flourless chocolate cake with vietnamese coffee ice cream

We all think about chocolate in February, so this month's Daring Baker challenge was very apropos. A rich flourless chocolate cake with a homemade ice cream of our choice. Chocolate is perfectly paired with many flavors, but I decided to keep it simple and pair the cake with coffee ice cream.

Instead of using the same coffee ice cream recipe that I always use, I decided to try a vietnamese coffee ice cream. A deep french roast sweetened with ooey, gooey sweetened condensed milk. I was inspired by photos and a recipe I saw last year on the "Fresh from the oven blog". I made the recipe my own by adding one more egg, 2 TB of sugar and a squirt of honey. I think my coffee steeped into a richer, darker brew too. Everyone told me that it was pretty potent, so for those of you with an aversion to caffeine, I would stay away from this one.

In search of a different ice cream recipe, I also checked David Leboovitz's book The Perfect Scoop and decided not to use his recipe for vietnamese coffee ice cream, because he didn't include any eggs.... and I think by adding eggs to any ice cream recipe makes for a richer, creamier ice cream. I used my electric Cuisinart ice cream maker that a friend got me for my birthday one year... a completely indispensable gift!

The cake recipe is super simple, extremely rich and very quick to make. I used a combination of 3 different chocolates. First a New Tree Pleasure chocolate bar, 73% cocoa; a few chunks of bitter sweet chocolate from Mon Aimee in Pittsburgh, and a dark chocolate truffle bar from Trader Joes. Since the cake tastes exactly like the chocolate you put into it, you want to make sure you love the chocolate you are using.


Chocolate Valentino

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped

½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C

9. Bake for 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.

Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
adapted from "Fresh from the oven" and "Foodandwine.com" and changed to make my own.

2 c heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
2 TB sugar
1 TB honey
1/2 cup ground Vietnamese coffee
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, condensed milk, ground coffee, sugar, honey and salt and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve lined with several layers of moistened cheesecloth.

Return the steeped milk to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly pale. Gradually whisk in the hot milk; refrigerate until cold. Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to a container and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Special thanks:
The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Inspired by Malaysia’s “most flamboyant food ambassador”, Chef Wan. Recipe comes from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan.

crisp salted oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I first spotted this recipe on one of my favorite blogs Pittsburgh Needs Eated and it seemed like a must try. I love salt on anything sweet and I love salt with chocolate. So why not add chocolate chips? No reason. So I added chocolate chips to the recipe - which was adapted from Cooks Illustrated, so I'm not sure of the original recipe.... but this version is divine !

Salty Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Pittsburgh Needs Eated, who adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1 cup all-purpose flour ( I exchanged 1/2 of the flour with spelt and oat flour- so 1/2 cup all purpose, 1/4 cup oat and 1/4 cup spelt)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, about 65 degrees
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 bag of chocolate chip cookies (I recommend Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet chips)

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl again. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth, 10 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oats and chocolate chips, and mix until well incorporated, 20 seconds. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons, then roll between palms into balls. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8 dough balls per sheet. Using fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4-inch thickness. Lightly sprinkle sea salt evenly over flattened dough balls before baking.

4. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are deep golden brown, 13 to 16 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely on sheet.

blackberry clafouti

This is from this. Eric Ripert had the answer to my desire to make a quick and easy dessert. It was a raspberry clafouti that he made in a toaster oven, which was my inspiration for the blackberry clafouti I made in a regular oven.

This is one of those easy desserts that can be made fresh and served warm for a dinner party.... and very impressive if you use individual ramekins to serve it in.

Raspberry Clafouti by Eric Ripert
Serves 2 (this is very generous amount to serve 2 - it would probably be perfect for 3-4)
(I noted my substitutions below in the recipe)

1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup sugar + more for ramekin
1 large egg
6 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all purpose flour (I used spelt flour)
1 cup fresh raspberries (I used blackberries)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Heat toaster oven to 400°F. Butter two 3 ½ - inch ramekins and dust with sugar.
2. Whisk egg until frothy and add sugar, half and half and vanilla extract; mix to combine.
3. Add the all purpose flour and whisk very well.
4. Divide the raspberries into the ramekins and pour the batter over the raspberries.
5. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until golden brown and the middle is set. (This took much longer to bake in a regular oven.... about twice as long - I would advise to start checking it at 10 minutes.. I also think if I would have used individual ramekins that the cook time would have been less)
   
6. Serve with a scoop of ice cream. (optional)