"Recipes from the Chef's Kitchen"

The Curious Grape

4056 South 28th Street
Shirlington, Virginia
703-671-8700

Katie Park - Specialty Food Manager

Ingredients:
Makes 15 Truffles
1)   ½ cup Heavy Cream
2)   2 Maya Gold Bars - 7 oz. broken up into pieces
3)   4 oz. Scharffen Berger Bittersweet Chocolate
4)   ½ cup Scharffen Berger Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
5)   1 tsp. Cinnamon

Preparation:
1)   Measure heavy cream, and pour into a small saucepan, heat over medium
       heat until just boiling.  Remove the cream from the heat and stir in the
       Maya Gold bar pieces, Keep stirring until all the chocolate has melted and
       combined with the cream.  Pour the chocolate/cream mixture into a bowl
       and cover with Aluminum foil.  Cool in the Fridge for 2-3 hours or until the
       mixture has set firmly.
2)   Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  You will need a bowl of very
       warm water and a melon baller.
3)   First dip the melon baller in the warm water and then form small balls from
       the mixture using the melon baller and your hands.  Place the truffle rounds
       on the parchment paper.  Continue until all the mixture is finished.
       Remember to dip the melon baller in the warm water between pieces.
       Refrigerate the truffles until they have set about 1 hour.
4)   Using a double boiler melt the 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate.  Once the
       chocolate is melted, remove from the heat, but keep the chocolate in the
       double boiler so that it will maintain its liquid consistency.
5)   Remove the truffles from the refrigerator.  In another bowl sift together the
       Cocoa Powder and the Cinnamon.  Using 2 forks roll the truffles in the melted
       chocolate until they are lightly covered and then place them in the cocoa
       powder/cinnamon mixture; roll them in the powder until they are well coated.
       Place the truffles on a cooling rack.  Continue until all of the truffles have been
       coated.
6)   Refrigerate the truffles for up to a week and serve at room temperature.

Ingredients:
Serves 6 to 8
1)   ¾ (1 ½ sticks) Cup Butter
2)   7 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate - chopped (Sharffen Berger 70% bittersweet)
3)   2 tbs. Grand Marnier
4)   4 Large Eggs, plus 4 large Egg Yolks
5)   ¾ cup all-purpose Flour
6)   1 ½ cups Confectioners Sugar
7)   8 tsp. Butter, for preparing the ramekins
8)   8 tsp. granulated Sugar, for preparing the ramekins
9)   Whipped Cream (see recipe below)
10) Fresh Raspberry Sauce (see recipe below)

Preparation:
1)    Preheat the oven to 350 F
2)    In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate and add the
        Grand Marnier.  Remove the double boiler from the heat and add the
        eggs and egg yolks.  Using a wire whisk temper the yolks and chocolate
        while whisking to combine; this mixture will be very thick.
3)   In a bowl, sift together the flour and confectioners sugar and then stir into
       the chocolate mixture.
4)   Spoon about ½ cup of the mixture into each of the buttered and sugared
       ramekins with a diameter of about 2 ½ inches.
5)   Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and transfer to the oven.  Bake for 8
       to 10 minutes, until the cakes are set on the outside and soft in the middle.
6)   Run a knife along the edge of the ramekins to loosen up the cakes a little.
       Remove the cakes from the molds and serve immediately.

Fresh Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1)   1 Cup Heavy Cream
2)   1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preparation:
1)    Using a mixer...combine the heavy cream and Vanilla until it thickens
        about 5 minutes.
2)    Serve alongside the Molten Chocolate cakes.
3)    Can refrigerate the whipped cream for up to 1 week.

Fresh Raspberry Sauce (about 1 1/2 cups worth)
Ingredients:
1)   1 cup fresh Raspberries
2)   ¼ cup Sugar
3)   3/4 cup Water
4)   1 tsp. Lemon Juice
5)   2 tsp. Corn Starch
6)   1 tbs. Chambord

Preparation:
1)    In a saucepan gently heat the sugar and water until simmering, add the
        raspberries and stir.  Simmer 2-3 minutes and stir, crushing the
        raspberries.
2)   Mix the corn starch with a little cold water, add the corn starch mixture
       and lemon juice.  Allow to cook for another 10 minutes or until the mixture
       has reached a syrupy texture.
3)   Strain the mixture into a bowl using cheesecloth or a strainer.
4)   Serve sauce alongside the Molten Chocolate Cake, garnish with fresh
       raspberries.

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