Sugar High Friday #27 Submission: Chocolate Decadence

David Lebovitz is hosting this month's Sugar High Friday and chose chocolate as the theme ingredient.

Yum!

This desert, Chocolate Decadence, not only fulfills David's requirements but also fulfills mine for 2007: a healthy (or healthier...) dessert that doesn't taste that way.

Wonderfully (luckily, Thank God-ily), this recipe does just that: it is a decadent dessert. Served warm from the oven, a serving of this deeply rich cake is packed with enough flavor to sate the deepest chocolate craving. Dense and moist, the fudge-like consistency is punctuated by pockets of velvety melted dark chocolate.

To really impress, sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar on the cake, and drizzle a smidge of raspberry coulis on the plate.

Creating a good chocolate flavor was simple, using ingredients readily available at the grocery store. I used Hershey's cocoa, Ghirardelli 60-percent cacao chips, and Scharffen Berger 99-percent cacao unsweetened baking bar. I haven't been impressed by Scharffen Berger's chocolate punch, but the bar was in my Christmas stocking and therefore, in the house. Maybe it's a better bar, or maybe the small amount used in the recipe (1/2 ounce) didn't have too much effect on the end result, but the dessert is excellent.

Chocolate Decadence

Cooking spray
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
8 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside. (If you don't have ramekins, you can use a standard muffin tin.)

Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.

Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350-degrees F for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings


Grade: A