Yana's Fabulous Flourless Chocolate Cake

Today we have a special guest blogger.... Yana Berlin, creator of Fabulously 40 & Beyond... blogging about her favorite Fabulous Flourless Chocolate Cake....so heressss YANA!...


For some, cooking is a curse. For others, it’s a blessing. I still can’t decide whether I’m cursed or blessed since food has always been my best friend and my worst enemy.

My Russian heritage demanded that even the smallest gathering or insignificant celebration was accompanied by an abundance of food. My affair with chocolate soon turned into an obsession, which prompted me to start experimenting with all kinds of concoctions.

I strongly believe that with tenacity and determination we can do absolutely everything, however, when it comes to cooking, if you “have it,” you really don’t have to follow a recipe, and if you don’t…well…you’d better pay attention to them.

I can’t tell you how hard I try each and every time to stick to a recipe, even if it’s my own, but each and every time, I deviate and do something a little different.

My last trip to Napa valley was full of culinary experiences. We decided to have lunch at one of my favorite restaurants Mustards Grill. Every time a waiter passed by with a dish I was amazed and impressed at the same time. The food looked exquisite and succulent, but as much as I love food, what caught my attention was the chocolate flowerless cake. After inquiring about the recipe I found out that Mustards Restaurant has a cookbook. Knowing my weakness before I could blink, my girlfriend presented me with the colorful pages.

I couldn’t wait to get home to make my own flowerless cake, and I tried, I really, really tried sticking to the recipe. I promise you I only changed it a bit, but the credit goes to the chef - Brigid Callinan.

The Changes I Made to the Original Recipe:

- I didn’t have enough pecans, so I added walnuts to top off the pecans (two full cups).

- I didn’t have Jack Daniels’, so I used brandy.

- I defrosted raspberries, drained them and pureed them using it as raspberry sauce.

TIPS

This recipe is relatively easy, if you know how to “fold”, you can’t go wrong with it. *See the post ... How to Fold Ingredients

To make it look a bit more extravagant I also made raspberry sauce. I added a bit more of the chocolate to the chocolate sauce, and after the cake was gone I rolled them into little balls, froze them and served as truffles.

You can serve this cake warm or cold, with hot chocolate sauce or without. One thing I can guarantee is that it will not last long in your kitchen.

Recipe from “Mustards Grill” Napa Valley Cookbook

Recipe: Jack Daniel’s Pecan Chocolate Cake (Original Recipe)

All You Need:

For the Cake:

2 cups pecan pieces
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
¼ cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey
8 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
Tiny pinch of salt

For the Jack Daniel’s Chocolate Sauce:

8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
½ cup of unsalted butter
3 tbsp of Jack Daniel’s whiskey
¾ cup corn syrup
¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Optional Garnishes:

Confectioner’s sugar
Ice Cream
Whipped cream, flavored with vanilla extract (Chantilly Cream)

All you need to do:

To Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 12 minutes, until very fragrant. Let cool, then grind the nuts in a food processor or chop finely.

Combine the butter, chocolate, and whiskey in a large, heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until melted and uniform. Remove from the heat.

Put the egg yolks and ¾ cup of the sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until very thick and pale.

Stir the group pecans into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped yolks. (Make sure the chocolate mixture has cooled and is roughly the same temperature as the yolks otherwise you will have scrambled eggs).

In a clean bowl, with a clean whip attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the salt, and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

In three batches, quickly but gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, maintaining as much volume as possible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center. Cool completely on a rack, then remove the sides of the pan.

To Make the Sauce:

Combine the chocolate, butter, whiskey, and corn syrup in heatproof bowl and set over barely simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Now, see if you can keep from eating it all before it’s time to serve it!

To Serve:

Cut the cake into the desired number of portions.

Place each slice on a pool of warm chocolate sauce and dust liberally with confectioners’ sugar.

Place a big scoop of ice cream along side and dollop of whipped cream on top. (why diet now?)

Meet Yana Berlin... Creator of Fabulously 40 and Beyond

I'd like to introduce you to our guest today....Yana Berlin... the creator of the Fabulous social networking site... Fabulously 40 and Beyond. She has been an inspiration to me from the moment I joined her site.

Frustrated with not quite fitting into the mold of some other social networking sites... she decided it was time women 40 and beyond should have a site all their own...

Yana created Fabulously 40 and Beyond for every woman 40 and beyond, that wants to join a group of women who aspire to look and feel their best....who is ready to celebrate this exciting stage of her life.... a place where women can share experiences, thoughts, discuss topics important to them, answer each other's questions and most of all... encourage each other to nurture and grow...

Over the few years since it's creation, Fabulously 40 has grown into an international sensation... women of all walks of life, worldwide, have joined in the fun.... so check out what you've been missing....








Visit Yana's Profile on Fabulously40
Follow Her On Twitter

How to Fold Ingredients

Cooking Tip of the Day

Folding is a method used to gently mix ingredients. This technique is used to mix light and airy ingredients into a heavier mixture. Examples are beaten egg whites or beaten egg yolks into batter, whipped cream into puddings and mixing chocolate or melted butter into a batter.

Things to Remember When Folding:

When folding a warm mixture into another mixture… be sure that both mixtures are the same temperature… if one mixture is hotter than the other the two will not combine smoothly and the warmer one will form clumps…. For example… eggs will cook and “scramble” and not integrate.

TIPS

Use a clean, dry spatula.

Always fold gently.

Don’t over or under fold …. If you fold too much the batter will lose that “airiness” that’s necessary for cakes to form little air bubbles when baking… this will result in the cake not rising as high as it should. If you fold too little… the cake will have a sticky, wet and heavy layer at the bottom of the pan after it’s baked.

A general rule of thumb is you always fold the light batter or ingredient into the heavier one.

Method:

Example making mousse…. folding whipped cream into pudding.


Place the pudding in a bowl.

Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream and stir to introduce the whipped cream into the pudding.

Add the rest of the whipped cream (ingredient to be folded) on top of the pudding.

Step 1 - Cut




Using a spatula, cut through the middle of the whipped cream.




Step 2 - Fold



Go to the bottom of the bowl and pull the spatula toward you scooping up some of the pudding with the spatula.

In one sweeping motion fold over the scooped up portion of the pudding over the whipped cream.

Step 3 - Turn



Turn the bowl ¼ turn and repeat the steps.

You will need to scrape the sides occasionally with the spatula.






Keep doing this until the whipped cream is fully integrated into the pudding.



If you are still unsure….there is an excellent video to watch by Chef John Mitzewich at.about.com that shows the proper technique for folding.

Recipe: Pork Chops Smothered in Onions and Mushrooms

Pork Chops Smothered in Onions and Mushrooms makes for a quick and easy supper and oh so good. This was one of my son’s favorite meals when he was growing up.

I started making this when I was first married… it was one of those nights when I had pork chops to make and not quite sure what I was going to do with them… you know the kind of night… you defrost something and then can’t decide how you want to make it. That’s when you stand in front of the fridge and pantry and look for ideas…

We were such fans of mushrooms and onions… it just seemed natural to make them with pork chops and some gravy.

TIPS



Cut the large onion in half then cut each half into slices from one side to the other… this makes for manageable onion slices when eating this.




You can use fat free or low fat gravy … with lean pork chops… this meal is fairly low in fat.

I wrote the recipe for boneless pork chops… you can use bone-in as well.

I figure on about two pork chops per person… leftovers are always welcome… at least in this house anyway.

Serve this with hot buttered noodles or garlicy mashed potatoes and a salad… a really terrific meal …








Recipe: Pork Chops Smothered in Onions and Mushrooms

All you need:


4-6 lean boneless pork chops
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 jar pork gravy
Olive oil cooking sray
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)

All you need to do:


Sprinkle garlic powder, salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chops.

Spray a large skillet with olive oil cooking spray and heat it over medium high heat.

Add the pork chops



Sear both sides of the pork chops until slightly brown… about 2 minutes a side.

Remove the pork chops to a plate and lower heat to medium.






Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and add the onions.

Cook onions about 2-3 minutes until soft… some onions may brown slightly around the edges… but you don’t want to brown them completely… if need be.. lower the heat slightly.







Add the mushrooms and cook for about 6-8 minutes until slightly brown and soft…stir frequently with onions.








Return the pork chops to the skillet.









Add the pork gravy by pouring over the chops, onions and mushrooms.








Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until pork chops are fully cooked.




Remove the chops to a platter and using a slotted spoon smother with some of the mushrooms and onions… ladle some of the gravy over the chops.

Serve the remaining gravy, mushrooms and onions in a bowl with a ladle.

Note: Gravy will be thin… if you prefer thicker gravy… add one tablespoon cornstarch to a small portion of liquid then add the cornstarch mixture back into the skillet and heat, stirring constantly, until gravy is desired thickness.

Recipe: Piña Colada Dip for Fruit

This recipe for Piña Colada Dip is an old one that I’ve had…. we absolutely love fruit …. especially for breakfast…. there’s nothing better for a light breakfast than a plate of fruit and a delicious dip or sauce and a warm muffin….

TIPS



To toast coconut… preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the sweetened coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes…. watch closely because when the coconut starts to brown… it can burn easily.

You can eliminate the rum extract or rum if you prefer…

If you are using the rum extract.. start with ½ teaspoon and taste it before adding more…. the rum extract can have a strong flavor.

I used Yoplait Light Very Vanilla Yogurt… you can use any vanilla flavored yogurt you prefer…

Serve this dip with a variety of cut fruit…. pineapples, strawberries, bananas and kiwi fruit all go very well with this…. melons will too ….

You can serve this as pictured… with a separate plate for each person…. or serve on a platter with bite-sized fruit and toothpicks.

If serving as a breakfast….for the fruit, I used Del Monte Fruit Naturals Pineapple Chunks… found in the refrigerated part of the produce section at the grocery store… I used 1 single serving container …. 1 banana and a few strawberries cut-up … and I used the entire dip recipe for two people with a little leftover.

This dip recipe can be halved or doubled or made 1 ½ times the amounts listed… to accommodate the number of servings you need….

If serving this as a fruit tray for a party… I would make 1 ½ times the recipe for the dip.

This is absolutely delicious… whether you make it for a party or for breakfast… it’s delicious… and healthy too!








Recipe: Piña Colada Dip for Fruit

All you need:



2 (6 ounce) containers Yoplait Light Very Vanilla Yogurt
½ - 1 teaspoon rum extract or dark rum (to taste)
3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes, toasted and divided
2 tablespoons crushed pineapple

All you need to do:



Combine yogurt, rum extract, pineapple and 2 tablespoons of the coconut in a bowl.

Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon toasted coconut on top.


Serve with fruit.

This can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top just before serving.

Recipe: Cream of Mushroom Barley Soup

I came across a recipe for Cream of Mushroom Barley Soup quite awhile ago… and have been wanting it ever since. Well… I finally got around to making it …. and glad I did. It was a really nice weeknight supper … soup and that Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheel appetizer I posted last week…

I started out using a recipe from Delish… but I did make some changes….

They cooked the barley in 1 ½ cups broth (mushroom or chicken) for 30-35 minutes. I ended up adding more broth because the broth dried up before the 30 minutes and the barley was far from tender. The whole process of cooking the barley took about 45 minutes and a little more than 2 cups of broth (I used chicken broth). They also don’t cover the pot with a lid after you turn the heat to low… I did.


They used only 1 tablespoon olive oil for sauteing the chopped shallots…. I used 2 tablespoons… and for some odd reason their recipe called for 2 teaspoons of butter…. that is difficult to measure and I like to use a matching amount of oil and butter…. I used two tablespoons of butter…. I felt their amounts were too dry for that amount of shallots…. mine were not greasy.



They minced the shallots… I chopped very finely in my mini chopper.

I don’t always like chopped celery in my soups… depending upon what it is… but I like the celery taste…. so I chopped the celery into 3 large pieces per stalk and cooked it… when I was done… I simply took out the large pieces.

The used reduced-fat sour cream…. I prefer using regular sour cream so I simply substituted it for the reduced-fat variety.

When making adjustments after tasting it… I added ¼ cup heavy cream to smooth it out.

Warren was a little late coming home that night and I kept the soup on low to keep it warm.. it got a bit thicker than I like… so I just added more broth until I got the consistency I wanted.


The package porcini mushrooms I bought came with instructions… they reconstitute the mushrooms a couple of ways… if using boiling water they only let them sit for 3 minutes…. warm water about 30 minutes…. this differs greatly from the Delish instructions… they use boiling water and soak them for 20 minutes…. so I used very hot but not boiling water and soaked them for 15 minutes.

I recommend you follow the directions on the package of dried porcini mushrooms if available… as long as they become soft and you chop them… it shouldn’t matter... Definitely use 2 cups of water though… you will be putting it in the soup in one of the cooking steps.

They used 20 ounces of white mushrooms… I had only 16 ounces… I think 16 ounces is more than enough.

This was an easy soup to make… and so delicious!






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Recipe: Cream of Mushroom Barley Soup

All you need:


½ cup pearl barley
5-5 ½ cups mushroom broth or chicken broth, divided
1 ounce porcini mushrooms
2 cups very hot water
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped shallots
16 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped or chop in large pieces (see post for information)
1 teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry to medium sherry
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup chopped chives

All you need to do:

To cook the barley:



In a small sauce pan, combine 2 ¼ cups broth and ½ cup barley.

Heat to boiling then reduce heat and cover.

Cook until barley is tender … about 40-45 minutes. Check frequently, if broth evaporates completely before the barley is tender… and a bit more. When barley is cooked… remove from heat and set aside.

To prepare the porcini mushrooms:


Heat 2 cups water to very hot…. put porcinis in a medium bowl… add the water and allow to soak for about 15 minutes…. or follow package directions… just make sure you use 2 cups of water… you will be adding it later to the soup.



Line a sieve with paper towel and set it over a bowl.

Pour the mushrooms and soaking water through the lined sieve. Reserve the soaking water.



Finely chop the porcini mushrooms. Set aside.






To make the soup:



In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.

Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes until they’re softened, stirring frequently.





Add the sliced white mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently until they have released their juices and begin to brown… 8-10 minutes.



Add the porcinis, sage, salt and pepper. (If you decide to finely chop the celery… add it now. If you and the stalks in large pieces… wait to add them later).

Cook until the vegetables begin to soften…. about 3 minutes…. stirring frequently.




Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly until the flour is completely incorporated…. about 1 minute.






Add the sherry and cook, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until most of the sherry is evaporated…about 1 minute.



Add the celery (if you decided to add them in large pieces, the soaking water from the porcini mushrooms, and 3 cups broth.

Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer stirring occasionally until soup has thickened… and celery is tender if you added the finely chopped pieces…. About 22-25 minutes.

If you added the large pieces of celery… remove them from the soup and discard.

Add the barley and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Stir in the sour cream and stir well to incorporate.

Add the ¼ cup heavy cream and stir well to incorporate.

Ladle into bowls and snip chives over the soup.

Recipe: Layered Pizza Dip

Recently I was looking for a new dip and came upon one that looked interesting from Pillsbury, Layered Pizza Dip. I wouldn’t have given the recipe a second look if it had not been the combination of mostly Italian flavors and cheddar cheese.

I don’t know why, but, I just didn’t think cheddar and mozzarella would go very well together until I tried a savory pie recipe late last month… the pie recipe had lots of “issues” but the flavor combination of adding Cheddar to traditional Italian ingredients was actually very good… so good in fact, reworking that failed pie recipe into a casserole is high on my “To Do” list.

So I tried this Layered Pizza Dip recipe and we really liked it… a really good and different dip… one definitely worth trying.

TIPS

I only have a couple of tips….

Make sure you serve it pretty quickly after heating… the Cheddar and mozzarella cheese tend to harden a bit after sitting and it’s tough to dip then…. the dip will go quickly as it’s very tasty and addicting… so having it harden after serving shouldn’t be a problem since I doubt it will last long.

The directions are written for baking in the oven… you can microwave this as well. Heat on high until the dip is hot and the cheese melts.

This dip is perfect for a family night of TV or watching the game…







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Recipe: Layered Pizza Dip

All you need:















1 (8 ounce) container Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Chives and Onions
½ cup chunky pizza sauce
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

All you need to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.




Spread the cream cheese on a ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate or a 1-1 ½ quart baking dish.









Spread the pizza sauce on top of the cream cheese.










Sprinkle the chopped green pepper over the pizza sauce.










Sprinkle the chopped pepperoni over the green peppers.










Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pepperoni.










Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese over the mozzarella.






Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 15 minutes or until dip is hot and cheese is melted.

Serve warm with bagel crisps, bagel chips or crackers.