Chocolate Lovers Unite

[Alix]

Ken's Chocolate Dream
Serves 12 - 15 people

Cake:

1/4 cup butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa and then fill to 1 1/2 cups with very hot water
1 egg beaten (just with a fork)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda in the cocoa measuring cup pour in 1/3 cup hot water, swish around to get all the cocoa remnants out.

Cream butter and sugar well. Pour in the cocoa liquid and stir well. Leave for a moment or two, then add beaten egg. Add the baking soda and water mixture, then add the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix thoroughly at this step to avoid any flour lumps later. Pour into a greased 10 inch springform and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. It may need more. Leave it in for increments of 5 minutes. Check every five minutes and remove as soon as it is done. Toothpick test is not very accurate as this is a moist cake. Look for cake to bounce back when touched in center of cake instead. Allow cake to cool completely before performing next step.

Filling:

1 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp raspberry juice (or rum)

1 cup raspberry jam

Beat butter and icing sugar and cocoa together until very light coloured. Drizzle in raspberry juice with beaters at high speed.

Remove cake from springform sides (leave the bottom on for now) and place face down on serving plate. Using a long serrated knife cut cake in half and place top to the side. Smear about a 1/2 cup of raspberry jam on each of the inner aspects of the cake. Then smear your buttercream on the bottom half of the cake. Reassemble cake and remove springform bottom. Be careful...it is a bit slippery! Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Glaze:

2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet)

2 cups fresh raspberries

Melt butter, syrup and chocolate in the microwave for one minute on high and whisk until glossy. Pour over chilled cake and cover well. While glaze is still workable, place fresh raspberries in concentric rings on the top of the cake. Leave about a half inch from your last ring of raspberries to the edge of the cake. Make sure you don't go too close to the edges or the raspberries will slide off the edges. Chill for at least one hour and serve.

*You may substitute canned mandarin oranges for the fresh raspberries, but you must then use orange marmalade instead of raspberry jam and omit the raspberry juice in the buttercream.

This is my simplified version. I have done a couple of cakes where I do fancy stuff like painting chocolate on leaves and decorate the top of the cake with those. Also, feel free to use whatever chocolate you wish. I simply specify chocolate chips because most of us have them on hand. Bon Appetit!

[AllenOK]

Uh-oh, you did it now. I used to have a web-page written for chocoholic recipes. Lemme pull one up real quick :)

Chocolate Decadence Fudge Cake

8.75 oz dark chocolate
1 stick + 5 T butter
¾ c raw sugar or light brown sugar
6 eggs, separated
2 c finely ground almonds
For the sauce:
1 1/3 c cream
12.25 oz dark chocolate
whipped cream and shaved or chopped chocolate to garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the chocolate and butter together, and stir until smooth. Stir in the sugar and egg yolks, then the ground almonds. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. Beat the egg whites to stiff peak stage. Stir one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then carefully, add the remaining egg whites. Stir until just combined. Spoon into a 9 ½” springform cake pan that has been greased and the bottom lined with parchment. Bake the cake for 1 hour. It will not rise very much and will appear cracked and shrunken on top. Don’t panic! This is normal. Cool the cake in the pan. Carefully remove from the pan and peel off the paper when cold.
For the sauce: place the cream and chocolate in a saucepan and stir with a wire whisk over very gentle heat, until the chocolate melts and is well combined with the cream. Cool for 30 minutes, then spread over the top and drizzle down the sides of the cake, then chill the cake for 2 hours. Serve in small wedges (this cake is very rich), garnished with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

[mudbug]

And we are off and running - with two formidable contenders already out of the gate!

I will be back later with my entry.

[marmalady]

If I could humbly add this little ditty to the race - - -

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Base:
¼ cup butter
2T cocoa
¼ cup light brown sugar
2T flour
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4cup chopped walnuts

Filling:
1 ½ cups walnuts
¼ cup butter
¼ cup honey
1 tsp.vanilla
1cup light br.sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1tsp. vanilla
1tsp. lemon juice

Ganache:
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1lb.bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 and butter a 9 inch springform pan.
For base, melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring til dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla, mix and spread batter evenly in pan. Bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just til firm, and transfer to a rack in pan to cool.

For filling, arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small pan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey, and cook over moderate heat stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes, or til thermometer registers 280. Remove from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring til smooth. Cool to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.

For ganache, bring cream just to a boil; put chopped chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring til smooth. Cool to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer til it just holds soft peaks. Spread ganache over filling and chill cake covered, at least 4 hours. Run knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan; let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Serve with raspberry coulis.

[PA Baker]

Oh, those sound good! Here's another sinful treat!

Bittersweet Chocolate Cloud

1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup freshly brewed coffee
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (62 percent) finely chopped
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brandy
3 large eggs, separated plus 3 egg whites
1/3 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position rack in the center.
Pour 1/2 -inch water into a large roasting pan and place in oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, cut to fit. Butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Put 1 cup of sugar and the coffee in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat add the chocolate and return to low heat. Keep stirring over heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add brandy. Whisk in the egg yolks until no trace of yolk is left. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the flour into the chocolate mixture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 6 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat on high until peaks are almost stiff.

Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture (no need to fold at this point). Then gently fold in the remaining whites, 1/3 at a time, until no streaks of white remain. Pour into pan and smooth top. Bake in water bath for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Place cake on wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove sides of pan and carefully invert cake onto cardboard cake round or flat plate. Chill for at least 2 hours before glazing.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula. Serve the cake immediately or refrigerate. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.


Chocolate glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey

Put chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil. Whisk in the honey. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

[AllenOK]

Chocolate Pots de Creme
Yields: four 5 oz portions
Oven @ 350°F

10 2/3 oz. milk
8 oz sweet chocolate
2 egg
4 egg yolks
2 2/3 oz sugar
pinch of salt
Vanilla, to taste

Scald milk, remove from heat, and add chocolate, stir occasionally until mixture is smooth and uniform. Add rest of ingredients, mixing well.
Pour custard mixture into ramekins, set ramekins in a hot bain marie, and bake @ 350°F until set, about 20 minutes.

Variation: Chocolate Blanc Pots de Creme; substitute white chocolate for the sweet chocolate, add Creme de Cacao to taste.

[kitchenelf]

Absolutely awesome - but if you're going to make it for Thanksgiving you have to make it today!!!!!!!

SLICE OF SIN
(serves 10-12) (or 2 if you are a chocoholic )

8 oz. semisweet chocolate (use a good brand)
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (not instant)
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs (do not pour in one bowl)
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350°

Line a glass loaf pan with foil (I only had light gray). In the top of a double boiler melt the chocolate in the coffee. Add the butter and sugar, stirring until the butter is melted.

Cool the mixture for 10 minutes then beat in 1 egg at a time. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a crust forms on top, approximately 35-45 minutes. (the sides of mine came up higher for some reason)

Set the loaf pan in enough cool water to come halfway up the pan. The dessert will rise and fall as it cools. When cool, wrap the pan well and refrigerate for at least 2 days or up to 2 weeks. (this helps set it).

When ready to serve unmold and slice and place a little whipped cream on a plate and a slice of sin on top. (OMG - appropriately named!!)

[Audeo]

YOWEE!!! Every one of you: THESE LOOK GREAT!!!!!

Not wanting to commit the sin of omission...

Death by Ganache Chocolate Cake

Part I: The Genoise

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter (plus more for buttering the pan)
2/3 cup of sifted cake flour (very important!)
1/3 cup sifted dutch-processed cocoa
1/8 teaspoon (or large pinch) of baking soda
6 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Begin preheating your oven to 350 degrees (F). Butter a 9-inch or 10-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Flour the entire interior of the pan, tapping out the excess flour.

Sift the flour, cocoa and soda together into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, clarify the butter by melting and skimming off the white foam. Pour the clarified yellow butter into a small bowl and discfard the white liquid at the bottom. Set the melted butter aside in a warm place.

In a medium heat-proof bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add the sugar and whisk well. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar has dissolved. (This takes about 5 minutes. Don’t stop whisking so that the eggs won’t overheat and curdle!)

Transfer the egg mixture to your mixer bowl and beat on high speed until the mixture is cooled, has tripled in volume, and resembles softly whipped cream. (This process will take about 5 minutes or so and the batter will be ready with the batter falls back into the bowl in a ribbon-like stream.)

Sift about 1/3 of the combined flour mixture over the whipped eggs and fold in using a rubber spatula. Next, fold in half of the remaining flour, and finally fold in the rest. DO NOT OVERMIX or you will deflate the batter! Scoop out about 1 cup of the batter into another bowl and combine with the hot butter and vanilla, folding with a small rubber spatula (this will lighten the butter and make it easier to incorporate into the batter without deflating it). When completely combined, use the large spatula to fold the butter mixture completely into batter. Pour the batter into pan, smoothing the top.

Bake until the cake shrinks slightly from the edges and the top springs back when pressed with fingers, about 20-25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in its pan on a metal rack. When the cake has cooled, run a small knife around the edges to release the cake. Trim any hard edges on the top and split the cake in half into two layers using a serrated knife. Separate the layers and baste the top of each liberally with Godiva liqueur. (I use a pastry brush and about ¼ cup of the liqueur in total.) Carefully wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

(The genoise will keep well-wrapped 2 days in the refrigerator or 3 months frozen.)


Part II: The Chocolate Mousse Filling

6 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1-1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water

In a medium heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and set aside, but keep the bowl over the warm water until ready to use.

In your mixer bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a large heat-proof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a full boil. Boil until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3 minutes) to make a simple syrup. Whisking constantly, pour the boiling syrup slowly over the egg yolks. Then set the large bowl of eggs and syrup over a pan of simmering water and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and white in color. The mixture should also be hot to the touch. (Takes about 10 minutes.)

Remove the bowl from the heat and, WORKING QUICKLY, scrape the exx mixture into a clean mixer bowl. On medium speed, whisk the mixture until the volume has doubled and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch. Turn the mixer speed to low, add the melted chocolate and continue to beat until well combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, fold in half of the reserved whipped cream. Then fold in the remainder of the whipped cream.

This mixture can be used immediately or covered with plastic and refrigerated until needed. (I prefer to chill mine.) Also, if the final mousse seems a little runny, the chocolate may have been too warm, but after refrigerating for an hour or so, it will firm up. This makes about 3 cups of mouse.

Part III: The Ganache

A personal thought about chocolate here: The taste and quality of a ganache is absolutely dependent upon the quality of chocolate you begin with, and chocolates are by no means the same! A chocolate with a higher cocoa butter content will produce a ganache that is firmer than one made with a chocolate that has a low cocoa butter content. And a chocolate that has a velvety smooth texture will create a ganache that is velvety smooth. This is why I use E. Guittard’s Columbian Varietal dark chocolate with 65% cacao. But most importantly perhaps is to make a ganache using a chocolate that YOU think tastes great! I like a dark ganache, but you may prefer semisweet. Use whichever you prefer, but use the best chocolate with the highest cocoa butter content you can find.

(This ganache has a little butter added to ensure it will be shiny, even if refrigerated.)

12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of Godiva liqueur (or cognac or brandy)

Place the chopped chocolate into a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Heat the cream until you begin to see bubbles forming around the edges. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir with a whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the liqueur and whisk to totally incorporate.

You will use a small amount of this thin, warm ganache to place a “crumb coat” on the assembled cake, but the remainder should be allowed to cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened, but is still pourable.

Part IV: The Assembly

Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside.

Remove cake layers from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Brush the top of each layer once more with Godiva liqueur. Place the bottom half layer onto the wire rack and spread about 1 cup of the chilled mousse evenly upon top of this bottom layer, then top this mousse-covered layer with the second top layer of the cake. Fill in any gaps along the sides of the middle with additional mousse to create a smooth side to the cake all the way around.

Using a cake spatula, cover the sides and top of the cake with about 2 tablespoons of warm, thin ganache. (This is a “crumb coat” and will seal in any cake crumbs so that the cake will have a smooth finish.) Refrigerate the cake to set the crumb coat and keep it chilled until the remaining ganache has cooled to be thick, but still pourable.

Return the chilled cake to the wire rack and pour the remaining ganache onto the center of the cake. Working quickly, spread the ganache with a spatula, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake to create an even coating of ganache. If there are any bare spots on the side of the cake, cover with leftover ganache retrieved from beneath the wire rack on the baking sheet.

Since the cake was chilled, the ganache will set up quickly. When it is firm, remove the cake carefully from the wire rack and place onto your serving plate.

A few notes about decorating…

Ganache is very versatile stuff! You can take the remainder that has fallen onto the baking sheet, form it into a ball, roll it between your palms into a long snake, then roll it flat (or not) and form all kinds of freeform shapes to go on top of the cake. Or you can roll the ball flat (no thinner than 3/8 of an inch, though) and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes like stars, ornaments, etc. You can make a “white chocolate” ganache and pour it into cake pans to cool, then cut into ribbons, rounds, the sky’s the limit! And white chocolate is stunning against dark chocolate. You can, of course, also paint the ganache onto washed and dried mint leaves to make chocolate leaves that can be shaped to stand up from the cake. And you can form those ribbons into individual “loops” to make a full bow for the top of a cake.

Round peppermint candies placed around the sides and small candy canes crossed on the top center are nice and easy decorations for Christmas.

Squeeze bottles (the plastic ones that catsup and mustard are served in) can be your best friend, too. Load one with pureed raspberries and squeeze out drizzles onto your serving plate and place your cake on top. Load one with warm white chocolate ganache and drizzle on top of the cake, etc. And putting regular icing into one makes writing on a cake a breeze! The sky’s the limit there, too!

Fruits are lovely also. Whole fanned strawberries, fresh raspberries, etc. can be used. Just make sure they are dry when placed on the ganache. Sugared fruits and candied peels, oh my!

Let us not overlook nuts! Once, when in a big rush, I skipped the crumb coat and ended up with very bumpy sides to the cake’s ganache. Enter ground pecans! They stick admirably to ganache! Some whole pecans around the top perimeter of the cake and voila!

And marzipan…a confectioner’s modeling clay. Any shape imaginable is at your fingertips, from fruits to vegetables to leaves to flowers to figures (snowmen, for example) to plaquettes suitable for writing in chocolate, and far beyond…

[Alix]

OH MY GOSH! I think I have died and gone to heaven! This is a recipe thread from my wildest dreams. While we do not celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I think I will make up some kind of reason to celebrate just so I can make one of these amazing recipes. Hmmmm I think my reason will be...It's TUESDAY...YAY!!

I might as well begin at the top with AllenMI's Chocolate Decadance Fudge cake. Mmmmmmmmm. My hubby will LOVE this one. Allen, do you buy the almonds ground or can you do them in a food processor? What consistency am I looking for if I grind my own? Nearly paste?

[PA Baker]

Audeo, your recipe reminded me of the one I'm posting here. While I've never made it, I'm sure it's wonderful, and probably, as the name states, quite deadly (but a good deadly! )!

If anyone has enough chocolate and time on their hands to try this, please let me know how it turns out (and when I can come over for a piece!).

Death By Chocolate

Death by Chocolate: Cocoa Meringue

4 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Using a 9-inch cake circle as a guide, with a pencil trace a circle on a sheet parchment paper cut to fit a baking sheet. Turn the paper over and with trace mark down, place on a baking sheet.

Place 4 egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip. Whisk on high speed until soft peeks form, about 45 to 50 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while continuing to whisk on high speed. Whisk until stiff about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in and thoroughly combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Fill a pastry bag (with no tip) with cocoa meringue. Fill the traced circle with meringue: start in the center and pipe a 3/4-inch wide spiral towards the outside of the circle.

Place the meringue in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees F. and bake for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cocoa meringue to cool on baking sheet for 45 minutes before handling. Adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Death by Chocolate: Chocolate Mousse

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

While the meringue is baking, prepare the chocolate mousse. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 6-ounces of semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, about 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth keep at room temperature until needed.

Place 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip. Whisk on high speed until peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside for a few minutes until needed.

Whisk 3 egg whites in a large stainless-steel bowl, until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Add a 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate and whisk quickly, vigorously, and thoroughly, then add to the egg whites. Now add the remaining whipped cream. Fold all together gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate the chocolate mousse until needed.

Death by Chocolate: Simply the Best Brownie Layer

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
4 ounces chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare the chocolate brownie layer.

Coat a 9 by 1 1/2-inch cake pan with 1 teaspoon of butter. Flour the pan with 1 teaspoon of flour, shaking out the excess.

Sift together 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt onto waxed paper. Set aside.

Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 4 tablespoons butter, and 2 ounces semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler tightly cover top with film wrap. Heat for 4 1/2 to 5 minutes, remove from the heat, and stir until smooth.

Place 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip. Whisk on high speed until slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk on medium for 30 seconds. Add the sifted ingredients, whisk on low for 10 seconds, then on medium for 10 seconds. Add the sour cream and whisk on medium for 5 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine ( also add and combine 4 ounces chocolate chunks ).
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake the brownie for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan at room temperature for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a cake circle and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the brownie from the refrigerator and cut in half horizontally. Keep the brownie at room temperature until needed.

Death by Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
22 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces

Prepare the ganache, heat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of butter in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place 22 ounces of semisweet chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.

[i]Death by Chocolate: Mocha Mousse[/i]

14 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons instant coffee
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
5 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream

Prepare the Mocha Mousse. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium high heat. Place 14 ounces semisweet chocolate, 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 cup water, 4 tablespoons of instant coffee, and 2 tablespoons cocoa in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Heat for 6 to 7 minutes, remove the film wrap, and stir the mixture until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.


Death by Chocolate: Assembly

Place a closed 9 by 3-inch spring-form pan on a baking sheet. Set the top half of the chocolate brownie inside the pan top side up. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of ganache into the pan over the chocolate brownie. Trim the cocoa meringue with a serrated knife so that it will fit tightly into the pan. Place the trimmed cocoa meringue, top side up, inside the pan on top of the ganache, pressing down gently on the cocoa meringue to eliminate air pockets.

Spoon the mocha mousse on top of the cocoa meringue spreading evenly. Place the remaining chocolate brownie half, bottom side up, on top of the mocha mousse. Chill the cake in freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove from the freezer and cut around the edges to release from the spring-form pan. Pour the remaining ganache over the cake and use a cake spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the ganache.
Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the chocolate mousse. Pipe a circle of stars (each touching the other) along the outside edge of the top of the cake. Continue to pipe out circle of stars until the top of the cake is covered. Refrigerate the Death By Chocolate for at least 4 hours and preferably 12 hours before cutting and serving.

Mocha Rum Sauce:
6 ounces unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat the butter in a 2 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add the sugar, heavy cream, sifted cocoa, 2 tablespoons dark rum, and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the instant coffee and vanilla extract and remaining tablespoon of rum, stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

To serve, cut the Death By Chocolate into the desired number of servings. Heat the blade of a serrated slicer under hot running water before slicing into the cake. Repeat this procedure after making each slice. Flood the base of each 10-inch dinner plate with 3 to 4 tablespoons mocha rum sauce and place a piece of Death By Chocolate in the center of each plate. Serve immediately.
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