Chocolate mascarpone almond cake

Peter has a birthday today. 
He is turning nine, yes, he is already a big boy. I am really so proud of him. 
Of course, I wanted to please him preparing a birthday cake he would like. In fact, this is the favorite birthday cake of our whole family - the chocolate mascarpone almond cake. 
One evening some months ago we were dreaming about the most perfect cake according to our tastes. So everyone of us suggested the kind of ingredients the cake should have. 

Mascarpone, said Violet. 
Chocolate, added I (predictably). 
Biscuits and heavy cream, wanted Peter. 
Almonds, proposed D. 
I put all these words into Google and, surprisingly, there really was a recipe including all of them (this is the source in Bulgarian). The same day we prepared the cake and this was it. This IS it. The cake which holds the taste of roasted almonds, chocolate and mascarpone.

Happy birthday, Peter! I hope, all your wishes will come true! Life is so sweet!

Chocolate mousse cake

Chocolate. Mascarpone. More chocolate. Heavy cream. Sugar. Nine eggs. Nearly no flour. 
Do you think it will be a good cake? 
It is not enough to say it is good, it is the best chocolate cake with two fudgy layers and smooth chocolate mousse between them. And, of course, the mascarpone which fills the mouth with heaven. 
I have always wondered what is the meaning of the word "decadent" concerning cake, but this chocolate cake is decadent, I am sure. It includes so many costly and tasty ingredients, that the occasion you prepare it for should be worth the money and all the efforts. 
Or you should love a lot the people you prepare it for. 
I love my sister Eve. A lot. 
She has a warm heart and is cheerful and always in good faith. She is a psychologist - a really good one and I am very proud of her. 
Some months ago I needed advice. I was so involved into the situation, that I really didn't know what to do. She was the one who showed me the right way to get out of the situation and it was a really, really important decision with lots of important consequences. 
Thank you, Eve, I will never forget your advice! 
So I wish to express my gratitude and love to her and I know how - I will prepare her favourite cake. 

It is not enough to say Eve loves chocolate, because she is one of the most devoted chocoholics I know. This one will be for her, but here is the recipe if you want to please somebody you love.  

The best chocolate cookies - rich and chewy

This recipe is for devoted chocolate lovers - you feel the taste of chocolate in your mouth minutes after you have swallowed the last bite. It is not for people who prefer sweet desserts and the mild taste of milk chocolate - cookies get slightly bitter. The main reason I do them again and again is because the chocolate inside them is soft and remains melted even the day after they are prepared. Recipe is from here and it is for 8 cookies. The original has chocolate chips as an ingredient, but I prefer to make these cookies with chopped chocolate because chocolate chips tend to keep their shape while baking and I want to obtain a more homogenous velvety texture. These cookies are perfect for making ice cream sandwiches.

If you prefer crunchy cookies with emphasis on the butter as a taste, I can recommend you the Crunchy buttery cookies. 

Crunchy buttery cookies with chocolate chunks

These cookies are crunchy. And buttery. And salty. And all this makes the chocolate even more obvious and tasty. The recipe yields 8 cookies and this is the place I saw it.

The best chocolate muffins

I spent some time recently to try different chocolate muffin recipes. Main requirements to the chocolate muffin - it should be soft, it should have a lot of butter as an ingredient, I want to feel the chocolate with all my senses. This is the first recipe which meets the criteria - that's why I call these muffins the best chocolate muffins. Yes, I know, tastes differ, but believe me, it is a good and easy recipe. Two little tips: Take care not to overmix the batter; use a flexible spatula to gently fold ingredients together. Take care also not to overbake the muffins - they should remain soft in the middle. 

No bake chocolate cake with walnuts and green figs

My Mom has a birthday today. Yesterday I decided to surprise her preparing a little birthday cake. And as you probably know, I am an obsessive chocolate eater. I always have a bar of chocolate in my office. And in my purse. And I also have a whole drawer full of different kinds of chocolate at home. My Mom is not such an addicted chocoholic, but she is definitely a passionate chocolate lover. So, my wondering what to prepare for my Mom's birthday lasted no more than five minutes. Something with lots of chocolate, with chocolate as the only ingredient if possible, but I highly doubt that there is such recipe. So the closest to this idea was something with only two ingredients - chocolate and heavy cream. No bake chocolate cake recipe I saw here made me want to try it immediately. After thinking five more minutes, I decided to add something from me - a nut layer, prepared from freshly roasted walnuts or almonds, mixed with sweet green figs. No sooner said than done. I took some walnuts, roasted and chopped them and mixed them with some preserved figs, also chopped. I lined a pan with this sticky mixture, pressed it good with my fingers and poured the chocolate-cream mixture over it. One night in the fridge and today-taraam! - here is your cake, Mom! Happy birthday! I love you so much!

P.S. We tasted the cake already. Mom says this is the best sweet thing she has ever tried. Melting chocolate pleasure accompanied by a crunchy nutty taste. 
I totally agree - this is a must-try recipe.

Chocolate mousse

Chocolate mousse should be perfect. It is one of those sweet treats which are supposed to make you say "Mmmmm!" when savouring it. Chocolate mousse lovers know - this is not something you eat when you lack of time, it needs proper attitude. It could bring a sexy end to an intimate dinner or be the perfect beginning of the weekend day served with a cup of coffee. So the recipe for chocolate mousse has to be perfect, the mousse should fill the mouth with creaminess and the mind with airy dreams.

I've wanted to make chocolate mousse since months, but just in principle. I had no idea which ingredients would make the best recipe. And one day I saw a recipe here and decision was taken.  A lot of heavy cream? OK, I agree.  Mascarpone instead of eggs? Well, this is my dessert. Luscious and fluffy, it is so good, that I think it should be served straight, no need of additional cream or fruit above. 

Chocolate biscuit cake and the joy to have a grown-up daughter

Do you know how Violet made my weekend sweet and nice? With a sweet surprise - she prepared chocolate biscuit cakes we both enjoyed both weekend-mornings with our coffees. It is soo good to have a grown-up daughter - she is like a good friend to me, she understands my feelings, my monthly mood swings, she is a good shopping adviser. And also a great kitchen girl. 
This is the source she used for preparing the cake (called in Bulgarian sweet salami because of its shape).
So I had my first piece of chocolate biscuit cake as a surprise on Saturday morning and there is no sweet salami home yet. And I should admit, men at home don't like such treats. But we both shared two cakes with lots of coffee cups, without blaming ourselfs. This sweet salami is rich, very rich, but it is so tasty. And who cares about calories if they give you such satisfaction.
Violet has a birthday today - she is getting sixteen. 

Happy Sweet sixteen, V. I am so happy to have you in my life. Love you so much.

Flourless chocolate cake

About 10 days ago I had a birthday and, predictably, I prepared a cake with lots of chocolate included. Every day is chocolate day for me, but, of course, there had to be a lot of it for my special occasion. It has intense chocolate flavour and smooth buttery texture. I will keep on searching for the best chocolate-including recipe, but this recipe is close to perfection. 

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 300 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200 g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar

For the ganache:

• 100 g heavy cream
• 200 g bitter sweet chocolate
• 40 g butter
• 3 Tbsp sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 190°C (370°F) . Butter the bottom of a 20-cm pan. Set aside. 

Cut chocolate into small pieces to enable it to melt quickly and evenly. Put into a small metal bowl, add the butter, cut also into small pieces and melt together in a double broiler, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes. 
Beat the egg yolks, adding slowly 1/2 cup of the sugar until mixture triples in volume. 
Add the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl with clean beaters, adding slowly the second 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat until the egg whites get thick and white. Add slowly egg whites to the chocolate mixture and spoon into the battered pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate. 
Prepare the ganache. Heat the heavy cream on medium heat and add the chopped chocolateq butter and sugar. Stir to incorporate well. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes and spread over the cake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or a colorful decoration. 
This cake tastes better one day after prepared.

Chocolate lava cake

Same ingredients like yesterday's chocolate tart (except the salt), but different amount of them and different result. Chocolate lava cake is a popular French dessert, served worldwide. Its consistency makes it so popular, and namely the soft runny chocolate centre. 

Legend says it was a result of a chef's mistake - the cook took the individual chocolate cakes too early from the oven and the chocolate oozed out when cut in the middle. The right baking time which determines the consistency is around 10 minutes, but it depends on the oven you use and don't bother - if you overbake slightly, you will have just a moist cake.

Chocolate tart with candied hot peppers