Coconut Layer Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling . . .

Is it really almost September? Really? 

I guess it must be true. My kids are behaving as if they're straddling the border between two very different countries--one's called Summer, the other's called School. Nathan, my just-turned-sixteen-year old,  has been getting up early to attend marching band practice this week. It's an all-day affair, and  despite the need to haul himself out of bed at the crack of dawn, he still has that unquenchable teenage urge to stay up late every night. What's a mom to do? Remember when your kids were about three and a half and they finally gave up taking regular naps? In your chagrin you realized how helpless you were to change that. The nice quiet break, that reliable daily respite, was a thing of the past. I was reminded of this while pondering the staying-up-super-late issue. Sigh. You can lead a teenager to a comfy bed (well, you can try, anyway), but you cannot make him sleep.

Meanwhile, Charlie, my 19-year-old, is psyching up for his sophomore year in college. He's looking forward to being back in Michigan this time around. Last year, as you may recall, he ventured south to Columbus to experience life as an Ohio State buckeye. (Remember those buckeye cookie cups I made in honor of the event? Those babies were so good.) He had a busy year, without a doubt. Joined the OSU men's crew team, made lots of new friends, and generally loved the place, but ultimately decided that it wasn't the best fit for someone whose heart belongs to the mitten-shaped state, so over the summer he transferred to a university in Kalamazoo (yes, that Kalamazoo). It's pretty nice to know he's back in mitten land.

In any event, I think this Summer vs. School nether world has me feeling a little edgy and when I get edgy, I tend to bake. Yes. Bake. What a surprise.

About this recipe . . .

This sort-of-white cake recipe was adapted from this post at Whisk Kid; that's the adorable blog that started the rainbow-cake craze. I reduced, and slightly modified, the rainbow cake's base recipe (and obviously left out all food coloring!) to make just two 9" layers, adding in a little coconut milk in exchange for some of the regular milk. It's a very easy cake to put together, and this was a good opportunity--between the cake and the buttercream--to use up most of the egg whites I had in my freezer. I freeze whites in Ziploc sandwich bags, and I use black permanent marker to mark on the bags how many whites each one contains, along with the date I froze them. Fresh-frozen egg whites are still completely usable in baking even months after their freeze date. I love that!

The Swiss meringue buttercream frosting recipe that I used is from Sweetapolita, baking blog extraordinaire of the endlessly talented Rosie Alyea. I changed nothing in her recipe, except to add in a few drops of Lorann coconut oil for flavoring towards the end of the mixing process to about six cups of the total batch. Because the credit for this frosting is definitely Rosie's, I have just included a link directly to the post where that recipe appears within her blog; it's accompanied by many helpful photos and her invaluable advice (I highly recommend you check it out, especially if you are new to making meringue buttercream).  Be aware that her recipe makes about 15 cups of frosting, enough for a couple of tall layer cakes, at least. I made the whole huge batch and, in one big bowl, it was a fluffy sight to see. I froze the extra frosting for future use.

The chocolate ganache is so simple it almost doesn't require a formal recipe--two delectable ingredients are all you'll need.

Coconut Layer Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache Filling

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Yield: One two-layer 9" round cake

Ingredients for the cake layers:

1 stick and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 scant teaspoon salt (I used fine sea salt.)
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature (I used 2 percent.)
1/3 cup coconut milk, at room temperature (I used Thai Kitchen brand.)

To make the cake layers:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease, or use baking spray on, two 9" round cake pans (I used the latter, generously). Line the bottom of the pans with rounds of parchment. Grease the parchment and flour the bottom and sides of the pan, or spray the parchment with baking spray.

In a medium size bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

Stir together the milk and coconut milk in a small bowl. Set aside.

In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until very light in color and fluffy. Pour in the egg whites gradually, mixing until they're completely combined, and stop to scrape as needed. Mix in the vanilla.

On the lowest speed, add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and coconut milk, starting and ending with the dry (three portions of dry, and two portions of liquid). Beat only until the batter looks completely mixed.

Divide the batter equally into the two prepared pans, and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the cakes no longer look wet and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on cooling racks for about five minutes then run a thin knife or metal spatula around the edges of the cakes, and invert the cakes out of their pans and onto racks to finish cooling. Peel off the parchment, slowly and carefully, while the cakes are still warm.

To make the chocolate ganache: 

6 ounces good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
6 ounces heavy cream

Put the chopped chocolate into a bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream until it's hot but not boiling. Pour the cream into the bowl, over the chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes, then gently stir the cream completely into the chocolate. The ganache should look smooth and silky. Let it cool to room temperature, when it will be ready to use as a filling between the cooled cake layers. Don't cover it until it's at room temperature or cooler.

To make the Swiss meringue buttercream:
For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe that I used, please visit this link at Sweetapolita for detailed step-by-step instructions in her excellent post, Swiss Meringue Buttercream Demystified. Please note that I added in several drops--to taste--of Lorann coconut oil flavoring. You could also use coconut extract/flavoring if you like, or omit the flavoring/oil altogether and just go with vanilla. Her recipe as written makes a very big batch; you will need perhaps one third of the batch to frost a standard size two-layer cake.

To assemble and frost the cake, you'll need:

2 cake layers
At least one cup of the ganache
At least five cups of the buttercream
1 and 1/2 cups of sweetened, shredded coconut

Place one cake layer upside down onto a cardboard/cake-board or onto the plate it will be served from. Spread a generous layer of room-temperature ganache on top. Add the second cake layer, placing its flattest surface facing up. Spread about a cup or so of buttercream on the top, and frost a generous layer on the sides. Because the cake will be covered with sweetened coconut, it's not really necessary to try and make the surface or sides of the cake completely smooth. To add the coconut, hold your cake, on its board/plate over a baking sheet. Gently press handfuls of coconut into the sides as you turn the cake until it's completely covered, and then sprinkle more on the top. Scoop up any coconut that falls onto the baking sheet and scatter it on as well.

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ANZAC Cookies: Tough, Tender, & Time-Tested

Some things are designed  to be sturdy and resilient, to travel well, and to require no special handling. Rucksacks, helmets, and combat boots come to mind. But one doesn't normally associate a cookie with those particular qualities. Interesting, then, that just such rough and tumble characteristics rightly belong to this chewy little cookie. Containing no eggs and not prone to crumbling, they hold up well in transit and are palatable for a good while after being baked.

Featuring dessicated coconut, oats, and that beautiful concoction Lyle's Golden Syrup, ANZAC cookies/biscuits (they're named for the Australia New Zealand Army Corps) gained popularity during World War I. Wives, moms, and girlfriends prepared them for their loved ones in the service far away. Can't you just picture a tired young soldier unwrappping a parcel from home, only to find a couple dozen of these fragrant cookies snugly packed inside, along with a nice long letter? It's no wonder they've withstood the test of time.

And besides boasting a strong constitution, these cookies have a lush buttery flavor. They're just plain delicious. Try one dipped into a cold glass of milk, tucked into a scoop of chocolate ice cream, or served alongside a bright bowl of fruit sorbet.

About this recipe . . . 

From Alice Medrich's irresistible book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies, this is my formula of choice for this legendary cookie. (My only adaptions were to double the recipe and rewrite the instructions to reflect what I actually did). I doubt this recipe could be improved upon. It's so good as it is. You can always trust Alice's recipes. That gal really knows her stuff.

ANZAC Cookies

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)


2 cups rolled oats (I happened to use quick oats.)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) Lyle's Golden Syrup (You can substitute honey, per Alice, but I have to believe these taste best made with Lyle's.)
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used unbleached, and whisked it lightly before measuring.) 
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups dessicated coconut (This is coconut that's dried, shredded small, and unsweetened; readily available in health food stores if you can't find it in a regular grocery store.)


In the large bowl of your food processor, pulse the oats for a few seconds, until coarsely ground but not powdery. 

In a large mixing bowl, by hand, combine the ground oats along with the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.


In a large pot (I used a dutch oven) set over low heat, stir together the butter, sugar, water, and golden syrup until the butter is melted. Add in all of the dry ingredients, and stir until it's entirely combined. 


Divide the dough into four equal parts and form each one into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Roll each log snugly in parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, or overnight. 


When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment. Removing one chilled log from the fridge at a time, slice the cookies to a thickness of no more than 1/2 an inch with a very sharp knife; if the dough crumbles on the edges as you slice, press it back together with your fingers. Lay the cookies about 1 inch apart on the parchment lined cookie sheets. 


Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes, until they're golden on the bottom and lightly golden on top. Rotate the sheets in the oven half-way through for even baking. Let the finished cookies cool on their pans for a few minutes. (They'll be firm enough to handle relatively quickly, but will still be kind of soft and chewy at first. They'll be much firmer after a few hours and that's when you'll realize why they're famous for their sturdy constitution!) 

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Not Talkin' about those Pretty Little French Things: Chocolate-Filled Coconut Macaroon Sandwich Cookies

Let's be clear from the get-go, these are not the pretty little French macarons that are being created as of late by everybody and their second-cousin in an array of spectacular colors.

Those are beautiful, no doubt about it, but I haven't yet mustered up the fortitude to attempt such temperamental delicacies. Every time I turn around, though, I find myself reading about them or watching demonstration videos that stress the contortions required to successfully produce them.

I suspect all the fuss only makes me more hesitant to try them. I do, however, anticipate that I'll learn to make them in Pastry 1 class next fall, and I figure it's best I just sit tight until I can observe first-hand how an expert actually cranks them out. So, for now, I'm in fancy-macaron waiting mode and that's okay with me.

These, however, are a splendid variation on the basic American macaroon--that coconut laden, chewy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside, white and golden institution that's frequently cloaked in melted chocolate. These wouldn't scare anybody away. They're as approachable as baseball, apple pie, and Uncle Sam himself.

Adapted from a formula that originally came from my fabulous Aunt Florence (and she really is fabulous) via my late mom's recipe collection, my revised version of these macaroons turned out exactly as I'd hoped. What makes these distinctive? Well, the presence of a small amount of  butter and cream cheese to start with. Aside from my aunt's version, I don't know if I've ever seen a macaroon recipe that includes cream cheese, let alone butter, but one can't deny that they both lend positively to the taste and texture.

Besides adjusting the proportions for most of the ingredients, I did some customizing by adding in a couple ounces of grated almond paste, which--I think--lends cookies like this a distinctive aura that they wouldn't otherwise possess. Yep, it's the almond paste that makes these truly macaroony (a non-technical term not to be confused with macaroni), and not just coconutty. I also decided to use one whole egg versus just the white or just the yolk, and I substituted a smidgen of milk for a bit of orange juice. My instincts also steered me toward the use of superfine sugar as an alternative to regular granulated; it gets a gold star for always mixing in so cooperatively.

The resulting cookie was absolutely delicious, with all the texture and flavor qualities I was aiming for. I am sure I will be making these again and again. I sandwiched the cookies with melted semisweet chocolate, but they can be sandwiched or dipped in any type of chocolate you like. Of course, if the chocolate aspect isn't your thing, they're perfectly pleasing unadorned, too.

(They kind of look like little hamburgers, don't they?  But really yummy hamburgers . . . )



Chocolate-Filled Coconut Macaroon Sandwich Cookies

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. milk (I used 2 percent)
1 tsp. almond extract (I used Penzey's brand)
1 cup All-Purpose flour (I used unbleached)
scant 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups finely shredded dessicated coconut (this is dry, unsweetened coconut; you can find this in health food/whole food stores if it's not in your supermarket)
2 oz. almond paste, grated (make sure it says almond paste; don't accidentally use marzipan)

In a large mixer bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and superfine sugar on low speed until well blended. Add in the egg, milk, and almond extract on low speed until combined.

In a small separate bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add this into the above mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Continuing to beat on the lowest speed, gradually pour in all of the coconut; mix until combined. Pour in the grated almond paste and mix just until evenly blended.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and press it into a disk. Chill it in the fridge for about an hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using a portion scoop (I used size 40, which holds just about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons), portion the dough evenly onto the parchment, leaving a couple of inches between cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until they just begin to turn lightly golden on top. Let them cool on the cookie sheet on a rack for about five minutes before removing them to the rack to finish cooling completely.

If you like, slowly melt about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips/pieces of your choice in the microwave, or in a small bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water on the stove. Use about 2 tsp. melted chocolate to fill a pair of cookies by sandwiching them gently together. Let the filled cookies stand undisturbed so the chocolate can cool and set before serving them. Store the cookies in an airtight container; they'll stay fresh for days if well covered.

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Now That's Dark Chocolate! . . . Glazed Black-Cocoa Brownies with Coconut and Rum

It's finer in texture than the finest top-soil. A gentle breeze sends it flying. If not handled gingerly it makes an awful mess, like ashes spilled from a fireplace. What is it? It is utter darkness in cocoa form. Tres noir. Like a night sky with no moon.

 

Where natural cocoa is mild and welcoming, black cocoa is intense and vaguely threatening. Bitter in a way that only a true chocolate lover can appreciate, it takes no prisoners. A profoundly dark version of regular Dutch process cocoa--but one that has been extremely alkalized--black cocoa is typically used in combo with additional chocolate components.

About this recipe . . .
 
These brownies have their genesis in a simple fudge brownie recipe that I encountered last year in Midwest Living magazine's February 2009 issue. Those basic brownies were good, but I substantially revised the formula to what I think was very interesting effect. I did this by adjusting the proportion of flour, changing the variety of chocolate used, adding in unsweetened coconut and black cocoa, and reducing the amount of vanilla while adding in dark rum. Finally, I augmented the baked brownies with a shiny dark glaze. 

This recipe makes a tender and cake-like brownie, with a moist and slightly gooey texture. The glaze sets up quickly, but doesn't dry hard; it stays reasonably soft without becoming sticky or drippy.

Glazed Black-Cocoa Brownies with Coconut and Rum

(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or grease a 9" by 13" baking pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the pan and to overhang all four sides by at least an inch, then lightly butter or grease the parchment.

For the brownies:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
8 oz. dark chocolate
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 Tbsp. dark rum (I used Myers's Rum, Original Dark)
3/4 cup All-Purpose flour (I used unbleached)
3 Tbsp. black cocoa (I used King Arthur brand; if you don't have this, you can use Dutch process, or better yet Hershey's Special Dark cocoa)
1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut (if not in your grocery store, you can find this in health food stores; note that it's grated vs. shredded, thus much finer and completely dry vs. moist)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch cinnamon
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. large flake coconut to use as garnish (optional)

In a heavy sauce pan, slowly melt the butter, dark chocolate, and unsweetened baking chocolate over very low heat. Stir frequently and gently, until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, stir together both of the sugars, the eggs, the vanilla extract, and the rum.

Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, coconut, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and black cocoa.

Fold this into the liquid mixture, and stir to fully combine. The batter will be quite thick, but should still be easily spreadable. Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter evenly into the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes or so, checking the brownies at 25 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, and the brownie top-crust no longer appears wet.

Let the brownies cool in their pan, on a rack, for about half an hour. In the meantime, prepare the glaze.


For the glaze:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp. hot water
1 Tbsp. dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, or Dutch process cocoa (I would advise against using black cocoa powder in this glaze, or just use a tiny bit; it's bitter flavor might prove to be too much, but, hey, you're the driver!)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Mix together the hot water and the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Stir into this the melted butter,vanilla extract, and rum. Add the confectioners' sugar and stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

While the brownies are still just slightly warm, carefully remove them from the pan by pulling up firmly on opposite sides of the parchment paper, and setting them down quickly, still on the paper. (The glaze will spread more easily if the brownies are not completely cold at this point.) Using an offset spatula, spread the glaze before it has a chance to firm up.

Let the glazed brownies cool completely before you try to cut them. If you like, use a cookie cutter, and garnish them with a bit of large-flake coconut.

I think these are even more delicious the second day . . . and the third day . . . and the fourth day . . .


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Daring Bakers Challenge: Homemade Graham Crackers and Nanaimo Bars

This is my second Daring Bakers Challenge and it was an interesting one. (November's challenge, to make cannoli, was my first; I had to skip December's because I just couldn't find the time to make a full-fledged gingerbread house!)

The task this month? First, to make your own homemade graham crackers. The suggestion was to make them gluten free, with the option to use all wheat flour if you preferred to do so; I chose the latter. From there, the mandate was to use the crackers as one ingredient in the preparation of a sweet Canadian classic called Nanaimo Bars.

Why did this month's host, Lauren, pick Nanaimo Bars? Well, she hails from that maple leaf lovin' land, which I might add is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Detroit area. And, what with the Olympics arriving there soon, she felt it would be appropriate to select a home-country treat. (Hey, you guys wanna go to Canada? No problem. Just go get in my red minivan, buckle up, and I'll have you in Windsor, Ontario in a few minutes. Detroit and Windsor--connected by an underwater tunnel and by a bridge--are very old neighbors, you know!)

Anyway, back to business. Below is the official Daring Bakers scoop, direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak, along with the recipes we had to follow. (I substituted unbleached all-purpose flour for all of the gluten free flours, and that worked like a charm.)

*All of the photos in this post are from my own baking experience, while the recipe comes right from the Daring Bakers website; the recipe is printed below just as it appears in that site, with no alteration or interference from Jane--I swear!

* * * * *

"The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca."


For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
• 3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
• 1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
• 1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
• 7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
• 5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.

8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients:

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer

• 1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
• 5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 Large Egg, Beaten
• 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
• 1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
• 1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer

• 1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
• 2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer

• 4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:

1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill."

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