Devils' Food Cake with Hazelnut Crunch

The delicious combination of chocolate and hazelnut is the Italians answer to peanut butter and jelly, except I'll be honest, I like their pairing better.  Luckily this dynamic duo comes in the form of Nutella, an addicting spread that I cannot trust to have my house for fear that it will be my topping du jour on nearly everything.  I recently wanted to make a cake, to thank the family in the area for all that they did for me while I was in the hospital.  My thankfulness translated into a Devil's Food cake with Hazelnut Crunch, a definite labor of love that was quite possibly the best cake I have ever made.  It combines an incredibly moist chocolate cake that has hints of rich coffee (the recipe calls for it), a hazelnut crunch that is addicting and incorporates rice cereal, nutella and freshly toasted hazelnuts and is topped with a mousse-like frosting that is out of this world. In other words it is death-by-chocolate.  While this cake took a while to bake and put together, it was well-worth it, after all my fiancé and his wonderful family deserve it. If I could have sent this cake to my friends that sent me flowers,  brought me macarons and loads of magazines to my sisters that drove from Boston and all of the people that were praying for me -  I would have made that many cakes.  This cake is for you too, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  Now, let's eat some cake!

Holiday Baking:: Chocolate Caramel Truffles with Black Sea Salt

It is holiday week on Heart of Gold, so get ready for a week of festive features!  First may I tempt you with one of the most decadent treats possible?  Let me introduce you to the Chocolate Caramel Truffle with Black Sea Salt that is so decadently rich, your knees just might buckle.  The inside of this truffle is a soft and gooey salted caramel filling and is finished with a solid crunch that is the result of being swirled in dark chocolate and then sprinkled with black sea salt.  If you are like me and you are a die-hard chocolate lover but also gravitate towards the salty/sweet combination, you will fall in love with these.  You just might make a batch with the intention of giving them away and then decide to keep them all to yourself! 

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Molten Cake

 This week, I was over at MadeByGirl sharing a delicious dessert that combines two of my vices - peanut butter and dark chocolate. Hop on over to see the whole post! Thank you for all of your support yesterday on our exciting news, you guys are the best!

Rich Chocolate Rice Pudding

I must admit, I didn't try rice pudding until I was in college. One day, I was walking down Spring Street, here in New York, and  came across a shop called Rice to Riches - I didn't really know what it was so I wandered in. I was greeted with a plethora of rice pudding flavors from pumpkin to cookies and cream served in colorful plastic dishes. I tried a sample and I was pleasantly surprised how combining arborio rice with a thick pudding could be so rich and delicious. Many years later, I am finally getting around to whipping up a Chocolate version and let me tell you, I can't believe it took so long, it was unbelievable. This pudding delivers a heavy punch of chocolate goodness and is best served warm; however, it can also be served cold too. Continue for more...

Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache

For as much as I love baking, I do think that I have lacked in the amount of posts dedicated to the cupcake; well,  that is changing today as I bring you a Chocolate Cupcake with Whipped Ganache.  This delightful cupcake is incredibly moist, thanks to the addition of buttermilk and is topped with a light, yet intensely rich chocolate frosting.  Continue for recipe...

Guest Post:: Cocoa Brownies

I am super excited to be guest-posting over on Holly's blog today, Glamourmash! I am sharing a recipe for the most incredibly rich brownies (not to mention easy) you will ever make and taste.  Hop on over to see the post!  

Rich Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is just divine, but I have to say I have never been a fan of the kind that comes out of a package.  For the longest time, my heart and taste buds belonged to City Bakery tucked off lower Fifth Avenue that serves the most amazing hot chocolate in the city.  It is so rich and indulgent, you practically only need one sip to get your fix.  I was trying to find a recipe that was similar and after my first gulp of this recipe, I knew I had found the one.  This recipe is like drinking liquid pudding - yes, it is amazing. I used 72% cocoa so the impact of chocolate delivery was just what I had hoped for - top with freshly made whipped cream and you might have just found yourself a bit of heaven.  Continue for recipe...

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Oftentimes it is when you combine very few ingredients that are high quality that is when true magic unfolds.  This is definitely the case for the chocolate truffle, which combines the best quality chocolate with heavy whipping cream to form a rich ball of cocoa goodness.  Continue for recipe...

Guest Post:: Dark Chocolate Mousse Tart with Peppermint Crème

Hi Everyone! Today I am guest posting on Meg Biram's blog and sharing an amazing recipe for a Dark Chocolate Mousse Tart with Peppermint Crème.  One of my favorite winter pairings is chocolate and peppermint - so rich, yet refreshing at the same time.  Hop on over!  Happy Friday and I hope that everyone has a great weekend. I will be doing some heavy holiday shopping and baking this weekend. Do you have anything exciting planned? Continue for recipe....   

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

Until this Deep Dark Chocolate Cookie, I had never found a rich chocolate treat that delivered such an intense chewy chocolate taste, without the addition of butter or flour. When you bite into a cookie, it is like biting into a lava cake with a molten center.  The chocolate practically melts in your mouth.  Continue for more...

A Blogging Anniversary and Chocolate Chip Cookie 'Cupcakes'

I can't believe that I started blogging one year ago today - gosh how time flies.  Little did I know what an outlet this little space would become for me. One thing that blogging has taught me is that I have a plethora of interests and passions in life that I think were laying dormant for many years.  I have always had ideas floating around in my head and had a sensitivity and liking towards beautiful things. Luckily this is the spot where I have been able to put them all together and I am just so lucky that I have found an audience to listen. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to where things can go from here. In order to celebrate this occasion I made a very simple and easy Chocolate Chip Cookie 'Cupcakes' and topped it with vanilla bean ice cream and of course a candle, in order to celebrate the occasion. Continue for directions...