Simple and Elegant Flourless Chocolate Cake

One of my favorite desserts when dining out is a flourless chocolate cake. Its truffle-like consistency paired with a bit of whipped cream and berries is truly an elegant way to end a meal.  You don't need to wait for your next night out to enjoy such a fine dessert.  I found this great recipe with a Google search, and it comes from yesterday's edition of the Dallas News (link below).  Their recipe relies heavily on a food processor, but if you have a blender and a good mixer you can do the same thing.  Make sure you prepare your pans well.  Use a baking spray (it comes with the flour already in it) or to be truly flour-free, spray pans with vegetable spray or brush with melted butter and then "cocoa" (as you would flour) very well.

Flourless Choclate Cake

1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spritz a 6-inch cake pan or muffin tins with baking spray (a cooking spray containing flour).

In a food processor (or blender), pulse the almonds and sugar until finely ground. Set aside.

In a glass bowl or measuring cup, combine chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on High (100 percent power) in 15-second bursts, stirring between, until melted and smooth.

With the processor running (or mixer), pour the chocolate mixture in and process until combined. One at a time, add the eggs, processing between each to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process one last time.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on pan size), or until the cake is puffed and no longer glossy. Let rest in the pan until the top sinks back down, about 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Photo credit and original article: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/easyrecipes/stories/DN-nf_flourless_0210gd.State.Edition1.24bf2bf.html