I Heart Chocolate

I love chocolate any day and time of the year, but February seems to be a big month for chocolate due to Valentine’s Day.  I’m sharing three recipes which I’ve had recently.   My neighbor shared the brownie goody bar recipe with me and it’s my favorite of the three.   They are all good depending upon how rich you like your chocolate and if you prefer certain textures over others.

Brownie Goody Bars

1 box Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix (water, oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box)

1 container Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy vanilla frosting

3/4 up salted peanuts, coarsely chopped (you can omit if you want)

3 cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 (12 oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom only of 13 x 9 in. pan with cooking spray. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)  Make and bake brownies as directed on box.  Cool completely in refrigerator.  You want them to be nice and cold before you do this next part.  Frost brownies and sprinkle with peanuts.  Refrigerate while making cereal mixture.  Pour cereal in bowl.  The original directions say to melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.  I like to use the microwave.  Start at 1 minute and then heat in 30 second increments.  Be sure you don’t overcook the chocolate.  Pour the mixture over the cereal and stir until evenly coated.  Spread over frosted brownies.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until set before cutting.  Store tightly covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.   Makes 24 bars.

My sister-in-law made the chocolate pots and shared the recipe with me.  They are delicious with a little whipped cream on top.

Chocolate Pots

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp kosher salt

3 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

6 oz. bitter-sweet chocolate chopped

1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Add 1/3 cup milk stirring to form a smooth paste.  Whisk in the remaining milk and egg yolks.  Cook the pudding mixture over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 15 min. (Do not allow to boil).  Remove from heat.  Add the vanilla and chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is melter and mixture is smooth.  Pour into 8 4 oz. ramekin, and refrigerate, covered until well chilled at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.

I made these Brownie Lava Cakes in 4 oz. mini mason jars for some friends recently and they were a hit.  You can also make them in ramekins and then invert the cake on a plate.  I thought it was the perfect size treat to end a meal.  I also love the mason jar idea.  You can make them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. The best part is there is no baking, you microwave each one individually for a minute.  I thought they would make cute little Valentines Day treats.  You can find the complete details on how to make them at The Yummy Life website.   I found the 4 oz mason jars at Walmart.