Hearts Day
Sunday, February 14, 2010
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“Understanding the Intoxicating Effects of Chocolate”
When I thought about what to do for Valentine’s Day, my mind wondered from something red, like a mascarpone red velvet cake to something wicked like a quiche with truffles, chanterelle mushrooms and oysters to something decadent like a rustic chocolate pie paired with a fragrant spicy hot coco drink. Well, far be it from me to mess with the Ma-yan god, Xmucane, on a day when hearts will al-ready be palpitating. So, of course chocolate is the order of the day. I wondered how those 18th cen-tury Europeans reacted to their first taste of the intoxicating virgin elixir. Chocolate Houses in London and France caused quite a dust up in their heyday when venturous capitalists filled tea cups with blended sweet cream and dark chocolate. That first hesitant sip must have been orgasmic. Three hundred years ago, people did not know howto react to one of Columbus’ new foods, cloaked in mystery and beguiled by scandalous innuendoes. Chocolate once had the reputation on being a dangerous drug, something of which young children should not partake. Some more open-minded connoisseurs claimed chocolate relieved aches and pains, put life back into “old” men and caused the heart to flutter with joy. I don’t know if my recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake will do all of that, but I can guarantee it will make Valentine’s Day a bit more special. XOXO
Buno Appetito
Flourless Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS:
7 oz. semisweet chocolate (good quality, please)
1 stick (1/2) cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh, peeled, finely chopped ginger
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven 375°
Grease an 8-inch round baking pan with butter thenline bottom with parchment paper. Butter it too.
1. Chop chocolate into small pieces, and melt with butter over hot water (double boiler style).
2. Whisk until silky.
3. Beat the eggs with the sugar.
4. Add the chocolate and butter mixture and whisk well.
5 Fold in the chopped ginger, and blend.
6. Pour into prepared baking pan, and bake in middle of oven for 25 – 35 minutes or until top has formed a thin crust.
7. Cool cake in pan and invert onto a serving plate.8. Dust with lightly powdered sugar.
Serves about 6 -8
