My Chocolate Fantasy

Easy cake decorating tips are not too hard to find. When it comes to cake decoration, many find it a very difficult task indeed. To bake a cake is easier than to decorate it. If you are trying to bake a cake for your kid’s birthday or you want to show off your new home to your friends and you have invited them for tea and you want to impress them further by your culinary expertise what better thing to do than serve delightfully decorated cake with tea?

When it comes to the cake decorating part the problem starts. If you are not very good with drawing then your problem is becomes all the more difficult. So what do you do in this situation? Well, here are few tricks of the trade.

It is easy to decorate a cake which has a flat surface. So make sure that the cake you bake, has a flat surface. In order to do that what you could do is after putting in the batter for the cake in the pan you should rap the pan on the counter for a few times. This will ensure that the air bubbles trapped in the batter are removed.

This will help to have a flat topped cake. But this is not enough. You have to make sure that the cake pan gets even heat. You could help your cake by rapping a wet and thick piece of a towel around it and join the ends together by a pin. As the oven starts heating the moist heat from the wet towel will help your cake to rise and bake the cake evenly. Once you achieve the flat top cake decorating it becomes all the more easy.

Now you can get icing kits in the market. You get different tips for the icing. So all you have to do is to follow the instructions on the pack of ready made icing pack and decorate your cake.

If you can make this into a family activity, your children will help you decorate the cake. This will help them feel great about themselves and even if the decoration is not perfect it will not matter!

Another attractive thing is the color combination of the cake. If you make a chocolate cake, decorate it with white color icing. Arrange some multicolored candies in any which way you want. Make arrows or just sprinkle them and you will be the greatest mummy in the world.

If you want to decorate cup cakes just a drop of mixed fruit jam will do the trick. Or you can place a slice of any fruit on the top. Here again if you pay attention to the color combination then you will have a winner on your hand.

You can go in the shop and look for some edible flowers and different things that are available in the market. Once you have that you can recreate many different designs by using those things. There are some books available in the market which tells you how to make those things step by step. Just follow the instructions and you can come up with some very fine looking cake decorations all by yourself.

If you’re a busy mom searching for simple and quirky Halloween snacks for your kids, this article will get you covered. One of the best things about this holiday is that it’s relatively easy to play up with food. It excites kids to actually eat stuffs that scare or repel them. Here are some simple Halloween snacks that kids will surely love.

Witches’ broomsticks

This type of finger food is so easy to prepare. You will need pretzel sticks, a block of cheese and a pack of chives. To prepare, slice the cheese into strips the size of matchsticks. Put a stalk of chives on the surface you’re working. Place the cheese strips along the piece of chives. Be sure to leave about an inch on every side of uncovered chive.

Then, top with the pretzel stick. Pull the chive around the pretzel stick gently as you lift the cheese as well. Next, wrap the ends of the chive together. Arrange it on a serving platter, attached side down. Chill first before serving.

Monster Pops

This quick and exciting treat will make kids crave for more.  You will need big marshmallows, lollipop sticks, sweet white chocolate, frosting, a block of floral foam and green food coloring. You can buy lollipop sticks at any of your local party store or craft shop.

To prepare, insert a lollipop stick into each marshmallow. Inside a double boiler or a pan in medium heat, melt the white chocolate and then slowly add a few drops of green food coloring. Stir constantly until it is mixed evenly with the chocolate. Remove the mixture from heat. Dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate until it’s coated, but avoid dipping for too long to keep the marshmallow from melting.

Let it stay upright using the floral foam. Repeat the same process for the rest of the marshmallows. Once all have been coated, put in the fridge until the chocolate sets. Then you can start decorating with icing. Finally, stick the lollipops into a real or synthetic pumpkin or serve in floral foam.

Creepy fingers

The beauty of this chewy, crackly treat is that you only need four ingredients to prepare it. Now you will finally have a good reason to nibble on fingers. To create creepy fingers, you will need three eggs, 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar, ¾ cup refined sugar and whole almonds. To prepare, preheat oven to about 200 degrees. Then, line your baking pan with parchment paper.

Separate the egg whites from the yolk, beating only the egg whites inside your mixing bowl using a whisker. Beat well until you get a nice, soft fluff. Mix the cream of tartar into the foam well. Add the sugar gradually into the bowl, beating it on high until it forms stiff peaks.

Now, put the mixture in a large, plastic bag. Cut a tiny hole at the tip of the bag and then pipe it on the baking pan shaping it like fingers. Press almond onto the tip of the finger. Bake for about two hours in the oven; until they are crispy and dry.

For some of us, store-bought candy just can’t compare to the flavors of the homemade sort. Many people mistakenly believe that candy creation is a very complex process, but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of candy recipes available that are not only quite easy to make, but quick, as well! In this article I have included a few of my favorites for you to try out.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients:1 jar maraschino cherries3 3/4 cups powdered sugar4 tbsp cream1/2 cup butter1 tsp maple flavoring2 sqs. semi-sweet chocolate2 tbsp. butter1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips2 inch sq. Paraffin wax

Mix the powdered sugar, cream, and butter together. Add 1 teaspoon of maple flavoring, then cover the cherries with the sugar and cream mixture. Place the cherries into the refrigerator to cool. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate, butter, chocolate chips, and paraffin wax and stir well. Dip the cherries into the mixture, then place on wax paper to cool.

Rocky Road Fudge

Ingredients:1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips1 (10 oz.) pkg. miniature marshmallows1 can Eagle Brand milk2 cup dry-roasted peanuts2 tbsp butter

Directions:Add the chocolate chips, milk, and butter into the top portion of a double boiler. Warm over a low heat until melted. Be sure to stir constantly. Remove from the heat, then stir in peanuts and marshmallows. Line a 9 x 13-in baking dish with wax paper, then pour in the chocolate mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and keep stored in the refrigerator.

Glazed Nuts

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups cashews, almonds, raw peanuts, or pecans2 tbsp butter1/2 cups sugar

Directions:Add the butter, sugar, and nuts to a skillet. Bring to a medium heat and stir until the sugar is melted and the nuts are toasted. Spread the nuts out onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Clump them into clusters, if desired. Allow them to cool.

Salt Water Taffy

Ingredients:1 cup sugar2/3 cup corn syrup1/2 tablespoons cornstarch1/2 cup water1 tablespoon butter1/2 teaspoon saltPreferred flavoring

Directions:Add the sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup, butter, and water into a sauce pan over a high heat. Stir until the mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat and add salt to the mixture. Pour onto a greased countertop and allow it to cool slightly (at least until it can be handled). “Pull” the mixture until it turns a light color. Divide into portions and add color and flavoring to each portion while it is being pulled. Wrap in wax paper to store.

White Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:1 lb. white chocolate1 sm. bag mini pretzels

Directions:Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler. Drop in handfuls of pretzels and ensure that they get an even coat. Remove the pretzels and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for a minute or two, then remove them to an air-tight container for storage.

Hosting an Easy Fondue Party is easy. First you have to decide what type of fondue party to have. You can either do a sit down party where everyone gathers around a table or you can do a buffet party where fondue pots are set up in various locations around the house.If you decide to host a sit down fondue party, limit the number of guests to 8 or 10 as everyone needs to be able to reach the fondue pots. If you want to host more people, choose the buffet party and set up pots around the house.Once you determine the type of party and the number of people you will invite, it is time to organize your fondue equipment and select your recipes.Fondue PotsThere are many styles to choose from but basically it comes down to the heating source and the size of the pot.Electric Pot — Rival Fondue Pots are reliable and work well for any kind of fondue party. They are convenient and easy to use because you do not have to worry about the heating source and their non-stick interior makes clean up a breeze.Sterno Pot — You will find several sterno fondue pots on the market. Rachel Ray, the Food Network host, has a series of sterno pots in various colors which work especially well when you do not want to worry about people tripping over electric cords. The sterno units last for several hours too.Tea Light Pot — I especially like fondue pots that use a tea light for the heat source. You can buy a huge bag of tea lights very cheaply at any craft store and you can find the pots in varying sizes so they work well with savory and dessert fondues.If you are going to host fondue parties regularly, it is a good idea to have several different pots available so that you are ready for any situation.Next, you need to choose your recipes. For a party of 8, serve 2 or 3 savory fondue recipes and 1 dessert recipe.Savory Recipe — Garlic Cream Cheese Fondue1/3 cup onion, finely chopped1 clove garlic, minced2 tablespoons Canola oil2-8oz. packages cream cheese, cubed1/2 cup milk8 oz. sour cream1 teaspoon dry mustardDippers such as Italian bread, apples, broccoli, steamed potato chunksIn a heavy saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until translucent.Add cream cheese, milk, sour cream and mustard and stir until melted.Pour mixture into a fondue pot set to low and serve with dippers. This one is fantastic served with bread and potato chunks.Dessert Recipe – Chocolate Caramel Fondue12 Turtles or another chocolate caramel candy1/2 cup whipping cream1/4 teaspoon cinnamonDippers such as pound cake, strawberries, shortbread cookiesCoarsely chop Turtles and place in a microwavable bowl. Add whipping cream and cinnamon.Microwave on medium heat for about 1 minute, stir and then cook another 30 seconds or until candy is completely melted.Pour into a fondue pot and set to low. Serve warm with dippers.The most important thing to remember about hosting an Easy Fondue Party is to keep it casual. That is what fondue parties are all about. It is what your guests expect. Good food, good company, casual environment.

Chocolate mousse recipes abound in all shapes and sizes, some are complicated, and some, like this one, are very easy to make. However, that doesn’t make it any less delicious. This one gets made frequently in our house, and doesn’t last long! I use a blend of white and milk chocolate because I feel that creates a perfect complement to the baileys, and the amaretti biscuits.
This is the sort of recipe that can be easily adapted with all sorts of different flavours, as long as you retain the same ratio of chocolate to cream, and don’t add too much of any ingredient that contains a lot of water, as this could affect the ability of the chocolate and cream to blend together smoothly. I’ve included some other varieties we frequently indulge ourselves in at the end of the recipe, which will hopefully spur you on to dream up your own concoctions.
HELPFUL HINTS: The trick with this recipe is to get the chocolate and cream to the right temperatures so that when they are blended together, the chocolate doesn’t “melt” the cream (which has all the lovely little air bubbles in it because of all the whisking you’ve been doing), and the cream doesn’t make the melted chocolate instantly solidify into little bits. For that reason, I’d suggest you get the cream out of the fridge about half an hour before starting, so that it can warm a little, and don’t forget to let the chocolate cool a little before adding it to the cream!
INGREDIENTS:
300ml (10 fl oz) Double Cream
100g (3.5 oz) Milk Chocolate
200g (7 oz) White Chocolate
100ml (3 fl oz) Irish Cream (Baileys, or any other brand)
Half a dozen small hard amaretti biscuits
METHOD:
Melt the Milk and White Chocolate together gently in a double boiler (or a pyrex bowl over a saucepan with a bit of water in the base), and then set aside to cool a little. Meanwhile, whip the double cream until it just shows the trail of the whisk. Gently fold the cream and melted chocolate together. Then add the Irish Cream, a little at a time, stirring constantly and gently. Pour into individual ramekins, and top with an amaretti biscuit to garnish.
Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours. The finished dessert should be consumed within 3 days of making, unless it is frozen, in which case it will keep in the freezer for at least 3 weeks, if kept inside a tightly sealed box.
Calories per portion: 585 kcal
Fat per portion: 44g
Makes about 6 portions
OTHER OPTIONS:
Substitute dark chocolate for the milk and white chocolate, and add about 200g of fresh raspberries to the mix at the end, folding them in gently to avoid squashing them.
Replace the milk chocolate with white chocolate, and add a few drops of peppermint oil to counteract the sweetness of the white chocolate.
Make some caramel by boiling up 90g of granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy-based saucepan until it is a pale golden brown. Pour it onto a greased baking sheet, and leave for a few hours until cool, then put in a bag and break into small pieces using a rolling pin. Replace the white and milk chocolate with 100g dark chocolate, and 200g milk chocolate to make a really richly chocolatey milk chocolate, and stir the little pieces of caramel into the mousse at the end.
Double the batch size, omit the Irish cream and amaretti cookies, and split the chocolate content into dark, milk and white (i.e. 200g each of white, milk and dark chocolate. Mix them up in separate batches, and either pour into a loaf tin in layers (allowing them to set in between), or pour small amounts into a large serving bowl, stirring together gently at the borders between the colours, to achieve a marbled effect. Delicious served with a fruit coulis!

Chocolate is one of the oldest processed foods enjoyed over the past millennium. It came from the tropical tree called cocoa. This tree is native to South America, Central America and Mexico. The seeds of the cocoa tree are dried and fermented and finally grounded and liquefied. As a result of these processes, pure unsweetened chocolate is formed.
There are different kinds of chocolate. Each is classified according to its composition and color. Milk chocolate is the combination of sugar, cocoa butter and milk. It is considered not a true chocolate because of the absence of cocoa solids formed from the processes involved in production of pure chocolate. White chocolate can be consumed by animals. The addition of sugar and fats makes up the third kind of chocolate. Dark chocolate has high cocoa content and is believed to have health benefits by reducing the occurrence of heart attack. One example of dark chocolate is semisweet chocolate which is used in cooking recipes. Sometimes vanilla is added for a more pleasing aroma.
Chocolate is enjoyed in a wide variety of preparations nowadays. If one would go to a nearby restaurant, cafeteria or snack bar, one would definitely come across chocolates in various attractive servings ranging from breads, cakes, drinks and ice creams.
Below is an easy chocolate dessert recipe that you can enjoy doing. It’s a recipe on how to make your ice cream richer, creamier and attractive when served after a sumptuous meal. It is very easy to prepare.
Chocolate Caramel Sauce
Ingredients:
½ gallon vanilla ice cream of any flavor
10 caramels
¾ cup of Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
1 ¾ cups of Nestle Toll House Milk Chocolate Morsels
Directions:Combine caramels, 1 ½ cups morsels and evaporated milk in a saucepan under low heat. Continuously stir until mixture is smooth. Serve as a topping on ice cream.
This easy chocolate recipe has an estimated cooking time of ten minutes. It yields to seven servings of ¼ cup each. In case of left over, refrigerate and reheat in saucepan while continuously stirring.
You can also use this sauce to add flavor to your brownies and cheesecakes. You can even add peanut butter chips, colored chocolate chips to make it more attractive for kids. This stuff is heavenly and your friends will compliment you for its rich and tempting taste.
This is just an example of an easy to prepare chocolate recipe. Other recipes vary from their ingredients, procedures, cooking time, skill level and the number of servings. Nestle, a multinational packaged food company, offers a wide range of easy chocolate recipes for you to choose from to fit your interests. With its line of chocolate products, dairy products, and ice cream you can surely select a wide variety of easy recipe suggestions to satisfy your eagerness to learn more about easy chocolate recipes.
These easy chocolate recipes let you spend little time in your kitchen yet let you delight anybody’s taste buds. These are easy to follow recipes that you alone can enjoy doing even on a busy day. Enjoy the chocolates. Enjoy the recipes.

They say that for every occasion there is always a delicious cake to complete it. These gourmet cakes come in a wide array of ingredients. Most of the time gourmet cakes are baked on special events like birthdays, ceremonies, parties, and so much more. Even on an ordinary day, you can choose to complete your meal with a tasty cake as a desert. Food recipes are usually categorized into many different kinds. A cake recipe can be found in a cookbook or could be found in the internet. There are web sites which let you have a look at their assorted food recipes for free. Cakes are loved by everyone. They have a sweet and distinctive taste and they can come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. So what are the different types of gourmet cakes and what is behind a satisfying cake recipe? Let’s start off with the bundt cake. It is a cake with no artistic designs and icing decorations on it. It is simply a cake that is baked in a bundt pan and the most popular ones of this kind are the banana, cinnamon, apple and peanut butter cake. Another very famous type of cake is the chocolate cake. Wondering what is the best chocolate cake recipe? There are actually several types of chocolate flavored cakes but on top of these are the Dessert Torte, Black Forest, Chocolate Almond Cake, and so much more. They usually have a round or a square shape with a thick layer of chocolate and icing on top and on the sides of it. Among others, another popular cake recipe is the dessert cake. It is called as such because it is smaller compared to the gourmet cakes. They are often made at home as a daily desert. Some of the most common desert cakes are the chocolate mallows, san rival, tiramisu, mango float, and icebox cake. Some food recipes are intended for people who are on a diet. The cake recipe for these is usually low in sugar and uses an alternative for it. The most commonly used substitute for sugar in these cakes is the maple syrup. Cheesecakes have cheese as the main ingredient and it has a creamy taste. It could be done with layers and for each layer, you can add a filling such as jam, icing, or mousse meringue. This is the cake recipe kids and moms love to bake because it is easy yet delicious at the same time. The crust used in this cake could be cookies and the filling may be a mix of blueberry, chocolate, caramel, strawberry, and many others. This type of cake is very versatile so you can even make these food recipes in your own preference.

When most people think of Christmas, there are certain smells and tastes that immediately come to mind. A kitchen that tantalises the senses is a place that invites family to gather and to linger. Create that kind of kitchen this Christmas with these easy Christmas cakes recipes. Most of the cake ingredients are easy to find; you may already have them in your kitchen cupboards. 1. Holiday Fruitcake – This is a traditional Christmas cake that uses dried fruit, glace cherries, citrus peels, nuts such as pecans or walnuts, sugar, butter, milk, allspice, baking soda, flour, and eggs. 2. Apple and Carrot Pudding – A lower fat Christmas pudding, this recipe is still bursting with flavour. It has carrots, apples, raisins, breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, sugar, butter, and eggs. 3. Cream Cheese Pound Cake – This is great to serve with ice cream or fresh fruit but is tasty enough by itself. It has simple cake ingredients including butter, sugar, cream cheese, eggs, flour, and baking powder. 4. Pumpkin Bread Pudding – Give a new twist to pumpkin pie with this great recipe that uses eggs, milk, sugar, pureed pumpkin, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, bread cubes, chocolate chips, and brown sugar. 5. Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake – Especially for the chocolate lovers, this recipe calls for chocolate cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, water, baking chocolate, whipped cream, and nuts such as almonds. 6. Steamed Christmas Pudding – This unique recipe can use any filling from mincemeat to fruit. It needs self-rising flour, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and your choice of filling. 7. Frozen Mocha Torte – As a frozen cake, this is a great recipe to make ahead of time. You’ll need chocolate wafer crumbs, sugar, butter, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup, instant coffee granules, hot water, and heavy whipping cream. 8. Plum Pudding – A delightful combination of brown sugar, butter, milk, flour, dates, raisins, currants, and candied fruit peel, this steamed pudding is great with custard, whipped cream, or ice cream. 9. Popcorn Cake – This is a favourite among kids and people of all ages. The simple cake ingredients are butter, marshmallows, popped popcorn, gumdrops, chocolate covered peanuts, and candy-coated milk chocolate pieces. 10. Crème Brulee – This classy Christmas recipe only needs eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Impress your guests and keep your family hanging around the kitchen with these classic Christmas pudding and cake recipes. Using simple ingredients start your own traditions that can be passed down from generation to generation as your family feasts on these delightfully tasty treats.

These old fashion cookie recipes are perfect for lunchboxes, after school treats, or just because.  They are also great for shipping to the kids away at school, soldiers in the US or overseas, out-of-state grandparents, etc.  Today’s recipes include Old Timey Oatmeal Cookies that also offers a variation for making Oatmeal-Raisin cookies.  Geraldine’s Fudge Cookies are just a simple old-fashion chocolate cookie that is sure to please chocoholics everywhere.  These cookies are so easy they are perfect for the kids to help with.  This is especially important to children who can help make something to send to parents who are away in the military.OLD TIMEY OATMEAL COOKIESThis recipe is so old, I don’t know where it came from.3/4 cup lard (or shortening)1 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar1 egg1/4 cup water1 tsp vanilla1 cup sifted all-purpose flour1 tsp salt1/2 tsp baking soda3 cups uncooked oatsBeat the lard (or shortening), brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, water, and vanilla together until creamy. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; blend well. Stir in the oats and drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes.Variation: You could add 3/4 cup raisins for Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. GERALDINE’S FUDGE COOKIES1 cup flour4 tbsp cocoa1 tsp vanilla1 cup sugar2 eggs1/2 cup butter, meltedIn a mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, and sugar together. Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and butter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Do you want to start making birthday cakes but don’t know where or how to get started? You can stop worrying now as this article will provide you with the basic steps on how to prepare the best birthday cake! Similar to cooking different styles of cuisine for special occasions, making birthday cakes also requires skill, effort, time, and a budget. If you want to prepare a chocolate cake to surprise your best friend or relative on their special day, you need to make sure you are prepared so that it doesn’t become a stressful event. Chocolate cake is often a favourite with many people in the UK and America and there are many varieties depending on the ingredients that you use and the baking times. Therefore before you start preparing a chocolate cake, you really need to find out the utensils needed, the recipe as well as the procedure to get it done well. The Utensils for baking chocolate cakes includes: 9 inch Pan A Large Bowl A Cooking Spoon Measuring Cups Tooth Pick Below is the Recipe of Chocolate Cake: All-purpose flour – 11/2 cups (375ml) Granulated sugar – 11/4 cups (300mil) Coca -1/2 cup (125ml) Baking powder – 1 tsp. (5ml) Baking soda – 1 tsp. (5ml) Salt – 1/2tsp. (5ml) Hard Margarine – 1/2cup (125ml) Large Eggs – 2 Vanilla – 1 tsp. (5ml) Hot Water – 1 cup (250ml) For you to successfully bake your chocolate cake, the procedure below can aid you Measure all 10 ingredients in a large bowl base on the order given. Beat on low speed until moistened. Then beat on medium for about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl, till it gets smooth. Have your pan greased. Bake in 350F (175C) oven for about 35 minutes and then stick the tooth pick in and out the until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, before icing. Have it sliced into 16 pieces. I hope this article has contributed to making a great chocolate birthday cake. Get a easy & comfort way to send birthday cake all over India by online.