Chocolate Heart of Darkness Cakes
List of Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Truffle Hearts
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
Chocolate Cocoa Cakes
5 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus 2 teaspoons (melted)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
Recipe
To make the dark chocolate truffle hearts: Put the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes and then stir with a whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture (called ganache) onto a nonstick baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache in a smooth, even layer to within about 1 inch of the inside edges. Place the ganache in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until very firm to the touch.
Line a 10- to 12-inch dinner plate with parchment paper or wax paper. Remove the firm ganache from the freezer or the refrigerator. Portion 12 heaping tablespoons of ganache onto the paper. Wearing a pair of disposable vinyl (or latex) gloves, individually roll each portion of ganache in your palms in a circular motion, using just enough gentle pressure to form a smooth orb. This is a traditional truffle. Return each formed truffle to the paper- lined plate and place in the freezer while preparing the cake batter.
To make the chocolate cocoa cakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of 12 individual nonstick muffin cups (3 inches in diameter) with the melted butter. Set aside until needed.
Combine the flour and cocoa powder in a sifter. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper; set aside.
Melt the chocolate and 5 ounces butter in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave oven, and stir until smooth.
Place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the melted chocolate-milk mixture and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds, just to combine. Continue to mix on low speed while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients. Once they have been incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the vanilla and mix on medium for about 15 seconds, just to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until thoroughly combined.
Portion 3 heaping tablespoons of the cake batter into each muffin cup. Place the muffin tin on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the truffles from the freezer. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and, moving quickly, place a single frozen truffle in the center of each portion of cake batter, pressing the truffle about halfway down into the batter. Immediately return the muffin tin to the center rack of the oven and bake for 17 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into a cake (not the truffle) comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
To remove the cakes from the muffin cups, hold the top edge of a cake, and give the cake a slight jiggle to loosen it from the cup. Then run the tip of a paring knife between cake and cup to loosen it so that you can gently pull the cake out of the cup. Serve immediately while still warm.
Yields 12 cakes.
PER CAKE: 420 calories, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat (19 g saturated), 134 mg cholesterol, 31 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.
From San Fransisco Chronicle 12/13/00
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