Everybody Eats: Chocolate recipes for chocolate lovers

When I was little, I didn't like chocolate.

My mother would purchase Thin Mints from the neighborhood Girl Scouts and I wouldn't touch them. I still remember the utter disappointment I felt finding a chocolate cupcake inside my lunchbox on one of the rare instances I brought my lunch to school.

I was a strange child. I know that now. Luckily, I grew up to know better.

A few summers ago, my family and I visited Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, Penn. The quick stop during our vacation along the East Coast was as close to Willy Wonka's as I'm ever going to get. I didn't see a Golden Ticket, but it is home to Hershey's Largest Candy Store; a completely acceptable consolation prize. Being a responsible adult, I made sure the kids did a few of the activities before everyone dashed to their favorite sweet treat.

It was one of the moments in life when being a parent was particularly difficult.

Because Valentine's Day was two days ago, I assume most of you have an ample supply of chocolate in your home. Perhaps you snagged some treats from your child's Valentine's box or have a sweetie who indulged your sweet tooth.

Or maybe you went shopping Wednesday to take advantage of the reduced-price holiday treats.

I, for one, love post-holiday bargain shopping. However, when it comes to chocolate, we probably won't need to wait until after the next major candy holiday to purchase it at discounted prices. Cocoa harvests are booming in Latin America and in West Africa, which account for about 70 percent of global production. This means cheaper prices on all cocoa products.

It's like the world is telling us to consume more chocolate.

And let's not forget this important detail: chocolate is good for you.

OK, not all chocolate is good for you, but headlines promoting the health benefits of dark chocolate are plentiful. A 2011 Swedish study found that women who ate more than 45 grams of chocolate a week had a 20 percent lower risk of stroke than women who treated themselves to fewer than nine grams. Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive function. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you're falling in love.

Now all those chocolate hearts make sense.

The key to enjoying the benefits of chocolate, for both health and general culinary pleasure, is moderation. In other words, if you're going to indulge, make sure it's worth it, which is why I found some recipes to help you use your excess supply of Valentine's Day chocolate.

If you aren't looking for ways to use excess chocolate, but support trying new recipes that focus on the sweet stuff, we should be best friends.

There's a chocolate heart for that.

REAL HOT CHOCOLATE

2 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

3½ ounces bittersweet chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa solids), coarsely grated, plus extra to dust

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla bean. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavor to infuse the milk. Add the chocolate and sugar and whisk into the milk until melted and dissolved. Return to a low heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove the vanilla bean, then divide between two mugs. Dust with chocolate.

Serves 2

Source: 'Breakfast & Brunch: Delicious Recipes to Start the Day' by Tonia George (Ryland Peters & Small; Sept. 1, 2009)

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PANINI

1/2 ounce milk chocolate, chopped

1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 slices sourdough bread, 1/2-inch thick

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a small bowl, combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate; set aside.

Brush one side of each bread slice with butter. Place two slices on a work surface, buttered side down, and sprinkle with chocolate mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Cover with top halves, buttered side up, and press gently to pack.

Place sandwiches in the panini grill. Close the top plate and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, place semisweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, removing every 30 seconds to stir until almost melted. Stir until melted and smooth.

Remove sandwiches from grill and slice in half. Drizzle with melted chocolate, serve immediately.

Serves 2

Source: '200 Best Panini Recipes' by Tiffany Collins (Robert Rose; Sept. 12, 2007)

FAT WITCH BROWNIES

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips

1¼ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup plus two tablespoons unbleached flour

Pinch of salt

Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with butter; dust with flour and tap out the excess; preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often; set aside to cool.

Cream the sugar, eggs, and vanilla together; add in the cooled chocolate mixture; mix until well blended.

Measure the flour and salt; then sift together directly into the chocolate mixture.

Mix batter gently until well combined and no trace of dry ingredients remains.

At this point, stir in any extras like walnuts.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan; bake 33 minutes or until toothpick tests done (clean or with only crumbs; no batter).

Remove from oven and cool on rack for one hour/ Cut just before serving.

Source: 'Fat Witch Brownies' by Patricia Helding (Rodale Books; Sept. 14, 2010)

THE GOOIEST CHOCOLATE COOKIES

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups light brown sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

5½ ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with nonstick parchment paper. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl, and beat together until light and fluffy. Place the egg and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and whisk together, then gradually add the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add 3½ ounces each of the semisweet and milk chocolates, then mix well.

Spoon 6 heaping tablespoons of the batter onto each baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Divide the remaining chocolate among the cookies and press in lightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to write racks to cool.

Source: '1001 Cupcakes, Cookies & Other Tempting Treats' (Parragon Books; Jan. 1, 2012)