(Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck)
March/April 2008
Serves eight
Truffles:
- 2 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cake:
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 5 ounces unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter eight 4-inch stainless steel rings and set on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. (An eight-muffin pan can be substituted for the rings.)
Melt chocolate in a double boiler on low heat until smooth. Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. In a small pot, combine cream and Jack Daniel’s over medium heat. When it boils, pour over melted chocolate. Stir gently with wooden spoon until just combined. Stir occasionally until mixture is set enough to form little balls with a melon baller. Working quickly, ball eight truffles. Refrigerate on sheet tray lined with wax paper until needed.
To prepare the cake, melt chocolate and butter together in double boiler on low heat. Meanwhile, in the bowl of the electric mixer combine whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar. Whip on high speed until the mixture triples in volume. Add melted chocolate and mix just until combined.
Remove mixing bowl from machine and stir in sifted flour until fully incorporated.
Pour cake batter into prepared rings, 3/4 of the way full. Insert a truffle into the center of the batter and smooth batter over truffle with a teaspoon. Bake 12 minutes or until the top springs back (do not insert toothpick).
Serve with whipped cream or coffee ice cream.
