Flourless Chocolate Cake

WARNING: Recovering Chocoholics and those on a diet, put down your mouse and shut down your PC!!! Believe me, you don't want to see this. But, if you want to torture yourself, go ahead... LOL!

Seriously, this is such a scrumptious dessert I just couldn't resist making it. I was browsing through Parade magazine this morning and came across this recipe by Ingrid Michaelson. Yup, Ingrid Michaelson! Can you believe it? She not only sings...she also bakes!

When I saw "chocolate" I was a goner. Then I saw "flourless," so I just had to make it! I mean, who could resist a chocolate cake with no flour in it? In my opinion, chocolate cake should be made of just pure chocolate, don't you agree? No other ingredients should mar its flavor. But then again, without other ingredients, I might just as well eat the chocolate morsels straight out of the bag. Not that I have anything against that (far from it), but it's much more fun to mix a little bit of this and that to bring out that rich, irresistible chocolate flavor.

So now let me stop with the chatter and get on with the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

7 oz semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar, divided
4 eggs, separated

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Assemble all the ingredients.

Preparing all the ingredients shortens the work time

Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.

I had to dig this out from storage. It's been a long time since I used it.

Stir together half the sugar and egg yolks. Add to melted chocolate mixture. Remove from heat
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites. Gradually add the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fold mixture into chocolate. Tip: Transfer the chocolate concoction to a wider bowl so it's easier to fold in the egg white/sugar mixture.

Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.

The folded mixture looks "marbly,"doesn't it? :)

Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs in it.
Cool 30 minutes before removing from pan.

Ta-da!!!

Dust with powdered sugar, if you want.
I know I should wait until it cools but I've gotta have a taste...it's melt-in-your mouth delicious!!!

Puto (Steamed rice cake)

By popular demand, I am sharing our Puto recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb + 4 tbsp rice flour
2 cups sugar
14 oz coconut milk
14 oz milk
14 oz water
3/4 tbsp yeast in 1 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Using a wire whisk, mix water with flour and sugar.
Add melted butter.
Add risen yeast.
Mix well until  bubbles appear.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Let the mixture rise for 30-45 minutes (or until the mixture is heavy in consistency).

Pour the mixture into small steam cups. Arrange cups in one layer of steam pan.
Steam each batch for 10 minutes.
Let cool a bit before removing puto from the cups.

Serve warm.

Binangkal (Sesame Seed Balls)

I love Binangkal!

For those who are not familiar with this Filipino "bread," Binangkal  can be described as fried, sesame seed flour balls. It is popular in the Visayas and (some) Mindanao regions in the Philippines. If you haven't tried them, you should! They're a very tasty and filling snack.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

Sesame seeds

Oil for deep frying

Directions:

Heat enough oil for deep frying. 

Mix the flour and baking powder

Add the brown sugar. 

Add the milk and mix well. You may have to add more flour or milk to get the right consistency. 

Form into balls and roll in sesame seeds.

Fry the binangkal until golden brown.

Let the binangkal cool before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Banana Cue

Many happy memories of my childhood is tied with banana cue. I remember that many of us kids in the neighborhood would watch Nang (Manang) Sinta cook banana cue in her usual spot across from Divine Word College in Tagbilaran City, Philippines. I don't know what her secret is (because we all saw how she cooked it), but, to this day, I think she has the best banana cue I've ever tasted!

Well now, on to my foray into banana cue making....

Ingredients:

This recipe is so simple that all you really need is some bananas, brown sugar, and oil for deep frying. For the bananas, I use plantains or burros, whichever is available. Oh, and don't forget the sticks or skewers or cues (Just a side note here: the skewers resemble the cues used for pool or billiards, hence the name banana cue, or so I've heard).

Directions:

Heat the oil in a deep fry pan. To get that perfect caramelized coating on all your bananas, it is best to cook all of them at the same time, so use a big-enough pan.

Add the brown sugar (enough to coat the bananas you prepared).

Once the brown sugar starts to melt, add the bananas. If you see the sugar rise up to the surface of the oil, you know it's time to add the bananas. Keep stirring to evenly coat them.

Take the coated bananas out of the pan, making sure you remove the excess oil, and skewer them.

And lastly...though they look delicious fresh out of the pan, be careful, they're HOT! :)