4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbsp All-Purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp vinegar (or) cream of tartar

70 gm castor sugar + 1 tbsp (extra sugar)

4 eggs (separated)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

175 gm good quality bittersweet dark chocolate; 72% cocoa (finely chopped)

2 tbsp cream + 1 cup full cream milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter (finely cubed)

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Generously butter a 6-ounce deep ovenproof round serving dish or bowl. Dust with castor sugar and discard excess. Place on a baking tray and leave aside. In a large heatproof bowl, put chocolate, butter milk and cream together. Place over a pan of simmering boiled water; without base of bowl touching the water. When butter and chocolate melt, remove away from heat. Set aside while you beat the egg yolks. By means of an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and castor sugar; until thickened, pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then sift combined flour, salt and baking powder over egg yolk mixture and gently fold in to mix and incorporate; by means of a rubber spatula. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the vinegar or cream of tartar. Whip until soft peaks form. Add the extra tablespoonful of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in beaten egg whites gently into chocolate mixture, with a silicone spatula; just until incorporated and the white colour blends into the dark. Do not overdo it even if streaky parts of white still appear. Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake in the middle shelf, for 10 to 15 minutes; or when edges are set and centre still wobbly and moist. Remove tray with dish out of the oven. Allow to set away from any air currant for a couple of minutes or so, then serve immediately with vanilla ice-cream on top; (it can deflate at this point), yet would still taste great.

Merry Eastern Christmas to all our readers. 

* A version of this article appears in print in the 4 January, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly