Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake

I planned to bake this beautiful cake for Valentine’s Day as soon as I saw a photo of it in Bon Appétit. So pretty! ❤ It was crunchy on top and rich and creamy in the center. We ate it with vanilla ice cream- which was essential– and the perfect compliment to the texture of the cake. It could also be served with whipped cream.

The recipe was adapted from What’s for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People by Claire Saffitz, via Bon Appétit. It is actually featured on the cover of the book. Saffitz said that “one of her favorite moments in baking is the swirl you get when folding meringue into a chocolate batter. Not only does it look beautiful on top of the cake, it bakes into a light and crispy shell that yields to the rich crumb.”

The magazine article described it as a “sophisticated-looking and -tasting masterpiece that doesn’t take much effort to achieve.” Rich and delicious.

Yield: Serves 10

• vegetable oil (for pan)
• 10 oz (283 g) semisweet chocolate (64%–70% cacao), coarsely chopped (I used 72% Belgian chocolate)
• 6 T grapeseed, avocado, or other neutral oil
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal or 3/4 tsp Morton kosher salt, plus more
• 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided
• 3/4 cup (72 g) almond flour or almond meal
• vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. (I set my oven to true convection.)
2. Brush pan with vegetable oil, making sure to coat sides all the way to the rim. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper round; brush parchment with oil.
3. Heat chopped chocolate, neutral oil, brewed coffee, and salt in a large heatproof (I used glass) bowl set over a medium saucepan of gently simmering water (bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove bowl from heat; add 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar; vigorously whisk to combine.
5. Add almond meal and mix well. (Don’t worry if it looks broken and separated.)
6. Add 1/4 cup water and whisk vigorously until mixture comes back together and looks smooth and glossy. Set chocolate mixture aside.
7. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites, at room temperature, and a pinch of salt in a large non-plastic bowl until frothy, about 20 seconds.
8. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until foamy and opaque, about 30 seconds.
9. Beating constantly, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is dense and glossy. (Be careful not to overbeat or it will be dry and grainy and difficult to incorporate into the batter.)
10. Scoop out a heaping cupful of meringue and set aside.
11. Scrape about half of the remaining meringue into bowl with reserved chocolate mixture and fold gently with spatula until just a few streaks remain.
12. Scrape in the rest of the meringue; fold just until evenly mixed and batter is light and airy.
13. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
14. Spoon dollops of reserved meringue over batter. Using a skewer or toothpick, swirl into batter—a little or a lot; it’s up to you.
15. Bake cake until surface is risen and cracked, meringue is light golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out shiny but clean, 60–70 minutes. (I baked the cake for 60 min but may check it around 55 min next time.)
16. Transfer to a wire rack and run a small knife or offset spatula between very top of cake and pan to loosen anywhere it may be stuck (this will help the cake settle evenly as it cools). Let cake cool in pan.
17. To serve, run knife around sides again to loosen cake, then unmold. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, as desired.

Grilled Swordfish with Corn Salad

Wow. This was a special summer meal. A celebration of my CSA share too. 🙂

The meal was inspired by my first batch of CSA corn. Absolutely fabulous. We ate it raw- only heated by the warmth of the grilled fish. The corn salad also incorporated my CSA scallions. We ate it with steamed CSA wax beans and with slices of my friend’s beautiful home grown cucumber on the side. All so fresh and delicious! Amazing.

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Ali Slagle. The grilling instructions resulted in absolutely perfectly cooked swordfish. Using an instant read thermometer was also essential. We were short one family member so I only served three swordfish steaks. Excellent.

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks, 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick
• 6 T unseasoned rice vinegar
• 3 T canola oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
• 3 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs
• grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced or 1 ounce chives, cut into 1-inch lengths (about 1 cup)
• 2 oz cilantro (1 small bunch) cilantro, leaves and stems, cut (if desired)
• flaky salt, for serving

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat by pouring the coals onto one half of the grill. For a gas grill, heat all the burners to high, then turn off one of the end burners before cooking. (See Tip regarding grill temperature below.)
2. While the grill is heating, pat the fish dry and make the salad.
3. To make the corn salad: In a medium bowl, combine the rice vinegar, canola oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the scallions (or chives) and cilantro on top of the corn mixture (don’t stir them in), and season with salt and pepper.
5. When you’re ready to grill, pat the fish dry again. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and lightly coat with grapeseed oil.
6. Clean the grill grates with a grill brush, then oil the grates with an oiled paper towel.
7. Grill the fish until well browned on one side and it releases easily from the grates, 4 to 6 minutes.
8. Flip with a fish spatula and cook until it registers 130 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and keeping an eye out for flare-ups.)
9. Immediately transfer the grilled fish to a platter.
10. Toss the corn salad to incorporate the scallions and cilantro, then top the fish right away with the salad, spooning extra dressing over the fish.
11. Let rest for 5 minutes before eating. Season to taste with flaky salt, pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Tip: Medium-high is 375 to 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 4 to 5 seconds. High is above 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 2 to 3 seconds.

Oatmeal Toasting and Sandwich Bread

This is one of my favorite bread recipes- I modified it to make in a bread machine. The recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I substituted some of the bread flour with whole wheat flour, used grapeseed oil rather than butter, and used 1 percent milk in the dough. It is best warm and freshly baked- YUM- but also wonderful toasted the next day.

• 2 T neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola oil or butter
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk (1 percent okay)
• 3 T brown sugar or honey
• 2 cups bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned oats)
• 2 tsp active dry yeast, bread machine yeast, or instant yeast

Bread Machine Method:

1. Place all of the ingredients, in order, with the exception of the yeast, in the pan of the machine.
2. Make a well in the flour and add the yeast. Program the machine for whole wheat (2 pound loaf) and start.
3. About 10 minutes before the end of the second kneading cycle, check dough and adjust its consistency as necessary with additional flour or water; finished dough should be soft and supple.

One Year Ago:

• Popovers

If you like this you may also like:

• Classic Sandwich Bread