Holiday Brunch and Chocolate Souffle Cake
The brunch foods shared yesterday with our guests, today I share with you. Enjoy. My wish is that every one of you may gather at the holidays with good friends and family over your own special soul-nourishing meals.
Holiday Brunch 2011
Menu
Eggs in Purgatory
Baked Lemon-Raspberry French Toast
Leek & Celeriac Soup with Sour Cream, Chives, Pancetta Garnishes
Molasses Cured Salmon, Bagels, Cream Cheese, Capers, Chopped Red Onion
Arugula Salad with Fennel & Pink Grapefruit, Buttermilk-Parmesan Dressing
Fresh Pineapple, Greek Yoghurt, Wildflower Honey with Mixed Nuts
Morning Glory Muffins
* * *
Honey & Nut Tart
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream
Coffee
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
eggs awaiting their fate in purgatory
"purgatory" is a spicy mix of tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers and red pepper flakes
eggs also played a role in baked lemon-raspberry french toast
our youngest guest said the finished dish tasted like ice cream, high praise, indeed!
salmon home-cured in molasses, soy sauce, and spices, then thinly sliced
a favorite, most refreshing salad
sweet, tart, crunchy with nuts
a sweet tart, crunchy with nuts
chocolate souffle cake, chocolate whipped cream, milk chocolate curls
kitchen table doubles as bar, resting place for chilled cava and prosecco
glasses for the specialty cocktails are ready
Chocolate Souffle Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream
Here’s how to make that show stopper of a cake. Believe it or not, it is super easy – another no fuss but absolutely delicious offering from Nigella Lawson, the domestic goddess with a treasure trove of recipes for simple but full-flavored foods. Originally printed in the New York Times in 2003 as Easter Egg Nest Cake (Nigella rested tiny chocolate robin’s eggs in the soft billows of chocolate whipped cream that tops the cake for the spring holiday), the rich chocolate confection is equally at home at a winter holiday meal. Simply top it with chocolate curls instead, as I did by shaving slivers off a bar of milk chocolate with a potato peeler. You could also opt to leave the chocolate whipped cream alone, or give the top a dusting of snowy powdered sugar.
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted (I’ve used anything between 60% and 72% successfully)
- 6 large eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
- 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided use
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces dark chocolate (see note above), melted and cooled
- chocolate curls, if desired
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment. Set aside.
For the cake, stir the soft butter into the warm melted chocolate. It will melt and combine. Let cool.
Beat the 4 egg whites at high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar to these and continue to beat just until the eggs whites begin to form glossy stiff peaks. Do not overbeat. Set aside.
In another larger bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla until combined. You can do this by hand or using a hand held mixer. Fold in the cooled chocolate-butter mixture and stir to blend.
In three additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture by hand.
Fold gently but until all the whites have been incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake rises, cracks a bit on the top, and the center is no longer wobbly.
When done, remove pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan. The cake will fall and the top and upper sides will crack and collapse. This is normal. See below for the stages of cooling.
When the cake is completely cooled, remove the outer ring of the springfom pan and set the cake on a serving plate.
To make the whipped cream, melt the chocolate and let it cool as much as possible without it re-setting and hardening. Whip the cream with 1 tsp. of the vanilla until firm but not stiff. Fold the melted chocolate into the cream. The cream and chocolate won’t blend completely smooth; the chocolate will form fine chocolate flakes in places, as in stracciatella (fine chocolate chip) ice cream.
Spoon the chocolate cream onto the top of the cake and top with chocolate curls for garnish.
photos ©2011 Jane A. Ward
That most definitely looks soul nourishing! In general, I’m not a french toast fan but lemon and raspberry looks divine.
We had so many children this year that I needed a dish with less grown up flavors, and the french toast fit the bill without being too sweet. The lemon zest and raspberries gave it a freshness.
My mouth is watering and it’s 8am!
That must mean it’s time for second breakfast, Florence.
Ah. I’ll take all of it, thank you very much.
Jane, wishing you and all your loved ones and blog followers a joyous holiday season and peace for the new year.
Brenda
Same to you, Brenda, and I hope you are well.
So this Christmas may be the last for a couple of years that we all have Christmas together at home as our younger son is going into the Peace Corps.
So, his wish was that we each make a dish for this year’s Christmas dinner, but that the “patriarch” (his dad) be responsible for the main course. So far the menu includes, rock cornish game hens, stuffed (dad), some kind of artery-clogging mac and cheese (son #2), cranberry sauce, asparagus and winter squash (son #1) and I’m going to make this chocolate souffle.
I’m thinking I can make the souffle in the morning before the kitchen gets too busy.
Wish us luck! and Big hugs and happy holidays to may favorite food writer.
xo Judith
Good luck, Judith! I love Karsten’s idea for dinner. The cake will mix up in a snap and you can have the rest of the day relaxing on the sofa with a good book. Enjoy dinner and having everyone all together!
Thanks Jane. I thought of you last night when we got a tour of the kitchen at Menton. Wish you had been there to ask lots of questions!
I would have liked that. I once got a tour of Charlie Trotter’s restaurant and cooking show kitchens in Chicago when back visiting in 1998. So much fun!