I Love You...

What A Girl Eats can now be found at whatagirleats.com or on Facebook.

Whisper sweet nothings in my ear...

I love you chocolate, dark and smooth. You're rich, but I can take you, a little bit at a time...not too much, for I may swoon! Especially when you make me forget that I have other obligations. Yes, you make me happy, but for now, I must be contented with small portions of you...a nibble here, a nibble there. And when I'm feeling that I need a "fix", I will make La Bete Noire, and share you with others...and then sneak into the kitchen quietly at night and take a little bite. Shhh! Don't tell!


La Bete Noire  (The "Black Beast", from Bon Appetit, September 2006. Tame it!)
Cake
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced
18 ounces bittersweet(not unsweetened) or dark chocolate, chopped( I used dark)
6 large eggs


Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped


Lightly sweetened whipped cream


For cake:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter 10 inch diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with  parchment paper round. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.


For Ganache:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.


Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream. Serves 16

I made the "Beast" for my friend, Marlee Matlin's birthday, and served it topped with fresh raspberries. I think next time I  might ply the "Beast" with Grand Marnier.* 

Oscar winner, Marlee Matlin eating "The Beast" for her birthday

* I made two beasts this weekend(10/15/11)...one the original way and one with Grand Marnier...I told you I would! To change it, I added the zest of one orange to the water/sugar syrup step. After it cooled a bit, I added a couple of tablespoons of Grand Marnier before adding it to the eggs.

La Bete Noir with Grand Marnier

For the ganache, I added an additional 2 tablespoons of liqueur after I incorporated all the whipping cream and chocolate together. I finished baking it the same way. To decorate the two cakes, I made candied orange zest to top the individual slices on the Grand Marnier version and a raspberry sauce for the plain version.
Candied Orange Zest
Remove the peel from an orange using a channel knife, or knife, being careful not to get any pith. 

Using the channel knife to remove the peel.

Channel knife on the side of a zester.

1. Bring 1/2 sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a sauce pan.
2. Reduce heat to very low and add peels.
3. Cook for about 45 min. until peels are translucent
4. Remove from syrup and lay on a plate or parchment. 
5. Form into shapes: swirls, knots, whatever. ( I made little knots)
6. Sprinkle with sugar and chill.