Chocolate Diamonds Recipes

COCOA SHORTBREAD DIAMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and vanilla, and process until mixture comes together. Shape the dough into a ball.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick; cut out shapes with a 3 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch diamond-shape cookie cutter. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks.
• Melt white chocolate, stirring, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cookies. Let set before serving, about 30 minutes.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with foil. Coat with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in eggs and almond extract until smooth. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix at low speed just until combined. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
• BAKE 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack while preparing chocolate layer.
• PLACE chocolate chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth. Stir in hot fudge topping. Microwave on HIGH 15 seconds. Spread over warm baked bars. Sprinkle with walnuts. Chill 1 hour or until chocolate layer is firm.
• LIFT bars from pan with foil and place on cutting board. Cut into diamonds by cutting on the diagonal from corner to corner both directions forming a large "X". Beginning at one center cut, make 1 1/2-inch parallel diagonal cuts on both sides. Repeat with other center cut to form diamonds. Store in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Using a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and 1/3 of the vanilla bean's seeds. Divide the mixture in half and remove one half from the mixing bowl. To the remaining half, add the cocoa powder, scant 3 cups of the cake flour and another 1/3 of the vanilla bean's seeds while mixer is on. Mix and remove from the bowl. Place the other half back in the mixing bowl and add the remaining 3 cups cake flour, the remaining 1/3 vanilla bean's seeds and the cinnamon. Place both doughs in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Remove the 2 doughs from the refrigerator. It may be necessary to beat the dough with a rolling pin to soften the butter and make the dough more pliable. Roll the chocolate dough into a rope about 3/4-inch in diameter. Roll the white dough about 2 inches in diameter and the same length as the chocolate rope. Trim one side of the dough to create a straight edge. Using a pastry brush, spread a little water on top of the white dough. The moisture will help the dough stick together. Place the chocolate rope on top and roll the white dough around it. Trim a straight edge where the doughs meet. Close the seam with a little more water. If the dough is too soft, place in the refrigerator or freezer until firm.
• Barely wet the surface of the rolled dough and roll it in granulated sugar. Using a sharp chef's knife, make 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F Line a 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper.
• Toast nuts if desired. In food processor, finely grind 1 1/2 cups nuts with sugar. Combine melted butter; press firmly on bottom of prepared dish.
• Bake in preheated oven 18 minutes or until edges are golden.
• Meanwhile bring sweetened condensed milk and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla Spoon over hot crust. Bake 12 minutes or until golden.
• Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chunks. Let stand 2 minutes; spread chocolate evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Cool on wire rack; refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Cut into diamonds or squares. Refrigerate or freeze in airtight containers.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL DIAMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. 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.
• 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 is dissolved. 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.
• 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.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350°F Line bottom and sides of 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with foil. Coat with no-stick cooking spray.
• BEAT shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in eggs and almond extract until smooth. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix at low speed just until combined. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
• BAKE 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack while preparing chocolate layer.
• PLACE chocolate chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth. Stir in hot fudge topping. Microwave on HIGH 15 seconds. Spread over warm baked bars. Sprinkle with walnuts. Chill 1 hour or until chocolate layer is firm.
• LIFT bars from pan with foil and place on cutting board. Cut into diamonds by cutting on the diagonal from corner to corner both directions forming a large "X". Beginning at one center cut, make 1-1/2-inch parallel diagonal cuts on both sides. Repeat with other center cut to form diamonds. Store in refrigerator.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DIAMONDS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Beat together shortening and brown sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and peanut butter, then add flour and salt. Mix at low speed until just combined.
• Spray a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch jelly roll pan with no-stick cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until top puffs slightly, is firm to the touch and edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool cookie base on rack for 10 minutes.
• Melt chocolate chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Alternate heating and stirring frequently until chocolate is smooth and melted.
• Remove lid from hot fudge topping and heat according to package directions. Mix warmed hot fudge topping into warmed chocolate. Spread over cookie base and immediately sprinkle with walnuts. Chill in pan, then cut into 2-inch diamonds. Store in an airtight container.
• TIP *To toast nuts: Place chopped walnuts in a dry nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until lightly browned.