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John’s Favorite Brownie
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Fudgy Brownie
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Co-founder Robert Steinberg developed this recipe, but when the brownies came out of the test kitchen oven, they didn’t have their usual glossy, crackled top and fudgy texture. The Essence of Chocolate (Hyperion, 2006) cookbook crew asked Robert to make the brownies while they watched. We realized that an electric mixer doesn’t work for this recipe. The batter must be beaten by hand until it pulls from the sides of the bowl. This sounds like a task but it’s not; there’s something homey and satisfying about stirring this thick, glossy batter yourself. |
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Chocolate Chunk Cookies
With her Flour Bakery + Café, Joanne Chang has created a little haven that’s much loved by Bostonians. Because of the combination of all-purpose and high-gluten bread flour, these cookies have a tender, chewy center and crisp edges. If you make them using only all-purpose flour, the cookies will still be tasty, but they will be thinner, crispier and less tender.
Recipe contributed by Joanne Chang and printed in The Essence of Chocolate (Hyperion, 2006). Makes about 3 dozen cookies. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. |
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Chocolate Biscotti
Biscotti, whose name means “twice baked,” are easy to make. Sherry’s recipe calls for chocolate and cocoa powder, producing deep, dark, tender biscotti. This recipe makes a generous amount, which means you can share without any sacrifice.
Recipe contributed by Sherry Yard and printed in The Essence of Chocolate (Hyperion, 2006). Makes about 40 cookies. The biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. |
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Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Try using chunks of chocolate bigger than the standard chips for these muffins. The large chunks, which stay intact when baked, give every bite just the right proportion of chocolate to muffin.
Although crème fraîche is available in many markets, it is simple to make your own. Mix this batter by hand; it’s easy to do, and helps prevent over mixing, which would make the muffins tough.
Recipe contributed by Joanne Chang and printed in The Essence of Chocolate (Hyperion, 2006). Makes 12 muffins. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 1 day. After that, they begin to dry out and toughen. |
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Pull-Apart Kuchen
Also known as monkey bread, this version of kuchen lets you roll balls of dough in ground pecans and semisweet chocolate. When the kuchen is hot out of the oven, it takes some restraint to wait for it to cool long enough to avoid burning your fingers. Serves 8. |
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That Chocolate Cake
If you could only have one recipe for chocolate cake, this would be the one. It’s the quintessential chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, rich and moist, completely satisfying, glorious without being the least bit formal. Serves 8 to 10.
The best recipes are passed along, gaining fans each time they’re given to somebody new, and this one was given to Susie Heller by her friend Jackie, who was given the recipe by a different Susie, who got the recipe from a chef in the Caribbean. Grown-ups love it, kids love it. This one is hard to beat. |
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Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
This dense cake uses ground almonds instead of flour. Toasting the almonds before grinding them helps bring out the flavor. Serves 8 to 10. |
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Chocolate Chip Apple Cake
This moist cake is a great winter cake, but is delicious year round. The combination of apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and, of course, chocolate, is sure to satisfy everyone’s tastes. Great for Sunday brunch, a weeknight dessert, or afternoon tea. It is wonderful just out of the oven and stays moist for several days, if you can keep it around that long! Serves 8 to 12. |
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Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
For lovers of chocolate ice cream, this is the final word. This dark chocolate ice cream is deeper and richer than any ice cream you can buy. What’s especially intriguing is the hint of dark caramel flavor you’ll taste beneath the chocolate. Serve unadorned or top with Dulce de Leche, Candied Almonds, and Whipped Cream. Makes about 2 cups; Serves 4 |
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Sicilian Chocolate Gelato (Fudge Pops or Granita)
This recipe comes from our friend and chocolate guru, Alice Medrich which appeared in her award-winning book Bittersweet (Artisan, 2003). If you don't have an ice cream maker, we provide an alternate method to make it as a granita. And if you have popsicle molds, this recipe makes a great fudgsicle, delicious for audiences of all ages. Makes one scant quart gelato or 6-12 fudge pops. |
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Chocolate Pudding
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Co-Founder John Scharffenberger's mom made this a household favorite.
Most people believe that a mousse is sophisticated, but that pudding is just cozy and casual. This recipe does away with that notion. When chocolate pudding is as intensely flavorful as this, with a refined texture, it can hold its own beside any mousse. Cooking the pudding in a double boiler then straining it gives it a wonderful silkiness. Serves 4-6. |
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Rich Mocha Tofu Mousse
Linda H. Hillel is a cooking instructor who teaches at various cooking schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has graciously written this recipe for Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker |
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Chocolate Frosting
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Chocolate Fudge Sauce made with 99% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate
This thick, rich fudge sauce is delicious warmed and drizzled over your favorite ice cream. |
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John’s Classic Drinking Chocolate
Everywhere I go—the bookstore, the farmers’ market, every single cocktail party—people ask me, “What’s your favorite dessert?” I hate the question, because people expect me to say a mile-high chocolate cake or something really ornate. Instead, I like to make really good, thick hot chocolate and serve it at the end of a meal. I use my favorite demitasse cups, and place a few slices of a perfect pear or two pieces of shortbread on the plate next to the cup. That’s my favorite dessert. During the holidays, I add rum or brandy and serve it instead of eggnog.
Personally, I’m not a fan of cinnamon or other spices in hot chocolate because I think it diverts attention from the chocolate’s flavor, but for an authentic Mexican style chocolate, add the cinnamon and cayenne.
This can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, but if you use the spices, keep in mind their flavor intensifies over time. Serves 6 to 12. |
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Hot Chocolate
In our factory store, we would make this hot chocolate daily, fill a tall dispenser with it, and set it on a counter in our factory store so people who were waiting for a tour could pour themselves a sample. It’s hard to believe how often we would have to refill the container. |
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