Chocolate Flecked Pirouettes Recipes

CHOCOLATE-FLECKED MERINGUES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 225°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
• In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium; gradually add 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high; gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar and the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved, 2 to 4 minutes. Fold in chocolate extract and grated chocolate. Onto cookie sheets, drop meringue by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
• Bake 1 hour 35 minutes. Turn off oven; leave meringues in oven with door closed 2 hours. Store meringues in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE PIROUETTES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper lightly coated with a nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside.Combine the flour and cocoa in a small bowl and blend well.Place the butter and confectioners' sugar in a tall medium bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer (or an electric mixer) on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy. Add half the cocoa mixture and beat on low speed until blended. Add the egg white and remaining cocoa mixture and beat just until incorporated.Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter on each half of the prepared baking sheet. Using an angular metal spatula (or straight metal spatula), spread the batter into a 5-inch circle, making sure the batter is thin but not transparent. (Don't worry if the batter looks uneven-it will even out during the baking process.) Bake for 8 minutes, or until set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a metal spatula to loosen each cookie. Using your fingers, quickly roll up the cookie into a tight cylinder or cigar shape. Place the cookies, seam-side down, on a cake rack to cool completely. Allow the baking sheet to cool completely before repeating the process with the remaining batter. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for several weeks.From SINFUL SMOOTHIES: more than 130 dessert smoothies & other indulgences. Copyright © 2004 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.

CHOCOLATE-FLECKED LAYER CAKE WITH MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment. Butter paper, and flour pans. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in yolk and eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in chocolate.
• Divide batter between pans, and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes, remove pans and parchment, and let cool completely, right side up, on wire racks.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place 1 bottom layer on a platter or cake stand, and spread evenly with 3/4 cup frosting. Repeat with a second layer and another 3/4 cup frosting. Place third layer on top, and spread with another 3/4 cup frosting. Place fourth layer on top. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting (about 2 3/4 cups), smoothing top and sides. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 2 days; if refrigerated, let cake come to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE PIROUETTES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper lightly coated with a nonstick vegetable spray. Set aside.Combine the flour and cocoa in a small bowl and blend well.Place the butter and confectioners' sugar in a tall medium bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer (or an electric mixer) on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until creamy. Add half the cocoa mixture and beat on low speed until blended. Add the egg white and remaining cocoa mixture and beat just until incorporated.Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter on each half of the prepared baking sheet. Using an angular metal spatula (or straight metal spatula), spread the batter into a 5-inch circle, making sure the batter is thin but not transparent. (Don't worry if the batter looks uneven-it will even out during the baking process.) Bake for 8 minutes, or until set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a metal spatula to loosen each cookie. Using your fingers, quickly roll up the cookie into a tight cylinder or cigar shape. Place the cookies, seam-side down, on a cake rack to cool completely. Allow the baking sheet to cool completely before repeating the process with the remaining batter. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for several weeks.From SINFUL SMOOTHIES: more than 130 dessert smoothies & other indulgences. Copyright © 2004 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.

PIROUETTE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F Spray 2 baking sheets with vegetable cooking spray.
• Using a food processor with the metal blade, combine Confectioners' sugar and ground nuts; process until mixture is very fine.
• Add granulated sugar, flour and salt and process until well combined.
• Add egg whites, corn syrup, margarine and vanilla and process until dough is formed.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls (about 2 1/2-inches apart), onto prepared baking sheets.
• Bake cookies until edges are golden (about 5 minutes).
• Remove from oven and place sheets on wire racks.
• Using spatula, place cookie on a clean kitchen towel (NOT terrycloth); and carefully roll the warm cookie tightly around the handle of wooden spoon or dowel, pressing firmly as you roll.
• Carefully, slide the cookie off the spoon handle.
• Place cookie on a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Repeat with remaining cookies.
• NOTE: Try to work quickly as you roll each cookie, they must be very warm to roll-- once they have cooled too much, they will not roll.

CHOCOLATE-FLECKED MULTIGRAIN MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar, wheat germ, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until blended. Stir in the oats and dates. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
• In small bowl whisk the buttermilk, olive oil, vanilla and egg, then add the liquid to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in boiling water. Let batter stand 15 minutes. Stir in the chocolate.
• Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from the tin immediately. Place on a wire rack and cool.

CHOCOLATE FLECKED PIROUETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until light and fluffy
• Beat in egg whites one at a time.
• Add flour and beat at low speed just until blended.
• Gently fold in chocolate.
• Drop teaspoonfuls of batter 4 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Only do 4 cookies per sheet they really spread out.
• Bake one sheet at a time in the beginning, till you get the hang of these.
• Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until edges are golden brown. Do not over bake.
• Take a wooden spoon with a round handle and cover the bottom part of the handle with vegetable oil. This will make the cookies slide off easier.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and take them off one at a time. Flipping them onto the handle of your wooden spoon.
• Quickly roll cookie around spoon handle overlapping the edges to form a cigar shape. Then slide off and put on a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat with remaining cookies. Greasing your spoon as needed. If the cookies get too hard... pop them back in the oven for a minute or two.