Our quaint hometown has a surprisingly sophisticated food scene—and none of the big-city ego. Around Lititz, folks love to lend a hand and swap ideas. For us, this looks like sharing great chocolate with local chefs and bakers who showcase it in their own creations, bringing it to new audiences at their restaurants and cafes.
Whether you live in central Pennsylvania or not, we want to share the love. So we asked three of our local partners to divulge their favorite recipes featuring Wilbur Chocolate for fans to make at home.
Try these pro-tested recipes in your own kitchen, or if you’re in the area, treat yourself to the chef’s version by ordering it off the menu.
Even though modern life is complex, baking shouldn’t have to be. This methodology is exactly why people love the Italian-style breads and baked goods Thom’s BREAD serves at its cafe and Central Market stand in Lancaster, and through eateries around the county. They’re traditional, familiar, and uncomplicated—just like Wilbur Chocolate, which Thom Capizzi incorporates into several of his bakery’s products.
Capizzi’s not-overly-sweet chocolate chip cookies showcase this simplicity.
“Although there are many variations, I feel the classic version is best,” he says. “I’ve interpreted our recipe based on the Joy of Cooking, the American cookbook dating back to 1936. We use bread flour as opposed to all-purpose flour for a chewier cookie, as well as Wilbur’s Semisweet Chocolate Baking Drops.”
He encourages at-home bakers to use this recipe as a foundation for their own variations: “Interpret it and make it your own.”
Back-to-Basics Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
By Thomas Capizzi, baker and owner, Thom’s BREAD
Yields about 3 dozen 2 ½-inch cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup Wilbur Semisweet Chocolate Baking Drops
Method:
Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
Separately, in a large bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended and smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time on the center rack until the cookies are just slightly colored on top and the edges are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand briefly, then place cookies on a cooling rack until ready to enjoy.
Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
For chef Max Fanton, who helms the kitchen at Blackworth, the wood-fired restaurant inside the former Wilbur Chocolate factory, this classic mousse pays homage to the heritage of the building. It serves up the rich, familiar taste of Wilbur Chocolate that guests expect to find on the menu.
“There’s a certain nostalgia when you work with Wilbur,” Fanton says. “When I go across the street and enter the store, I like to see how Wilbur creates that feeling. People travel here just for those Wilbur Buds. It’s a fantastic brand that people believe in.”
Fanton’s mousse goes all in on chocolate flavor, incorporating melted Wilbur Chocolate as well as Wilbur cocoa powder and coffee for depth, served between layers of classic chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Mousse Recipe
By Max Fanton, President and Executive Chef, Blackworth
Yields 15 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 lbs. semisweet Wilbur Chocolate (any type—Wilbur Buds, baking drops, or wafers)
- 2 pounds (or 908 grams) butter, cut into small cubes
- 6 quarts heavy cream
- 2.2 lbs. brewed coffee
- 1/2 lb. Wilbur Midnight Dutch-Processed Black Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 lb. vanilla paste (or 25 grams vanilla extract)
One batch chocolate sauce (recipe below)
Method:
Pour the heavy cream into a large pot and bring to a boil.
Place the chocolate and butter cubes in a bowl. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and butter and work until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the coffee with the cocoa powder and vanilla paste.
Mix everything together in 1 bowl and place in the fridge.
While the mousse base is cooling, make the chocolate sauce.
Chocolate sauce:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Wilbur Midnight Dutch-Processed Black Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract)
Method:
In a saucepan, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes and refrigerate until cold. Ready to use.
For serving:
Once the mousse has cooled to fridge temperature, it’s ready to serve (and is best served right away).
If you have an iSi canister (recommended): Scoop the mousse base into the canister, give it 2 charges, and let it rest for a couple hours before serving. Mousse in a pressurized canister will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Serve mousse parfaits in small glasses or cereal bowls. Pour a layer of chocolate sauce into the base of a glass or bowl. Fill ⅓ with mousse. Add another layer of chocolate sauce. Repeat with both mousse and chocolate sauce. Place chocolate curls on top (optional) and dust with cocoa powder.
Serving elevated pub fare from historic downtown Lititz, Tied House specializes in locally crafted drinks and locally sourced ingredients. So when they sought to develop a brownie recipe to serve at banquets and private events (and to put in kids’ sundaes on their menu), Wilbur Chocolate was the proper choice.
“We like working with Wilbur not only because they make a high-quality product, but because they’re local to us—and we try to support local as much as we can,” says Michael Redwood, Executive Pastry Chef.
The Tied House version incorporates real chocolate and cocoa powder, as well as plenty of vanilla, for an updated take on the classic.
“These brownies are fudgy and rich,” Redwood says. “The goal was to create a depth of flavor, while also keeping it on the simple side—something everyone can enjoy.”
Tied House Brownies Recipe
By Michael Redwood, Executive Pastry Chef
Yields around 24 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 ⅔ cup flour
- 1 cup Wilbur Midnight Dutch-Processed Black Cocoa Powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ pounds butter
- 1 ½ pounds Wilbur Brandywine Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks
- 4 cups brown sugar
- 8 eggs
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method:
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease a 12-by-20-inch baking pan.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Let cool slightly. Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, and stir to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs, around 40 minutes.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Cut into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Happy baking, everyone! We hope the results are as delicious and enticing as these recipes sound. Tag us on Instagram (@wilburchocolate) or Facebook (Wilbur Chocolate) to share your creations.