Christine Feehan - Dark Celebration 17

2 eggs, beaten

FROSTING

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoon butter (no substitutions)

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 (6-oz) package chocolate chips

Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch pan. In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients. By hand, stir until well mixed. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour over bars.

Dark Chocolate Tapioca Pudding with Strawoerries

Submitted by: Amanda Brown

Utica, MI

MAKES 8 SERVINGS OF 1/2 CUP EACH

1 egg

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Minute tapioca

3 1/2 cups milk

2 squares of DARK baking chocolate 1 teaspoon vanilla

4 large strawberries (cut into slices)

Beat egg lightly in medium saucepan with a wired whisk. Add sugar and tapioca. Mix well and gradually add milk, beat well after each addition. Let stand 5 minutes. Add dark chocolate. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until chocolate is completely melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool 20 minutes. Then stir. It starts to thicken as it cools. Serve warm or chilled. Put a few slices of strawberry on top of each serving of pudding.

Dark Devil Chocolate Cheesecake

Submitted by: Franny Armstrong

Brighton, Ontario, Canada

This cake is very rich and will make about 10 servings. You'll definitely want to «sink your teeth» into this one!

FILLING INGREDIENTS

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar pinch of salt

1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur (having a drink of it on the side is optional)

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup whipping cream

CRUST INGREDIENTS

1 (8-inch) chocolate Oreo crumb crust mix

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

DECORATE WITH

whipping cream cherry pie filling shaved dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C)

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, liqueur and lemon peel together.

2. Beat egg yolks into mixture one at a time.

3. Beat in the flour.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

5. Fold whipping cream into the mixture.

6. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff.

7. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep beating until stiff and glossy.

8. Fold the egg-white mixture into the cream cheese mixture only until mixed. Do not overwork it.

9. Oreo crust: melt the margarine or butter and mix with the crumbs.

10. Using either an 8-inch springform pan or a Bundt cake pan, grease the pan and press

the Oreo crust mix into the bottom. Leave the greased sides of the pan clean.

11. Pour filling over crust and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

12. Cool and let sit for about 4 hours before serving.

13. Spoon the whipped cream or use a cake decorating kit to create a circle on the top of the cheesecake. Spoon the cherry pie filling in the center and shave dark chocolate over the whipped cream.

Carpathian Moonlight Blood Fruit Pizza

Submitted by: Elaine Kollias

Castro Valley, CA

This unusual and gorgeous dessert is not too heavy and terribly easy to make. When made with all berries, it sparkles like a ruby or garnet jewel, or perhaps even like Carpathian blood in the moonlight!

CRUST INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup butter

3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 1/2 cups flour

FILLING INGREDIENTS

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla assorted fruit: raspberries, strawberries, cherries (pitted and halved), blueberries, and/or sliced bananas, kiwis, peaches, and grapes (halved)-fresh preferred.

GLAZE INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup pomegranate juice (for dark berry fruits) or orange juice (for lighter fruits)

2 tablespoons lime juice

1. Crust: Heat oven to 350°. Melt butter, add sugar and flour and mix well. Pat crust onto a 12-inch round pizza pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Filling: Cream together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and spread over the cooled crust. Slice the strawberries and arrange fruit/berries in concentric rings, alternating colors and textures for a striking design.

3. Glaze: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and boil until thickened. Cool before spooning evenly over entire fruit pizza. Chill 2-6 hours to set before serving. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and optional shaved bittersweet chocolate.

Chocolate Cups

Submitted by: Jill Purinton

Lamar, MO

I used these for a baby shower. No leftovers. :(

dark chocolate cups key lime yogurt fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries or strawberries)

Fill chocolate cups with key lime yogurt. Top with fresh berries. Serve.

Delectable Darkness

Submitted by: Susan Schreitmueller

Elon, NC

CRUST INGREDIENTS

1 (8 1/2-oz) package chocolate cream-filled cookies, finely chopped (2 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon Chambord

Combine and press into bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch spring-form pan. I usually use a food processor to crush the cookies.

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, melted and fairly cool

1/2 cup Chambord

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup strained seedless raspberry jam

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, chocolate and liqueur and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating each addition until just combined. Mix in cream. Swirl in seedless jam. Pour into crust. Bake in preheated oven at 350° until filling is almost set but center still moves slightly when pan is shaken (about 55 minutes). Place on a rack and cool completely.

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons Chambord

6 ounce melted/cooled chocolate chips

Chocolate curls or fresh raspberries rolled in cocoa with mint leaves (optional) Combine thoroughly and pour over completely cooled cheesecake and then chill to set.

Old Fashion Dark Fudge

Submitted by: Amy McKinney

Vincent, AL

MAKES 1 POUND

2 cups sugar 1/3 cup cocoa

1 small can (5-oz) evaporated milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract walnuts (optional)

1

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, mix together sugar and cocoa. Add milk and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches Softball stage (236° on a candy thermometer), stirring as necessary to prevent sticking.

Take off heat and add butter, vanilla and nuts if desired. Put boiler in a pan of cool water and stir until it starts to firm up. Pour into a buttered pan. Cut into squares.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Submitted by: Susan L. Farrell

Pine Grove Mills, PA

2 small packages of Vanilla Jell-O Instant Pudding 1 tub of EZ-Spread Chocolate/Fudge frosting 1 (16-oz) tub of Cool Whip

3 cups milk graham crackers 9 x l3 x 3-inch pan (a pan this deep lessens the loss of the frosting)

1. Mix packets of pudding and milk. (Easier if done with mixer, but whisking/stirring by hand works too.) Then slowly mix in Cool Whip.

2. Line bottom of pan with graham crackers. Pour half of mixture over crackers. Add another layer of graham crackers. Pour remaining mixture over crackers. Add final layers of crackers.