Easy Chocolate Terrine

This chocolate terrine looks like it came from a fancy patisserie, but the secret is that it takes about 20 minutes of actual work. The rest is just patience while the fridge does the heavy lifting.

Melted milk chocolate gets folded into whipped cream cheese with a cloud of whipped topping, then the whole thing sets up in a loaf pan lined with waxed paper. Unmold it, slice it thin, and drizzle each piece with amaretto-spiked cream.

It’s the kind of dessert that makes people ask “where did you order this?" and you just smile.

Chef Tips

• Use German sweet chocolate if you can find it. It has a milder, more caramel-like sweetness than regular milk chocolate and makes the terrine taste more refined.
• Soften the cream cheese completely. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps that no amount of beating will fix. Let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour.
• Slice with a hot knife. Run your knife under hot water and wipe dry before each cut for clean, gorgeous slices.

Variations

• Dark chocolate version: Swap the milk chocolate for bittersweet dark chocolate and reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons.
• Berry garnish: Skip the amaretto topping and serve slices with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.