Chocolate

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

This recipe calls for natural peanut butter, which has less sugar than regular and gives the cookies a richer peanut flavor.

Don’t be discouraged if your napoleon doesn’t cut neatly into serving pieces; even if it’s slightly flattened, each bite will still be delicious. To pipe the white chocolate, you’ll need a piping cone made from parchment paper.

These turnovers are a variation on the classic pain au chocolat. For maximum flavor, look for the highest-quality chocolate possible, such as Callebaut, Valrhona, or Scharffen Berger.

You can make coffee icing by whisking together 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 3 tablespoons brewed coffee. Make the icing just before serving.

This recipe makes two kinds of mousse: bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate.

This recipe makes two kinds of mousse: bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate.

This cake is best when served the day it is made. You can bake the cake in the morning and finish it later in the day. It can stand in a cool place for about 3 hours before serving. Marrons glacés (whole candied chestnuts) are available in specialty food stores.

Coating the muffin tins with butter and sugar gives these little chocolate cakes sparkle and a bit of crunch.

For Valentine’s Day, bake the layers in two 9-inch heart-shaped cake pans.

Toast and peel the nuts for the cake and the garnish (recipe follows) at the same time. Bake the cake up to 3 days ahead; wrap well and keep at room temperature. The candied hazelnuts and chocolate curls can also be made 3 days ahead; store in airtight containers.

This ganache thickens as it sits. The ganache used for the Inside-Out German Chocolate Torte and in step 7 of the Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake (page 507) should be pourable but thick enough to fully coat the cakes.

The chocolate glaze takes time to cool; have it ready before assembling the torte. This ganache thickens as it sits. The ganache used for the Inside-Out German Chocolate Torte and in step 7 of the Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake (page 507) should be pourable but thick enough to fully coat the cakes.