It's cheaper than prozac
Hides easily in your pocket
Comes with surprise centers
Comes in pretty boxes
Makes your mouth happy
It's always something fun to do
Being addicted won't get you arrested

Be sure to add your reasons for needing chocolate below!

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One bite of chocolate mousse is nothing short of bliss, whether it's delectably light and airy or satisfyingly creamy and thick. The classic French chocolate mousse is a simple combination of chocolate, butter and eggs, while more contemporary variations include cream, white chocolate, fruit, coffee, spices, brandy, rum and other flavorings.

Here are three chocolate mousse recipes that will bring a sexy, sophisticated end to your special-occasion meals... and sweet satisfaction when you crave chocolate and nothing short of mousse will do.

BASIC CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
Chopped nuts, to serve
Fresh berries, to serve
Freshly whipped cream, to serve

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat, stirring until no lumps remain. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time until well combined. Set aside.

2. In a second large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and set aside to further cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Once chocolate mixture is cool, fold in whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into serving bowls and chill. Serve with a garnish of chopped nuts, fresh berries or a dollop of whipped cream.

Note: Chocolate mousse can be spooned into tart shells or piped into chocolate cups.

ITALIAN WALNUT CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE MOUSSE

Serves 6

This thick, coffee-infused mousse lightly suspends chopped walnuts, which make every irresistibly creamy bite reminiscent of your favorite dark chocolate brownies.

Ingredients:
7 ounces high quality dark chocolate, chopped
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
2 teaspoons Fair Trade instant coffee powder or granules
3 tablespoons hot water
2 large free-range eggs, separated
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
1/4 cup walnut pieces, chopped or crushed
1/4 cup whipping cream, chilled
Walnut halves, to decorate
Freshly whipped cream, to serve

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in a double boiler or heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water with the butter, and melt gently. Remove from heat, stir gently and leave to cool for a minute.

2. Dissolve coffee in hot water, cool slightly, then stir into the chocolate. Stir in the egg yolks. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks, then whisk in the sugar.

3. Stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to soften it. Fold this mixture into the remaining egg whites. In a second bowl, whip cream to soft peaks and fold into the chocolate mixture, followed by the walnut pieces.

4. Spoon into serving glasses, small espresso-sized coffee cups or a pretty bowl. Decorate with the walnut halves, cover and chill overnight. Bring mousse out of the refrigerator 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

RASPBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped
1-1/4 cups chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
2 cups fresh raspberries
Freshly whipped cream, to serve
Dark chocolate shavings, to serve

Directions:

1. In a double boiler or a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, combine white chocolate and 1/4 cup whipping cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool chocolate mixture until lukewarm. (If using a double boiler, transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl).

2. Beat remaining 1 cup whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in whipped cream. Spoon into serving glasses or dessert bowls.

3. Warm strawberry jam in small saucepan over medium heat until jam melts. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm. Place raspberries in a bowl and drizzle with jam, tossing gently to coat. Spoon raspberries over mousse and chill 2 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings to serve.

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Simple to make, and a real crowd pleaser. All it takes is a few simple ingredients, some standard kitchen tools with a minimum of effort. This has to be the all time best chocolate cake ever!

Ingredients:

One pound of good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. If you're buying chips instead of bars, get two bags as standard bags of chips are only twelve ounces. You need a full pound! My favorite is Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet baking chips.
2 sticks of unsalted butter. Note: the higher the butterfat content, the better
2 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite coffee liqueur (or orange, or rum, or, or, or...)
8 large eggs - cold from the fridge is best
1 quart of hot but not boiling water
1 quart of boiling water

That's it!

Instructions:

Preheat your over to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven cooks hotter or colder, use a thermometer until the temp is correct as the temp needs be exact with this cake.

Fill a large pot with around a quart of water and a kettle with the same and begin to heat it. Important: You only want the kettle water to boil, not the water in the large pot! Line a springform pan bottom with a round piece of parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter and wrap the bottom half of the pan (on the outside) in at least two layers of aluminum foil. Dice your butter and keep it cold. About twenty pieces out of the two sticks is small enough. If using a bar of chocolate instead of chips, chop your bar into small pieces of relatively even size.

Take the cold eggs out of the refrigerator and break them into a mixing bowl and whisk. After five minutes or so, you should have a foamy volume of eggs about twice as large as when they started (about one quart).

Place a larger, heat-resistant bowl on top of your large pot of not boiling water. Place both the chocolate and the butter into the bowl. This arrangement is used as a double-boiler to prevent heat damage to the chocolate. If you have a legitimate double-boiler, by all means use it! Stir the mixture gently and very occasionally as it melts. Your target temperature is between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to stir before taking the temperature and to keep the tip of the thermometer off the bottom of the bowl. Once the desired temperature is reached, remove the entire bowl from the pot, place it on a trivet or other heat resistant item and shut off the burner.

I warn you now: This next step is easily the most important step to successfully making this cake. So follow it closely.

The egg foam needs to be folded into the chocolate mixture, one third at a time, as gently as is possible.

Again, as gently as is possible.

Gently.

Are you going to be gentle?

You should be.

The key to this entire cake coming together properly is the maintenance of the air bubbles in the egg foam. If you mistreat the foam, pour it all in at once and go at it with a hand mixer you will end up with a rather nasty batch of chocolate jerky treats. Think senile grandmother fudge with a light dusting of garden dirt.

So you will be gentle.

Right?

Gently add one third of the egg foam to the bowl containing the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the egg foam into the chocolate. When the foam is fully incorporated, gently add the next third and gently fold it in. Continue being gentle with the final third...

If you weren't gentle the gods of baking will smite you and make your cake taste like a delicate combination of coffee grounds and cat litter. You have been warned!

With your fully assembled cake batter at the ready: Scrape the batter into the springform pan. Make sure the top is reasonably flat so it doesn't look weird when it comes out of the oven.

Place the loaded springform gently into a baking dish/roaster/broiler tray. Pour your boiling water into the baking dish, not the springform. You want at least an inch of water in the dish. This is called a water bath and is commonly used in baking.

Place the entire assembly gently in the oven (I swear that's the last gently...) to bake.

Your baking time will depend on the diameter of the pan you used. An 8" pan will run about 24 minutes while a 9" will run about 20 minutes. Either way, the key is to remove the cake when the internal temperature is 140 degrees Fahrenheit, then (not sooner or later) remove the springform from the water bath and place it on a cooling rack.

Here comes the hard part.

Allow the cake to cool on the rack to room temperature. Pout, but don't stomp your feet as this cake falls very easily. Then place the cake (covered) into the the refrigerator for at least twelve hours. Yes, I know. You spent all this time prepping, whisking, baking and being gentle and now you can't even have a piece of cake???

Trust me. If you taste this thing as soon as it hits room temperature, you will want to throw it in the garbage. Imagine eating a used espresso puck. It's not quite that bad, but it is very shocking. Even if you're one of those 'hardcore' dark chocolate people, this is the kind of cake that needs some time to mellow. Perhaps it helps to know that, in the five day refrigerator lifespan of this cake, it only gets better with time. When I serve serve this to our dinner club, I give it a full 24 hour mellow in the fridge before I even consider foisting it on my friends.

That being said, once the requisite mellow time has completed, this cake is insanely good.

To serve:

Unpack the cake from the springform and foil about a half hour ahead of serving time. Invert the cake onto a sheet of something that isn't sticky (waxpaper or parchment) so that you can remove the parchment round from the bottom. Flip the cake back over onto the serving dish. If you are so inclined you can dust your cake with some powdered sugar, cocoa or fruit. I personally forgo the sugar/cocoa and go with a single raspberry and a mint leaf per slice. Cutting the cake with a hot knife is beneficial and makes for a cleaner piece. You can use a regular kitchen knife run under hot water and dried before cutting too.

Serves as few as you deem necessary to enjoy the most awesome cake you've ever eaten by yourself when you need it, but a 9" cake is supposed to serve 16.

Do keep in mind that it would be a calorically bad idea to scarf the whole thing by yourself on a lonely Saturday night... Something I am guilty of on at least one occasion lol. Who can resist?!!!

ps...I stole this recipe from my sister in law before she was my sister in law and she still loves me! Now that's love!

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Scott and I like share a little bit of chocolate before retiring for the evening. Letting you have the extra piece has to be the single most romantic thing a man can do!

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Who can resist a good chocolate chip cookie? Not me!! ...and these are nothing less than fabulous!

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups, minus 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons course salt
20 tablespoons room temperature butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 room temperature eggs
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds high quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, sift in the flour and then the baking powder, soda and salt.

Beat the butter in a separate large bowl on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, beat for a minute, and then add the granulated sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. The mixture should be quite fluffy and light. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture gradually. Finally, add in the chocolate chips, mixing by hand just until combined. If you like walnuts in your cookies (I do!), this is the time to add them too. 2 cups of barely chopped walnuts is about right.

Place a layer of plastic wrap directly over the dough and another to cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 – 36 hours, or up to 72.

When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheets with parchment paper rectangles. Set the dough out to soften for about 10 minutes.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop a 2″ mound of dough onto the cookie sheet, spacing each mound about 2” apart. Bake the cookies 15 – 17 minutes, until the sides are set, but the center is still a bit gooey. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes after removing them from the oven. Cool briefly on a wire rack, and serve with a couple big glasses of cold milk. After all, you're not going to eat them all by yourself, right? Right?

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Who can resist a lovely chocolate muffin? These are so awesome and easy to make, there's no excuse not to have one when ever your heart desires. Hard to image these sold at the cafe for $5 a piece (as jumbo sized muffins), but no matter how many we made each morning, we were always running out of them before noon.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 rows dark cooking chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven runs on the cool side, 360 degrees is better.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the chocolate chunks and stir again. Whisk the eggs, butter and milk in a medium sized bowl. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir the two mixtures together until everything is moistened. There will be a few lumps, but you want a few lumps!

Spoon the mixture into muffin pans lined with large cupcake papers or well greased and floured muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of one will be slightly wet when done. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Serve cold or hot.

Muffins are best when freshly made, but for muffins anytime you want them, wrap them when fully cooled, in plastic and freeze for up to two months.

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There are few foods that people feel as passionate about, a passion that goes beyond a love for the "sweetness" of most candies or desserts: after all, few people crave caramel, whipped cream, or bubble gum. Chocolate is, well, different. For the true chocoholic, just thinking about chocolate will evoke a pleasurable feeling.

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Best served cold, these treats are for the hardiest chocolate lovers.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
chocolate bark, to melt for dipping
additional chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc., optional for topping the truffles

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add vanilla. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until it is incorporated and you no longer see chunks of brown sugar (if you spot any, just squish them). Beat in sweetened condensed milk and mix until well-combined. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Cover bowl and refrigerate until dough is firm (at least 1 hour, maybe more... you want the dough to be quite firm).

Use a small icecream scoop to scoop out heaping Tablespoonfuls, roll into balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Place all of the rolled balls back into the refrigerator until you are ready to dip them in chocolate.

Melt chocolate bark in a glass bowl - you can use a double boiler, or a bowl on top of a pan of hot water, but the easiest way to melt bark is in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring after each heating time, until smooth. Use a spoon to help you dip the chilled dough ball into the chocolate and roll it around to cover all sides. Place it on a waxed paper-lined platter. Sprinkle with any desired toppings. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. They'll begin to set pretty quickly. Keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.

Fun variation: Cut into fours and mix them in with vanilla ice cream for a great treat.

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Finally! A guilt free way to nourish and soften with...Chocolate. Chocolate is good for your heart and good for the skin. Cocoa is known as a very strong anti oxidant that helps in reversing the effects of aging and the overall tightening of skin.

Get glowing, soft and firm, skin with reduced signs of aging and sagging using this mask:

Ingredients:

2 bars of dark chocolate
2/3 cup of milk
Sea salt
3 tbsp. Brown Sugar

Directions:

Heat chocolate in a double boiler for about 3 minutes, or zap in the microwave stirring every minute or so until melted. Mix sea salt, brown sugar, and 2/3 of a cup milk in a bowl. Mix melted chocolate with salt/milk mixture and allow to cool. Before the chocolate becomes hard, smear on your face and leave it on until it hardens. Try not to taste your cheeks while while waiting. Wash or chip off with a mild cleanser and warm water. Apply a lite lotion or face cream to your face afterward and enjoy the sweet smell of chocolate and fun comments from your friends for the rest of the day.

Cons of Chocolate Face Mask? Yes, you keep wanting to extend your tongue and taste it.

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For the record, these two are Wolfgang Pauli and Niels Bohr, two of the most important and brilliant physicists of the 20th century. This makes their fascination with a small top even more enjoyable!

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No, you can't have just one. Or two for that matter...

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided
1/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 16 oz package of marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided

Cooking spray (used freely - or the brownies will stick horribly)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 cup chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add milk mixture, 1/2 package of marshmallows, 1/2 cup chocolate, and 1/4 cup nuts to flour mixture; stir to combine.

Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan heavily coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Note: Brownies never seem done until they are cool. Don't be tempted to continue cooking if they seem too soft - these will be a little extra soft when first pulled out of the oven due to the marshmallows. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Only when fully cool, cut into small or large sized pieces. Large is obviously best, because small doesn't mean you eat less.

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Cheesecake is one of the best inventions ever created. Chocolate cheesecake is the ultimate best of cheesecakes!

Ingredients:

Pie shell:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon cocoa (optional)

Cheesecake filling:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small
2 1/2 cups cream cheese
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Drizzle:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dark corn syrup

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

To make the crust, process/crush the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter (and cocoa for a chocolaty crust). Mix well until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then press the crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan to make an even base, and put into the freezer while you make the filling.

Put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter.

Take the springform bottom out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.

Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.

To make the chocolate sauce drizzle: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. Top with a graham cracker crumbles and serve.

Finally, try, try to not eat it in one sitting.

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These fun little treats are absolutely to die for. In honor of my cuz, Molly:

Ingredients:

24 jumbo marshmallows
10 oreos
24 chocolate kisses
1/4 cup chocolate chips
24 pretzel sticks
1-2 cups warm water

Directions:

Place oreos in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, place the oreos in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Pour oreo crumbs in a shallow bowl or on a plate.

Fill a small bowl with warm water. Dunk the marshmallows in the warm water and then place on a baking sheet. Allow the marshmallows to dry for about 20 seconds. Then, roll marshmallows in the oreo crumbs. The marshmallows should still be sticky and the crumbs should adhere to the marshmallows. If they don't stick you can dab the marshmallow with more water and the oreos should stick. Allow marshmallows to dry for awhile on the baking sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30 second increments. Stir the chocolate chips until the chocolate is completely melted. With a knife, take a little bit of the chocolate and basically paint a little bit of it on the flat part of the chocolate kiss. Then "glue" the kiss to the marshmallow. Repeat on each marshmallow.

When the marshmallows and chocolates have dried, insert a pretzel stick on the other end of the marshmallow. Now you have your dreidels! Place in an air tight container for storage.

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I will gladly make a Goldie Signature for the first person who posts the right answer below!

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Think digging into a rich and delicious chocolate cake is awesome? They can't hold a candle to this cakes ooey-gooey chocolaty center. Seriously, it just keeps getting better every time I serve it.

Ingredients:

4 Squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup powdered sugar
2 Large eggs (whole)
2 Egg yolks
6 Tbsp flour
1/2 Cup thawed Whipped Topping (COOL WHIP)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter 4 small custard cups and place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 1 minute or until butter is melted, then whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; mix well. Stir in flour. Spoon into prepared cups.

Bake 13 to 14 min. or until sides of cakes are firm but centers are still soft. Let stand 1 min. Carefully run a small spatula or knife around cakes to loosen; invert into dessert plates and (optional) sprinkle with a little powdered sugar or cocoa. Serve warm with whipped topping.

These make impressive desserts for small gatherings like dinner club etc. Your guests will wish they were larger...and so will you!

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Sorry, ever the farm girl, I just had to include this one

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It's one of the most popular sweets of all time. Women crave it, men hoard it, and Aztec kings were said to have been the first to eat it. What would we ever do without it??

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Yep, just like the real thing. Only better!

Ingredients:

Cookie base:
1 1/2 cups + 3 Tablespoons Flour
3/4 cup sugar + 1 Tablespoons
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoons black (dark will do if you can't find black) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
15 TB unsalted butter, cubed, and chilled

Filling:
1/2 stick room temp butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt in a mixer. On low, add the butter a few pieces at a time. Mix until dough comes together. This will take a long time, around 10 minutes. You will think you did something wrong, but just wait, it will happen!

Form dough into a ball and divide in half. Chill. Once chilled, take half out at a time and roll to somewhere between 1/8″ and 1/4″ think.

Using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on baking sheet. Bake until done, about 8 to 10 minutes depending the size of your cookie. Let cool completely before filling.

For the filling: Beat until light and fluffy, which will take some effort. It will be very dry and you will again think you’ve done something wrong. Fear not, it will happen and you will soon be eating cookies that taste like oreos, but are so much better.

Take the filling and put into a piping bag (or a plastic baggie) and pipe a small amount of filling onto half the cookies. The filling is stiff, so prepare to use those muscles again. The press another cookie on top and there you have it. Oreos. Well, these are far better because they lack preservatives and you make them yourself!

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The tasty smooth secret of the cacao (kah KOW) tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the south Americas. Chocolate has since grown from a local Mesoamerican beverage into a global sweet encompassing many cultures and continents.

The first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink.

Later, the Spanish conquistadors took the seeds back home to Spain, where new recipes were created. Eventually the drink’s popularity spread throughout Europe. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

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These are so good with milk or a cup of coffee. Definitely a “grown-up” version of sugar cookies.

Ingredients

4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
12 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp shortening
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Shortening

Directions:

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed in your mixer just until smooth. Add flour and mix at low speed until combined. Divide dough in thirds and shape into 3 disks. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Cutting out the dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange racks in top and bottom third of oven. Line 4 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

On lightly floured work surface (or on floured wax paper) roll out 1 piece of dough to 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Using heart shaped cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Transfer cookies to baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate each cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Prick each cookie with a toothpick several times.

Cook only two sheets at a time in oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned on edges. Cool on pan for one minute, remove to wire rack. Cool Completely.

To decorate: Line baking sheet with clean parchment or wax paper. In medium microwave safe bowl, melt half of semisweet chocolate with 2 tbsp shortening on low heat setting, stirring frequently until smooth. Add remaining chocolate and stir occasionally until smooth. Pour into small bowl.

Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on baking sheet. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

Melt white chocolate with 1/2 tbsp shortening on low heat in microwave. Stir until smooth. Transfer to a small pastry bag with a very fine tip (I use a sandwich baggie with the tip of one corner barely cut off). Drizzle over chocolate side of cookies. Let set until hard, about 30 minutes.

Store in airtight container at room temperature (Do not refrigerate). Then see if you can keep from eating them!

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Satisfy your cheesecake craving with these bite-sized treats. Dipped in chocolate, these sweet, creamy delights are party favorites. But be warned...you won't be able to eat just one!

Ingredients

1 Cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 Cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 Cup butter, melted

Filling::
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup sour cream
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coating:
24 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour over crust.
Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled. Freeze overnight.

In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
Using foil, lift cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut into 49 squares. Remove a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip.

Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets; spoon about 1 teaspoon chocolate over each. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping.) Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

There's a reason I've only made this once. After eating the entire first batch, I had to kindly reminded myself that fat people are harder to kidnap.

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Baklava has to be one of my favorites, but coupled with chocolate, there's no doubt! This is much easier to make than it looks.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup water
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 Cup hazelnut chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
1/2 Cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 Cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped $
1/3 Cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
24 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until honey dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230° (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; keep warm. Discard cinnamon stick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place hazelnut chocolate spread in a microwave safe bowl; microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted. Combine hazelnuts and next 5 ingredients (through salt).

Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Note: Because phyllo sheets are thin and delicate, handle with care so you won't tear the sheets. Keep the sheets you are not working with covered so it won't dry out.

Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing ends of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly brush with butter. Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and butter.

Drizzle about 1/3 cup melted hazelnut chocolate spread over phyllo. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 1/2 cup). Repeat procedure twice with phyllo, butter, hazelnut-chocolate spread, and nut mixture. Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each lightly brushed with butter. Press gently into pan.

Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions using a sharp knife. Bake at for 35 minutes or until phyllo is golden. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey mixture over baklava. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover and store at room temperature.

When I make this, it's hard to not spend a half hour eating up the little bits that remain in the pan after the baklava's been packaged and put away.

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