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If you’ve ever had the pleasure of indulging in one of pastry chef Rebekah Turshen’s chocolate desserts at City House, chances are you’ve tasted her simple yet satisfying chocolate glaze.
Whether sandwiched between layers of cake or drizzled over pastries, one of this versatile recipe’s many benefits is that it maintains its “chocolaty” flavor no matter how it’s used, Turshen says.
“With a ganache, your tongue doesn’t melt it quickly enough so you lose some of the flavor when it’s cold,” she explains. “But with this one you get plenty of chocolate flavor whether it’s cold or at room temperature, spread in a thick layer or thinned out for drizzling.”
For a decadent Valentine’s Day treat, Turshen tops vanilla ice cream with gently warmed chocolate glaze, bourbon cherry and strawberry syrup, cookie crumbs, and sprinkles. To complete the plate, vanilla shortbread Linzer cookies (filled with preserves) get their sides lightly dunked in room temperature chocolate glaze, then coated with even more cookie crumbs and sprinkles.
This decidedly grown-up take on one of Turshen’s childhood favorites—ice cream with Hershey’s syrup and sprinkles—is just one of many ways you can incorporate chocolate-glazed-goodness into your Valentine’s Day desserts.
“Some other delicious uses are pouring over the top of Bundt cakes, spooning onto brownies, and glazing doughnuts,” she adds. “In a pinch, you can even elevate store-bought cookies by simply dipping them in the chocolate.”
All Purpose Chocolate Glaze
Courtesy of pastry chef Rebekah Turshen, City House
Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce box powdered sugar
- ¼ cup high quality cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup hot coffee or espresso
- 1 to 4 tablespoons water
Directions
- Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a large bowl. Add salt.
- Whisk coffee or espresso into the powdered sugar and cocoa mix.
- Whisk in water a little at a time till desired texture is achieved. (Less water will make a spreadable consistency; more will make it pourable.)
- Spread cold, bring to room temperature, or warm slowly depending on use.
- Glaze can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.
City House, 1222 4th Ave. S., 615-736-5838; cityhousenashville.com