This is the last week in our ABCD blogs where A is for Australian wines, B is for BBQ recipes, C is for Chilean wines and D…well it is for Desserts of all kinds. Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, we have a treat to serve after every meal.
For starters…Chocolate. Honestly, who doesn’t like chocolate? Here is a favorite (and easy dessert) from Savvy Sommelier Patti who always gets rave reviews when she makes this dessert.
Bon Appetit!
Patti
Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine
From the kitchen of Savvy Sommelier Patti Petty
Ingredients
14oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa
5 tbsp. strong espresso coffee
2 tbsp. brandy
6 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream chilled
Method
- One loaf pan, 8½” x 4½” x 3”, greased and lined with baking parchment
- Heat oven to 325 degrees
- Put the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl with the cocoa and coffee. Set over a pan of barely simmering water and melt gently, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the brandy and let cool.
- Meanwhile put the eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until frothy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and very thick.
- In another bowl, whip the cream until it holds a soft peak.
- Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs. When combined, fold the whipped cream in.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, then stand the pan in a bain-marie.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 325 for about 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the center of the mixture comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, let cool in the bain-marie for about 45 minutes, then lift the pan out of the bain-marie and leave until completely cold.
- Chill overnight then turn out. Serve dusted with confectioner’ sugar or alternately prepare a bittersweet chocolate ganache and smooth over entire surface.
- Store, well wrapped in refrigerator.
What bottle of wine to uncork?
As the food & wine pairing tip says on the business card of Savvy Sommelier Debbie Trenholm – “A rich, dark chocolate cake & a big, bold red wine – a heavenly match.” Serve a California Zinfandel or velvety Chilean Carmenere or a jammy Cabernet Franc from British Columbia or Ontario. If you rather a sweet wine with chocolate, then a tawny port or a Hungarian specality – Tokai – would definitely fit the bill.