Baking with Less Sugar (13 page)

8.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk), whisk the “ice cream” base on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it holds stiff peaks. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly in a thick layer on top of the cake half that is on the baking sheet. Carefully invert the other half of the cake onto the ice cream base; center it and press it down so it's relatively flat and even. Make room in the freezer for the cake and place the whole thing in the freezer for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

9.
When ready to serve, peel off the parchment on both the top and the bottom of the cake. Using a hot knife, trim the edges of the cake to get a clean edge. You will end up with a rectangle about 8 by 12 in [20 by 30 cm]. Slice the ice cream sandwich cake into 8 pieces, each about 3 by 4 in [8 by 10 cm].

10.
Serve immediately, or store in the freezer, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to 3 weeks. These are best served after they've been removed from the freezer and set out for 10 to 15 minutes before eating to allow the ice cream to soften.

If you've ever indulged in affogato—a classic simple Italian dessert in which a scoop of vanilla gelato is doused with a shot of espresso—you'll love this quick and easy variation. Coffee is mixed with chocolate and milk to make a quick frozen ice base; an optional shot of Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur helps keep the ice a bit softer for easier blending (alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice creams, making for a softer result). You layer scoops of shaved ice with dollops of vanilla-scented soft cream and, as you eat it, the layers meld together and get even creamier—it tastes a little bit like a frozen chocolate cream pie. It's one of my favorite fast treats and I often have some on hand in the freezer for last-minute sweet cravings. The sugar content in the chocolate in this recipe measures about 66 grams, which is about 16 grams per serving.

SERVES
4

MOCHA SHAVED ICE

• 170 g/6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 240 g/1 cup hot brewed strong coffee
  
• 240 g/1 cup whole milk
  
• ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp kosher salt
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 2 Tbsp Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur (optional)
  

VANILLA CREAM

• 240 g/1 cup heavy cream
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  

• Approximately 3-in [8-cm] block of bittersweet chocolate, at room temperature, for garnish
  

1. To make the shaved ice:
Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee directly on top of the chocolate. Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it is scalded—that is, small bubbles form on the edges of the milk and it almost, but not quite, comes to a boil. Pour the milk into the chocolate-coffee mixture. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the salt, vanilla, and Kahlúa (if using) and stir until combined. Place the shaved ice base in a shallow covered container and freeze overnight.

2.
The next day, remove the shaved ice base from the freezer and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to soften slightly. Use a fork or knife to break up the ice into pieces the size of ice cubes and place in a food processor. Process the ice about 1 minute, or until it becomes a slush. Scrape out into a container and put back in the freezer while you prepare the vanilla cream.

3. To make the vanilla cream:
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk), whip the heavy cream and vanilla on medium speed until the cream holds soft peaks that droop a little when the whisk is lifted.

4.
To serve, in tall glasses, mugs, or dessert bowls, alternate layers of shaved ice with spoonfuls of whipped cream, beginning and ending with cream. Using the back of a paring knife or a vegetable peeler, scrape the chocolate block to make chocolate shavings and scatter them evenly on top of each serving.

5.
Store the shaved ice, well covered, in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

The key to making sure these super-chocolate-y cakes have a soft pudding-like core is to under-bake them ever so slightly, so that when you break into them with a fork, the centers are molten and gooey. Keep a careful eye on them; you want the centers to still be soft and wobbly when you take them out of the oven. I like to offset the richness of the cake with a little dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. There are about 110 grams of sugar total (just over
¹
/
₂
cup) in the chocolate in this recipe; each pudding cake contains about 18 grams of sugar.

MAKES
6
INDIVIDUAL CAKES

• 280 g/10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 115 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup unsalted butter
  
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  
• 120 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup heavy cream
  
• ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp kosher salt
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• Unsweetened heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks, for garnish
  

1.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F [175°C]. Butter six 4-oz [120-ml] ramekins.

2.
Bring a saucepan filled partway with water to a very gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl over (not touching) the barely simmering water in the saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, microwave the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth. In a large bowl, by hand with a whisk, whip the eggs and egg yolks. Whip in the heavy cream, salt, and vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined.

3.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the outsides of the cakes start to set and feel firm to the touch and the insides are still wiggly and soft when you poke them in the center. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them sit for a few minutes to firm up.

4.
Run a knife around the cakes and carefully invert onto serving plates. Serve immediately with a little unsweetened whipped cream.

Unbelievably, this rich, decadent pie contains no added sugar. Our workhorse recipe for flaky pie dough makes a perfect crust for the double chocolate layers. One is creamy light mousse and the other, a dense, chocolate-rich truffle base. The total amount of sugar in the chocolate in this recipe clocks in at around 140 grams (about
³
/
₄
cup), or about 18 grams of sugar per slice of pie.

MAKES
ONE
9-IN [23-CM] PIE

DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

• 360 g/1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups heavy cream
  
• 100 g/3
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• Pinch of kosher salt
  

PÂTE BRISÉE

• 140 g/1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp kosher salt
  
• 130 g/9 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 2 Tbsp cold whole milk
  

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE FILLING

• 180 g/
  ³
  /
  ₄
  cup heavy cream
  
• 120 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup whole milk
  
• 250 g/9 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 2 egg yolks
  
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp kosher salt
  

• Approximately 3-in [8-cm] block of bittersweet chocolate, at warm room temperature, for garnish
  

1. To make the mousse:
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is scalded—that is, small bubbles form on the edges of the cream and it almost, but not quite, comes to a boil. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Add the salt and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. With a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

2. To make the pâte brisée:
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), beat the flour and salt for 10 to 15 seconds, or until mixed. Add the butter and beat slowly for 45 to 60 seconds, or just until the flour is no longer bright white, holds together when you clump it, and there are still lumps of butter the size of a pecan throughout. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk and add all at once to the flour-butter mixture. Beat very briefly on low speed for 20 to 30 seconds,
just
until it barely comes together. It will look really shaggy and more like a mess than a dough.

3.
Dump the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough, starting at the top of the mound and sliding your palm down the sides of the mound along the work surface, until most of the butter chunks are smeared into the dough and the whole thing comes together. (This technique is called
fraisage
and makes for a very flaky pie dough.) Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and press it down to make a flattened disk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (wrapped in another layer of plastic wrap if storing for more than 1 day) or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.

4.
Remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and knead it slightly to make it malleable if it feels stiff. Using a rolling pin, press the dough to flatten it into a disk about
¹
/
₂
in [1 cm] thick. Generously flour your work surface and the dough disk. Carefully roll out the disk into a circle about 12 in [30 cm] in diameter. Make sure the table you are rolling on is well floured so that the dough does not stick to it; likewise make sure the disk itself is floured well enough to keep your rolling pin from sticking to it. Roll from the center of the disk outward and gently rotate the disk a quarter turn after each roll to ensure that the disk gets stretched out evenly into a nice circle. Don't worry if the dough breaks a bit, especially towards the edges. You can easily patch these tears up once you've lined your pie plate.

5.
Once the dough circle is about 12 in [30 cm] in diameter, roll it gently around the rolling pin and then unfurl it on top of a 9-in [13-cm] aluminum or glass pie plate. Press the dough gently into the bottom and sides of the plate, leaving a
¹
/
₂
-in [1-cm] lip around the edge (to allow for shrinkage in the oven), and using any scraps or odd pieces to patch up any tears or missing bits.

6.
Refrigerate the pie shell for at least 30 minutes. (The gluten needs a little time to relax so it doesn't shrink as much in the oven). The unbaked pie shell can be stored, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. If frozen, the pie shell can be baked directly from the freezer.

7.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F [175°C].

8.
Blind bake (that is, prebake) the shell so it doesn't get soggy when you eventually fill it: Line the shell with parchment paper or a large coffee filter and then fill it with pie weights, uncooked beans, uncooked rice, or even well-washed marble-size rocks. Press down slightly on the weights to make sure the shell is entirely filled and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the shell is brown on the edges and pale and matte when you lift the parchment and peek at the surface of the shell. (If the edges brown too quickly, cover the shell loosely with foil.) When the pie shell is done blind baking, remove it from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. When the pie shell has cooled, remove the parchment paper and pie weights.