Crunchy Chocolate Sauce Recipes

INSTANT CHOCOLATE HARD SHELL

Steps:

• Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing well each time, until mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. It takes about 1 minute of stirring until they fully mix together. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MILK-CHOCOLATE CRUNCH AND CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter and flour a 7-inch round cake pan (3 inches deep). Sift flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
• Meanwhile, make the milk-chocolate crunch: Fold crisped-rice cereal into melted milk chocolate until completely coated. Spread mixture about 1/4 inch thick onto a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Freeze until set, about 45 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the caramel sauce: Bring granulated sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture registers 236 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool.
• Make the frosting: Place cocoa powder in a small bowl, and stir in hot water to create a thick paste. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a pinch of salt until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted semisweet chocolate and cocoa paste. If frosting doesn't seem firm enough, refrigerate for 10 to 12 minutes, whisking every few minutes. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
• Assemble the cake: Turn out cake from pan, and trim top. Slice into 3 even rounds. Place bottom layer on a rotating cake stand or a large plate, and spread 1/2 cup milk-chocolate crunch on top. Gently spread 3/4 cup caramel sauce on top, and cover with another 1/2 cup crunch. Top with middle cake layer, and repeat, finishing with top cake layer.
• Frost cake with a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting to seal in stray crumbs): Gently sweep away any loose crumbs with a pastry brush, then use a small offset spatula to cover the top and sides a with a thin layer of frosting. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Let crumb-coated cake stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting in a swirling motion using a large offset spatula. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve (up to 8 hours).

CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE MATZO BARK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange 2 oven racks in the center of the oven.
• Cover 2 baking sheets with a tight layer of aluminum foil, then place an additional sheet of foil on top. Spray the foil with nonstick spray as a precaution. Spread 2 pieces of matzo in a single layer on each of the baking sheets.
• In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves and becomes smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then shut off the heat.
• Use a large spoon to spread the brown sugar mixture over the matzo, coating the tops of all the squares. Bake until the sugar bubbles and browns, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• In a double boiler or microwave, gently melt the chocolate. Let the matzo cool 10 minutes, then use a rubber spatula to gently spread the melted chocolate over the brown sugar layer.
• While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle evenly with the pumpkin seeds, apricots, sprinkles and salt, if using. Cool in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.
• Use a serrated knife to "saw" the bark into neat squares or break the matzo into pieces. I like to serve this treat from a cookie tin or a little basket to make it even more fun to eat.

BLACK-AND-WHITE SUNDAE BAR

Steps:

• Make the chocolate sauce: Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a medium bowl, and place over a small pot of barely simmering water.
• Melt, stirring occasionally, until no lumps remain and you've got an impossibly shiny, chocolaty sauce. (Alternatively, microwave in 30-second increments until the sauce is shiny and no lumps remain.) Season with salt and set aside.
• Make the tahini caramel: Heat half the sugar in a medium pot over medium. Once the sugar starts to melt and liquefy, gently stir the sugar using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until it's a nice golden-brown color, 2 to 4 minutes. (You want this to happen slowly to prevent risk of burning.)
• Scatter remaining sugar on top and cook until all the sugar is totally liquified and a dark amber color, like good maple syrup, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Slowly add in 2/3 cup water, taking care not to add it all at once or the sugar will seize. Then, add the tahini, mixing to blend well. Bring the whole thing to as simmer, season with salt and remove from heat.
• To serve, pour sauces (both will be spoonable or pourable at room temperature, no need to warm) over scoops of ice cream to suit your wants, needs, desires. Top with any combination of crumbled halvah, cocoa nibs, chopped chocolate, toasted sesame seeds, flaky salt or anything you might want on your ice cream at this moment.

CHOCOLATE CRUNCH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm square tin and line with baking parchment. Stir the melted butter and vanilla together in a bowl. Mix the caster sugar, flour and cocoa together in another bowl.
• Pour the bowl of wet ingredients into the dry and beat together, then add the egg and beat again until combined. Press into the prepared tin. Brush the top with water and sprinkle over the granulated sugar.
• Bake for 30-35 mins. Leave to cool slightly in the tin for 5 mins before slicing into squares and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

COCONUT CRUNCH CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, stir together cream of coconut and vanilla.
• Beat butter and coconut oil on medium-high until smooth. Slowly add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of cream-of-coconut mixture. Beat until just combined.
• Topping: In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and salt until thick and frothy, about 1 minute. Stir in milk and vanilla. Fold in coconut.
• Spread cake batter in pan. Pour topping over batter; carefully spread in an even layer. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 1 hour (tent with foil if browning too quickly).
• Chocolate Sauce: In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream and sugar almost to a boil, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Stir until smooth, then stir in vanilla.
• Let cake cool completely; remove from pan. Cut into wedges, drizzle with chocolate sauce, and serve with extra sauce on the side.