Taillevent's Chocolate Cake W/pistachio Sauce

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Taillevent's Chocolate Cake W/pistachio Sauce
Categories: Cheesecakes, Chocolate
Yield: 1 servings

4 1/2 oz Best quality bittersweet
Chocolate
1/4 c Plus 2 t confectioners sugar
6 tb Unsalted butter
(room temperature
2 Eggs; separated
-----the sauce-----
1/2 c Shelled roasted pistachios
1 c Sugar
1 Egg white
2 c Milk
4 Egg yolks

TO MAKE THE CAKE: melt the chocolate in a small saucepan
over very low heat. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and the butter and
stir until melted. Whisk in the egg yolks. Cook stirring
constantly until mixture reaches 160~ on a candy
thermometer. Set aside to cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the
remaining sugar and beat until glossy. Whisk 1/3 of the egg
whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining
whites. Rinse 4 - 4 oz. heart shaped molds or ramekins with
water; DO NOT DRY. Divide the chocolate mixture among the
molds. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE: Remove as much skin as possible from the
pistachios. Rinse quickly with boiling water, drain and
then remove as much of the remaining skin as possible.
Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until ground.
Add 1/3 cup of sugar and the egg white and process until
mixture forms a paste. Place 3 T of the pistachio paste in
a medium sized saucepan (save the rest for another use).
Add the milk and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain
through a fine mesh sieve into another medium size
saucepan. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until
thick and light. Whisk in half the strained milk; then
whisk the mixture back into the remaining milk. Cook the
sauce over low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough
to coat the back of a spoon; do not let the mixture come to
a boil. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

TO SERVE: Spoon a pool of the sauce onto the center of each
of 4 plates. Run the tip of a small knife around the inside
edge of the molds. Dip them briefly into hot water and
invert them onto the plates.

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