I’ve been noticing the increasing trend towards gluten-free products, especially dessert. While I have often found it difficult to create a gluten-free product that actually looks and tastes like its flour based relative, this recipe will please ALL chocolate lovers- gluten-free or not.

Although  this isn’t the easiest recipe in the world, the outcome is WELL worth the effort. The final product is a rich, yet light, chocolate mousse type cake that melts in  your mouth and leaves you seriously considering a second piece. Or a third… but who’s counting?

Chocolatissimo  (Gluten-free chocolate cake)
Makes 1 – 9” cake
Ingredients:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 Tbl. Liquid coffee
2 oz. butter
½ C sugar
6 oz. butter, room temperature
8  Eggs, separated
1/3 C. sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar.
1.     Pre-heat oven to 3500.      Grease the bottom of a 9” springform pan.  Sprinkle with cocoa just to coat and set aside.
2.    Melt the chocolate, coffee and 2 oz. of the butter over a hot water bath.  Stir together, set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3.    Cream  together the remaining butter and ½ C sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the chocolate mixture, blend well.
4.    Add the yolks, 2 at a time, blending well and scraping the bowl between additions.  Beat for a total of 7 to 8 minutes.
5.    In a clean bowl, whip the whites until they begin to foam.  Add the cream of tartar, then begin adding the 1/3 C sugar gradually, 1 Tbl. At a time.  Whip to medium peaks.
6.    Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
7.    Pour a little over half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Spread the batter to level it. Refrigerate the remaining batter.
8.    Bake for 35 – 45 minutes until firm.  The cake will rise up, then crack.  When done, the cake will feel firm when jiggled.
9.    Cool to room temp.  The cake will sink in the center.  Gently push the crust down.  Spread the remaining batter on top.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before unmolding.
10.    Unmold the cake, garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.  This cake freezes well.

Another entry from Mat Grega:

Can’t say I’m disappointed my prediction of yesterday’s game didn’t materialize (Go USA!), but  now I’m going to bring it back to the hardwood classic taking place today and make a bold prediction.  There is no doubt Kobe is a pure winner and as fierce and determined of a competitor the game has seen since Michael Jordan laced up for the Bulls.  His four rings are proof of his tenacity and focus in games that matter.  However, the Celtics NEED this game if they are going to win the series.  A loss here means they would need to fly to southern California and win back-to-back games against the reigning champions to steal the crown—a very unlikely scenario.  The Celtics are wearing down, their roster is old and you wonder how much game in them they have left.  This is precisely why I pick them to stand firm on their home court and deliver the Boston faithful a farewell victory.  Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce know this is their last chance at glory and I expect to see them battle like the champions they were in 2008 if they want to be champions in 2010. They will be going head to head with the more youthful, taller, and athletic Laker machine in its prime as if it’s their last hoorah, because let’s face it, it is.

I believe in sports magical things can happen…so tonight Boston will beat the better team 96-93.

]]> http://www.chocolatebakeryblog.com/2010/06/from-world-cup-to-basketball-weve-got-you-covered/feed/ 0 http://www.chocolatebakeryblog.com/2010/06/kobe-bryant-and-the-world-cup/ http://www.chocolatebakeryblog.com/2010/06/kobe-bryant-and-the-world-cup/#comments Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:46:35 +0000 Judy http://www.chocolatebakeryblog.com/?p=342 I just received this note from my friend Mat Grega, and while a sports post on a ChocolateBakery blog seems a little incongruous, it’s so good that I have to share it:

Another four years has passed and once again it is time for the most watched sporting event in the world to grace television screens across the globe.

The FIFA world cup is finally here, and with this installment of the famed tournament comes one of the most highly anticipated opening round matches in ages: England vs. USA.  Having fought, reconciled, then scrapped some more since the birth of the much younger Americans, these two countries have formed a true sibling rivalry that is fiercely competitive while maintaining an unparalleled level of respect.

Unfortunately for us Yanks, we are forced to tip the cap to Ol’ big brother on this platform of battle as England holds a 6-2-0 advantage all-time—our last victory coming in 1993.  While the continuous soccer shellacking handed to us by England suggests a serious talent gap between the two countries.

It’s interesting to ponder an American team consisting of its truly elite performers found sprinkled throughout various athletic professions.  Look no further than the current NBA finals being played to find a serious cog missing from the US national teams machine in Kobe Bryant.  Born in Philadelphia but raised in Italy as a child, he found a passion and aptitude for the game that would have easily seen him develop into a top tier world class player before his family’s return to the states.

Despite being locked in a 2-2 series tie against his own team’s heated rival Boston, Kobe would be the potential key to success for team America if he ditched the hardwood and took his speedy, agile 6’7” frame to the grass of South Africa.  His presence roaming the middle field or striking up the gut would make him virtually impossible for England to defend and challenge them in ways they’ve never before seen.  Imagine a corner kick for the USA in this scenario, who on planet earth would be able to stop Kobe from heading the ball in?? His height is only the beginning factor.  Kobe’s elevation, timing, and body control would spell doom for opposing defenses and pretty much ensure success for the U.S. this world cup.

Alas, this is all hypothetical, and once again America will play the underdog to its bullyish brother.  I suspect the U.S. will play inspired, tight, conservative ball throughout the game and pray for chance breaks as surely England will dominate the ball without Kobe clogging the middle.  The attacking star power of England will eventually wear the U.S. defenders down and I suspect a 2-1 victory for the red coats.

Side note:  If anybody has Kobe’s number, perhaps they could inform him that twice the Celtics have played the Lakers in the Finals during the World Cup and both times the Lakers lost 3 games to 4.  Since this current series seems all but headed to another deciding game 7, maybe he would consider saving his time and leaving early to give his country a little taste of what could have been.

Having worked with and around pastries most of my adult life, I have to admit that there are times when I get tired of cake and cookie products. But no matter how bored I get of pastries, ice cream is always appealing. My favorite dessert and ultimate guilty pleasure is a banana split. But I don’t like just any banana split- I like it with gourmet ice cream, and homemade chocolate and caramel sauce. Although making is slightly more difficult than buying, the homemade toppings make all the difference in the world. Below is a recipe for my favorite chocolate sauce. Th great thing is that once you’ve made the sauce, you can store it for several months.

What you’ll need:

½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
pinch of  salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla

What you do:

Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa.

Add the sugar, and stir to dissolve.

Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Be careful not to let it get too hot and boil over!

Add the salt and the vanilla.

Let cool.

Pour into a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Keeps for several months, ( good luck keeping it around that long!)

Yields two cups.

All you need need to do is peel, chop and freeze several ripe bananas. Once frozen, simply put into your food processor and blend until creamy.

You can even get a little creative by adding my personal favorites- chocolate and peanut butter!

Click on the link below to see a picture of the finished product.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1YrPgI/www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/stay-cool/how-to-make-creamy-ice-cream-with-just-one-ingredient-093414

www.chocolatebakery.com

A second side dish consisted of grilled asparagus brushed with olive oil

Thinking about it now makes my mouth water. Together, the flavors of perfectly roasted beef, garlicky orzo and grilled asparagus created a meal that was almost unparalleled.

Now I realize that this is a day late- but better late than never!

This past weekend was spent in floury flurry as I baked and cooked for Sunday dinner.  As is usually the case, I was in charge of dessert and bread for our holiday gathering. Being both a professional baker and avid recipe collector, I used this weekend to try out some recipes I’d been holding on to for a while; all which were met with positive reviews. The recipe and following pictures were the result of my baking a Portugese Easter Bread. While typical Easter breads are generally made with a sweetened white bread recipe , I decided to switch things up this year and try something different. The result was a softer sweeter and more tender bread. ( Any left over bread makes GREAT French Toast),

Below you will see the most important steps in the process so that you will know just what each distinct phase of the bread making should look like.

Portuguese Easter bread  (makes 1 round braided loaf – I doubled the recipe to feed a large party)

What you will need:

2/3 C milk, warmed to 95 degrees
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3 Tbl. soft butter
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 C all purpose flour (approximately)

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl. water for egg wash

3 or 4 dyed eggs, uncooked

Directions:

1.  Stir the yeast into the warm milk.  Set aside.

2. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, blend butter, sugar  and salt just to combine.

3.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla.

4.  Add milk and yeast.

5.  Mix in half of the flour, then change to the dough hook attachment, and add the remaining flour. Mix approximately 2 minutes, then adjust the consistency of the dough with more flour or milk to make a soft, elastic, tacky dough.  Mix approximately 6 – 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

6.  Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat it with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap, let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume.  When the dough is lightly pressed with a finger, a dent will remain in the dough.  This will take 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

7.  Punch the dough down.  Divide it into 3 equal pieces.  Form the pieces into balls.  Cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rest 15 minutes.

8.  Roll each piece of dough into a long strand, about 20″ long.  Loosely braid the 3 strands as you would for braiding hair.

9.  Form a ring, connect the ends of the braid by pressing the ends of the dough together.  Place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Brush egg wash onto the ring.  Nestle the dyed eggs into the dough, in between the braided strands.

10.  Cover with a large inverted bowl.  Place the loaf in a warm place and let rise until  almost doubled in bulk, approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

11. Remove the bowl, brush the loaf again with eggwash.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven approximately 35 to 40 minutes, until golden, and the internal temperature registers 195 degrees when taken with an instant read thermometer.

If you want a soft crust, lightly brush melted butter immediately onto the hot bread.

Check in tomorrow for the next installment of the Sunday dinner meal!

Read the article here!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/chocolate-studies-headache/story?id=8530685