Cakes by Sana Ishaq

Chocolate Passion

Beacause every recipe has a story to tell!

In this Issue Chocolate Decadence

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings

Chocolate Cookie Pudding

Double Chocolate Souffles with warm fudge sauce

Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

Salted Chocolate Tart

Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches

Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflés

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Chocolate Cake IV

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

This rich and indulgent chocolate dessert is sure to satisfy the craziest of chocoholics.

Chocolate Decadence Ingredients Cooking spray 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 large egg white 8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

This first luscious dessert, Chocolate Decadence, is simple, fast, and perfect for a quick weeknight treat when you need something sweet. The best part is that the ingredients are super simple pantry staples that you probably already have on hand.

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes. Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

These classic chocolate chip cookies are sure to be an instant hit with family and friends.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels

Preparation

Once you make this chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll probably never use another one. It just might be the perfect chocolate chip cookie

Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.Bake at 350° for 8 to 14 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Decrease salt to 1/2 teaspoon. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter with butter and sugars. Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. Proceed as directed. (Dough will look a little moist.)Oatmeal-Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce flour to 2 cups. Add 1 cup uncooked quickcooking oats to dry ingredients and 1 cup raisins with morsels. Proceed as directed.Pecan-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans with morsels. Proceed as directed.AlmondToffee Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce morsels to 1 cup. Add 1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds and 1 cup almond toffee bits. Proceed as directed.Note: For testing purposes only, we used Hershey’s Heath Bits O’Brickle Almond Toffee Bits.Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies: Substitute 1 (12-ounce) package dark chocolate morsels for semisweet chocolate morsels. Proceed as directed.

One online reviewer claims that this is now her go-to chocolate dessert recipe because it offers such a satisfying, decadent result for minimal effort. What else could you ask for in a dessert?

Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding Ingredients 1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread 2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg, lightly beaten Cooking spray 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Try not to chop the chocolate too finely for this bread pudding recipe so you’ll have good-sized chunks to bite into. Hawaiian sweet bread is a soft, sweet bread found in the bakery section of most grocery stores. Leftovers are good for ham and Swiss sandwiches.

Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or untiltoasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate. Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

Worthy of a special occasion

Chocolate Cookie Pudding Ingredients 1 (5.9-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix 2 cups milk 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed $ 16 double-stuffed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (about 2 cups) 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted All you need are 6 ingredients to create this family-pleasing dessert that combines cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and instant chocolate pudding.

Preparation

Whisk together chocolate instant pudding mix and 2 cups milk for 2 minutes. Cover pudding, and chill 5 minutes.Stir together cream cheese and whipped topping, blending well. Place 1 cup crushed cookies evenly on bottom of an 8-cup bowl. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over crushed cookies; sprinkle with half of pecans. Spread all of pudding evenly over top; spread remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pudding. Sprinkle with remaining cookies and pecans. Chill until ready to serve.Note: For testing purposes only, we used Oreo Double Stuf for double-stuffed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies.Mocha-Chocolate Cookie Pudding: Crush 16 coffee-flavored cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. Stir 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee into cream cheese mixture. Omit pecans. Proceed as directed. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Double Delight Oreo Coffee ‘n Creme for sandwich cookies.Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookie Pudding: Crush 16 peanut butter cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. Substitute 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter for cream cheese and 1 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts for pecans. Proceed as directed.Note: For testing purposes only, we used Double Delight Oreo Peanut Butter & Chocolate for sandwich cookies.

Chocolate chunks make these brownies fudgy; decrease baking time to 23 minutes to make them extra gooey.

Chunky Chocolate Brownies Ingredients

2 tablespoons water 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter 1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chunks, divided 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans, toasted Powdered sugar

Using chocolate chunks in these brownies makes them extra fudgy and chopped nuts provide a nice crunch.

Preparation Combine first 3 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat,

stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chunks until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, stirring just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; stir in remaining chocolate chunks and hazelnuts. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture in saucepan. Spread into a lightly greased 9-inch square pan. Bake at 325° for 23 to 28 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into squaressmooth. Serve warm with soufflés

Why settle for a plain cheesecake when you can indulge in one with a chocolate batter and a rich chocolate glaze?

Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake Ingredients 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans 4 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate baking squares 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 7 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 Chocolate Glaze Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, sliced strawberries

Chocoholics are sure to love this ultrarich cheesecake, which features traditional cheesecake filling sandwiched between a chocolate-pecan brownie base and a thick, homemade chocolate glaze.

Preparation Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans evenly over the bottom of each of 2 greased and floured 9-inch

springform pans.Microwave chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Beat butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and chocolate morsels. Divide batter evenly between pans, spreading over chopped pecans.Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; add 1 3/4 cups sugar, beating until blended. Add 7 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Divide cream cheese mixture evenly between each pan, spreading over brownie batter.Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool completely on wire racks.Spread top of each cooled cheesecake with 1 recipe Chocolate Glaze; cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides of pans before serving. Garnish, if desired.

This wonderful cake is a chocolate version of the classic Italian Cream Cake.

Chocolate Italian Cake Ingredients

5 large eggs, separated 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup shortening 2 cups sugar 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

v This is a chocolate version of the traditional Italian cream cake with coconuts and pecans folded into the batter and a rich, thick chocolate cream cheese filling and frosting.

Preparation Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Beat butter and shortening until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in coconut, chopped pecans, and vanilla. Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove cake layers to wire racks, and cool completely. Spread Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

Only 3 ingredients are needed to reach chocolate heaven with these super-easy chocolate sandwich cookies.

Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches Ingredients 1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips 2 cups heavy cream 2 9-ounce boxes Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

The only cooking involved in these easy 3-ingredient sandwich cookies is heating the chocolate chips and cream in a saucepan.

Preparation Melt the chocolate chips in the heavy cream over low heat, stirring occasionally until blend-

ed. Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator until cool but not firm. (Can be made ahead to this point up to 2 days ahead, but allow the cream to soften before proceeding.) Beat the chocolate cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Assemble the sandwiches with 2 Chocolate Wafers and a few tablespoons of ganache. Note: If you like crispy cookies and creamy filling, make these as close to party time as possible. For a softer, ice-cream-sandwich type of dessert, make them 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. The wafers will absorb some of the filling and become more cakelike.

These chocolaty souffles, which are airy and elegant, garnered out test kitchens highest rating

Bittersweet Chocolate Souffles Ingredients Cooking spray 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large egg yolks 4 large egg whites 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preparation Preheat oven to 350°.

If you think making soufflés is hard, think again. These instructions will have you discovering your inner dessert chef and impressing the guests at your next dinner party.

Coat 8 (4-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt in a small saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thick (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 3 minutes. Gradually stir in vanilla and egg yolks. Spoon chocolate mixture into a large bowl; cool. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar, beating mixture until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture and the chopped chocolate. Spoon into prepared ramekins. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar

Buttermilk is the surprising secret ingredient in this tender, rich chocolate pound cake. Instead of calling for Mexican chocolate, the same flavor is created with semisweet chocolate and cinnamon

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake Ingredients 1 (8-oz.) package semisweet chocolate baking squares, chopped* 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 large eggs 1/2 cup chocolate syrup 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk Garnish: powdered sugar

Instead of using Mexican chocolate in this recipe, we developed the same flavor profile using more common ingredients-semisweet chocolate and cinnamon. If you prefer to use Mexican chocolate, look for it with the hot drink mixes or on the Hispanic food aisle.

Preparation Microwave chocolate baking squares in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute and 15

seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring every 15 seconds.Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt pan. 4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack, and let cool 1 hour and 30 minutes or until completely cool. Garnish, if desired. *2 (4.4-oz.) packages Mexican chocolate, chopped, may be substituted for semisweet chocolate baking squares. Omit ground cinnamon, and proceed with recipe as directed. For testing purposes only, we used Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Chocolate

The rich and tender cake layers would probably be fine on their own, but when you add the coffee icing, the creamy mocha filling, and the chocolate curls, this chocolate cake goes beyond fabulous.

Chocolate Cake IV Ingredients cooking spray vegetable shortening 1/2 (4 ounce) semisweet chocolate baking bar, chopped 1/2 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 cup boiling water

This impressive chocolate cake recipe features three layers of tender chocolate cake and two layers of creamy mocha-chocolate filling covered in a rich chocolate-coffee ganache. The fourth element of chocolate is the garnish of chocolate curls that are sprinkled on top of the cake.

Preparation Coat 3 (8-inch) round cakepans with cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper;

grease wax paper with shortening, and set aside. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth; set aside. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in boiling water. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing. Spread half of Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling evenly over ganache on cake layer. Top with second cake layer; spread top with 4 tablespoons Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing and remaining Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

What's better than a chocolate brownie? A chocolateglazed brownie, of course.

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies Ingredients 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup butter or margarine 1/4 cup water 4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Reviewers love these brownies because they’re just the right combination of fudgy and cake-like, and the chocolate glaze makes them extra-special.

Preparation Cook first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar

melts. Add 2 cups chocolate morsels and vanilla extract, stirring until mixture is smooth. Let cool 15 minutes. Add flour, baking soda, and salt to cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until blended; stir in eggs and chopped pecans until blended. Spread brownie batter into a greased and floured 13x 9-inch pan. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups chocolate morsels evenly over warm brownies, and let stand 5 minutes to soften. Spread over top. Cool on a wire rack.

Use a highquality chocolate in these lighter molten lava

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes Ingredients 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons canola oil 3 ounces high-quality dark or bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), chopped 3 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 2/3 cup) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large eggs Baking spray with flour Powdered sugar (optional)

If you prefer a more soufflé-like cake, add all of the chocolate into the egg mixture during step 3. Use a high-quality chocolate. It will make all the difference.

Preparation Combine butter, oil, and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering wa-

ter until chocolate almost fully melts, stirring gently with a spatula. Remove top of double boiler; stir until chocolate fully melts. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Set aside 2 1/2 tablespoons chocolate mixture. Gradually pour remaining chocolate mixture in a thin stream over egg mixture, beating at medium speed. Gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Divide batter evenly among 10 (5-ounce) ramekins coated with baking spray. Working with 1 ramekin at a time, spoon 3/4 teaspoon reserved chocolate mixture into center, pushing teaspoon toward center of batter. Repeat with remaining ramekins and chocolate mixture. Arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°.Let ramekins stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Uncover and bake at 400° for 13 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top (centers will not be set). Place a dessert plate on top of ramekin. Using a dry kitchen towel to steady ramekin, invert each cake onto plate. Garnish with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve immediately

Our next issue would include special desserts for christmas