A Valentine's treat in the form of Chocolate

For some, Valentine's Day is a special day. For others, it's just a silly little Hallmark holiday. And for just about everyone, it is an excuse to eat chocolate. Chocolate truffles, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, and in my house this Valentine's Day, flourless chocolate torte! While sitting on my couch this past Friday morning, Chef Emeril Lagasse's chocolate episode of The Essence of Emeril was airing on The Food Network. I knew at that moment that I would be designing Sunday's Valentine's Day menu around dessert, the flourless chocolate torte that Chef Lagasse taught me to make on Friday morning.

After consulting with my number one customer, I put together a shopping list for my Valentine's Day menu. I would be cooking filet au poivre with a cognac mushroom sauce, served with horseradish mashed yukon gold potatoes and garlicky spinach. Dessert is the aforementioned flourless chocolate torte served with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh raspberries.

The star of the meal was definitely the flourless chocolate torte. Who doesn't love a rich, dark chocolately torte with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries? It was relatively easy to make and worth every minute I spent in the kitchen melting, mixing, pouring and baking. Follow my kitchen journey in pictures, then see the recipe below. Happy Valentine's Day!

Flourless Chocolate Torte

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1/2 tablespoon

* 1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

* 1/4 cup amaretto

* 8 large eggs

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, for garnish

* Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Using 1/2 tablespoon butter grease a 9-inch springform pan and line bottom with a parchment round. Cover pan underneath and along sides with foil and set in a roasting pan. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.

Combine the chocolate, butter, and amaretto in a metal bowl set over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the mixture, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; reserve. Make sure the chocolate mixture has cooled at least five minutes before adding to egg mixture, else the eggs might scramble.

Meanwhile combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy and almost doubled in volume, about 5 to 10 minutes. Fold 1/3 of chocolate mixture into egg mixture using a rubber spatula. Repeat this process 2 more times - until all of chocolate mixture has been folded into egg mixture.

Pour batter into prepared springform pan and place in the roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides. Bake until cake has risen slightly and edges are just beginning to set, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan and cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove foil, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove cake from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Remove springform pan sides, invert cake onto a large plate, and peel away the parchment paper from bottom. Reinvert cake on another large plate or serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder immediately before serving.