Flourless Chocolate Cake

Bête Noire (or the smaller “Heart of Darkness” Chocolate Cakes)

(from Lora Brody’s Growing Up on the Chocolate Diet)

Preparation: 15 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes (approx. 20 min for the smaller cakes)

Serves: 12 (or 16 heart-shaped cakes. You can purchase the molds here)

Ingredients

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken in small pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken in small pieces
1 1/3 cups superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
2 sticks (8 ounces) sweet (unsalted) butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 chunks
5 extra large eggs, at room temperature

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center position.  Lightly grease a 9″ layer cake pan and then line the bottom with a 9″ circle of parchment.  Lightly grease the parchment.  Set the cake pan in a jelly roll pan or roasting pan.

By hand: 
Combine one cup of the sugar and the water in a medium sized saucepan and, stirring occasionally, cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a vigorous boil.  Turn off the heat and immediately add the chocolate to  the boiling syrup and stir until it is completely dissolved. 

Stir in the butter, one chunk at a time, stirring until each chunk is incorporated before adding the next.

Beat the eggs together with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar until they are foamy and slightly thickened and then whisk them into the chocolate beating well to incorporate all the ingredients.

Pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and level the batter with a rubber scraper.

Place the chocolate in the work bowl of a food processor.  Crack the eggs into a spouted cup.  Combine the 1 1/3 cups sugar and the water in a saucepan and stirring occasionally, cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a vigorous boil.  Pour the boiling syrup over the chocolate, cover the processor with the feed tube in place and process for about 12 seconds or until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture smooth.  With the machine on add the butter a chunk at a time, then add the eggs.  Process for an additional 15 seconds.

Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan, leveling the top with a rubber scraper.

To Bake:

Place the cake pan and jelly roll (or roasting pan) in the oven and pour hot water to the depth of about one inch into the larger pan.

Bake the cake for exactly thirty minutes (about 20 minutes for the Heart of Darkness cakes).  The top will have a thin dry crust on top, but the inside will be very moist.  Carefully remove the cake pan from the oven (leave the water bath until it cools). 

Cover the top of the cake with a piece of plastic wrap.  Invert the cake onto a flat plate or cookie sheet.  Peel off the parchment.  Cover with a light, flat plate and immediately invert again. 

Serves 12.

Cherry Sauce

Ingredients 

1 cup fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp bourbon

Directions

Place water and cherries in a pot and set heat to medium.  Let this come to a boil and then add the sugar.  Raise temperature to high and cook for three minutes, constantly stirring as to make sure it does not burn.  Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for eight minutes, stirring frequently.  Add vanilla and bourbon, stir and cook for one minute.  Add more sugar if needed.  Otherwise, turn off heat and let the sauce cool (it will also thicken a bit more at this point). 

Lemon Trifle

LEMON TRIFLE 

 SHORTBREAD CRUST

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

 

LEMON LAYER

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1-3/4 cups cold water

3 egg yolks, beaten

2/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

 

CREAM CHEESE LAYER

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cups confectioners' sugar

1  carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

 

In a small bowl, combine flour and pecans; stir in butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

 In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and flour.Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. 

 Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the lemon juice, butter and lemon peel.

 

Transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
Cover surface with waxed paper; refrigerate until chilled. 

 

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Crumble the baked pecan mixture; set aside 1/2 cup for topping. 

 

Just before serving, in a 3-qt. trifle bowl, layer 1 cup each pecan mixture, lemon mixture and cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with reserved pecan mixture. Refrigerate leftovers.