Something Sweet for Mom
(or for you)
Hi friends! A Happy Friday welcome to everyone. New subscribers, welcome to the club. I’m really glad all of you are here.
April showers bring May flowers, and this year in Southern California that is certainly the case. Wildflowers are everywhere. Our community has a rose garden and I visited recently to view the roses in full bloom. They were gorgeous.
The garden is home not only hybrid teas, climbers, floribundas, and mini roses that populate the grounds. There is also a xeriscape section devoted to succulents and drought-tolerant plants.
It is apropos that blooms are so abundant just in time for Mother’s Day. While you can’t pick the flowers in the garden, I think it would be the perfect place to enjoy the sights, smells, and serenity with moms, in-laws, or dear friends.
My mom turned 85 years old earlier this year and she is a gardener. In every home and climate we lived in while I was growing up, my mom managed to have a garden with flowers, veggies, or fruit.
When we lived on Pacific islands, her gardens included plumeria, hibiscus, and a pineapple or two. In the U.S. Southwest, she had cactus, magnolias, basil, hot chili peppers, jalapenos, and tomatoes.
Mom now lives in a New York City apartment, so there’s no outside garden for her to tend. But she enjoys growing things indoors. Orchids, bonsai, asparagus fern, and rosemary grace her living areas and bring life to her 5th-story condo. If she lived locally, you can be sure I would be taking her to the community rose garden.
Mother’s Day can be a bittersweet holiday. I know many people who have either lost their moms or have mothers who are still here but mentally gone. For others, the holiday is complicated because, well, families are complicated. I’m thankful for my relationship with my mom and with my kids.
This year, I’m baking myself a yummy dessert for Mother’s Day. It reminds me of motherhood: the outside is cracked and messy, but inside it is rich and satisfying.
Recipes
6-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake
Yields 6 to 8 pieces
Time needed: 45 minutes
Super rich and chocolatey but not dense or heavy! This gluten-free wonder of a cake is pretty special. The recipe is originally from The Loopy Whisk. I’ve made it multiple times and it is always a hit. If you need something that will feed more people, double the recipe and bake it in a parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan for 35-ish minutes.
Ingredients
5 oz dark (60%) chocolate, broken into one-inch pieces
5 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
4 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
8 tsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line a loaf pan (9x5 or 8x4, either work) with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the chocolate pieces in a medium bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with the tip of a chopstick or knife (less surface area for chocolate to cling to) and zap again in 30-second intervals until chocolate is softened. Add the butter and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir into a glossy mixture. Set aside to cool slightly.
Crack each egg, separating yolks and whites. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and stir to incorporate. Tip in the cocoa powder and salt and mix.
Beat the egg whites with a stand or hand mixer while slowly adding the granulated sugar. The whites will get foamy, frothy, then double in size as they become shiny white. Continue to beat until sem-stiff peaks form. When the beaters are turned upside down, the whites should be stiff enough to hold their shape and form a curlicue at the tip.
Scoop about two-thirds of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and gently fold them in with a spatula. Be careful not to knock the air out of the whites, so no vigorous stirring!
Tip the chocolate and egg white mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Blob on the remaining beaten whites and spread evenly with the back of a spoon to cover the chocolate. Alternatively, you can choose to mix in all the beaten whites for a more cohesive look. I like the white top layer of meringue but you are an adult, so do what you want.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don’t overbake.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 20-ish minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan by lifting it with the parchment paper. Place it on the wire rack to cool completely.
Serve with whipped heavy cream and sliced fruit.
Now, if chocolate is not the answer, I have other options for you on the Betty Eatz recipe site.
Fruit Dome Cake is sponge cake layered with whipped cream and fruit.
Basque Cheesecake (small batch) is six slices of creamy dreamy burnt top goodness.
Vegan Triple Coconut Cake is plush and delicious whether you’re vegan or not.
Tell Me
What are you making for the holiday weekend? I’d love to know.
Speaking of holidays, the next few weeks we will look at grilling and all the how-tos in preparation for all the outdoor cooking months ahead. See you next Friday!