Serves 6
*Baking rings are available from Sur la Table.  Call 800-243-0852 and request a Baker's Catalog. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with vegetable spray and place 6 baking rings* (approximately 3" diameter and 3" tall) on the cookie sheet. Spray well with non-stick spray on the insides of the rings, and set them aside.

Melt chocolate and butter together and set aside. Beat the 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the teaspoon of cake flour till thick and pale yellow. Whip the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar until they hold a definite shape but are not dry.

Combine the chocolate and egg yolk mixtures. Add a generous spoonful of the egg whites to this mixture to lighten it, and then fold it into the remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into rings filling only 1/2 to 2/3 full - it will puff up like a soufflé. 

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes (12 minutes will produce a more pudding-like consistency and 15-17 minutes will give a more cake-like texture). Experiment - much depends on the amount of batter in each ring and the characteristics of your oven.

Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes.  Slide a wide spatula under each ring and place on individual dessert plates. Lift off rings. Top with a spoon of ice cream and add a crisp cookie, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce or fresh red raspberries.

An even more intense dessert can be created by adding 1 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate to the batter just before putting it in the rings, or by placing a chocolate truffle in the center of the batter after it is in the rings.

Vanilla or Chocolate Tuiles (Tweelz)

In each case, combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon about 30 seconds, or until just combined and frothy. Add dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add melted butter, cream and extract and beat until combined.

Put a small amount of batter into a pastry bag with a small piping tip.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread a thin layer of each batter over a template onto a baking sheet lined with reusable baking parchment. Lift the template off carefully and if you choose, decorate the vanilla tuiles with chocolate and vice versa.

Bake the tuiles about 5 minutes - the vanilla will be slightly brown around the edges and the chocolate tuiles will have lightened. When you remove them from the oven, let them cool only about 30 seconds - they must be hot and flexible for shaping. Using a spatula, remove them from the baking sheet and immediately drape them over a dowel to create a curved shape. If the tuiles become to cool before shaping, you may return them to the oven for 30 seconds until they soften, or leave them flat.

Deep Chocolate Sauce

Place 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 1/2 TBS butter in a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil. Add up to 8 oz. finely chopped chocolate and stir constantly until chocolate is melted.  Use semisweet, or for most intense flavor use a fine quality bittersweet chocolate.

Makes about 1 1/2 cup of sauce.

Combine sugar with the water and stir over medium heat until syrup is clear. Put on a lid and let it cook 3 or 4 minutes until the steam has washed any crystals from the sides. Uncover and cook until the liquid has turned light amber.

Place cream in a small saucepan and heat just to boiling. When the syrup is amber slowly and carefully whisk in the cream. When it is all blended remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to two weeks.

Make about 1 1/2 cups.

In a small copper bottom saucepan combine the sugar and water.  Stir over medium heat till liquid is clear and bubbling. Add 1 drop of fresh lemon juice. Put on a lid and let it boil about 3 minutes; the steam will wash down sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook about 8 more minutes until the liquid is the color of maple syrup - the temperature is 310 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Immediately place bottom of pan in ice water briefly to stop cooking. Spray sheets of parchment with non-stick vegetable spray, and dipping the end of a wooden spoon in the caramel, stream the syrup in thin lines across the parchment. When cool, chop off uneven ends with a metal spatula. Store in an airtight container.

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