Concertante Chocolate Plum Torte

This recipe comes from the wonderful food blog, Cannelle et Vanille, a site that is dedicated to healthy yet delicious desserts and other dishes. For those of you who are speculative when it comes to health food and dessert, do not shy away from this recipe. It is absolutely divine! The chocolaty richness of the torte is perfectly balanced by the light sweetness of the plums. A sure taste-bud pleaser.

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegan butter

2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used the semisweet Trader Joe's chocolate chips)

1 cup almond flour

1/4 brown rice flour

2 Tbsps cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 black plums, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and set aside.

Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set atop a sauce pan with a 1/2 cup of water. Turn flame to medium and allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Fold in the chocolate mixture. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well to create a thick batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place the plum slices in a fan-like arrangement working from the outside edge going in. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the torte. Enjoy!

Music suggestions:

• Consolation No. 3 in D-flat Major: Lento Placido- Franz Liszt
• Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat, Op. 83: III. Andante- Piu adagio- Johannes Brahms

Paganini's Precocious Chocolate Cake

Originally titled Racine's Cake (it is named for the Parisian restaurant from which it comes), this cake is a favorite of David Lebovitz's, one of my favorite cookbook authors. Complex in flavor, yet light in texture, it was only appropriate to dedicate this cake to the violinist and composer Nicolo Paganini for his dark yet playful musical temperament.

Ingredients

cocoa powder

10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I like to use the Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips)

1/2 cup vegan butter

1 Tbsp freshly brewed espresso (or very strong instant coffee, if you want to cheat)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

6 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps sugar

2 Tbsps coca nibs (I used chopped pecans as I did not have cocoa nibs)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust well with cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso. Set the bowl over a saucepan that contains about a 1/2 cup of water. Turn the flame on medium and allow the chocolate and butter to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, combine the six egg yolks with a 1/4 cup of sugar. Blend with a hand mixer until pale in fluffy. In a separate medium sized bowl, blend the six egg whites with a hand mixer just until they begin to hold their shape. Add the remaining 2 Tbsps of sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture and then fold in the egg white mixture. Mix gently until there are no streaks left. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the cocoa nibs (or pecans) on top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Music suggestions:

• Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 6- Nicolo Paganini
• 24 Caprices for Violin, Op. 1: No. 24 in A Minor- Nicolo Paganini

Presto Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This delicious recipe was featured on the cover of the October 2010 issue of Cooking Light. Very easy to make, this breakfast treat will not let you down.

Ingredients

Bread

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

1/3 cup Tofutti sour cream

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsps vegan butter, melted

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cups oat bran (or ground flaxseed)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

2 Tbsps dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Glaze

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp soy milk

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

Bread: In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients with a hand mixer. Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix well. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the next 5 ingredients. Add this mixture to the banana mixture in the large bowl. Stir until just blended. Add in the chopped peanuts. Pour the batter in to the the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the banana bread from the pan and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Glaze: In a small bowl combine all 3 ingredients. Whisk well and drizzle over top of the bread to glaze it. Enjoy!

Music Suggestions:

• On the Sunny Side of the Street- Ella Fitzgerald
• Banana Pancakes- Jack Johnson