posted by Liz 07-17-98 11:41 AM
The New Chocolate Decadence
Serves 12, make 1 day before serving
Work time: 30 minutes, Bake time 30 minutes, Chil time 24 hours.
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (in your food processor is easiest)
1 whole egg
1 egg separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg shite
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1/2 Tblsp unsweetened cocoa, Dutch process preferred
2 Tblsp all purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low fat (1%) milk
1-1/4 cups or more raspberry sauce
Enlightened Whipped Cream
Equipment: 8" round cake pan with a solid bottom, 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep Ovenproof baking dish or skillet, at least w inches deep and 2 inches wider than the cake pan.
Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350. Spray the sides of the cake pan with
vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Put a kettle of water on to boil for step 4.
Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Combine 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk in a small bowl with the vanilla. Place the 2 egg whitesi n a medium bowl witht he cream of tartar. Set all 3 bowls aside.
Combine the cocoa, flour, and 2/3 cup sugar in a 1 to 1-1/2 quart heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in enough of the milk (about half) to form a smooth paste. Mix in the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof paddle to prevent burning (especially around the bottom edges), until mixture begins to simmer. Simmer very gently, stirring constantly for 1-1/2 minutes.
Pour the hot mixture immediately over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Whisk in egg and vanilla mixture. Set aside.
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating at high speed until stiff but not dry. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in remaining egg whites. Scrape mixture into the cake pan and smooth the top.
Set cake pan in baking pan and place on oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into the baking pan to come about a third to halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for exactly 30 minutes. The surfact of the torte will spring back when very gently pressed but it will still be quite gooey inside. Remove cake pan and water pan from oven.
Remove the cake pan from the water and cool completely on a rack. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight before serving. Dessert may be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
To serve: Unmold by sliding a thin knife or metal spatula around the sides of the pan to release the torte. Place a piece of wax paper on top of torte. Invert a plate on top of the wax paper and invert torte onto plate. Remove pan and peel away parchment paper liner. Turn torte right side up again and remove wax paper. Cut into wedges with a sharp thin knife. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each slice. Or cut with tental floss like a moist cheesecake. Serve each slice with about 2 Tblsp of Rapsberry Sauce and a dollop of Enlightened whipped cream, if desired.
(I found it easier to unmold if I warmed it over a very low burner for just a few seconds -- the gave the inverted
pan a firm tap.)
Nutrintion Information: Calories per serving 184, fat 6g, % cal from fat 26, protien 3.7g, carbo 33.5g, cholesterol
35.9mg.
Raspberry Sauce (Makes 2 to 2-1/2 cups):
2 (10 or 12 oz) pkgs frozen raspberries and sugar (optional)
Thaw the berries. Drain them and reserve the juice. Puree berries briefly in food processor. Sieve the puree to
remove seeds. Thin it with some of the reserved juice if desired. If the puree seems too tart, sweetent to taste.
Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 6 mos or longer.
Nutrition: Cal per 2 Tblsp 30, fat .05g, % of calories from fat 1%, protein .2g, carbo 7.74g, chol 0.
Enlightened Whipped Cream (Makes 2-2/3 cups):
1/16 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg white
2 Tblsp sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Make the safe meringue. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large skillet. Combine cream of tartar and 1
tsp water in a 4-6 cup stainless steel bowl. Whisk in the egg white and 2 Tblsp of sugar. Place an instant read
thermometer near the stove in a mug of very hot tap water.
Set bowl in skillet. Stir mixture briskly and constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the sides and bottom often to avoid scrambling the egg white. After 45 seconds, remove bowl from skillet. Quickly insert thermometer, tilting bowl to cover stem by at least 2 inches. If less than 160 rinse thermo in skillet water and return to mug. Replace bowl in skillet. Stir as before until temp reaches 160 when bowl is removed. Beat on high speed until cool and stiff. Set aside.
Whip heavy cream with vanilla until it holds soft peaks, but is not too stiff. Fold meringue into cream. Cover
and chill until needed. May be refrigerated up to 8 hours.
Nutrition: Cal per Tblsp 15.6, fat 1.368, % calories from fat 78, protein .16g, carbo .7g, chol 5.12mg.