Cocoa

Chocolate and raspberry are a match made in heaven. Sweet and decadent, these bars are perfect with coffee or espresso.

A flourless, chocolate lover’s dream. These cookies can be stored at room temperature in airtight plastic containers for up to 2 weeks—if they last that long! They will get a bit chewier after the first day but still taste great. Note: Omit the chocolate chips to make these cookies gluten-free.

My husband Adam asked me to create this recipe. He wanted a facsimile of Archway Dutch Cocoa Cookies, one of his childhood favorites. This recipe comes pretty darn close to the original, and has become a real favorite with my kids as well.

So simple, yet so perfect. These cupcakes are topped with a chocolate buttercream frosting made with no butter, no cream—but it’s rich, chocolaty, and creamy nonetheless! This frosting will frost 12 cupcakes if you’re piping it, more if you’re just spreading the frosting. If you have leftover frosting, it will keep for weeks tightly covered in the fridge. Just let it come to room temperature and whip it up again. For added panache, dress these cupcakes up with sprinkles for kids’ birthday parties, or top them with Rice Milk Chocolate Ganache (page 104).

These are my son Lennon’s favorite cookies. They’re like a soft Oreo, but unlike Oreos, where most kids just break them open, eat the cream filling, and discard the hard cookie exterior, Lennon ooohs and ahs and chows down the whole thing. Store them in a tightly sealed container and they’ll last well for days.

Maple syrup is a great way to sweeten chocolate treats in place of refined sugar. I prefer to use Grade B maple syrup, which is richer in flavor, higher in nutrients, but lighter on the wallet than Grade A.

This is the ultimate chocolate birthday cake. It keeps well for days, covered or wrapped in the fridge, staying moist and rich. My friend Erika, who can eat wheat, dairy, and eggs, marveled at how delicious this cake is; her husband (who never eats frosting) loved this one so much he ate all the frosting first, then ate the cake part. When people who have no dietary restrictions eat my recipes simply because they desire them, not out of necessity, then I know I’ve done my job.

These chewy, brownielike cookies contain a double dose of chocolate and are full of Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom chunks. They’re perfect for every chocoholic (and I should know!).

This tasty quick bread is a great way to sneak vegetables into your kid’s diet. When you combine chocolate and zucchini, the zucchini disappears. I tell my veggie-phobic son Lennon he’s eating chocolate cake and he’s none the wiser! He thinks he’s really lucky to get chocolate cake for breakfast.

Much more wholesome than the usual Halloween candy, these cupcakes will captivate your little ghosts and goblins.

Dreamy whipped cream coupled with luscious chocolate ganache makes these cupcakes enticing for your Valentine.

Do you remember eating Hostess’s prepackaged cupcakes with a creamfilled center? My version comes without the chemicals and preservatives.

I love decorating desserts and making snacks for my son’s baseball team each season, so these healthy yet festive chocolate cupcakes are near and dear to my heart. Change your frosting color, and you can create desserts for tennis, basketball, or soccer celebrations. The list goes on. . . .

Chocolate cake with a whipped cream center is then topped with chocolate frosting, more whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a cherry.

German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany—according to The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, it was invented by a reader of a Dallas newspaper in 1957. This treat is typically laden with sugar and evaporated milk. Enjoy my gluten-free, dairy-free version instead.

Chocolate and almonds are a match made in heaven’s kitchen. This cupcake has both healthy dark chocolate and antioxidant-rich almonds (a superfood) in a fudgy base for a little hit of healthy deliciousness in every bite. Try these with Chocolate Ganache (page 92).

This gooey cupcake oozes chocolate goodness. These are not your regular cupcakes—they will look like a little chocolate bowl with a crater in the middle—perfect for rich fillings! Serve warm, filled with a big dollop of Whipped Cream Frosting (page 93), and eat them with a spoon.

What better way to savor peanut butter and chocolate than with this dense, rich confection? They’re like Reese’s peanut butter cups in cupcake form—perfect for kids of all ages. Top with Chocolate Ganache (page 92).