chocolate & guilty pleasures

flourless chocolate cake has got to be towards the top list of guiltiest pleasures

if i could justify $22 a week at whole foods for their's, i'd do it

....or I can just make my own. (theres the justification!)

with the help of "my precious" -- viola!

i did all the cooking and taylor help with the stirring of the chocolate

(he said he felt like willy wonka)

so here it is

i won't be able to tell you how GREAT it is until tonight

when we celebrate taylor's mama's 50...something... birthday

(recipe below)

flourless dark chocolate cake

what you need:

2 bars (8oz each) semi-sweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

4 eggs, separated

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raspberry jam (optional)

whipped Cream (recipe follows)

what you do:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. grease 9-inch springform pan & set aside.

2. melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until well blended. remove from heat. add egg yolks, sugar, water and vanilla & mix well.

3. whip egg whites in large clean dry mixer bowl with electric mixer at medium speed. gradually increase speed to high; whip until stiff peaks form.  fold in one-third of chocolate mixture at a time until no white streaks remain. pour batter into prepared pan & smooth the top.

4. bake 22 to 25 minutes or until center is set. cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. microwave raspberry jam on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. drizzle cake with jam and top with whipped cream.

whipped cream

what you need:

1 cup cold whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

what you do:

whip cold whipping cream and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.

(adapted from kitchenaid cookbook)