Be Still My Heart . . . It’s Chocolate!

DEAR SOS: Would you kindly request the recipe for the warm chocolate cake served at Shutters Hotel in Santa Monica? It is just the best.

--SANDY

DEAR SANDY: Jeff Jackson, Shutters’ executive chef, provided this recipe, which made every chocoholic in the Test Kitchen gleeful after one taste.

WARM CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE

15 ounces bittersweet chocolate

6 ounces butter

8 eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar

4 ounces chocolate chunks or pieces

Melt bittersweet chocolate and butter in double boiler over simmering water until mixture is smooth. Do not let chocolate temperature rise above 100 degrees on candy thermometer. Cool to 80 degrees.

Beat egg yolks in mixer until thick. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar. Fold egg mixture into cooled chocolate.

In separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar while whipping until stiff peaks form. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Add chocolate chunks. Pour batter into 18 greased and floured muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees until cake puffs up like a souffle, 25 to 30 minutes. While still warm use rubber spatula to push sides of cakes toward center. Cool 2 hours and remove from pans.

Note: Cakes may be heated in microwave for 20 seconds to reconstitute. Serve with caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream, if desired.

Makes 18 chocolate cakes.

Each cake contains about:

241 calories; 69 mg sodium; 105 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.58 gram fiber.

Drink Up

DEAR SOS: Do you have a recipe for homemade coffee-flavored liqueur? A great family recipe was lost. It included a vanilla bean in each bottle.

--SUSAN

DEAR SUSAN: Here’s our recipe in time for holiday gift giving.

COFFEE LIQUEUR

2 cups instant coffee powder

7 cups sugar

1 quart boiling water

1 quart vodka

1 vanilla bean

Mix coffee powder and sugar. Pour boiling water over coffee mixture and stir to dissolve. Cool. Stir in vodka. Drop vanilla bean into 1/2 gallon bottle or jug and add vodka mixture. Seal and allow to stand 3 to 4 weeks.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

Each ounce contains about:

246 calories; 3 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.01 gram fiber.