Feb 1st is National Dark Chocolate Day

 

Raise your hand if you knew Feb 1 was  National Dark  Chocolate Day.  I know, my hand is also down—but I’m ready to celebrate.  (I plan to consider this an auspicious sign for THE FASHION ORPHANS book launch on Feb 1. Like maybe someone will buy me chocolates?—I’m looking at you, Jeff.)

About a million years ago I read a culinary mystery, Gastronomic Murder, by Alexandra Roudybush (look for this book. Recipes referenced were in the book and the one below is a triple-wow.

In remembrance, I got a second-hand copy recently. Try the library—that’s where I got the book (all my books!) back in the day. At that time, I couldn’t afford to buy books—my local Boston branch library (Parker Hill) in Mission Hill became my savior.

This pie is more than supreme. It’s so good that when one time when I was baking it, my toddling daughter Sara, who at the time had never tasted chocolate or anything made with sugar (yes, I was one of those parents) somehow sniffed it out and found a drip of the filling on the floor (yes, I am one of those sloppy cooks.) When I turned around, there she was: licking the drip up from the floor. And thus was born Sara’s love affair with chocolate.

WARNING: Only make this for those you adore. It’s a heck of a lot of work.

Mystery Novel (& Sara’s Addiction) Chocolate Pie Supreme

• Crust:
• 2 squares dark baking chocolate
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs hot water
• ⅔ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 ½ cup ground almonds or flaked coconut (I have always used almonds)
• Melt chocolate & butter in a double boiler. Mix hot water and sugar. Stir into double boiler mix. Add almonds or coconut and mix well. Grease very well a 9” pie plate and press in mixture along sides and bottom evenly. Chill till hard (about one hour.)
• Filling
• 1 envelope gelatin
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ⅓ cup milk
• 2 tsp instant coffee
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 3 eggs separated
• 3 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
• pinch of cream of tartar

Mix gelatin, ½ cup of sugar, salt, milk, coffee, in a double boiler. Add chocolate and cook over boiling water until chocolate and gelatin are melted.

Remove from heat and stir until mixture is blended. Beat egg yolks slightly & pour into chocolate mixture; stir quickly, return to heat (double boiler) & cook for five minutes until mixture thickens. Pour into a bowl & add extract. Chill until mixture begins to jell & mounds slightly when gently heaped with a spoon.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Add sugar (a little at a time) & beat until stiff. Fold into chocolate mixture.

Whip cream until thick & glossy. Then fold into the chocolate mix.

Pour into pie shell and leave in the refrigerator until firm. To detach from the pan, heat slowly over the burner.

Years ago, when there were still ‘women’s pages’ in the newspaper, The Boston Globe had a daily column called ‘Confidential Chat.’ This was during the time I was home with young children (usually more than my own—we got through the days by sharing kids; better to have a crowd of six on one day and none on the other.)

Confidential Chat has recipes from readers and we followed the best participants the way Instagram addicts now follow Beyonce and The Rock. There were recipes so wonderful that I still hold onto the crumbling newsprint.  (My Book Club Cookbook is filled with Confidential Chat recipes.)

Chocolate Chip Elephant Ears from Confidential Chat: My daughter Becca’s favorite.

These cookies spread like crazy—thus, you can satisfy more with less effort. Something I love. These cookies satisfy my need for thin crispy sweet crunch.

Pre-heat oven to 375°

• ¾ cup sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon each salt and soda
• ½ cup melted butter
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Stir together flour, salt, baking soda in a bowl.  Blend butter with w/both sugars, vanilla & water.  Beat in egg to the butter mix.  Add flour mixture.  Drop by teaspoons onto a well-greased cookie sheet, leaving room for cookies to spread.  Bake at 375° for four to five minutes until outside edges are brown and crisp.  The cookies will be large, thin, and flat.