Holiday Globe-Trotting Drinks and Desserts Party

Naughty Hot Chocolate

3/4 cup whipping cream
6 tbs sugar
6 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
3 1/2 cups milk (whole milk preferred)
12 tbs Coffee liqueur
12 tbs Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
Grated semisweet chocolate for garnish

Preparation
Combine sugar, cocoa powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup water slowly while whisking, to ensure smooth mixture. Gently simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Simmer 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and return to simmer. Divide hot chocolate among warmed mugs. Divide 2 tablespoons of each liqueur into each mug. Top each with whipped cream, and garnish with grated chocolate.

Hazelnut Martini

2 oz Frangelico
1 oz Vodka

Preparation
Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime or grated hazelnut.

Frangelico and Cream

1 shot Frangelico
1 shot cream or half 'n half
Dash of Vodka

Preparation
Combine in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake then strain into a tumbler with ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Chocolate Kiss Martini
1 oz Frangelico
2 oz Creme de Cacao White

Preparation
Combine in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with dark chocolate shavings and a chocolate swizzle stick.

Mocha Gelato Cooler
3 scoops mocha flavored gelato
½ cup Kahlua
Handful chocolate covered espresso beans
4 cups chopped ice

Preparation
In a blender, add gelato, Kahlua and espresso beans to 4 cups of ice. Blend well for 2 minutes or until it resembles a thick milkshake. Pour into high ball glasses with straws. La Dolce Chanukah!

Frangelico Cheesecake

32 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup Frangelico
1 store bought graham cracker crust, thawed and pressed into a spring form pan

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, with mixer set at medium speed, blend all ingredients well. Pour into spring form pan and bake 40 - 50 minutes. Allow to cool then chill before serving

Raspberry Grand Marnier Genoise Tarte

4 large eggs (whites separated)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 small packet of yeast
A pinch of cocoa powder
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 tbs Grand Marnier
1 pint raspberries

For the pastry cream:
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl on high speed, mix eggs whites until very firm with peaks. Add a little sugar at a time and one yolk at a time until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix in the flour, yeast and cocoa powder then gently fold into the egg mixture. Pour mixture into a greased tarte pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tarte and cool for 30 minutes then horizontally cut the tarte into two pieces.
Prepare the pastry cream. In a saucepan, bring milk and vanilla bean to a gentle boil. In a small bowl, briskly whisk egg yolks and sugar until well incorporated. Add the flour and mix. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot milk and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thick.

In a small bowl, combine warm water, sugar and Grand Marnier. With a pastry brush, gently paint the sides of the tarte then add half the pastry cream to the bottom layer. Close the tarte then add the remaining half of the pastry cream to all sides of the tarte. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Serves 8.

Daniel Boulud's Chocolate Mousse

2¼ cups heavy cream
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup plus ½ cup sugar
6 large eggs, separated
3 large eggs
Chocolate shavings for serving
Whipped cream for serving

Preparation
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it barely holds soft peaks. Do not overwhip. Put the chocolate into a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making certain that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until the chocolate has melted and is hot. Remove from the heat.
Combine the 2/3 cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a small, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil without stirring. Cover and boil until the sugar has completely dissolved. Uncover and let the mixture boil until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240°F, on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until thick and pale. When the syrup reaches 240°F, pour the syrup in a fine stream into the eggs, beating at high speed until the mixture is cool, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the egg mixture to another bowl. Wash the mixer bowl and whisk.

Put the egg whites into the clean mixer bowl. While whisking, gently add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making certain that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, and stir until the mixture is hot to the touch. Attach the bowl to the mixture and whip with the whisk attachment, until the meringue holds tall, stiff, glossy peaks.
Fold one-third of the yolk mixture into the meringue. Working very quickly, fold the whipped cream into the hot melted chocolate (if the chocolate is not hot, rewarm over simmering water or in the microwave). Fold in the yolk mixture and then the meringue until just blended. Spoon the mousse into a large serving bowl and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve family style with chocolate shavings and whipped cream alongside in separate bowls. Serves 6 – 8.

Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four Star Chef, Daniel Boulud, Filipacchi Publishing, 2003

Tender Molten Chocolate Ganache Cakes

1 cup flour, sifted
1 oz corn starch
¾ cup Baker’s dark chocolate, chopped
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
8 eggs whites
1 cup sugar

For the ganache:
3.5 oz dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt ¾ cup Baker’s chocolate then add melted butter, mixing constantly. Remove from heat and add flour, corn starch and ½ cup chopped nuts.
In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with 1 cup of sugar until firm peaks form. Then delicately fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture.

For the ganache, in a saucepan on medium heat, melt the chocolate pieces and add cream. Allow to cool completely and get solid. Form into small balls approx 2 cm in diameter.

Using melted butter, brush inside of 15 aluminum cupcake cups, add ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts to cover the butter inside the cup. Gently add the chocolate cake batter into each aluminum cup ¾ full.
Place one ganache ball inside each cup. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Serve with dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. Serves 15.

Italian Zuccotto--Frozen Cream Cake

12 oz sponge cake
2 oz dark chocolate
2 oz chocolate chips
2 oz confectioner’s sugar
1 oz peeled almonds ground
2 oz candied citrus pieces pre-packaged
1 lb fresh cream
1 cup Cointreau

Preparation
Cut the sponge cake horizontally into slices and line a round, smooth pudding basin. Lightly moisten the slices with the Cointreau. Whip the cream together with the confectioner’s sugar and add the ground almonds, the chocolate chips, and the tiny pieces of candied citrus. Divide mixture into two parts. Melt the dark chocolate and add to one part of the mixture. Pour the white mixture into the pudding basin, and make it stick to the sponge cake lining the sides. Leave a space in the middle and fill this with the chocolate mixture. Freeze for at least 3 hours before serving. Serves 8.