0 Chocolate Krantz Cake

We have been lucky this year, they say. Two full months and more of really good weather. It has been indeed a marvelous season. Perhaps exactly for this reason, or maybe because I spent most of it working or having a good time, it literally slipped from my hands. 

These empty hands I have, I am trying to fill with something which feels like a project. I try to line up thoughts, ideas and bits of inspiration that only idle time outdoor could give me, and finally sit down to build something new. More than January and the actual start of the year, it is fall the perfect time to give myself a purpose; September the month which marks a new beginning.

As the days become considerably shorter, and the mist and the wind and the rain awake me from my midsummer dream, I retire back in the cozy warmth of a home heated by an oven. Weekends are no longer occasions for spending time outside - being it playing tourists at home, or lounging in the park, going to a festival or crossing town to enjoy some street food at one of the many amazing markets. Rather, free days are consumed inside, giving time to long-neglected activities which required more attention than the summer version of myself could possibly give. One of these is baking - the other, writing.

There was one recipe that kept whirling in my head - it was just never the right time, until now. It was once again a recipe from Jerusalem, which looked so obscenely tempting I could hardly look away from those pages. A luxurious, decadent goodness called Chocolate Krantz Cake, one of the kind I only saw in the photos of the best bakeries in the world. I just couldn't get it out of my head.

Last week, forced indoor by the adverse weather, we embarked in the adventure of making it. Truth to be told, we have never made a sweet yeast bread of this complexity before, if any - besides brioche. This adventure then felt like a project, a two-day long one, punctuated by waiting and hopes. On the way, we discovered we were worrying for no reason: it all came together easily, gifting us with a cheerful couple of hours of rolling, laughing, making a mess on the table, licking chocolate spoons; with a house filled with the sugary, chocolaty scent of the cake baking in the oven; and a lovely afternoon of tea making, reading and cake nibbling.

Chocolate Krantz Cake

From Jerusalem: A Cookbook (via Seven Spoons)

I report this extract and the following recipe as they are in the book. I will add my notes* at the end. 

Making a krantz isn’t easy or quick. You need to let the dough rise overnight and then fill and shape it, which is quite an elaborate process. But [...] it is well worth it! [...] They are just the sort of thing everyone hurls themselves at as soon as they come out of the oven. They will also keep for up to two days at room temperature, wrapped in foil, and up to a couple of weeks when frozen. For a fabulous alternative to the chocolate filling, brush each dough half with 6 tbsp / 80 g melted unsalted butter and then sprinkle with 1⁄2 cup / 120 g light muscovado sugar, 1 1⁄2 tbsp ground cinnamon, and scant 1⁄2 cup / 50 g coarsely chopped walnuts; then roll as described in the chocolate version.

Makes 2 loaves

For the dough:

 4 cups / 530 g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 cup / 100 g superfine sugar

2 teaspoons fast-rising active dry yeast

grated zest of 1 small lemon

3 extra-large free-range eggs

1/2 cup / 120 ml water

rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3cup / 150 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 3/4-inch / 2cm cubes

sunflower oil, for greasing

For the chocolate filling:

 scant 1/2 cup / 50 g confectioners’ sugar

1/3 cup / 30 g best-quality cocoa powder

4 oz / 130 g good-quality dark chocolate, melted

1/2 cup / 120 g unsalted butter, melted

1 cup / 100 g pecans, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

For the sugar syrup (enough for both cakes):

2/3 cup / 160 ml water

1 1/4 cups / 260 g superfine sugar

For the dough, place the flour, sugar, yeast, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and water and mix on low speed for a few seconds, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes, until the dough comes together.

Add the salt and then start adding the butter, a few cubes at a time, mixing until it is incorporated into the dough. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed, until the dough is completely smooth, elastic, and shiny. During the mixing, you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times and throw a small amount of flour onto the sides so that all of the dough leaves them. Place the dough in a large bowl brushed with sunflower oil, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight.

Grease two 2 1⁄4-lb / 1kg loaf pans (9 by 4 inches / 23 by 10 cm) with some sunflower oil and line the bottom of each pan with a piece of waxed paper. Divide the dough in half and keep one-half covered in the fridge.

Make the filling by mixing together the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, and butter. You will get a spreadable paste. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 15 by 11 inches (38 by 28 cm). Trim the sides** to make them even, then position the dough so that a long side is closest to you. Use an offset spatula to spread half the chocolate mixture over the rectangle, leaving a 3⁄4-inch / 2cm border all around. Sprinkle half the pecans on top of the chocolate, then sprinkle over half the superfine sugar.

Brush a little bit of water along the long end farthest away from you. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side that is closest to you and ending at the other long end. Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade and then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect thick cigar. Rest the cigar on its seam. Trim about 3⁄4 inch / 2 cm off both ends of the roulade with a serrated knife. Now use the knife to gently cut the roll into half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam. You are essentially dividing the log into two long even halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves. With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, and then lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time lift the left half over the right, to create a simple, two-pronged plait. Gently squeeze together the other ends so that you are left with the two halves, intertwined, showing the filling on top. Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan.

Cover the pan with a wet tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 and 1⁄2 hours. The cake will rise by 10 to 20 percent. Repeat the whole process to make the second cake.

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C, making sure you allow plenty of time for it to heat fully before the cakes have finished rising. Remove the tea towels, place the cakes on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cakes are in the oven, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and leave to cool down. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush all of the syrup over them. It is important to use up all the syrup. Leave the cakes until they are just warm, then remove them from the pans and let cool completely before serving.

* Notes:

• I used 100% regular wholemeal flour instead of the all-purpose/plain flour and it worked perfectly fine. 
• Instead of superfine sugar, I used demerara caster sugar, also with good results.
• I didn't have any lemons when I made these so I used 1 tsp pure vanilla extract in its place.
• I used large rather than extra-large eggs and they were OK.
• Since I don't keep sunflower oil in the house, I used ghee - which worked well for the task.
• I like very dark chocolate, so I used 85% dark chocolate - in my humble opinion, it made a great contrast with the sweetness of the syrup and balanced things out wonderfully.
• I swapped pecans for walnuts. I am sure hazelnuts would be fantastic, too.
• I ended up using less syrup (about 2/3 of the total). Although the author heatedly suggests to use all the syrup, I am not fond of super-sugary stuff, so I think I will use even less next time. I think you should listen to whatever your sweet tooth tells you...

** I used the scrapes of dough and a bit of leftover chocolate filling to make those little rolled buns (pictured above), which I baked in a muffin tin for less than half the amount of time it took to bake the loaves. They were delicious and totally moreish. I will try to make cinnamon buns out of this recipe sometime soon - as I think the results might be overwhelmingly good.

Detail: Chocolate Krantz Cake

0 Good-Mood Chocolate Cookies

It takes only a slipping knife, and one's world is turned upside-down for days. That's what happened, a knife that slipped, a cut in a hand, stitches, home from work. Me not being able to perform the most stupid, basic, daily tasks, from putting up my hair to washing my face.  From cutting an apple from my oatmeal to washing a salad. From baking bread to doing the dishes.

"I feel like Edward Scissorhands", I told J, while trying to serve myself some salad, failing miserably and spreading corn kernels all over the table. He smiled, helped me with the serving spoons and cleaned my mess. He knows I am stubborn. Sometimes, he lets me try, but he is ready to save the situation before I go too far. "Nonono, Val, leave it, sit down."

I am tired of sitting down already.

One, two, three days at home like that and I start to feel anxious. Sure, I can read. I can use my time to do (pretty useless and yet fulfilling) tasks that I have put on a side for a long time. Re-organize ideas, write those emails saved in the draft file for months --yes, typing with one hand takes ages, but thank god I have anything but time. Take walks and deep breaths. I can take pictures with one hand, although blurry 99% of the times. But.

This is a good lesson. The smallest thing can deeply affect us, our routine and habits. Never take anything for granted. And beware of small, sharp knives, please. You really don't want to end up like yours truly, I assure you.




Anyway, let's stop with my lament. I thought something sweet would uplift the spirit of this post (and mine), so here I am, talking about chocolate chip cookies. What? Me, chocolate, cookies? Yep, you heard me. Chocolate chip cookies and milk is one of the most miraculous cures for lonely souls. Give them to a kid with the flu and he'll feel better in a second. Give them to J and his day will shine of a new light. Oh, give one to me, too, please. Want some? I have plenty. I made them before getting hurt and look how useful they turned out. Another lesson: never ask yourself too many questions while making (a lot) of cookies. They will come handy sooner or later.

Now, I strongly believe the world doesn't need another chocolate chip cookie recipe --or it surely doesn't need mine. I don't have one, anyway. Also, I think that in hard times, one should rely on trusted friends. So I did --I headed to her blog and looked for chocolate chip cookies, found many, chose my favorite and had me started.

I followed her instructions pretty closely, having almost all the ingredients required for, but as she says at the beginning of the recipe, you can swap and adapt it at your liking. My impression: these cookies are small bite-size bombs of chewy goodness. But, they are sweet, very very sweet. So, if you like sweet go for it, they are just the perfect cookies for you, if not, my suggestion is to lower the sugar called for by 1/4 cup at least, or to use a more bitter, darker type of chocolate. Or both. That's what I am going to do next --whenever my hand allows me to -- and what I reported on the recipe below. In the meantime, I'll enjoy what remains of these, dipped in a big cup of milk which is sitting precariously on the couch edge. I like to live dangerously, I'll never learn.

Bite-Size Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lightly adapted from an Heidi Swanson's recipe

Yields about 60 small cookies

5 oz/140 gr good-quality semi-sweet chocolate bar (I used Hotel Chocolat 66% dark chocolate)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped (by hand)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup raw natural dark brown sugar

scant 1 T organic unsulphured molasses (blackstrap)

1 medium organic egg

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees, racks in top and bottom third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the chocolate bar into tiny shavings. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, walnuts, and shaved chocolate. Set aside. Using a wooden spoon, cream the butter until fluffy, then add the sugar and mix until it is also light and fluffy. Add the molasses, then the egg and the vanilla, mixing until everything is well incorporated, Add the flour mix and stir until the ingredients come together into a uniform dough. Scoop out the dough in  tablespoon size. Roll each tablespoon of dough into a ball shape. Place two inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden and fragrant. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container up to 10 days.

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Basta che un coltello vi scivoli di mano e il vostro mondo si scompiglia. Questo è quello che è successo a me, un coltello che scivola, un bel taglio su una mano, due punti, a casa. Io che non sono capace nemmeno di fare le cose più basiche, dal legarmi i capelli al lavarmi la faccia, dal tagliare una mela a lavare l'insalata, dal fare il pane al lavare i piatti.  

"Mi sento come Edward Mani di Forbice", ho detto a J mentre mi disperavo nel tentativo di mettermi l'insalata nel piatto, sparpagliandola invece su tutta la tavola.  Lui sorride, mi prende i cucchiai dalla mano, mi serve l'insalata e ripulisce il disastro. Sa che sono cocciuta e mi lascia provare, ma è sempre pronto a salvare la situazione. "Nonononono Val, lascia, no lasciaaaa, stai giù". 

Son già stufa di stare giù.

Uno, due, tre giorni a casa in questo stato e già inizio a scalpitare. Certo, posso leggere, fare tutte quelle cose (utili o meno) che avevo accantonato per mille motivi di tempo e priorità. Posso riorganizzare le idee, scrivere quelle vecchie mail salvate in bozze per anni (anche se a scriverle con una mano sola ci metto un secolo). Posso camminare e respirare a pieni polmoni l'aria fresca del parco. Posso perfino fare foto con la mano buona, sebbene belle suocate nel 99% dei casi. Ma.

Mi sarà di lezione, quest'è certo. Il più piccolo, veloce evento può influire moltissimo sulle notre abitudini, sulla nostra vita quotidiana. Mai sottovalutare, mai dare per scontato. E mai fidarsi di piccoli coltelli affilati. Che poi non si dica che non vi ho avvisati --di sicuro non voglio che finiate come la sottoscritta.

Comunque, archiviato il lamento, passiamo a qualcosa che possa sollevare gli animi (i vostri, il mio, e quello del post). Qualcosa di dolce, qualcosa come i biscotti al cioccolato. Che, chi, io, biscotti, cioccolato? Eh, che vi devo dire, i biscotti al cioccolato sono davvero una delle miglior cure per animi affranti, e sono sicura di non essere l'unica a pensarlo. Dateli ad un bambino con la febbre e smetterà di piagnucolare. Dateli a J e un nuovo sole illuminerà la sua giornata. Datene anche uno a me, per questa volta. Voi potete prenderne quanti volete, ce n'è per un reparto ospedaliero intero. E mica li ho fatti ora, eh, li avevo fatti prima dell'incidente, e guarda come son tornati utili! Altra lezione: mai aver le braccia corte in tema di biscotti, non si sa mai quando ne avrete bisogno (parlo per aforismi più di Forrest Gump, di questi tempi, perdonatemi).

Ora, sono della ferma opinione che il mondo non necessiti affatto dell'ennesima ricetta dei biscotti con le gocce di cioccolato (i famigerati chocolate chip cookies), non importa quanto ultimate sia. Inoltre, sono convinta che nei momenti del biosogno sia importante rivolgersi a fonti sicure e amici fidati. Così ho fatto: sono andata dritta sul suo blog, ho digitato "chocolate chip cookies", ho trovato una sfilza di ricette e ho scelto quella che faceva al caso mio. 

Ho seguito le istruzioni abbastanza fedelmente, avendo quasi tutti gli ingredienti giusti, ma avrei potuto anche fare di testa mia se avessi voluto (la ricetta si presta bene a modifiche). Impressioni: questi biscottini da morso e via sono delle piccole bombe di mastichevole bontà.  Ma sono dolci, molto molto dolci, per cui vi avverto, se vi piace il dolce OK, se vi piace con moderazione vi consiglio di seguire il mio suggerimento (riportato nella ricetta sotto) e di usare meno zucchero e/o del cioccolato più amaro.  Seguirò il mio stesso consiglio anch'io, la prossima volta --quando la mia mano incidentata mi permetterà di rimettermi ai fornelli. Nel frattempo, mi godo quel che resta di questi, affondandoli in un bicchierone di latte posato precariamente sul bracciolo del divano. Sì, mi piace vivere pericolosamente. No, non imparerò mai. 

Bite-Size Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leggermente adattata da una ricetta di Heidi Swanson

Per circa 60 piccoli biscotti

140 gr di buon cioccolato al 65-70% di cacao (io ho usato Hotel Chocolat 66% dark chocolate)

1 cup/ circa 140 gr di farina integrale

1/2 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci

1/2 tsp cucchiaino di bicarbonato di sodio

1/2 cucchiaino di sale fino

1 cup/ 90 gr di fiocchi d'avena 

1/2 cup/ 60 gr di noci tritate molto finemente

1/2 cup/110gr di burro morbido

3/4 cup/165 gr zucchero di canna naturale (muscovado)

1 cucchiaio scarso di melassa (o miele dal sapore deciso)

1 uovo medio

1 cucchiaino e mezzo di estratto di vaniglia puro

Accendete il forno a 175°C. Coprite due leccarde da forno o teglie da biscotti con carta forno. Tagliate quindi il cioccolato molto molto finemente e aggiungetelo a farina, sale, lievito, bicarbonato, avena e noci in una ciotola capiente. In un'altra ciotola, riducete il burro a crema con un cucchiaio di legno o il mixer, aggiungete lo zucchero e continuate a lavorare, quindi aggiungete l'uovo, la melassa e la vaniglia e mescolate il tutto fino a che il composto non è bello omogeneo. Aggiungete i liquidi agli ingredienti secchi e mescolate fino ad amalgamare gli ingredienti. Con l'aiuto di un cucchiaio come misura, prendete l'impato e lavoratelo tra le mani fino a formare una pallina, disponetela sulla teglia, e ripetete fino alla fine dell'impato. Distanziate i biscotti perchè si allargheranno durante la cottura. Infornate e cuocete per 10 minuti. Sfornate e fate raffreddare su una gratella. Si conservano bene per 10 giorni in un contenitore ermetico o una scatola di latta. 

Detail: Good-Mood Chocolate Cookies

0 Chocolate Pistachio Cake || Torta Cioccolato Pistacchio

"J. piace torlta di cicolata" (J. likes chocolate cake).

This was a leitmotiv of our bright summer days, our long walks around the park, our lazy Sundays spent napping and cooking. Yes, chocolate cake was his personal favorite and yet, since we met I had never made it for him. Maybe it was because I prefer other kind of sweets and baked treats, more rustic and wholesome, or maybe because it really feels like an occasion cake to me. In the end, the cocoa powder has been resting untroubled on the kitchen shelf for months. 

Time passed by, summer gave way to fall, and the day of his birthday came. Fate and career wanted him far from home on that special day. We knew it since a while, we complained a bit about it, but we also knew that we would feast upon his return --with simple conforting food, some little presents, and a good cake. For once, we knew there would be chocolate cake.

Baking a birthday cake is, to me, a gesture of love. It has to be unique, thought exclusively for the person I am making it for. I have to know who and why --for what is a birthday cake for, if not for pleasing, surprising, cuddling? 

This chocolate cake is a collage of things that J. likes: chocolate, icing, pistachios. It is uncomplicated yet special, and surprisingly easy to make. I have always looked at American style chocolate cakes with some fear and reverence: perfectly moist, deeply dark, generously frosted with rich icing and filling --this is all very far from my knowledge of cakes, and therefore, a bit scary. It was just another world, a world that J. knew from his childhood and that for me was still a novelty. How to make a good chocolate cake without having even tried one? Most of all, how to make it personal?

I just followed my instinct, reading recipes here and there, comparing ingredients and proportions, and finding out all the recurrent ingredients and mesurements, all the variations on the same theme. Hot water for brewed coffee, milk and vinegar for buttermilk or sour cream, oil for melted butter. I felt better when I saw that in the majority of cases it was like making two big round muffins: wet ingredients on one side, dry ingredients on the other, mix and bake.

The icing was a different story --many more options among which I could choose. Yet, also many more chances to mess up te whole thing. I tried to make a cream cheese icing last year for a Red Velvet cake and I failed miserably: the result was just a series of irregular patches of white cream, dotted with millions of red crumbles. I am surely not the best cake designer, and I don't have many tools for this kind of decorations and frostings. I thought butter cream frosting could become as troublesome as the cream cheese one. A simple chocolate ganache was a way safer recipe for success in this case.

I found out that baking chocolate cake, from time to time, is therapeutical. The aroma that invades every room, starting from the kitchen and climbing up to the bedroom has the power of instant relaxation. Savoring it while reading a book made me some good in a Sunday of solitude. Taking the two disks of cake out of the oven, letting them cool down while chopping some dark chocolate --all these small gestures were deeply enjoyed in a long, lonely weekend afternoon, leaving everything outside and just listening to the noise of a knife cracking a chocolate bar. 

The night after was a feast for two. Cartizze bubbles, great cheeses from the past Cheese event in our town, carpaccio and salad. Between a bit of bleu and a sip of wine were tales from the week away from each other, hugs, smiles and little gifts. Then, the lights went off, and only two candles lightened the room --one shaped like a 3 and the other like a 0. 

"Happy 30th birthday".

"Thanks. Now it feels like a real birthday".

"Get your wish before blowing".

"Done. It's easy."

Let them eat chocolate cake, sitting on the floor covered with cake crumbs. Let them open the last gifts together, little funny ones or big ones from oversea, from beloved people sending along my early birthday gift. I opened a big package that J. brought home for my birthday to come and started jumping for happiness: a brand new camera bag was sitting on my house floor --I couldn't believe it. I immediately started to look inside, admiring all the pockets and starting to figure out how to organize all my gear. 

In one pocket I found a tiny white box. I looked straight in J.'s eyes. I opened it. A little diamond ring was shining from inside the box.

"This is my great grandmother wedding ring", he said. 

"She got married when she was 15". 

Yes, I will. 

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

For the cake (makes two 8-inch layers):

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp white vinegar

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used seed oil)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking poweder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add in oil, eggs, milk, vinegar, water and vanilla.  Whisk until all ingredients are well combined and batter is smooth. Pour batter into two 8-inch sping pans, greased. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a rack. 

For the pistachio filling:

8 oz pure pistachio cream

Warm up the cream in bain-marie until easy to spread. Cut the top of both cake halves, spread the cream in one layer on one half and top with the other half of the cake. Trasfer on a rack suitable for icing.

For the chocolate ganache icing:

1 cup finely chopped dark chocolate (70%)

1 cup fresh cream (35% fat)

1 knot (10 gr) butter

1 tsp low-fructose corn syrup

Bring cream to boiling on medium heat. Remove from the heat and add in chocolate pieces, butter and syrup. Whisk until a smooth cream forms. Pour ganache on top of the cake and distribute the cream evenly with a spatula, making sure all sides are covered. Set cake in the refrigerator for two hours, until the icing is solid and cold.

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"J. piace torlta di cicolata".

Era questo il lietmotiv delle nostre calde giornate estive, le passeggiate intorno al parco, le pigre domeniche passate a sonnecchiare e cucinare. Sì, la torta al cioccolato è sempre stata la sua preferita, eppure, sin da quando ci siamo conosciuti, mai una volta ero riuscita a fargliela. Forse la ragione è che preferisco altri tipi di dolci, più rustici e salutari, forse perché a me è sempre sembrata più una torta d'occasione che un dolce da tutti i giorni, sia quel che sia, il cacao ha continuato a riposare indisturbato sui ripiani della cucina.

Nel frattempo è successo che l'estate ha lasciato il passo all'autunno, e pian piano è giunto il giorno del suo compleanno. Destino e lavoro l'ha voluto lontano da casa proprio in quel giorno un po' speciale, lo sapevamo da un po', eppure un sospiro non è mancato quel mattino. Sapevamo entrambi, comunque, che al ritorno ci sarebbe stata una festa: un po' di buon cibo, qualche piccolo pensiero, e una bella torta. Per una volta, sapevamo entrambi che ci sarebbe stata una torta al cioccolato.

Preparare una torta di compleanno è un gesto d'amore. Deve essere qualcosa di unico, pensato solo per chi lo riceverà. Mi piace sapere che con quel gesto renderò felice qualcuno, lo sorprenderò e coccolerò un poco.

Questa torta è un insieme di tutto ciò che J. ama: cioccolato, ricca copertura, pistacchio. Un dolce semplice eppur speciale, e con mia grande sorpresa anche molto facile da realizzare. Ho sempre guardato quei dolci americani a mille strati con un certo timore reverenziale, così perfettamente morbidi, alti, decorati, dalla generosa farcitura e perfetta copertura. Era per me come un altro mondo, un mondo sconosciuto, ed invece un mondo familiare per J., qualcosa di noto fin dall'infanzia, dai compleanni con gli amici di scuola. Come riuscire a fare una buona torta di cioccolato senza averne mai assaggiata una, senza metro di paragone? Soprattutto, come farne qualcosa di unico e personale?

Ho semplicemente seguito il mio istinto, dopo aver letto ricette su ricette su questo tema. Mettendo a confronto ingredienti e proporzioni, sono arrivata a conoscere l'essenza della torta al cioccolato e le piccole variazioni su un tema comune. Acqua calda o caffé leggero, latte, latticello o panna acida, cioccolato o cacao, burro o olio. Nella maggior parte dei casi, tutto si risolveva con una tecnica da impasto base.

Per la copertura, invece, la cosa si complicava un po', le opzioni si moltiplicavano in una miriade di creme di formaggio, creme al burro o miscugli a base di panna. In passato ho sperimentato la farcitura al cream cheese, fallendo miseramente: il risultato, invece di somigliare a quello strato bianco, lindo e liscio visto nella fotoricetta, era più un cumulo scompigliato di crema bianca puntinato di pezzi di impasto. Di certo come pasticcera sono una frana, ed è pur vero che gli strumenti a mia disposizione sono piuttosto limitati. Una crema al burro sarebbe stata un disastro altrettanto grande, per cui optare per una semplice ganache al cioccolato era la decisione più saggia e promettente.

Ho scoperto che fare una torta al cioccolato è terapeutico. Ho scoperto che l'aroma che invade tutta la casa mentre cuoce ha il potere di rilassarmi all'istante. Annusarla mentre leggevo un libro ha reso la mia domenica di solitudine un po' meno vuota. Estrarre i due dischi di impasto dal forno, caldi, e lasciarli raffreddare mentre si sminuzza del cioccolato fondente: tutti questi piccoli gesti possono essere qualcosa di davvero appagante, possono riempiere un pomeriggio. Mi sono goduta il suono del cioccolato che si rompe al passaggio della lama, mentre tutto quel che c'era al di là delle mura di casa rimaneva estraneo.

La sera dopo è stata una festa per due. Una bottiglia di Cartizze, dei buoni formaggi dal festival appena concluso in città, carpaccio, insalata. Tra un morso e un sorso, racconti della settimana passata e piccole sorprese. Poi, le luci si sono spente e ad illuminare la stanza solo due candele, una a forma di tre, l'altra di zero.

"Happy 30th birthday".
"Thanks. Now it feels like a real birthday". (Grazie, adesso sembra davvero un compleanno).
"Get your wish before blowing". (Prima il desiderio, poi soffia).
"Done. It's easy." (Fatto. Facile).

Lascia che mangino la torta di cioccolato, seduti sul pavimento coperto di briciole scure. Lascia che aprano i regali, piccoli e grandi, alcuni provenienti da oltre oceano, da chi mi vuole bene e manda regali in anticipo per il mio compleanno. Ne ho scartato uno, e la gioia di vedere la borsa da fotografo che volevo mi ha fatto balzare in piedi. L'ho aperta, esplorata, e dentro, ho trovato una scatolina bianca.

Ho guardato J. negli occhi. L'ho aperta. Un anellino minuscolo con un diamante luccicava dall'interno.

"This is my great grandmother wedding ring", he said. (Questo è l'anello di matrimonio della mia bisnonna). 

"She got married when she was 15". (Si è sposata quando aveva 15 anni).

Sì.

Torta al Cioccolato e Pistacchio

Per la torta (2 dischi da 24 cm):
2 cups di farina 00
1 cup di cacao amaro in polvere
2 cups di zucchero
1 cucchiaino di bicarbonato
1 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci
1 cucchiaino di sale
1 cucchiaino di estratto naturale di vaniglia
2 uova
1 cup di latte fresco intero
2 cucchiaini di aceto di vino bianco
1 cup di acqua calda
1/2 cup di olio di semi

Scaldare il forno a 180°C. In una terrina, mescolate tutti gli ingredienti secchi (farina, zucchero, lievito, sale, bicarbonato, cacao), in un'altra tutti quelli liquidi e le uova. Unire i liquidi alle polveri e mescolare bene. Distribuire l'impasto in due tortiere a cerniera da 24 cm di diametro, infornare e cuocere per 35-40 minuti.

Per la crema di pistacchio:
1 vasetto di pura crema di pistacchio da 250 gr

Scaldare la crema a bagno maria finché la consistenza diventa morbida e facile da lavorare. Tagliare la parte arrotondata di entrambi i dischi di dolce e spalmare la crema su una delle due metà, quindi coprire con l'altra metà e trasferire la torta così assemblata su una ghiera da guarnitura.

Per la ganache al cioccolato:
200 gr di cioccolato fondente (70%)
250 ml di panna fresca
10 gr di burro
1 cucchiaino di sciroppo di glucosio (facoltativo)

Tritare il cioccolato. Far bollire la panna a fuoco medio, quindi rimuovere dal fuoco e versarci dentro il cioccolato a pezzetti, il burro e il glucosio. Sbattere con na frusta finché il composto non sarà omogeneo. Versare sulla torta, aiutandosi con una spatola a distribuire la ganache su tutta la torta, inclusi i lati. Lasciar raffreddare, mettere in frigo per un paio d'ore prima di servire.

Detail: Chocolate Pistachio Cake || Torta Cioccolato Pistacchio