Thanksgiving Baking - Part II

Flourless Chocolate Cake w/ Sugared Cranberries

Sugared Cranberries (My printer friendly version)

Yield: 2 cups Sugared Cranberries

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and picked through
1 cup medium grain sugar (I used Domino brand Organic Demerara)

Freshly washed cranberries

Simple Syrup:

Combine water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium high heat until completely dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool. If simple syrup is too hot cranberries will burst and you will have to start over :(

 



Cranberries:

Once syrup has cooled to room temperature cover cranberries with syrup and refrigerate overnight.



Drain syrup and dust cranberries in medium grain sugar. Start slowly, pour a light layer in a dish and shke until coated. Continue adding a bit of sugar, shaking to coat and repeating until cranberries can no longer take up any sugar.

Recipe suggested a cookie sheet, but a deeper glass casserole worked very well.

Transfer to a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper and allow to dry to a hard candy shell for several hours.


Line cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent from sticking.



Flourless Chocolate Cake (Printer friendly)

A recipe gifted to me from my very talented (pastry chef) friend, Jennifer.

Yield: 1 10 inch cake

Ingredients:

(for cake)

1/2 lb (8oz) chopped semisweet chocolate

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (4oz) hot coffee (or boiling water and 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee)

1/2 lb (2 sticks) softened butter, cut into small chunks

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(for ganache)

4oz chopped semisweet chocolate

4oz (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Cake:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Place chocolate in mixing bowl and melt over double boiler.

         

Add sugar and coffee, add stand mixer set to lowest speed and while running add butter, blending until completely smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth again. Scrape down bowl at regular intervals.

Grease and parchment a 10" round cake pan. Fill pan with batter and bake at 350 degrees for exactly 55 minutes. Cakes will souffle and then fall and crackle once cooled. A toothpick inserted into the cakes should come out wet - moist crumbs, not batter.

Refrigerate overnight.

To unmold, run knife around edge, set pan in hot water for a few second and turn over on a cake plate.

Ganache:

         

Bring cream to a steady simmer over a medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until completely smooth.

         

To serve, cover with ganache and allow to cool completely. Start covering by pouring warm ganache on the top of the cake and smoothing with the back of a spoon, gently pushing over the edge of the cake. Smooth the outside edge of the cake, but don't go too crazy, this will be easier when the ganache has cooled slightly.

Garnish with the sugared cranberries and enjoy!