Easiest Chocolate Frosting Ever!

This is easiest and best tasting chocolate frosting you'll ever have.  Plan ahead - must be made at least 8 hours ahead.

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Chop chocolate into small pieces.

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Heat heavy cream in a heavy-bottom saucepan until just before it reaches the boiling point.

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Place chocolate into a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Steep, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.

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After 2 minutes, stir or whisk the chocolate and cream together until all the chocolate is melted.

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Add the vanilla extract and stir again to combine.

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The mixture should be smooth and glossy.

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Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for at least 8 hours (can be up to 72 hours). DO NOT cover the bowl with plastic wrap as condensation will form and drip into the mixture, causing the chocolate to seize (turn grainy and lumpy).

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After 8 hours have passed, the chocolate and cream will have set up to the perfect consistency for frosting. Can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days, chill or freeze leftovers.

Items used to make this recipe:

• heavy bottom saucepan https://amzn.to/3DX6zha

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3TZRK2Y

• very high quality chocolate https://amzn.to/3DEMuLg

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Easy Chocolate Frosting

makes about 3 1/2 cups 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 14 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (high quality)

• 16 ounces heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl; set aside.

2. In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, heat cream until just before it reaches the boiling point (small bubbles will form around the edges).

3. Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate.

4. Let the chocolate and cream steep together for 2 minutes, then whisk gently until the two become combine and become shiny, dark, and glossy.

5. Add pure vanilla extract and stir to combine.

6. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not plastic wrap); set aside in a cool spot for several hours before using.

Bruna Kakor (Brown Cookies)

Okay, I know these cookies are never going to win the "best looking" award, but there's no question they would definitely win the delicious-crispy-chewy-caramelized-yumminess category.  The recipe is adapted from one sent by a good friend - her local spice vendor serves them every year at their annual Christmas party.  I'm not surprised, they rock!

Ingredients:  Lyle's Golden Syrup, flour, baking soda, vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar), and butter.   A note on the golden syrup - it's rich, caramelized flavor is simply amazing.  It's available in bottles, jars, and cans.  The bottles are easiest to dispense, but it really doesn't matter which one you find - just buy it!  You'll thank me later.

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I like to make my own vanilla sugar. After I use a vanilla bean, I rinse it and let it dry, then I tuck it inside a jar with granulated sugar.  I keep adding used vanilla bean pods and more sugar so I always have a good supply on hand.  

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Have you had the pleasure of discovering Lyle's golden syrup yet?  It's the magic ingredient in this recipe.

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Time to make the cookies - cream the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together.

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Whisk together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter/sugar mixture.

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Mix again, until the golden syrup and flour mixture are evenly combined with the butter and sugar. A BeaterBlade attachment eliminates the fussy need to stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.   

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Divide the cookie dough into 4 equal portions.  You can eye-ball it, but I like to use a digital scale to ensure all my portions are exactly the same size.  

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Roll each portion on cookie dough into a 12-inch long log and place two on a silpat lined half sheet pan. 

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Bake the logs in a preheated 350F oven for 12-15 minutes until the logs flatten and spread like this.  Cool on sheet pan before cutting with a serrated knife.

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Aaahhhh... I wish you could taste one of these cookies right now!!!!! 

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Make them, make them, make them!!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• lyle’s golden syrup https://amzn.to/3G55PEh

• vanilla sugar https://amzn.to/3KLwLfU

• my favorite digital scale https://amzn.to/3s1jJ5y

• beaterblade attachment https://amzn.to/3HggAoL

• professional half sheet pan/rack/silpat set https://amzn.to/2Ts5kfd

• serrated knife https://amzn.to/3KWimhg

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Bruna Kakor (Brown Cookies)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar), *plus more if desired

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 2 half sheet pans with parchment or silpat liners.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, vanilla sugar, and salt; add to the stand mixer with the creamed butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

4. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; roll each portion into a 12-inch log.

5. Place two logs on each half sheet pan and flatten slightly.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the logs spread and turn golden brown. *If desired, sprinkle each log with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar halfway through baking.

7. Remove from oven and allow the cookie logs cool before transferring to a cutting board.

8. Using a serrated knife, cut each log in half once lengthwise, then width-wise every 1/2-inch or so.