Party Guest.....good or bad....

Handmade chocolate dipped marshmallows for a hostess gift...and a chocolate cake.

Are you a good party guest.....do you mingle and jingle and enjoy a party, or prefer to play possum and wish you were at home in your PJ's? My mother hated parties in her younger years.

I love a house party....can't stand a big affair like a dance in a hall, but absolutely enjoy myself thoroughly at a cocktail or dinner party.  And I'm a really good guest......I don't get out of hand and I bring with me fabulous hostess gifts and always a lovely dessert if you request one. This is my famous chocolate cake...it tastes like a flourless cake, but has 6 tablespoons of flour....it's gooey and dense and cakey...divine. The recipe is below.

Last night we were invited to a Quebecois Christmas feast at our French Canadian neighbors house. Homemade Tortierre Pie (a French Canadian beef and pork pie with cinnamon, cloves and allspice), potato au Gratin, boulette de boeuf and other amazing foods.....

We brought wine.... and hand dipped chocolate marshmallows, and a chocolate cake with raspberries. (see recipe below).  My daughter made these last weekend and I told her to put them outside on the patio table in the cold to allow the chocolate to harden.  Well, that was a disaster as the squirrels ate 11 dipped marshmallows leaving only the lollipop sticks blowing around on the ground.....  

My gift to you if you invite me for dinner.

Lindsay's Chocolate Cake

	½	lb. plus 2 Tbsp. (2¼ sticks) salted butter
	7½	oz. bittersweet chocolate
	1½	oz. unsweetened chocolate
	6	eggs, separated, at room temperature
	1	cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
	6	Tbsp. cake flour
	½	tsp. cream of tartar

Steps

1. Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment or waxed paper. Butter the paper and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and heat over barely simmering water. While the butter melts, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Add the chocolate to the butter and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is very smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
4. Whisk the egg yolks with a wire whisk until just blended and beat in the sugar until just mixed. Whisk the yolks into the warm chocolate mixture and fold in the flour.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar (if you are not using a copper bowl) and continue beating until soft, rounded peaks form. Fold the egg whites quickly into the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate them.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when the sides are set but the center of the cake is still soft.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. The cake will develop cracks in the top as it bakes, and more will appear as it cools, but this is normal. When the cake has cooled to room temperature, you may cover the pan tightly with foil if you are not serving it right away. It will keep for a day or two.