Delicious Chocolate Recipes - Truffle Cookies, Frosting Made From Chips, Pudding Pie in Crumb Crust

We chocoholics, and yes there are millions of us out there, are constantly looking for another delicious chocolate recipe! This article is all about chocolate with recipes from Chocolate Truffle Cookies to Frosting Made From Chocolate Chips to a Chocolate Pudding Pie in a Crumb Crust. Chocoholics are going to love these chocolate goodies!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE COOKIES
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa powder
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate sprinkles

In mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and cocoa until light and fluffy. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add the flour and mix in well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls; dip in the chocolate sprinkles. Place the balls, dipped side up, on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2-inches apart. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 5 to 6 dozen

NOTE: These make great Fall and/or Halloween cookies when you use the chocolate and orange sprinkles.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING FROM CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Combine the chocolate chips and butter. Melt in the microwave until chips are melted enough to make mixture smooth when stirred. (Or cook over hot water until melted.) Remove from heat or microwave. Mix in the vanilla and add the salt. Beat in the sifted (important to eliminate lumps) powdered sugar alternately with the milk until of a spreading consistency.

Use this delicious frosting to top off your favorite chocolate, vanilla, marble, etc cake!

CHOCOLATE PUDDING PIE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chocolate Cookie Crumb Crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix the cookie crumbs and the melted butter together. Reserve a couple of tablespoonfuls for garnish. Press mixture firmly and evenly against the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to form a crust. Place in the 350 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Filling:
1 envelope (approx 2-oz)dessert topping mix
1 pkg (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling mix
1 4/5 cups cold milk
6 to 8 nice pecan halves, for garnish

Prepare the dessert topping mix according to the package directions; set aside.

Prepare the pudding mix as directed on the package using the 1 3/4 cups of cold milk. Gently fold 1 1/2 cups of the prepared topping into the pudding, blending together well. Pour the pie filling into the cooled crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 4 hours or until set. Before serving, pile the remaining topping into the center of the pie and sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top. Place the pecan halves out from the topping in spoke fashion for garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/
For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

Original article

Why Is a Chocolate Truffle Box an Ideal Gifting Idea?

Interestingly, cocoa beans were used as currencies even as late as the 19th century in Latin America! Therefore, cocoa, or chocolates as we know them today, have always been valued by people. Today, they make for excellent gifting ideas, both at the personal and professional level. What makes a chocolate truffle box an ideal gift item? Well, of course, a lot has to do with the exotic taste and the artistic packaging which makes the recipient feel special. They can even be personalized for that unique touch.

So, are the advantages limited to such superficial attributes alone? When you gift someone a chocolate truffle box, do you really express that you care? Well, you certainly do! Besides titillating the taste buds, chocolates bring along several health advantages which are extremely important in today's world. Therefore, a chocolate truffle box works as a gift that facilitates happiness and health.

How Does a Chocolate Truffle Box Prove Beneficial?
Listed below are some of the health benefits that a chocolate truffle box can bring along:

1. The primary cause behind cardiovascular illness is rise in bad cholesterol or the LDL. In case LDL levels rise they cause depositions within the artery walls, reducing the passage for blood flow. Chocolates thwart the process of oxidation of the LDL and helps in reducing the levels of LDL in the blood. Therefore, a chocolate truffle box can actually work towards a healthier heart.
2. Concurrently, chocolates also help in raising the levels of HDL in the blood. HDL is the good cholesterol which improves cardiac health.
3. Chocolate also controls the process of activation of platelets.
4. Chocolates help in enhancing insulin sensitivity, thus managing diabetes in the process.
5. Chocolates also help in managing high blood pressure, thus proving to be beneficial for patients suffering from hypertension.
6. Chocolates are also known to be excellent mood enhancers. Having a truffle when you are really down or depressed can truly help in enlivening your spirits.
7. The aphrodisiac properties of chocolates have also been extensively spoken about.

Gifting chocolate, therefore, can truly bring along several health benefits. Some of the goodness can be neutralized by the amount of sugar present in some forms of chocolate preparations. Therefore, it would be a great idea to opt for makes which go a little easy on the sweetening part, for keeping the health benefits intact. Striking a balance between health and taste would perhaps be the best option.

For gifting a chocolate truffle box in all its goodness, have them personalized at ChocolateFavorWorld.com. Exotic flavors and innovative packaging art facilitated by personnel at the shop can make your gifts truly special.

Original article