Cori,

This probably isn't what you're looking for, but posting it anyway.

Betsy

Flourless Foolproof Fabulous Chocolate Cake
from "Special Desserts" by Ann Amernick, Clarkson Potter, publishers

10 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/2 c sugar
5 eggs separated
2 tbsp dark rum
1/3 c chopped walnuts

2 1/2 c Creme Ganache

3 c crushed English Toffee

Preheat the oven to 325.
Butter an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment
paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Beat the butter with 1/4 cup
of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, two at a time, and
then the rum, then the walnuts, beating well each time.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and the rest of the sugar
until they are stiff and shiny. Add the melted chocolate to the butter
mixture and combine well. Fold in the egg whites and combine well, until
there are no more white streaks. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and
bake about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
with a few crumbs.

Cool the cake and then chill.

Whip 2 1/2 cups of ganache until light and fluffy. Smooth a little of the
ganache on top of the chilled cake. Sprinkle crushed toffee on top of the
cake, and then cover the whole thing, top and sides, with ganache and chill
for two hours.

Serve the cake at room temperature.

CREME GANACHE

1 qt heavy cream
2 lbs bittersweet chocolate

Bring the cream to a boil in a 6-quart pot. When the cream boils, remove it
from the heat immediately and add all the chocolate at once. Stir with a
wire whisk until the chocolate is all melted. Pour into a bowl, allow to cool
at room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and chill. You can keep in
the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for several months.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

3 c chopped walnuts
3 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 c light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 175. Put nuts on a cookie sheet and place in the oven
to keep warm. Coat another cookie tray with vegetable oil.
Put the sugar, water, corn syrup, and vanilla in a heavy saucepan and stir
well to dissolve the sugar. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry
brush dipped in cold water so that there is no sugar clinging to the sides of
the pan. Cook over high heat until it reaches a boil, continuing to wash
down with water. After it has boiled for one minute, add the butter,
stirring often. It is done when it registers 290 on a candy thermometer
and it is the color of a brown paper bag. Remove from heat and stir in the
walnuts. Pour the mixture onto the oiled sheet and let it cool completely.

Rich Dean
Weekend All Things Considered

By way of:
David Foremsky