Daring Dakers S'mores Style

It's Daring Bakers time! The challenge: A flourless chocolate cake and an ice-cream. My take on it: S'mores!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Valentino S'mores:

• Homemade Graham Crackers
• Chocolate Valentino Cake
• Marshmallow Ice-cream

Ever since I read we had to do an ice-cream to go with our cake, million flavours popped into my head. So many choices, I couldn't decide! What ended up deciding it were the leftover egg whites I had living in my fridge for a while. Most ice creams are made with yolks and I really didn't want to have more egg whites, so I decided to try to make a marshmallow ice cream! And oh boy, was that a good idea!

MARSHMALLOW ICE CREAM

• 3 egg whites
• 200 gr (7.1 oz) sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk

Start by making an italian meringue: In a pot, combine sugar and water and boil to soft-ball stage* (121ºC/ 240ºF on a candy thermometer). Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush from time to time to prevent sugar crystals. When the syrup starts boiling you can start whiping the eggs whites on low speed until foamy, then increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form. Whe the syrup is at the right temperature take it out of the stove and wait until the bubbles stop. Then with the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the egg whites. Beat until the bowl is cold and the meringue is very glossy. Mix the meringue with the cream and milk and churn.

Notes about this ice-cream:

• It doesn't freeze hard as a rock, it has more of a parfait consitency.
• Don't worry about raw egg whites, they're cooked by the hot syrup
• *Soft ball stage: At this temperature, a drop of sugar syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball.
• I froze a bit of this ice-cream (without churning) and it was as great, so even if you don't have an ice-cream maker you can make this with great results.
• Oh... and it's delicious!

And so if I had chocolate and marshmallows allready how could I not invite Graham Crackers to join the party and do a play on S'mores? It was a good thing because I've been wanting to make homemade Graham Crackers for a while, specially since I saw them on Katrina's blog. I followed this recipe with great results. I've cut mine in hearts with various sizes.

Guess I should also give you the recipe for the Valentino cake itself.

VALENTINO CAKE

• 16 ounces (1 pound/454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• ½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tbsps (146 grs total) of unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs separated

Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry). With the same beater beat the egg yolks together. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375ºF/190ºC. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140ºF/60ºC. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold. I let mine cool completely and then cut little hearts with a cookie cutter.

And to assemble the dessert start with a heart Graham Cracker, followed by a Valentino heart topped with a quenelle of Marshmallow ice-cream. Decorate and enjoy!

So rich, sweet, creamy and wonderful. Give me s'more please!