Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme

Pierre and Frédrick Hermé's friend Suzy Palatin is a runway model, a cookbook author, and the inventor of this luxuriously soft rich cake, the kind that in America might be given a name like Chocolate Decadence. The cake is spectacularly good and very easy to make. Indeed, the ingredients are so rudimentary (they're the baker's basics), and the method so simple (it's a cream-the-butter-and sugar-together cake), that you have to wonder how it can be so good. Odds are it's the half pound or so of highest-quality chocolate (don't skimp on the quality) and the just-right baking -- the center remains ever so slightly wet.

"At home, my wife, Fré and I serve this cake with ginger ice cream, lightly sweetened shipped cream of Vanilla Crème Anglaise. Sometimes we make the cake with raspberries, putting a thin layer of batter over the bottom of the pan, tossing over fresh raspberries, then covering the berries with batter." --Pierre Hermé

8-3/4 ounces (250 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Guanaja, finely chopped
1-1/4 sticks (9 ounces; 250 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
l cup (200 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Butter a 9-inch (24-cm) round cake pan that is at least 2 inches (5 cm) high, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over -- not touching -- simmering water and heat until the chocolate is melted; or melt the chocolate in a microwave oven. Set the chocolate aside to cool; it should feel only just warm to the touch when you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the butter is creamy and the sugar well blended into it. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cooled chocolate, and mix until it is just incorporated. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and mix only until it disappears into the batter. Alternatively, you can fold in the last of the flour with a rubber spatula. You'll have a thick, smooth, satiny batter that looks like old-fashioned chocolate frosting.
4. Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 26 to 29 minutes, or until the cake rises slightly or until the top has lost its sheen. The top may crack a bit and the cake may not look entirely set in the center; when you test the cake by inserting a slender into the center, the knife will come out lightly streaked with batter, which is what you want. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
5. When the cake has cooled, chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to make it easy to unmold. Turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and invert the cake on to a serving platter so that it is right side up. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Mousse as it's meant to be: Whisper-light in texture, exclamatory in taste. The main ingredient is bittersweet chocolate, lightened by whipped egg whites, enriched by an egg yolk, and sweetened by just the tiniest bit of sugar. Milk is the unexpected but just-right ingredient in this recipe. Because it is lighter than cream, it brings smoothness to the mousse without adding richness or masking the flavor of the chocolate.

"I think of this mousse as a base recipe, one I can play around with and change at whim. Often I'll add another flavor and texture just before serving, topping the mousse with chocolate shavings; Caramelized Rise Krispies; thin slices of banana, raw or sautéed, whole raspberries or Raspberry Coulis; toasted nuts; or chopped fresh mint. Sometimes I'll add a different flavor to the mousse while I'm making it, infusing the milk with grated orange zest, a spoonful of instant coffee, a little ground cinnamon, or a pinch of cardamon." -- Pierre Hermé

6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Gastronomie, finely chopped
1/3 cup (80 grams) whole milk
1 large egg yolk
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over -- not touching -- simmering water or in the microwave oven. If necessary, transfer the chocolate to a bowl that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Keep the chocolate on the counter until needed. The chocolate should still feel warm to the touch when you're ready to use it.
2. Bring the milk to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Using a small whisk, gently blend the milk into the chocolate. Add the egg yolk and whisk it into the chocolate, again working gently; stop when the yolk is incorporated.
3. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed just until they hold soft peaks. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar. Continue to beat the whites until they are firm but still glossy. Scoop one-third of the whites out of the bowl onto the chocolate mixture. Working with a whisk, beat the whites into the chocolate to lighten the miture. Now with either the whisk or a large flexible rubber spatula, delicately but thoroughly fold the rest of the beaten whites into the chocolate.
4. Turn the mousse into a large serving bowl -- glass is very nice for this dessert -- or into individual coupes or cups, and refrigerate for 1 hour to set.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet
Makes a generous pint (about 1/2 liter).

Because this sorbet is made from premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, not cocoa powder, it has a compelling depth of flavor and an intensity usually associated with ice cream. That the sorbet is made with just chocolate, sugar, and water makes its flavor even more remarkable.

"To have great chocolate flavor in this sorbet, you've got to use great chocolate. There's no skimping in this recipe, because, with only three ingredients, there's nothing to change the chocolate's taste." -- Pierre Hermé

7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Guanaja, finely chopped
1 (scant) cup (200 grams) sugar
2 cups (500 grams) water

1. So that you can quickly chill the sorbet mixture before you churn it, set up an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice cubes and water. Set aside a smaller bowl that can hold all the ingredients.
2. Put all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches the boil -- this can take 10 minutes or more. Then stir without stop and pay attention: This will bubble furiously. Boil for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture into the smaller bowl. Set the bowl into the ice-water bath. Allow the mixture to chill, stirring now and then.
3. Freeze the sorbet in an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. You can serve the sorbet directly from the ice-cream maker or pack it into an airtight container and freeze until needed.

Keeping: While best eaten within a few hours of churning, if packed airtight, the sorbet will keep its smooth texture for about 1 week in the freezer.

Copyright © 2001 by SOCREPA and Dorie Greenspan