Ingredients:

• 10 oz (1 bag) Ghirardelli Gourmet 72% Cacao Extra Bittersweet Chocolate
• 16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup water, or strong coffee
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5 large cold eggs
• ---
• 8"x2" round cake pan, greased and lined with parchment paper
• Roasting pan larger than the cake pan

Directions:

1. Start one day ahead.
2. Preheat oven to 325F with a rack in the lower third.
3. Boil a kettle of water.
4. Melt chocolate, butter, and water in double boiler or microwave, stirring frequently. Cool to lukewarm.
5. Whip sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs at high speed with a handheld mixer (or medium speed with a stand mixer) for 5-6 mins., until light and nearly triple in volume.
6. Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg foam just until blended. Scrape into prepared pan.
7. Set cake pan in roasting pan. Pour boiling water around cake pan to a depth of 1". Bake until cake rises slightly and jiggles when nudged, about 20 mins. Set cake pan on a rack to cool.
8. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Dip pan into a bowl of hot water for 10-15 seconds to loosen the cake. Dry pan and invert cake on a sheet of wax paper.
10. Remove parchment. Turn cake upright on a serving platter. Serve slices with whipped cream.
11. Optional garnish - 1/4 cup of orange or apricot jam mixed with 1/8 cup of warm orange juice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I'm going dark this time)
• 2 tablespoons veggie shortening

Directions:

1. Combine peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl or a food processor until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Roll teaspoonfuls of peanut butter mixture into balls. Refrigerate until ready to dip in melted chocolate.
4. Melt chocolate chips and shortening together in the top of a double boiler until very liquid. Using a fork or a skewer, dip each ball into chocolate leaving just the very top of the ball exposed. Set on a greased cookie sheet, setting each ball on the peanut butter end. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream*
• 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions:

1. Cake prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a bundt pan. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.
3. Ganache: For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of cooled cake.

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup hot coffee

Ganache:

• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 60% dark bittersweet)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with rounds of parchment paper. Spray the pans and the parchment paper with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and vanilla. In another small bowl, melt the butter in the hot coffee.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat half of the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients at low speed. Beat in half of the coffee mixture, then scrape down the bowl. Beat in the remaining buttermilk and coffee mixtures.
4. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are springy to the touch. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
5. Put the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil.
   Immediately pour over the chocolate and let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes. Gently whisk the ganache until smooth. Whisk in the butter until incorporated.
6. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the ganache is thick enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
7. Set a cake layer on a cake plate or cake cardboard. Spread about 3/4 cup of the frosting onto the cake in an even 1/4-inch layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and frosting. Spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Let the cake stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved, beans discarded
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into twelve 2-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Pour butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg whites, milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds; mix until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until just combined.
2. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Insert a piece of chocolate into center of each, pressing about halfway into batter to cover. Bake until pale golden brown, about 24 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack; let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Cupcakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp bakign soda
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulates sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 oz), toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with teh paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
2. Using a 1.5-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.