Just desserts: chocolate for your Valentine

Since chocolate has become a way of saying "I love you Valentine", here are some fabulous versions of it from my collection of mouth watering, soul satisfying, glamorous but simple desserts.  Frankly, these are winners every day of the year.               

Chocolate Heart

This was my bakery's most popular Valentine's Day and Mother's Day and Wedding Day cake. The icing is very shiny, making eyes pop and mouths water.  You can present it plain or decorated with fresh raspberries or cinnamon hearts. For extra flair, serve it on a lacy white or red doily.

serves 8-10

3/4 c (2 ounces) ground pecans
1/3 c unsifted all-purpose flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp water
1/3 c each granulated and light brown sugar
3 extra large eggs, separated
1 tbsp rum, optional
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 pint fresh raspberries, optional

Adjust rack in lower third of oven and heat to 350º. Grease and flour an 8-inch heart-shaped pan, then line the bottom with waxed paper or parchment. (Cut it to fit but go up the sides just enough to stop the batter from seeping underneath.

In a small bowl, mix the nuts with the flour.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate. Blend in the water until the mix is smooth. Then transfer it to a large bowl and stir in the sugars. Cool five minutes before blending in the yolks, one by one. (You can use a wooden spoon.) Blend in the rum, then stir in the nut-flour mixture.

In a separate bowl whip the egg whites with one tsp sugar until you get soft, white peaks. Stir-fold them into the chocolate mixture trying not to deflate them.

Spoon the batter into the lines pan, level and smooth evenly. Bake 25 minutes, or until soft but not liquid in the center. (Chocolate firms as it cools.) Remove from oven, cool 15 minutes, then invert on a rack. Peel off the lining paper. Make the topping.

Chocolate Glaze
6 tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Place everything in a bowl that fits snugly over saucepan. Fill the saucepan halfway with 130º (hotter than your shower) water and set the bowl on top. The ingredients should start melting. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth, shiny and liquid.
Put a piece of cardboard on a cake rack and put the cake rack over a large cookie sheet. Place the cool cake on the cardboard right side up. Pour the glaze over the cake and quickly with a long metal spatula, spread it evenly.
You can go for Baroque and decorate the top with fresh raspberries or cinnamon hearts or edible red nasturtium leaves.

Sacher Torte 

This famous, beloved and very glamorous Viennese like almost all tortes, it's made with ground nuts instead of flour. It has a tiny amount of flour (i.e. gluten). It also freezes well. Traditionally the Sacher torte is made with apricot jam, but for Valentine's Day my bakery used raspberry for red color.  
 serves 10-12

 8 oz bittersweet/semisweet chocolate (use best quality)
1/2 lb (2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp best vanilla extract or vanilla
1/3 c unbleached white flour
1/2 lb  almonds, finely ground into meal* 
8 extra large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 tbsp orange rind, grated
2/3 c apricot  or raspberry jelly/jam (must be spreadable)
(you can use 1/2 lb almond meal from packages. Just be sure whatever you use especially if you grind the almonds that you get the oil out of them and end up with dry handfuls.)
for the icing 
1/2 c heavy cream
2 tsp instant coffee
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (e.g. Hershey's special dark)  

Optional garnish: whipped cream   

Butter a 9" springform pan. Heat oven to 350º.

In the top of a double boiler ( be sure you boil water in the bottom half),  melt the chocolate over low heat. Cool it to lukewarm.

In a mixer or mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter with the salt, vanilla and sugar.  One by one add the egg yolks, beating as you go. 

In a small bowl combine the flour and ground almond (almond meal).  Add this to the butter mixture, then pour in the chocolate, beating as   you do. 

In a medium/large bowl, whip the eggs whites until soft peaks form. Carefully with a wooden spoon fold them into the chocolate batter to lighten it.   Pout the batter into the buttered   pan. Bake one hour at 350º or until a cake tester/toothpick/spaghetti comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform and invert the cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely while you make the icing.

  In a small saucepan, heat the jelly with 1 tsp water. Brush this all over the top and sides of the cake to glaze it.  Let this set 30 minutes.  
Put waxed paper under the cake rack.  In a small saucepan, scald the cream. (This means bring bubbles to the side and let skin form on top.) Whisk in the coffee and chopped chocolate. Stir continually1 minute or until all the chocolate has melted. Cool from hot to warm. It should start to thicken as it does. When it looks thick enough not to be very loose and drippy, pout about 3/4 over the top of the cake, trying to keep the thickness of it even --rotate the cake as you pour. Flatten with a long metal spatula. Carefully use the rest to fill any holes along the side s .  To smooth the icing, run the spatula under hot water, then run it along the icing.  You want a very smooth shiny cover on the cake.  Do not move it until the icing has completely set. Use two spatulas to remove it from the bottom of the springform pan and set it on a serving plate. Put whipped cream on the side. 

Mocha Fudge Cake

I posted this prized recipe not very long ago but here it is again because it's almost impossible to produce a dessert as easy and splendid as this very rich confection. Best of all it's gluten free.          
makes 16 pieces           
 

1 cup strong coffee

1 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups sugar

2 cups unsalted butter

8 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 250º

Butter a round 9 x 3 cake pan with removable bottom and line the foil, pushing foil over the sides of the pan. Butter foil.

In large saucepan, combine coffee, chocolate, sugar and butter. While stirring, cook over medium heat until the chocolate is just melted and it is only warm. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the eggs.

Pour this batter into the prepared pan and bake 1½ hours. The center might seem uncooked but it will harden up. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the topping:

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¼ c powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Before serving, trim the edges to level the cake, and invert it onto a serving platter. Remove foil.

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until heavy peaks form and it is thick enough to spread. Ice the cake.  Garnish with shaved chocolate to serve.



Rich chocolate Bundt Cake

I sold a lot of this amazingly simple but luscious cake. It will be perfect for a lunchbox on Valentine's Day or tea or for dessert if you don't want something as decadent and caloric as the recipes above  provide.
 serves 8

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp vinegar 
2 tsp vanilla
2 c water
3 c  all purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2c granulated sugar
 6 tbsp cocoa  
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
 Powdered sugar          
Heat oven to 350º.  Butter a large bundt pan. 
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the butter, vinegar, vanilla and water.   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Either stirring or with a mixer on low speed, combine the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Just do it enough to blend. Be very careful not to over beat.   Pour the batter into the buttered pan and level it. Bake at 350º 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan 10 minutes  , then turn it out onto a wire rack. 
Dust lightly with powdered sugar to serve.     

Chocolate Cupcakes

If your Valentine is young, they might prefer a cupcake. So here's a simple version you can ice anyway you please and then decorate with jimmies, sprinkles, cinnamon hearts or chocolate chips.  I am including here a recipe for cream cheese frosting, which is different from classic buttercream. You can also make chocolate buttercream by adding 3/4 cup of cocoa to the standard recipe.
makes 24

1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp teaspoon salt

2 extra large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat oven to 325º. Line 2 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a mixer on low speed, blend the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. As you beat, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to include everything.

Fill each cupcake mold 2/3 full.

Bake 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from tins and cool completely.

Cream Cheese frosting
 1/4 lb unsalted butter (1 stick)
 8 oz plain cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c  powdered (confectioner's) sugar 
to make chocolate: 3/4 c cocoa

 In a mixer bowl, beat the butter with the cream cheese to thoroughly blend.  Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate.   Gradually add the sugar (and cocoa if using) and keep beating until you get a smooth icing.   
                      

Chocolate cookies: Wows!

At my bakery, we called this ridiculously popular cookie "chocolate wows" because everybody exclaimed; "Wow!" when they bit into one. Pure soft chocolate centers will do that. They do not contain much flour; each large cookie has about 1 tsp.  They are just chocolate from many forms: squares, chips, cocoa. We made them ice cream scoop size, meaning each one was about 2 1/2" in diameter. If you want more then the 10-11 cookies this recipe makes, scoop the batter with a tablespoon.  

6 squares semisweet chocolate (you can use a Hershey bar)
1/2 c (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 extra large eggs
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/3 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
2 c pecans, coarsely chopped
6 oz  semisweet chocolate chips or pieces (1 cup)

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or butter it. Heat oven to 325º.

In a heavy gauge saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate squares and butter and melt them, stirring to blend when they are soft. Stir in the salt. Remove from heat.  Carefully whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder. Whisk these dry ingredients into the melted chocolate. Add the vanilla, pecans and chocolate chips and stir once with a wooden spoon to blend.

Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the batter and place each scoop on the cookie sheet at least 2" apart because these will spread. Slightly flatten them.  Bake at 325º 15-20 minutes.  The final cookies will be soft but should not be drippy.  Let cool five minutes before removing to a wire rack with a spatula.  Handle carefully.