Posted by Robyn Lee, February 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The following recipe is from the February 13th edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
I was drawn to Alice Medrich's recipe for chestnut torte from Bittersweet because right now I'd love any reason to roast chestnuts and fill my home with warmth. It's brain-freezing cold in NYC right now; a fat slice of chocolate flavored chestnut cake might just take my mind off of my sore frostbitten skin. And if you're not freezing your butt off, I'm sure it would also be a nice dessert for Valentine's Day.
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Posted by The Serious Eats Team, February 11, 2008 at 4:45 PM
This week's Cook the Book is a little different—and sweeter—than most. Usually, we feature one book the entire week, excerpting adapted recipes as the days go by. This week, in honor of Valentine's Day, we've put together a list of our favorite books on chocolate, and we'll be featuring a recipe from each.
First up is Alice Medrich's Bittersweet
, and a recipe for cocoa brownies. Think brownies are too pedestrian for Valentine's Day? Think again. They're pure comfort—perfect for expressing how dear your valentine has become to you over the years.
Bittersweet is indispensable for anyone who loves baking with bittersweet chocolate. Each of Medrich's recipes is tailored to the stuff, and the book covers every question you might have about substituting one type of chocolate for another, how to decorate with chocolate, and almost anything else you'd want to know about the confection.
Win the Serious Eats Chocolate Library
You can win Bittersweet, along with four other fantastic chocolate books (to be revealed as the week progresses) by answering the following question in the comments:
What is your favorite chocolate recipe?
One (1) winner will be chosen at random from among the comments of this post. Comments will be open until 6 p.m. ET February 12. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 8, 2008 at 3:15 PM
And the last of our chocolately, Valentine's Day–appropriate from Cook the Book recipes for the week from Alice Medrich's Chocolate Holidays: Unforgettable Desserts for Every Season uses milk chocolate, for all you folks (like me) who prefer it to dark. The sweetness of the chocolate plays well against the heat of the ginger.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 6, 2008 at 3:15 PM
This rich, moist flourless chocolate cake is sure to please any valentine. Unless he or she hates chocolate. And if that's the case, why don't you go get yourself a new valentine?
Be sure to make it at least one day before serving. And serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and a hot cup of your favorite coffee drink.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, February 6, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The following recipe is from the February 6th edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!
Although I love ordering blintzes at restaurants, I've never thought of making them until I read Alice Medrich's recipe for chocolate banana blintzes from Chocolate Holidays. She says they look more complicated than they really are, which gives me a glimmer of hope that I could make them without screwing up too badly.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 5, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Who doesn't love chocolate truffles? And going through the effort to make your valentine a batch of these treats only sweetens the deal. You can make these with domestic bitter- or semisweet chocolate that doesn't list a percentage on the label. Or, if you're using imported or artisanal chocolate, look for 50 to 62 percent varieties. Additionally, you can decrease the chocolate to 6 ounces if it's 64 to 66 percent.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, February 4, 2008 at 5:30 PM
The first of our Cook the Book recipes this week is for a simple breakfast Valentine that you could bake up for your sweetheart the morning of Valentine's day or for tea later that afternoon. They require a 2 1/2-inch heart-shape cookie cutter, so dig yours out of the drawer or go grab one at the kitchen-supply store if you don't already have one.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 21, 2007 at 2:30 PM
OK, folks, break out your candy thermometers, 'cause you're going to need 'em for this one.
These caramels, which come from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich use whole ground vanilla beans and golden syrup, which makes them extra delicious. If you're having trouble locating golden syrup, ask for Lyle's Golden Syrup, which is the most well-known brand in the U.S.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 20, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Alice Medrich, author of Pure Dessert, from which this recipe comes, took inspiration for this Italian Chocolate-Almond Torte from Claudia Roden's torta di mandorle e cioccolata in Roden's Book of Jewish Food. The chocolate in this torte is ground, rather than melted, so it's easy to make.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 19, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Alice Medrich, author of Pure Dessert, from which this recipe comes, advises would-be bakers of this cake not to fear the olive oil in it. The result won't be overly sweet, as you'd imagine. Instead, the oil, sherry, and orange zest yield "a subtle and flavorful cake" that's "improves after a day or two." You might even want to try toasting slices of it for breakfast.
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Posted by Adam Kuban, September 18, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Truth be told, about the only time I run into sesame seeds is on a bagel or hamburger bun. But the little suckers always delight me when they appear in desserts, as they do in this recipe for sesame cookies by Alice Medrich.
Sesame Coins appear in Medrich's Pure Dessert, in the chapter on grains, nuts, and seeds.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, September 17, 2007 at 2:30 PM
And the first dessert out of the gate this week is Medrich's Walnut Sponge Cake. And though the title specifically mentions walnuts, you can substitute whatever nut you desire—maybe some toasted, skinned hazelnuts or almonds. Topping it with berries and cream is optional, but why deny yourself the pleasure?
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