Back in 2005, when I was working at Brand A, Michael Long of Punaluu wrote me for the recipe for rich chocolate bar cookies he called Froggies.

I searched and researched, but no luck.

Then, S. Wood read in my last Advertiser column about the fruitless quest. She sent this recipe, which won the Grand Coco award from now-defunct Chocolatier magazine, called San Francisco Foggies (not froggies).

A Foggy is a sort of a cross between a flourless chocolate cake, a brownie and fudge.

As this recipe dates back some years, a few contemporary aids will make it easier to prepare: lining the baking pan with Reynolds brand Release aluminum foil, which keeps food from sticking; using a microwave to melt chocolate instead of the double boiler (place chocolate, butter, coffee in microwave-proof bowl; microwave at 50 percent power for one minute; stir; if not melted, microwave another 30 seconds at 50 percent, stirring at 30-second intervals, until melted); and using butter spray or cooking spray instead of greasing baking dish with butter.

The other recipe is an easy yet elegant chocolate tart, courtesy of Sonia Castillo, who won an Aloha United Way employee cooking contest with the dessert.

The recipe calls for phyllo dough. Follow package directions about defrosting; keep sheets covered with damp paper towels while you fabricate the desserts.

Also note that these tarts will hold for a day, but after that, the phyllo will grow soggy.

SAN FRANCISCO FUDGE FOGGIES

1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon slices
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces (about 2 cups) walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Position a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil or Release brand foil so that the foil extends 2 inches beyond the sides of the pan (to make a handle for lifting the bars out). Butter or butter-spray or baking-spray the bottom and sides of the foil-lined pan.

In the top of a double boiling set of hot, not simmering, water, melt chocolate, butter and coffee together, stirring frequently until smooth and chocolate is completely melted. Cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

In large bowl, using hand-held electric mixer on high speed, beat eggs for 30 seconds or until foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat for 2 minutes or until mixture is very light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually mix in chocolate mixture until just blended.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Stir in walnuts. Do not overbeat mixture.

Transfer batter to prepared ban: Bake28 to 30 minutes, or until Foggies are just set around edges. They will remain moist in the center.

Cool Foggies in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Remove top foil and run sharp knife around edge of Foggies. Using two ends of the foil as handles, lift Foggies onto a large plate and peel off foil. Invert them again onto a smooth surface and cut into 16 rectangles.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 450 calories, 35 g fat, 15 g saturated fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 29 g sugar, 6 g protein

CHOCOLATE TARTS WITH FLAVORED CREME

2 packages (15 shells each) frozen mini phyllo shells or 2 packages frozen phyllo sheets, cut into 4-inch rounds (use a sharp cookie cutter)
1/3 cup plus 3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
4 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or other extract (raspberry, orange, almond)

Place phyllo shells in mini muffin tins and bake until crisp according to package directions. Shells should be crisp. Be sure to follow cooling steps.

Microwave 1/3 of cream and all of chocolate together in microwavable bowl on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is melted. Cool 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Spoon or pipe heaping teaspoon into each tart shell. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and 2 tablespoons sugar in large bowl; set aside.

In another bowl, with a hand-held mixer, beat in remaining 3/4 cup cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and flavoring extract until stiff peaks form. Add half of whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and stir until well-blended. Gently stir in remaining whipped cream. (Combining cream cheese and whipped cream can be done a couple of hours in advance, since the cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream. Keep refrigerated.)

Spoon about 1 tablespoon cream mixture on each tart. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate. Makes 30 tarts.

Note: For the neatest-looking tarts, pipe chocolate and whipped cream into cups rather than spooning. If you don’t have piping equipment, place chocolate or whipped cream in zippered plastic bag and snip a tiny bit off one corner. Squeeze to pipe.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 60 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 1 g protein