Dark Celebration 17

by Christine Feehan

  Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.

  Place half of the brownie cubes in the 2-quart serving bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat all layers.

  Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

  Dark Moist Chocolate Cake

  Submitted by: Brenda Edde

  Englewood, CO

  2 cups sifted flour

  1 cup sugar

  5 tablespoons cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 cup water 1 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon vanilla

  Sift together all dry ingredients. Mix all liquid ingredients. Pour liquid into dry mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour batter into 9 x 11-inch cake pan. Tip: You should pound pan on counter a couple of times to get air bubbles out. Bake 30 minutes at 375°. I like to frost cake with powdered sugar frosting.

  Chocolate Caramel Diamonds

  Submitted by: Eddie L. Thacker

  Kerrville, TX

  Estimated Times:

  Preparation, 45 minutes

  Cooking, 20 minutes

  Chill, 30 minutes

  YIELDS: 42 SERVINGS

  CAKE

  4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

  1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

  1/4 cup sugar

  3 large eggs

  1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  /4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  GANACHE

  5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

  1/3 cup sugar

  1/3 cup heavy cream

  CARAMEL TOPPING

  1/4 cup sugar, MELT SLOWLY

  MAKECAKE

  Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line bottom with wax paper. Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until combined well. Sift flour and cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into baking pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack and invert onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

  MAKE GANACHE

  Chop chocolate. In a dry heavy saucepan, cook sugar over moderate heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar, stirring with a fork, until a deep-golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and add cream (mixture will bubble up and steam). Simmer mixture, stirring, until caramel dissolves. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, stirring until mixture is smooth. Pour ganache over top of cake and smooth with a spatula. Chill cake, uncovered, at least 30 minutes and, covered, up to 3 days.

  MAKE TOPPING

  Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a dry small heavy saucepan, cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until a pale-golden caramel. Continue to cook caramel, without stirring, gently swirling pan, until golden. Remove pan from heat and pour caramel onto baking sheet. Cool caramel completely. Pry caramel from baking sheet with your fingers and in a food processor pulse caramel until coarsely ground. Sprinkle the ground caramel evenly over top of cake and with a sharp knife cut cake into 1 1/4-inch diamonds.

  Black «Carpathian» Forest Stuffed Cupcakes

  Submitted by: Tammy Taylor

  Nashville, TN

  Preparation time, 10 minutes Total time, 45 minutes

  MAKES 2 DOZEN CUPCAKES

  1 package (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix (the darker, the better) 1 package (8-oz) cream cheese, softened

  1 egg

  2 tablespoon sugar

  1 can (20-oz) cherry pie filling, divided 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed

  Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cake batter as directed on package and set aside. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended. Remove 3/4 cup of the pie filling for garnish and set aside. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the cake batter into each of 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and remaining pie filling. Cover each evenly with remaining cake batter. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Top cupcakes with Cool Whip and remaining pie filling to garnish just before serving. Cupcakes should be stored in tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Great substitute-use Cool Whip Chocolate Whipped Topping.

  Per cupcake: Calories, 220 Carbohydrates, 25 g Total fat, 13 g Dietary fiber, 1 g Saturated fat, 4.5 g Sugars, 18 g Cholesterol, 45 mg Protein, 3 g Sodium, 240 mg

  Jaxon's Jell-O Cake or J axon's Blood Cake

  Submitted by: Su-Pei Li

  Hilliard, Ohio

  Enjoy! If not completely enjoyed in one sitting, cover loosely and refrigerate.

  1 box white cake mix, prepared per package instructions

  1 large package (6-oz) Jell-O mix in a red color (raspberry is my favorite)

  1 tub Cool Whip

  1. Make and bake cake in a 13 x 9-inch pan.

  2. Add 2 cups boiling water to dry Gelatin mix. Note that this is only half the water called for in making regular Jell-O. Do not add the 2 cups cold water, only hot.

  3. Cut slits all the way to the bottom into warm (just slightly cooled) cake every few inches with a butter knife.

  4. Pour warm gelatin liquid over warm cake.

  5. Refrigerate to cool completely.

  6. After completely cooled, top with Cool Whip.

  Dark Chocolate Profiteroles

  Submitted by: Nancy A. Staab

  Saint Albans, WV

  Profiteroles are little puff pastries filled with ice cream. They are surprisingly easy to make and are guaranteed to dazzle your guests. First, prepare the pate a choux (puffpastry):

  1/2 cup water

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  3 large eggs, room temperature

  1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into small pieces 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper.

  2. Heat the water, salt, chocolate and butter. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

  3. Immediately add the flour and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until smooth.

  4. Set the mixture over low heat and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove and allow to cool for a few minutes.

  5. Add 1 egg and beat it thoroughly into the mixture. Beat in the second egg until the mixture is smooth.

  6. In a small bowl, beat the third egg. Gradually add enough of this egg to the dough until it becomes shiny and soft enough to just fall from a spoon.

  7. Shape the dough, while warm, into mounds of about 1 1/2 inches.

  Gently push down any points, because they will burn. Bake 30 minutes or until puffed and brown.

  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. The puff pastry will have a hollow center.

  9. When you are ready to serve, open the pastry by making a small opening and fill with a quality chocolate ice cream, drizzle with raspberry sauce and garnish with a few raspberries.

  Dark Chocolate Cool Whip Cookies

  Submitted by: Soemer Simmons

  Normal, IL

  MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4-5 DOZEN COOKIES

  1 German chocolate cake mix

  1egg

  1 (8-oz) container of Cool Whip, thawed powdered sugar

  Put several cups of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Put aside. In a separate bowl, beat together dry cake mix, egg and Cool Whip as well as possible. Take 3/4 batter and roll it into a ball in the powdered sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 11 minutes.

  Midnight Delights

  Submitted
by: Marie Ohngren

  Croswell, MI

  1 cup washed blueberries

  2 cups sliced strawberries mixed with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup grenadine 2 cups cubed angel food cake

  4 ounces shaved dark chocolate 1 carton Cool Whip

  Alternate berries with cake, in 4 glass goblets, ending with strawberries. Top with Cool Whip. Drizzle with strawberry juice and finish with shaved dark chocolate.

  Sinful Confections

  Submitted by: Deborah J. Macklin

  Biloxi, MS

  1 jar smooth peanut butter

  1-2 boxes of powdered sugar 1 package of chocolate chips 1/2 bar of paraffin wax

  Mix peanut butter with powdered sugar-enough to form mixture into 1-inch balls. Melt package of chocolate chips and 1/2 bar of paraffin wax in a double boiler. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate and set on waxed paper to dry.

  Festive Punch

  Submitted by: Stephanie Azmoudeh

  Tampa, FL

  12 cups brewed vanilla nut coffee

  1/2 cup sugar

  1 gallon vanilla ice cream

  1 gallon chocolate ice cream

  3/4-1 cup Frangelico liqueur

  1 can Redi-Whip cream

  Hershey's special DARK syrup

  Brew coffee; add 1/2 cup sugar while hot. Make sure that the sugar is dissolved. Cool coffee.

  Thirty to forty-five minutes before serving, put both ice creams in punch bowl. Add coffee over ice cream. Add Frangelico (can use Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream instead). Top with whipped cream. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top.

  Prussian Dark Chocolate Cherry Cake Submitted by: Margee Ott, great-granddaughter of Prussian immigrant

  Baldwin, WI

  From my German immigrant great-grandmother Magdalana Von Krusemark. Due to DARK chocolate and little sugar, this dessert has a BITE!

  1 1/2 cups flour

  1 cup sugar

  1 cup cacao powder

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup butter (or shortening) 1 (20-oz) can cherry pie filling 1 tablespoon red food coloring

  Mix all ingredients well and pour into greased baking pan(s). May use rectangle 8 x 12-inch, or two round 9-inch pans. Bake 40 minutes at 350°.

  FROSTING

  Frosting is made from melting 16 ounces of DARK or bitter chocolate and then gently pouring over the cake, allowing liquid to freely flow. May garnish with maraschino cherries. The red tones from pie filling and food coloring add rich tones to the dark brown chocolate cake. Very appealing in layered effect, using cherry pie filling between layers.

  Blackberry Wine Cake

  Submitted by: Cathy Smith

  Lynnwood, WA

  1 package white cake mix (has to be white)

  2 small packages Raspberry Jell-O 1 cup oil

  1 cup blackberry wine 4 eggs

  Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease a Bundt pan. Pour mixture in and bake for 50-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to partially cool before removing from pan.

  FROSTING INGREDIENTS 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 cup blackberry wine

  Mix together and drizzle over cooled cake. Allow cake to stand and cool all the way before covering (this will give the outside a crust).

  Heaven and Hell on Earth Torte

  Submitted by: Cindy LaFrance

  Phoenix, AZ

  1 1/2 cups well-chopped cashews

  1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (38 cookies)

  1 cup packed brown sugar

  1 cup butter or margarine, melted

  Dark Cocoa Cake (see below)

  Heaven and Hell Mousse (see below)

  Natural or Chocolate Glazed Leaves (optional)

  1. Heat oven to 350°. Place cooking parchment paper or waxed paper in bottoms of 2 round pans, 9 x 1 1/2 inches. Stir together cashews, crushed cookies, brown sugar and butter. Spread about 3/4 cup mixture in each pan; reserve remaining mixture. Make Dark Cocoa Cake (below). Pour about 1 1/4 cups batter in each pan; refrigerate remaining batter.

  2. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Immediately remove from pans to wire rack and peel off paper. Repeat with remaining cashew mixture and batter. Cool completely.

  3. Make Heaven and Hell Mousse (below). Place 1 layer, cashew side up, on serving plate; spread with about 3/4 cup of the mousse. Repeat with remaining layers and mousse. Or place mousse for top layer in decorating bag; choose a design you like for fancier decorating; garnish with natural or Chocolate Leaves (below). Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours or until chilled. Cover and refrigerate any remaining torte.

  DARK COCOA CAKE INGREDIENTS

  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  1 2/3 cups sugar

  2/3 cup baking cocoa

  3/4 cup shortening

  1 1/4cups water

  1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

  2 eggs

  Heat oven to 350°. Beat all ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

  HEAVEN AND HELL MOUSSE INGREDIENTS 12 ounces cream cheese

  1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

  2 cups peanut butter 3/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature, divided use

  In a bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, then the peanut butter. Continue beating until thoroughly incorporated and fluffy. If mixture looks lumpy, add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. It may not smooth out, but it will be easier to blend. Set aside. Place the remaining heavy cream in another bowl, and using an electric mixer, whip until stiff. Being careful, combine both mixtures thoroughly. Set aside.

  CHOCOLATE LEAVES INGREDIENTS

  5 to 6 nonpoisonous (unsprayed) leaves (lemon, grape or rose leaves work well) or pliable plastic leaves

  1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or 1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate

  1/2 teaspoon shortening

  Wash and dry leaves. Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Brush chocolate about 1/8-inch thick over backs of leaves using small brush. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. Peel off leaves, handling as little as possible. Refrigerate chocolate leaves until ready to use.

  My thoughts on the top design are finishing off with a layer of mouse, then covering it with dark cocoa cake crumbles (to represent the earth). Add well-placed leaves of choice and a possible design or formation of some sort with any leftover mousse. I know your wonderfully creative mind can think of something.

  Or:

  Keeping it DARK, with the dark chocolate glaze on top of a layer of mousse, finishing off with optional garnishes done in mousse with a decorating bag and chocolate-covered leaves.

  DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS

  4 ounce dark chocolate

  3 tablespoons butter

  1 tablespoon milk

  1 tablespoon light corn syrup

  1/4 teaspoon vanilla

  1. In a small, heavy saucepan or microwave oven on medium, melt broken chocolate with butter. Stir frequently until smooth. Remove from heat.

  2. Stir in milk, syrup and vanilla. Place cake on rack over a baking sheet. When glaze is cool, pour onto center of cake. Let glaze run down sides. Chill about 10 minutes to set glaze.

  The Next Best Thing to… Feehan Novels Submitted by: Diana M. Dennison

  3 whole eggs

  3 egg yolks raspberries (or other fruit)

  Preheat oven to 425°. Grease 6 (6-oz) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet.

  Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on medium (50 percent) for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir with a wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Add powdered sugar and flour; mix well. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; beat until well blended. Divide batter eve
nly into prepared custard cups.