Cooking Channel Staff Chocolate Challenge: Pics from the Feast

Chocolate Brownies

No matter your relationship status, Valentine’s Day always means one thing: gorging on chocolate. That's why we at CookingChannelTV.com hosted an in-house Chocolate Cook-Off with our colleagues at FoodNetwork.com and Food.com. The parameters: Simply bring in your best homemade chocolate treat.

Dessert was not obligatory, but no one went the molé route — although post-sugar crash, we wished someone had gone savory.

Rich chocolate treats filled the table and we sampled them all, casting our votes after we'd made the rounds (and stopped back for seconds of favorites).

Chocolate Tart

Plenty of contenders won raves. Kirsten’s gorgeous Dark Chocolate Tart, adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Naked Chef Cookbook, took a close second place. The intensely rich filling got even more chocolatey depth from King Arthur Flour’s black cocoa powder, which Kirsten subbed in for half the cocoa called for in the recipe.

Chocolate Fudge

Despite a kitchen renovation that limited her to no-cook options, Kate G. scored third place with No-Bake Fudge from Food.com. She spiced up a crowd-pleasing combo — chocolate and peanut butter — with additions of cayenne and red pepper flakes.

Brownies

The chocolate madness would have been remiss without an appearance by the all-American Brownie, and Michelle delivered with a family recipe that originally came from a circa-1987 Hershey's cookbook. Cocoa-rich frosting took the brownies to a new level of chocolatey goodness.

Stout Cake

Kate A. impressed with Nigella’s super-moist Chocolate Stout Cake. The cream cheese frosting provided a nice departure from all that cocoa. Same for the marshmallow filling sandwiched inside Maria’s tasty Whoopie Pies.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Cameron went classic with Tyler Florence’s Flourless Chocolate Cake. This simple-yet-sinful recipe requires just six ingredients, so if you’re still looking for a last-minute treat to whip up tonight, you’re welcome.

Brownie Pudding

In the end, we crowned a first-place winner that was certainly not the most camera-ready but perhaps the most decadent: Brownie Pudding, an Ina Garten recipe served warm (reheated in an office microwave) with chocolate-chip ice cream. “It’s essentially molten brownies,” explains cook-off winner Sara. “As Ina would say, how bad can that be?” Make it for your sweetie (or your friends) tonight and dig in with multiple spoons.

For more last-minute Valentine’s Day recipe ideas, look no further.

Next Up

Rice Krispies Treats Go Compost for Valentine's Day

Get Cooking Channel's spin on the Rice Krispies Treats recipe -- Compost Crispy Treats for Valentine's Day. These heart-shaped treats are perfect for the holiday.

Brookville's Harrison Keevil: A Sweet and Surprise-Filled Valentine's Day

Brookville restaurant's chef Harrison Keevil shares recipes for a romantic Valentine's Day meal with Cooking Channel.

Birch & Barley's Tiffany + Kyle: Where There's Heat in the Kitchen

The chef and pastry chef behind D.C.'s Birch & Barley restaurant share romantic recipes for Valentine's Day with Cooking Channel.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We want to serve you easy, beautiful, adventurous, interesting, challenging and — above all — delicious recipes every single day of the year. That's true love!

On TV

So Much Pretty Food Here