Culinary Sweet Cheats

Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in cocoa, whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients - flour, sugar, salt, half of the white chocolate chips, and half of the butterscotch chips. Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture and blend well. Pour into greased 8X8" baking dish. Top with remaining white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Place dates, walnuts, sesame seeds, lemon juice and zest in a food processor. Pulse and blend until completely mixed. The mixture will be slightly sticky. With dampened hands, roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Roll in coconut and chill until ready to serve.
Feel free to change out the lemon for orange, lime or grapefruit – can even add ground spices like cinnamon or cardamom for extra flavor!

One scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream. Hollow out the center of the ice cream mid-way down.  Put your choice of caramel sauce or caramel candy in ice cream. Use ice cream from the hollowing to cover top of caramel. Place in freezer.

Place 1/2 pound chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Bring 4 fluid ounces heavy cream to a boil, then mix with 6 ounces of the chocolate chips. Pour cream over chocolate and mix with rubber spatula. Once incorporated, let sit until room temperature. Remove ice cream and glaze with chocolate mixture. Put back into freezer to harden.

Take two slices of texas toast and remove the crust.  Remove the ice cream from the freezer.  Place bread on top and bottom of ice cream, with corner of bread alternating.  Squeeze bread around ice cream so it is fully enclosed. Place back into freezer.

When ready to eat, use egg wash (3 eggs and 2 teaspoons water, whisked) first fully coating ice cream sandwich, then dip into panko bread crumbs and fry in deep fryer 350 degrees (stack fryer basket on top to keep ice cream submerged) for 3 minutes or until golden brown (NO more than 5 minutes). Top with powdered sugar and cherries.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Line two 9 inch pans with butter and flour. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter in the pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until knife inserted through the middle comes out clean. Let it cool before unmolding. Once unmolded, trim the cake to get 2 even layers..

Over a double boiler melt down the chocolate, then add cream and butter and stir until incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one 9 inch pan with butter and flour.  In a bowl, cream butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then add all the other ingredients and mix for 2 minutes. Pour into pan and bake until golden brown. 

In a pot, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand for about 5 minutes. Puree raspberries, strain and discard seeds. Place puree in a bowl and add sugar and lemon juice. Place pot with gelatin and water over low heat and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir gelatin into raspberry mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer into mixing bowl and beat on high until foamy. Gradually add cream and beat for 2 more minutes. Place in a piping bag and refridgerate for 2 hours. Once all items are ready, assemble the cake by placing 1 layer of cocolate cake at the bottom, then pipe some raspberry mousse, frangipane, chocolate ganache, raspberry mousse. Place the cake in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then apply the last layer of ganache. Serve with champagne sorbet. 

In a pot, bring water and sugar to a boil and let boil until sugar dissolves completely and forms a syrup. Add the champagne and lemon juice. Cool down; place in an ice-cream maker to freeze into a sorbet.