These can be done without the cream cheese marble as well.

Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time:  Cook Time: 30 min
Serves:
about 24 (2-inch) brownies  These can be done without the cream cheese marble as well.
 
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3 ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate
3 ounces finely chopped unsweetened chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Marble:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (the microwave for 45 seconds at 50 percent power is a great way to do this)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, so that the edges of the paper come up the sides. Lightly butter the paper. Put both the semisweet and unsweetened chocolates and the butter in a heatproof medium bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowl of chocolate over the water to melt. Whisk until smooth. (Alternatively, melt in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.) Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Take care not to over mix the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

For the marble swirl:
Whisk the cream cheese with the sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Drop very large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture onto the surface of the brownie batter. Insert a butter knife through the batter to the bottom of the pan. With the flat edge of the knife, make swirling motions through the batters, occasionally lifting the knife through the top, until the dark and light batters are marbled. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out coated with a fudge-y crumb, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack. To take the brownies out of the pan, lift the edges of the paper. Cut the brownies into squares.
Serve.

Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
 

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on 09/25/2008
© 2008 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

8 oz. semi or bittersweet chocolate, cut up into small pieces
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. butter, unsalted
1 tsp. espresso powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2T. coffee liqueur (optional) such as Kahlua, Tia Maria. Illy, etc.
cocoa powder for coating

Place cut up chocolate in a bowl.  Heat cream and butter to almost boiling.
Remove from the heat and stir in espresso powder, cinnamon and liqueur.
Pour over the chocolate pieces and let sit for five minutes.
Stir until smooth and glossy. Place bowl, uncovered, in refrigerator for about an hour or until chocolate is completely set. Using a small scoop or a tablespoon form mixture into 1″  balls (Wear latex gloves - it’s messy). Place the balls back in the fridge for ten minutes to set up a little bit after handling.
Roll in cocoa and reform into perfect little truffle balls. Serve.

 Makes 20-24 truffles

1  8″store bought piecrust

5-6 apples ( mixed varieties such as Macs, Macoun, Granny Smith, Empire, etc. add flavor) 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Streusel Topping:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark whichever is at hand)
4 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Peel and core apples. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and toss in bowl with the lemon juice (to prevent browning). Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon and sprinkle on apples. Prick pie shell and place apples into it. Place ingredients for streusel topping in food processor and pulse until the consistency of cormeal. Alternatively, mix by hand in a bowl. Scatter on top of apples and place in oven for 40-45 mins.

Make Your Own Fortune Cookies

To make the fortunes for these cookies, cut 3- by 1/2-inch strips of paper and write or type your own fortunes with non-toxic ink. Because you must work quickly to shape the cookies, it’s best to make them one at a time. Using more than one baking sheet is also helpful because you won’t have to waste time waiting for the baking sheet to cool. A liquid measuring cup or deep heavy bowl os a good tool for shaping the cookies.

Servings: Makes about 8 cookies.

Ingredients:

1 large egg white
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped sliced almonds
fortunes

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter a large round area (about 6 inches) in middle of a baking sheet.

In a small bowl whisk egg white just until foamy. Add flour, sugar, almonds and a pinch salt and beat until smooth. Put 2 teaspoons batter on buttered area of baking sheet and with back of measuring spoon spread batter evenly into a round about 3 inches in diameter.

Bake cookie in middle of oven until golden around edge but pale in center, about 5 minutes. Working quickly, with a spatula remove cookie from baking sheet and invert onto a work surface. Put a fortune in middle of cookie and fold cookie in half. Bend pointed edges of cookie toward each other and hook them onto rim of a liquid measuring cup or deep heavy bowl to cool completely.

Make more cookies with remaining batter in same manner, letting baking sheet cool between cookies. Cookies may be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/gourmet/recipes

Excerpted from Gourmet magazine, February 1997

Chocolate Can Be Good For You

• According to a 2003 report published by the American Dietetic Association, the flavanols contained in chocolate, especially dark chocolate, may decrease the risk of heart disease.
• Dark chocolate has also been shown to lower high blood pressure, as detailed in another 2003 report published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
  
• In addition, chocolate triggers the release of endorphins in the brain — feel-good chemicals like those released after running several miles — as well as serotonin, an anti-depressant.

http://www.eatright.org/
http://www.webmd.com/