If you’re looking for a chocolate dessert that that will make you swoon then look no further. This wonderful cake is smooth and rich, and perfect for entertaining (Christmas, Valentines, bridal showers, dinner parties, etc.)! While easy to make, the cake does require time in the fridge (about 7 hours) so plan accordingly.

Before serving the cake, drizzle each plate with a little Raspberry Sauce for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze
-recipe by Abigail Johnson Dodge – Fine Cooking Magazine
 
Drop-dead delicious, this cake is a pure chocolate indulgence. Yields one 9-inch cake that serves twelve generously.

For the cake:
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (2-1/4 cups)
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces; more for the pan
5 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy; more for the pan

For the glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter

Make the cake:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9×2-inch round cake pan and line it with a round of parchment. Lightly butter the parchment and the sides of the pan and dust with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Remove the bowl from the water bath and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 Tbs. water. Beat on medium high speed until the mixture is very foamy, pale in color, and doubled in volume, 2 min. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually pour in the chocolate mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the cocoa powder and mix on medium low just until blended, about 30 seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a pick inserted in the center comes out looking wet with small gooey clumps, 40 to 45 min. Don’t overcook. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 min. If necessary, gently push the edges down with your fingertips until the layer is even. Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover the cake pan with a wire rack and invert. Remove the pan and parchment and let the cake cool completely. The cake may look cinched in around its sides, which is fine. Transfer to a cake plate. Cover and refrigerate the cake until it’s very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Glaze the cake:
Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour the warm glaze over the chilled cake and, using an offset spatula, spread the glaze evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set, 20 to 40 min. Before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, 20 to 30 min. To serve, cut the cake into small, if not tiny, slices using a hot knife.

Tip: To slice this cake (or any dense, sticky cake), heat the knife first, either by dipping it in a tall container of very hot water or by holding it under hot running water for a few seconds. Then wipe it dry before cutting the cake. The knife will cool quickly, and the cake will start sticking, so expect to rinse and repeat several times. A crème brûlée torch, if you have one, is also handy for heating up a knife.  

Tags: chocolate, chocolate cake, Christmas, Christmas dessert, Dessert, Fine Cooking Magazine, flourless chocolate cake, holiday desserts, holidays, Valentine's Day, Valentine's dessert

The other day, one of my kids was hankering for pumpkin pie…yes, in the middle of July. Since this is the best time to try new holiday recipes (way ahead of time), I obliged his craving. After a quick search, I decided to make a Double-Ginger Pumpkin Tart. This dessert is like a cross between pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin pie. It’s easy to make, creamy, nicely spiced with cinnamon and ginger, and baked in a cookie crumb crust. The whole family loved it and they’re already requesting that it appear at our Thanksgiving feast.

I’m not a fan of crystallized ginger so I didn’t use any in the tart filling or as a garnish. If you like it, use it. If not, the tart is still great without it. For the filling, be sure and buy plain ol’ pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix (the pre-sweetened, pre-spiced stuff).

I used graham crackers for the crust because that’s what I had on hand. The tart would also be really good with a  Nilla Wafer crust. Also, I thought the crust’s texture was best on the day the tart was made. It still tasted great on Day 2 and Day 3, but the crust is much softer.

I garnished each piece of pumpkin tart with a pretty swirl of freshly whipped cream from my handy whipped cream dispenser. Enjoy!

Note: Since I already had the food processor out for the cookie crumb crust, I decided to use it for making the filling, too, instead of using a mixer and having more stuff to clean up. However you decide to mix the filling, make sure it’s smooth before pouring it into the cooled crust. 

Double-Ginger Pumpkin Tart
-recipe by Abigail Johnson Dodge / Fine Cooking Magazine

Serves twelve.

Yields one 9-1/2-inch tart.

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup very firmly packed light  brown sugar
3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin purée  (not seasoned pumpkin pie filling)
1-1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 large egg yolk
1 large egg
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbs. finely chopped crystallized ginger; more for garnish
1 Press-In Cookie Crust baked and cooled (recipe below)
Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar with a stand mixer or hand-held mixer on medium speed until smooth and lump-free, about 3  min. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and continue beating until well blended, about 1 min. Add the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Sprinkle the chopped crystallized ginger over the batter and stir it in with a rubber spatula.

Use the spatula to scrape the filling into the crust and spread it evenly. Bake the tart until the filling just barely jiggles when the tart pan is nudged, 25  to 30  min. Transfer the tart to a rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate the tart in the pan until chilled and firm, about 3  hours. Garnish with whipped cream and crystallized ginger, if you like.

Press-In Cookie Crust
by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Yields one crust for one 9-1/2-inch tart.

1 cup finely ground cookies (ground in a food processor); choose from one of the following: about 8 whole graham crackers, or 35 vanilla wafers
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Have ready an ungreased 9-1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.

In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and sugar with a fork until well blended. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and mix with the fork or your fingers until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Put the crumbs in the tart pan and use your hands to spread the crumbs so that they coat the bottom of the pan and start to climb the sides. Use your fingers to pinch and press some of the crumbs around the inside edge of the pan to cover the sides evenly and create a wall a scant 1/4 inch thick. Redistribute the remaining crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan and press firmly to make a compact layer. (I like to use a metal measuring cup with straight sides and a flat base for this task.)

Bake the crust until it smells nutty and fragrant (crusts made with lighter-colored cookies will brown slightly), about 10 min. Set the baked crust on a rack and let cool. The crust can be made up to one day ahead of filling, and stored at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic.

Tip: I prefer Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams and Nilla Vanilla Wafers for these crusts. If you don’t have a food processor, put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Tags: Christmas, cinnamon, cookie crumb crust, crystalized ginger, graham cracker crust, ground ginger, holiday desserts, holidays, pie, pumpkin desserts, pumpkin pie, pumpkin puree, pumpkin tart, tart, Thanksgiving

These jewel-like cookies are easy-to-make, beautiful and lightly flavored with lemon. They’re one of my favorite Christmas cookies and they get raves every time I make them. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
-Recipe from foodnetwork.com, Emeril Lagasse

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

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Tags: Christmas cookies, Christmas desserts, holiday cookies, holiday desserts, lemon, raspberry, thumbprint cookies, thumbprints