The Mystique of the Flourless Chocolate Cake

For better or worse, occasionally a concept gets stuck in my brain, and like a puppy with a new chew toy, I can't seem to let go of it until I have almost shaken the life out of it. This is the case at the moment with that most chic of French cakes, Le Chocolat sans farine. These cakes contain elements guaranteed to terrorize the novice baker- chocolate to melt without seizing, no leavening except beaten eggs, and huge self-doubt about when the cake is baked enough. With three strikes like that, as well as a long personal history of pancake flat unleavened cakes of all persuasions, venturing down the flourless cake path seemed pretty foolhardy, especially when you factor in the cost of messing up two-thirds of a pound of chocolate.

BUT, recent success with several chocolate mousse products encouraged me forward, as did two events just crying out for a French chocolate cake- Passover (no flour allowed!!) and a vintage wine dinner with 1970 Fonseca port to accompany the dessert and the admonition from Dr. Hal that the cake had to be chocolate, but not too sweet.

After serious study of the infinite variety of chocolate cake options- butter or cream? semi-sweet, bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate? coffee? liqueur? steamed or baked? I selected David Lebovitz's "Racines Cake" from Ready for Dessert. Mr. Lebovitz introduces this cake with what I believe is an apocryphal tale of discovering the recipe written on the wall of the mens room in Racine's, a Parisian restaurant, ordering it off the menu for dessert, and finding it so delicious that he went back to the bathroom with pen and paper to copy down the recipe.  Don't you agree that I have the right to be a little skeptical, I mean have you ever seen a recipe written on the wall of a restaurant bathroom?? Even (or especially) in Paris?

But the cake's various hurdles- making faux expresso with my drip coffee cone, beating the yolks until they are "light and creamy," folding the melted chocolate and butter into the yolks instead of the yolks into the chocolate as the recipe stated, messing up about 3 eggs trying to separate them, using an 8" pan instead of the 9" which was specified - were overcome and the results, baked just to a tender but non-collapsible firmness were truly "magnifique!" Try to locate the cocoa nibs for topping the cake- they make a really nice crunchy contrast to the cake's smooth creaminess.

Our vintage wine dinner hostess contributed a delicious cherry sorbet flavored with hints of citrus and almond that was a wonderful accompaniment, as was Dr. Hal's precious port. (He may disagree, in fact I'm sure that he does, but in my book the port accompanies the dessert, not vice-versa.)

In the coming weeks I will experiment with more cakes of this genre, building up to an attempt to overcome one of my biggest cake baking disasters, Julia Child's "Reine de Saba." Stay tuned.

Racines Cake
(adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz)

8" or 9" springform pan
Cocoa powder for dusting the pan

10 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup salted butter, plus 2 Tb to butter the cake pan
1 Tb freshly brewed expresso (I made super strong drip coffee)
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 cup, plus 2 Tb sugar
2 Tb cocoa nibs (Scharffenberger makes them)
Powdered sugar, optional, for dusting the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Adjust one rack to the upper half of the oven. Butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan and lightly dust it with cocoa, shaking out the excess.

Melt the chocolate and butter, along with the expresso in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. When the chocolate has melted, remove the top pan from the heat, stir to smooth out the butter and chocolate, add the vanilla, and let it cool down for a minute or two.

While the chocolate is melting, whip the egg yolks and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with the whip attachment at medium-high speed until the mixture just starts to "form the ribbon." (When it seems that the eggs might be thickened enough, with the mixer off, lift the beater out of egg mixture and see if it is thick enough to make a ribbon as it lazily drips back into the bowl- that's the ribbon.)

Gently fold the beaten egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture.

Egg White ALERT!! Egg whites will not "mount" properly if the bowl, beater, or spatula are anything but immaculately clean and dry. If you only have one whip beater for your mixer, be sure to wash and dry it thoroughly before beating the egg whites. If you only have one mixer bowl, make sure that it is also clean and dry after folding the egg yolks into the chocolate.

In a second clean and dry mixer bowl, use a cleaned and dried whip attachment to whip the egg whites on low speed until they begin to hold their shape. Add the remaining 2 Tb of sugar and whisk the egg whites on high speed until they hold soft peaks.

Stir one-fourth of the egg white into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the rest of the beaten egg whites. Fold only until there are no visible streaks of egg white. Do not overfold!

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and then sprinkle the top with the cocoa ribs. Bake the cake until it feels like it is just barely set in the center, about 25 minutes.It should not feel too firm.

Let the cake cool in the pan, covered with a clean dishtowel, on a rack, until it is completely cool.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen, then release the sides of the pan and dust the cake with powdered sugar if you like.

Serves 6-8. This cake is best served the day that it is made, but will keep for up to two days at room temperature.

To really gild the lily, add a scoop of cherry almond sorbetto to each slice of cake, and enjoy with a 1970 port if you happen to have one kicking around in your wine collection.
Cherry Almond Sorbetto
So easy, and SO GOOD!

1/2 cup  fresh orange juice (from 1 large navel orange)
1 lb  frozen pitted dark cherries (Bing)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract

Combine all the ingredients in food processor or blender and run until almost smooth, just leaving some of the fruit texture.
Transfer the mixture to a freezer container, cover & freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.

Everyday Treats

Roasted asparagus with proscuitto & Sauce Gribiche

In the past few months family obligations, happy and sad, have taken priority over cooking and writing about food. Most of our meals of late consist of a roasted veg, grilled meat, and bread. (Happily, the Manresa Bread project is now a resident of our Sunday farmers market, so the bread is really great bread.) Friday nights are reserved for our ongoing exploration of frozen store-bought appetizers- more about at some future date.
I have found that spending a little time throwing together something extra adds tremendously to the quality of our meals. Here are some of the ideas that I've been doing recently, and me being me, two of them are desserts, naturellement!
Zuni Cafe Cookbook "Four-Minute" Egg Gribiche
This tangy sauce gives any vegetable a soupcon of interest. Even the redoubtable Dr. Hal, who professes to dislike mayonnaise-y mixes, gives it a thumbs up. For some bizarre reason, I find it quite fun to crack open a coddled egg, and also like the fact that as long as you maintain the basics of this sauce (egg, mustard, and olive oil) it lends itself to whatever flavorings you might have in the cupboard.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

1 large egg
Salt
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 Tb. chopped shallot, scallion, or mild onion
1 Tb. chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, tarragon, etc)
1 Tb. capers, rinsed & dried between towels, then slightly chopped
2 tsp. sherry or red wine vinegar
Pepper

Place the egg in a small pot of barely simmering water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and cool the egg in a bowl of ice water.

When the egg is cool (I let it cool while I chop the onions, herbs, etc.), crack it and scoop into a small bowl. Stir in a pinch of salt and the mustard. Mash the egg and mustard together with a whisk, and then begin whisking in the oil, a few drops at first, and then gradually increasing the flow to a small stream, whisking continually. Stop adding oil when the sauce is satiny and has lots of body, like a hot fudge sauce. Stir in the onion, herbs, and capers. Add the vinegar and salt (won't need much if you use the capers) and pepper to taste.

Right now we are eating this sauce with fresh asparagus, but it is also extremely attractive stirred into some steamed new potatoes, for a quick potato salad. I really can't think of a vegetable that would not be brightened by a touch of Egg Gribiche!

No matter how hasty the meal, dessert always perks things up. here are two that are easy to keep around, in freezer and cookie jar.

Don't hesitate! This sorbet melts in a flash, in or out of the mouth.

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet (from The Perfect Scoop via Epicurious)
This recipe yields the most satisfying small scale dessert ever. Hugely popular with chocolate mavens throughout the blogosphere and beyond. Just be sure to remember to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker in advance, don't skip the step where you blend (I was lazy and omitted it the 1st time and the results were grainy), and make sure that the chocolate mixture is really cold before you start to churn it. And, of course, remember the usual admonition to use best quality chocolate. I promise, the results will be ambroisial.

Makes 1 quart (1 liter)

2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

April Bloomfield's Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from A Girl and Her Pig by April Bloomfield.
April Bloomfield holds almost legendary status on the East coast for her innovative snout to tail British cooking at her restaurants, the Breslin and the Spotted Pig. She recently has attained a higher West coast profile since collaborating on the reopening of a legendary San Francisco North Beach cafe, Tosca.
I was interested in taking a look at her cookbook after reading an amusing home cook's review of it by one of my heart-throbs, actor Stanley Tucci, and was puzzled by the fact that few libraries in my area owned it. Turns out it seems that the anti-animal butchering contingent were offended by the cover photo of April carrying a (dead? sleeping?) pig on her shoulders, and negatively reviewed it. I guess I ignored the cover, but went straight for these moist and tender oatmeal cookies.

This dough needs a little head start- soak your raisins the night before and it's best to let the dough chill for a few hours before baking. I make a double recipe because they keep well in or out of the freezer.
Makes about twenty two inch cookies

3/4 cup mixed raisins (golden raisins, Thompson seedless, currants- can use any combination but cookies are nicer with a variety)
10 Tb. butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
large pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)

Soak the raisins in water for about 4 hours or overnight. Drain well and pat dry on a dishtowel before adding them to the cookie dough.

Measure the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and stir together with a fork. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla, beating about 30 seconds between each addition. Add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the oats, raisins, and nuts by hand.

Chill the dough for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Form the dough into 1 1/2" diameter balls and line them up about 3" apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minues. Rotate the pan and bake the cookies for another 5-10 minutes, until they are just firm. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet (they will continue baking a bit), then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.