Saint Valentine has a close connection to Ireland, specifically Whitefriars Church, the Carmelite priory in Dublin, which is said to hold the saint’s remains. The Catholic Church venerates him as the patron saint of couples in love, of those planning to be married, and of married life in general. Today, February 14 is universally celebrated as an occasion where lovers express their feelings for each other by giving flowers, sending cards, sipping Champagne, and offering confectionery, especially chocolate, which has grown to become synonymous with the day. Buying a box of chocolates for the one you love is always a surefire hit, but enjoying a chocolate dessert together, like one of these, is even better!
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH WARM FRUIT COMPOTE
SERVES 8 TO 10
This rich chocolate cake can be served with either ice cream or whipped cream, but I love fruit compote, which you can also use to top pound cake or waffles.
For the cake
9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, roughly chopped
6 ounces butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
5 large eggs, separated
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
For the compote
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1 cup pear nectar
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
6 cloves
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons pear brandy
1. Make cake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter and in a large glass bowl on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir once; return to microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in sugar. Remove from heat; add almonds. Stir in egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spoon one quarter of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten; gently fold in remaining whites. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is firm. (Cake will rise, form a crust, then fall again.) Cool completely. Run a knife around inside of pan; remove sides.
5. Make compote. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring wine, pear nectar, brown sugar, zest and juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook for about 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Remove cloves and cinnamon sticks; set aside.
6. Add apricots, raisins, cranberries, apples, and pears; simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until apples and pears are nearly tender.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer fruits to a bowl. Return cooking liquid to pan along with cinnamon sticks and cloves. Boil liquid for about 15 minutes, or until mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves; stir in brandy.
8. Combine liquid and fruit. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Rewarm before serving.
9. To serve, cut cake into slices; spoon compote over cake.
WHITE CHOCOLATE TART
SERVES 6
This tasty tart gets a boozy boost from the addition of Irish cream liqueur!
For the pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 2 tablespoons water
For the filling
8 ounces white chocolate
4 ounces unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoons honey
Fresh berries, for topping
1. Make pastry. Combine flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor. Pulse 5 to 6 times, or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half of egg yolk mixture; process until soft dough forms. Form dough into a ball; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/4-inch- thickness. Line a 12-inch tart pan with dough, leaving a small overlap in case of shrinkage. Cover dough with a piece of aluminum foil; fill it with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Remove weights and foil; brush with remaining egg wash. Bake for about 5 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.
4. Make filling. Microwave chocolate and butter and in a large glass bowl on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir once; return to microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in Irish cream; let cool for 20 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, and honey with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture; pour into pastry shell.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is set and top is golden. Remove from oven; let cool completely on a wire rack.
7. To serve, cut tart into slices. Serve with a few berries or fruit compote.
BLACK AND TAN BROWNIES
MAKE 2 DOZEN
This recipe was inspired by one I found at Grace Neill’s Pub in Donaghadee, County Down, decades ago. It was created there to mimic the famous Irish pub drink made with a light ale on the bottom of a glass and a dark layer of Guinness on top.
For the tan layer
3 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
For the black layer
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
2 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Make tan layer. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans. Transfer to prepared pan; spread batter evenly with a rubber spatula or with dampened fingers.
3. Bake for 20 minutes; remove from oven.
4. Make black layer. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir once; return to microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in sugar until well combined; let cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and Guinness until smooth. Add flour and salt; stir to combine. Slowly pour over partially baked tan layer.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into center comes out almost clean. Remove from oven; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page now includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, including how to order her cookbooks, visit irishcook.com.
