Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

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.