PB frosting

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. 

Carolyn's Truffles

Dark Chocolate Truffle Hearts


8 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped


3/4 C. heavy cream

To make the dark chocolate truffle hearts: Put the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate.

Set aside for 5 minutes and then stir with a whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture (called ganache) onto a nonstick baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache in a smooth, even layer to within about 1 inch of the inside edges. Place the ganache in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until very firm to the touch.

Line a 10 to 12 inch dinner plate with parchment paper or wax paper. Remove the firm ganache from the freezer or the refrigerator. Portion 12 heaping tablespoons of ganache onto the paper. Wearing a pair of disposable vinyl (or latex) gloves, individually roll each portion of ganache in your palms in a circular motion, using just enough gentle pressure to form a smooth orb. This is a traditional truffle. Return each formed truffle to the paper-lined plate and place in the freezer while preparing the cake batter.

chocolate mousse frosting

3 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder
Dash of salt

In a chilled bowl blend ingredients, then whip until mixture holds a peak. Frosts 2 (9 inch) round layers, split in half plus sides and top. Refrigerate.

from cooks.com
YUM

Turtle Cheesecake...sounds divine. Found at Skip To My Lou

Turtle Cheesecake
Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies (chocolate graham crackers or chocolate animals crackers work well)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons whipping cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
1 cup caramel sauce (I gently boil a can of sweetened condensed milk covered completely in water in a covered stock pot for about 3 hours, cool slightly, open and pour onto cheesecake)
1/2 cup (about) chopped toasted pecans
chocolate ganache (melt about 4 oz chocolate chips with 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream)
For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind cookies in processor. Blend in butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter spring-form pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Double wrap outside of spring-form pan with foil.
For Filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.
Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chocolate and stir until mixture is melted and smooth. (This can be done in the microwave) Remove from heat.
Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Spoon chocolate mixture over by tablespoons, spacing evenly. Using tip of knife, swirl chocolate mixture into filling. If you feel chocolate mixture is too thick just stir in a bit of the cheese mixture. Place cheesecake in a pan filled with water so it comes about 1/3 up the side of the cheese cake pan and bake until sides are set and center moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. (Cake may crack.) Cool in pan on rack. Chill overnight.
Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Drizzle caramel and chocolate ganache over top of cake. Garnish with pecans.

Perfect Crusting Chocolate Buttercream

Found this recipe here and wanted to hang on to it to try it out.

Perfect Crusting Chocolate Buttercream

Have tried several chocolate buttercream recipes and haven't been sold on any of them... Maybe because I'm not a big fan of buttercream in general... anyway, had to make a last minute cake with chocolate buttercream filling and icing... so I just started throwing things in the mixer. It turned out beautifully and my family is now eating the icing by the spoonful. Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter and you have an amazing chocolate peanut butter icing or filling... If using as a filling, chop up some peanut butter cups and sprinkle on top of the filling once you've put it on the cake and it's beyond belief!

INGREDIENTS:
6 sticks or 3 cups of salted butter (softened)
3 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder (special dark for a darker frosting)
1 bag of Ghiradelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips (melted)
2lbs (1 bag) of confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix butter, milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder in your mixer until thoroughly combined and smooth.

2. Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave on 30 second intervals stirring between heating. Then pour into the mixer a little at a time mixing as you go.

3. After the chocolate has been added to the other ingredients and you have a smooth consistency, add in the confectioner’s sugar. I just drape a dish towel over my kitchen aid and pour in the whole bag. Then turn it on low and let it go for a couple of minutes. If it is a little too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.

4. Let it sit at room temp for a couple of hours and ice your cake! Also great as a filling.


FOR DARKER CHOCOLATE... Use the Hershey's special dark cocoa powder or add 3 drops of black food color and about a teaspoon of brown. You'll get a nice dark chocolate color.

FOR CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING… add 1/2 cup of peanut butter to your butter mixture before adding your powdered sugar.

PEANUT BUTTER CUP FILLING… sprinkle chopped peanut butter cup between the layers after you spread your filling. NOTE: I don't recommend mixing the peanut butter cups into your filling will just break them down into nothing and you won't even recognize they are there...

hot cocoa

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/best-hot-cocoa-mix-684253/

Ingredients

• 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended.

2. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you're ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

The secret ingredient in this mix is the mini chocolate chips, which melt when combined with the boiling water and give the cocoa an extra-rich flavor. The recipe makes enough for four gift-size portions, each of which can be measured into a small plastic bag and tucked into a cup or mug filled with mini marshmallows, candy stick stirrers, and a spoon. Wrap each filled gift cup in cellophane and don't forget to include a tag with the following instructions: "Spoon 3 or 4 generous tablespoons of cocoa mix into your cup (depending on the size), add boiling water, and stir well."

Chocolate Chip/Peanut Butter Cookies (from K.J.)

This recipe is great. They are fast to make, no planning is needed (you can throw frozen butter in and melt it in the microwave!), and delicious.

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 bag of chocolate chips (or a little less, but not a little more)

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl that is big enough to hold all the ingredients (no need for extra dishes)
Add sugars and stir by hand. I don't know why, but the recipe from Kasey says a mixer will make the cookies not come out right. I liked her cookies...I was not playing around with the recipe.
Add eggs through soda, stir well to blend in peanut butter.
Add flour, stir well. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonfuls (I love my cookie scoop from Pampered Chef) onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.