - these ingredients are actually important elements in the final outcome of the dish. I call them garnishes because the chilli is perfectly good without them so they are optional, and they also make the plate look really good when serving.
6. NOTE: The flavor is quite different whether you use bittersweet chocolate, like 70% chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. If you are unsure of what you would prefer, I suggest using bittersweet chocolate and then adding sugar if you find the chocolate flavour too strong.

Chocolate Cakes in a Jar

A new picnic idea! I found a recipe for chocolate cake baked into a jar. At first I thought it must be some sort of fancy, special method, but after reading the recipe, I realize that it's just a chocolate cake batter baked in canning jars. I still have to check, but, like making cupcakes, the cooking time is probably a bit different.

What this means is that I can bake all sorts of things in jars and oven-proof containers that would fit in the picnic baskets. This is very exciting. It's like an extra wow factor to the picnics - baked in this way, they are specifically made just for YOUR picnic, my lord and lady, not just slopped into containers from a democratic mass.

Ten to twelve ½-pint canning jars

½ cup (4oz/114gr) butter, softened

1½ cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1½ cups sifted all purpose flour

2/3 cup crème fraîche

2/3 cup brewed coffee (I just use the morning’s leftover coffee)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place 10 to 12 ½-pint glass canning jars on a rimmed baking sheet, evenly arranged with space between them.
2. To make the cakes, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Add half of the flour, then half of the crème fraîche, and mix until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and crème fraîche. Drizzle in the coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin, like heavy cream.
3. Pour the batter into the jars, filling them halfway. Bake until the tops of the cakes are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.
4. A topping is a good idea for presentation. Delicately sprinkle some powdered sugar and add a centre-piece like a nut or a piece of fruit or something extra-special like a candied flower. I was also wondering if a layer of some sort of clear jelly would look good and add a flavour dimension to the cake.