Easter will look a lot different this year because we are sheltering in place, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with some delicious homemade chocolate treats.
Get the kiddos involved and raid the pantry for some baking basics, and your Easter can be just as sweet (and chocolatey) as ever.
Chocolate Wacky Cake
Serves 6 to 8
Also known as depression cake, the batter for this quirky old-school chocolate cake is stirred together right in the baking pan (no mixing bowl required!), which is how it earned its name. The cake recipe also contains no eggs or milk, which is why it was a popular treat during lean times.
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup water
Quick Chocolate Frosting, recipe below
Easter candy and crushed chocolate wafer cookies, for decoration
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into an ungreased 8-by-8-inch baking pan; spread mixture evenly in pan. Make one large well and two small wells in mixture in pan. Carefully pour oil into the large well, vinegar into 1 small well and vanilla into remaining small well. Pour 1 cup water evenly over entire mixture in pan. Stir everything together using a fork until combined.
2. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
3. Pour Wacky Cake Frosting over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
Quick (Wacky) Chocolate Frosting
⅓ cup butter
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2¾ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cook butter, milk and cocoa in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat; gradually whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until completely smooth. Pour over cake.
— Adapted from Southern Living
Chocolate Matzo Crunch
If you like Heath bars, this easy dessert is for you. With layers of matzo, crunchy toffee, chocolate, nuts and sea salt, matzo crunch is also perfect for Passover.
5 pieces matzo (lightly salted variety)
1 cup unsalted butter
1½ cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans, toasted
½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet (approximately 11-by-17-inch) completely with foil, making sure the foil goes up and over the edges. Cover the foil with a sheet of parchment paper. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzo, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.
2. In a 3- to 4-quart heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt and vanilla, and pour over matzo. Working quickly, spread the caramel with a heatproof spatula.
3. Put the pan in the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it’s not burning every once in a while. If it is in spots, remove from oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees, then replace the pan.
4. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.
5. If you wish, sprinkle with almonds or pecans and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Let cool completely, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about a week.
Note: If making for Passover, omit the vanilla extract or use a kosher brand.
— Adapted from
Chocolate Matzo Crunch
Marking Matzo Bark. Judy Allen/For the Tulsa World
Chocolate Matzo Crunch
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Makes 18
First, let’s get this straight. A macaron (pronounced mack-a-ROHN) is a confection made up of two round, flat, almond-flour-based cookies sandwiching an emulsified filling like ganache or jam. A macaroon (pronounced mack-a-ROON) is a mounded cookie made with shredded coconut and often dipped in chocolate. You can substitute another kosher-for-Passover extract in place of the vanilla or skip it entirely.
1 (14-ounce) bag shredded sweetened flaked coconut
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
Pinch salt
½ cup chocolate chips
Multicolored sprinkles, for decoration
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick pad or parchment paper and set aside.
2. Remove 3 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk from the can and save for another use (it’s great in coffee!). In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, remaining sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheet. The cookies will not spread, so you can put them close together (about 1 inch apart) and fit them all onto one large baking sheet. Bake, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden, 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, melt the chocolate chips and dunk the base of each macaroon in the melted chocolate. Use a butter knife to smooth the chocolate and remove the excess. Return to the cooling rack, chocolate side up, and garnish with sprinkles. Allow chocolate to cool and set completely before serving.
Note: If making for Passover, omit the vanilla extract or use a kosher brand.
(Photo: Liam Allen helps make chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons at his home. Judy Allen/for the Tulsa World)
Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
Hot Fudge Sauce
In my opinion, this is the best chocolate treat there is. There’s nothing better than scooping up the cooled goo in the bottom of a sundae glass laden with melted ice cream. Hot fudge is perfect in any season, warmed and poured over ice cream for a sundae, banana split, swirled milkshake, or frankly, just eaten straight from a spoon.
Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅔ cup heavy or whipping cream
½ cup light corn syrup, golden syrup or honey
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine the butter, cream, sweeteners, cocoa and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low, stirring, for 3 to 5 more minutes after everything has melted, then remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. Stir in vanilla.
2. Pour leftovers into a jar and refrigerate. Hot fudge sauce keeps chilled in the fridge at least a month and often two, although it’s rare it lasts that long.
— Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Hot Fudge Sauce
