Chocolate Decadence Food

CHEF JOHN'S CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
• Melt semisweet chocolate and unsalted butter together in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Remove from heat.
• Beat eggs and sugar together in a bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until pale and very thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Sift in flour, cayenne, and salt; whisk to combine.
• Pour 1/4 of the egg mixture into chocolate mixture; stir to combine. Pour chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture and stir until cake batter is combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature, wrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly coat 4 (2-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray, and sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon sugar into each of the ramekins, shaking and turning to coat. Set prepared ramekins aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add the butter and 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool chocolate mixture 10 minutes.
• Add flour, vanilla, salt, and egg white to chocolate mixture, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture into each prepared ramekin, and top each with 2 teaspoons chocolate chips. Divide the remaining chocolate mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover the chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until barely set. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm.

BROWNIE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 by 13 inch baking pan by greasing with butter or spraying with a cooking spray (such as Pam). Melt butter in a large saucepan. Over low heat add unsweetened chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, mix in sugar (in saucepan). Add eggs and vanilla, stir until incorporated. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just till flour is mixed in. Gently stir in white chocolate. Spread mixture in prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes just until brownies begin to pull away from the sides. Remove from oven and let cool completely. While brownies are baking, prepare ganache topping. Over low heat in a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream to the boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Let sit for a few minutes to melt chocolate. Stir until all chocolate is melted. Let mixture cool and thicken, stirring occasionally for about 20 to 30 minutes. Spread chocolate ganache over completely cooled bownies. Press chopped, toasted pecans into the ganache. Let ganache harden and then cut into squares and then into triangles. Carefully remove from pan and serve on a garnished plate. The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.;

DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until well combined (the mixture will be one uniform color). With the machine running on low, add the milk, boiling water, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Mix on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until well combined and the mixture has air bubbles, about 1 minute.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes in the pans. Run a thin knife around the edge of each cake, then invert the cakes onto a rack and let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, cut a small portion from the top of each cake to completely flatten it. Save the trimmings for another use.
• For the frosting: When ready to assemble the cake, combine the powdered sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add the chocolate and continue to pulse, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the sour cream and process until very smooth, about 1 minute.
• Place one cake layer on a platter and spread half of the frosting on top. Flip over the second cake layer, making sure the flattened side is facing the bottom, and place on top of the first cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting to cover only the top of the cake (leave the sides without frosting). Serve.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Cut circle of parchment paper to fit 8-inch round cake pan.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine chocolate and butter in top of double boiler.
• Set over gently simmering water and stir until melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• Transfer to bowl and set aside.
• Wipe out top of double boiler (you'll be using it again).
• Combine eggs and sugar in top of double boiler.
• Set over gently simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture darkens and is barely warm to the touch.
• Remove from heat.
• Beat at high speed with electric mixer until eggs have tripled in volume and are consistency of lightly whipped cream, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Gently fold in flour.
• Carefully stir 1/3 of egg mixture into chocolate to loosen, then fold chocolate into remaining egg mixture until thoroughly combined.
• Turn into prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is soft in center but crusty on top, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool completely in pan, then freeze overnight.
• (Cake can be kept in freezer up to one month before serving.) About 1 hour before serving, whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until stiff.
• Invert cake onto serving platter.
• (Spinning pan briefly over high heat will help loosen cake from pan.) Spread 2/3 of whipped cream over top.
• Mound chocolate curls in center.
• Pipe rosettes around edge of cake using remaining whipped cream.
• Refrigerate until about 15 minutes before serving.
• Pass raspberry puree separately.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Chop chocolate squares and place in a large bowl with chocolate chips. Add melted butter. Heat water and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a saucepan until boiling, then pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whip eggs with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until thick. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into 10 inch pan.
• Place 10 inch pan on a cookie sheet in the oven and fill the cookie sheet with water.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool and refrigerate for several hours. Be extremely careful not to burn yourself on the hot water when removing the sheet pan from the oven.
• Dip the pan in hot water to remove cooled cake. Garnish with whipped cream and serve.

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• Make batter:
• Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth.
• Cool slightly.
• Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale yellow, thick, and a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes with a standing mixer or 8 minutes with a handheld. Fold one fourth of egg mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining egg mixture.
• Pour batter into cake pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Put cake pan in a hot water bath and place in middle of oven. Bake 45 minutes (top will be set, but a tester will not come out clean).
• Remove cake from water bath and cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a thin knife around edge of cake and chill, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 12.
• Make sauce:
• Purée raspberries with sugar in a food processor or blender, then force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
• Remove cake from pan:
• Put cake pan directly on a burner at very low heat. Move pan around on burner to warm bottom, about 30 seconds, then shake pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a rack. Remove wax paper and invert cake onto a serving plate.
• Bring cake to room temperature. Serve with sauce and whipped cream.