Pairings
We are so happy so many of you enjoyed the chocolate cake we served on our wedding anniversary weekend in the tasting room. I decided you should all have the chance to wow your friends and family so here's the recipe.
Chocolate Cake
½ lb butter
½ lb chocolate (chips or semi-sweet squares)
1 cup cocoa
1 ½ cups sugar
6 eggs
1/3 cup liquid – (Pinot Noir (we prefer A Blooming Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, of course!), bourbon, orange juice, even cold coffee)
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Place a pan with an inch of water in the oven. You will put the cake pan in this when you bake it. Preheat oven to 350*
Melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Stir till smooth. Remove from heat, cool.
Grease and line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch cake pan with parchment or wax paper.
Sift cocoa into large bowl. Stir in sugar and eggs. Mix just till egg whites are broken up.
Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid.
Add nuts, if you are using nuts.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Place in pan with water.
The timing depends on your oven. I bake it for 20 minutes and then check it. Usually takes 30 – 40 minutes, total. The test is to stick a wooden match into the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. It’s okay if it cracks on the top.
Remove cake pan from the water. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a plate and continue cooling. I freeze it overnight before glazing. It should be chilled to serve.
To glaze, melt ¼ lb of chocolate and stir in, one piece at a time, ¼ cup of butter. Stir after each addition until its completely incorporated. Spoon glaze onto chilled cake. It will probably drip. Take a spoon and drizzle the chocolate around the edge of the serving plate in an abstract pattern. You will look like a star!
Here are some pairings and recipes.
Mingle and hors d'oeuvres….
Mingle is our white blend – Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling. It is our most popular wine…
Quick and impressive hors d'oeuvres – Pre-heat the oven to 450*. Take a sheet of puff pastry and cut it into squares of about 2". Place them on a greased baking sheet. Dab a generous teaspoon of anything sweet like jam or savory like pate or cheese spread or salsa. Grate cheddar cheese onto the savory squares. Bake for about 18 minutes until the edges are nice and brown and the squares are puffy. Allow to cool and transfer with spatula to a serving dish.
Pinot Gris – this is a great wine with all foods….here is a brunch dish we just served in the winery for a group of six.
Wilted Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Eggs Put about 6 oz of spinach (one bag) in a bowl. In a large skillet, cook apple slices from 2 Granny Smiths in two TBS of olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in 2 TBS of balsamic vinegar and 1 TBS of honey and bring to boil. Pour over the spinach and toss. Spinach will wilt (hence, the name…..)
In the next steps, you will cook eight eggs, four at a time. Or, use two skillets. Heat 1 TBS olive oil and break four eggs into skillet. Sprinkle with 2 oz of blue cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cook for 4-5 minutes until the whites are set. If you like your eggs more firmly cooked, cover pan for 2 minutes.
Divide the spinach onto four plates. Place two eggs on each Spinach mound.
Serve with artisan bread.
Pinot Noir – Go to the web and get Julia Child's recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon. It is the best. One tip: when you brown the meat, place the pieces in the pan so that they do not touch. Get the movie Julie and Julia. Open wine, serve Boeuf, enjoy.