Chocolate, without Berries

When I asked J what her favorite dessert flavor is, she replied chocolate. Without raspberries. I had really pegged her as a fruit dessert person and was contemplating a sugared berry one-layer cake from Martha Stewart. I have blackberries and blueberries in the fridge. I almost bought scented strawberries today. Or, something apple. It is her birthday next week and we work together tomorrow night. I turned to a few cookbooks and decided on Suzy's Cake from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé. I had all the ingredients and used my last tablespoon of butter for it. Pierre told me not to skimp on chocolate quality. I did and used TJs Bittersweet by the pound. I'd probably do it again too. It was not too over the top chocolate but nicely decadent in a quotidien fashion. It was a pedestrian rich chocolate. We ate it in the office on sheets of foil. The sweetened whipped cream broke any chance of illness from overdoing it.



Suzy's Cake
Serves 8 to 10

8 3/4 ounces (250 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferable Valrhona Guanaja, finely chopped
2 1/4 sticks (9 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 C plus 1 T all-purpose flour

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches high, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over—not touching—simmering water and heat until the chocolate is melted; or melt the chocolate in a microwave oven. Set the chocolate aside to cool; it should feel only just warm to the touch when you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the butter is creamy and the sugar well blended into it. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cooled chocolate, and mix just until it is incorporated. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and mix only until it disappears into the batter. Alternatively, you can fold in the last of the flour with a rubber spatula. You'll have a thick, smooth, satiny batter that looks like old-fashioned chocolate frosting.
Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 26 to 29 minutes, or until the cake rises slightly and the top has lost its sheen. The top may crack a bit and the cake may not look entirely set in the center; when you test the cake by inserting a slender knife into the center, the knife will come out lightly streaked with batter, which is what you want. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
When the cake has cooled, chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to make it easy to unmold. Turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and invert the cake onto a serving platter so that is is right side up. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Keeping: The cake can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to a month.

Patchy Quilt

This is my third quilt. The first two were bed size—full and twin. This one is a baby blanket and is for Katya. She is a doll and a very good friend. This one has more pieces than the other two. It is machine quilted as you go. The squares are spray glued onto your grid. Then, you sew them down in long lines so that each square is sewed on all four sides. I liked the corners. Katya is having a girl and does not do bright colors or pink. The back is navy with Nantucket sand buckets. The front cream fabric with brown design is from Tanya's warehouse sale.
About four of the fabrics were used on my second quilt, one from my first. How scrappy. Katya had a super shower on Saturday. We ate yummy cupcakes with pink icing and sliced strawberries by her friend. Katya made Caprese sandwiches and chicken and arugula, all from the Contessa. There was more and it was as joy. I ended up basically eating one very large meal on Saturday. The quilt was made on two machines in two states with the aid of cornstarch since I sprayed glue all over the top fabric unwittingly, and during several showings of A Room With a View.

Chocolate Cherries

I haven't tried to keep this secret but I feel like coming out with it now. Once my two friends mentioned their overwhelming addiction to Harry and David's Bing cherry chocolates when I was in the car. You will have supped on a Riviera pear, or helped yourself to a bowl of Moose Munch. I had never had the chocolates but my interest was piqued. Sadly, I did try them. There is no going back. I need to tout Marshall's for usually having them in stock. A small package will set you back about $5. Now, I am hooked. Further, I have not found any other cherry makers to rival them. Just today I tried Henry's bulk bin cherry chocolates. They did not compare. It was worth a try.

Granada: A Holiday Recap

In December I made these brownies twice. Once for a friend's large Christmas party where they served churros and cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles. Once for a cookie and cocoa I hosted for our very small "dinner" group. We are now three. Once we made lovely meals. Once we went out to eat. Now, we gather for birthdays and Christmas. One of our group went to Spain this year and presented us two others with a themed gift. I found this presentation charmed and became delighted. She had visited The Alhambra and came away with a book by Washington Irving entitled Tales of The Alhambra. She searched for the same out of print version for the both of us. She also presented three small bars of real Spanish almond turron and a pump of pomegranite handsoap. You understand the charm now. I was entraced and could barely spoon more egg salad onto my water crackers. We toasted with Mexican hot chocolate and three tiers of holiday goodies. K took home the remainder of the Orange Pudding Cake. She had several helpings and I thought it fitting for her to polish it off at home with the boys.

Excerpts from Tales:
Page 127 "I would fain have a little minstrelsy, to refresh my mind when weary with the toils of study."
"A truce with thy hermit cravings," said the King impatiently.