Chocolate Cherry Flourless Cake 

Serves 6

4 eggs, chilled

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate 

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1” inch pieces

2 tablespoons chambord, other liqueur, or cherry juice

1 cup chopped frozen cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of a six ramekins. Sprinkle in cherries.  Place in roasting (or something that will hold all ramekins comfortably) pan and set aside.  

Bring about 2” of water to boil in a saucepan.  Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl or bain marie that will fit top of saucepan with touching the water.  Turn off heat and place bowl on top of the saucepan.  Allow mixture to melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from water bath and stir in liqueur.

Place eggs in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat eggs to soft peaks on high speed until doubled in volume, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Fold beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time, making sure that the last 1/3 is folded until the mixture has no visible streaks of eggs.  Gently transfer batter to prepared pan.

Pour warm water into roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of the pan.  Bake until a crust forms on the top of the cake and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the cake reads 140 degrees, about 20 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

* This is a wonderful red wine friendly dessert.