yeah...so, that Shakespeare reference is quite lame, I know. But it got your attention, didn't it. And I didn't use pun-I just replaced the 'houses' with 'cakes' which is still completely lame...but not AS lame as a pun, right?
eh... anyway...
Yesterday I promised to post my special French chocolate cake recipe (with homemade raspberry coulis) but I realized that it has a smidgen of flour in it, so I will also post my favorite FLOURLESS chocolate cake recipe for those for whom flour is an absolute NO.
FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE
(I have been making this cake for years and years and it never lets me down)
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting pan
10 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (I like ghiradelli)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped
2 tsp vanilla
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup flour (I have used white, white whole wheat, rice, you name it...it should work and be delicious)
pinch of salt (I use about 3/4 tsp)
Preheat oven to 325.
Butter a 9.5'' springform pan and then sprinkle with powdered sugar, swirl around and tap out the excess.
Set aside 3Tbsp of the sugar. Place the chocolate, butter and remaining sugar in a double boiler until melted. mix well. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly.
Beat the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, then stir in flour.
Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the reserved 3 Tbsp sugar and beat until the whites really are stiff and glossy (this is what keeps the cake light tasting.) Beat in 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Combine well but do not overmix.
Carefully pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when touched lightly with fingertip. (If cake is rising unevenly, rotate after 20 minutes.)
Once baked, transfer to wire rack, remove sides of pan and let cool completely.
Enjoy with raspberry sauce or vanilla ice cream or with a dusting of powdered sugar!
RASPBERRY COULIS
half a bag frozen raspberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
1-4 Tbsp sugar, to taste
In a small saucepan, melt fruit and sugar over med-high heat. Keep stirring. When boiling gently, add lemon juice. Keep stirring for a minute or two. Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a large bowl. If you would like, hold onto fruit solids as raspberry jam. Keep refrigerated. The liquid in the bowl is your rapberry coulis. allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy drizzled on chocolate cake, etc.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
(from Nigella lawson)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted softened butter
1tsp vanilla
6 eggs-2 whole; 4 separated
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom of an 8'' springform pan with parchment but do not grease sides of pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until shites are holding their shape and peak gleamingly, but not stiff.
Remove this boil and set aside while you whisk in another bowl the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla. Then gently fold in the chocolate mixture.
Lighten this mixture with some of the egg whites-then fold in the rest of the whites gently in about 3 goes.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly on the surface. Cool in it's pan on a wire rack. The cake's middle will sink in as it cools and the sides may splinter. It is a vision of imperfection but that's one of the reasons this cake is so good.
No comments:
Post a Comment