King Arthur Fudge Brownies For Nanny’s 93rd Birthday

King Arthur Brownies

This past weekend we headed out to Gordon, Texas to celebrate my great aunt Nanny’s 93rd birthday! A small group of our extended family came out, and we had a blast.

Nanny LOVES chocolate so my mom and sister and I made her these King Arthur Fudge Brownies. We brought four containers of individually wrapped brownies so Nanny could freeze them and pull them out one at a time when she had a craving for something sweet.

Of course before we gave Nanny her brownies, they had to pass the “taste test” with my Dad. 🙂 They passed his test, as well as mine. True to their name, they are nice and fudgy and would be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Birthday — Nanny with her great grandkids and great niece. Let’s cut into the cake already!

For the whole family, my cousin Brooke made her grandmother Nanny a chocolate cake, as seen above. Her little 2 year old boys loved it, and while they are only two years old, they definitely know the word, “more”! lol.

We had a great time in Gordon as usual and want to thank Aunt Jan and Uncle Kimmy for hosting and for the great BBQ. We had delicious sausage, briquet, baked beans, fresh fruit and a strawberry spinach salad. Yum!

Happy Birthday again Nanny, and can’t wait until the 94th!

King Arthur Fudge Brownies

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. expresso powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside.
In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it’s hot (about 110-120 degrees F), but not bubbling; it’ll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture the second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in the cocoa, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour and chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and let cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Coca-Cola Cake

My mom and I have always seen recipes for Coke Cake via Pinterest, blogs, and other magazines, and have been wanting to make one. This cake is very similar to Mrs. Kelm’s Chocolate Cake, except you add Coca-Cola in the Coke cake!

Mrs. Kelm’s is still hands down our favorite chocolate cake, but this cake was still very tasty. It has bit more of a sugary taste than Mrs. Kelm’s due to the Coca-Cola, so that’s good news if you’re a sugarholic!

The recipe is super easy to whip up so enjoy!

coca-cola cake

A little history behind Coca-Cola: John Pemberton, an Atlanta druggist first sold his caramel-colored concoction in 1886. Using a three-legged pot, he stirred up his mixture and carried it a few doors down to Jacobs’ Pharmacy where he mixed it with carbonated water. The drugstore began selling the fizzy delight for just 5 cents a glass; and the rest is history.

Coke has some of the catchiest advertising slogans in the industry. Which ones do you remember?

“Drink Coca-Cola” (1886)
“The Pause That Refreshes” (1929)
“Ice-cold Sunshine” (1932)
“The Best Friend Thirst Ever Had” (1938)
“Where There’s Coke, There’s Hospitality” (1948)
“Sign of Good Taste” (1957)
“Things Go Better With Coke” (1963)
“It’s a Real Thing” (1971)
“Coke Adds Life” (1976)
“Have a Coke and a Smile” (1979)
“Coke Is It!” (1982)
“Can’t Beat the Feeling” (1989)
“Always Coca-Cola” (1993)
“Life Tastes Good” (2001)
“Coca-Cola…Real” (2003)
“Make It Real” (2005)
“The Coke Side of Life” (2006)
“Open Happiness” (2009)

Harper says “Next time make a Dr. Pepper cake please!!” Lol. 🙂 Harper’s granddad is a huge Coca-Cola fan, but her daddy loves Dr. Pepper!

Coca-Cola Cake

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 15

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup coca-cola
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
FOR THE FROSTING
1/3 cup coca-cola
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
In an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a small saucepan, stir together the cola, butter and cocoa powder over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until moistened.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla until blended. Add to the batter, whisking constantly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
FOR THE FROSTING: About 5 minutes before the cake is finished, begin the frosting. In a small saucepan, bring the cola, cocoa powder and butter to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour immediately over the hot cake in an even layer. Leftovers should be covered and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Chocolate Snowballs

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! It was crazy around our house with a new baby, Christmas shopping, traveling, seeing friends and family, and running errands, but it was fun.

My mom made these chocolate snowballs for Christmas a little over a week ago. Plain butter cookies, espresso, and dark cocoa rolled in unsweetened coconut, make for one delicious chocolate snowball truffle!

The recipe calls for 18 snowballs, but we made them smaller and got 32; thus half the calories! So for those starting on their healthy new year’s resolutions today, you can still eat one a snowball a day, and not jeopardize your diet. 🙂

Credit goes to Johnny Iuzzini, author of the cookbook “Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Sweet Baking”. He also has a Killer Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, so I’d highly recommend purchasing his latest cookbook.

Enjoy!!

chocolate snowballs

Chocolate Snowballs

Prep time: 2 hours

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 1 1/2 dozen

Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Sweet Baking” by Johnny Iuzzini

Ingredients

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter (99 g)
1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder (25 g)
1/4 cup whole milk (60 g)
1 tsp. ground espresso powder (2 g)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (2 /12 g)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (1 g)
6 ounces plain butter cookies, finely ground (about 1 1/4 cups crumbs) (170 g)
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated (fine dried flakes) coconut (38 g)

Instructions

Put the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and milk into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the espresso powder, vanilla, and salt.
Put the crumbs into a medium bowl and pour the warm liquid mixture over them; mix well until crumbs are evenly moistened. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the mixture out on it in an even, thin layer. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Scoop level tablespoon-sized portions and roll them into balls. Toss them in the coconut, rolling firmly with your hands to adhere the coconut. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 1 week.

Johnny Iuzzini’s Killer Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel like a have a thousand chocolate chip cookies on the blog, and all are noteworthy. So when my mom tried this new chocolate chip cookie recipe, I wasn’t expecting much.

Boy was I wrong. Johnny Iuzzini’s killer chocolate chip cookies are wonderful, and definitely in my top 4! (Neimans chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip dream cookies, and Jolene’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies tie for #1, #2, and #3. I like them all for different reasons and can’t pick a winner).

Each cookie is unique in it’s own way. The Neiman’s cookies are great because they are super easy and have espresso powder in them. The chocolate chip dream cookies have instant vanilla pudding mix, and Jolene’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have everything; oats, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and nuts!

What makes Johnny Iuzzini’s recipe unique you ask? It’s the almond extract. I’ve never had a chocolate chip cookie with anything but plain ole vanilla extract, and I could immediately taste the almond extract, which was delicious. These cookies also have a little bit of cinnamon, which I love in desserts, but it’s not very predominant; so don’t worry. Sea salt is included, which is a perfect combination to the sweet chocolate chunks.

These cookies are also easy to bake, and don’t require refrigeration of the dough. A lot of cookie recipes require refrigeration, which I find is super annoying, even if it makes the cookies taste better. I’m impatient, and don’t like chilling the dough. I want to bake and eat them as fast as I can!!

Who is Johnny Iuzzini? Besides having a really cool name, he is an American pastry chef, television celebrity, and cookbook author, who resides in New York. His latest cookbook, Sugar Rush: Master Tips, Techniques and Recipes for Sweet Baking just came out in September. According to Amazon, it “is a complete baking course in a book with everything a home baker needs to confidently turn out 150+ sweets with sophisticated flavors.” To purchase Iuzzini’s book, visit Amazon HERE. (Note: I actually discovered this cookie recipe via Monique’s lovely food blog, Ambitious Kitchen.)

This isn’t a chocolate chip cookie, but she’s pretty sweet! She says “give me a cookie!” 🙂

Johnny Iuzzini’s Killer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 22 mins

Serves: 3 – 4 dozen

Source: adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
14 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Put the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar into a standing mixer bowl and toss with your fingers until the butter is coated. Attach the bowl and paddle to the mixer and beat the butter and sugar on medium-low speed until a thick paste forms with no visible butter lumps.
Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. With the motor on low speed, add the egg and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon; sprinkle the kosher salt on top. With a mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stopping frequently to scrape down the bowl. Mix until just combined; removed the bowl from the mixer and fold the chocolate into the dough by hand.
Using a small 1/2 ounce ice cream scoop, scoop level balls of dough and arrange them around 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
Bake for 12-13 minutes, rotating the pans once, until just set and bottoms are beginning to brown. Cool for 10 minutes on the pans before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

S’mores Cookie Bars

If you like S’mores, you should love these decadent, buttery blondie cookie bars infused with a graham cracker base, gooey marshmallows and sweet milk chocolate chunks running throughout.

My sister or mom found this recipe online via Mel’s Kitchen and bookmarked them to make soon. Of course, church/social functions and potlucks always make for an opportune time to try a new recipe, so my sister and mom baked these up for their most recent potluck.

These were a hit among all the desserts that were brought, and I can see why. These bars are no doubt rich, so a little will go a long way. In addition, the texture was extremely unique due to the magically delicious marshmallow fluff (don’t use real marshmallows or mini marshmallows or else they will disappear after baking). The graham cracker crumbs also added a nice texture, while the milk chocolate make you feel like you are eating one gourmet backyard s’mores!

Enjoy!

S'mores Cookie Bars

S’mores Cookie Bars

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 24

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cps packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups marshmallow topping, like Marshmallow Fluff or Creme
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 short sides. Grease the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Divide the dough in half.
Press half into the bottom of the prepared pan until the dough is evenly flattened. Dollop the marshmallow topping on top of the cookie base and gently spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Scatter the remaining dough over the top in climbs. Don’t worry about completely cover the top, the marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through.
Bake the bars until golden brown, about 30-32 minutes. Cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhangs. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Don’t be tempted to substitute mini-marshmallows for the fluff/creme. Mini marshmallows will completely dissolve in the oven. The marshmallow fluff/creme stays gooey and soft in the oven.

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Chocolate Icebox Cookies

No baking involved with these fast and easy icebox cookies. I actually made these a few months ago from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow.

Matt even liked these, but who wouldn’t with an ingredient list with peanut butter, chocolate, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and graham crackers.

For an additional twist, try melting white chocolate in additional to semisweet chocolate. You can drizzle the white chocolate on top of the semisweet or make half the batch with a semisweet chocolate layer, and a second batch with a white chocolate layer. Yum!

Cream the butter, peanut butter and confectioners’s sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in crushed graham cracker crumbs.

Dump the dough onto prepared wax paper and roll out to less than 1/4-inch thick.

Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rounds — Spread melted chocolate over sheet of cookie dough.

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Chocolate Icebox Cookies

Source: The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman & Michael Chernow

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (13.5 oz) box graham cracker crumbs
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy about 3 minutes. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs and mix until a stiff, crumbly dough forms.
Lay out two 24-inch lengths of wax paper, overlapping them to produce a large square.
Dust the waxed paper with 1/2 cup of the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Dump the dough onto the prepared surface, patting the dough together into a large, flat sheet. Dust with remaining 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and roll out with a rolling pin to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick.
Melt the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over medium heat. Spread the melted chocolate over the sheet of cookie dough with a flat metal spatula until evenly coated. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. The chocolate should cool and become semi-hardened.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Place the cookies on three wax paper-lined 12 x 17-inch baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. The cookies must be completely chilled before serving.
NOTE: the cookies will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

buche de noel cake — Buche de Noel Cake from Frosted Art Bakery and Studio in Dallas, Texas….and might I add that it was absolutely delicious!!!

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

I had never heard of Chocolate Eclair Dessert before until I visited my aunt Jolene in Houston a few years ago. As soon as I took that first bite, I knew this would be a recipe that I would frequently make.

If you’re looking for a fancy-looking, comfort food-tasting, easy-to-make dessert for a crowd, this is a winner. Tonight we had life groups at our church and so I brought this, and the pan was gone by the time I got home in just a few hours!

While the name, “chocolate eclair” sounds elegant, making this dish is not complex…it’s actually a NO-BAKE dessert! All you need are graham crackers, instant pudding mix, milk and cocoa to make this pretty, layered dessert.

Word to the wise: make this a day before you actually plan on eating it. That is, if you can wait that long!!! Allowing it to sit in the refrigerator lets the graham crackers soften and absorb the pudding mixture.

Enjoy…it is soooo good!

chocolate eclair dessert

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

2 (3.5 oz) boxes instant vanilla (or french vanilla) pudding
3 1/4 cups skim milk, divided
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip
Graham crackers
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE FILLING: Combine pudding mix and 3 cups of milk; beat. Stir in Cool Whip.
Place layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch dish. Spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding; then top with a final layer of graham crackers.
FOR THE TOPPING: Bring cocoa, 1/4 cup milk and sugar to a full rolling boil; boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool one minute. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted.
Pour chocolate topping over the top layer of graham crackers.
Refrigerate overnight.

‘Supernatural’ Brownies and Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to all who are Dads!

For those of you who know my Dad, you know that he LOVES chocolate. Fortunately for him, he had a DOUBLE-DOSE of brownies this weekend!!

My sister Brittany came in from Michigan this weekend and while she and my mom were perusing the Internet, they came across a recipe for brownies from Saveur called Nick’s Supernatural Brownies. Mom and Brittany made the brownies on Friday, and called me up that night to tell me how good they were!

I was a little jealous that I wasn’t at my parent’s house to try the brownies, so the next day I decided to whip up a batch for myself… and with hopes to give some to my father-in-law, Tony. (Sorry Tony – As I’m writing this, there are only 3-4 brownies left!!)

On Sunday when my parent’s came over to my house for Father’s Day, they brought over 4 of their brownies. We did a little comparing, and noticed that our brownies looked a little different.

Mom’s were thicker, lighter in color and slightly sweeter. The reason:

she baked her’s in a 9 x 13″ pan
she used light brown sugar
she used semi-sweet chocolate.

My version of the supernatural brownies were darker, slightly more fudgy, thinner, and not quite as sweet. The reason:

I baked mine in an 8″ square pan since I halved the recipe.
I used dark brown sugar
I used unsweetened chocolate

brownie sundae — These brownies are great with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate fudge sauce!

So, which brownies are better, my mom’s version or mine?

It’s hard to tell. Matt likes mine better, I like Mom’s because they were slightly sweeter, and Dad was indifferent… chocolate is chocolate in his opinion!

Anyways, Happy Father’s Day!!!

‘Supernatural Brownies’

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4″ pieces (Mom used semi-sweet, I used unsweetened)
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 cup flour

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper; grease paper. Set pan aside.
Pour enough water into a 4-quart saucepan that it reaches a depth of 1″. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Combine butter and chocolate in a medium bowl; set bowl over saucepan. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
Whisk together eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt; whisk to combine. Stir in chocolate mixture; fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30–35 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Cut and serve.

Notes

Recipe adapted from: Nick Malgieri

Featured

Tiramisu Trifle

Kudos to my amazingly talented neighbor, Carmen, who made this wonderful tiramisu trifle for me and my family.

Two weeks ago, I interviewed Carmen as part of the resident recipe article I write for our monthly neighborhood magazine. I was so impressed with her delicious creation, that I had to share it with you sooner than later!

Carmen’s family loves tiramisu but she has never been a real fan. After experimenting with a lot of recipes, she finally came up with one that all of her family liked!

She started to make it the traditional way with lady fingers, but found they are really hard to find in a regular grocery store. One day, when Carmen couldn’t find lady fingers, she had some homemade biscotti and decided to try using them instead of the lady fingers. That inspired her to make many other “twitches” in the recipe! It instantly became a crowd favorite!!

This tiramisu is the ultimate, most decadent and delicious dessert. It’s perfect for a crowd, and while it takes a little patience to make, it’s definitely worth it. I give Carmen’s Tiramisu Trifle two thumbs up… I’d give it more if I had more thumbs!!

Enjoy!!!

Carmen’s Tiramisu Trifle

Serves: 12+

Ingredients

MASCARPONE CUSTARD
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 large egg yolks
4 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese
2 cups chilled whipping cream
2 tsp. almond extract
DIPPED BISCOTTI
1 shot of expresso
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
30-40 almond homemade or store bought biscotti
FOR LAYERING
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, finely ground in processor
CHOCOLATE LEAVES
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
about 40 leaves of assorted sizes

Instructions

FOR THE MASCARPONE CUSTARD: Whisk sugar, water, vanilla extract and egg yolks in a metal bowl. Set bowl “a bain marie” – over simmering water. Whisk until mixture thickens for about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended.
Beat whipping cream with almond extract until cream forms soft peaks. Fold in mascarpone custard.
FOR DIPPED BISCOTTI: Mix warm water, expresso and coffee liqueur. Dip biscotti in coffee mixture to coat on both sides.
FOR CHOCOLATE LEAVES: Wipe and dry leaves. Melt chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time, mixing after each 30 seconds, until chocolate is completely melted.
Brush chocolate over the bottom side of the leaves until coated.
Place leaves on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Chill until firm.
Carefully peel chocolate from leaves.
TO ASSEMBLE: Cover bottom of trifle dish with dipped biscotti. Spread about 2 cups of the mascarpone custard to cover biscotti. Sprinkle with ground chocolate chips. Repeat layers until you reach top of dish. Cover and chill for a couple of hours or until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, decorate with chocolate leaves.