Elly of Elly Says Opa is holding her Eat To the Beat event once again. I really enjoyed participating the last time around and coming up with a recipe that could relate to a song that twists its way over and over in my head.
This time around I have chosen a song from one of my favourite artists Sarah McLachlin. The song is called "Ice Cream". Sarah is perhaps my favourite Canadian musician. She was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the Maritime provinces where musicians are well-known for their Celtic style especially on the peninsula of Cape Breton. Sara has her own modern, commercial style of course and her style is not following the Celtic roots of the Maritimes. She has made a name for herself worldwide and I have seen her featured on other blogs. She now lives here in the wild, wild west in Vancouver, British Columbia. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.... singing from the hip.
Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I've tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here know how to fight.......
...Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I tried
Oh love is better than chocolate
Everyone here knows how to cry....
Check out her song for yourself here........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I5sixwOQlg
What better way to encompass this song by serving up an Italian Budino or pudding cake with a scoop of your favourite ice cream. It resembles a molten cake, moist and almost gooey in the middle when served warm from the oven. You will need good quality chocolate and plenty of butter...not for the faint hearted or heart healthy.
For the Eat to the Beat event this recipe comes from the cookbook I won not that long ago on Elly Says Opa. I was lucky enough to win Cooking From the Hip by Cat Cora which arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago.
In the last couple of years Cat Cora has become a familiar face on cable TV's Food Network, heading a team that does kitchen makeovers on Kitchen Accomplished, and co-hosting Melting Pot with chef Rocco DiSpirito. In her most high-profile TV gig yet, Cat's joined the Food Network's Iron Chef America series. If you haven't yet seen it, the show (a U.S. version of the Japanese cult series Iron Chef) pits culinary celebrities such as Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless against each other. Until now, all the Iron Chef contenders were men. Cat Cora grew up in a Greek-American community in Jackson, Mississippi. Her Mediterranean-flavoured dishes show the influence of both her geographic and ethnic roots.
This will be the first of many recipes I will feature throughout the next few months by this talented chef. What better way to start than presenting this dish from Cooking From the Hip for Elly's event!!! I served the Budino with Mocha Almond Fudge Icecream and some fresh raspberries. The fresh raspberries, chocolate and coffee flavoured ice cream was better than your love, better than anything else that I've tried....I've learned how to fly!!!!!
Over the top!!
**Chocolate Budino**
1 pound high-quality bittersweet chocolate
3/4 pound butter (3 sticks), well softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
5 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.Grease or spray two 12-cup muffin tins with vegetable or canola oil. (You can also use just one tin and bake the batter in two batches.) ..ore use a 9-inch cake pan. Wipe out excess oil with a paper towel. Set the tin aside.Grate chocolate or chop it into small shards with a chef's knife or a serrated knife. (It's easiest if you begin at a corner, particularly if the chocolate is very thick. Take it slowly and keep your fingers safe.) Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of hot water over very low heat. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl, gently whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and flour. Mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Set aside.When the chocolate is smooth, remove the bowl from hot water and add the softened butter. Mix until the mixture is again smooth and the butter is completely incorporated. Add the sugar and egg mixture mixing well.Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes in muffin tins or 18 - 20 minutes in a cxake pan. The edges will have just begun to pull away from the pan, and the top of each budino should still look moist and shiny at the center. Remove tins from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes.
While the tins are still warm, place a baking sheet over the top of each muffin tin and invert it. Carefully lift the muffin tin to release cakes. Transfer the cakes to a serving platter or individual dessert plates. They're at their best if served warm, but are also delicious at room temperature. Serve with assorted fresh berries or ice cream.
Makes 24 small cakes or one 9-inch round cake.
