Here at TABLE, we’re constantly curious as to how we can learn more, grow in our skills, and share stories in ways we haven’t tried before. This is especially true in winter, when dark and cold days keep us. This season, a 20-pound chocolate bar from Mon Aimee Chocolat, a gourmet chocolate store located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, presented itself. Selina Progar, TABLE contributor and pastry chef at Eleven, took on the challenge with gusto. “It was so big I had to bring it outside and bang it on the ground, wrapped up, to break it up,” Selina said, laughing.

We gave Selina the freedom to be as expressive and experimental as she desired with this mountain of chocolate. “It was intimidating! But incredibly worth it,” Selina shared. “It was a thicker chocolate than I’ve used in the past, with a higher viscosity.” When Selena melted the chocolate, it had a beautiful light ganache texture. Easy to work with, it is a great fit for those who don’t often work with chocolate tempering. It’s a versatile chocolate that can be used both in a professional kitchen and by the home baker.

Breaking Down the Bar

If you’re looking to expand your world of chocolate, it helps to know some fundamentals. Baking chocolates can be quite varied, so it’s important for you to learn how each one is different.

Selina finds one of the most important aspects of baking with chocolate to take into consideration is its percentage of cocoa content. Cocoa percentage includes cocoa mass or cocoa liquor (not to be confused with the alcoholic version), cocoa nib, and any added cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is the edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean, which has its own cocoa aroma and flavor.

For example, a plain dark chocolate bar with a cocoa content of 70% means that 70% of the chocolate has been made from ingredients found in the cocoa bean. The remaining 30% will consist of other ingredients like sugar. “Seventy percent is dark in our own home [kitchens], but in the baking kitchen, it’s perfect to work with,” says Selina.

Why Selina Progar likes working with chocolate

“It’s the huge range of percentages, brands, and flavors of chocolate. It allows for so many different kinds of recipes to be made. You can infuse teas. You can make ganaches for bonbons, truffles, candy bars.” Each chocolate has its own flavor note and flavor pairings. You can use different parts of the cocoa bean for cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, and cocoa nibs. “We use each of those in different aspects in the kitchen. For example, cocoa butter is used to make velvet sprays. We can add dyes for fun, bright colors.”

Working with Chocolate at Home

Melt Chocolate with a Double Boiler

A lot of people head to the microwave, but this can burn the chocolate. A double boiler gives a lot more control. It’s just a pot filled with three inches of water, and a bowl (preferably heatproof glass) that fits on top. Turn on the stove to medium heat and let the steam of the boiling water gently melt the chocolate while you stir constantly.

Use the Right Tools

Unless you’re trying to temper chocolate to make elaborately decorated desserts, you don’t need specialty tools beyond a nice rubber spatula with no garlic or other food smells.

Skip the Chips

When a recipe calls for melted chocolate, it’s best to use the real deal instead of chocolate chips, which are not designed to melt well, and have a less intense flavor than a full-on chocolate bar. Chopping your own chocolate chunks might take a little extra time, but it’s well worth it.

Have Fun!

What is Selina’s biggest advice for working with chocolate? “Don’t be scared to move beyond chocolate chip cookies. You can play around with it and incorporate it into things you might not know it belongs in. Look at flavor charts of different chocolates and see what you can pair it with. Look at Mexican mole sauces. You can use it for anything and everything.”

Visit Mon Aimee Chocolat in Pittsburgh’s Strip District

With chocolate sourced from over 60 countries, Mon Aimee curates one of the largest collections of premium fine chocolate in the United States. They showcase Pittsburgh’s local handcrafted chocolatiers, as well as award-winning bean-to-bar chocolatiers.

7 Chocolate Recipes to Get You Started

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Everyone at your table will be reaching for another slice! An elegant spin on a classic pecan pie, a sprinkle of bourbon adds rich flavor that will be the talk of the table.

Buckeyes

Nostalgia runs deep with this easy, no-bake Buckeyes recipe. But so does deliciousness. Just a handful of ingredients form homemade peanut butter balls dipped in luxurious chocolate and made with just a handful of ingredients. This crowd-pleaser is sure to please your crowd.

Chocolate Cello

Add a dose of spirit to your next gathering with a boozy, satisfying dessert-in-a-glass. Pour this Chocolate Cello over cheesecake or ice cream. Add it to your coffee, or sip it straight!

Chocolate Crémeux

Falling somewhere between a chocolate ganache and mousse, crémeux is a melt-in-the-mouth pudding-like cream, soft and slightly dense in texture. Use it in tarts, spread it on brioche, or just eat it with a spoon.

Hot Chocolate Tray

Step up your hot chocolate game and beat the winter blues with a fun activity for the whole family. Whether you prefer flavors of peppermint, caramel, or cayenne, creativity will come alive as you make your own bespoke hot chocolate creations.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe is a rich and decadent dessert that will have your guests going for more. A cookie crust is filled with a creamy, luscious peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake filling. A layer of whipped chocolate ganache tops off the ultimate peanut butter lover’s dessert.

Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

We take famous chocolate chip cookies to the next level with a sprinkle of sea salt and wonderful, gourmet chocolate. They are soft, chewy, and golden brown with slightly crisp edges. Easy-to-make, these cookies will become an instant classic in your kitchen.

Story by Lindsay Anne Herring
Recipe by Selina Progar
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce
Chocolate Courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolat 

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Everyone at your table will be reaching for another slice of this chocolate bourbon pecan pie! An elegant spin on a classic pecan pie, a sprinkle of bourbon adds a rich flavor that guests will not soon forget.

Which Bourbon Should You Bake Your Chocolate Pecan Pie With?

For a sweeter flavor, you can try a 100% corn bourbon like Whistlepig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon. You can also experiment with some others like Knob Creek Smoked Maple, which is sweetened with hickory and maple wood. For hints of vanilla, you can try Buffalo Trace. You can also experiment with Old Grand-Dad, which has hints of vanilla and baking spice. 

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

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• Author: Selina Progar

Print Recipe

Description

Give your pecan pie a boozy chocolate upgrade this year.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the dough:

• 15 oz flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 sticks butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

For the filling:

• 7 oz Ghirardelli chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 7 oz brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 9 oz corn syrup
• 2 tbsp bourbon of your choice (I used Buffalo Trace)
• 1 oz all-purpose flour
• 2 oz butter, melted
• 9 oz chopped pecans (6 oz for batter, 3 oz for topping)

For the whipped cream:

• 8 oz heavy cream
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar

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Instructions

For the dough:

1. In a mixer with a paddle attachment combine flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix until the butter turns into a small pea size.
2. Add water and vinegar until a smooth dough forms. Do not overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. Once the dough is chilled, roll out to the thickness of a quarter and lay into your pie pan. (I chose a tart pan with a removable bottom, so the pan itself is only 2 inches deep. A 3-inch pie pan will also work for this recipe.)
4. Lay parchment on top of the dough and fill with baking beans or pie weights. Blind bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the filling:

1. Chop chocolate and melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval.
2. Combine in a mixing bowl: eggs, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, bourbon, and flour and whisk until smooth.
3. Add butter and chocolate and mix until smooth. Fold in 6 ounces of chopped pecans.
4. Pour this batter into the parbaked pie dough and top with remaining 3 ounces of pecans.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 degrees until firm and no longer liquid in the middle.

For the whipped cream:

1. Combine heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip on a mixer fit with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Once the pie is cool, top the pie with whipped cream.

Story by Lindsay Anne Herring
Recipe by Selina Progar
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce
Chocolate Courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolat 

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Nostalgia (and deliciousness) runs deep with this easy, no-bake buckeyes recipe. Just a handful of ingredients results in homemade peanut butter balls dipped in luxurious chocolate and made with just a handful of ingredients. This crowd-pleaser is sure to please your crowd.

Buckeyes Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate magic shell:

12 oz chopped Ghirardelli chocolate
3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

For the buckeyes:

5 oz butter (1 stick + 2 tbsp), melted
1 lb peanut butter
2 tbsp vanilla or Frangelico
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

For the chocolate magic shell:

1. Combine chocolate and oil in a double boiler and melt together.

For the buckeyes:

1. Melt butter and combine butter and peanut butter in a mixer until smooth. Add vanilla or Frangelico, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix until smooth.
2. Set up a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Scoop using either a tablespoon or a small scoop and roll into a ball and place on tray. Refrigerate until set.
4. Stick toothpicks into the top of the ball and dip into the magic shell. You can fully dip or half dip.
5. Keep cold. Makes about 5 dozen buckeyes.

Story by Lindsay Anne Herring / Recipe by Selina Progar / Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce / Chocolate courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolat

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Falling somewhere between a chocolate ganache and mousse, crémeux is a melt-in-the-mouth pudding-like dessert, soft and slightly dense in texture. Use it in tarts, spread it on brioche, or just eat it with a spoon.

Chocolate Crémeux

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• Author: Selina Progar

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Description

Creamy, luxurious chocolate.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 14 oz milk
• 14 oz heavy cream
• 6 oz sugar
• 9 oz egg yolks (about 14 yolks)
• Salt
• 15 g Ghirardelli chocolate, chopped

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Instructions

1. Boil milk and heavy cream.
2. Combine sugar, yolks, and salt and whisk until fluffy.
3. Temper milk mixture into yolk mixture by pouring half of the milk onto the yolk mixture and mix until combined. Pour that back into the pot with the remaining hot milk.
4. Cook on a medium-low temperature, stirring with a rubber spatula continuously, and create a nappe. A nappe is when the crème anglaise reaches a slightly thick texture that will coat the back of a spoon. You will be able to drag your finger over the back of the spoon and the line will remain. You can also cook this to 180 degrees.
5. Strain crème anglaise over gelatin and chocolate and blend with the large immersion blender
6. Pour into your favorite cups or glasses and place in the fridge until it is set.
7. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Recipe by Selina Progar
Story by Lindsay Anne Herring
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce
Chocolate Courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolat

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A rich and decadent dessert, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe will have your guests going for seconds and, most likely, thirds! A cookie crust is packed with a creamy, luscious peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake filling. Then a layer of whipped chocolate ganache tops off the ultimate peanut-butter lover’s dessert.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Recipe 

INGREDIENTS

For the Biscoff crust:

11 oz Biscoff cookies
1 stick butter

For the filling:

1 lb 4 oz cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
5 oz sour cream
6 oz peanut butter
3 oz Ghirardelli chocolate, chopped

For whipped chocolate ganache:

8 oz Ghirardelli chocolate
8 oz heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Biscoff crust:

1. Grind up Biscoff cookies in a food processor or crush in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin until fine.
2. Melt butter in the microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
3. Combine butter and cookie crumbs until they hold shape when you squeeze it.
4. Press the crust into your favorite cheesecake pan, preferably a springform pan, or a tart pan with a bottom that pops out.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Once the crust is done turn down the oven to 300 degrees.
6. Let the crust cool, then wrap your pan, bottom, and sides in foil.

For the filling:

1. With a mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and salt. Mix on low speed with a paddle attachment until very smooth, about 20 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate all cream cheese. You do not want to turn the mixer up to stir or low because you do not want to incorporate extra air; make sure there are no clumps.
2. Once the cream cheese is mixed, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream all at once and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Separately, melt peanut butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing in between each interval.
5. Divide the cheesecake batter in half into separate bowls.
6. Mix the peanut butter in one half and the chocolate in the other half.
7. In the prepared crust, alternate pouring the chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake batters into the pan. Place your pan in a slightly deeper pan, whether it’s a Pyrex or a foil pan, and fill halfway up with water.
8. Bake the cheesecake at 300 degrees, starting at 45 minutes. To check if the cheesecake is done, slightly jiggle the pan: it should move just slightly but not be liquid. Try to avoid the cheesecake from cracking; if it cracks, then your cheesecake is slightly overbaked.
9. Add 15 minutes at a time as needed to finish.
10. Carefully remove cheesecake from oven and then let cool in the water bath out of the oven. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and then let cool fully in the fridge.

For the whipped chocolate ganache:

1. Chop chocolate and then bring heavy cream to a boil. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
2. Stir with a spatula from the center to the outside until combined. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Once chilled, place the ganache on the mixer, fit with the whisk attachment, and whip until fluffy. Pipe onto the top of the cheesecake and then top with any extra Biscoff cookies.

Story by Lindsay Anne Herring / Recipe by Selina Progar / Styling by Anna Calabrese / Photography by Dave Bryce / Chocolate courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolat

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Beloved chocolate chip cookies are taken to the next level with a sprinkle of sea salt and delectable gourmet chocolate chips. Soft, chewy, and golden brown with slightly crisp edges, these easy-to-make chocolate chunk cookies will become an instant classic in your kitchen. They’re extremely easy to make, and once you do it one time, you’ll be making them over and over again.

The History of the Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chocolate chip cookies might seem like a near-ubiquitous part of American life, but they’ve formally been around for less than a hundred years. Ruth Graves Wakefield, the owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, was the woman behind this innovation. Her goal was to give consumers something new and different. The recipe eventually appeared in her cookbook, Tried and True, in 1938. Later, Betty Crocker featured them on her radio show. They became so popular that Nestlé bought the rights to Wakefield’s original recipe. The cookies have since taken on many forms, including these Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies. 

Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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• Author: Selina Progar

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Description

A classic cookie.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb brown sugar
• 9 oz white sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 lb all-purpose flour
• 2 lb Ghirardelli chocolate, chopped into chunks
• Flaky sea salt such as Maldon, as needed to top cookies

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Instructions

 

1. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, and baking soda until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate.
2. Add eggs and mix until combined. Add flour in 4 stages, mixing in between each stage and scraping down the bottom and sides of bowl. Add chopped chocolate and mix only until combined.
3. Using a 2-ounce scooper, spoon cookies onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Press down on the cookies just slightly and bake for 12-15 minutes at 325 degrees. Once out of the oven, sprinkle salt flakes onto each cookie. Let cool and enjoy! Store in an airtight container for later indulgence.

Recipe by Selina Progar
Chocolate courtesy of Mon Aimee Chocolate
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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Who doesn’t love the salty-sweet combination of peanut butter and chocolate? From Reese’s cups to Snickers bars and even Ohio’s beloved Buckeyes candy, the chocolate-peanut butter love runs strong. So why not put these two decadent ingredients together in a pie that’s smooth, packed with flavor, and resembles a Reese’s cup in the best way possible. Our Richest Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie recipe uses an abundance of peanut butter with a chocolate ganache topping that cuts through the denseness of the filling. When topped with a little whipped topping, half a Reese’s, and chocolate shavings, this just might be what Heaven tastes like. 

The Richest Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

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• Author: Kylie Thomas

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Description

Bite into a creamy, dense peanut butter filling beneath a layer of chocolate ganache.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, thawed
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 9-inch graham cracker crust, premade
• Chocolate ganache
• Container of whipped topping
• 6 Reese’s cups for topping
• Chocolate shavings 

For the chocolate ganache:

1. 1 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar (we recommend using Baker’s chocolate)
2. ½ cup heavy whipping cream

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Instructions

1. Mix creamy peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until well combined. The texture should be almost like a playdoh consistency.
2. Mold filling into the graham cracker pie crust and set in the fridge overnight. 
3. Add a layer of chocolate ganache on top of the filling and place back in the fridge for an hour. 
4. Top with a dollop of whipped topping, half a Reese’s cup, and chocolate shavings before serving. 

For the chocolate ganache:

1. Finely chop the chocolate bar so that you have tiny slivers of chocolate that will easily melt and place in a heat-proof bowl. 
2. Heat heavy whipping cream on the stove over medium heat till it begins to simmer but don’t let the cream boil. 
3. Pour the heated heavy whipping cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes to soften the chocolate. 
4. Gently mix the two until combined into a smooth consistency. 
5. Use immediately.

Story and Recipe by Kylie Thomas
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Star Laliberte

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