Dessert: Chocolate Spice Zucchini Cake

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time 40-50 min

Serves (16-20)

This cake takes your tastebuds down a detour --away from the chocolate norm. If you're seeking a standard chocolate cake, this baby is not for you. Sophisticated and intricate, spicy cinnamon compliments sweet chocolate, while the introduction of brandy gives the cake a delicate earthiness. Shredded zucchini and oil provide rich moisture, ensuring that making a dry cake is nearly impossible. Top with melted chocolate, and let the eye rolling begin.

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, 2/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup oil, 3 tbsp brandy, 3 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and flour 12 cup bundt pan or 13x9x2 baking pan.

Shred zucchini. Bring 1/2 cup water to boil and pour over zucchini in large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Beat on low speed, 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 min.

Pour into pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 40-50 min).

Serving Suggestion: Drizzle sliced pieces of cake with melted chocolate and chocolate shavings, or use chocolate brandy sauce.

Dessert: Molten Chocolate Cake

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5-10 min

Serves (3)

Whip these cakes up for the ultimate chocolate indulgence. Warm and flowing with velvety goodness, nothing satisfies a chocoholic quite like a molten cake. You're in charge of your chocolate cravings here. Want darker, richer chocolate? Substitute the semisweet chocolate chips for chocolate with 65% cocoa or more.

Ingredients: 2 eggs, 3/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup salted butter, 4 oz semisweet mini chocolate chips, 2 tsp flour

Preheat oven to 450. Butter and flour 3 ramekins. Set aside.

Melt butter and chocolate over over double boiler. Beat eggs with whisk in separate bowl. Beat powdered sugar into eggs. Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Add egg mixture to chocolate--stirring constantly. Add 2 tsp of flour to egg/chocolate mixture. Pour into ramekins. Bake until edges are set and cake puffs--about 6-8 min. Center will not be firm. Serve warm.

Dessert: Tiramisu

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time 20 min

Serves (6)

A simple pleasure. An iconic treat. A decadent indulgence. Tiramisu is almost legendary. But don't be intimidated by all the fanfare. With just a little time and finesse, you can easily master this classic dessert.

Ingredients: 36 small savoiardi (lady fingers), 2 cups mascarpone cheese, 1/3 cup Italian brandy, 4 egg yolks, 4 egg whites, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp instant coffee (dissolved in 1/2 cup water), 3-4 oz dark chocolate (candy bar type chocolate will work fine)

Mix instant coffee mixture and brandy and set aside.

With chef's knife or food processor, finely chop all savoiardi. Rough chop chocolate. Set both aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar over a double-boiler until mixture is pale in color and forms ribbons in the saucepan when moving your whisk through the mixture. Cooking times will vary (usually 10 min). You don't want custard! Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 min.

While egg yolks are cooling, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Room temperature eggs work best here. If you have farm fresh eggs, even better.

Fold mascarpone into egg yolk mixture one third at a time. Fold mascarpone mixture into egg whites.

Take half of the savoiardi, place in bottom of 8x8 pan, and lightly pat down. Using a pastry brush, coat the savoiardi with the brandy coffee mixture. Spoon half of the mascarpone mixture over the savoiardi. Sprinkle half of chopped chocolate over the mascarpone. Repeating this process, add another layer with the remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate at least 30 min. before serving.

Serving note: Unless you are taking the tiramisu to a party, it is not necessary to use the 8x8 pan. For a more personalized approach, follow the same process above, but divide all ingredients between wine goblets or small bowls. Top each goblet/bowl with a sprig of mint.

Dessert: Cinnamon Bananas with Sugared Tortillas and Brandy Chocolate Sauce

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Serves (4)

This modern take on fried bananas introduces a hint of brandy and a little architecture with sugared tortilla triangles. Quick to prepare and hard to mess up, prepare this dessert after nearly any Latin entree.

Ingredients: 1 banana, 1 flour tortilla, ¼ cup of Italian brandy, 2 oz dark chocolate (65% cocoa or less), 3 tbsp butter, oil for pan frying (light olive or canola), sugar, cinnamon, honey

Rough cut the chocolate into small pieces. Using a one quart sauce pan, heat ¼ cup brandy with 2 tbsp of butter and add chocolate pieces to mixture. Stirring constantly, boil mixture over medium-high heat for 2 min. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place frying pan on stove over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to pan, then add just enough oil to coat the pan bottom. While pan is heating, peel the banana. Cut banana in half, then lengthwise. Set aside. Cut tortilla into quarters. Cut each quarter in half to form eight triangles.

Once pan is heated, place tortilla triangles in fry pan, being careful not to overlap the triangles. (Triangles cannot be overcrowded or they will not brown evenly. If you need more room, fry two batches—four and four.) Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on triangles in pan. Once bubbles form in the tortilla, turn over. Sprinkle other side with cinnamon and sugar. As soon as the edges are light brown, remove the triangles from heat. You do not want tortilla chips, but rather lightly warmed and slightly crisp triangles. Triangles should still be pliable.

Quickly place the quartered bananas—cut side down—in the excess oil/sugar in the pan and warm for 1 min. Remove from heat. Place one triangle on plate and place one quartered banana on top. Place another triangle on top of banana. Drizzle banana and triangles with honey and chocolate sauce. Dust with cinnamon. Repeat plating with remaining ingredients.