Bittersweet French Chocolate Cake

Bittersweet French Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. cake flour
1 Tbs. Dutch process cocoa powder
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small
  cubes, at room temperature
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. sour cream
2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan with 2-inch sides.

In a bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over but not touching barely simmering water in a saucepan. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the butter, a little at a time, until blended. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and superfine sugar. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the chocolate mixture until blended. Fold in the flour mixture and then the vanilla.

In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake until the top is risen and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes. The center should be soft and moist. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. The top will fall a bit. Remove the pan sides, loosen the cake's edges with a knife, and slide the warm cake onto a serving plate.

To make the whipped cream topping, in a bowl, whisk together the cream and sour cream until slightly thickened. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Dust the warm cake with confectioners' sugar. Cut into slices and top with whipped cream.
Serves 6 to 8.

Graham Fingers

30 Crackers (3 inner packages) broken and crumbled, not too fine
Melt 2 cubs margarine
3/4 cup sugar (part brown is good)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
Beat in 2 eggs
Heat to boiling, stirring
Boil 1 minute, stirring
At 1 tsp vanilla
Pour over graham crackers, mix together and press onto greased (buttered) cookie sheet or plate. Hardens as it cools.

Fra Diavolo Sauce With Pasta

Very spicy italian dish with Pasta. Had no idea how popular it would be. I was longing for it days after it was gone, and the kids devoured all of the pasta and most of the sauce even though we doubled the recipe. We had to make yet more pasta for those who wanted more.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
8 ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces bay scallops
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, pour in the tomatoes. Season with salt and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops.

Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the shrimp turn pink. Add shrimp and scallops to the tomato mixture, and stir in the parsley. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce just begins to bubble.

Serve sauce over pasta.