Chocolate Lo er's Cookbook Professionals publish purposeful passionate prose

Quick. How many people do you know love chocolate? Write down that number. That then may be the number of cookbooks you may want to order for Christmas gifts from Twin Cities Home Economists in Business (TC HEIB). This group of home economists have debuted their “Chocolate Lovers’ Cookbook” at a reasonable price of $12.75 a copy (with tax and shipping a single copy is $15). With over 100 recipes, it is, indeed, a compilation that many, many would love. You see most people who like chocolate, actually love chocolate. It is one of their passions!

To purchase copies contact [email protected] or write to her at Rachel Pederson, 13251 180th Ave NW, Elk River MN 55330.

My special pleasure of the book is having many long-time friends as contributors as I was once an active participant in this HEIB group.

For example, Mary Bartz, Director of Food Communication for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, was our family’s summer girl when our son Elliot was four years old. Mary was from a farm and moved into Minneapolis to live with us for a summer. We, sadly, did not stay in touch. Yet, just a few years ago Mary and I reconnected at another professional meeting and have had a grand time since renewing memories and working together on mutually interesting projects. She has taught me much about beef and shared this recipe with its intriguing chocolate port sauce.

Black Tie Beef Roast with Chocolate-Port Sauce

(Mary Bartz)

1 beef rib roast (2-4 ribs), small end, chine (backbone, removed (6 to 8 lbs.)

Seasoning ingredients:

Chopped fresh parsley, optional

3 tbsp. freshly grated orange peel

2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp. coarse-grind black pepper

Chocolate-Port Sauce

3 tbsp. butter

¾ cup finely chopped shallots

1 ½ tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ cups port wine

1 can (14-14 ½ oz.) ready-to-serve beef broth

¾ cup whipping cream

1 tbsp. soy sauce

¾-oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine seasoning ingredients for beef; press evening on all sides of beef roast. Place roast fat side up, in a shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of the beef, not resting in fat or touching bone. Do not add water or cover. Roast in a 350-degree oven 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours for medium rare; 2 ¾ to 3 hours for medium doneness. To present seasoning on roast from over browning, tent loosely with foil after roasting for 1 hour.

Meanwhile prepare Chocolate Port Sauce:

Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and thyme; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes or until shallots are lightly browned. Add port; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until reduce by one half, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15 to 17 minutes or until reduce by one half, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and soy sauce; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Keep warm.

Remove roast from oven when meat thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium rare; 150 degrees for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10 degrees to reach 145 degrees for medium rare; 160 degrees for medium.) Carve roast into slices; season with salt, as desired. Serve with sauce. Serves 8 to 10.

Tip: Sauce may be prepared up to l day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently before serving. Do not boil.

Lois Kemp and Judy Crocker were home economists for Byerly’s supermarket that set the pace for supermarkets all over the country. Lois just retired. Judy Crocker and I were classmates at Iowa State University….and I just saw her at Byerly’s on a recent trip to Minneaplolis. The two professionals developed this recipe for The Byerly Bag”, a publication in which the store promoted all kinds of events, foods, and almost everything they sold in the store. The publication continues still today!

Chocolate Truffle Spread

(Lois Kemp and Judy Crocker)

¾ cup whipping (heavy) cream

2 tbsp. butter

1 bar (4 oz.) semisweet chocolate, coarsely, chopped

½ bar (4 oz.) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp. chocolate liqueur, optional

In a small saucepan, combine whipping (heavy) cream and butter. Heat over medium heat until the cream starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate in completely melted and mixture beings to thicken. Stir in chocolate liqueur, if using. Let mixture cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Pour into 8 (ounce) ramekins, dividing evenly.

May be made up to 5 days and stored, covered in refrigerator. Serve alongside shortbread and crisp butter cooki9es with butter knives for spreading. Makes 8 servings.

Ann Burkhardt and I worked together on “Taste”, the award winning food section of the Minneapolis Star. I left and she went on to become the editor for many years. Ann was also an Iowa State University graduate and recently published “Hot Dish Heaven”, her bake-it-and-love-it cookbook. Ann and I stay in touch from time to time…yet when we are together it is as if we were never apart.

Oh, Fudge Pudding

(Ann Burckardt)

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups brown sugar, divided

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. baking cocoa divided

½ cup milk

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ to 1 cup chopped nuts

1 ¾ cups hot strong coffee

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, ¾ cup of the brown sugar

and 2 tbsp. of the cocoa together in a medium bowl. Add milk and oil and stir well. Fold in nuts. Spread in a 9-inch square baking dish. Combine remaining 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ cup baking cocoa; sprinkle cocoa mixture over batter in pan. Pour hot coffee over batter. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until pudding pulls away from side, floating atop the sauce. While it bakes pudding rises to top and chocolate sauce goes to the bottom. Serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

I knew Gerry Luepke from afar when I was a member of HEIB and she was at Ecolab in St. Paul, MN. Recently we’ve had reason to work together on projects. She says this recipe goes back to her first teaching job when her landlady might greet her with a warm cup of chocolate after a long day at her classroom. My husband loves hot chocolate so this is for him as much as for you.

Classic Hot Chocolate

(Gerry Luepke)

1square (1 oz.) unsweetened baking chocolate

3 tbsp. hot water

¼ cup sugar

Dash of salt

2 cups warm milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate in hot water in top of a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Add sugar and salt; blend well. Gradually stir in warm milk. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally (do not boil). Remove from heat; add vanilla. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Another friend from my Minneapolis days in Carol Jackson, corporate manager for Jerry’s Foods, Edina, MN. She started in 1971 with one store. Now there are stores in four states! Carol said she developed this recipe for an ad for Jerry’s Foods. She tried it out on a Creative Photography Potluch Group at her church where it was a huge success.

It can be cut into hearts or simply into squares, depending on your need.

Chocolate Brownie

Hearts/ Squares

(Carol Jackson)

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

½ cold butter or margarine

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

¼ cup baking cocoa=r

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. baking powder

1 bar (7 or 8 oz.) milk chocolate, cut into ¼-inch pieces

¼ cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degreess. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, extending foil over the edges (this will assist in removing brownies from pan after baking). Set aside.

In a bowl, mix 1 cup flour with sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press on to foil-lined bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes. In the same bowl, whisk milk, cocoa, egg, remaining ¼ cup flour, vanilla and baking powder. Mix in chocolate pieces and nuts. Spread over baking crust. Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool.

Use foil to lift baked and completely cooled brownies from pan. Cut into hearts with a 2 or 3-inch cookie cutter. Or, cut into bars. Decorate with icing or gels, if desired. Store in covered container. Makes 17 (2-inch) hearts; 12 (3-inch) hearts or 24 2-inch squares.