THE year’s at the spring,
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearl’d;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven—
All’s right with the world!
~ Pippa’s Song (Robert Browning)
How easy the spirit leaps up with the gift of a spring day in winter. All the world seems lighter and good again. A simple change in the elements lightens the load of living and reminds us that good is bound to come. I cherish these days and don’t want them to pass unnoticed or unappreciated.
Isn’t it the simple things that bring us the most joy? It pleases me to think so. It pleases me to know that we can bring our own simple delights into this world and make it for a moment sweeter to those around us. All of us home cooks have realized this. We’ve seen the difference that comes over the countenance when a dish of some delectable something has been set before it.
I witness this change just a few days ago when I served my family this Delizia al Cioccolato or Chocolate Delight. This little soufflé of chocolate is only slightly sweet. It doesn’t weigh you down but rather lifts you up. It takes you to just the right spot. It is as delightful as the name implies. The recipe is adapted from a recipe in the granddaddy of Italian cookbooks, The Silver Spoon.
Ingredients
¼ cup of butter, melted ~ plus extra for greasing
¼ cup of all purpose flour ~ plus extra for dusting
3.5 oz of bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
5 eggs, separated
1 ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp vanilla sugar (To make your own at home without a vanilla bean ~ mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix and let dry.)
3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Grease an 8-inch springform pan with butter and lightly dust with flour.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave until just melted.
Beat egg yolks with 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl.
Beat in the melted butter and chocolate, sift in the flour and cornstarch, and mix well.
Whisk the egg whites with the remaining ¾ cup of confectioner’s sugar.
Gently fold into the chocolate mixture and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 40 minutes (tooth pick should come out mostly dry), then remove from the oven and let cool. 
Chill in the refrigerator before unfolding and serving.
¡Enjoy!
Delizia al Cioccolato (Chocolate Delight)
Ingredients
- ¼ cups Melted Butter Plus More For Greasing The Pan
- 3-½ ounces weight Bittersweet Chocolate, Broken Into Pieces
- 5 Eggs Separated
- 1-¾ cup Confectioners Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Sugar
- ¼ cups All-purpose Flour plus Extra For Dusting
- 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch springform pan with butter and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
- Put the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave until just melted (heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between additional heat increments). Set aside.
- Beat egg yolks with 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the melted butter and chocolate. Then sift in the flour and cornstarch, and mix well.
- Whisk the egg whites with the remaining ¾ cup of confectioners’ sugar. Gently fold this into the chocolate mixture and pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 40 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out mostly dry), then remove from the oven and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before unfolding and serving.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
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