Chocolate Decadence Recipe 455

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.
• Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• Make batter:
• Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth.
• Cool slightly.
• Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale yellow, thick, and a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes with a standing mixer or 8 minutes with a handheld. Fold one fourth of egg mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining egg mixture.
• Pour batter into cake pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Put cake pan in a hot water bath and place in middle of oven. Bake 45 minutes (top will be set, but a tester will not come out clean).
• Remove cake from water bath and cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a thin knife around edge of cake and chill, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 12.
• Make sauce:
• Purée raspberries with sugar in a food processor or blender, then force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
• Remove cake from pan:
• Put cake pan directly on a burner at very low heat. Move pan around on burner to warm bottom, about 30 seconds, then shake pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a rack. Remove wax paper and invert cake onto a serving plate.
• Bring cake to room temperature. Serve with sauce and whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Cut circle of parchment paper to fit 8-inch round cake pan.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine chocolate and butter in top of double boiler.
• Set over gently simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• Transfer to bowl and set aside.
• Wipe out top of double boiler (you'll be using it again).
• Combine eggs and sugar in top of double boiler.
• Set over gently simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture darkens and is barely warm to the touch.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat at high speed with electric mixer until eggs have tripled in volume and are consistency of lightly whipped cream, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Gently fold in flour.
• Carefully stir 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate to loosen, then fold chocolate into remaining egg mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Turn into prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is soft in center but crusty on top, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely in pan, then freeze overnight.
• (Cake can be kept in freezer up to one month before serving.) About 1 hour before serving, whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until stiff.
• Invert cake onto serving platter.
• (Spinning pan briefly over high heat will help loosen cake from pan.) Spread 2/3 of whipped cream over top.
• Mound chocolate curls in center.
• Pipe rosettes around edge of cake using remaining whipped cream.
• Refrigerate until about 15 minutes before serving.
• Pass raspberry puree separately.