From the Kitchen of: Deanna Mueller-Crispin (originally from Pazzo’s and was in the Oregonian a couple of years ago)
(makes 6* servings)
Truffles:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup plus 2 T. whipping cream
1 T. port wine
Cakes:
10 T. unsalted butter, diced
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup plus 2 T. almond meal (ground almonds)
6 eggs, separated
6 T. granulated sugar
To make truffles:
Combine bittersweet chocolate, cream & port in a heatproof mixing bowl. Place bowl over hot water until the chocolate is melted. Stir well. Pour mixture into a small bowl and refrigerate.
To make cakes:
Butter six 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins.
Place the butter and semisweet chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Place mixing bowl over hot water until chocolate is melted. Stir well.
When the chocolate mixture is warm to the touch, stir in the almond meal and egg yolks. Remove from heat.
Whip the egg whites in a large bowl on high speed. When the whites have started to thicken and rise, gradually add the sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Gently stir about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Scoop the truffle mixture into 6 balls. Place 1 truffle on top of each cake.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes have risen up around the truffles and are firm in the center.
Remove from oven & cool for about 5-10 minutes (or they won’t come out easily). Run a knife around the edge of each cake and turn out onto serving plates. Serve warm.
*Note: I doubled the recipe for Book Group (i.e. it should have made enough for to fill 12 ramekins). But it made enough for at least 16 or 18 ramekins. I put the excess cake batter & truffles into an 8” soufflé dish to bake, and the cake was at least 2 – 2.5” deep in that!