Once you've had black, you never go back.

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Cocoa Syrup.

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 2/3 cocoa powder, 1/3 black cocoa powder)
1 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Stir in enough boiling water to form a smooth paste and whisk in the remaining water. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool and transfer into a squeeze bottle. It will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks.

What worked: It's like commercial chocolate syrup, but it tastes like good chocolate! Who knew there was such a thing now that Hershey's is "chocolate flavor syrup"?

What didn't: Um, letting it cool made the pan harder to clean? (Until I added a bit more hot water and stirred, and then I drank it. Can't let it go to waste.)

Will I make it again? Damn straight. This was so easy I can't imagine wasting money on commercial inferior stuff.

Comments

cayenne, eh?

[dame-cordelia.livejournal.com]

When I bake brownies I usually add a large pinch of black pepper to a 9x13 pan. You can't taste it as pepper, but it seems to intensify the chocolate flavor.

I picked that tidbit up from one of Maida Heatter's dessert books.

Re: cayenne, eh?

[tafelspitz.livejournal.com]

My Scots grandmother's recipe for gingerbread calls for finely ground white pepper. It intensifies the flavour of the ginger without being tasted itself.