This was a lot of fun and my husband was very pleased with it. I made the Valentino for him for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, since I am allergic to eggs and also can't have chocolate, this one was truly just for him. But I did get to eat the Blueberry Coconut Sherbet that I made :)
(pictured with a lovely gluten-free lemon wafer by Glutino)
For the Valentino, I used Earth Balance (butter substitute) instead of butter and I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips instead of a block of chocolate. Each bag is 10 ounces, so I used one entire bag plus about 3/4 of another bag.
The original recipe:
The original recipe:
Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated
1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. 4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated
1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. 4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.
I want to thank Daring Bakers for the great challenge! The February challenge is from Wendy at wmpesblog and Dharm from Dad- Baker & Chef. The Valentino Recipe comes from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan.
Blueberry Coconut Sherbet
Sherbet: a frozen dessert made with fruit juice added to milk or cream, egg white, or gelatin.
So, this is sort of like sherbet :)
Ingredients:
4-6 cups of organic frozen blueberries
1/2 can of organic coconut milk (with no added water)
2-3 tablespoons of raw honey
Preparation:
Add the frozen (not thawed) blueberries to a food processor.
Pour in the coconut milk and add a couple tablespoons of honey or agave.
Blend until the ingredients are mixed well.
Serve! Creamy and tasty!
The reason I put 4-6 cups of blueberries is because some frozen blueberries have a stronger flavor and some have more of a light flavor. Adjust to your taste!
-heather
