59 chocolate leaf recipes

Just like it's title, easy, pretty and loaded with mint and chocolate.

Lemon and coconut roulade spread with melted chocolate and rolled with whipped cream and fresh berries. A flourless sponge that's lighter than it looks.

Angel food cake layered with rum-soaked strawberries and white chocolate whipped cream, drizzled with orange juice. A no-bake showpiece that comes together in 30 minutes flat.

Miniature choco-lite puffs are bite-size cream puffs with a lightened twist: crisp choux shells filled with fluffy sugar-free chocolate pudding and whipped topping. An elegant, lower-fat party dessert that looks far fussier than it is.

White chocolate mousse made with Italian meringue, imported white chocolate, and whipped cream, served over a fresh strawberry-kirsch sauce. An elegant restaurant-quality dessert.

German hasenpfeffer: rabbit marinated in vinegar and wine, then braised with bacon, onions, and a touch of chocolate for a velvety sauce. Old-world hunter's stew.

Raspberry chocolate cheesecake in a chocolate wafer crust, topped with fudge sauce and fresh berries. A quick bake with a stunning layered presentation.

Mexican black bean soup with a secret hit of Mexican chocolate, serrano chile, and finished with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Authentic depth from a long slow simmer.

Authentic Cincinnati chili with finely textured ground beef simmered in water (not browned), seasoned with chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and chili powder. Served over spaghetti, Skyline-style.

Moist chocolate sour cream layer cake with fluffy cocoa frosting, toasted nuts, coconut filling, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. A showstopper for birthdays and celebrations.

This is a Texas style red chili. Texas chili has no tomatoes but more importantly NO BEANS! Some of the ingredients I used, like the chocolate and the granulated chicken broth in lieu of salt, are non-traditional but I like the flavor it adds.

Molten chocolate cake with a frozen Grand Marnier ganache center, served with orange whipped cream and warm chocolate sauce. A showstopping restaurant-style dessert.

No-bake fromage blanc cheesecake with a white chocolate almond brittle crust and strawberry mint salsa. A French-style gelatin-set cheesecake thats light and tangy.

Authentic Cincinnati chili simmered with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and unsweetened chocolate, then chilled overnight to deepen the flavors. Serve over spaghetti with shredded cheddar for a true 3-way.

Drink garnish guide covering frosted glasses, sugar and salt rims, plus garnish ideas for fruit, vegetable and coffee drinks. Old-school bartender finishing touches that turn ordinary drinks into something proper.

Mexican Cincinnati chili spiced with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and a square of unsweetened chocolate, ladled over spaghetti and topped with cheddar. The Greek-American Midwestern classic with a Mexican mole twist.