Cook or Bake?
Definitely baking. Desserts are my favorite part of any meal. That, and I like to eat.
Her go-to cook book.
“Favorite Old Fashion Desserts” by Pat Dailey. It’s a good recipe book to go back for always reliable recipes for traditional desserts.
Culinary weapon of choice?
I would have to say my smiley face spatula.
What is your favorite local bakery?
I really like Reynaldo’s Bakery in Carpinteria.
Why do you love to bake?
I love playing around with different recipes and seeing how they turn out. That, and I love to eat. Explosions in the oven?
Oh gosh. One time I used baking soda instead of baking powder in a chocolate muffin recipe. They were so disgusting!
All time favorite recipe?
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cake (“almost flourless cake”).
This dense, cocoa-rich treat is quite similar to a flourless cake, although it does contain the tiniest bit of flour. The big difference between it and a flourless version is that this is ridiculously easy to make.
Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients-
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
TOPPING
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Heat oven to 325°F. Cut a small circle of waxed paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. First butter the pan, next add the paper, then butter the paper. Sprinkle the inside with flour and tap out the excess.
Melt the chocolate with butter and sugar in a microwave oven. Stir until smooth and cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture, and then stir in the cocoa and flour. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil so no water can get inside. Place the wrapped pan in a shallow roasting pan and add 1 inch of water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Bake until cake is set, about 70 minutes.
Remove the pan from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature. When cool, remove the sides from the pan. Loosen the cake from the bottom of the pan with a long metal spatula, and then invert it onto a cake plate and remove the bottom of the pan. Peel away the waxed paper. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving.
At serving time, mix the two sugars together. Sift a heavy coating over the top of the cake.
