A Chocolate Indulgence- Zuppa di Cioccolata

Hello all!

I can't believe it's already Thursday. I know I said we wouldn't be posting tablescapes for a while, but this is for a special friend. So join us at Susan's tablescape party at Between Naps on the Porch- and pamper yourself a bit

Do you remember when you first realized your child was growing up?? Was it one particular moment or did it just sort of creep up on you??

With my boys it seems to have happened when I wasn't looking, but being boys, and goofy ones at that, I still get the occasional glimpse of my babies. Happy sigh here :)

Now with Allie I can pinpoint the day I knew my baby girl was gone. 

I was standing in the kitchen (what else is new?) when she came running in after school one day in tears. She had been involved in some pre-teen drama with one of her best friends at school and the tears flowed. 


Suddenly, she looked up, stopped crying, and said "Mom, I really don't know why, but I REALLY need some chocolate. NOW!"

My husband looked at her in total confusion. 

I told him to run.    Run for the hills.    Come back in about 6 years. 

And bring chocolate.

She is my daughter. From my earliest memories of traveling through Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria as a child, chocolate was always a constant. My Nonno LOVED good chocolate and I have memories of him gifting me at Easter with gorgeous decorated chocolate eggs as tall as I was. 

Today, when someone in our family is suffering a meltdown, more often than not the chocolate stores are raided.

I have a dear friend who's had a very bad week. Spirits are low and her bruised ego needs a bit of pampering.I had planned this recipe for a post in the future as Allie and I have been working on getting it just right (which requires a LOT of taste-testing). But this is an emergency. 
Julie, this one's for you...

Pampering yourself requires a bit of quiet time. In this house with 6 kids, the only private place is ....

Yes, that is the bathroom.

 Close the door, set out the flowers....

light the candles and bring out your best wine glass....

a few good magazines....

Aaaahhhhh.......

We are offering 2 versions of this soup here. One is a simple, warming chocolate soup topped with a dollop of smooth hazelnut cream- simple and quick for those real chocolate emergencies.

The second is based on an idea by Chef Jacques Torres of Le Cirque 2000 who served a luscious chocolate soup over caramelized bananas topped with a billowy meringue

Be forewarned- this is a rich soup. I usually serve this in espresso cups (especially if I use all heavy cream as I usually do). Tonight I used a larger bowl for a friend who really needs and deserves some chocolate indulgence :)

Zuppa di Cioccolata

Basic Chocolate Soup 

3 cups heavy cream or combination of cream and whole milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 pound best-quality semi-sweet chocolate , chopped ( I used 1/2 pound Callebaut and a handful of Ghirardelli semi sweet chips)

small pinch cayenne or cinnamon- OPTIONAL 

3 tablespoons Godiva Liqueur, Grand Marnier, Chambord, or 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Bring cream and sugar to a simmer over medium low heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in chocolate and cayenne (if using) till melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur or flavoring

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Option 1-          Chocolate Soup with Caramelized Fruit and Meringue

Caramelized Fruit: 

2 large bananas and 2 mangoes, peeled and diced  

1/4 cup dark Godiva Liqueur (or Grand Marnier, Chambord, or a sweet rum)

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Place the diced fruit in a mixing bowl with the liqueur and stir. Set aside to macerate at room temperature while you melt the sugar.

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it is warm sprinkle the sugar into the pan.Spread the sugar in an even layer and watch carefully till you see it  begin to melt. Start moving the pan over the burner to keep the sugar from burning. Tilt the pan from side to side so that the melted sugar runs over the unmelted sugar. When all the sugar is melted and golden brown,  add the butter. Add the fruit and liquid and spread evenly in the pan. Be cautious as alcohol has a tendency to flame sometimes. Continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit is soft but not mushy; they should still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and pour onto a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Put a spoonful of the caramelized fruit in the bottom of a cup or bowl. Carefully add the hot soup on top. Refrigerate till cold.

Place the egg whites in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until foamy. Increase speed to medium-high and add the powered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time beating to stiff but not dry peaks.

Place the meringue in a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Remove the soup from the refrigerator and pipe the meringue onto the tops in a decorative pattern. Place the soup bowls in a deep baking dish and fill it with warm water to come one third of the way up the side of the bowls. Let stand for about 30 minutes to warm the soup. (If you do this before you serve dinner, the soup should be ready to be browned by the time you have finished eating.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the soup bowls from the baking dish and place them on a baking sheet. Place in the oven just until the meringue begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. The soup should not get very hot. Remove from the oven and serve immediately

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Option 2-                       Hot Chocolate Soup with Hazelnut Cream

1 recipe basic chocolate soup

2 cups heavy cream

confectioner’s sugar to taste

generous spoonful of hazelnut spread (Nutella) or hazelnut paste if available

Make basic chocolate soup as above. Beat heavy cream with confectioner’s sugar till soft peaks just start to form. Add hazelnut spread and beat to combine. Put cream in a pastry bag with a large tip and pipe on warm soup or simply dollop on (cream will start to melt. Garnish with fresh berries if desired

As Always,

Buon Cibo, Buon Amici,

Pattie and Allie