Last night was very fun. Of course, how can chocolate ever NOT be fun. 😉 While I don’t always find Pampered Chef parties fun, this one was. Part of that, I’m sure, can be contributed to the consultant who was very laid back and low-pressure. I also had people come that I didn’t actually expect to come, and some neighbors, both old and new. So it was a good time. I got to know a few people better that I didn’t know very well before, so that is always a bonus.
On to the chocolate. I didn’t do anything overly complicated, but since it was a chocolate party, I felt I needed to have a good representation of chocolate here. I started with fudge. This was a super simple fudge that I added a few things- and by far was my favorite item of the evening. It was basic Eagle Brand fudge, only I mixed in some orange zest, craisins, and pecans, and oh yum. Next I made a batch of brownies. My favorite brownie currently is the one on a can of Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa. I would post the recipe- but since you need that specific cocoa to make the brownies- just go buy yourself a can. The recipe is on there. 🙂 Finally I made chocolate mousse cups. I made a simpel mousse with whipped cream, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. Next I took some frozen phyllo cups and brushed white chocolate on the top edge and a dollop on the bottom. I piped in the mousse, sprinkled on some edible glitter and had mousse cups. They turned out pretty darn good too.
Rounding out the evening for me, I made a centerpiece of chocolate chips. I used a bowl of dark, white, and swirl chocolate chips in three seperate bowls, surrounded by chocolate candy corn. It was nice and simple. I also made a simple punch using 7-Up, Pineapple juice, and orange sherbet. That was quite yummy and I will do again. And for those who cared to, of course, you cannot have chocolate without a glass of wine- right?
The PC rep made a skillet fudge cake which was okay, and a cold chocolate fondue. That was silly in my opinion, but then I have become a bit of a food snob as of late. She took chocolate chips and melted them, then stirred them into some Cool Whip and added a sprinkle of cinnamon. It certainly wasn’t fondue. It was a dip, but it was more mousse-like than anything, and I think they would be better to call it chocolate mousse dip than fondue. Of course, I’ve been staying away from Cool Whip anyway- all that high fructose corn syrup…yucky. Give me real whipped cream anyday. The fudge cake was a devils food cake mix baked in a skillet. She took some caramel sundae topping and mixed in some chocolate chips and melted them together. Voila, topping for cake. And of course, decorated with Cool Whip squeezed out of a decorator. A little silly for me and my taste, but not bad considering some of the PC recipes I have experienced over time.
And for my non-chocolate contribution I made a cold Greek inspired pizza. I really went back and forth on whether or not I needed something non-chocolate, and I’m glad that I did decide to do that. I started with a purchased pizza crust (Gasp! The horror- I know, I know). Then I took some Chive cream cheese, stirred in some mayo, lemon juice, and Penzey’s Greek Seasoning, and made a sauce for the pizza. I topped this with some pre-cooked chicken breast chopped up, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, and green onions. I guess it was pretty good. I never actually got a chance to have a piece, but I had back ups in case I needed to toss together a quick second pizza, so I may make it up for lunch today.
Here is the recipe for Eagle Brand Fudge, followed by my quantities for the Orange-Cranberry Pecan additions. I want to add that I have successfully made this with both the low fat and the fat free condensed milk- so if you,d rather- go nuts.
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.
1 1/2 pkgs. chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
Melt chocolate chips and condensed milk together in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Stir until melted and combined. Stir in vanilla and pour into an 8×8 pan lined with plastic wrap and sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool and harden for several hours before cutting. Add nuts if desired.
Chocolate Cranberry version:
Along with the vanilla, stir in:
FInely grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
The craisins make it take a little longer for the fudge to set up, so give it overnight before cutting into it. This is a hard step to follow- but you will be rewarded with fabulous orange fudge with yummy bursts of sweetness inside.