Cream Cheese + Dark Chocolate + Berries

...equals something seriously good! We love having cheesecakes for birthdays and family celebrations, but even with our wonderful springform pan, it is still a little hard to slice the "cake" and serve it intact. (Doubly hard when we've topped the cheesecake with our favorite chocolate/berry combo.) Enter the mini cheesecake - with its shiny foil wrapping, serving is a cinch. Topped with a rich, dark chocolate ganache and a slightly tart, mixed berry sauce, these little cheesecakes end any meal with a perfectly delicious note. In this recipe, we have modified a favorite to include xylitol (a low-glycemic sweetner with numerous health benefits), but it does work just as well with normal white sugar!

Mini Cheesecakes with Dark Chocolate Ganache
and Berry Sauce

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1/3 cup xylitol (or granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (or 2 teaspoons cornstarch)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese in mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and follow with remaining ingredients. Beat all ingredients for about five minutes.

Spoon mixture into foil-lined muffin tins, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Centers should be set, and a knife poked in the center should come out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes before topping with ganache and berry sauce. Chill for at least one hour before serving, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Makes 12 standard muffin-sized cheesecakes.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1/4 cup xylitol (or powdered sugar)

Melt ingredients together in a double-boiler. Stir carefully until the chocolate is completely melted and the sweetener is dissolved. Let cool slightly before mounding onto the cheesecakes.



Berry Sauce

1 cup frozen mixed berries (can substitute any berry, except strawberries)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 cup xylitol (or granulated sugar)
1/4 teaspoon glucomannan or 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with a few tablespoons of water.

Warm berries and lemon juice together in saucepan. Add sweetener and stir until dissolved. Carefully blend in thickener while stirring with a wire whisk to prevent lumps. Heat through or until thickener is fully cooked, if using cornstarch. Cool to room temperature before spooning onto the mini cheesecakes.

Chocolate times two!

What could be better than a fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie? A chocolate chocolate chip cookie, naturally. Double the chocolate for double the fun! This "Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookie" is a great way to satisfy your chocolate and cookie cravings at the same time, or just to add a little variation to your usual baking repertoire.

Doubly Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly; remove cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 ½ dozen cookies.

Baking with Chocolate...



Modeled with these two trivets in spring and fall colors, our chocolate scones are satisfyingly rich, a tasty treat to serve as a dessert or an afternoon snack.

Milk Chocolate Scones
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (does not need to be softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 - 10 tablespoons milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter to dry ingredients and blend until dough resembles coarse sand. (A pastry cutter works best for this!)

Add in vanilla and approximately 8 tablespoons of milk; mix with a fork until just until the dough comes together. Use additional milk if the dough is too dry. Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips.

Turn out dough and knead several times. Pat into an 8-inch circle and place on a baking sheet. (We prefer to use either a cast iron skillet or a stoneware pizza pan.) Cut into 8 to 12 wedges and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Bake for 15 to 19 minutes, until scones are set and lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and cool.

Finishing touches:

To make chocolate drizzle, melt remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a double-boiler on the stovetop or in the microwave. Drizzle over scones with a fork before serving. Equally good with a dollop of cream cheese or whipped cream on the side!