Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

Lilandra.

I’ve now made Marcel Desaulniers‘ Chocolate Heart of Darkness cakes (from Death by Chocolate Cakes) three times.

Only three times.

The first time was really great. It was for Jamie‘s birthday.

Then a few months later I visited Chennette in Edinburgh and for some reason decided I *had* to make it for her kitchen. Searching for the ingredients in Tesco was a prelude to what I’d have to deal with here. I struggled to figure out the right chocolate to get (especially since I didn’t have the recipe with me). Here I struggle to get cream. I don’t think the cream is heavy enough. I haven’t even tried to find chocolate. I have stocks. Stocks that are running out.

And now, 4 years later, I finally made it for sister the elder as I posted before.

Here follows the process.

	Confer with old ratty copy of the recipe (saves book, doesn’t it).
	Take 8 oz semisweet chocolate. I think this was Scharfenberger 70%. Can’t you see mine has been stored in a fridge forever…horror of horrors!
	Chop it up! I think you can use a food processor.
	Bring 3/4 cup heavy cream to a boil. (Is heavy cream the same as whipping cream? Somehow I’m not so sure…at least I doubt it’s the same as the cream I got).
	Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl. Let it rest for about five minutes (or for the impatient 1 minute or so). Then whisk it or stir it or whatever until it combines nicely. This is the truffle cream or the truffle centres or the truffle hearts. Then put it in the freezer until it sets, for about 15 minutes or whenever you have time to deal with it. The recipe says spread it out onto a sheet pan or something and then freeze it. But that involves too much stuff to wash, too much space in the freezer and too much work. And I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s supposed to aid in dividing and scooping out the truffles?
	Take it out of the freezer and separate the truffle cream into 12 even bits.
	Place them on a lined tray (okay okay I do have room in my freezer I’m just lazy and don’t see the point). Since it’s very hot here I can’t shape them into balls (or I could but it would melt very quickly). So, I just scoop out the 12 and freeze them some more (until firm).
	When the centres have firmed up, take them out, don plastic gloves (or do this inside a zipbag) and roll them into balls and put them back on the tray and back in the freezer for when you’re ready to make the cakes.
	Melt another 8 oz of chocolate with 5 oz unsalted butter in a double boiler over some medium heat I guess.
	Keep stirring until it’s smooth. Be careful not to burn it.
	In a mixing bowl, beat 3 large eggs, 2 egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
	Add the chocolate and butter mixture and stir to combine.
	Sift the dry ingredients (2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder). Add to the chocolate-egg mixture and stir. I used the venezuelan cocoa Chennette bought for me. It was very rich and dark. Although the smell experiments (Chief cocoa vs the venezuelan one) resulted in two factions…or three. Those who loved the chief (mom and brother), those who loved both but preferred the darker tones of the venezuelan to the sweet smell of the chief (me and chennette) and those who either couldn’t smell anything or couldn’t tell the difference or were being neutral (sister-in-law and sister the elder).
	Grease a muffin tray with melted butter and then fill them evenly with the batter. Put to bake in preheated 325 degree F oven.
	After about 5 minutes, take the truffles out of the freezer and (now you have to do this quickly) slide the rack with the cakes out of the oven and place a truffle in the centre of each cake. Press it down a bit. Now slide it back in.
	Continue baking for about 17 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake (NOT TRUFFLE!) comes out clean.
	Now they’re done! Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 20 minutes. You have to gently remove them from the tray. Jiggle and pry. Don’t worry too much.

Lilandra.

Look how nicely it melts.
Yum!
:-)

I think because of the cocoa I used, these were quite rich and thick and dark and not too sweet. It felt really…fudgy? Or…I’m not sure how to describe cake textures but very good.

Now, you can store these in the fridge if you want and heat them up in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds on low heat. Or however much you think it’s safe.

It’s really easy…just takes a few steps.
Enjoy!