Excellent alone, or makes a good base for lots of flavors. Captain OCD often adds a whole can of frozen concentrated juice (don't add water) to this for flavor. Omit or reduce the vanilla, depending on the flavor you're going for.
Ingredients
2eggs
3/4cupsugar
2cupswhipping creamnot whipped
1cupwhole milkif you're trying to cut fat, find another recipe: there are lots
2tsp.vanilla
1/2tsp.salt
Instructions
Whisk the eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
I get to the shoe-repair shop at 11:50, worried that he might have closed ten minutes early because who wants to repair shoes in a dusty little shop on a beautiful Saturday the likes of which we haven’t seen in months? Without those steel-toed boots, Captain OCD couldn’t work on Monday morning.
Despite the piles of shoes and bags on them, Shoe-Repair Guy uses every one of those machines every day. And those lovely Velcro shoes on the counter? The green tag says that they were to be picked up in February 2010. His business operates around those green tags. The oldest one I saw was 2008. The sign that says “Items left longer than 30 days may be disposed of” does not scare me.
“Hmmm. Today? Well, hmmm. I think— I wonder— maybe— hmm. Yes, that does say, that does say, hmm, Saturday. Maybe I—. Well, they should be in my— But they’re not in my Saturday box. Maybe they’re over—. No, no, they’re not— Ah! Okay, here they are!
“Uh oh, hmm, did I get these done? It looks like I did, didn’t— So, yes, I— But I didn’t— And I still have to—
Through the clutter here, about three feet away from me, I could I barely see him squatting down, operating what sounded like a sewing machine, sitting on the floor. He pops up and, like magic, two small leather patches sewn on hard leather boots in a spot that I am certain is impossible.
“Do you have someplace to go? For an hour or two? Could you come back?”
From a British magazine (I don’t remember which one, but it was in 1999), this recipe uses European measurements and ingredient names. I’ve [Americanized] where possible. Extremely rich, with a dense, gooey-brownie sort of texture.
250gContinental plain chocolate [9 oz. bittersweet]
100gunsalted butter
175gicing [powdered] sugarsifted
3eggs
1teaspooninstant coffee granulesdissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water
Instructions
Line a small 20 x 10 x 5 cm [8 x 4 x 2 in.] oblong loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing it to overlap the edges.
Break the chocolate into a bowl and set over a saucepan of hot (not boiling) water until melted.
Stir until smooth and remove from heat. [Or make it easy and melt in microwave.]
In a bowl, cream butter and icing sugar until smooth.
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites.
Beating the yolks into the creamed butter one at a time.
Beat in the coffee granules.
Add the melted chocolate
Mix well.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture.
Spoon into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
Turn in the plastic wrap edges to cover.
Chill until firm – at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, remove from pan, slice, and top each slice with a topping.
Recipe Notes
My appreciation for chocolate leans toward the pedestrian, so I’ve used a combination of milk and dark chocolate, and don’t add the instant coffee. Good with strawberries, praline sauce, whipped cream, or combinations of ice cream toppings.
Adapted from a recipe in the February 2001 Sunset magazine, this is very rich. It originally called for pine nuts instead of almonds. I don’t like pine nuts so I’ve used a combination of walnuts, almonds, and pecans. I’ve also used a combination of milk and semisweet chocolate to make the tart less bitter.
In a food processor, chop nuts and 1/2 c. sugar until nuts are coarsely ground.
Pour into a 9-inch tart pan with removable rim.
In a microwave, melt 1/4 cup butter.
Add melted butter to nut mixture and blend gently.
Press mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Set pan on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 325° until crust begins to brown around the edges, about 20–30 minutes.
Chop half the chocolate into 1/2" chunks and set aside. Finely chop remaining chocolate.
In a glass bowl, combine remaining butter with finely chopped chocolate.
Heat in microwave at 50% power until chocolate is soft. Stir until smooth.
In a bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks, 3 tablespoons sugar, cognac, and almond extract until mixture turns pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
To egg yolk mixture, add chocolate-butter mixture and beat to blend.
Stir in coarsely chopped chocolate.
Pour into warm nut crust.
Bake at 325° until filling barely jiggles when pan is gently shaken, about 15 minutes. Set on a rack to cool.
To serve, remove pan rim and cut into wedges. Top with whipped cream.
