Rodelle Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Chocolate Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

October 18, 2017 By Becky 24 Comments

This post is sponsored by Rodelle.

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This chocolate pumpkin crème brûlée is a showstopping grain-free dessert that’s perfect for Halloween or any fall occasion. It’s also easy to make ahead of time!

Who’s excited for Halloween, all things pumpkin, and/or Season 2 of Stranger Things??

I am! I can barely think about anything other than the upside down. However, despite how pumped I am about the show’s return, I can definitively say that I am WAY MORE excited about this chocolate pumpkin crème brûlée. It’s the best dessert I’ve made in all of 2017 and possibly longer. It tastes amazing, it’s easy to make, and best of all, it’s really fun!

Let me walk you through the layers. On the bottom there’s a chocolate sauce. This is not just ANY chocolate sauce, though. It’s an intensely-chocolatey-but-not-too-rich chocolate sauce, like what you might have gotten on your sundae at a really good old-school ice cream parlor.

Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t love the sauce. It’s cocoa-based, so there’s no melted chocolate, and there’s also no cream and just a tiny bit of butter. When I tasted the sauce on its own I was happily surprised by how good it was, but when I tasted it along with the finished crème brûlée I was blown away by how much I loved it. With the addition of chocolate extract and without the distracting richness of cream or cocoa butter, the chocolate flavor shines through in a way it doesn’t in most chocolate desserts. I know this may sound paradoxical, but the chocolate flavor is richer because the sauce itself isn’t that rich. As a foil for the super creamy pumpkin layer, it’s just perfect.

Molten Chocolate Cakes (Paleo, Gluten-free)

November 14, 2013 By Becky 11 Comments

These molten chocolate cakes are ridiculous! They are rich, adorable, and delicious. They’re the kind of dessert that seems so fancy that it doesn’t occur to you to make it at home. Guess what, though? These little cakes are super easy. Spend 15 minutes or less throwing the ingredients together and 15 minutes waiting for them to bake, and you’ll have four perfectly-portioned, restaurant-style desserts. Can you think of a better way to spend half an hour on a dark, cold evening? I know I can’t.

My favorite part about these is all the different layers of chocolatey textures. The outer edges are crispy, and right next to that is a layer that goes from chocolate cake to gooey brownie as you move toward the center. Finally, there’s the lava–the decadent heart that gives this dessert its name. To be honest, it’s all almost too much. ALMOST. I recommend serving these with a little whipped cream or ice cream to balance out the rich chocolate flavor. I had mine with some vegan pumpkin ice cream, and it was perfect.

These cakes are adapted from Taza Chocolate, and inspired by my visit to Taza’s Day of the Dead celebration a few weeks ago. I also used my new favorite Rodelle extracts in this recipe. If you don’t have chocolate extract, don’t worry–your cakes will still be very chocolatey without it. That being said, you should probably pick some up. It’s really fun to have on hand.

I used a tablespoon of Jamaican rum in this recipe. You could also try red wine, which is what the original recipe calls for. Since the center of the cake is not fully cooked, some alcohol might remain after baking. If that’s not your thing, you can use a tablespoon of coffee instead, which will also intensify the chocolate flavor.

I substituted my three favorite gluten-free flours (almond, tapioca, and coconut) for the all-purpose flour in this recipe, and the resulting cakes tasted pretty much exactly like their gluten-laden cousins to me. This is an ideal recipe to make gluten-free since it calls for such a small amount of flour relative to the total quantity of ingredients. That means that if you’ve been wanting to try gluten-free baking but have been worried your desserts would turn out funny, this is a great place to start! Try serving it to some unsuspecting guests, and I bet they won’t notice a thing.

Mocha Mexicano & A Giveaway (Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan)

November 3, 2013 By Becky 64 Comments

This mocha mexicano is full of warm spices, and packs a subtle punch thanks to a little cayenne pepper. It’s inspired by ingredients from Rodelle Vanilla and Taza‘s Fire Puncher chocolate.

This summer, my vegan & paleo strawberry ice cream was a runner-up in Rodelle Vanilla‘s Great American Ice Cream Contest, and the prize was a basket of Rodelle Baking Goodies. I asked the wonderful folks at Rodelle if they would include a few extra goodies for you all, and they said yes! I picked up a couple of other treats over at Taza Chocolate yesterday, and am beyond excited to bring you a vanilla and chocolate giveaway.

Prize basket

One winner will receive a prize basket including:

Two whole Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Rodelle
A 6-ounce bottle of Rodelle Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Organic Chocolate Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Anise Extract
Two discs of Taza Chocolate’s Organic Fire Puncher 70% Dark Chocolate Mexicano (2.7 ounces)
A bag of Taza’s Organic 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs (2 ounces)
A recipe card for Molten Spiced Chocolate cake and a Direct Trade pamphlet from Taza