Roberta Heart Food

ROBERTA HEART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in lower third of oven. Butter a 10-by-2-inch heart-shaped pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the espresso and water. Stir to dissolve. In a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolates, espresso mixture, and rum over a saucepan of simmer water. Stir until smooth. Remove, and set aside.
• Over the same saucepan of simmering water, combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Beat, using a handheld electric mixer, until thick, fluffy, and almost tripled in volume.
• Whip the cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
• Fold the melted-chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Transfer to prepared pan. Place a large roasting pan in the oven, and fill 1 inch with boiling water. Immediately set the heart pan in the roasting pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Remove from oven, and let cool in the water bath. When cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Just before serving, uncover the pan, and warm slightly in an inch of warm water to loosen from pan. Invert onto a platter. Pipe the sweetened whipped cream onto the chocolate heart with a decorative tip, if desired.

CHOCOLATE HEART-SHAPED CAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray the hollows of a 5-cup heart-shaped nonstick cake pan or an 8-cup silicone mold with cooking spray (see cook's note for product links). If not using silicone mold, line bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, dissolve espresso in hot water. Add chocolate and rum and place over (but not in) a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
• In a heatproof bowl, combine eggs and granulated sugar. Place over (but not in) pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Transfer to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes (or, if not using a stand mixer, you can beat with a hand mixer directly over the heat).
• Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture, then gently but thoroughly fold in whipped cream.
• Divide mixture among hollows of prepared pan (about 1/2 cup per hollow for 5-cup; about 1/3 cup for 8-cup). Place filled pan in a large roasting pan on middle rack of oven. Add boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely in water bath. Remove from water, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Just before serving, dip bottom of pan in warm water to loosen, about 1 minute. Run a small offset spatula around edges of cakes, then lift each out of pan; or cover with a platter and invert to remove. Remove parchment (if using). Use a pastry bag fitted with desired tip (Martha used a variety of star and leaf tips) to pipe buttercream or whipped cream onto cakes. Serve immediately.

HEART-SHAPED COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch heart-shaped cake pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Reinvert cake and let cool completely, top side up.

HEART ROSETTES

Steps:

• Pour milk into a small bowl, and add seeds scraped from vanilla bean. Whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, salt, cardamom, and flour. Add eggs and milk. Whisk until smooth and thick. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until a deep-frying thermometer registers 375 degrees.
• Attach rosette iron to handle. Carefully dip iron into oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Blot with paper towel. (It is very helpful to reheat rosette iron before dipping into batter.)
• Dip hot iron into batter up to the top edge; do not allow batter to coat the top. Submerge iron in oil to bottom of pot for 15 seconds. Raise iron from bottom of pot, but keep submerged, and continue cooking until lightly browned. Remove iron from oil, and gently remove rosette, using a fork if necessary. If rosette pops off of the iron and falls into the oil, use tongs to retrieve it.
• Drain rosettes on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.