Author: Helene Wallace

I got this recipe from a friend, she uses peanut butter as the “glue”, my daughters prefer it with Nutella but my son is allergic to hazelnuts so I make a nut free chocolate spread to use instead.

Chocolate spread

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)

5 oz unsalted butter

Chocolate Balls

1 – 16.6 oz package regular Oreo cookies

6 ounces of whipped cream cheese

1/3 cup chocolate spread

12 oz (at least) semi sweet chocolate

Instructions

• Finely chop the dark chocolate and set it aside for a moment. 
• In a small saucepan, combine the water, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder. 
• Place the pan over medium heat and stir until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve. Continue to heat the pan, stirring frequently, until bubbles appear around the sides of the pan and it starts to simmer. 
• Once simmering, remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract, chopped chocolate, and cubed butter. 
• Whisk until the chocolate and butter melt and the mixture is completely smooth. When it is freshly made, this spread will have the consistency of hot fudge sauce.
• Pour the spread into a jar or other container with a lid. Press a layer of plastic wrap on top of the chocolate to prevent a skin from forming, place the lid on, and refrigerate it for at least an hour, until cooled. 
• If it is too cold to spread easily, let the chocolate spread sit at room temperature for a short while before serving. 
• This chocolate spread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.
• Pour the Oreos in two ziplock bags (one inside the other) and crush with the flat end of a meat tenderizer. Once you’ve gotten them broken up use a rolling pin to get the rest of the big chunks
• Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese and chocolate spread. Using a hand mixer, mix all the ingredients. This can be messy so I put the bowl in the sink to cut down on the amount of stuff making a mess flying out of the bowl. The mixture will be glistening, dark and smooth when done.
• Roll mixture into small balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet
• Chill in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring with a dry spoon until smooth
• Drop balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, roll ball using a spoon to coat completely. Put on the wax paper and chill in the fridge for one hour. I store them in the fridge once complete. While these can be decorated with sprinkles, I don’t.

Makes 21

200 g flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 dl buttermilk

3 eggs beaten

1 tbsp sugar

butter for greasing the pan

Stir flour and baking soda together, then add buttermilk. Mix well, add the eggs and sugar. Pour the batter in a pitcher. Warm the æbleskive pan on medium heat, putting a little butter in each hole. Once warmed, fill up each with batter. Turn once the ball is brown on one side. Flip to bake the other sides and turn a few more times as baking to ensure that they are evenly cooked. I use two teaspoons to flip mine, my mom used a knitting needle (which is what most danish recipes recommend). Served warm with jam and powdered sugar, and gløgg. While in Denmark these are eaten through the Christmas season, our tradition is to have them on Lillejuleaften (Christmas Eve Eve).

This recipe is from my friend’s Mom, Agnete and has become my go to.

1 cup snaps (or vodka)

4 cups red wine (do not waste an expensive bottle on this, I usually get a Barefoot Cab or similar)

1-2 sticks cinnamon

6-8 whole cloves

2 tbsp sigar

1 lemon or orange (I usually use a couple of clementines)

Raisins and almond slivers as desired

Boil the cinnamon and whole cloves in a little water in a large pot for a few minutes. Add the wine, liquor, sugar, raisins, almonds and heat. Do not boil. Add the zest and some of the juice from your lemon or orange. Serve in mugs with spoons for the raisins and nuts. This will keep you warm and mellow. Often served with æbleskiver.

After years of making brownies from a box mix, I found this recipe and never looked back. So good and really don’t take much longer to make than the boxes.

1 cup salted butter (plus more for greasing)

4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate (broken up)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan with butter. Grease a sheet of parchment paper and line pan with it.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a 2 qt saucepan over low heat. stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to make a smooth batter. Add the flour, mix well, then add chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool (at least 30 minutes), cut and serve.

This is adapted from a recipe I found on tastyeatsathome.com which is no longer active. The original does include walnuts but I never liked nuts in my brownies and my son is allergic to most tree nuts so I leave them out