semisweet chocolate

German chocolate cake is an American classic, named after a chocolatier called Samuel German (as opposed to the European nation). Milder than devil’s food cake, this chocolate cake has layers that are subtle and sweet, chocolatey but not excessively so. They create a lovely, velvet-textured vehicle for the heaps of gooey, toasted coconut and pecan custard. For more chocolate appeal, rich ganache can be slathered on the sides. This not only adds another blissful layer of chocolate, but also neatens up the look and makes for a party-worthy presentation.

German Chocolate Cake

unsalted butter

all-purpose flour

cocoa powder

baking powder

baking soda

salt

granulated sugar

eggs,

vanilla extract

semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

120 milliliters brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature

plain whole milk yogurt

sweetened shredded coconut

pecan halves

evaporated milk

egg yolks,

150 grams light brown sugar

unsalted butter,

heavy cream

semisweet chocolate, chopped

kosher salt

Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the pans with parchment and butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl. Turn the mixer down to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, again scraping down the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate until smooth. In a small bowl, combine coffee and yogurt.

With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix to combine. Add the coffee mixture and mix to combine. Then add the remaining flour mixture, scraping the bowl one more time to make sure everything has been combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smooth the tops and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cakes in the pans to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cakes and invert them onto racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: On two separate trays lined with parchment paper, toast coconut and pecans at 325 degrees, stirring occasionally, until coconut is deep golden brown and nuts are fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully — coconut and nuts can quickly turn from golden to burned. Remove from oven, roughly chop the pecans, and transfer both coconut and pecans to a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, cook evaporated milk, egg yolks, brown sugar and salt over medium heat, whisking at first and then stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to leave a line on the back of a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to let the mixture curdle. Lower the heat as necessary.

Remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until it has melted. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Add the milk mixture to the coconut and pecans, stirring to combine. This mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.

To assemble the cake, set one layer on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the coconut mixture. Repeat two more times, so the top of the cake is covered in coconut.

If desired, finish with ganache: Heat heavy cream over medium heat until very hot. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Add salt and whisk until smooth. Let this mixture stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it is thick enough to spread around the sides of the cake.

On my first day in Lisbon, I became a statistic: I lost all my credit cards to a talented thief on the No. 28 tram. After “the incident,” I wanted to leave Lisbon, but instead, my husband Michael and I decided to tackle our must-taste list. It was on our last day in Lisbon that we tasted the cake at Landeau Chocolate. It was intense, but not overwhelming; truly chocolate, but somehow each layer’s chocolateness was different. I returned home and made this cake, my version of the cake that cured my pickpocket blues. It’s a dense-but-not-heavy, brownielike cake topped with a whipped chocolate ganache (think: mousse) and a substantial dusting of cocoa. Because this cake is completely about the chocolate, choose one you love.

Lisbon Chocolate Cake

30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

cornstarch

fine sea salt

Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Sift together the cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to blend.

Put the 1/2 cup butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Scatter the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate on top, and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the pan, and stir in the sugar. One by one, energetically stir in the eggs, beating for 1 minute after the last egg is added. The mixture will look like pudding. Stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture into the cake pan, and give the pan a couple of good raps against the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a tiny streak of chocolate). Transfer to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then unmold the cake. Peel off the paper, invert the cake and cool to room temperature. Wash and dry the cake pan.

Make the ganache: Pour 1 1/4 cups cream into a small saucepan; refrigerate the rest. Scald the cream over medium heat, turn off the heat and stir in the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate until fully incorporated. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate the ganache for 10 minutes, whisk it, then refrigerate again for 10 minutes. Repeat chilling and whisking steps until the ganache is thick enough to make tracks when you stir, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cut two 3-by-16-inch pieces of parchment or foil, and crisscross them in the cake pan. Carefully return the cake to the pan. (The mousse layer is too soft to stand on its own until it's chilled. It needs the support of the pan sides.)

Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream until it holds medium peaks.

Using a whisk, gently beat the ganache until it’s soft and spreadable. With a spatula, fold in the whipped cream. Spread over the cake, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or cover and keep for up to 2 days). The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.

To finish, put the cocoa powder in a fine-mesh strainer, and shake it over the top of the cake. Run a table knife along the sides of the pan. Using the parchment or foil handles, carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Discard the strips. Cut the cake using a long knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut.

This shortbread is like a huge, sliceable Girl Scout cookie. (You’re welcome!) An easy shortbread is topped with a layer of peanut butter frosting, blanketed with a thick chocolate glaze, then chilled until set. Brown sugar helps keep the shortbread soft, and coconut oil does the same for the chocolate coating, so the whole thing is easy to cut with a knife and eat with a fork. Be sure to use bar chocolate, not chips — which don’t melt as evenly — so your chocolate glaze ends up shiny and smooth.

Giant Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie

Nonstick cooking spray

unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

110 grams light brown sugar

unsalted butter (3/4 stick), at room temperature

peanut butter (not natural)

135 grams sifted confectioners’ sugar

chopped semisweet bar chocolate

coconut oil

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Prepare the shortbread: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour and salt and mix until evenly combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork.

Bake until the shortbread is baked through, set and lightly golden, 22 to 26 minutes. Cool completely, and remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

Wipe out the bowl of the mixer, and make the peanut butter filling: Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.

Spread on top of the cooled shortbread, leaving it slightly more mounded in the center than at the edges. Transfer to the refrigerator while you make the glaze.

Place a medium heat-safe bowl over a medium pot of simmering water. Add the chocolate, coconut oil and cream to the bowl and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is melted and fluid. (Alternatively, the mixture can be microwaved in a microwave-safe container in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst until the mixture is fully melted.) Cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cookie, using a small offset spatula to help coat the edges evenly as needed. If necessary, you can collect the glaze that runs off the cookie onto the baking sheet and pour back over to glaze any missed spots.

Once the cookie is fully glazed, use a large spatula to transfer it to a platter. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely for 45 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife and serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Depending on where you live, these chocolate and peanut-butter confections are known as either peanut butter balls or buckeyes. In the Midwest, they are known as buckeyes because they look like the nut of a buckeye tree, thanks to an exposed circle of peanut butter that's left after they're dipped in chocolate. Be sure to start with a good-quality peanut butter, and don’t skimp on the salt. Those small touches carry a lot of impact.

Peanut Butter Balls

confectioners’ sugar

sweetened, smooth peanut butter

unsalted butter, melted

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth and uniform, about 1 minute.

Portion the mixture into 1 tablespoon balls. Roll the balls into neat circles between your palms. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

A few minutes before the balls are done chilling, prepare the chocolate. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring often. If chocolate becomes too thick during the dipping process, it can be liquified again in the microwave.

Use a toothpick to skewer one ball at a time, and dip it into the melted chocolate, leaving a small circle of the peanut butter mixture exposed at the top and allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Transfer buckeyes to the prepared baking sheet and remove the toothpick. Repeat with the remaining balls, returning them to the freezer for a few minutes if they become too soft to work with. Smooth over the holes left by the toothpick with a small offset spatula or your finger. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Layers of almond cake are sandwiched with raspberry jam before getting coated in chocolate for the prettiest and most delicious rainbow cookies you&#039;ve ever had.

Italian Rainbow Cookies

sugar

almond paste

eggs, separated

milk

almond extract

red food coloring

green food coloring

raspberry jam, divided

chocolate chips, melted

The Ultimate Italian Rainbow Cookie Recipe

These crowd-pleasing treats start with a dense, chewy brownie that’s topped with a layer of creamy peppermint filling, dark chocolate glaze, and a sprinkle of crushed peppermints. For the cleanest slices, chill the finished brownies thoroughly, then use a warm knife to slice them. Dip the knife blade into hot water and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel between each cut, and you’ll be rewarded with clean layers of chocolate, peppermint and glaze. It’s fine to sub chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate, just make sure they are fully melted before proceeding.

Peppermint Brownies

semisweet chocolate, chopped (or semisweet chocolate chips)

220 grams light brown sugar

eggs

160 milliliters sweetened condensed milk

peppermint extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick spray, and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang on both sides (this will help you remove the brownies from the pan later).

Make the brownies: Place a medium heat-safe bowl over a medium pot of simmering water. Place the chocolate, butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar into the bowl. Heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is evenly melted. The mixture will be grainy; that’s O.K.

Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix with a silicone spatula just until incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Make the peppermint filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium-low, mix the confectioners’ sugar, sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract, vanilla extract and salt to combine. When the mixture appears well combined, scrape down the bowl well once, then mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. During mixing, the mixture will appear light and fluffy, but when you stop, it may look softer and more liquid. That’s O.K.

Spread the peppermint mixture over the surface of the cooled brownies and spread into an even layer. (It will be stiff but spreadable.) Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.

While the brownies chill, make the glaze: Place a medium heat-safe bowl over a medium pot of simmering water. Place the chocolate, cream, butter and salt in the bowl. Heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is evenly melted. (Alternatively, this can be done in the microwave in a microwave-safe container in 15-second increments until fully melted.) Let the glaze cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the glaze over the chilled brownies and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the crushed peppermints evenly over the surface. Return to the refrigerator to chill until the chocolate is fully set, about 45 minutes more.

Use the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan and use a sharp knife to cut them into 15 even pieces. For cleanest slices, dip the knife into warm water and dry with a clean towel in between each cut. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Dead simple to make, this pie hits all the right notes. Sweet, nutty peanut butter mellows next to the tang of rich cream cheese and gets a lift from a little whipped cream. But if that doesn’t convince you, the chocolate cookie crust may. This version relies on five ingredients, instead of pre-made cookies, with the cocoa giving it a deep chocolate flavor. The crust is pressed into a well-buttered pie plate, baked, then cooled, ready to be filled and chilled. When it's time to serve, you have options: Finish it with a decorative chocolate topping or a puff of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

Peanut Butter Pie

unsalted butter, melted,

unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

block full-fat cream cheese,

133 grams light brown sugar

semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

unsalted butter (optional)

Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a nonstick standard 9-inch pie plate ready, or generously butter a 9-inch standard pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add butter, stirring and mashing with a fork, until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and press them evenly into the bottom and sides until crust is about 1/4-inch thick. Bake crust until it looks dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks using an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Use a large rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Chill uncovered for at least 4 to 6 hours, until filling is set.

Make the topping, if using: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together in short bursts, stirring often. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a small plastic bag, and cut a 1/8-inch hole in one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the top to make a decorative pattern. (You may have some left over depending on your taste.) Serve immediately.

Perfect Chocolate Fondue

vanilla extract (see note for other variations)

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate, milk and...

In a saucepan, combine the chocolate, milk and cream and heat on low, stirring often, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Don't let it come to a boil; keep it on low heat.

Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract. If...

Once melted, stir in the vanilla extract. If needed, stir in heavy cream or milk a tablespoon at a time to adjust for a thinner consistency. Pour the mixture into a fondue pot or small slow cooker to keep warm while serving.

Serve with dippers of your choice. We love:...

Serve with dippers of your choice. We love: marshmallows, vanilla cookies, strawberries, rice krispie treats cut in little squares, bananas.

Any extra chocolate leftovers (??) will keep well...

Any extra chocolate leftovers (??) will keep well in the refrigerator - just reheat on low to have yourself another chocolate fondue experience.

An American classic, Boston cream pie isn't a pie at all. Its base is an old-fashioned hot milk cake, a downy-soft, buttery yellow cake. How you whip the eggs and the sugar is critical, as the tiny air bubbles they produce add lift to the finished product.

This traditional version is best the day it's made, but will hold up in the fridge for a couple of days. You may just notice a slight change in texture. Slathered with homemade vanilla custard and a chocolate glaze, it hits all the right notes, but it would be just as lovely served with in-season berries or layered with chocolate or coffee custard instead of vanilla. Make it as is, or go rogue. Either way, it’s sure to please.

Boston Cream Pie

240 milliliters whole milk

180 milliliters whole milk

semisweet chocolate chips

neutral oil,

Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well combined. Whisk in cornstarch and salt. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in milk and then the cream. Add butter. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, just until it starts to thicken. Immediately whisk mixture until smooth, then continue to cook and stir custard until it has come to a very low boil for 2 minutes, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a small spatula. Stir in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.

Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round baking pan, generously greasing the sides, and line it with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a simmer over medium heat. When the butter is melted, remove pan from heat. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 4 to 6 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the milk mixture and beat until combined. Then add flour mixture and vanilla and beat until combined.

Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes. With a very thin knife, cut around the edge to release the cake from the side of the pan. Carefully flip the cake onto the rack, then turn it right-side-up to cool completely.

Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the cake into two layers and place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Stir custard, and spread it onto the cut side of the bottom half. Replace the top half of the cake, cut side down.

Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the cream to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat and pour cream over the chocolate chips, oil, salt and let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.

With plenty of cocoa powder and big wells of dark chocolate, these double chocolate cookies are so fudgy that a tall glass of cold milk is not only delicious, but essential — especially when they are served hot from the oven. Just like David Leite’s impeccable chocolate chip cookies, they bake up even better after the dough has had time to rest in the fridge. The extralong chill gives the dough a chance to hydrate fully and firm up, which yields more uniformly baked cookies, with the perfect amount of crunch around the edges and chew in the center. Thin chocolate discs or wafers, which are widely available, are used here. They melt into lovely chocolate layers as the cookies bake. But if you can’t find them, chocolate chips make a fine substitute; there's no need to adjust the baking time.

Double Chocolate Cookies

dark brown sugar

chocolate chocolate chips)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until very light, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the chocolate discs and mix briefly to combine. Press plastic wrap against the dough and chill it for at least 24 hours and up to 36.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Portion the dough out into balls slightly larger than golf balls, about 3 1/2 ounces each, and transfer five balls to the baking sheet. (They will spread significantly.) Bake the cookies until set, being careful to remove cookies from the oven when still soft in the center, about 18 minutes. Transfer the parchment with the cookies to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough, baking a second batch of four or five cookies. Serve warm.

Chocolate wafers may be standard, but a buttery Oreo crumb crust is an even better base for this chocolate cream pie. A store-bought cookie crust filled with from-scratch custard is the perfect combination of simple and sophisticated, with a bit of nostalgia for good measure. Depending on the size of your pie plate, you may have some custard left over after filling the crust: It’s a perfect baker’s treat.

Chocolate Cream Pie With Oreo Crust

Oreo crumbs (from about 24 standard-sized Oreos)

unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted

720 milliliters whole milk

semisweet bar chocolate, finely chopped

Oreos,

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add Oreos to the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and salt, and process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Tip mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate, and press crumbs evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Pouring just a little at first, whisk the milk into the sugar mixture until you have a smooth paste. Gradually add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Whisk in egg yolks. Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, about 8 to 9 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Pour custard through sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Discard any solids. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla, and let it stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 6 hours.

To serve, whip cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed Oreos, if using.

With homemade chocolate wafer cookies and a maple-laced butterscotch whipped cream, this recipe takes icebox cake to a more sophisticated level without sacrificing any of its lusciousness. You can build the cookies and cream into any shape you like — a round, a rectangle or a heart, which is what we do here. If you have cookies and cream left over, you can sandwich them together, whoopee-pie style. The wafers can be made up to a week ahead of when you’d like to assemble the cake. Store them airtight and try not to eat them all before you make the rest of the cake.

Chocolate-Butterscotch Icebox Cake

30 milliliters milk

unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process

firmly packed dark brown sugar

maple syrup

bourbon

28 semisweet chocolate,

coconut oil,

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. Whisk together baking powder, salt, flour and cocoa, then add to mixer bowl and mix until combined. Roll into a 10-inch-long log, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8-inch rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. You should have about 48 cookies.  Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.

Make the chocolate wafers:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, maple syrup, butter and salt. Stir continuously until mixture is combined and sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking without stirring until mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup cream, then stir in bourbon. Let butterscotch cool completely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine remaining 3 cups cold cream and the butterscotch. Whisk until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.

Make the maple-butterscotch cream:

Divide wafers into six batches, about eight cookies per batch. On a serving platter, arrange one batch of cookies into a heart shape, breaking into pieces to fill in gaps if necessary. Top wafers with about 11/4 cups butterscotch cream, smoothing into a heart shape with an offset spatula. Repeat layers until cookies and cream are finished, ending with a layer of cream. (There may be extra cookies and cream; build the cake higher if you like.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill cake in the refrigerator until cold, at least 1 hour, before decorating the top.

Assemble the cake:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir in coconut oil. Let chocolate cool until lukewarm but still fluid. Drizzle over cold cake. Return cake to the refrigerator and let sit overnight or up to 2 days before serving.

Decorate the cake:

Homemade Peppermint Patties

sugar,

corn syrup

bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

peppermint candies for sprinkling, optional

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the...

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, milk, corn syrup, coconut oil and peppermint on low speed until combined. Shape the dough into two round circles, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle a liberal amount of powdered sugar on...

Sprinkle a liberal amount of powdered sugar on a clean countertop or on a piece of parchment paper. Unwrap one disk of dough and place it on the counter or parchment. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, too. Roll the peppermint patty dough to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into rounds with about a 1 7/8-inch or similar-sized cutter.

Reroll the scraps until all of the dough...

Reroll the scraps until all of the dough is used. Repeat with second disk of dough. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes or overnight.

Melt the chocolate (I use the microwave on...

Melt the chocolate (I use the microwave on 50% power and cook for 1-minute increments, stirring in between; I melt until it is mostly melted but there are still a few small lumps of chocolate - I stir these in until fully melted. This will help to avoid blooming on the set chocolate.)

Using a fork, dip the frozen patty rounds...

Using a fork, dip the frozen patty rounds one-by-one into the chocolate. Tap the handle of the fork on the side of the bowl to drizzle off the excess chocolate, scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl and gently place the dipped patties on parchment-lined baking sheets using a butter knife to gently slide the patty off the fork if needed.

Sprinkle the dipped patties with crushed mints, if...

Sprinkle the dipped patties with crushed mints, if using. Let the chocolate set, about an hour. Store patties in the refrigerator.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/rjjdroiirtjoqe4odh9s.mp4

Semifreddo, which means "half-cold" in Italian, is a more elegant version of the traditional ice cream cake (think frozen mousse), and it's the ideal dessert for a summer party as it can be done in advance, then sliced and plated at the table.

This recipe, an adaptation of one found in Marcella Hazan's "Marcella's Italian Kitchen," is light yet luxurious. It calls for just four ingredients – heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, grated chocolate and egg whites – and it's dead simple to make. Just whip the cream, add the sugar, fold in the beaten egg whites and chocolate, and then freeze. Unmold, slice and serve. To gild the lily, garnish with fresh summer berries.

Marcella Hazan’s Semifreddo di Cioccolato

confectioners' sugar

chocolate

Whip the cream. Before it begins to stiffen and while it is still the consistency of buttermilk, add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time and continue whipping.

When all the sugar has been incorporated and the cream is stiff enough to hold peaks, mix in the grated chocolate.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff but not dry; fold them into the cream and chocolate mixture.

Line a loaf pan of 1 1/2 to 2 quarts with wax paper and pour the mixture into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. To serve, unmold the loaf onto a platter, remove wax paper and slice.

Top 22 semisweet chocolate recipes from across the web

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