Chocolate Festival in Robbins

Cake decorating demonstration by professional chef Walter Viegelmann.

I've never seen so much chocolate as I did at the Chocolate Festival in Robbins yesterday  It was a fun event, but I must say I have had quite enough chocolate for a while, and I'm a real chocolate lover.

Fruit and dessert tidbits for dipping in the chocolate fountain.

Book signing by Foy Allen Edelman.

Cafe with hotdogs and of course plenty of chocolate desserts available for sale.

I contributed this walnut-chocolate meringue cake--gluten free--good with whipped cream.

One of my favorites was this chocolate pie contributed by Randy Hussey.

The Three Musketeers--entry into Chocolate Fashion Show.

Fudge Puppy at Build-a-Bear

Build-A-Bear Workshop in Crabtree Valley Mall.

I hadn't built a stuffed animal at Build-A-Bear since my grands were toddlers, so it was a lot of fun on Monday when I built a Fudge Pup to donate to the Chocolate Festival in Robbins this Saturday.  I chose a dark brown puppy named Fudge Pup.  Kris of Build-a-Bear stuffed him for me and we put in his heart.

Giving Fudge Pup a heart.

Then it was off to the dressing room where he was outfitted with a Chef's hat and coat and a pair of high top Converse shoes.

Chef's hat and coat.

Converse high top shoes for Fudge Pup.

 Then I filled out his birth certificate.

I'm making his birth certificate.

Birth Certificate, note he will be "born" on May 5, the day of the Festival.

All dressed and ready to go.

Fudge Pup's little "house"

Fudge Pup will be available in the Silent Auction at the Chocolate Festival on Saturday.  I hope some lucky kid  will make a good home for this little puppy. 

The Angus Barn's Chocolate Chess Pie

Image from the Angus Barn website.

A famous dessert from the Angus Barn is their chocolate chess pie. I made it recently. As you may know from some of my earlier posts, I'm trying chocolate recipes to decide what I'll take to the Chocolate Festival in Moore County.  This is a great pie, very rich, and it will satisfy your chocolate craving.

A really, really good chocolate chess pie.

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie shell
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 (1 ounce) Bakers semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 dash salt

Directions 

1. Melt butter and chocolate
2. Mix with other ingredients which have been blended together.
3. Pour into pie crust,.
4. Bake 35 minutes, at 350.
5. Top with whipped cream.  (Except I didn't when I made it.)

Chocolate Shortbread

I'm trying out more chocolate recipes and recently I made this chocolate shortbread with a recipe from the Joy of Baking website. Chocolate Shortbread Recipe

Chocolate Shortbread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with the rack in the center of the oven. Lightly butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract and egg yolk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until a dough forms. Press the shortbread dough in an even layer onto the bottom of the tart pan. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, or just until the shortbread is set and no longer looks wet. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. While the shortbread is baking, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water (this can also be done in the microwave). Immediately upon removing the shortbread from the oven, pour the warm chocolate glaze over the shortbread and, using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, evenly spread the glaze over the shortbread. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and press them gently into the glaze. Let the chocolate shortbread cool completely then remove the sides of the tart pan and cut into 16 wedges. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days or they can be frozen Makes 16 shortbread wedges. This is nice and buttery and not too sweet.  I think I'll make this to take down to the  Chocolate Festival in Robbins

Chocolate Shortbread: 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 large egg yolk Chocolate Glaze: 3 ounces (90 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 1/2 cup (120 ml) semi sweet chocolate chips) 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/3 cup (80 ml) salted or unsalted toasted nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts), coarsely chopped

Chocolate Whoppers

Chocolate whopper.

I'm trying out a few of my favorite chocolate recipes in preparation to enter a Chocolate Festival Contest in May.  Mary and Dave's church, Smyrna United Methodist Church in Moore County is hosting the festival as a fundraiser for the  Robbins Area Christian Ministries.  One of my favorite cookies is the chocolate whopper sold at Foster's Market in Durham, and I use Sarah Foster's recipe.  This is a recipe inspired by a similar cookie made at the SoHo Charcuterie back in the early 80s.


Chocolate Whoppers
Recipe from The Foster's Market Cookbook

Foster's Market Cookbook.

Ingredients
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably high-quality baking chocolate), chopped into large chunks
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into large chunks
 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.
3. Melt together the semisweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate chunks, and butter in a double boiler over low heat until just melted, stirring occasionally. Stir to blend the chocolate and the butter, and set aside.
4. Cream together the eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and mix until thick and creamy.
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.
6. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and blend until well combined. Add the flour mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moist.
7. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips. (Note: The batter will be very moist--similar to the consistency of cake batter)
8. Scoop the batter with a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or by the heaping tablespoon and drop onto the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake immediately.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, turning the baking sheets once during the cooking time. The cookies will still be very gooey inside and soft, but do not overcook or the cooled cookies will be dry. Cool about 10 minutes on the baking sheets before gently removing the whoppers to a baking rack to cool completely.

Plate of chocolate whopper cookies.