Chocolate Rye Cookies that are ready to eat within 30 minutes? Yes – try this easy recipe from Jamie’s bestselling 5 Ingredients book that uses rye bread and dark chocolate.

jamieoliver.com

Makes 24

INGREDIENTS
100g quality dark chocolate (70%)
100g unsalted butter
100g rye bread
2 large eggs
50g golden caster sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line two trays with greaseproof paper and rub with olive oil.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove and stir in the butter so it melts.

Tear the bread into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs, then add the eggs and sugar, and blitz again well. With the processor still running, pour in the chocolate mixture and let it blitz until combined.

Spoon the cookie mix into a large sandwich bag, snip off the corner and pipe 3-4cm blobs to make 24 cookies on the lined trays.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until spread and set. Sprinkle with sea salt, leave to cool a little, and tuck in.

Simplicity is key with Sicilian cuisine and Chef Michael Bonacini of Gusto TV’s ‘Bonacini’s Italy’ explores just how the region balances simplicity with intensity through flavourful dishes. For dolce, Michael combines spicy with sweet through his tender Spiced Chocolate Cookies (Rame di Napoli). Clove and cinnamon provide the spice, while a glaze of apricot jam, dark chocolate and toasty pistachios rounds out these delicate cookies.

Yields 16

gustotv.com/recipes

INGREDIENTS
Cookie:
2 ¼ cups (540 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 ml) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cloves
¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml) baking powder
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons (75 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) honey
1 orange, zest
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk

Glaze:
½ cup (120 ml) apricot jam
14 ounces (397 g) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
4 ½ tablespoons (68 ml) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped pistachios, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add eggs, butter, honey, zest, and milk and mix with a hand mixer until a uniform, slightly sticky batter forms.

Using a 1 ounce (30 ml) ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookie has darkened in colour, but it still soft.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Place the apricot jam in a small bowl, then brush each cookie with a thin layer of jam.

In a bain marie, melt the dark chocolate and butter until glassy and smooth, then remove from heat.

Flip a cookie over and dip in chocolate until the entire top is coated, then place dipped side up on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a generous amount of pistachios. Repeat until all cookies are glazed and garnished with pistachios.

Leave to dry, then serve.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread recipe from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 6, Episode 11

Serves 8

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature plus more to butter pan
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large ripe bananas peeled and mashed
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more to butter pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and set a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, shaking off any excess flour.

In a stand mixer, set with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until completely creamy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and give it a minute to mix in. Add the bananas, cream cheese and vanilla, continue mixing for a minute.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and continue beating for another 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides if need be.

In a small bowl, combine the boiling water with the cocoa powder and stir until well mixed. Add to the mixer and beat for another couple minutes. Lastly, add the chocolate chunks and beat for another minute until fully incorporated.

Scrape into the prepared loaf pan, shake a few times to level the batter. Place into the oven and bake anywhere from 55 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick comes out moist but not wet, the top of bread has browned and is springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Run a butter knife along sides of the pan, turn out onto plate, and then flip onto serving platter, so it is right side up.

From hearty inland crops to fresh food of the sea, the Venetian region covers it all. Host Michael Bonacini of Gusto TV’s ‘Bonacini’s Italy’ whips up a stunner of a dolce. Whether you’re in the mood to share or feeling a little selfish, Michael’s Giant Almond Crumb Biscuit (Fregolata) covers it all. Buttery, sweet, and satisfyingly crumbly, this biscuit is sure to cap off a memorable dinner!

Serves 8

gustotv.com/recipes

INGREDIENTS
½ cup (120 ml) whole, blanched almonds, plus more for serving
1 ½ cups (350 ml) flour, plus more if needed
6 tablespoons (90 ml) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold butter, cut in squares
1 egg, whisked
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) almond extract
2 tablespoons (30 ml) whipping cream, plus more if needed
Icing sugar, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

Toast almonds in a hot skillet until fragrant and golden.

Pulse toasted almonds in a food processor until ground medium-fine. Add flour, sugar, and salt to food processor and pulse to combine.

Add butter and pulse briefly until mixture is grainy in texture.

In a separate bowl, combine egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, and cream and whisk to combine.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in the food processor and pulse until pebbly and crumbly (add more flour or cream to adjust texture if required).

Line a 10-inch (25.5 cm) tart pan with parchment paper.

Use fingertips to drop fingerfuls of batter into the tart pan until entire bottom is covered. Press down gently to spread.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or golden brown.

Allow biscuit to cool before removing from tart pan and serving. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Sprinkle with additional almonds.

Spiced Chocolate Cake is a decadent dessert. Chef Michael Bonacini bakes a rich, dense chocolate cake filled with spices and nuts called Pam[n]pepato.

Yield 1 Cake

gustotv.com/recipes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups (470 ml) flour
½ cup (120 ml) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) cinnamon
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) nutmeg
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cloves
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 cup (240 ml) sugar
1 cup (240 ml) honey
2 cups (470 ml) melted dark chocolate
2 cups (470 ml) roasted, mixed nuts
¾ cup (180 ml) chopped candied orange peel
Zest of one lemon
1 ½ cups (350 ml) melted dark chocolate, to cover

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C).

Add flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, honey, and melted dark chocolate. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold until fully combined.

Add nuts, candied orange peel, and zest of one lemon and fold to incorporate. Add a small amount of room temperature water if more moisture is needed.

Turn batter out onto a clean surface and shape into a dome. Place shaped dough on parchment-paper covered baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.

Set aside on a wire rack to cool slightly before glazing with melted chocolate.

Allow to cool fully before slicing—it’s even better when left overnight!

Chickpea Poundcake recipe from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 8, Episode 12 “Home Cooking Sinaloa Style”

Serves 10-12

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
For the poundcake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground canela or true cinnamon
6 eggs separated into yolks and whites
1 cup cooked chickpeas rinsed and pureed*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more to flour cake pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch kosher or sea salt

For the banana and whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar divided
1/2 teaspoon ground canela or true cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bananas peeled and sliced into thick rounds

INSTRUCTIONS
To make the poundcake:
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, then grease the bottom and sides with butter and sprinkle with flour, shaking off any excess flour.

In the bowl of a mixer set with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy, a couple minutes. Incorporate the sugar and cinnamon and continue beating until well mixed and fluffy, a few minutes more. Add the egg yolks and pureed chickpeas and continue beating.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add into the mixer and continue beating until well incorporated and you have a homogenous batter.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, or do it in the mixer in a clean bowl using the whisk attachment. Fold the egg whites into the chickpea batter gently, until completely incorporated.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out moist but not wet. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Invert from the cake pan onto a plate, then invert from the plate onto a platter so the cake is right side up.

To make the banana and whipped cream topping:
Whip the heavy whipping cream along with the 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar until it holds stiff peaks.

In a small bowl, combine the 2 remaining tablespoons confectioners’ sugar with the cinnamon.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the banana slices and cook on one side until caramelized and brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve a slice of cake with the browned bananas and a dollop of the whipped cream. Shake the cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar mixture on top using a small sieve or fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle evenly.

*Note: When rinsing the chickpeas, remove as much of the outer skin as possible, as this creates a smoother puree.

Tiger Pound Cake uses sour cream to make the cake moist. Use ice cream scoops to plop the chocolate batter on the orange batter as a swirling mechanism.

Serves 10

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
2 cups unsalted butter plus more to grease a 10 x 3.5 inch bundt pan
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more to dust the bundt pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a bundt pan and coat with flour, dusting off any excess flour.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until soft and creamy, anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy and puffy.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the eggs with vanilla and sour cream.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and take turns adding flour mixture and egg mixture. Continue beating until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if need be. Transfer 1/3 the dough to another bowl, leaving the remaining 2/3 of the dough in the mixer.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the hot water and cocoa. With a rubber spatula, fold the cocoa mixture into the 1/3 of the batter set aside in an extra bowl until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

To the batter left in the mixer, add the orange zest, almond extract and orange juice, and beat until completely mixed.

With two ice cream scoops or measuring cups, alternate dropping the chocolate batter and the orange-almond batter into the bundt pan. When all the batter is in the pan, run a butter knife or a skewer through it to create the marbled look.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until springy to the touch, lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out moist, but not wet. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool.

Once cool, run a butter knife around the cake and invert onto a platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

These white chocolate and raspberry blondies, flecked with pink peppercorn and swirls of raspberry jam, are a perfect marriage of super-sweet and ever-so-savory. They’re fruity, peppery, and perfect for spicing up your Valentine’s Day!

Makes 16

food52.com

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 350˚F. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. (This will help with removing the baked blondies.)

Put the pink peppercorns into a mortar in pestle and grind until coarsely ground. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the pink peppercorns into a zip top bag and smash with a heavy skillet. Set aside.

In a large sauce pot, melt the butter. Once melted, remove from the heat, add the brown sugar and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and add in the eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, salt, and pink peppercorn. Stir in the white chocolate chips, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Using a spoon, dollop the jam over top of the batter. Using a butter knife or wooden skewer, swirl the raspberry jam. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges or golden brown and the blondies have risen slightly. Let cool.

Once cool, using the excess parchment hanging over the edges, lift the blondies from the pan in once big piece. Trim off the golden edges from the blondies and then cut into 16 squares.

Giada’s Thanksgiving dessert.

Serves 12

foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS
8 large dry almond-anise biscotti, or your favorite biscotti [make your own]
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
One 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
3 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
Italian cherries in syrup, such as Amarena, for serving, optional

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pulse the biscotti to fine crumbs in a food processor. Drizzle in the butter, add the salt and pulse until the mixture has the texture of wet sand. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Bake for 8 minutes, until the crust smells toasted and is beginning to brown. Set aside to cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the salt, vanilla and lemon zest; beat on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and spread evenly. (Put pan on baking sheet to prevent possible leakage in oven.) Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center of the cake still moves just slightly (may take over an hour).

Allow the cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the collar.

Top each slice of cheesecake with a spoonful of cherries, if using.

Low-fat and from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
3 large eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 18″x12″x1″ baking sheet. Combine first 4
ingredients in bowl of heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment. Beat until well blended. Mix flour, almonds, cinnamon, baking
soda and salt in medium bowl. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating until
blended (dough will be soft).

Turn dough out onto floured surface and gather together. Roll dough between
palms and work surface into 16-inch-long log. Transfer to prepared
sheet.Flatten log to 1-inch thickness. Bake until light brown and cracked on
top, about 30 minutes. Transfer sheet to rack; cool log 10 minutes. Reduce
oven temperature to 325 F.

Transfer warm log to work surface. Using serrated knife, cut log on sharp
diagonal into 1/4 – to 1/3 – inch thick slices. Arrange on baking sheets.
Bake 10 minutes per side. Transfer to racks and cool. (biscotti will harden
while cooling).

Can be made ahead. Store airtight up to 1 week.