Triple Chocolate Espresso Bean Cookies Recipe


Today's recipe is for you coffee lovers. I had a bag of chocolate covered espresso beans on hand and thought it might be interesting to bake them into a cookie. A dark chocolate cookie. A dark chocolate cookie pumped full of lots of freshly ground espresso powder...


Whole wheat pastry flour, Alter-eco all-natural, unrefined sugar, chocolate coated espresso beans

I used a whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour. The more I use this flour for quick breads, cookies, and muffins, the more I love it. People think whole wheat and they think heavy - not so with whole wheat pastry flour. It is ground from a softer, starchier wheat berry which turns out a talcum soft, fine, off-white flour. It has less gluten than flour ground from hard wheat berries and is good for recipes where you want a tender crumb. Because it is a whole wheat flour it all of the wheat berry is used - the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. It is a whole food and all the good, nutritious parts are part of the final flour.



Cookie batter just before stirring in the espresso beans

Take a look here, the final dough is a thick and rich, creamy brown in color tinted by the cacao powder. It gives of a aura of dark chocolate spiked with the smell of the inside of a bag espresso beans. Every time I make cookies I have the same exact conversation with myself, right after I mix in the dry ingredients I say to myself, "I probably shouldn't sample the dough, it has raw eggs in it." And then I proceed to eat some regardless.

So, consider yourself warned - this is a cookie dough you can't resist sampling, raw egg roulette is in your future if you make a batch. Hopefully you have more willpower than I do and at the very least buy good, fresh, organic, free range eggs.



Fresh from the oven

Here's what the insides of the final cookies looked like. They were deliciously sophisticated in flavor with the crunch from the espresso beans playing off the dense cakiness of the cookie. Next time around I want a touch more ooey-gooey factor, so I'll stir in 3/4 of a cup of semi-sweet chips. I'll factor that into the recipe below.

Triple Chocolate Espresso Bean Cookie Recipe
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons freshly ground espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1/2 cup natural cocoa or cacao powder (Scharffen Berger or Dagoba), not dutched

1 cup organic unsalted butter, room temperature (soft to the touch)
2 cups fine-grained natural granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar) – for example, I love alter-eco brand, OR do 1 1/2 cups sugar + 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 large organic eggs
3 teaspoons high-quality vanilla extract

3/4 cup cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 ounces chocolate covered espresso beans

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble dry ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cacao powder. Set aside.

Assemble the wet ingredients: In a big bowl or with an electric mixer beat the butter until it is fluffy and lightens a bit in color. Now beat in the sugar – it should have a thick frosting-like consistency. Mix in the eggs one at a time, making sure the first egg gets incorporated before adding the next. You will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice as well. Add the vanilla and mix until it is incorporated.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in about four waves. Stir a bit between each addition until the flour is just incorporated. You could add all the flour at once, but it tends to explode up and out of the mixing bowl and all over me every time I do that. At this point you should have a moist, brown dough that is uniform in color. Stir in the espresso beans and chocolate chips by hand and mix only until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Drop the cookies onto baking sheets: I like to make these cookies medium in size (they are rich!) - and use roughly one heaping tablespoons of dough for each one. I leave the dough balls rough and raggy looking - I never roll them into perfect balls or anything like that - this way each cookie will have a bit of unique personality.

Place the cookies in the oven: Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes on the middle rack. You don't want to over bake these cookies at all or they will really dry out. If anything, under bake them just a bit. When they are done, pull them out to cool.

Tip: If you don't want to bake all the cookies at one once you can freeze some of the dough for quick cookies later. Instead of placing the cookies in the oven put the cookie dough balls into a freezer-quality plastic bag and toss them in the freezer. You can bake straight from the freezer at a later date, up the baking time by a couple minutes to compensate for the frozen dough.

Big Batch: 2-3 dozen chunky, medium cookies.

Source:101cookbooks

Coconut Chocolate Pudding Recipe
by Heidi,101cookbooks


It took me almost thirty dollars in premium chocolate and four lackluster attempts to eventually come up with a chocolate pudding recipe special enough to share with you. I made not only bland, flat, and gelatinous puddings, but also runny and boring chocolate puddings before I finally turned out this keeper of a batch. It is deeply dark and impossibly chocolatety, rich, glossy, fragrant, and un-lumpy. I used a coconut milk base in place of dairy, and infused it with a whisper of warming spices to give it an unexpected, ambiguously exotic je ne sais quoi.

On my journey to the final recipe, I ran into a few issues and problems that needed to be addressed. I had a pudding in mind - it would be a serious and sophisticated dark chocolate pudding made with a coconut milk base, arrowroot would be used as the thickener, non-alkalized cocoa powder (not dutched) would be enlisted, as would a semi-sweet chocolate bar. I'm usually relatively close to the mark when I imagine how ingredients might come together into a final creation or recipe, but my first attempt here was remarkably off. The pudding took almost twelve hours to achieve any sort of set, and even then it was on the runny side. It dawned on me the acidity in the non-alkalized cocoa powder might be rendering the arrowroot thickener ineffective, so I corrected for that variable and made changes a bit at a time over the course of five batches until I finally had a chocolate pudding recipe that matched the one in my imagination.

So here it is! The great thing is it only takes a few minutes of active cooking time. You can play around with a few of the variables - for example, it might be fun to use one of those uniquely-spiced Vosges chocolate bars in place of the straight semi-sweet. If you want to use regular or low-fat milk, give it a go. You can use cornstarch, but it didn't deliver the smooth glossy texture and sheen that came with using arrowroot powder. I also mention a few other variables to play with in the recipe headnotes.

Sidenote: I like silky smooth puddings, my dad on the other hand can never get enough tapioca - there are stretches when I know he makes a batch a week. If you're interested I'll have him give me a lesson, and I'll pass along his recipe for the tapioca fans out there.



Coconut Chocolate Pudding Recipe

I used Scharffen Berger 62% semi-sweet chocolate in this pudding, I also did a batch with 70% - delicious. You can play around with a few of the variables here. For example, it might be fun to use one of the uniquely spiced Vosges chocolate bars in place of the straight semi-sweet. I used raz el hanout spice blend here - but you should feel free to experiment with your favorite curry spice blend. If you want to use regular or low-fat milk in place of the coconut milk, give it a go. For a more pronounced coconut flavor, you might want to add a small splash of coconut extract.

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tablespoons sugar
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
1 teaspoon raz el hanout spice blend or curry powder, (optional)
3 tablespoons alkalized dutch-cocoa powder, sifted
1 3.5-ounce bar semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a dry skillet

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt (just) to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, arrowroot powder, spice blend (or curry powder), and cocoa powder. It should look like a chocolate frosting.

When the coconut milk and sugar mixture has started simmering take about 1/4 cup of it and whisk it little by little into the arrowroot mixture, creating a slurry. Turn down the heat to the very lowest setting. Now drizzle the arrowroot slurry mixture into the simmering pan of coconut milk whisking vigorously all the while. Keep whisking until the pudding comes back up barely to a simmer and thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from heat, continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Now whisk in the chocolate and vanilla. Keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding. Serve dusted with the coconut flakes and a tiny pinch of spices (orcurry powder).

Serves four.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes Recipe
by Heidi,101cookbooks

Five reasons to make this Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake recipe:

- If, like me, you have a small mountain of summer squash in your kitchen - don't make the mistake of ignoring them. You have to understand, summer squash are sensitive and passive-aggresive. While they might be pert and vibrant when they first make the jump into your basket, it is all downhill from there as they wait impatiently to be turned into something spectacular. As the hours pass, they sullenly pout and begin the slowly but steady decline into a flacid, rubbery incarnation of their former self. Use them quickly, because as they sit there on your counter - mark my word, they are judging you.

- The chocolate. The chocolate factor here is high - an 8 on a scale of 10. The batter is a rich, deep, and dark ebony-brown and as if by some freak of nature - the chocolate chips are still melty and oozy two or three hours after the muffins come out of the oven.

- These muffins/cupcakes made me consider becoming a wrapper-chewer. Unlike Warren, who makes a habit of it, this is the first time I've really felt compelled to scrape the paper wrappers (of any muffin, cupcake, or baked good for that matter) clean with my teeth.

- The coconut factor. While the Rebar recipe calls for 3/4 cup of unspecified vegetable oil. I took this as an opportunity to use unrefined, fully-scented, coconut oil. It adds a layer of richness, moisture, and flavor that you wouldn't get otherwise. A hint of coconut scent will hits your nose before you take a bite, and permeates your house as these bake.

- So easy to make. I didn't even drag out the big electric Kitchen Aid mixer. Because the fats are liquid (or soft, in the case of the coconut oil), I didn't need the muscle power of the mighty mixer. It was refreshing to do everything by hand, with ease, the old-fashioned way.

A knock-out recipe from the Rebar Cookbook. I know this book can be hard to come by, but if you happen to come acros a copy, be sure to give it more than a glance.


Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake Recipe

1 1/2 cups (360 mL) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil (hs note: I used unrefined, scented, all-natural coconut oil)
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (120 mL) buttermilk
2 cups (480 mL) grated zucchini
1 cup (240 mL) chocolate chips
2 cups (480 mL) unbleached flour
1 cup (240 mL) cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) allspice
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease large muffin pans and line with muffin cups.

In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well Incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, while preparing the icing (hs note: I made these without the icing, also - don't overcook them or you will lose all the moist goodness - you want them to look almost done in the oven - they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you pull them from the oven from the residual heat).

Yields 9 large cupcakes or 20 standard cupcakes.

Moosewood Fudge Brownies Recipe
by Heidi,101cookbooks



It has been a while since I've written up any sweets, so I turned to my cookbook collection for a bit of inspiration. I thought it might be a day for a batch of cookies, but instead I ended up focusing on a classic fudge brownie recipe from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. These fudge brownies are packed with optional add-ins including freshly ground espresso beans, toasted walnuts, and mashed extra-ripe banana. Yum.

Let me back up for a minute. I know many of you are going to find this hard to believe, but I've never cooked anything from the Moosewood Cookbook. Mollie has over 6 million books in print, so it is quite possible I'm alone in this regard. Wayne's mom gave me a copy years and years ago, it is brimming with all the recipes that have become vegetarian staples - hummus, walnut pates, ratatouille, vegetable curries, enchiladas, vegetable egg rolls, cream of broccoli soup and the like. It is the book that millions of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike have turned to over the past thirty years. This afternoon I took the plunge. Fudge brownies were the item of the day, but I have my eye on the Chilled Dill Soup for a hot day later this summer.

As far as brownies go, I wouldn't classify these brownies as dense, but they're certainly on the dense side of cakey, with a lovely, sophisticated crumb. The recipe calls for 5 eggs, so if you can imagine the way eggs impact the texture of your other baking endeavors (souffles or a quiche), you can imagine how using more or less eggs in a brownie recipe might impact its texture. This recipe seems to be on the upper end of the egg spectrum when it comes to brownies.

I love the crunch of the added walnuts, and recommend the banana-espresso addition for those of you who are looking to rid yourself of overripe bananas in something other than banana bread!



Moosewood Fudge Brownies

Heidi notes: I used 71% Valrhona chocolate. White whole wheat flour works great if you would like to substitute. I also added espresso powder, half of a large ripe banana, and about a cup of toasted walnuts (per Mollie's suggestions at the tail end of the recipe). I topped them with a sprinkling of walnuts before going in the oven as well.

Let soften: 1/2 lb. butter (don't melt it)

Melt: 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate. Let cool.

Cream the butter with 1 3/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar and 5 eggs. Add 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Beat in the melted, cooled chocolate and 1 cup flour.

Spread into a buttered 9x13" baking pan. Bake 20-30 minutes (hs note: mine took 30) at 350 degrees.

Optional: chopped nuts, or 1 tablespoon instant coffee, or 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange or lemon rind, or 1/2 teaspoon allspice or cinnamon, or a mashed over-ripe banana, or none of the above.

Yet another option: instead of uniformly blending in the chocolate, you can marble it. Add chocolate last, after the flour is completely blended in and only partially blend in the chocolate. It looks real nice.

Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte Recipe
by Heidi,101cookbooks


According to the guest book inside the back door of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker the two people who visited before me were named Shorty and Fatty. This struck me as particularly funny as I kept grazing my way through sample after sample waiting for the tour to begin.

The Scharffen Berger factory is made from a million red bricks, and is a beauty. Just the right size too - not at all a sprawler like many factories. It has a modest footprint and a few of the rooms are illuminated by natural light spilling in through windows that bump up against sky-high ceilings. The floor of the factory is punctuated by vintage chocolate making machinery including an impressive cherry-red roaster, and a melangeur that I believe the guide said was found in Serbia.



Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker - big roaster

Talk of the recent acquisition was kept to a minimum. Business-as-usual seemed to be the message to the public. But you could tell people were curious and for a minute or two the direction of the classroom part of our tour turned from 'bean to bar' lecture into a 'bean to business' q+a - people were curious about how the factory would expand and grow under different ownership. The guide said they would be part of an entrepreneurial arm of Hershey, and added they were considering expanding operations and capacity by building a replica factory in one of two places - New York, or Pennsylvania.



Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker - bean origins

The timing of our visit was not at all a fluke, at a party recently a friend made a chocolate cake that floored me. It sat at the center of a big buffet table throughout the birthday party, pretty - but at the same time simple and unassuming. It was low-rise cake that she had stacked two high for a tiered effect, with a sheen of chocolate glaze. When the time was right, songs were sung, Jennifer meticulously cut the cake into tiny, thumb-size wedges and began to shuttle plates into eager hands. I swear to you a hush fell across the room as people blissed out on the chocolate. I've had chocolate on the brain ever since.

Jennifer was nice enough to tell me where to track down the magic recipe. I kid you not - if there is only one chocolate cake in my life from this day forward, let this be it. Imagine a rich, creamy, crumb-less, dense chocolate mouse and you are on the right track. It is flourless, and made from just three main ingredients - bittersweet chocolate, butter, and floppy beaten eggs - with a touch of sugar depending on the chocolate you choose. I wasn't at all surprise when she told me the source was Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible.

Cake makers of the world unite under the flag of Beranbaum's Cake Bible - it is a cornerstone of many cake baking libraries. From the cover and title alone there is no mistaking that the author aimed big - you don't put the word bible on your cover unless you are serious. The book delivered and won the 1988 IACP Cookbook of the Year award. One of the fantastic things it does is give ingredient lists by both measure, and more accurately, by weight. It also offers up plenty of variation suggestions for each of the cakes. For those of you who are new generation of bakers, or just new to cake making in general it is well worth your time to look for this book - many libraries have copies of it in their collections, so you can look for it there as well.


Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte Recipe

Beranbaum says this is her favorite way to eat chocolate. It is baked at a high temperature for a short time in a water bath delivering what she calls a result that is like the creamiest truffle wedded to the purest chocolate mousse. Be sure to serve it a room temperature, not chilled. I used Sharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet chocolate. Read through the recipe before starting, it is an easy cake to make, but there are lots of side notes that are important to the success of the cake.

Ingredients (all at room temperature):

bittersweet chocolate: 1 pound or 5 1/3 (3-ounce) bars or 454 grams

unsalted butter: 1 cup or 1/2 pound or 227 grams

6 large eggs: 1 1/4 scant cups or 10.5 ounces or 300 grams (weighed without shells)

* Beranbaum note: Two of my favorites are Lindt Courante and Tobler extra bittersweet. If using Courante chocolate, add 1/3 cup (2.25 ounces/66 grams) sugar to the eggs while beating. If using extra bittersweet, add 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces/37 grams) sugar. Heidi note: I added 3 tablespoons superfine sugar to the eggs when using the 70% Sharffen Berger.

Prepare pan: One 8-inch springform pan at least 2 1/2 inches high, buttered and bottom lined with buttered parchment or wax paper; outside of pan wrapped with a double layer of heavy-duly foil to prevent seepage. One 10-inch cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath.

Finished height: 1 1/2 inches.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In large metal bowl set over a pan of hot, not simmering, water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) combine the chocolate and butter and let stand, stirring occasionally, until smooth and melted. (The mixture can be melted in the microwave on high power, stirring every 15 seconds. Remove when there are still a few lumps of chocolate and stir until fully melted.)

In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water heat the eggs, stirring constantly to prevent curdling, until just warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and beat, using the whisk beater, until triple in volume and soft peaks form when the beater is raised, about 5 minutes. (To insure maximum volume if using a hand mixer, beat the eggs over simmering water until they are hot to the touch, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat until cool.)

Using a large wire whisk or rubber spatula, fold 1/2 the eggs into the chocolate mixture until almost incorporated. Fold in the remaining eggs until just blended and no streaks remain. Finish by using a rubber spatula to ensure that the heavier mixture at the bottom is incorporated. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth with the spatula. Set the pan in the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch very hot water. Bake 5 minutes. Cover loosely with a piece of buttered foil and bake 10 minutes. (The cake will look soft, but this is as it should be.)

Let the cake cool on a rack 45 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, about 3 hours.

To unmold: Have ready a serving plate and a flat plate at least 8 inches in diameter, covered with plastic wrap. Wipe the sides of the pan with a hot, damp towel.

Run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the cake and release the sides of the springform pan. Place the plastic-wrapped plate on top and invert. Wipe the bottom of the pan with a hot, damp towel. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment. Reinvert onto the serving plate.

Tip: If you have an oven with a pilot light, it can save you a lot of time. The night before baking, place the chocolate and butter in the oven along with the eggs still in their shells in another mixing bowl. (Eggs should weigh about 12 ounces/340 grams.) The next morning, the chocolate and butter will be fully melted and the eggs the perfect temper- ature. Stir the chocolate and butter until smooth and be sure to remove it and the eggs from the oven before preheating oven!

Store: 2 weeks refrigerated. Do not freeze because freezing changes the texture.

Serve: Room temperature. Cut into narrow wedges with a thin sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water.

Pointers for success: For a moist airy texture, be sure to add beaten eggs to chocolate mixture and not the chocolate to the eggs. Wrapping the pan with foil keeps it watertight. Chill thoroughly before unmolding. Use the plastic-wrapped plate when unmolding to protect the surface of cake if you're not planning to use a topping.

Another note from Beranbaum: An 8- by 2-inch solid cake pan can be used instead of a springform-or an 8- by 3-inch pan if adding other ingredients from the variation section (pages 86 and 87). Once in San Francisco I made this cake for my newly married brother and his wife using a straight-sided Calphalon saucepan because they had no cake pans. The handle worked well to unmold the cake! To unmold, run a thin spatula around the sides, place the pan on a heated burner for 10 to 20 seconds, moving it back and forth, and then invert. If the cake does not release, return it to the hot burner for a few more seconds.

Understanding: Just as for cheesecake, baking the Oblivion in a water bath keeps the texture creamy throughout. When this cake is served at room temperature, you get a rush of chocolate from the moment it enters your mouth. The full flavor of chocolate can best be appreciated only in a softened state. (A chocolate bar, for example, has to start melting in the mouth before the flavor comes through.) The butter and eggs do not distract. Instead they contribute structure and the desired creamy texture.

Serves 16.

Amaretto-spiked Chocolate Mousse Recipe
by Heidi,101cookbooks


In the Viking catalog I called it a pudding, but really - it is so rich, velvety, and decadent I think I will change my mind and call it a mousse from here on out.

Chocolate mousse reminds me of the 80s. My mom doesn't cook much, but there was an era in our household when the only recipe she would make was chocolate mousse - it was a big ordeal. Less of an ordeal than when she was going through her German Chocolate Cake period, but a monumental undertaking for her nonetheless. When she completed her mousse masterpieces they would slide into the refrigerator and chill on a tray in individual flute glasses until just the right moment. Ooohs and ahhs would fill the room when the flutes were finally permitted to make their appearance at the end of a meal. My mom would say something like "oh, those - I just threw those together, no big deal." My sister and I would snicker from the adjoining TV room.

Don't tell anybody, but this recipe is really easy to make. Oh, and it is dairy-free. Shhhh, it is also vegan, but don't tell the non-vegans. Hope you like it - let me know what you think.

Variations: If you want a more ploppy, pudding-like consistency, add another 1/4 or 1/3 cup chocolate soy milk to the recipe in the beginning. Want an even denser mousse? Start by scaling back to about 1/3 cup chocolate soy milk to start. I am spiking it with a couple layers of almond flavoring, but feel free to experiment with different infusions. Instead of almond flavors infuse the simmering milk with mint or a couple pinches of spicy chilies (strain before mixing into chips). Anything that goes well with chocolate will be a welcome infusion into this mousse.

Amaretto-Spiked Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe

1/2 cup organic chocolate soy milk (for this recipe I like to use Vitasoy Rich Chocolate Soy Milk)

9 or 10 ounce bag of semisweet vegan chocolate chips (I've had good success with Tropical Source or Sunspire Brand all-natural brands, NOT carob chips)

12 ounces silken tofu

1/4 cup Amaretto or almond-flavored liquor

1/4 teaspoon natural pure almond extract (I use the Flavorganics Almond Extract for this recipe)

Pour the chocolate milk into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Remove the milk from heat and let cool a bit while you melt down the chocolate chips. You can melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or if you are like me, and don't own a double-boiler, you can cobble one together using a tiny saucepan set under a larger mixing bowl. Fill the tiny saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring barely to a simmer - place the big mixing bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the tiny saucepan and let the heat come up and gently warm the chips while you stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add the soy milk and silken tofu to the melted chocolate chips. Process with a hand or regular blender until completely smooth. Stir in the Amaretto and almond extract. Taste and adjust for flavor, adding a bit more extract if needed.

Chill in the big bowl (or in individual bowls) for at least 1 1/2 hours, the longer the better. The pudding will set up nicely as it cools.

Makes 6 decadent servings.

Quarky Chocolate Cake

Sour cream cakes are a dime a dozen, but using, German-style quark (a low- or nonfat fresh cheese that tastes like a combination of sour cream, yogurt, and cream cheese) takes this ordinary chocolate cake into the realm of the memorable. It's fudgy, yet slightly easier on your conscience. If you can't find quark, which is available in some supermarkets, you can make this cake with sour cream. Since this is a three-layer cake, plan to serve a lot of people or to have a lot of leftovers. This cake is best eaten the day it's made, though it will hold, covered, for twenty-four to forty-eight hours at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

FOR THE FROSTING
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 2/3 cups sugar
6 1/2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, such as Scharffen-Berger or Callebaut, finely chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened, cut into tablespoons
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CAKE
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process), plus extra for dusting the pans
4 ounces high-quality unsweetened chocolate, such as Scharffen-Berger or Callebaut, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups cake flour
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 whole egg
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup quark, such as Ellen's Nonfat, stirred until smooth

To make the frosting:

In a medium-size saucepan, heat the cream and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir until it is thoroughly melted. Remove from the heat, cover, and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, mix the butter on medium-high speed until it is smooth and creamy. Turn the mixer to medium-low and add half of the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla. Mix well. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside until it hardens slightly, to become a spreadable consistency, 1 to 2 hours. (Or, you can refrigerate the frosting for about 30 minutes, or until it becomes thickened and spreadable. Bring it to room temperature before frosting.)

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease three 9-inch round cake pans. Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit the bottom of each pan and place inside the pans. Grease the waxed paper, and dust the pans with cocoa powder until well coated. Set aside.

In a small heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over the 1/2 cup cocoa. Stir until the mixture is very smooth, and set aside to cool.

Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or in a stainless-steel bowl set over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.

Into a medium-size bowl, sift together both flours, the baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups of the sugar and beat until well blended, about 5 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and egg yolks, one at a time. Beat in the cooled cocoa mixture until very smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Turn the mixer to medium-low and add the melted chocolate, beating until well incorporated. Add the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and add half the dry ingredients. Then add the quark, mix well, and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a copper or stainless-steel bowl, and using clean beaters, beat the egg whites at high speed. When frothy, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until the egg whites form stiff peaks, 5 to 6 minutes.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold about 1 cup of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Then gently fold that mixture back into the chocolate mixture, just until the egg whites are well incorporated. Do not overmix.

Distribute the batter evenly among the pans, and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Cakes are done when the tops are just beginning to crack and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Let cool on a rack for about 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble:

Place the first layer on a serving plate and frost the top only. Place the second layer on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat with the top layer. Spread the remaining frosting along the sides until the cake is completely covered with frosting. Cut and enjoy!