share! Everyone has a story, and we hope you will help us tell the tales of a variety of Des Moines cooks. Please send us your ideas. Tell us the names, contact information, and a little about your cooking friends. Send to Recipes@DesMoinesCooks.com. three of ginger's recipes: Lava Cakes 1¾ cups (10½ ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces 2 tablespoons whipping cream ¾ cup butter 3 eggs plus 3 egg yolks ⅓ cup sugar 1½ teaspoons vanilla ⅓ cup flour 3 tablespoons cocoa powder Powdered sugar Raspberries Mint leaves (optional) FILLING:      In a small heavy saucepan or a double boiler combine ¾ cup of the chocolate pieces and whipping cream. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Cool, stirring occasionally. Cover. Chill 45 minutes until firm.      When firm, form filling into 6 equal balls; set aside. CAKE:      In a medium heavy saucepan or double boiler cook and stir 1 cup chocolate pieces and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and cool.      Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease and six ¾-cup soufflé dishes or six 6-ounce custard cups. Place dishes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan and set aside.      In a mixing bowl beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high for 5 minutes or until lemon color. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture on medium speed. Sift flour and cocoa over mixture. Beat on low speed just until combined. In each dish spoon ⅓ cup batter and place 1 ball of filling. Spoon remaining batter into dishes.      Bake 13 minutes or until cakes feel firm at edges. Cool in dishes for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a knife, loosen cakes from sides of dishes, invert onto serving plates, and dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh raspberries and, if desired, mint leaves. Makes 6 servings.      NOTE: You may prepare Lava Cakes and put them into custard dishes ahead of time and cover and chill until ready to bake for up to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed.      Macadamia Nut Fudge Brownies 1 cup cocoa powder 1¼ cups unsalted butter (2½ sticks) 5 eggs at room temperature 2½ cups sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons salt 1½ cups unsalted raw macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)      Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cocoa powder and butter in mixing bowl. Place bowl over pan of simmering water. Stir until cocoa powder and butter are completely melted. Allow mixture to cool slightly.      In a separate bowl cream eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add cocoa mixture to egg mixture and mix well.      Sift dry ingredients to blend. Add all at once to egg mixture and mix until just blended. Gently fold in nuts and chocolate chips.      Butter and flour a 13x9x2-inch pan. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 22 minutes. Rotate pan and bake 22 minutes more. Allow to cool before cutting. Serve brownies with Kahlua Hot Fudge Sauce. Makes 12 portions. Kahlua Hot Fudge Sauce 1 12-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup light corn syrup 1 cup unsalted butter ½ cup heavy cream 1 ounce Kahlua      Combine all ingredients, except kahlua, in top half of a double boiler. Over simmering water heat mixture until mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in Kahlua. Makes 4 ½ cups.      NOTE: Hot fudge sauce will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Before serving, melt it over a hot-water bath and stir.

Her attachment to chocolate is genetic, and she has passed it on. If there was an Iowa chocolate promotion board, it would seem logical that Ginger Monson of West Des Moines would be vying for the executive corner office. As a lifelong chocoholic, Ginger boasts strong credentials. She got her addictive start in North Dakota, where her late mother ignited her chocolate spirit. “She did a good job,” Ginger says, “as she passed it to my three sisters and me and to all the nieces. There’s no doubt that we all carry the chocolate gene. Literally, it wasn’t dessert unless it was chocolate. My husband, Terry, had no choice but to join the party.” He learned that when Ginger would send him out in the middle of the night for a chocolate run when she was pregnant with their two daughters, Tara and Lindsey. Over the years, Ginger has become known for her fun chocolate desserts. During one period, she even went so far as to make chocolate rose and geranium leaves for garnishes for her desserts for various dinner groups in which she and Terry participated. She literally has a collection of “hundreds and hundreds of chocolate recipes.” A change in approach But along the way, Ginger’s approach to chocolate evolved a bit. First off, central Iowa got more exposure to good domestic and European chocolates. Places such as Chocolate Storybook and Chocolaterie Stam brought new chocolate items to the local market. Swiss, Belgian, and Dutch high-quality chocolates have become more accessible. “When we traveled to Europe, we stuffed our suitcases with wonderful Toblerone and Godiva chocolates,” she says. “Plus, American chocolates by Ghirardelli now are available all over the place. Others, such as Lindt and Drostel’s, are, too.” Internet shopping also has opened up the world of chocolate. And when she needs chocolate shavings, there’s nothing at all wrong with a good Hershey bar. On top of it, Ginger had a health issue a couple years ago, and she has taken a lighter approach to cooking in general and to chocolate in particular. “Now I eat less of it but enjoy it more. Everything in moderation. If I bake a lot of chocolate, I have a small piece or two but then give away the rest,” she explains. “If we go to dinner, Terry and I might ask for two forks and share a chocolate dessert. If we go with another couple, we might ask for four forks.” Chocolate-fruit combination When she hosts a movie group, book club, or wedding and baby showers, she pairs chocolate with fresh fruit, opting to make dipped strawberries or serve a variety of fresh fruits in little chocolate cups. “It still gives the chocolate touch, but it’s not so overwhelming to guests. I think everyone is trying to take a more sensible approach.” She used to painstakingly make little chocolate cups, but now they are available at grocery and specialty stores. When she finds them, she adds to her stash. She also occasionally serves white chocolate cups for fruit, but white chocolate is not her personal favorite. As she points out, baby boomers are becoming more health conscious and wanting smaller amounts of the “good stuff.” Instead of dinner parties with heavy meals, Ginger enjoys hosting wine and cheese gatherings with small desserts. “Chocolate goes well with red wine, you know.” One of her favorite creations is Lava Cakes with their molten chocolate center and their lovely powdered sugar and fresh raspberry garnish. Now retired from full-time teaching, Ginger takes on substitute assignments, mostly in the West Des Moines district. She has previously taught at Lincoln High School, Dowling Catholic High School, and Valley Southwoods Freshman School. Holiday traditions On the family level, she has indeed passed along the chocolate-loving gene to her two daughters, one in Cincinnati and one in Washington, D.C. “At Christmas I go all out and make all the family favorites,” Ginger says. “The girls have picked up that tradition, too.” Some of those favorites are crème de menthe brownies, toffee bars, chocolate turtles, peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate, red velvet cake (yes, it has cocoa powder in it), crazy cake, almond bark, fudge brownies, and chocolate bonbons. There is one little glitch in the gene pool, however. “We have three grandsons, and one of the six-year-old identical twins does not like chocolate. We hardly know how to handle that,” says the proud grandmother with a chuckle. And when it comes to giving gifts—yes, you guessed it. There are some wonderful little gift boxes of fruit-infused Belgian chocolate. She especially likes those from Trader Joe’s with cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, or orange filling. “Chocolate makes everyone happy,” Ginger says.