Adventures in Chocolate

Lately I have been cooking more than usual. I've never really considered myself to be much of a cook. although I have on occasion been known to create a killer quiche or toss a good curry, and I have some fail-safe recipes that are ALL MINE. However, I tend to faire simple when it comes to the kitchen. I have a history of burning rice, of forgetting ingredients, of not reading a recipe the whole way through to discover that I'm lacking the utensils or materials for the final steps. My entire lineage is British, so I grew up on all things boiled or broiled, sometimes pan fried, barbeque when it's in season. My parents are not terribly adventurous in the kitchen. My grandmothers, though both wonderful at creating large meals which are tasty and fulfulling, do tend toward their fail-safe recipes most of the time. Growing up, we had a weekly schedule: Monday is Beef, Tuesday is Chicken, Wednesday is Pasta, Thursday is Pork, Friday is leftovers, Saturday is pizza, Sunday is fish. Repeat. With little variation. And, for my part, little satisfaction as I stopped eating meat at age ten.
I have, however, always been a decent baker. Again, I rarely ventured out of the safety zone, sticking to boxed cake ingredients, store-bought pie shells (pastry is HARD), that sort of thing. In the past few years I've learned to make truffles, cakes from scratch, pie fillings (but still not the pastry) and a variety of other tasties. Plus, I've ALWAYS made cookies from scratch.
This past week I've been reading "French Women for All Seaons" by Mireille Guiliano; I read "French Women Don't Get Fat" a few years ago and enjoyed a few recipes from this book. Upon completion of the most recent, I have scores of new recipes and have made a few with good success: Blanched asparagus with home-made mayonnaise (which is harder than it sounds, but fully worth it), rhubarb-strawberry compote (pie filling without the pie), and yesterday I ventured into the flourless chocolate cake.
Now, anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE carbs. It's a serious problem. I've been making a solid effort to reduce carbs in favour of adding protein (not Atkins because that's ridiculous and unhealthy), mostly because vegetarians in general do not get enough and compensate with grains. Thus, the concept of a chocoalte cake without flour is marvellous. Plus chocolate: awesome. Having borrowed a spring-form pan from the great Graham, I was set to go (I used to have one, but gave it away many years ago since I had never once used it and did not foresee a use for it in the reasonable future). As with all first-time recipes, there was beauty, pain, disaster, and a final product (which I will not discuss so as not to spoil the ending).

Somehow I didn't think of taking pictures of the beautifully melted chocolate, the delightfully creamed butter, the fluffy eggs or anything like that. I didn't think of photo documenting anything until the carnage began:

This is the recently-emptied mixing bowl which at different times housed melted chocolate with butter, eggs with sugar, orange liqueur, and finally all three mixed together. I tried using a separate mixing bowl in the mixer, but since it didn't fit, it made a horrible noise, rattled about terribly, and frightened the cats. Instead, I transfered all the mixtures around a few times in order to properly blend. This bowl and spatula got a serious work out.

This is the bowl into which I transferred all of the "set aside" ingredients. It is also the bowl I attempted to use with the mixer and which proceded to make the aforementioned horrific noises. Note the various accoutrements (blending tool, wooden spoon, whisk, funnel). Clearly I was having fun.
This is my happy orange KitchenAid. Please note the very telling glob of chocolate on the rim. I am not the tidest of chefs. The mixer is probably the best Christmas present I have ever received; I showed it to my mother in the Williams-Sonoma and actually caressed it. I adore this mixer.

In my haste (and weak-wristed) desire to transfer the batter into the sprinform pan:
Big dollop of chocolate on the microwave. And:
a somewhat smaller one on the floor.
Flourless chocolate cake, in sprinform pan ready to be put in the oven. I was so excited at this point that I forgot about the precariously perched box of cornstarch...
It wasted no time attacking me when I opened the cupboard. I now understand why one uses an apron.
40 minutes later it's out of the oven and feeling fine.
Served with freshly whipped cream (unsweetened)
courtesy of Lisa, and strawberries

courtesy of Mother Earth.
The following afternoon, there was much enjoyment. We were too excited about eating to bother taking photos of our pieces. Instead:
Graham: lender of pans.
Jim: Enjoyer of treats.
Lisa: Demolisher of delicious.
My own piece had to rest on the table, what with my hands being full of camera.

We managed to make four slices of cake from 1/4 of the entire cake. It was glorious. I even used half the recommeded amount of sugar. Thusly, I packed up portions of cake and whipped cream for our guests to take home.

And of course included the recipe. There are no secrets among us.
This goes well served with espresso or coffee, or perhaps Grand Marnier. Strawberries may be substituted with raspberries (or omitted for the non-fruit lover).

The adventure was a great success, and definitely bears repeating (although infrequently as something like this should be kept as an anticipated indulgence, not a dietary staple).