Chocolate Surprise Recipes

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat peanut butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Roll into thirty 3/4-in. balls. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, in another bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg white and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture until blended. Roll into thirty 1-1/2-in. balls., Using floured hands, flatten chocolate balls and shape one around each peanut butter ball, sealing edges. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are set and tops are cracked. Cool for 1 minute. Before removing to wire racks., For icing, in a small bowl, beat shortening and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla and enough milk to reach spreading consistency. Spoon into a resealable plastic bag or pastry bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag. Pipe icing over cookies in a zigzag pattern.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda. Stir in oil, water, vinegar and vanilla until blended. Pour mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
• To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.

THE REALTOR'S CHOCOLATE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Melt butter, add flour and 1/2 cup nuts. Mix and press into bottom of 13x9 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Cream powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 cup Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust.
• Mix instant pudding with milk. Spread over cream cheese layer.
• Spread remainder of whipped cream over chocolate pudding layer. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.
• Chill overnight.

CHOCOLATE BRITTLE SURPRISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cover cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking oil spray.
• Place crackers on foil in 5 x 7 inch rows.
• Microwave butter on high for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and stir. Microwave on high for 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
• Pour over crackers. Bake 17 - 20 minutes (should bubble but not burn).
• Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crackers. Spread after 2 minutes (chips have softened). Sprinkle nuts on top.
• Refrigerate 1 hour. Break into pieces. Can be frozen.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE STRIPE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 2-by-9-inch round cake pans with shortening. Line with parchment cut to neatly cover the bottom and sides of the pans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, espresso, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix on medium speed. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pans and continue baking until an inserted skewer comes out clean, another 15 minutes. Cool on a rack, unmold and return to the rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream icing: With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg whites and powdered sugar for 5 minutes. Add the butter and vanilla and beat for 10 minutes, until fluffy. (Makes 3 pounds.)
• For the caramel icing/crumble: Mix the sugar, buttermilk, shortening, butter and baking soda in a 3- or 4-quart cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook to the softball stage (235 to 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer), swirling the pan to keep the ingredients moving.
• Remove from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until creamy and spreadable. Spread on a silicone mat and set aside. When cool, break into a crumble.
• To create the striped filling: Put one-third of the vanilla buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1/3-inch tip. Put an equivalent amount of raspberry jam into a second piping bag, also fitted with a 1/3-inch tip.
• When the cakes are completely cool, pipe a dollop of buttercream into the center of one of the layers. Pipe concentric circles around the first dollop, working outward and alternating between circles of raspberry jam and buttercream¿this will be your bottom layer.
• Lightly place the remaining cake layer on top of the 'piped' bottom layer. Use the remaining buttercream to ice the entire cake.
• Add the crumbled caramel by patting small handfuls onto the top of the iced cake.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SURPRISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and 1 cup light-brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined between each addition. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until fully combined. Remove from mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (nonstick French baking mats) or parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, stir together peanut butter and remaining 1/4 cup light-brown sugar.
• Using a 1 1/4-inch scoop or heaping tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Fill thumbprint with 1 teaspoon peanut-butter mixture. Top with a second scoop of dough, and carefully mold dough to cover "surprise."
• Bake until firm, about 12 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CAKE

Steps:

• Melt 4 ounces of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Combine cream and whisky in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then pour over the melted chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is firm enough to handle, about an hour. Using a melon baller or a teaspoon, quickly form the chocolate mixture into eight truffle-sized balls. Place on a pan or plate lined with waxed paper and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a muffin tin or tins with 8 cups that are each 4 inches in diameter, preferably of 1-cup capacity.
• Melt the remaining 5 ounces of chocolate and 10 tablespoons butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water; stir and set aside.
• Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture thickens, triples in volume and forms a ribbon. Fold in the melted chocolate. Sift the flour over the mixture and quickly fold it in.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups. Insert a chilled truffle in the center of each, place in the oven and bake 12 minutes, until the top springs back when touched lightly. Do not insert a cake tester.
• Unmold the cakes: run a knife around the edges, then place a baking sheet over the tin and, holding both together, invert, then carefully lift off the muffin tin. Serve at once with whipped cream or ice cream.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water.
• Meanwhile, sift together 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, sifted flour, baking powder and salt.
• Stir the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture and blend.
• Stir in milk and vanilla.
• Pour into a greased, square 9 by 9-inch cake pan.
• Mix brown sugar, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle over the batter.
• Pour coffee over and bake for 40 minutes.
• Serve warm or cold from the pan.

CHOCOLATE SURPRISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Gradually add flour mixture and 1/2 cup pecans; beat well.
• Cover dough; refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 tablespoons sugar in shallow dish. Roll tablespoonful of dough around 1 caramel candy, covering completely; press one side into nut mixture.
• Place, nut side up, on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with additional dough and candies, placing 3 inches apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool completely.
• Place white chocolate chips in a small resealable plastic freezer bag; seal bag.
• Microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 minutes. Continue microwaving in one minute intervals at 50% power until melted.
• Knead bag until chocolate is smooth. Cut off tiny corner of bag; drizzle chocolate onto cookies.
• Let stand about 30 minute or until chocolate is set.